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Filed under: Car Buying, Detroit Auto Show, Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials

Cash-for-Clunkers was among the more watched auto-related story lines of 2009. With the industry hurting, the government provided cash vouchers of between $3,500 and $4,500 to anyone who turned in a vehicle that was eight (or more) years-old and with between two and 10 miles-per-gallon worse fuel economy numbers than the new car or truck with which it was replaced. The program went from fledgling idea to a done deal in a matter of a few months, showing that the U.S. government is capable of move quickly when it really wants to, albeit with the help of a big fat $3 billion check.

The feat was reportedly so impressive to Department of Transportation Ray LaHood that he openly wondered whether the program should be reincarnated for 2010. Motor Trend reports that LaHood told reporters at the Detroit Auto Show that Clunkers was “the most wildly successful program ever, selling 800,000 cars in less than 30 days.” It sounds like LaHood was really impressed with how C4C panned out, but will the program and its multi-billion dollar price tag resurface in 2010? LaHood says the DOT won’t be begging for any spending money, and he insists that any decisions will need to be made by Congress in the year ahead.

Motor Trend says that despite LaHood’s hands-off approach to Clunkers, there are persistent rumors that C4C could resurface in the second quarter of 2010 with perhaps less bountiful tax incentives and a less exorbitant price tag. We have no idea if C4C has any chance of making a cameo in 2010, though we’re thinking that the consistent uptick in sales after Clunkers expired shows that the industry is beginning to improve without additional government intervention. Why spend money propping up an industry that seems to be doing a swell job of helping itself? Let us know what you think by heading over to the Comments and giving us your two-cents.

[Source: Motor Trend | Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty]

Detroit 2010: Transportation Secretary LaHood ponders another round of cash-for-clunkers originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Japan, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, By the Numbers, South Korea

While it may come as no surprise that Asian car companies are constantly gaining market share in the U.S. market, the actual numbers are quite amazing. Ten years ago, companies like Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai and the rest accounted for a little more than one-quarter of total light-vehicle sales in the States. By 2005, that figure stood at 36.6 percent. By 2007? 41.9 percent. In 2009, Asian automakers sold a full 47.9 percent of the cars and light trucks we Americans bought.

These numbers come from the latest report by Ward’s Auto. Perhaps predictably, that same dispatch tells us that American automakers were hurt the most by those Asian gains. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler were once part of an American auto industry that accounted for nearly 70 percent of sales in 1999. The Detroit Three had just a 44.8 percent market share a decade later. The European automakers have also gained a bit in the U.S. over the past decade. Still, they only account for 7.3 percent of the market right now.

If the Japanese and Korean manufacturers post gains for 2010 that are similar to the 2009 increases, they will pass the 50 percent mark for the first time in history. Individually, companies like Toyota have fared the best, nearly doubling their slice of the American pie, going from 8.7 to 17 percent since 1999. While Ford shared the biggest gain last year compared to 2008, they were also one of the decade’s biggest losers, dropping 8.3 percent. Maybe last year’s gain is a sign of recovery for the domestic automakers, but the troubles at GM and Chrysler don’t bode well for the group. Check out the full breakdown by clicking the Ward’s source link below.

[Source: Ward’s Automotive]

Report: Asian automakers closing in on 50% share of U.S. auto sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Videos, Hyundai, Kia, South Korea

Most of the big automaker players have gotten out of the steel-making business, but according to Automotive News, the Hyundai–Kia Automotive Group is just getting into it. More to the point, Hyundai and Kia have bought into a $5 billion steel mill operated by sister chaebol company Hyundai Steel. The mill’s aim is to “boost synergy effects among affiliates by creating a circular production and recycling link between steel manufacturing, steel processing and car making.”

With an in-house operation, the two companies can be more assured of getting the quality and quantity of high-tensile steel that they need to build their cars at more stable prices. Hyundai’s stake in the plant is 12.6 percent, Kia’s is 21.4 percent, and between them, they’ll use 50 different types of steel from among the 225 types manufactured at the environmentally friendly plant. The other steels will reportedly be used for ships and electronics.

The first blast furnace was lit last week and will be able to provide four million tons of steel annually. The second furnace is expected to be finished early next year, and will provide the same amount again. Even so, Hyundai said it will need steel from other sources.

Remember when the word “Hyundai” meant “Excel,” and not “juggernaut?” While you ponder that thought, be sure to click on the jump to watch an amazing so-bad-it’s-good promotional video from the folks at Hyundai Steel.

[Sources: Automotive News – sub req’d; Hyundai Steel]

Continue reading Hyundai-Kia stamps out own steel plant… celebrates with awesomely bad video?

Hyundai-Kia stamps out own steel plant… celebrates with awesomely bad video? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I recently told you about the utility Cinch for the Mac, a $7 shareware utility that brings the Windows 7 Aero drag features to OS X. I’m still getting contacted by people not sure how it works so I figured the best thing is to show how it works on video. It is a simple utility that does what it does very well, and I think you’ll agree with me when you see the video.

