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ScienceDaily (Oct. 30, 2012) ? Hydrogen production by solar water splitting in photoelectrochemical cells (PEC) has long been considered the holy grail of sustainable energy research. Iron oxide is a promising electrode material. An international team of researchers led by Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, have now gained in-depth insights into the electronic structure of an iron oxide electrode -- while it was in operation. This opens up new possibilities for an affordable hydrogen production from solar energy.
Hematite, the mineral form of iron oxide (or trivially, rust), is a promising anode material for photoelectro-chemical cells (PEC) because of its affordability, availability, high stability and good spectral match to the solar spectrum. Although it has the potential of a 15% solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion efficiency, its actual efficiency is lower than that of other metal oxides. This is due to hematite's electronic structure, which only allows for ultrashort electron-hole excited-state lifetimes.
Helpful holes in hematite
Electrons are well-known (negative) charge carriers, indispensable in our daily lives, but they do not play this role alone. When an electron leaves its assigned place, it leaves behind a hole that can effectively behave like a positive charge carrier, provided that the electron and hole remain separated and do not recombine. In modern semiconductor electronics, holes are important charge carriers, without which devices like batteries, capacitors, fuel cells, solar cells, and PEC could not operate. PEC electrodes typically form electron-hole pairs when struck by sunlight. In PEC photoanodes made of hematite, the generated holes must diffuse to the semiconductor surface, where they can oxidize water and form oxygen.
However, the electronic structure of hematite is such that the photo-generated holes tend to recombine with the electrons before reaching the surface. As a result, the resulting photocurrent is limited by the relatively few holes that actually do reach the surface. Recent efforts to optimize the nanostructured morphologies of hematite photoanodes have led to significant improvements in performance, but in spite of these efforts, the overall energy conversion efficiency in hematite remains at only about a third of its potential. An intelligent management of electron and hole transport is, therefore, critical for a better materials performance.
In this context, a better understanding of hole states at the hematite surface has been the subject of much interest as well as debate. It has long been suspected that in hematite, two types of holes with different water-splitting power are formed. The existence of different types of holes with disparate reactivity toward water oxidation has broad implications for the ultimate performance of hematite. But it is quite difficult to detect such holes, and studies of this phenomenon are complicated by numerous technical constraints. Moreover, the holes are transitional and quite elusive.
Not all holes are created equal
In a recent study published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry C, Empa researchers Artur Braun and Debajeet Bora and their colleagues from EPF Lausanne, the University of Basel, China and the US studied the nature of photoelectrically generated holes in a PEC that had been specially designed for gathering data while the cell is in operation ("operando"). They recorded soft X-ray absorption spectra under simulated sunlight and in the dark and identified two new spectral signatures corresponding to two different hole transitions, an O 2p hole transition into the charge-transfer band and an Fe 3d-type hole transition into the upper Hubbard band. According to Braun, this is the first time that the electronic structure of a PEC photoanode has been analyzed while it was in real water splitting action, i.e. in contact with electrolyte, under anodic bias and illuminated by visible light. "The preparations for this extremely complex experiment took us three years," says Braun. "After all, soft X-ray spectroscopy works only in ultra-high vacuum, and photoelectrochemistry works only in liquids. Combining both was technically a great advancement. Yet, I would say we were very fortunate to discover the two electron holes in an operating PEC."
Their groundbreaking experiment demonstrated the formation of two different types of electron holes at the semiconductor-liquid interface under the exact conditions, at which the photocurrent arises. Quantitative analysis of their spectral signatures revealed that both types of holes, contrary to earlier speculation and historical perception, contribute to the resulting photocurrent. "This is a milestone in the understanding of solar water splitting and encouraging news for researchers worldwide who are working to optimize hematite for PEC photoanodes," says Braun.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Empa.
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Journal Reference:
Artur Braun, Kevin Sivula, Debajeet K. Bora, Junfa Zhu, Liang Zhang, Michael Gr?tzel, Jinghua Guo, Edwin C. Constable. Direct Observation of Two Electron Holes in a Hematite Photoanode during Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2012; 116 (32): 16870 DOI: 10.1021/jp304254k
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KIEV, Ukraine (AP) ? An extravagantly dressed pop diva, a retired football star, the son of a famous actor, an opposition leader suspiciously cozy with the government. Meet some members of the eclectic cast running in Sunday's parliamentary election in Ukraine.
