South Asian crude oil spillage spoiling Goa beaches

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Panaji, June 22 (IANS) South East Asian crude oil, dumped into the Arabian sea by reckless transcontinental ships, are spoiling Goa's beaches, a study by Indian marine scientists has revealed.

The study conducted by the National Institute of Oceanography has fingerprinted the crude, which repeatedly hits the Goan coastline during monsoon in form of sticky, oily tar-balls, and has traced it specifically as South East Asian Crude Oil (SEACO) and not from Bombay High, offshore oilfield located 160 km from Mumbai.

Nikhil Desai, Goa's tourism director, said Friday that the oil spillage occurred in the jurisdiction of the Indian Coast Guard, who are tasked with apprehending ships who illegally dump their oil-lined ballast in the sea.

"It is out of our jurisdiction," he told IANS, adding that by the time the oil spill hit Goa's shores, the damage was already done.

"Compound Specific Isotope 13C analysis brought out a clear representation that all the tar balls samples are from a single source, but not from BH (Bombay High). The cross-plot of hopane biomarker diagnostic ratios also confirms that the source is SEACO," said the study released last week.

"The Middle East countries on the northwest of the Arabian Sea are rich in oil producing fields. But, there is a good demand for SEACO in these countries. The SEACO oil is transported to the Middle East countries through the Arabian Sea. It is possible that the ships that are going to the Middle East with SEACO clean the tanks in the Arabian Sea. The resulting oil undergoes weathering process, leading to tar ball formation," it said.

The tar balls, pudding-like balls of tar formed by constant exposure of crude oil to sea water, were a mystery as they lined up on Goa's beaches year after another, sometimes even threatening the state's tourism prospects.

The tourism authorities here were forced to respond to the tar ball "invasion" with an almost war-like urgency, hiring an army of sweepers and cleaners to wipe the beaches clean off the tar balls, which impart an oil-like smell to the water and deter tourists from a swim and a beach stroll.

"It is concluded that the tar balls that were deposited along the Goa coast during 2010 and 2011 are formed from the tanker-wash derived oil spills and have the characteristics of floating tar balls," said the report recently published in an international journal Marine Pollution Bulletin.

Once released into the sea, the tar balls get caught in the south west monsoon swell and move towards the western coast, specifically Goa, the study said.

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South Asian crude oil spillage spoiling Goa beaches

Sheppey beaches among the country’s best

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The raising of the Seaside Award flag

Sheppeys beaches now have proof they are among the best in the country after flags were put up.

Last month we reported how environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy had rewarded the Island in its annual coastline recognition scheme.

Sheerness, Leysdown and Minster have all been given a Seaside Award which means they have clean beaches and are clear of dog mess and litter as well as having fantastic facilities.

They are three of 113 beaches around the country to be presented with the honour this year.

To mark the achievement, flags have been installed at the three sites.

A short service was held at Minster Leas on Wednesday when the flag was raised by the Mayor of Swale Cllr Sue Gent and there were representatives there from Swale council, including its seafront cleaning team, Minster Parish Council and Kent County Council.

Minster Beach was chosen as it missed out on the award in 2012.

Swales seafront officer Ian Arnell said its nice for the cleaning to team to get some recognition.

It was a good crowd, he said. Its nice to see the flags up now so everyone knows we have got the award.

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van Saders

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van Saders Pinsonneault (2013): OSU Astronomy Coffee Brief
This is an OSU Astronomy "Coffee Brief" for the van Saders Pinsonneault paper "Fast Star, Slow Star; Old Star, Young Star: Subgiant Rotation as a Populatio...

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Aerospace And Defense Firms See Shift In Market Cycle

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A few years ago, the U.S. was waging war on two fronts and demanded a sharp rise in federal defense spending. At that time, with the global economy largely on the fritz, military contracts drove the bulk of the growth in the aerospace industry.

But defense spending is now on the decline. Downsized U.S. military operations and proposed budget cuts tied to sequestration are raising questions about impact on aerospace contractors, and how well the industry is poised to handle such changes.