14 January 2010, Valle de Mena (Spain). Throughout 2009, Valle de Mena – a small town in the North of Spain – has been very active in promoting and taking action for biodiversity in its territory.

Among the activities carried out last year the municipality organized an expedition to clean the Cadagua river in Villasana de Mena and promoted measures to try and eradicate invasive species, like the pampas grass which reached the municipality’s territory from major transport routes. The municipality contributed to the social participation plan for the agenda 21 and held events to present a book on the endangered monchina cow and another on the natural heritage of Valle de Mena.

The municipality of Valle de Mena was one of the winners of the 2009 “Concurso de Proyectos para el Incremento de la Biodiversidad” awarded to those projects which harmonized sustainability and conservation policies aimed at increasing biodiversity at local levels. It received 50.000 Euros which were used for the repopulation of local species in 9-hectare of land.

• Valle de Mena on Countdown 2010 website

Firefighters in Houston say a Chihuahua pup was saved by mouth-to-mouth resusciation after being rescued from a burning apartment complex earlier this week.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

HPER P398
Adapted Physical Education
Course Introduction

Welcome to your service learning experience focusing on the community of disability and physical activity. The purpose of this class is three-fold: (1) to understand the legal requirements as designated by Public Law 108-446, (2) to understand the unique characteristics of disability and how it can affect teaching, and (3) to learn as you participate in your service learning experience, the unique attributes of families and individuals with disabilities as it pertains to their challenges, their development, and their daily life. The course philosophy is, “We must become the change we want to see in the world”…..Mahatma Gandhi

For you to change the way we teach students with disabilities in physical education, you must change the way you see disability. As you participate in class and your service learning experience, I will ask you to talk about ability versus disability. Your reflections will document not only your experience but also how the experience has heightened your learning and understanding of course concepts including the concept of disability.

The true engagement of service learning also comes from reciprocity of an experience. Depending upon where you have your experience, I will ask that you learn from the families and the participants themselves. Expectations include weekly contact with the families and participants which will assist you in understand their child’s or personal needs through the experience. This communication, or what we will call reciprocity of learning, is essential to your experience. Families who have children with disabilities have very unique needs and experiences as a result of disability. What you can learn from them will enhance your teaching of their child. Individuals with disabilities also experience the world differently that you and I. Their desire for physical activity may also be significantly different than yours so your understanding and appreciation of such will be vital to your experience.

Concluding your service learning experience is your clinic report. This report acts to summarize your reflections and reveal your professional expertise for the next service learning student. You will be asked to write in your report specific, achievable physical education goals and objectives (i.e., IEP), behavior management strategies, and future assessment items for the following semester. This information is shared with families and participants for their use or knowledge regarding their child or self.

I hope that you look forward to your experience both in and out of the classroom. If fully realized, the experience will shape you as a person and as a teacher.
Dr. Stanton-Nichols

HPER 398: Adapted Physical Education
Spring 2010

Instructor: Katie Stanton-Nichols, Ph.D.

Introduction:
The purpose of this course is to provide the student with an understanding of disability as it pertains to teaching individuals with disabilities in the physical education environment. Course information will extend to federal legislation, assessment, placement, and teaching styles used with students with disabilities. Additionally, students will be engaging in a service learning program that will enhance their understanding of unique disability characteristics, assist in understanding teaching modifications, and assist in providing a quality physical activity program for the local disability community.

Course Objectives related to IUPUI’s Principles of Undergraduate Learning:

• Integration and Application of Knowledge
• (IAK)
• Knowledge and applied understanding of the unique physical, social and learning characteristics associated with the various disabilities.
• Knowledge and applied understanding of referral, assessment and placement process for possible special education programming.
• Knowledge and applied understanding of family perspectives concerning ability and disability.
• Knowledge and applied understanding of the physical educator’s role in the team process to educating students with disabilities.
• Understanding of the decision making process regarding placement as related to individuals with disabilities.
• Critical Thinking (CT) Ability to conceptualize disability
• Ability to distinguish between social construction of disability and personal perception of disability
• Ethics (E) Understanding of the challenges related to teaching individuals with disabilities
• Development of personal philosophy regarding individuals with disabilities
• Writing (W) Ability to write in an expressive, concise and communicative manner
• Technology (T) Ability to use the computer effectively and efficiently (e.g., word processing and reference)

Required Text:
Auxter, D., Pyfer, J., Zittel, L. Roth, K. & Huettig, C. (2008) (11th Ed). Principles and methods of adapted physical education. McGraw Hill.

COURSE THEMES

There will be four major themes discussed in this course: (1) legal mandates related to special education and adapted physical education, (2) teaching modifications, (3) behavior management, and (4) disability characteristics and modifications. Each will be discussed in some detail, however, please note that certain details will not be covered due to time constraints.