Ukrainian political parties have brought in celebrities or even created fake opposition in an effort to boost their ratings and split their rivals' vote. Such tactics raise questions about Ukraine's commitment to democracy and its hopes of integrating with the West.
The two main pro-Western opposition parties hope to challenge President Viktor Yanukovych's nearly three-year grip on power. They aim to wrestle the parliamentary majority away from his Party of Regions and undo actions that have been judged undemocratic by the West, such as the imprisonment of charismatic former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
The Party of Regions has tried to raise its profile by offering the No. 2 spot on its candidate list to pop diva Taisia Povaliy, which guarantees her a seat in Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. The 47-year-old blonde, who wears low-cut, floor-length gowns and sings about the pain of lost love, acknowledges that politics had never been her calling.
"I never thought that I would run for parliament, I never planned it. And then I discovered that people ? the people themselves ? want me to represent them," Povaliy said on a TV celebrity gossip program. "What difference does it make if I work on stage or in the Verkhovna Rada?"
Another party running for parliament, called Ukraine Forward and led by former Tymoshenko ally Natalia Korolevska, is widely believed to be supported by the ruling party and aimed at siphoning off opposition votes. Korolevska, a 37-year-old businesswoman turned politician, was ousted from Tymoshenko's party this spring after she refused to support a motion calling for the jailed leader's release.
She went on to found her own party, hoping to attract Tymoshenko's voters looking for an attractive and pro-Western female leader. But even though she denies any links to the government and calling for the ouster of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, Korolevska gets so much airtime on government-friendly television channels that she is viewed as a tool of Yanukovych's campaign.
To lead her party's candidate list, Korolevska brought in retired football star Andriy Shevchenko and actor Ostap Stupka, the less illustrious son of late renowned actor Bohdan Stupka. Giant billboards of her and the two celebrities went up along streets and roads.
Shevchenko, the 36-year-old striker known as Sheva, is extremely popular in Ukraine, but many wonder how he would make the transition to lawmaker.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Shevchenko said he planned to concentrate on sports and health issues in parliament and cited the poor athletic condition of many Ukrainian school students as one of the top problems in the country.
"What has Ukraine come to? Today, 70 percent of children cannot do a simple set of physical exercises," Shevchenko said.
Andreas Umland, a political scientist at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, said the use of such tricks known here as "political technologies" are corrupting the political process in this former Soviet republic.
"Obviously, the readiness to manipulate politics with all sorts of dubious strategies is high, and includes the active use of politically incompetent, but famous figures," Umland said. "Political technology is a concept unknown in the West."
And the celebrities are only happy to oblige. It seems that many of them run for parliament motivated more by the perks and parliamentary immunity enjoyed by Ukrainian lawmakers than a desire to the serve the nation ? a trend manifested by the fact that scores of legislators routinely ditch parliament sessions and allow colleagues to vote for them.
World boxing champion Vitali Klitshcko, 40, is also running for parliament, but he has years of political experience and a record of challenging Yanukovych's party in the Kiev city council "like a burr under the saddle," as he puts it. With the charismatic Tymoshenko in prison, his Udar (Punch) party has gained popularity in recent months and is running neck-and-neck with Tymoshenko's party. The two parties' failure to join forces plays into the hands of Yanukovych.
The extremely tall and muscular Klitshchko says that competing on Ukraine's political arena, with its dirty tricks and below-the-belt punches, can be harder than fighting in the boxing ring.
"We have declared a fight for Ukraine and we will win it!" he told hundreds of cheering supporters at a campaign rally in Kiev last week.
With the campaign almost over, pollsters say that the use of celebrities has largely failed to sway Ukrainian voters. Korolevska's party is now less popular than before taking on Shevchenko, prompting her to replace posters showing him and Stupka, the actor, with just her face.
"This demonstrates the stupidity of our politicians," said Iryna Bekeshkina, head of the Democratic Initiatives Foundation, a polling agency. "At the end of the day our voter, of course, is still far away from being rational, but still he is not that stupid."
