November 7, 2007, 9:20 PM CT

Supplements even confuse athletes

As winter approaches a number of of us reach for over-the-counter vitamins and herbal remedies, such as Vitamin C and Echinacea, in a bid to ward off illnesses and improve health. But the vast array of supplements available and lack of industry regulation make it difficult for the average person to make an informed choice about taking supplements. Now a report reported in the online open access publication, Nutrition Journal suggests that even athletes, who should be well informed as to how to stay in peak physical condition, frequently take supplements without realising the potential benefits or side effects.

A research team, led by Andrea Petrczi of the School of Life Sciences at Kingston University, in South West London, UK re-analysed surveys filled in by high performance athletes, representing over thirty different sports, for the 'UK Sport 2005 Drug Free Survey'. Three-fifths of athletes questioned took nutritional supplements, but the reasons given for taking them did not generally match up to the supplements' actual effects. Not surprisingly, given this result, the team also observed that relatively few supplement users appeared to be taking supplements because of medical advice.

The results are worrisome because high doses of some supplements may damage health and contaminated products may even cause athletes to fail drug-screening tests. To help remedy this, the article recommends that education about the use of nutritional supplements should become a mandatory part of the accreditation process for all sport coaches. Indeed, prior research has shown that the more information athletes have on supplements, the less likely they are to take them......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 04:10:14 GMT

Color coordinate your tech with Dell Color

If you love color, and especially color coordination, visit Dell Color. Much like ColorWare (but much more affordable), Dell Color is a clever portal that allows users to shop by color. You''ll have quite a few choices: blue, red, pink, black, green, white, yellow, or brown.

Simply pick a color, choose a product category, and all coordinating devices and accessories (carrying cases, headphones, speakers, keyboards, digital cameras, and more) are aggregated for your purchasing pleasure.

Dell doesn''t disappoint in this experience, I''m a Mac user, so I was really pleased to find that many items are universally compatible.

Prices vary, visit Dell Color.
Posted by: Sarah      Read more     Source

November 5, 2007, 6:17 PM CT

See this BBC motion gallary

See this awsome BBC motion gallary. You would be amazed by this fanatastic display.

Breathtakingly beautiful

BBC motion gallary

Click on enlarge to see it on full screen........ Posted by: Tom      Read more         Source

November 1, 2007, 8:08 PM CT

Robocar named a finalist

Team MIT has made it to the finals of the DARPA Urban Challenge, a competition for cars and trucks that run without human help. The qualification was announced Thursday, Nov. 1, by DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, who is sponsoring the competition with the goal of developing vehicles that can operate on their own in battle and keep humans out of harm's way.

The announcement means the MIT vehicle--a self-piloted Land Rover LR3 dubbed "robocar"--and its team of student and faculty developers will compete in the finals Saturday in Victorville, Calif. DARPA plans to recognize the top three finishers Sunday with awards of $2 million, $1 million, and $500,000.

"Our team is absolutely thrilled to be invited to participate in the race," said team leader John Leonard, professor of mechanical and ocean engineering at MIT. "My co-PI's Jon How, Seth Teller, David Barrett and I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our students and staff, who have done a phenomenal job in creating a highly innovative autonomous vehicle in just 18 months. We also thank our sponsors who helped us to make it this far, and our families who made tremendous sacrifices in supporting us to undertake this project. We look forward to the challenge of trying to finish the 60 mile race course on Saturday"......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

October 31, 2007, 8:36 PM CT

Wildfire drives carbon levels in northern forests

Far removed from streams of gas-thirsty cars and pollution-belching factories lies another key player in global climate change. Circling the northern hemisphere, the conifer-dominated boreal forests - one of the largest ecosystems on earth - act as a vast natural regulator of atmospheric carbon levels.

Forest ecologists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are studying how environmental factors such as forest fires and climate influence carbon levels in this forest system. Their most recent findings, published in the Nov. 1 issue of the journal Nature, offer insight into the balance of carbon uptake and release that contribute to atmospheric carbon dioxide levels worldwide.

Second in size among forests only to the tropical rainforests, the boreal forests form a massive green band spanning the higher latitudes of Canada, Alaska, Siberia, China, and Scandinavia. Their sheer size, coupled with the fact that they are expected to experience the greatest warming of any forest biome as global temperatures rise, means that climate-related changes here are likely to resonate well beyond the forest boundaries, says S. Tom Gower, UW-Madison professor of forest ecology and management and primary investigator of the project.

In the new study, Gower and colleagues used a computer model to simulate the carbon balance of one million square kilometers of the Canadian forest over the past 60 years, to determine the relative impacts of climate and disturbance by wildfire......... Posted by: Tom      Read more         Source

October 31, 2007, 8:25 PM CT

Crash prevention could be a DREAM

Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or at excessive speeds are widely considered to be the main causes of serious accidents involving a single vehicle. However, a new in-depth on-scene study in Sweden reveals that driver fatigue, slippery roads, and inexperience could be just as important and should be factored into the design of new vehicle safety features, as per scientists writing in the International Journal of Vehicle Safety.

Jesper Sandin and Mikael Ljung of the Vehicle Safety Division, at Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, used the Driving Reliability and Error Analysis Method (DREAM) to dissect the cause and effect of 38 single vehicle crashes that occurred in Gothenburg. They observed that the crashes could be grouped into four scenarios.