1) Legal Mandates in Special Education and Adapted Physical Education:
We will begin the course discussing legal mandates. Adapted physical education is by law, a service that all students with disabilities must receive. The laws are very specific and require you to understand how students qualify for services. We will discuss, in detail, specific laws that outline adapted physical education services and responsibilities of teachers. The expectation is that you will carry this knowledge throughout the semester understanding how it relates to other course content.

2) Teaching Styles and modifications:
While many of you may think the main purpose of this course is to discuss how to teach students with disabilities, you may also find that working with students with disabilities is quite simple and practical. Teaching modifications are often a result of several factors and often, generalizing about how to modify gives the teacher the wrong impression. We will discuss particular “must do’s” with certain disabilities, practice management styles, and observe equipment modifications. You will not become experts but you will gain experience and confidence in your abilities.

3) Positive Behavior Management:
Teaching requires management; simply sharing information with students doesn’t always help students learn and planning activities that are fun doesn’t ensure student’s attention to the task. There are specific management styles often used to help students with disabilities stay focused in order to learn. There will review these styles and during your clinical experience, you will have plenty of time to practice.

4) Disability Characteristics:
The federal law defined specific disability categories that can receive special education services. During the course, we will discuss how the law views disability as well as how specific categories may be affected by participation in physical education. Discussion of these characteristics will be discussed towards the later part of the course.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Research Assignment 50 points
To help prepare you for your clinical experience, you will be required to search the web and literature to find out “as much as you can” regarding your client’s disability. Minimum you are required to search two web sites and two research/topic articles, summarize the information, reference your citations, and submit to the professor. Summary must be typed and no less than two pages. Submission can be in paper or electronic forms.

Barrier Free Paper 60 points
You will be required to spend 4 hours in a wheelchair or otherwise disabled during a day. The purpose of this assignment is to broaden your experience in a wheelchair/disabled, the barriers faced, the physical constraints of the campus and the modifications you had to make during your day. After spending your 4 hours in the chair, you will be required to write a summary of the events that took place during your “adventure” (2 page minimum-12 pt. font, standard margins).

APE Service Learning Experience 140 points
You are required to attend a pre-arranged practicum sight for a total of 14 hours. Each session is worth a total of 10 points and you will be graded on your performance during these sessions. These practicum settings are crucial to your learning experience and cannot be dismissed.

Clinical Portfolio 150 points
You will be asked to put together a portfolio related to your clinic experience. Because each of you will participate in a different setting, the requirements for this assignment will differ. See Appendix C for further details.

Disposition Assessment 100 points
You will be assessed on how you evolve as a teacher during this course. This assessment will be reviewed with you during the first week of class and assessed throughout the course.

Exams 225 points
There will be three exams given throughout the semester. If you have 97% or above in the class, you will not be required to take the last exam. The exams will be a combination of multiple choice, short-answer and essay and will be elaborated upon when necessary. FAILURE TO TAKE THE LAST EXAM WITHOUT THE APPROPRIATE PERCENTAGE EXEMPTION WILL RESULT IN A FAILING GRADE.

Assignment Point Value Principles of UGL
Research Assignment 50 T, W, IAK
Barrier Free Assignment 60 CT, IAK,W,E
Clinic Attendance 140 IAK
Disposition Assessment 100 E, CT, IAK
Clinic Portfolio 150 CT, IAK, W, E
Examinations 225 IAK, CT, W, E
Total Points 725

Grades
Your grades will be calculated by dividing the number of points you have earned on each assignment by the total number of points possible (%). Final grades will be based upon the following percentages:

100-98= A+ 89-87= B+ 79-77= C+ 69-66= D+
97-94= A 86-83= B 76-73= C 65-62= D
93-90= A- 82-80= B- 72-70= C- 61-60= D-

COURSE POLICIES

Clinic:
Your attendance requirement that will affect your grade is your attendance at your clinical. If you miss a clinical experience, 10 points will be deducted from your grade. If you are late and do not call either Dr. Stanton or one of the program assistants, 5 points will be deducted from your attendance grade. YOU CANNOT MAKE UP UNEXCUSED CLINIC ABSENCES. The only reasonable excuses to miss clinical experiences are illness, REAL family emergencies, or other such circumstances. Additionally, your clinic grade will be deducted by 5 points each time you come to clinic unprepared (e.g., no lesson plan, incomplete lesson plan, improperly dressed, missing forms, etc.)

Class:
Class attendance is not required but obviously highly recommended. I will not give unscheduled tests or quizzes but the schedule will most definitely change. PLEASE NOTE, FREQUENT ANNOUNCEMENTS REGARDING SCHEDULE CHANGES ARE MADE IN CLASS AND ARE NOT ALWAYS POSTED ON ONCOURSE….IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND OUT THE CHANGES.

Exams:
Missed exams cannot be made up unless circumstances allow (as decided by the professor). If you have an already schedule conflict on an exam day, you must schedule to take the exam before the date on the syllabus. If you do not qualify to miss the last exam and fail to take it, you will fail the class.