The phone rings and it?s a job offer on the line!? You?re so excited that someone is interested in hiring you that all you think of is yes, yes, yes ? YES!?
Then you get off the phone and review your mental notes.? Suddenly you realize that you?ve been low balled on the salary offered. How do you wiggle your way out of a lowball offer?
Nothing sucks more than being deliberately paid less than what you know that you?re worth.? However, you don?t get what you work for ? you get what you negotiate for.? Remember that.? It isn?t your employer?s job to see your worth, that job, my dear, is yours.
Over the weekend a reader sent us this question:
I just received a job offer a few days ago. I verbally agreed to what they offered not personally taking into consideration I have a degree and experience in the field. I don?t start until the 29th. Would it be too late to negotiate as of now?
Have You Signed An Offer Letter?
If not, then I would write an email inviting them to discuss the salary since you?ve had some time to consider the offer. This makes it clear that you have not settled on the offer and need to discuss the salary. You already have them reeled in so this is actually a good time to do this because they are very interested in having you start and perhaps declined the other candidates already. Given the competitiveness of the job market, the high unemployment rate, and the number of qualified candidates for open positions, be careful about over-negotiating.
Research Industry and Real Life Salaries For Your Position
For example, someone who aspires to be a lawyer might think all of them make at least 6 figures.? The reality is that some lawyers are paid as little as $30k and the range can go up to compensation in the $millions depending on the industry.? Do your research about the specific areas within your industry.? If you?re an attorney working for a nonprofit, make sure you?re researching salaries in the nonprofit sector and not corporate transactions.
Get with a few people in your groups on Linkedin.? Ideally, these should be people who are where you want to be.? Ask about going salaries for your position based on your level of experience and education.? This should give you an idea around where you should start.
Make Contact
State that you have had some time to consider the offer and would like to discuss the terms.? Personally, I?d do this via email to make sure that you have everything in writing and avoid the emotions that come with the desire to acquiesce over the phone due to balls required for this confrontation. ? Tell them that you would like to make a counter with the salary of $XX,000 based on your degree, industry standard and experience. Make sure to cite references from salary sites like salary.com and highlight your experience and education that directly relate to the position.
Negotiate:? Ask For What You Want
Here?s a sample adapted from cvtips.com
Dear?.. (write directly to the signatory of the employer?s letter)
Thank you for your letter offering me the position of (insert position here). ? There are a few matters regarding this offer I would like to discuss in more detail.? Specifically, the salary offered for my position.
The salary quoted is $150,000 per year. I regret to inform you that this offer is below my salary requirements which is based on my experience and education within the field.
Based upon my experience and education, I?ve listed a detailed summary of how what I bring to the table fits neatly with what you?re seeking in an ideal candidate contrasted with the salary offered.? (This should be a comparison of your salary, market salary, what they require (job listing and description and your experience and education)
[THIS IS IMPORTANT:? List how your experience and education specifically meet this requirement.? Make sure that you show how your experience directly correlates with their requirements in the job posting and job description.? Each part of your counter offer must be a direct response to the employer?s offer, point by point. The employer must have a clearly quantified statement of your counter offer.]
As you can see, I do bring a wealth of experience that speaks to what you seek in a candidate such as myself.? It is my hope that you will value my time and contribution to your organization by increasing the salary offer to 200,000.?
If they are unable to meet your requirements in a salary then negotiate based on time off or other specifics in the benefits package.? You may be tempted to think that accepting $5k less than what you deserve is no big deal but it is a huge deal!? If you stay there just 5 years with no raise that?s $25k you?re missing out on and even more over 10-15-20 years.? So negotiating a higher salary is a big deal and don?t you miss out on it!
DON'T MISS: 9 Reasons You Shouldn't Rush Into Retirement >
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Size does matter in sexual selection, at least among beetlesPublic release date: 25-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Greg Hand greg.hand@uc.edu 513-556-1822 University of Cincinnati
A new collaborative project among researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden and the University of Cincinnati has, for the first time, demonstrated experimentally the evolutionary force behind the rapid evolution of male genitals, focusing on a species of seed beetle.
This mechanism is revealed in a study published today in the scientific journal Current Biology. The experiments leading to this paper involved a species of seed beetle known as Callosobruchus maculatus. Mating among these beetles involves several males engaging in copulation with individual females.
