Food - Peanut Butter Sandwich a good reason to 'Crash a Car'!

DENVER - A black bear attracted by the smell of a peanut butter sandwich managed to open the door of a car, climb in and got stuck, knocking the gear stick into neutral and sending the car rolling down a slope into trees.

The blare of the car horn alerted the members of the Story family who realized 17-year-old Ben's Toyota was no longer parked in the driveway of their home in Larksspur near Denver.

When they went to explore they discovered the car and trapped culprit at the bottom of the hill -- a giant bear with teeth bared and claws tearing through the car's interior.

The bear was trapped inside the car for two hours before police were able to release the animal who ran off into nearby woods.

Ben and his sister Becky said the bear was likely lured into the car by a certain scintillating scent.

"There was a peanut butter sandwich in the back seat," Ben told reporters, adding that his car was ruined.

Health - Sleep : How much do we need?

WASHINGTON (AFP) - – People who sleep more or fewer than seven hours a day, including naps, are increasing their risk for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, a study published Sunday shows.

Sleeping fewer than five hours a day, including naps, more than doubles the risk of being diagnosed with angina, coronary heart disease, heart attack or stroke, the study conducted by researchers at West Virginia University's (WVU) faculty of medicine and published in the journal "Sleep" says.

And sleeping more than seven hours also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, it says.

Study participants who said they slept nine hours or longer a day were one-and-a-half times more likely than seven-hour sleepers to develop cardiovascular disease, the study found.

The most at-risk group was adults under 60 years of age who slept five hours or fewer a night. They increased their risk of developing cardiovascular disease more than threefold compared to people who sleep seven hours.

Women who skimped on sleep, getting five hours or fewer a day, including naps, were more than two-and-a-half times as likely to develop cardiovascular disease.

Short sleep duration was associated with angina, while both sleeping too little and sleeping too much were associated with heart attack and stroke, the study says.

A separate study, also published in "Sleep", showed that an occasional long lie-in can be beneficial for those who can't avoid getting too little sleep.

In that study, David Dinges, who heads the sleep and chronobiology unit at the University of Pennsylvania school of medicine, found that 142 adults whose sleep was severely restricted for five days -- as it is for many people during the work week -- had slower reaction times and more trouble focusing.

But after a night of recovery sleep, the sleep-deprived study participants' alertness improved significantly, and the greatest improvements were seen in those who were allowed to spend 10 hours in bed after a week with just four hours' sleep a night.

"An additional hour or two of sleep in the morning after a period of chronic partial sleep loss has genuine benefits for continued recovery of behavioral alertness," Dinges said.

In the study about sleep and cardiovascular disease, researchers led by Anoop Shankar, associate professor at WVU's department of community medicine, analyzed data gathered in a national US study in 2005 on more than 30,000 adults.

The results were adjusted for age, sex, race, whether the person smoked or drank, whether they were fat or slim, and whether they were active or a couch potato.

And even when study participants with diabetes, high blood pressure or depression were excluded from the analysis, the strong association between too much or too little sleep and cardiovascular disease remained.

The authors of the WVU study were unable to determine the causal relationship between how long a person sleeps and cardiovascular disease.

But they pointed out that sleep duration affects endocrine and metabolic functions, and sleep deprivation can lead to impaired glucose tolerance, reduced insulin sensitivity and elevated blood pressure, all of which increase the risk of hardening the arteries.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that most adults get about seven to eight hours of sleep each night.

Shankar suggested that doctors screen for changes in sleep duration when assessing patients' risk for cardiovascluar disease, and that public health initiatives consider including a focus on improving sleep quality and quantity.

"Sleep" is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.

Food - Receipes : Homemade Apple Butter : A Treat for any age!

Ingredients:-
5 pounds (2.26 kilos) apples, cored and cut into 8 wedges.
1/2 cup (~120 mil) apple cider or natural apple juice.
1/4 to 1/2 cup (~60 – 120 mil) maple syrup.
4 whole cinnamon sticks.

Spices for Apple Butter:-
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Preparation:

PART 1 –>
Preheat the oven to 350° F/175° C.

In the large roasting pan, toss the apples with the cider and maple syrup, then lay the cinnamon sticks around in the apples. Roast until the apples are very soft and mash easily, 30 to 45 minutes.

Remove the cinnamon sticks. If you left the peels on, mash the apples slightly with a potato masher, then run them through the food mill. Use the fine blade for apple butter and the coarse blade for apple sauce. If you peeled the apples before roasting, then process the cooked apples in a food processor. Applesauce is finished, just set aside to cool, then put into containers and refrigerate or freeze. You can also keep a cup or two of applesauce and turn the rest of the mixture into apple butter, just make sure that the mixture is finely ground so that you get that nice, smooth texture for which apple butter is famous.

PART 2 –>
Reduce oven temperature to 300° F/150° C. Stir the milled apples with any remaining liquid from the roasting pan and the ground cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Add more maple syrup if desired.