Assignments:
All assignments are due on the date and time listed on the syllabi or per changes as announced by the professor. You must turn in all assignments in class at the beginning of class. Late assignments are not accepted unless PREVIOUSLY arranged by the professor student.

Unacceptable Behavior:
In clinic:
Clinic is a professional experience and must be treated as such. Dress, preparedness, and behavior are of the utmost importance. Therefore, you will be graded on all aspects of your behavior at clinic. Specific requirements will be identified during clinic training.

In class:
Certain behaviors in class make it hard to teach. Continual talking to classmates and joking, cell phones ringing, and sleeping are certainly distracting and somewhat intolerable. Perhaps the most annoying behaviors are attempts to plagiarize or cheat on an assignment. I would much prefer they not occur. Any incident of cheating will be dealt with according to University policy and will be reported.

At schools:
One’s behavior at schools will always be representative of IUPUI and the department. You must regard your behavior at the schools the same as defined in clinic training including dress, preparedness, and general professionalism.

TENTATIVE TEACHING SCHEDULE-THIS SCHEDULE MAY CHANGE

Dates Topic Readings and Assignments PUL’s
Week One
1/13-1/15 Intro/Class Orientation
Explanation of course requirements
Definition of Adapted Physical Education
Federal Legislation Ch. IAK, CT, E

Week Two
1/20-1/22 Placement Options/Assessment
Least Restrictive Environment
Inclusion Ch. CT

Week Three
1/27-1/29 Individualization (concept of..)
Identification of learner needs
Activity Modifications
Teaching Modifications Ch. IAK, CT

Week Four
2/3-2/5 Exam Review
Exam #1

Week Five
2/10-2/12 Positive Behavior Management
Discussion of Clinics
Managing students in LRE continuum Ch.
Research assignment due IAK

Week Six
2/17-2/19 Cognitive Disabilities Ch.
Web based readings IAK, E

Week Seven
2/24-2/26 Social Emotional Disabilities Ch.
Web based readings IAK, E

Week Eight
3/3-3/5 Exam Review
Exam #2

Week Nine
3/10-3/12 SPRING BREAK

Week Ten
3/17-3/19 Sensory Disabilities
Orientation and Mobility Barrier Free Assignment Due
Ch. IAK, CT, E

Week Eleven
3/24-3/26 Orthopedic impairments
Ch. CT

Week Twelve
3/31-4/2 Orthopedic impairments Ch.

Week Thirteen
4/7-4/9 Neuromuscular Disabilities IAK, CT, E

Week Fourteen
4/14-4/16 TBA
4/16-Clinic Portfolio Due

Week Fifteen
4/21-4/23

Week Sixteen
4/28-4/30 Exam review

Final Exam May 5th, 10:30-12:30pm

Clinic, Settings, Dates and Times

Ability Fitness Clinic
Tuesday 5:15-7:00pm
National Institute of Fitness and Sport Motor Activity Clinic
Saturday 8:45-10:45 am
Natatorium Gymnasium
Clinic Training 2/17

School of PETM Conference Room

• Introduction
• Review of Policies and Procedures
• Review of clinic manual and assignments
• Review of client information
• Tour of NIFS Clinic Training 2/21

School of Physical Education -HP Lab

• Introduction
• Review of Policies and Procedures
• Review of clinic manual and assignments
• Review of client information

Clinic Participation:
Clinic participation is a vital aspect of this course. Working with your clients will provide you will a better understanding of course principles and certainly help your confidence in programming for those with disabilities. While you may have reservations about the time required outside of class or your ability, please rest assured that you will be adequately prepared and will definitely learn along the way. Training sessions are designed to provide you with more detailed information. You will not meet your clients until the following week. The remaining dates you will work with your client directly.

Motor Activity Clinic:
The IUPUI Motor Activity Clinic (MAC) serves families and children with disabilities in Indianapolis and surrounding community areas. Housed in the Department of Physical Education at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, the clinic offers physical activity and aquatic instruction for children, ages three through 15 with various types of disabilities. 
Since 1997, nearly 450 children with disabilities have participated in the clinic, which continues to be a fundamental source for families who want additional physical activity opportunities for their children. The clinic, while focused on children, also serves to educate families and future professionals in the area of disability and activity. The clinic does not provide free therapy from licensed therapists. Instead, our volunteers are primarily comprised of students who are seeking degrees in physical education, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and related areas. By participating, students and volunteers receive invaluable experience working with children and are truly the heart and soul of the program. 
 Children learn through a variety of experiences, practice, and continual challenge. The clinic strives to provide activities that meet the needs of individual participants.

Ability Fitness Clinic:
The Ability Fitness clinic is an exercise program designed to meet the needs of adults with disabilities. Participants will receive a individualized assessment and exercise prescription designed specifically by participating students. The program strives to increase the function and independence of those participating as well as helping students learn best practices in exercise modification for individuals with disabilities.