"When a female mates with several males, the males compete over the fertilization of her eggs," said Michal Polak, associate professor of biological sciences at the University of Cincinnati, one of the co-authors. "Because females mate with multiple males, the function of the male copulatory organ may determine which of the males will fertilize most of her eggs. Our results show that the morphology of the male genitalia affects his fertilization success in these beetles."
The competition to produce offspring is the driving force of evolution. Competition among males occurring after insemination may be an important evolutionary force that has led to the evolution of a diversity of shapes and sizes of male sexual organs, the co-authors assert. This competition among males has generated a great biological diversity that they believe can directly contribute to the formation of new species.
"The reproductive organs of animals with internal fertilization change more rapidly than all other morphological features during evolution," Polak said. "In virtually all groups of animals, from roundworms and molluscs to reptiles and mammals, the male sex organs differ markedly among even closely related species, with female genital traits remaining relatively unchanged."
To experimentally investigate the role of genital shape in reproductive success, the Swedish researchers - Cosima Hotzy, Goran Arnqvist and Johanna L. Ronn - bred male beetles with extraordinarily long genital spines. They simultaneously bred male beetles with extremely small spines. Experiments demonstrated that the males with long spines produced substantially more offspring.
"It is possible, however, that breeding for long spines introduced a secondary trait that affects fertility," Polak said. Unintended consequences, he said, are well known to animal breeders.
To prove that it was the spines and not some other trait, some beetles had their genital spines surgically modified using micro-scale laser surgery. Polak's laboratory has gained an international reputation for using a precision laser system to make microscopic changes to insect bodies.
Insects modified through both methods were then observed throughout the competitive mating process. The international team found that the longer genital spines directly contributed to successful fertilization. Seminal fluid from the males was also tracked through high-resolution radioisotope labels, and shown to enter the female body more quickly after mating with long-spined males than short-spined males.
"This provides experimental evidence that male genital morphology influences success in postcopulatory reproductive competition," Polak said.
There is more work to be done, Polak said, to understand the mechanism at work here. It is possible that these longer spines help introduce bio-active molecules from seminal fluid into the female circulatory system. These added proteins and peptides, which have yet to be characterized, may create effects within the female that contribute to male reproductive success. It is also possible that genital spines exert mechanical effects within the female by stimulating her reproductive tract during copulation, thereby inducing the female to uptake and use more of her current mate's sperm.
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The study was funded by the European Research Council, the Swedish Research Council, and the National Science Foundation.
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Size does matter in sexual selection, at least among beetlesPublic release date: 25-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Greg Hand greg.hand@uc.edu 513-556-1822 University of Cincinnati
A new collaborative project among researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden and the University of Cincinnati has, for the first time, demonstrated experimentally the evolutionary force behind the rapid evolution of male genitals, focusing on a species of seed beetle.
This mechanism is revealed in a study published today in the scientific journal Current Biology. The experiments leading to this paper involved a species of seed beetle known as Callosobruchus maculatus. Mating among these beetles involves several males engaging in copulation with individual females.
"When a female mates with several males, the males compete over the fertilization of her eggs," said Michal Polak, associate professor of biological sciences at the University of Cincinnati, one of the co-authors. "Because females mate with multiple males, the function of the male copulatory organ may determine which of the males will fertilize most of her eggs. Our results show that the morphology of the male genitalia affects his fertilization success in these beetles."
The competition to produce offspring is the driving force of evolution. Competition among males occurring after insemination may be an important evolutionary force that has led to the evolution of a diversity of shapes and sizes of male sexual organs, the co-authors assert. This competition among males has generated a great biological diversity that they believe can directly contribute to the formation of new species.
"The reproductive organs of animals with internal fertilization change more rapidly than all other morphological features during evolution," Polak said. "In virtually all groups of animals, from roundworms and molluscs to reptiles and mammals, the male sex organs differ markedly among even closely related species, with female genital traits remaining relatively unchanged."
To experimentally investigate the role of genital shape in reproductive success, the Swedish researchers - Cosima Hotzy, Goran Arnqvist and Johanna L. Ronn - bred male beetles with extraordinarily long genital spines. They simultaneously bred male beetles with extremely small spines. Experiments demonstrated that the males with long spines produced substantially more offspring.
