Category: News

Sensitivity analysis is more and more frequently adopted by scientists to understand numerical models that are employed to simulate and predict natural and social-economic phenomena. Sensitivity analysis is the study of how the variation in the output of a model can be apportioned, qualitatively or quantitatively, to different sources of variation.

Scientists at the JRC’s Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen (IPSC) have been working on developing a new paradigm for sensitivity analysis, called global sensitivity analysis. The most recent evidence for the world wide recognition of the innovative methodologies developed at the JRC has been the invitation by the prestigious Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL, New Mexico) to Marco Ratto and Stefano Tarantola to hold a two-day training course on Global Sensitivity Analysis and Uncertainty Quantification (GSA-UQ). The course, held in Santa Fe on 18-19 November 2009, attracted 35 senior researchers from LANL, Sandia Labs (Albuquerque) and Lawrence Livermore National Lab (Livermore, California) involved in research and technology for national security related projects.

I have searched far and wide to find nice gift ideas for $10 and under.   I don’t get credit for any of these links.  I just wanted to provide some helpful ideas for you.  I know money is tight for everyone.

I have chosen one picture per page.  Click on the picture to visit the site.  There are several different gift choices per page.  So, don’t go by the picture alone.  Check it out.  Maybe you’ll find something for that special person or the hard to shop for person.  Enjoy, and Happy Holidays.

    

Gift sets, candles, coffee and tea gifts, flags, delicious gourmet food, picture frames, sports gifts, desk items, and so much more! All for under $10!

 

Stuff for smart masses.  A little bit of everything.

 

There are currently  1,473 items for $10 or under.

 

 

Lee Valley has some neat gifts.

 

Shower mousse and body mist gift ideas for $10 and under .

 

 

 

   Even FAO Schwarz has gifts for $10 and under! 

 

 

 

 

e-CorporateGifts.com

 

 

Current now offers a section of gifts all priced under $10. With such a wide assortment of items to choose from we’re sure to have something for any occasion.

 

 

 

  Colonial Candle has some beautiful gifts for $10 and under.

 

 

 

   

   Pier 1 Imports has some great gift ideas.

 

 

 

 

 

   Some really nice things at Fashion Bug.

 

 

 

 

   Irawoods.com has some cute stuff.  This ionic hair dryer for only $9.91.  I swear by ionic hair dryers.

 

 

 

 

 

  For those of you who are religious…

  paracletepress.com has some really

  nice things there.

 

 

 

 

 

   Serrv.org has some  

   very beautiful gifts!

Insider selling has been massively outpacing insider buying, by 82x, according to FInviz data via Zero Hedge.

ZH: In the most recent data set, $11.6 million in stock was purchased by insiders, while a whopping $957 million was sold. And somehow pundits are still spinning this mass orchestrated sell into the bid by those in the know as a bull market.

Note the current selling vs. buying ratio is much higher than the 22x back in June. Thus while a high ratio isn't always a problem, clearly the relative increase has been enormous. Executives merely selling in order to fund their Christmas purchases? Tax-related selling? One can only hope.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Insider Selling Outpaces Buying By 22x
• Insiders Keep Selling Like Crazy
• Insiders Selling At A Furious Pace

As the negotiations over the ACTA treaty continue in secret, one of the more frustrating aspects is how defenders of ACTA repeatedly conflate “counterfeit goods” with “copyright infringement.” Witness Senator Evan Bayh’s nonsensical response to being asked about ACTA, where it becomes clear quite quickly that he’s unfamiliar with the most basic information on the subject. He switches back and forth between counterfeiting and copyright as if they’re the same thing, and seems to think that any treaty on the matter must be good.

But, an even more annoying part of all this is the use of fear mongering over “counterfeit goods” as some huge problem that has to be solved, when the evidence increasingly suggests otherwise. The copyright lobbyists are using the cover of some mythical massive counterfeiting problem to push for unnecessary and potentially dangerous copyright law changes, but even the counterfeiting claims are suspect. In the past, we’ve noted that both the GAO and the OECD have noted that the “problem” of counterfeiting has been massively inflated by lobbyists.

And, a new study suggests that even the counterfeit goods that do get sold aren’t really a huge problem to the original manufacturers (thanks to Dave Barnes for sending this in) — if there a problem at all. In a study that was actually carried out by a former brand manager at LVMH, it was discovered that people don’t view counterfeit goods as a substitute to the real goods. People aren’t being tricked — they know they’re buying counterfeits, and others know that they have counterfeit goods as well:

“Consumers are a lot smarter than we may give them credit for — just because you’ve got a nice fake doesn’t mean you’re going to get away with it.”