Appendix A
Designing your Portfolio
Your portfolio is due April by 5:00pm (NO EXCEPTIONS)

Submission and format:
At the end of the your semester, you will submit your portfolio for grading. Have your portfolio well organized. This is a reflection of you, your professionalism, and your personality. You may submit your portfolio in paper or disk form, however, I will need you to send me a copy via email or give a copy to me on disk. IF you are capable of developing your portfolio as a website, I would strongly suggest you do.

Clinic Portfolio Introduction:
Your clinic portfolio is designed to be a reflection tool that documents your learning as you engaged in your clinic experience. The report will be used to grade your experience. As such, I will consider the quality of your reflection, the degree to which you genuinely engaged in your experience, and your ability to write about the experience for public dissemination. This is your opportunity to display your talents and proficiencies and demonstrate your knowledge and skills. The question that should be asked is, “What am I trying to tell the reader about myself?” All portfolios must include:
A brief yet interesting biographical sketch; not a lengthy resume or page-filling paper of yourself. A short essay that tells the reader about yourself and your professional goals. This should include why you chose physical education as your field, what kind of teacher you plan to be, and how you plan to incorporate diverse teaching approaches in your classroom.

Responses to the following questions:

• Previous to this experience, how many opportunities had you had to work with students with disabilities in a physical education/activity setting?
• What was your perception of people with disabilities prior to this experience?
• Have any of the above changed since taking part in your service learning experience? If so, how? If not, why?
• Given the limitations of a semester, what other experiences or opportunities would you like to have had that would increase your understanding of disability?
• If you could chose one thing about this class that you want more of or less of, what would it be and why?
• As you move towards your professional career, what are your plans to appropriate implement IDEA and FAPE into your teaching practice?

A short essay about your teaching philosophy, how you teach and how your teaching has changed since having this experience. Avoid any lengthy discourse but clarify how or if your approach to teaching may change as a result of this experience (be speculative and consider that you may have a variety of teaching situations)

**Further details regarding content will be shared with you towards the conclusion of your experience.

Appendix B
IEP Report Format
Name of Student: ___________________________________

Present Level of Motor Performance:

Student’s needs, preferences, interests in physical education/activity:

Annual Goals (3):

Short-term Objective(s)
Assessment
Criteria Modifications Needed to achieve goals

Appendix C
Research Assignment

Why you are doing this assignment:
The purpose of this assignment is to prepare you for your clinical setting. You will be assigned a student or client to work with during the semester and to help you prepare yourself, you will be required to search the web for information about a particular disability. This is a low stakes writing assignment that asks you to integrate you knowledge of technology and critical thinking skills.

Directions:
1) Information regarding your client’s disability will be provided during clinic training
2) Search at least five web sites to find information about the disability, teaching modifications, and other potential useful information
3) Summarize (including the web site addresses) and attach your Word document containing the information below to the instructor (kstanton {at} iupui(.)edu)
4) 2 page minimum

Point Allocation:

o Web/Articles reviewed 5 points
o Must include copies of articles
o Summary of information 45 points
➢ Characteristics of disability
➢ Recommendations for teaching
➢ Recommendations for interaction
➢ Other information

Critical Thinking Skills:
• Reading actively
• Carefully exploring the internet for information
• Evaluating information
• Synthesizing information

Requisite Skills:

• Email account
• Computer skills (P200)
• Ability to move around the internet

Appendix D
Barrier Free Assignment

Why you are doing this assignment:
We will spend a considerable amount of item discussing disability in terms of physical activity and education. However, sensing disability requires feeling what it means to access the world while disabled. While this assignment certainly won’t emulate living with a disability, the assignment may give you a sense of what others experience on a day to day basis. This is a high stakes writing assignment that will require in depth analysis of your experiences. I would like these experiences to be detailed but be sure to make them yours. This assignment will require active participation, active listening, and a synthesis of your experiences.

Technical Expectations:

• 2 page minimum, typed, 12-point font, standard margins (R/L, top/bottom)
• APA formatting
• Page # bottom center
• 4 hours in a wheelchair, blind-folded, or otherwise impaired
• activity participation in at least 2 different settings

Requisite skills:
• Ability to use computer
• Critical thinking and integration of knowledge skills
• Knowledge of APA formatting
• Ability to create your own experience

Required Content Points:

• Fundamentals of your experience
• Where you went in your 4 hours
• Why you chose your locations
• Barriers faced in your journey
• Differences compared to your typical mode of travel
• Other pertinent information

25 points

• General impressions of your experience
• Improvements you would suggest to enable accessibility
• How your experiences made you think about physical activity modifications
• Suggested social, environmental, or educational improvements
• based upon your experience
• Other general or more specific information

35 points

KNOXVILLE — It’s not thinking in the way humans, dogs or even birds think, but new findings from researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, show that bacteria are more capable of complex decision-making than previously known.

The discovery sets a landmark in research to understand the way bacteria are able to respond and adapt to changes in their environment, a trait shared by nearly all living things, and it could lead to innovations in fields from medicine to agriculture.