"It is possible, however, that breeding for long spines introduced a secondary trait that affects fertility," Polak said. Unintended consequences, he said, are well known to animal breeders.
To prove that it was the spines and not some other trait, some beetles had their genital spines surgically modified using micro-scale laser surgery. Polak's laboratory has gained an international reputation for using a precision laser system to make microscopic changes to insect bodies.
Insects modified through both methods were then observed throughout the competitive mating process. The international team found that the longer genital spines directly contributed to successful fertilization. Seminal fluid from the males was also tracked through high-resolution radioisotope labels, and shown to enter the female body more quickly after mating with long-spined males than short-spined males.
"This provides experimental evidence that male genital morphology influences success in postcopulatory reproductive competition," Polak said.
There is more work to be done, Polak said, to understand the mechanism at work here. It is possible that these longer spines help introduce bio-active molecules from seminal fluid into the female circulatory system. These added proteins and peptides, which have yet to be characterized, may create effects within the female that contribute to male reproductive success. It is also possible that genital spines exert mechanical effects within the female by stimulating her reproductive tract during copulation, thereby inducing the female to uptake and use more of her current mate's sperm.
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The study was funded by the European Research Council, the Swedish Research Council, and the National Science Foundation.
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The similarities between the two campaigns are striking, with partisans for President Obama and Mitt Romney saying their candidate is in a better position.
By Liz Marlantes,?Correspondent / October 25, 2012
Mitt Romney, it would seem, is fairly confident of his chances in Ohio. Here, he's at a metal processing company in Worthington, Ohio, Thursday.
Charles Dharapak/AP
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Throughout this election cycle, campaign 2012 has been compared most often to that of 2004.
Skip to next paragraph Liz Marlantes
Correspondent
Liz Marlantes covers politics for the Monitor and is a regular contributor to the Monitor's political blog, DC Decoder.
Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition
Monitor correspondent Liz Marlantes explains the focus both campaigns are taking in the final stretch of campaign 2012.
The similarities are striking: Both years featured a controversial incumbent whose tenure was weighed down a by serious challenge (war, the economy). Both years also featured a richer-than-rich challenger from Massachusetts who struggled to connect with average voters and seemed to lack a clear ideological core, making him vulnerable to charges of political opportunism.
To some extent, the Obama and Romney campaigns even seem to be cribbing from the 2004 playbooks. The Obama campaign has been pursuing a microtargeting strategy, making narrow appeals to specific demographic groups, just as George W. Bush?s campaign did. The Romney campaign, like Sen. John Kerry?s, has been focusing its efforts more on the big issue of the day.
And just as today?s race seems headed for a photo finish, 2004 wound up being exceedingly close: President Bush managed to eke out a win in the crucial state of Ohio, which was just enough to send him back to the White House.
Of course, 2012 is not 2004 ? the issues are different, and the electoral map has changed a bit, as have the demographics of many key states. And while the national polling looks remarkably similar (showing a very close race) there are also some key differences which, not surprisingly, partisans on both sides have been highlighting in ways that would seem to favor their guy.
Writing in Thursday?s Wall Street Journal, former Bush strategist Karl Rove made a direct comparison between the two cycles, and concluded Mitt Romney is currently in a much better position than Senator Kerry was.
At this point in the race in 2004, he noted, the composite average of national polls showed Bush narrowly leading Kerry, 48.9 to 45.8. By contrast, today?s composite average shows Mr. Romney leading President Obama, 48.9 to 46.7. (The current Real Clear Politics average of polls shows less of a difference, with Mr. Obama and Romney currently tied at exactly 47.1, while in 2004, the RCP average had Bush at 48.8 and Kerry at 46.)
What are the characteristics with the kindle? This informative article talks in regards to the major six options from the wireless reading device, Kindle Fire. It enables user to surf the net, listen to music, watch movie, read books and etc. Listed below are the major six options from the?amazon prime review that I?m going to share with you:
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Countless books could be found in the library. You can borrow books from the library. Besides that, you also can download the sample and read the critiques. When you are searching for an e-reader with astounding color display, The Fire is a suitable e-reader for you.