But, even more importantly, it looks like counterfeit products often act as a stepping stone to get people to go forward and buy the original version:

“The counterfeit actually served as a placebo for brand attachment,” she said. “People were becoming increasingly attached to the real brand even though they never possessed it at all.”

Forty-six percent of the counterfeit-bag owners bought the authentic products within two and a half years, she said. Shoppers were willing to pay $786 for a real luxury bag….

So, for all the reports of “harm” done by counterfeit products, here’s a study suggesting that it actually helps build brand loyalty, and appears to often lead to the counterfeit buyer later buying a massively expensive real offering in a relatively short time frame. As some are noting, this suggests that the counterfeit goods act as advertising for the real goods. These are the sorts of things that would probably be useful to discuss with those negotiating ACTA. If only those discussions weren’t all happening behind closed doors due to “national security” issues.

Permalink | Comments | Email This Story

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, Canada

It’s safe to say that 2009 has been the most difficult year in the 101-year history of General Motors. But while most of the news coming out of GM has been tough to swallow, the Detroit, MI-based automaker has had one very good piece of news: its new products are faring well in the marketplace. And of all the new products GM brought to market this year, none has higher volume than its Theta-based crossovers built at the CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario. The 2010 Chevrolet Equinox and the GMC Terrain have been successful enough that The General has added a third shift, scheduled regular overtime for the rank and file and even spent $93 million on a new body shop to increase production capacity by 40,000 units per year.

But GM was spending big bucks and building very important vehicles at a plant that it jointly owned with partner Suzuki. Well, GM changed that last week when it announced that it was buying Suzuki’s stake in the Canadian facility. GM has not disclosed the amount of money it paid to take over full interest of the facility, but we’re guessing the total wasn’t nearly as much as the cost of a new plant, which can cost over $1 billion. But while the news was good for GM and the people of Ingersoll, we’re guessing the folks who work at closing plant in the U.S. aren’t all that happy about this development. Hit the jump to read over GM’s brief press release.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading GM buys remaining stake in CAMI plant from Suzuki

GM buys remaining stake in CAMI plant from Suzuki originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Using Street View can be a lot of fun and can be a really immersive experience. Using Google Earth takes it one step further with the possibility to view any place on Earth, and on the Moon and Mars as well. But even with the biggest high-def monitor, in fact even with two of them, you’re not going to get close to the experience of Google’s Liquid Galaxy, an eight-screen contraption which completely surrounds the user with Street View and Google Earth data from a modified Google Earth Client.

The project started out as a tool for visualizing Street View imagery in completely immersible way. Several Google engineers got to work, linked several computers to eight screens and managed to get them to work together streaming Street View imagery. After every thing came together, they also set out to create a deck to support the screens and be presentable and mobile enough to be carried around to whatever conference Google may need to show off its geo projects.

This was done in time for the Google I/O 2009 conference in San Francisco where it made quite an impression. Watching StreetView images fly by can be fun, but now that the hardware part was pretty much completed, the developers wanted to take it a step further, so they got a software engineer from the Earth team to get involved. He built a modifi… (read more)

Vevo is just a day away from launch and it’s still making some rather big announcements, though not entirely unexpected ones. The music-video joint venture between Universal Music Group and Sony Music has just added its third media partner, EMI, which will provide the site with content from the label’s artists, as well as those from indie labels represented by the company’s distribution services. The label will not joint as an equity holder like the initial two, but rather just as a content partner.

“Our agreement with EMI Music marks a milestone in our mission to provide fans everywhere with the world’s best premium music video programming, when, where and how they want it,” Rio Caraeff, president & CEO of VEVO, stated. “We look forward to collaborating with EMI on introducing our users to new professionally-created entertainment products through a truly interactive platform. VEVO is about much more than just high-quality videos; it is also about original programming and strengthening the connection between artists and fans through a dynamic and engaging experience.”

For now, this leaves Warner Music Group as the only major label to be left out of the project. There were talks that it too was negotiating with the site along with EMI, but it looks like the negotiati… (read more)

The Social Care Institute for Excellence has signed an agreement with its French counterpart to work together to improve quality in social care services. (24 Nov)

Age Concern and Help the Aged has called on the Government to do more to tackle fuel poverty, as figures show that the number of winter deaths in the UK has spiked. (24 Nov)

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers has welcomed the announcement of £1 million in funding for young carers through the National Young Carers Coalition. (27 Nov)

The King’s Fund has announced that Chris Ham, professor of health policy and management at the University of Birmingham, will succeed Niall Dickson as Chief Executive of the charity in April 2010. (27 Nov)

Following last week’s unearthing of trademark filings for Dragon Quest IX’s possible European subtitles, gaming blog Siliconera has dug up another one. This time it’s a registration for North America.