Gladys Alexandre

In the long-term, the researchers think that scientists will be able to take these findings and use them to tailor medicines in new ways to fight harmful bacteria or to find enhanced ways to use bacteria in agricultural or other applications.

The findings are published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a top academic journal.

Biology typically looks at the common bacteria Escherichia coli as the model for bacteria’s ability to move actively and independently, but Gladys Alexandre, an associate professor of biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology at UT Knoxville, decided to look at the more complex soil bacterium, Azospirillum brasilense.

“As bacteria’s ability to make decisions goes, E. coli is kind of dumb, which makes it easy for researchers to study sensing and information processing — essentially, decision making — in this bacterium,” says Alexandre.

It helps to understand the way that bacteria “think”. Their cells contain a number of receptors, and each one affects a certain behavior or trait in the bacteria, for example where to move, how to function, even whether to become virulent. The advent of genetic sequencing means we know more about how many receptors bacteria have, and the more receptors, the more ways a bacterium has to sense its surroundings.

E. coli has only five receptors that direct its decision-making process about movement, while Azospirillum brasilense has 48, making it comparatively much “smarter” in its ability to detect changes in its environments and as a result, to make complex decisions regarding where to move.

What scientists have not known and have been unable to study until now is how the individual receptors, by sensing their environment, directly affect the bacteria’s behavior and ability to adapt to their environment. Alexandre’s study is one of the first to isolate and study a receptor in this way.

She and her colleagues focused on a receptor they suspected was related to the way bacteria convert nitrogen gas from the atmosphere into a form — ammonium — that can be used by all organisms. This ability is called nitrogen fixation and while it is uniquely found in bacteria, it is critically important to all living organisms, as it is the only way nitrogen can eventually be incorporated into building blocks of cells.

The process is carried out by an enzyme which is damaged in the presence of high concentrations of oxygen, which presents a dilemma for the bacterium, as the energy needed for the process is usually acquired in the presence of oxygen.

When Alexandre and her team created mutant versions of the bacteria without the receptor, the mutant bacteria were unable to detect where the right position in oxygen concentration was, affecting the nitrogen fixation reaction. In other words, the mutant bacteria were somewhat “blind” and could not detect the right position, showing them their hunch was correct about the receptor’s purpose. But their curiosity expanded: if they were able to uncover the receptor’s purpose, would they be able to figure out exactly how it functioned?

For that, they enlisted the help of UT-Oak Ridge National Laboratory distinguished scientist Igor Jouline, an expert in carrying out complex computations of biological systems, such as the one governing the receptor at the heart of Alexandre’s research. Working with Alexandre’s data, Jouline was able to generate a model of the receptor’s structure and compare it to other structures on a nearly atom-by-atom basis.

This enabled them to predict which one of the more than 100 amino acids in the sensory part of the receptor is responsible for sensing the precise oxygen concentration that this bacterium needs for nitrogen fixation. It’s a process that, using normal genetic techniques, would have taken a substantial commitment of hours and resources, but was made simpler and less labor-intensive by using computing.

Alexandre hopes that other scientists and researchers can use a similar technique to look at receptor sites on other bacteria of interest. She noted that the ability to work with Jouline and with the resources available through UT Knoxville’s partnership with ORNL was key to her discovery.

“Partnering with Igor provided us great insight,” said Alexandre. “We would not have been able to fully understand how this receptor works without him.”

Alexandre says there’s good long-term potential for the knowledge gained in the study.

“We see now that bacteria are, in their way, big thinkers, and by knowing how they ‘feel’ about the environment around them, we can look at new and different ways to work with them.”

The paper, titled “A PAS-domain containing chemoreceptor couples dynamic changes in metabolism and chemotaxis,” will be published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

—

C O N T A C T :

Jay Mayfield (865-974-9409, [email protected])

Nvidia is very late with its graphics chip, code-named Fermi. Meanwhile, Advanced Micro Devices launched its latest graphics chip in September. Today, AMD launched a new graphics card with a version of that new chip for under $100.

That means that the pendulum is swinging back toward AMD, which stands to gain market share in the ever-fluid graphics chip war. The newest ATI Radeon HD 5670 has support for the Microsoft DirectX 11 included in Windows 7 and it features the ATI Eyefinity technology, which can power three displays from one graphics card. Nvidia talked about Fermi in October, and it showed a working version at the Consumer Electronics Show last week. But it has made no announcement about when it will ship its first chip.

Sunnyvale, Calif.-based AMD has now beaten Nvidia for two product generations. It will be interesting to see how the market share figures change. Of course, AMD still has to worry about graphics that integrated into chip sets. Intel dominates that business. But these low-end Radeon chips mean that ATI’s strategy is working. Rather than design huge chips with a lot of non-graphics processing power, as Nvidia is doing, ATI is opting for streamlined designs. It’s easier to take these streamlined chips and make multiple product lines out of them, allowing AMD to quickly proliferate a new design from the high-end to the low-end of its product family.