No cost 1 month membership of Amazon Prime
You will be able to stream unlimited of Television shows and motion pictures. You?ll find 1000s of movies within the library that happen to be accessible to stream, download, buy or rent. You can stream and watch it anytime, anyplace you?d like as long as your Fire gets connected towards the wireless. Together with the membership, you get to access towards the Lending Library exactly where it is possible to stream thousand of movies from there.
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Stop worrying about memory. Amazon gives you a 5GB no cost storage for all of your Amazon digital contents. You get to download and stream all your movies and apps instantly with a touch of your finger.
Amazon?s Apps Shop
You could download apps from Amazon?s apps retailer. It has a wide range of apps you may download. Apart from that, it presents a paid app free of charge everyday! You?ll be able to play Angry Bird on your Kindle!
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There are more than a hundred thousand books within the Lending Library. With an Amazon Prime membership, Kindle owners can pick a book to borrow for free.
Fire is really a excellent decision amongst the many tablets. It characteristics astounding color display, wide range of apps, streaming music and motion pictures that is certainly compatible with Adobe?s Flash. In term of price, it fees only $199. It can be quite cheap to get a tablet. It permits you to get virtually 5GB absolutely free storage with Amazon?s Cloud storage. Apart from that, none of any customers complain regarding the Kindle Fire?s battery life. Begin asking yourself, what are you currently really looking for? In case you just wish to read some books, surf the world wide web, listen to some musics, why not going for this terrific device?
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NEW YORK (AP) ? A weak showing in home sales and a mixed batch of earnings reports kept stocks flipping between minor gains and losses on Wall Street. By the end of the day, the major indexes managed to eke out their second day of gains this week.
A strong profit report from Procter & Gamble helped indexes start higher early Thursday, but stocks weakened in late morning trading after a realtor group said that the pace of contracts for new home sales had leveled off.
The Dow Jones industrial average gained 26.34 points to close at 13,103.68.
"This is a market still working through a difficult earnings season," said Jason Pride, the director of investment strategy for Glenmede, a wealth-management firm.
Pride said investors probably celebrated too much after the Federal Reserve pledged more support for the economy in early September. They overlooked shrinking economies in Europe, slower growth in China and other signs that this earnings season would be rough. In the past two weeks, they've paid for it.
"We had a party and now we're dealing with a hangover," he said. "The market is basically back to where it was at the end of August. I don't think that's unreasonable."
In other trading, the Standard & Poor's 500 rose 4.22 points to 1,412.97 and the Nasdaq gained 4.42 points to 2,986.12.
A recent round of weak corporate earnings from tech giants and industrial companies has shaken investors accustomed to steadily rising profits. Weak revenue numbers and lowered profit projections from Caterpillar, 3M and Google have rattled the stock market.
After two days in which the Dow has dropped more than 200 points in the past week, the average of 30 big companies is now down 2.5 percent for October.
Among companies reporting earnings Thursday, infant formula maker Mead Johnson Nutrition plunged 9 percent after its revenue came in well below what Wall Street analysts had expected. The company also cut its forecast for full-year earnings. Its stock slumped $5.98 to $63.53.
Profits at United Airlines slid with fewer people flying, and the company's results fell short of Wall Street's forecasts. Its stock lost $1.01 to $19.26.
Most homebuilders fell after the pace of growth in housing sales slowed last month. PulteGroup fell 44 cents to $17.01. Toll Brothers dropped $1.04 to $34.21.
Procter & Gamble posted the strongest gains of any Dow stock, after the consumer products company, whose products include Tide, Gillette and Charmin, posted earnings that beat analysts' estimates. P&G rose $1.99 to $70.07.
Online game maker Zynga jumped 26 cents to $2.39 after the company reported revenue that was stronger than analysts had anticipated. The company also said it would cut costs and enter the gambling business.
Health insurer Aetna rose 48 cents to $44.43 after reporting a slight gain in third-quarter earnings. Higher revenue and lower-than-expected health care claims helped the company beat Wall Street's profit expectations.
Traders sold U.S. government bonds, sending yields higher. The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note yielded 1.82 percent, up from 1.79 percent late Wednesday.