Personal Care at Home Bill
The Times, The Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Ananova, MSN UK , Tiscali and Channel 4 News report that the Secretary of State’s planned care reforms will result in spending cuts on research, development and public health promotions. (25, 26 Nov)

In his commentary in The Times, Nigel Edwards advocates funding care and support with social insurance.

In The Guardian, David Brindle writes that we need to find out more about how AA and DLA are used before we defend the current system. (25 Nov)

The Daily Mail reports that government funding for dementia research has fallen. Discussing the same story, The Times asks how Gordon Brown’s promise of free care at home for the elderly will be funded. (27 Nov)
 
General Care
In response to a previous letter criticising his stance, Lord Lipsey writes in The Times that his position on residential care is that each individual should be able to make an informed choice about what is best for them in old age. (23 Nov)

The Guardian announces its Public Services Awards. Winners include:
–Sheffield City Council for its overhaul of its care services for older people
-The University of York’s ‘Minds in Motions’ program which encourages undergraduates to volunteer with dementia patients and their carers
-Cornwall’s Arts for Health team, which enables older people to participate in creative activities
–Carers Direct, which has supported carers by centralising information and setting up a helpline. (25 Nov)

The Evening Standard reports that a pensioner has died after 6 months of neglect at a care home. (26 Nov)

Financial Times writes that insurers are now offering more flexible terms on plans that cover the cost of care in later life, including money-back guarantees. (28 Nov)

The Observer reports that thousands of families in Wales who were overcharged for care home fees may miss the deadline for backdated claims. (29 Nov)

Dementia in the press
The Daily Telegraph reports on the story of a 90-year-old woman with dementia who died after wandering away from her care home wearing only a thin dress. (23 Nov)

In The Guardian, Roger Fisken responds to criticisms of hospital staff over their treatment of those with dementia, saying that difficulties arise from a lack of information and time. (24 Nov)

Following on from the Minister for Care Services’ announcement of fundamental changes in the treatment of dementia patients, The Guardian investigates how better health and social care could meet the human rights agenda. (25 Nov)

The Daily Telegraph covers Sir Gerry Robinson’s description of care homes’ treatment of dementia patients in Britain as ‘appalling’. (28 Nov)

The Mail on Sunday includes a question-and-answer feature on dementia and how it can be distinguished from depression. (29 Nov)

In Lyon, France the Peugeot 307 CC FiSyPAC FCV hybrid is making an appearance Dec. 7 – 11, 2009. In 2006 the same company showed off the Peugeot 207 ePure at the Paris Motor Show, but many improvements have been made since then.

For instance the Peugeot 307 CC FiSyPAC is based upon the 307 coupe cabriolet but with improvements in fuel cell and battery performance over the 207 ePure. The Peugeot 207 ePure has a driving range of about 218 miles whereas the Peugeot 307 CC FiSyPAC has a driving range of over 300 miles.

The 207 ePure was powered by a Genepac 20 kw fuel cell. Since that time and with help of French researchers the Peugeot 307 FCV’s fuel cell has increased its efficiency by 20-percent and the fuel cell’s lifespan by 400-percent.

The lithium ion batteries have also increased their efficiency and output since 2006, and the Peugeot 307 fuel cell vehicle now has a range equivalent to 62 mpg. Let’s also hope that the acceleration of the Peugeot 307 FCV has increased over the 207 ePure as it came in at a pretty ho-hum 0 – 60 mph in about 15 seconds.

Professor Linda K. Kerber, the May Brodbeck Professor in the Liberal Arts and Sciences, was inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame in Des Moines on August 29, 2009.  Please join us as we celebrate Professor Kerber, who has devoted her life and career to the empowerment of women through a better understanding of women’s history. 

Thursday, December 10, 2009
4:00-5:30 p.m. (program at 4:30 p.m.)
Iowa Women’s Archives, 3rd floor, Main Library

Since joining the History Department faculty in 1971 Professor Kerber has inspired and mentored generations of students.  Her creative intellect, influential leadership, and invigorating teaching place her at the top of her field.  She is a champion of the humanities and a steadfast supporter of archives. She has achieved international distinction for her contributions to our understanding of gender, citizenship, and the legal and political status of women.

Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame:  http://www.women.iowa.gov/about_women/HOF/index.html

Flow switches FS-700 (P/N: FS7013) is used in Tank-less water heater
Tank-less Water Heater heats water instantly to any adjustable temperature, Cold water enters at the bottom and travels through a flow switch which activates the unit when the power switch is on. When incoming water exits the flow switch, it comes in contact with stainless steel heating elements which efficiently transfer energy to heat the water. Electronic control monitors senses the outlet water temperature and determines how many current needed to be turned on heating elements to efficiently maintain the desired temperature.

Yuanben flow switches used for plasma cutters and the cooling system
Water-cooling systems for plasma cutters are very similar to those used in automobile engines, use water and coolant, a pump, cooling hoses, and a heat exchanger to remove energy from a heat source. In an automobile, the heat source is the combustion chamber inside the engine, which operates at temperatures in excess of 1000°C. In a plasma torch the heat source is the plasma chamber inside the torch where the temperature of the arc can exceed 10,000°C.
A plasma torch, like an engine, is cooled by a combination of radiation, convection, and conduction. Energy radiates from the arc in the form of intense ultraviolet rays. Heat converts away from the torch and torch parts through moving gas or air. And finally the water-cooling system conducts heat away from the torch parts into the coolant.
What happens when conductive cooling is reduced? The system overheats rapidly. When the plasma system overheats it will also cost you time and money. An overheating plasma system will wear out torch parts quickly and eventually may burn out the torch and leads. If the problem goes uncorrected, a motor and pump may have to be replaced. But the downtime and expense of overheating can be avoided. Understanding the system and its components will help you troubleshoot problems when they occur and prevent future failures through preventative maintenance.

A typical cooling system of plasma cutters consists of a torch, motor, pump, cooling lines, flow switch, filter, heat exchanger and reservoir with float level switches and temperature switches.
Plasma torches that operate at 100-150A require water-cooling to keep the torch and parts from overheating. The copper electrode generates the plasma arc and is closest to the heat source so it requires direct cooling. Most high power electrodes are hollow milled to allow for improved cooling at the tip, a water tube extends into this milled area, closely spaced and precisely aligned to the electrode and provides a high flow velocity of coolant over the interior rear surface of the electrode.
Flow switches are designed to prevent catastrophic failure of the torch and parts in the event of low coolant flow. Brass block plunger type devices are typically used with a micro-switch that must be satisfied for the system to run. Now our flow switches is used in this system.

BS204 is the flagship of the new BS200 Series inventive industrial multimeters of BST-UK.

3 5/6 Digits with 0.5% basic DC accuracy in 6,000 counts. Giant Dot matrix color (240 X 320 pixel 262K) with 33 seg. hi-speed bargraph white backlight display. Auto AC/DC V detection and TRMS measurement with high freq. response (2KHz), Low input impedance (LoZ) to eliminate false ghost V in sensitive electronic circuits. VoltDetect – non-contact ACV detection to locate live or unaware power source. Besides, it is featured with adj. bias volt. for diode test, temp. measur’t in both C’ and F’ degree, Max/Min/Avg hold function. Trend- G™ signal monitoring system for data logging & reviewing.

About Trend-G™ signal monitoring technology
This new technology can acquire real time data & plotting as a trend graph in instant time. It helps to display signal trends (such as offset, short pulse, and on/off), which cannot be captured by traditional DMM. Thanks to the innovative Trend-G™ signal monitoring technology we used in our superior series — BS800, we had released & transferred this technology to the model BS204. With the enhancement of color display, signal trend will be calculated & displayed clearly direct on the BS204’s giant display graphically. User can view the trend in real time with no add’l accessories or PC connection.

BS204 is a set of industrial multimeter, which is ideal for professional and also onsite monitoring, maintenance and servicing. It is elegantly designed with specialty & versatile features; meanwhile BS204 is comply with the high safety CATIII 600V, CE-EMC & LVD, EN61010-1 European Standard and overloaded protection with German SIBA fuse.