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Moldover’s limited edition Mojo MIDI controller for serious musicians with seriously deep pockets (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apparently Kodak’s attorneys were having a little courtroom separation anxiety — just a week after settling that long-running patent case with Samsung, they’ve filed three separate actions against Apple and RIM based. Two of the cases are based on the same patent at issue in the Samsung litigation: the first is an International Trade Commission complaint alleging that iPhones and BlackBerrys infringe the Kodak patent on previewing images, while the other is filed solely against Apple in the Western District of New York and also includes a patent on processing images at different resolutions. Apple’s also the sole focus of the third case, which alleges infringement of several patents on computer programs calling to other programs — sounds obvious, but Kodak’s already enforced them against Sun in a 2004 case. Kodak says all it’s after is fair license terms, and that it’s not trying to push anything off the market — the man with the gun always sounds so reasonable, doesn’t he?

Kodak files patent lawsuits against Apple and RIM originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Simon, creator of The Wire, talks about why merely chasing eyeballs is the wrong path:

You better have something to say. That sounds really simple, but it’s actually a conversation that I don’t think happens on a lot of serialized drama. Certainly not on American television. I think that a lot of people believe that our job as TV writers is to get the show up as a franchise and get as many viewers, as many eyeballs, as we can, and keep them. So if they like x, give them more of x. If they don’t like y, don’t do as much y. We never had that dynamic in our heads. What we were asking was, “What should we spend 12 hours of television saying?”

He’s talking TV. But when launching a business, there’s a lot to be said for starting from a point of view and knowing what you want to say too. When you do that, you have an anchor for everything you do moving forward.

What do you have to say? What’s your purpose? What do you stand for? Where do you draw the line? Where do you want to lead people? What do you want to spend your days doing?

For example, Whole Foods stands for selling the highest quality natural and organic products available. They’re not selling the x that most people want. They’re saying, “We don’t do x. We do y.”

That approach lets you spend your days building something you actually care about.

Plus it gives you a hook. Everyone else is doing “give them more of x” so that winds up being generic. Avoid that and you get to pitch something different: It’s not TV, it’s HBO. It’s not a regular grocery store, it’s Whole Foods. It’s not [generic category], it’s [your product].

Here’s a stumper: Why are shares in the global leader in the most mature renewable-energy technology so moribund?

Denmark’s Vestas Wind Systems, the biggest maker of wind turbines in the world, can’t get any love from investors. Its share price, after an up-and-down 2009, is roughly where it was at the start of last year.

Some analysts think that’s out of whack. HSBC today put a “buy” on Vestas shares and reiterated a target price of 500 Danish kroner; the stock today trades at around 333, well off the highs it reached last spring and summer. Jeffries Research also put out a “buy” recommendation today, though with a slightly lower target price.

HSBC’s reasoning is simple enough: Since the beginning of December, turbine orders have started to flow again. Vestas is maintaining its position behind General Electric as the number-two turbine company in the U.S., the world’s biggest wind market. And that market can only grow, the bank figures, as Washington hands out more clean-energy grants and prepares to pass a national renewable-energy standard. HSBC says that Vestas’ 30% discount to its peer group is “completely unjustifed.”

Jeffries makes similar arguments, highlighting a big new turbine order expected in Kenya to stress the strength of Vestas’ order book and its unparalleled global reach.

Sure, Vestas—like GE, Gamesa, Siemens and other big turbine makers—have worries. The explosion of China’s wind industry has proven a double-edged sword. First, that big and fast-growing market was partly closed to foreign suppliers. And the rapid growth of China’s wind industry has created scores of wind-turbine makers itching to start exporting their wares to Europe and America—which could, one day, threaten market share and margins for the established players.

In the meantime, HSBC says, investors could do a lot worse than to hitch their wagon to a global leader whose shares look cheap.

The Case Western Reserve University community is rallying together to support victims of the earthquake that nearly destroyed parts of Haiti this week.

Answering the call for help, the Hallinan Project for Peace and Social Justice and the Center for Civic Engagement and Learning (CCEL) are collecting funds to send to Partners in Health, a nonprofit organization that works in Haiti and other parts of the world to provide medical services to the world’s sickest and poorest individuals.

Checks for the Haiti earthquake relief efforts should be made out to Case Western Reserve University and sent to Alice Bach, 105 Mather House, or to Mayo Bulloch, CCEL office in Thwing Center.

Campus community members are also encouraging each other to help in other ways. Omar Gutierrez, an anthropology student, has sent e-mails to his contact lists about the Red Cross mobile text fundraising effort.

“I pray that you are doing what you can in your community to support Haiti,” Gutierrez wrote. “And please be reminded that our support will be needed long after the news cameras have departed.”

Case Daily will provide updates about other campus relief initiatives as information becomes available.

For more information contact Kimyette Finley, 216.368.0521.

Americans are split on whether President Barack Obama’s policies will help their personal lives and the economy, but the majority agrees the country is headed down the wrong path.