Chippewa Falls, Wis. (WEAU) -- Pat Clifton loves the game of football. Even more so, loves watching his grandson, Mason Zimmerman, enjoy it as well.
But two years ago, some news hit Mason and his family harder than they have been hit before.
"So they took him in, did a blood draw, and found out he had leukemia," said Clifton.
Clifton remembers that feeling, first learning that his grandson had cancer.
"For a 10 year old boy to be diagnosed with leukemia it was shocking, and I was pretty sick to my stomach," he added.
From the start, Mason Zimmerman knew something was wrong, just did not know how badly. His family stood close by, including his teammates.
"The first year they gave me hugs, more like pats on the back, just said how you are feeling," Zimmerman added.
Clifton told his friend Jim Britton about Mason. Britton happens to be the Athletic Director at Chippewa Falls Middle School and organized a donation drive.
"It didn't make any difference in domination, dollars, coins, five, ten, twenty, whatever it was," he said.
$88 dollars the first year turned into $331 dollars the next. Last year's money went to the American Cancer Society in Mason's name. That is the plan this year, too.
"One of the players had been saving all year, he had saved up $20 and he gave it to Mason because he felt that was important," Clifton added.
Over the past two years, Mason Zimmerman had made many strides. This season has been bigger than all others. Mason is well enough to be back on the field, playing the game he loves.
He is focused on the future, especially when it comes to football.
"Hopefully I can make the football team, and hopefully I can go to a good college," he added.
To donate, checks can be brought to Chippewa Falls Middle School and written out to the American Cancer Society, noting Mason's name.
Check out some New Hope authors who will be coming near you in the next few months!
Kathi Macias, appearing in California, Michigan, and Minnesota. http://kathimacias.com/speaking/speaking-schedule/
Jennifer Kennedy Dean, appearing in North Dakota, New York, South Carolina. http://www.prayinglife.org/calendar.html
Chandra Peele, appearing in Houston, Hurst, Sugarland, Richmond, and Brownboro,Texas. http://www.chandrapeele.com/
Brenda Poinsett appearing in various parts of Missouri, including:
October 27 ? Women?s Conference, Green City, Missouri. Speaking on The Surprising Things Jesus Said?and Still Says?to Women.
December 1 ? Women?s Meeting, StarlingRoadBaptistChurch, Arnold, Missouri. Free and open to the public. Speaking on Unwrapping Martha?s Joy.
December 4 ? Dardenne Presbyterian Church, St. Charles County, Missouri, December 4, candlelight Advent event. Speaking on Can Martha Have a Mary Christmas.
Grant to help develop solar-powered charging stations for plug-in vehiclesPublic release date: 24-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Larry Erickson lerick@k-state.edu 785-532-4313 Kansas State University
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- A foundation for engineering and construction firm Black & Veatch has awarded Kansas State University a $200,000 grant to help develop solar-powered charging stations for electric and hybrid vehicles.
"We are very grateful to Black & Veatch for sharing our vision, and we are extremely excited about this corporate partnership and the research opportunities it will bring," said project leader Larry Erickson, professor of chemical engineering. "This grant will help us build on the academic strengths of the College of Engineering in the electrical power engineering program."
The solar panels will power charging stations for plug-in vehicles, and they will provide shade from the sun and protection from rain, snow and ice. The Kansas State University stations will be used for research, development, education and charging vehicles.
The project will allow researchers to better understand the technical, social, environmental and economic issues surrounding plug-in vehicles. Possible research topics include the environmental impact, consumer attitudes and the distribution of electricity.
"The research opportunities are endless for our faculty members and their students," Erickson said. "We already have faculty across the university who are interested in developing research using these stations, including those who specialize in engineering, economics, computer science and psychology."
The grant comes as auto manufacturers have released plug-in models like the all-electric Ford Focus, Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf. The federal government is requiring that auto manufacturers nearly double the average fuel economy of their fleets by 2025.
Electric vehicles have the potential to address some issues associated with combustion-engine vehicles, Erickson said.
"The operating cost of vehicles is significantly less with electrical energy, and this advantage is expected to grow in the future," he said. "Petroleum supplies are finite and will last longer for future generations and be less expensive if we make greater use of solar and electrical energy."