Features:
– 240×320 pixel 262k colour dot matrix LCD display
– Trend Graph Display Function with selectable period 4/20/40mins/4hrs
– Bright White LED Backlight
– Auto AC/DC Voltage Select
– DC/TRMS AC V (up to 600 V)
– DC/TRMS AC A (up to 10A fused)
– Low Impedance Volt.- LoZ-Volt (3K Ohm)
– VoltDetect – Non-contact ACV detect with 8 adjustable sensitivity
– Resistance ( to 60M Ohm)
– Capacitance (to 10000 uF)
– Frequency (to 50 KHz)
– Temperature in Centigrade & Fahrenheit with K thermocouple (-60C to 1350 C & -60F to 2460F)
– Continuity test & Diode test w adjustable bias volt. setting
– MIN/MAX/AVG mode
– 3.7 V Li-ion rechargeable battery w charger provided
– Auto Power Off (Manual disable)
– Robust casing with holster & tilt stand
– High Safety German SIBA fuse
– CAT III 600V CE-EMC & LVD

Fast Response Temperature Sensor
YUANBEN has recently introduced a new fast response temperature sensor, intended for direct immersion in liquid. Its unique design combines the benefits of fast response time and high voltage isolation with water resistance and physical robustness.
FEATURES:
• Fast response time down to 3 s
• Voltage isolation up to 500V
• Accurate temperature measurement
• Water resistant
• Metal housing
Typical applications include instantaneous water heaters, electric water showers and other systems where fast, accurate control is required.

Not to fear, with gPOPh, you will never want to return back. It ainft like the old.

Optizen series have been upgraded with unseen spectrophotometer till now. Our new launching model is named as OPTIZEN POP.

HARMONY = INNOVATED DESIGN + BONMARCHE + QUALIFIED PERFORMANCE

– Innovated design

– Compact

– Economic but rather powerful performance

– Stability

– Reasonable price

– Versatility with customizing your preference.

New concepts of Spectrophotometer
Qualified Performance + Bonmarche + SleekDesign = Harmony!!!
keywords:Optizen,spectrophotometer,uv / vis spectrophotometer,mecasys,UV-Vis Spectrophotometer
Product Feature

Not to fear, POP, you never want to return back.

It aint like the old.

Optizen series have been upgraded with unseen spectrophotometer till now. Our new launching model is named as OPTIZEN POP.

HARMONY = INNOVATED DESIGN + BONMARCHE + QUALIFIED PERFORMANCE

– Innovated design

– Compact

– Economic but rather powerful performance

– Stability

– Reasonable price

– Versatility with customizing your preference.

Design

Unique, defined crystal looks,

(available to design your own cover)

Gorgeous Material

Crack-free and glass-looking

Window CE based

Operation system :

easy-to-conduct and perform

7 Inches big LCD display

Pro-Human screen

GLP mode: USB port for printer use

Peripheral device (Options)

1. Integrated 7 inches large touch screen LCD.

2. Innovation designed cover

3. Temperature sensor in cell component

4. USB-GLP applied for all kind of printer.

5. Voice manual for each step

6. Window CE supported.
Product Specification / Models

Hardware Specification

– Photometric System : single Beam Type

– Spectral Bandwidth : < 1.8nm - Wavelength Range : 190 ~ 1100nm - Wavelength Accuracy : < }0.5nm (at D2 Peak 656.1nm, 486.0nm) - Wavelength Reproducibility : < }0.1nm - Photometric Range : - 0.5 ~ 3.0 Abs (Enable to Set Up) - Photometric Accuracy : } 0.005 Abs (at 1.0Abs) - Photometric Reproducibility : } 0.003 Abs (at 1.0Abs) - Stray Light : < 0.05%T (220nm, 340nm) - Light Source : Tungsten-Halogen & Deuterium Lamp - Monochromator : Modified Czernuy-Turner type with 1200lines/mm blazed Grating - Dimensions : 433(W) úI 381(D) úI 180(H) mm - Weight : 8kg

Who Knew ?? Orbitform can make tooling for ANY RIVETER!!!

• National / Chicago / Baltec / Taumel and more
• 2 to 3 Week Delivery on Standard Riveter Tooling
• Less Than Two Week Delivery on Standard Peens
• Competitive Pricing
• Responsive and Supportive

We Do !!

º Jaws
º Rivet Sets
º Drivers
º Punches
º Anvils
º Rollsets
º Peens
º Custom Tooling
º Custom Machining

We’ve invested in our world class machine shop to meet your tooling needs. Use offer code OF05 for a 5% discount on your next order.

Chad Wrona, Service Parts Manager
1-517-780-4204 • [email protected]

Remote Control from the Blasting Gun
The major advantage of the IceGun PRO MultiTouch
is that the blasting parameters can be controlled remotely from the blasting gun. With this MultiTouch blasting gun the operator will not have to stop the blasting operation in order to adjust the parameters on the machine. This means that the blasting machine does not necessarily have to be located near the item to be dry ice blasted.
The blasting guns are modularly designed and can be combined with a broad range of nozzles and accessories. This makes them adaptable to suit each individual blasting application, thus it is always possible to obtain maximum cleaning efficiency.