Shark scare hits Florida beaches: thousands of "non-predatory" sharks off Palm Beach area – Video

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Shark scare hits Florida beaches: thousands of "non-predatory" sharks off Palm Beach area
Florida #39;s ever-popular beach resorts have attracted some extra visitors this year -- thousands of sharks. Florida #39;s Palm Beach remains closed with shivers of...

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Shark scare hits Florida beaches: thousands of "non-predatory" sharks off Palm Beach area - Video

Quezon Beaches Like Hawaii – PNoy

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CATANAUAN, Quezon - President Aquino likened the scenic beaches of Quezon province to the allure of Hawaii as he emphasized the need to promote tourism during his visit to this coastal town and Gumaca yesterday.

"Kanina po papunta kami ni Procy, nakasakay kami sa helicopter, nakita namin 'yung baybaying dagat ng Quezon, napakarami po niyong magagandang mga beaches (A while ago in the helicopter with Procy [Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala], we saw how beautiful the many beaches of Quezon are)," said Aquino.

"Napakaganda po 'nung tubig; napakaliwanag. Akala ko po'y nagmistulang nasa Hawaii ka na (The water is beautiful and crystal. It seemed like Hawaii)," he said.

The President was in Quezon province to support the campaign of his administration's Team PNoy senatorial slate.

He said he was amazed with the beautiful beaches of Quezon, noting some tourist attractions like Villa Escudero in Tiaong; Puting Buhangin Beach in Pagbilao, ancestral houses in Sariaya; and Pahiyas Festival in Lucban.

He however said there are more tourist areas that should be developed, particularly the beach areas which have not yet been reached by electricity and roads.

The President said the Quezon province should take advantage of its rich natural resources and push its tourism industry further, noting that almost 100,000 tourists visited Quezon in 2011.

Reelectionist Senator Loren Legarda encouraged the people of Quezon Province to promote and preserve their culture and make use of their agricultural abundance to further boost the province's cultural tourism and agri-tourism potentials.

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Quezon Beaches Like Hawaii – PNoy

NASA Helps Make Guinness World Record for Largest Astronomy Lesson at SXSW

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Newswise Looking up through hundreds of colored filters and spectral glasses, 526 people shattered the record for the Largest Astronomy Lesson. Under the Texas night sky, students were instructed on the lawn of the Long Center for the Performing Arts at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin on Sunday, March 10, 2013.

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

During the lesson, Frank Summers, an astrophysicist, and Dan McCallister, an education specialist, both from STScI, Baltimore, Md., demonstrated how astronomers use light and color to uncover the secrets of the cosmos. The lesson, prepared by STScI's Office of Public Outreach, explained how astronomers use light and color to gain information about objects nearby like the Moon and asteroids to young galaxies that are billions and billions of light-years away, and the importance of observing in wavelengths across the electromagnetic spectrum (the full range of light waves possible).

"Astronomy awakens the natural curiosity and awe in all of us," said Summers. "Many people think that astronomy and physics are only complicated math equations. They don't recognize how natural it is and how much they already know."

Participants used glasses that break light up into the different colors of the rainbow, as well as colored filter glasses to see first hand how light can be broken down into its different wavelengths. The instructors showed how looking at a particular color can be a combination of different wavelengths of light. They also showed how different filters are used to select certain colors for specific studies of an astronomical object.

Working with the crowd, experts like Alberto Conti, astrophysicist and Webb telescope innovation scientist at STScI, explained how astronomy is more than just pretty pictures. "Astronomy tries to answer the questions that everyone wonders about like, 'How did we get here?' Astronomy showcases the physical laws of nature," said Conti. "It shows all of the processes. You can learn a lot about physics and nature by studying it."

Previously, the record for the Largest Astronomy Lesson was held in Mexico with the record of 458 participants, organized by Juarez Competitiva, set on Oct. 14, 2011.

Guinness World Records (GWR) is the global authority on record-breaking achievements. First published in 1955, the annual Guinness World Record book has become one of the biggest-selling copyright titles of all time, selling 120 million copies to date in 22 languages and in more than 100 countries. GWR is also available on a number of platforms including GWR global television, digital media, and online record processing services.

The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Md., is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., (AURA) in Washington, D.C. STScI conducts science operations for the Hubble Space Telescope and is the science and mission operations center for the James Webb Space Telescope.

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NASA Helps Make Guinness World Record for Largest Astronomy Lesson at SXSW

Radio astronomy : The patchwork array

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Eyes on the sky at the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array.