Solar-powered vehicles can reduce air emissions and improve air quality, Erickson said.
"If 200 million solar-powered charging stations are put in place over the next 20 years and if we have more than 50 percent of vehicles with plug-in capability, this would change transportation and greenhouse gas emissions significantly," he said.
Project leaders plan to explore a time line, design and site for the project, which was first investigated in 2009 by participants in the National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Undergraduates. Kansas State University hosts students from other campuses during the summer who participate in research projects.
Overland Park-based Black & Veatch has committed to invest $1 million in future earnings to the university system in Kansas through Black & Veatch's Building a World of Difference Foundation. The grants fund research and development for new technologies in clean energy, safe water and advanced communications infrastructure.
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Grant to help develop solar-powered charging stations for plug-in vehiclesPublic release date: 24-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Larry Erickson lerick@k-state.edu 785-532-4313 Kansas State University
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- A foundation for engineering and construction firm Black & Veatch has awarded Kansas State University a $200,000 grant to help develop solar-powered charging stations for electric and hybrid vehicles.
"We are very grateful to Black & Veatch for sharing our vision, and we are extremely excited about this corporate partnership and the research opportunities it will bring," said project leader Larry Erickson, professor of chemical engineering. "This grant will help us build on the academic strengths of the College of Engineering in the electrical power engineering program."
The solar panels will power charging stations for plug-in vehicles, and they will provide shade from the sun and protection from rain, snow and ice. The Kansas State University stations will be used for research, development, education and charging vehicles.
The project will allow researchers to better understand the technical, social, environmental and economic issues surrounding plug-in vehicles. Possible research topics include the environmental impact, consumer attitudes and the distribution of electricity.
"The research opportunities are endless for our faculty members and their students," Erickson said. "We already have faculty across the university who are interested in developing research using these stations, including those who specialize in engineering, economics, computer science and psychology."
The grant comes as auto manufacturers have released plug-in models like the all-electric Ford Focus, Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf. The federal government is requiring that auto manufacturers nearly double the average fuel economy of their fleets by 2025.
Electric vehicles have the potential to address some issues associated with combustion-engine vehicles, Erickson said.
"The operating cost of vehicles is significantly less with electrical energy, and this advantage is expected to grow in the future," he said. "Petroleum supplies are finite and will last longer for future generations and be less expensive if we make greater use of solar and electrical energy."
Solar-powered vehicles can reduce air emissions and improve air quality, Erickson said.
"If 200 million solar-powered charging stations are put in place over the next 20 years and if we have more than 50 percent of vehicles with plug-in capability, this would change transportation and greenhouse gas emissions significantly," he said.
Project leaders plan to explore a time line, design and site for the project, which was first investigated in 2009 by participants in the National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Undergraduates. Kansas State University hosts students from other campuses during the summer who participate in research projects.
Overland Park-based Black & Veatch has committed to invest $1 million in future earnings to the university system in Kansas through Black & Veatch's Building a World of Difference Foundation. The grants fund research and development for new technologies in clean energy, safe water and advanced communications infrastructure.
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As Whitney Houston's loved ones prepare to expose their family to public scrutiny in the new Lifetime reality show The Houstons: On Our Own, one issue is becoming increasingly less clear -- whether the late superstar's daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown is in fact engaged to her "adopted brother" Nick Gordon.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sempra Energy unit Sempra Mexico has been chosen to build a $1 billion natural gas pipeline that will connect the U.S. grid in Arizona with northwest Mexico, after a bidding process was completed, the company said on Monday.
The 500-mile line, which will be built in two sections, will supply some of the abundant reserves of U.S. natural gas to Mexican government-owned power plants that until now have run on fuel oil, Sempra said in a statement.
The first 310-mile (500-kilometer) section, which will run from Sasabe, south of Tucson, Arizona, to Guaymas, Mexico, will have a capacity of 770 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmcfd). That line is expected to begin operations late 2014.
The second segment, which will connect Guaymas with El Oro, will have the capacity to transport 510 mmcfd and is expected online in the third quarter of 2016.
(Reporting By Edward McAllister; Editing by Bernard Orr)
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Public release date: 25-Oct-2012
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