The trend will likely lead to a significant slowdown, according to analysts, particularly for companies on the lower end of the supply chain. Contractors specializing in parts for weapons systems and military aircraft will probably get hit hardest, experts say.

But even large contractors likeLockheed Martin ( LMT ),Raytheon ( RTN ) andNorthrop Grumman ( NOC ) are feeling the pinch.

"There has already been an impact on the big, prime contractors," said Richard Whittington, aerospace analyst at Drexel Hamilton. "Their revenues have stopped going up, they have reduced head counts and internalized some manufacturing that was previously outsourced."

A Commercial Break

On the positive side, companies that get a large part of their revenue from the commercial aircraft sector are seeing increasing benefits as airlines boost spending and race to buy newer, more fuel-efficient planes.

These include top names likeBoeing ( BA ),BE Aerospace ( BEAV ) andEmbraer (ERJ).

"The companies with more diverse portfolios, who have significant investments in the commercial side, are doing well because that side of the industry is going gangbusters right now," said Dan Stohr, a spokesman at the Aerospace Industries Association. "Southwest Asia is a huge growth market for commercial airlines, and demand is still going quite strong there."

According to a report from PricewaterhouseCoopers, the aviation industry last year delivered a record 1,189 large commercial aircraft. That was up 18% from 2011, which was also a record year.

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Aerospace And Defense Firms See Shift In Market Cycle

Researchers determine factors that influence spinach contamination pre-harvest

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Public release date: 20-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

A team of researchers from Texas and Colorado has identified a variety of factors that influence the likelihood of E. coli contamination of spinach on farms prior to harvest. Their research is published in the July 2013 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

"Microbial contamination of produce seems strongly influenced by the time since the last irrigation, the workers' personal hygiene and the field's use prior to planting of produce," says first author Sangshin Park of Texas A&M University, College Station. "These factors, together with the role of weather in produce contamination should be the targets of future research efforts to design cost-effective strategies for control of produce contamination."

E. coli contamination of spinach on farms in Colorado and Texas was 172 times more likely if the produce field was within 10 miles of a poultry farm, and 64 times more likely if irrigated by pond water, says Park.

As E. coli is commonly used as an indicator of fecal contamination with food-borne pathogens, the practice of hygieneavailability of portable toilets and hand-washing stations for workers in the fields and the absence of grazing or hay production on the fields prior to planting spinach, reduced the risk seven-fold.

Other potential risk factors tested in the study included numbers of workers, farm size, organic vs. conventional production, the use of chemical fertilizers, compost, and manure, says Park. The researchers assayed 955 spinach samples from 12 farms in the two states, finding that generic E. coli was present on 63 of them (6.6 percent).

Of particular note, the researchers tested their statistical model for spinach contamination to determine how accurately it was able to pinpoint the level of contamination. "The assessment of the predictive performance of a developed statistical model is largely omitted from food safety studies," says Park. Their methodology may serve as a useful template for future investigations of contamination on farms, he says.

"Because produce is commonly consumed raw, it would be best to prevent pre-harvest contamination by food-borne pathogens all together or at least to reduce it," says Park.

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Researchers determine factors that influence spinach contamination pre-harvest

Eric Young Talks Love for Fishing, Longevity in Wrestling & More

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Eric Young was interviewed by James Sullivan of MensJournal.com. Here are some highlights.

On his love for fishing: A lot of my childhood memories are about fishing with him [my father]. Him having a couple of adult beverages, me an orange soda, just enjoying the river. A lot of times we didnt even catch anything.

Eating Octopus brains on the show: It doesnt actually taste like much of anything. It kind of tastes like salt and rubber. It feels like a little macadamia nut. You bite down, they go white, and thats that.

On his Longevity in wrestling: Im a durable person. I think I was created in a lab for pro wrestling. I have abnormally large bone structure. As a toddler, he was afflicted with an immunodeficiency that killed off his white blood cells; having survived it, his blood is less susceptible to bruising and clotting. Basically, Im a really cheap version of Wolverine.