STPHANE GUISARD/ESO

The car toils upwards along the sinuous road, its engine tuned for the thin air. The clumps of cactus and grass along the road soon give way to bone-dry lifelessness. By the time the car reaches 4,000 metres above sea level, Pierre Cox has a bit of a headache. By the time it reaches the 5,000-metre-high Chajnantor plateau one of the highest, driest places on Earth, and one of the best for astronomy the altitude is affecting his bladder. Cox, the incoming director of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, is about to glimpse the giant telescope dishes he will soon be responsible for. But first he must find a toilet.

Cox slides out of the car and staggers into ALMA's glass and steel operations centre. The current director, Thijs de Graauw, a trim 71-year-old Dutchman, follows Cox inside and sits down. For him, journeys like this occur weekly if not daily but he knows that they are no joke. First-timers get a mandatory medical screening before being allowed up to the plateau, and regular shift workers pad around the building with tubes in their noses and oxygen tanks on their backs. Everyone okay? De Graauw asks the group of astronomers who have accompanied Cox to ALMA on this December day. No victims yet?

Cox re-emerges from the toilet, puts on wraparound sunglasses and, slightly dizzy, heads outside with the group. Scattered across the surrounding plain of brown volcanic soil are dozens of huge white radio antennas, looking as out of place as the stone statues on Easter Island. High on this cold and lonely plateau, they are gathering photons from the cold and lonely parts of the Universe the dimly glowing clouds of dust and gas where stars are born. Their signals are then combined into images that have a resolution better than that of the Hubble Space Telescope.

The stillness of the tableau breaks as the dishes begin to tilt and swivel in unison. My goodness, says Cox, hushed by the sight of so much metal moving so quickly and quietly.

But the choreography is not quite uniform. Clustered tightly in the middle of the array are 12 dishes, each 7 metres across, and four 12-metre dishes, from Japan. Spaced farther out are 25 dishes, each 12 metres across and fitted together like pie slices, from the United States. And scattered among those are the first of 25 dishes from Europe, each 12 metres across top-of-the-line carbon-fibre devices pivoting on silky-smooth gearing.

The last of those European antennas will not be installed until the end of 2013, when ALMA will finally reach its full complement of 66 dishes. Rather than wait until then, however, the project held a formal inauguration ceremony on 13 March to celebrate the collaboration that made it all possible. A total of 19 countries have contributed to ALMA, through three primary partners: the European Southern Observatory (ESO); the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan; and the US National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Charlottesville, Virginia, funded by the US National Science Foundation (NSF).

Geoff Brumfiel talks to Eric Hand about his 5,000-metre ascent to ALMA.

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HCC offering astronomy class for kids

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An introductory astronomy class for kids ages 12-14 will be held at Henderson Community College next month.

The class will be held at 6-8 p.m. on April 2 and April 4 in room 310 of the Sullivan Technology Building. The deadline to register for the class is Friday.

Students will learn the basics of astronomy, including the earth, the moon, the solar system, the galaxy and the universe. Special attention will be given to objects viewable in the night sky through the use of naked-eye observation, binoculars and student-built telescopes.

Each student will receive a Galileoscope telescope that includes all the necessary pieces to build their own telescopes. Students will discuss and demonstrate proper telescope use, sun safety and alternate uses for their telescope.

After successfully building their telescopes, students will be invited to a star party at HCC, where they will have the opportunity to view objects through the lens of their telescope, as well as a more powerful telescope provided by the college.

The cost for the class is $45, which includes the price of the telescope and four hours of instruction. For more information, or to register, please contact Jo Ann Brock at 270-831-9658.

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Subway Astronomy : Chilean Exhibition Celebrates New Telescope

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SANTIAGO, Chile Chileans say their country has the world's best night skies, and many astronomers agree with them a number of Earth's premier telescopes have been built here. To celebrate the opening of a new observatory called ALMA, scientists have put together an exhibition to bring astronomy to the people of Chile during their morning commute.

Between Monday (March 11) and the end of the month, subway riders in Chile's capital can attend the show, called "Radio Astronomy: A New Window on the Universe" ("Radioastronomia: Una Nueva Ventana Al Universo"), located in a hall at the Baquedano station of the Santiago Metro.

The exhibition houses a film, illuminated photographs and interactive exhibits about radio astronomy, focusing on the new Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) opening in Chile's Atacama Desert.