Some 55% said the country is seriously off track compared to 34% who said it was headed in the right direction, according to Allstate and National Journal’s Heartland Monitor Poll released Thursday.

“There’s disappointment in the leadership of our society,” said Ed Reilly, CEO Americas of FD International Ltd., a communications and consulting group.

Americans were closely divided on the proper role of government, but a slightly larger fraction said it is not the solution to economic problems, it’s part of the problem.

Still, poll respondents had a slightly more favorable view of government officials than of big business. Those surveyed said they were least likely to trust major corporations to manage financial risks, ranking them below national banks and elected officials. Much of that is from the perception that, after taxpayers bailed out businesses and banks alike, those companies have returned to profitability at a time when the average consumer is still hurting.

“The businesses gained and that sense of betrayal I think is reflected in the poll,” said S. Joe Bhatia, president and chief executive officer of the American National Standards Institute.

Looking at the federal government’s policies in the past year, 40% of Americans said banks and investment companies benefited most from those policies and 20% said major corporations did. Just 9% said middle class individuals reaped the benefits. The best thing companies could do to regain Americans’ trust would be to pay back the bailout money as soon as possible, poll respondents said.

Poll respondents largely agreed that, in the wake of this recession, individuals, companies and government may change their behavior in the short term, but they will likely return to making irresponsible financial decisions because they have not been held accountable.

“I was disappointed in the continued growth in the trust deficit,” Allstate chief executive Thomas Wilson said in an interview. “Whether it’s business or government, most Americans are saying ‘none of these institutions are working for us.’”

Despite their discontent, the Americans surveyed were still divided when it came to judging the Obama Administration’s policies: 37% said its actions would increase opportunities for people like them to get ahead whereas 34% said it would decrease opportunities. A quarter said his policies would have no impact.

In a similar split, 46% of respondents said Obama’s economic policies over the past year led to a record deficit and failed to end the recession or slow job losses. Another 43% disagreed, saying the policies helped avoid a worse economic crisis and are laying the foundation for an economic recovery.

The poll highlights how broad-based the recession’s effects have been. A full 48% said they’ve made significant reductions in spending, nearly a third said they dipped into savings or pension funds to make ends meet. And 31% said they had lost a job or been unemployed for a sustained period.

Many don’t expect things to improve this year. Just 37% said they think their personal financial situation will get better in 2010, compared to 41% who said it would stay the same and 20% who said it would get worse.

Evaluating the effects of specific government policies, more Americans said TARP, financial assistance to U.S. auto companies and health care reform would hurt the economy — and their own financial situations — than those who said it would help. But more Americans said the stimulus bill would help both the economy and their own financial situations. On cap and trade respondents were split, saying it would help the economy but hurt their personal finances.

The poll surveyed 1,200 adults from Jan. 3-7 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8%.

If I had $80,000 to spend on a car, I would probably go with an Audi A8. And now I have even more reason to want one since they partnered with Nvidia for their dashboard graphics.

Their Tegra 2 chipset will be installed in all Audi 2011 models—giving a boost to their dashboard graphics and adding the capability to display Google Earth mapping for navigation and point of interest search. [Pocket-Lint via Newlaunches via Likecool]

Reading this Dana Milbank article about Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein’s congressional flogging, it struck me that I’ve lost touch with America’s populist rage. I support financial re-regulation, but I’ve stopped expecting monthly demonstrations of contrition from the banks’ CEOs. I just don’t care anymore. Jamie Dimon can send me a fruit basket or a lump of coals, and my opinions about Wall Street, and what we should do to reform it, won’t budge.

Milbank’s complaints have nothing to do with the events of the past or
the policy of the future. They have to do with Blankfein’s attitude.
The Goldman chief “made it plain that he was
done apologizing” … “smirked as they spoke, challenged the premises
of their questions,
offered frequent lectures of ‘let me be clear,’ and often responded to
questions by asking questions of his own. [Blankfein] seems to exempt himself from the rules of man.” Most of this is
utterly besides the point, and that last part doesn’t even make any
sense.

Blankfein’s prickliness in yesterday’s testimony was often justified. For example, Angelides and
Milbank seem flabbergasted
that Goldman would sell mortgage securities
and also place bets against them. But that’s exactly what a market
maker does.
Angelides’ comparison — “selling a car with faulty brakes and then
buying an insurance policy” — is off. It’s like screaming at a bookie
for holding bets on the Colts in this
weekend’s game after taking your bet against the Colts. That’s what
bookies do. Congress summoned Goldman’s chief to compare its core
business to insurance fraud and he dared utter the phrase “let me be
clear.”

What the heck does it matter what Wall Street CEOs act like? We don’t need to line up Fannie and Freddie
and subprime home owners and the ratings agencies and all the little financial sinners and wrap their
knuckles until Yom Kippur comes around. This is Congress, not
Confessional. Just pass financial regulation. Not doing so is the only thing that would require a national apology.