REVEALING Photos of Ex-WWE Diva Melina WOW

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The Most Advanced Anti Aging and Body Contouring Solution – TriPollar by Pollogen – and LumiCam – Superior Thermal …

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Aspen, CO (PRWEB) June 22, 2013

Lumiere Medical, a premier U.S. distributor of cutting-edge, clinically-validated technologies, will feature TriPollar by Pollogen plus LumiCamthe world's most advanced Radio Frequency (RF) technology and thermal imaging at this year's Cosmetic Bootcamp at the St. Regis in Aspen, CO.

Cosmetic Bootcamp offers training and support to core aesthetic physicians from dermatologists, plastic surgeons, ophthalmologist and otolaryngologists. This meeting is an opportunity for physicians to network, share knowledge and together shape the future of Aesthetic Medicine.

TriPollar plus LumiCam will be one of the top highlights and most talked about new technologies at Cosmetic Bootcamp. Lumiere Medical will be located in the main exhibition hall from Friday June 21st to Sunday June 23rd, and will showcase live demonstrations of the Apollo powered by TriPollar RF plus LumiCam the latest innovation in both radio-frequency and thermal imaging technology on the market, ensuring accuracy and clarity with every skin tightening, body contouring and cellulite treatment. The combo is simple to use, extremely efficient and delivers immediate, visible results with no pain from the very first treatment.

Lumiere Medical will be performing live demonstrations of TriPollar RF plus LumiCam, and offering complimentary treatments to Physicians. The demonstrations will allow attendees to see immediate visible results first hand and experience the soothing, pain-free treatment.

TriPollar technology is available in the U.S. via the Apollo through an exclusive partnership between Lumiere Medical and Pollogen. The Apollo powered by TriPollar is FDA-cleared for the non-invasive treatment of mild to moderate facial wrinkles. The 30-minute, no-downtime procedure has been globally embraced for its off-label use on the body with great success in treating cellulite and circumferential reduction. Unlike its competitors, the Apollo is completely pain-free. TriPollar also differs from other technologies because it allows patients of all skin types to achieve measurable anti-aging results.

According to world renowned Dermatologist Dr. Ronald Moy, "TriPollar treatments have a truly attractive profile for non-surgical body contouring and anti-aging. I have used nearly every other non-invasive technology available, and when it comes to patient satisfaction, TriPollar is superior. My patients are experiencing remarkable results from the very first treatment with absolutely no pain. The LumiCam represents an evolution in delivering RF treatments and ensures the best possible results for our patients. The LumiCam is a huge leap over the old way of manually testing the skin and now gives us precise measurements during treatments."

For more information, please visit http://www.lumieremed.com/tripollar-rf-apollo.

About Lumiere Medical Lumiere Medical, the premier U.S. distributor of innovative, science-based, clinically validated technologies, presents new revenue opportunities for its customers while providing results which consistently deliver high patient satisfaction. The exclusive U.S. distributor for Pollogen Ltd., Lumiere has recently added the Apollo TriPollar RF device to its distribution network, offering safe and effective anti-aging treatments with both immediate and long-lasting results.

About Pollogen We believe in constantly challenging ourselves to create the most advanced, effective medical aesthetic technologies and solutions. We believe in thinking differently.

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World Peace | Scientific Spirituality With H.H.Dr.Pranav Pandya ( Shantikunj, Haridwar 14 Jun 2013 ) – Video

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World Peace | Scientific Spirituality With H.H.Dr.Pranav Pandya ( Shantikunj, Haridwar 14 Jun 2013 )
World peace through intercommunion of science and spirituality I #2309; #2343; #2381; #2351; #2366; #2340; #2381; #2350; - #2357; #2367; #2332; #2381; #2334; #2366; #2344; #2325; #2375; #2360; #2350; #2344; #2381; #2357; #2351; #2360; #2375; - #2357; #2367; #2358; #2381; #2357; #2358; #2366; #2344; #2381; #2340; #2367; | Special Message by Shraddhey Dr. Pranav Pan...