In the first scenario, vehicles drifted off road or into the oncoming traffic lane due to driver fatigue, sleepiness or distraction. In the second scenario, a loss of traction caused by an undetected slippery surface caused even experienced drivers to lose control in bends, the scientists explain.

They also observed that loss of control in driving around a bend was a factor in the third scenario, but this was due partly to the vehicle's high speed. In this scenario, drivers overestimated their driving skills or had limited experience of the vehicle or the bend and so lost control. In the final scenario, panicked drivers lost control of their vehicle as they tried to steer themselves out of trouble and failed through excessive over steering......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

October 31, 2007, 8:03 PM CT

Motivational coaching outscores winning for young athletes

Winning isnt everything, its the only thing. former UCLA and Vanderbilt football coach Red Sanders.

I just want to play and have fun. a typical 10- to 15-year-old athlete.

New research indicates that young athletes find playing for coaches who stress personal improvement, having fun and giving maximum effort is far more important and has a bigger impact on them than a teams won-loss record.

In terms of athletes ratings of how much fun they had and how much they liked playing for their coach, our results showed that a mastery climate was about 10 times more influential than was the teams won-loss record, said Ronald Smith, a University of Washington sport psychology expert and co-author of a study reported in the current issue of the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology.

This approach to coaching, known as a mastery motivational climate, contrasts with an ego climate, in which the main goal is winning at all costs and success is defined as being better than other players.

We also observed that a win-at-all-costs ego climate was negatively correlation to enjoyment and liking the coach, said Smith.

Co-author Frank Smoll, also a UW sport psychology expert added, A number of coaches mistakenly think that winning is the most important thing to kids. But our research provides convincing evidence that refutes this myth......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

October 30, 2007, 10:29 PM CT

Unveiling Islam

"Secular Muslims who embrace various aspects of their heritage are often overlooked - both as social and as intellectual actors in modern Islamic societies," said Prof. Richard C. Martin, one of the key speakers at a symposium on contemporary Islam held 26 October in Amsterdam.

The question of who secular Muslims are and why they need to be part of future research in religious studies was the focus of discussion at the scientific meeting. The symposium, called Beyond the Stereotypes, was organized to help establish a new field of research - contemporary Islam. Prof. Martin: "The modern Muslim identity is far more complex and dynamic than most people are aware of".

The symposium emphasized that all aspects of Islam need to be considered. This not only includes secular Muslims, but also Muslims living in the Diaspora or so-called Islamists. The symposium Beyond the Stereotypes established the urgency of bringing everyday Muslim life and the diversity of identities among Muslims out of obscurity and into broad daylight.

As per Prof. Miriam Cooke, another key speaker, the study of Islam is moving more and more from a religious or political perspective to the study of Muslim society as a whole. While previously the focus had been bound to a certain discipline or even a certain area, scholars at the Springer Amsterdam symposium were acknowledging and discussing the a number of diverse ways Islam is lived......... Posted by: Tom      Read more         Source

October 30, 2007, 10:07 PM CT

Time spent in car drives up air pollution exposure

The daily commute may be taking more of a toll than people realize. A new study by researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) and the California Air Resources Board found that up to half of Los Angeles residents total exposure to harmful air pollutants occurs while people are traveling in their vehicles.

Although the average Los Angeles driver spends about six percent (1.5 hours) of his or her day on the road, that period of time accounts for 33 to 45 percent of total exposure to diesel and ultrafine particles (UFP), according to the study published this month in the journal Atmospheric Environment and available online. On freeways, diesel-fueled trucks are the source of the highest concentrations of harmful pollutants.

If you have otherwise healthy habits and dont smoke, driving to work is probably the most unhealthy part of your day, says Scott Fruin, D.Env., assistant professor of environmental health at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Urban dwellers with long commutes are probably getting most of their UFP exposure while driving.

High air exchange rates that occur when a vehicle is moving make roadways a major source of exposure. Ultrafine particles are of particular concern because, unlike larger particles, they can penetrate cell walls and disperse throughout the body, Fruin says. Particulate matter has been linked to cardiovascular disease, but the ultrafine fraction on roadways appears to be more toxic than larger sizes......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

October 29, 2007, 7:45 PM CT

The economic power - and pitfalls - of positive thinking

People who are optimistic are more likely than others to display prudent financial behaviors, as per new research from Duke Universitys Fuqua School of Business.

But too much optimism can be a problem: people who are extremely optimistic tend to have short planning horizons and act in ways that are generally not considered wise.

Manju Puri and David Robinson, professors of finance at Duke, report in the October 2007 issue of the Journal of Financial Economics that the differences between optimists and extreme optimists provide important insights into the interaction between psychology and economic and lifestyle choices.

Puri and Robinson developed a novel method to assess individuals levels of optimism, drawing on data from the Federal Reserve Boards Survey of Consumer Finance (SCF), a triennial assessment of U.S. families financial and demographic information. Eventhough the SCF does not ask about optimism directly, it does ask respondents how long they expect to live. It also collects demographics, and health-related information--the same sort of information that actuaries use to estimate life expectancy.

The Duke scientists combined these data to determine participants statistical life expectancies. Then they compared the statistical and self-reported life expectancies and categorized anyone who expected to live longer than the data predicted as an optimist......... Posted by: Tom      Read more         Source