To celebrate opening day of the exhibition, scientists, officials and educators gathered Monday for speeches, snacks and a special musical performance by local musician Constanza Biagini. Dressed in a galaxy-themed costume with a radio antenna fascinator, Biagini sang a piece inspired by the sounds of radio astronomy. Her largely improvised vocals wove in and out of an eerie, evocative pastiche of musical instruments and sounds collected by radio observatories, and she performed against a backdrop of celestial imagery and cartoon radio waves. [8 Cool Facts About the ALMA Telescope]

"The noises are done by NRAO radio telescopes and I try to make similar noises with the different registers of my voice," Biagini said via a translator. "I am always thinking of creating sounds similar to the noises from the radio telescopes."

Today's ceremony was part of a weeklong series of events planned around the official opening of ALMA, a $1.3 billion radio observatory made of 66 connected antennas that can image some of the most distant, ancient galaxies and spot baby planets in the process of forming. The project is jointly funded by science agencies in North America, Europe and East Asia, and built with the cooperation of the Chilean government.

Tomorrow (March 13), Chile's president, along with other officials and astronomers, will attend an inauguration ceremony for the telescope at its site high in the Atacama desert.

But for those unable to see ALMA radio telescopein person, the subway exhibition is the next best thing.

The show aims to reach people who aren't tapped into the amazing science happening in their country's backyard. Though many Chileans are proud of their country's status as host to some of the world's best telescopes, too many don't know what these instruments actually do, Chilean scientists said.

"Many Chilean people don't understand too much about astronomy," said Sergio Cabezon, a public outreach officer at the Chilean office of the U.S. National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and Associated Universities Inc., who oversaw planning of the exhibition. "That's probably the fault of the observatories. We need to give them more spaces like this to understand what astronomy is."

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Subway Astronomy : Chilean Exhibition Celebrates New Telescope

Aerospace Cluster reaches 5 years as part of the North West Aerospace Alliance

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by IOM Aerospace Cluster

The Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster (IOMAC) recently reached its fifth anniversary as a member of the UKs North West Aerospace Alliance (NWAA). Laurence Skelly MHK who has political responsibility for manufacturing within the Department of Economic Development said: The Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster supports virtually every current civil and defence aerospace project in the world, demonstrating the success that the Cluster has enjoyed during its 5 year relationship with the North West Aerospace Alliance. As one of the leading industrial clusters in Europe, our relationship with the North West Aerospace Alliance has been vital in driving the success of the Islands aerospace manufacturing sector. Aerospace has been one of the Islands economic success stories in recent years with the numbers employed among Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster members growing by over 30% over the past 8 years with the aerospace sector contribution to GDP growing by 25% during the same period. With order books looking healthy there are significant job opportunities within the sector for the foreseeable future. Nearly 400 new employees will be required by 2021 to meet the requirements of the industry. Adrian Moore is the Departments Business Development Manager for Manufacturing and acts as the IOMAC Chair. He commented on some of the ways in which the NWAA had supported this growth: Our relationship with the NWAA over the past 5 years has given our members direct access to one of the most dynamic and important aerospace clusters in Europe, which has been especially beneficial for our smaller member firms. For example, being part of the NWAA stand at the Farnborough International Airshow, the largest aerospace trade event in the world, cost-effectively delivered significant return on investment for us. NWAA have also been highly supportive of our quality management programme, Journey to Process Excellence (JTPE), which is being rolled out across the member firms. This has already delivered significant benefits to those who have undertaken JTPE with several more due to begin the programme shortly.

To help people find out more about these opportunities, IOMAC members are supporting the 2013 Engineering and Manufacturing Sector Careers event, which is being held at the Isle of Man College, Douglas on 19th March.

The IOMAC has recently been reinforced by the addition of a 20th member. Adrian Moore continued:

We are delighted to announce that our 20th member is Manx Precision Optics Ltd, a newly established manufacturing company formed by Dr Helmut Kessler, a well-known figure within the industry in the Isle of Man. This will reinforce our capabilities in being able to deliver cost-effective, joined-up precision manufacturing solutions to our global blue-chip client base. David Bailey, Director of Operations for the North West Aerospace Alliance said: The Isle Of Man Aerospace Cluster has developed highly effective relationships and synergies across the Islands aerospace sector to enable real collaboration to take place. The success of this can be seen in the projects that have been undertaken to drive the industry forward in areas such as apprentice training and joint purchasing. The unique aspect of the Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster is the compact geography of its members along with a pragmatism that turns talk into action. Information on IOMAC and its members plus details of local job opportunities can now be found on the new version of its website at http://www.aerospace.co.im. Designed by a local firm consistent with the Isle of Man, Where You Can branding, the new site is also mobile phone and tablet friendly.