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What is spirituality?

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THE word spirituality has many different meanings.

The word gives you associations with something floating in the air. It is something that has to do with religion. Many people say: that is not my cup of tea. But when you say that you deny something that is essential and real in yourself, even when you dont call yourself religious.

Every man and woman is spiritual, is a spiritual being. Spirituality has to do with that what moves and inspires you in your life. It gives meaning to your life. Through spirituality you become aware of what drives you in your life. This awareness can be connected with having a religion but it can be also that it is totally detached from a religion or a belief in something supernatural. In many cases spirituality precisely is very down to earth and it is close also to the person him/herself.

Your neighbors, your family, your work and your hobbies, these are all motivations and factors that are meaningful for people. The daily reality is for most people the most important context from where they get their meaning in life.

The awareness of your own motives and possibilities makes life enjoyable and gives you a reason that you dont have to say at the end of your life on your deathbed: I wish I had done more with my life.

As far as we know, we have only one life. So that is the more a reason for you to go through life with concern and compassion. Somebody told me once the following story: One day I was sitting in my room and somebody knocked at my door.

A friend of mine, a woman, entered my room and she said: I have to tell you something. My brother went to a physiotherapist; he had somewhere in his body a swelling that caused him pain. The reaction of the therapist was, I am not going to treat you, just go first to your family doctor.

The doctor started to examine him and he was completely turned inside out. He ended up in a so-called medical circuit. Finally, the diagnosis was: bone cancer. And yes there were also some spots on his lungs suddenly his whole world collapsed he was only 54 years old maybe with chemo-therapy he could still prolong his life for a few months!

When somebody contacts you, you never know beforehand what he/she is going to tell you.

Usually, the visit comes untimely for you, because you are still busy with something important.

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Taikonaut Teaches Science on China’s Space Station

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We may be familiar with the excellent series of experiments carried out by the likes of NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield on the International Space Station, but now a second orbital outpost is getting in on the science outreach act.

Wang Yaping, Chinese astronaut (or taikonaut) and second Chinese woman in space, has held the nations first orbital classroom lesson onboard the Tiangong-1 (Heavenly Palace 1) module in an effort to boost the appeal of space science among schoolkids. The 33 year-old military pilot took questions live from 330 children who watched her inject floating spheres of water with air and spin pendulums to simulate orbits.

PHOTOS: Stunning Space Photos of the Week (June 8-14)

Wang was launched to the Chinese prototype space station on the Shenzhou 10 spacecraft with Nie Haisheng, 48, and Zhang Xiaoguang, 47, on June 11 and docked with the orbiting module two days later. The mission is expected to last 15 days.

China is going it alone in space as NASA is banned from working with the nation because of fears of the transfer of technologies. The Chinese space program is a huge source of pride that has seen a steady pace of progress culminating in their first man in space in 2003, first spacewalk in 2008 and now its first manned space station prototype is being inhabited for the longest period yet.

NEWS: China Launches to Prototype Space Station

There are calls to motivate a new cooperation between NASA, the international community and China in space, but it looks like the nation is doing pretty well without an international partnership.

So, as Wang Yaping demonstrated Thursday morning, microgravity lectures are no longer exclusive to the partners of the International Space Station.

Watch clips of Wangs lesson via the BBC.

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Mold Fears for Space Station

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The robotic European cargo ship Albert Einstein was opened Tuesday morning at the International Space Station, a day late because of concerns that mold may have grown inside the vehicle, NASA officials said.

The unmanned Einstein spacecraft docked at the space station Saturday, June 15, but it was not opened Monday as planned due to worries that the vehicle and its cargo had not been disinfected properly before launch. The opening of the spacecraft's hatch was moved back a day to allow the space station partner nations to discuss the situation; ultimately, the partners agreed to have the station crew disinfect 21 bags of cargo on the spaceship to ensure they were clean of mold.