If you'd like to send any information or news releases to us then please feel free to do so and we would be more than happy to consider sharing your news with the Isle of Man!

Send your Isle of Man news to:webmaster@manx.net

Manx Telecom Ltd 2013

Manx Telecom Ltd, Isle of Man Business Park, Cooil Road, Braddan, Isle of Man IM99 1HX Registered in the Isle of Man Reg no.5629V Vat Reg no GB 003-2919-12

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Aerospace Cluster reaches 5 years as part of the North West Aerospace Alliance

LMI Aerospace , Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2012 Results

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ST. LOUIS, March 12, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LMI Aerospace, Inc. (LMIA), a leading provider of design engineering services and supplier of structural assemblies, kits and components to the aerospace and defense markets, today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and the twelve months ended December 31, 2012.

2012 Highlights

Fourth Quarter Results

Net sales for the fourth quarter of 2012 increased 10.6 percent to $71.9 million, compared to $65.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. Net income for the fourth quarter of 2012 was $1.0 million, or $0.08 per diluted share, compared to $4.1 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2011. Fourth quarter 2012 results include a pre-tax charge of $4.8 million of acquisition costs and of $0.6 million for the write off of deferred financing fees. Excluding these charges, net of a 35.0 percent tax rate, earnings per diluted share would have been $0.38. The operations of Valent, included for only three days after the closing on December 28, 2012, had no material impact upon sales and earnings for the fourth quarter of 2012 or for the full-year 2012.

For the full-year 2012, net sales were $278.6 million versus $254.0 million in the prior year. Net income was $16.5 million, or $1.39 per diluted share, in 2012 compared to $16.4 million, or $1.40 per diluted share, in 2011. Full-year 2012 results include a pre-tax charge of $5.4 million of acquisition costs and of $0.6 million for the write off of deferred financing fees. Excluding these charges, net of a 35.0 percent tax rate, net income for 2012 would be $20.4 million or $1.73 per diluted share.

"LMI entered 2012 with growing demand for its Aerostructures products and Engineering Services. LMI benefited from increased production rates and new awards on Boeing and Gulfstream models, as well as Engineering Services awards on the Learjet 85, the Boeing 787 and the Boeing KC-46 tanker," said Ronald S. Saks, Chief Executive Officer of LMI. "A large design build contract for the Embraer KC-390 also enabled us to refine our program management process and improve our design build infrastructure. Our revenue growth accelerated and significant hiring was done through most of 2012.

"As our financial condition continued to strengthen, we sought to acquire meaningful machining capabilities to enhance our complex assembly offerings and to supplement Engineering Services with aftermarket business. To that end, we acquired TASS in August 2012 and Valent in December 2012, transforming LMI into a supplier offering unique engineering services and structural aerospace products and services. We believe these customer awards were tangible evidence of the reputation LMI has developed in the aerospace market and that LMI is distinguishing itself as a company that provides a wide range of products and services that our customers need and want.

"In 2012 we worked through an unusual number of difficult programs, almost all of which were caused by inaccurate tooling or engineering provided by our customers. By the end of 2012, we converted these difficult programs from problems to successes and cemented relationships with key customers. As a result, opportunities for new, more complex work continue to grow in the structural products area, with several projects "expected to begin in 2013. Combined now with Valent, those opportunities are larger and more complex and will test our ability to execute them. We are optimistic that wins on successful airplane models will diversify our product offerings and provide the basis for continued growth in future years.

"Our revenue guidance for 2013, excluding Valent, reflects a reduction in Engineering Services revenue and an increase in legacy Aerostructures sales with a net reduction in sales of $2.0 million. A combination of sequestration uncertainty, a customer negotiation with its union in our largest Engineering Services market and near term completion of design work on several large engineering projects in the first six months of 2013 all have combined to suggest that Engineering Services revenue in the first six months of 2013 will be substantially below previously anticipated levels. We expect, however, that large orders received in the last two months from Aerostructures customers should offset our estimated reduction in Engineering Services revenue and some new awards are enabling us to use engineers in our Aerostructures plants. Additionally, both legacy Aerostructures and Valent have some capacity for more projects, and we believe those opportunities should help mitigate against any further unexpected short fall at Engineering Services. As a result, we remain optimistic that profitable growth should continue in 2013."