Whether or not any mold actually grew on the robotic spacecraft is unclear. The concerns may have arisen because Russian space agency officials were dissatisfied with the decontamination procedures European engineers took to prepare the vehicle for flight, a European Space Agency official told NBC News. [Photos: Europe's ATVRoboticSpaceCargoShips]

Furthermore, the Russian concerns might have been focused on the documentation of the decontamination procedures rather than flaws in the procedures themselves, according to NBC News space analyst James Oberg.

"It's a well-established principle of spaceflight safety that, under uncertainty, you don't 'assume the best,' you makesurethe worst cannot be true," Oberg said, according to NBC News. "And if you're notsureyou decontaminated these items to rigorous standards, then you do it again, tomakesure."

Tiny lifeforms aren't unheard of on the space station in fact, they're often launched there on purpose for scientific experiments. One study on the International Space Station between 2006 and 2008, for instance, found that Salmonella bacteria grown there in microgravity were more virulent than their counterparts on Earth.

The Albert Einstein spacecraft, also known as the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV)-4, is making the second-to-last of five unmanned cargo delivery flights to the station planned by the European Space Agency. The spaceship, about the size of a London double-decker bus, was packed with food for the crew, science equipment and spare parts for the orbiting laboratory. It lifted off from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French GuianaJune 5.

Like the other ATV ships, Albert Einstein is disposable; it will burn up on purpose in Earth's atmosphere after leaving the station.

Six astronauts currently live and work on the International Space Station: three Russian cosmonauts, two NASA astronauts and one European astronaut from Italy, Luca Parmitano. Parmitano was especially looking forward to Albert Einstein's delivery of some Italian space food delicacies, such as tiramisu, that he's planning to share with his crewmates.

"Apart from the experiments, oxygen and water, ATV-4 also brings personal clothing and food, among which of course the culinary art of Italian cuisine will be a cherry on the cake," Parmitano wrote on his blog hosted by the European Space Agency."There is nothing like the promise of an Italian dinner that I will offer from my personal supply to entice my colleagues to work quickly and well!"

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Mold Fears for Space Station

Two Guinness World Records Set With Help From Goddard Space Flight Center

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June 21, 2013

Image Caption: A record 526 participants gather in front of the full-scale model of the James Webb Space Telescope for an outdoor astronomy lesson at South by Southwest. Credit: Alex Evers/Northrop Grumman

NASA

Setting two world records in two consecutive months, NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., helped share some of NASAs amazing accomplishments. The awards highlight the tremendous amount of work by many of the centers engineers, scientists and communicators.

At the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (now called Landsat 8) launch, the first of these two world records was announced. During the NASA social on Feb. 10, 2013, the Landsat team announced Landsat 5 had set the Guinness World Record for Longest-operating Earth observation satellite. Outliving its three-year design life, Landsat 5 delivered high-quality, global data of Earths land surface for 28 years and 10 months.

NASA launched Landsat 5 from Vandenberg Air Force base in Lompoc, Calif., on March 1, 1984. Landsat 5 was designed and built at the same time as Landsat 4 and carried the same two instruments: the Multispectral Scanner System and the Thematic Mapper.

Managed by the U.S. Geological Survey as part of the Landsat Program, Landsat 5 completed more than 150,000 orbits and sent back more than 2.5 million images of Earths surface. On Dec. 21, 2012, USGS announced Landsat 5 would be decommissioned in the coming months after the failure of a redundant gyroscope. The satellite carries three gyroscopes for attitude control and needs two to maintain control.

Then on March 10, 2013, 526 space enthusiasts gathered to set the record for Largest Astronomy Lesson in Austin, Texas, at the South by Southwest festival. Looking up through hundreds of colored filters and spectral glasses, participants were instructed on the lawn of the Long Center for the Performing Arts.

In cooperation with the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education Coalition, NASA, the Space Telescope Science Institute and Northrop Grumman organized the record-breaking event that was arbitrated by the Guinness World Records organization. In breaking this record, instructors aimed to shine a light on the importance of astronomy with the full-scale model of the James Webb Space Telescope as their backdrop.

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Two Guinness World Records Set With Help From Goddard Space Flight Center