Increased demand for Boeing 737 wing modification kits and growth on the Boeing 777 platform contributed to the 11.5 percent increase in net sales of large commercial aircraft products. Corporate and regional aircraft revenues were lower as the fourth quarter of the prior year included revenue from tooling on the Mitsubishi Regional Jet program, which did not recur, partially offset by increases in deliveries for the Gulfstream G650 and G280 models. Military products increased as revenues on the KC-390 program and growth on the Apache helicopter offset reduced sales related to the Blackhawk program.

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LMI Aerospace , Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2012 Results

ReNeuron Group wins grants for stem cell therapy development

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LONDON (SHARECAST) - ReNeuron Group has won two grants worth 1.2m pounds to develop its stem cell therapy.

The grants were awarded by the UK Biomedical Catalyst, a programme of public funding jointly managed by the Technology Strategy Board and the Medical Research Council.

The first award of 0.4m will be used for ReNeurons ReN009 stem cell therapy candidate for critical limb ischaemia, a severe blockage in the arteries which markedly reduces blood-flow to the extremities including hands, feet and legs.

The second award of 0.8m relates to the company's ReN003 stem cell candidate for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disease in which there is damage to the retina.

Michael Hunt, the Chief Executive Officer of ReNeuron, said: "We are delighted to have been successful in winning the two grants we applied for in the current round of the Biomedical Catalyst funding competition.

"This highly competitive scheme involves a rigorous peer review of applicants' technologies and commercial development plans.

"In common with other awardees, we therefore regard the grants as representing a strong independent endorsement of ReNeuron's world-class stem cell development capabilities which we hope will eventually lead to the wide-scale treatment of disease conditions where there is currently a very large unmet medical need."

Shares rose 0.86% to 2.94p at 08:52 Monday.

RD

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ReNeuron Group wins grants for stem cell therapy development

Stem Cell Therapy Now In Davao

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With its growing popularity in the country, the so-called stem cell therapy, which was recently approved by the Department of Health (DOH), is now available in Davao City.

Dr. Luz Acosta, a Davao-born physician specializing in Ophthalmology, Oculoplastic Reconstructive Surgery, Cosmetic Surgery and recently Stem Cell Treatment, conducts the procedure after acquiring equipment from Australia and the USA. She is supported by a team that includes cardiologists, internists, and anesthesiologists who administer the laboratory tests and cardiopulmonary clearance to determine if an individual can safely undergo stem cell therapy. Having trained in this discipline abroad, she recently decided to offer this treatment after it was approved by the DoH.

As a founding member of the Philippine Society for Stem Cell Medicine that was only established last January 18, 2013 with DOH Sec. Dr. Enrique Ona as its honorary chair, Acosta is joined by doctors Jose Sabili, Melchor Santos, Christian Mancao, Leo Olarte, Bu Castro, Oscar Tinio, and Almond Derla as well as Mr. Rico Colayco as organizers of the society.

"This means that the Philippine Society for Stem Cell Medicine is the regulating body for the practice of stem cell treatment in the country," Acosta says. "Stem cell therapy is legal and safe for every medically cleared patient who wants to undergo such treatment to be rejuvenated and treated of his/her illnesses and diseases."

Acosta said that based on what was stipulated in the approved directions for stem cell therapy, the stem cell could just come from the person himself and not from the other sources like black sheep or aborted fetus, adding that sources of stem cells are fats, blood, bone marrow and umbilical cord.

"It could take five to six hours for one to undergo stem cell therapy. Harvesting is done in the first two hours, then another one to two hours for stem cell processing and activation, and the last one to two hours for treatment of stem cells back to the same patient," she said.

Popular personalities who have already publicly admitted that they had undergone stem cell therapy are former President Joseph Estrada, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and former Senator Ernesto Maceda, who said that they spent millions to pay for the treatment.

But Acosta said that it could be a lot cheaper here than abroad, as the cost of treatment will be in accordance to the guidelines of the Phil. Society for Stem Cell Medicine.

She said there have been very good clinical outcomes from stem cell treatments on autism, auto-immune diseases, cerebral palsy, diabetes, heart disease, liver cirrhosis, macular degeneration, multiple sclerosis, nerve damage, osteoarthritis, spinal cord injury and stroke.

"But we have to clarify here that we are not claiming stem cell therapy as a cure for cancer, though it can alleviate pain and improve patients' wellbeing while undergoing cancer therapy," she said.

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Stem Cell Therapy Now In Davao