Spread the mixture into the roasting pan, making sure to spread evenly throughout the pan. Cook in the oven for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, depending on how much you started with. Stir every 30 minutes, working the edges into the middle. Test for doneness by dropping a spoonful onto a plate. If no liquid is released, then the apple butter is ready.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Spoon into containers and refrigerate or freeze.

Notes:-
Apple Butter will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or several months in the freezer.
Variations:-
Other spices to use: star anise, ground ginger, ground cardamom.

Technology - Self-cleaning windows using Nanotechnology

Singapore, Aug 3, 2010 - (ACN Newswire) - A*STAR's new 'Industrial Consortium On Nanoimprint', or 'ICON', encourages companies to adopt versatile, industry-ready nanoimprinting technology that allows new chemical and additive-free products for the market.

ICON is a multi-agency effort with support from Singapore's leading trade and industry development bodies - Economic Development Board (EDB), International Enterprise (IE) Singapore and SPRING Singapore. -

Walls that are as colourful as a butterfly's wing, new non-slip materials,adhesives that do not leave sticky residues, waterproof and anti-bacterial surfaces for everyday use? What's more amazing is that these can be produced without using chemicals or potentially harmful, eco-unfriendly coatings but merely by carefully engineering the surface or 'skin' of materials using a unique method called nanoimprint technology, or NIT.

IMRE (Institute of Materials Research and Engineering) scientists have used the method, which involves making uniform, nanometer-sized structures to create a specifically patterned surface that produces a unique property. These often mimic natural surfaces, for example the structures found on lotus leaves so that the new materials are imbued with its waterproofing properties.

Since its introduction as a high-resolution nanopatterning technique in the 1990s, NIT has been proven to produce nanometer-sized structures of greater complexity using fewer processing steps, while minimising wastage of materials. It has since evolved from being a potential next-generation lithography technology for the semiconductor industry to a platform process technology that is applicable to a wide range of industries.

Over the past few years, IMRE has seen requests from the industryto explore NIT for diverse applications triple in number. Responding to this need and because of the vast opportunities that NIT has to offer industries in applications such as optical components, biomedical devices, consumer products and even construction materials, A*STAR's IMRE and Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC), together with EDB, IE and SPRING, have launched the 'Industrial Consortium On Nanoimprint' (ICON).

ICON will be launched with 2 industry projects that demonstrate the versatility of nanopatterning - anti-reflection surfaces and anti-bacterial surfaces. These joint projects are the first two to be launched during the initial 3-year phase. The projects will begin in collaboration with ICON's first group of members, namely Singapore's DSO National Laboratories and Solves Innovative Technology Pte Ltd, Nypro, Inc. (US), Innox Co., Ltd. (Japan), NTT-Advanced Technology Corporation (Japan) and Youngchang Chemical Co., Ltd. (South Korea).

ICON's project on anti-reflection surfaces aims to develop structures that have additional surface functional properties, such as self-cleaning, using novel nanoimprint processes developed in IMRE. The anti-bacterial surfaces project aims to use NIT to create a chemical-free, eco-friendly alternative to existing technologies that prevent bacterial attachment to surfaces. The project also aims to create a database of different surfaces to study how they affect bacterial attachment as there is currently no available design rule on effective anti-bacterial surface topography.

"The goal of ICON is to open up NIT's many benefits to industries and to get them to adopt this versatile technique into some of their existing processes", said Dr Low Hong Yee, Headof IMRE's Patterning and Fabrication Group which is driving the consortium.

"ICON is a proactive way for research institutes like IMRE to give back to our stakeholders - industry and ultimately the community", said Prof Andy Hor, Executive Director of IMRE. "We are confident in the potential of nanoimprint technology and are equally confident that industry will see results in their bottom lines by leveraging on this technology!"

Echoing these views, Prof Low Teck Seng, A*STAR's DeputyManaging Director (Research), and Executive Director, Science and Engineering Research Council said, "A*STAR is keenly aware of our vast technological capabilities and the need for transferring these technologies to industry, which ultimately benefits the public at large. Industry consortia are but one of the many avenues A*STAR uses to shorten the route, and timeframe, that our research takes to reach your homes."

"Nanotechnology is increasingly pervasive and Nanoimprinting is an areathat Singapore is well suited to develop due to our strengths in precision engineering and electronics," said Mr Bernard Nee, Executive Director of EDB's New Technology Group. "We are excited about the potential of this public-private partnership which will not only benefit our Singapore industries but also enable us to push new frontiers in display, bioelectronics and solar energy. Such collaborations will be increasingly important in the next phase of our growth."

"Our involvement in ICONgives Nypro the opportunity to leverage advanced research and technology development initiatives in close proximity to the manufacturing plants capable of commercialising the outcome. This model creates an iterative working dynamic connecting marketdemands and product needs to the research designed to enhance future products. A higher probability of success and faster time to market can be achieved working in this environment," commented Mr Michael McGee, Director of Technology from Nypro Inc., a leading global solutions provider in the field of manufactured precision plastic products which recorded sales of approximately $1.1 billion in the last financial year.

"We were sold on the benefits of nanoimprint technology from the start and having a platform like ICON that helps put that technology into practice was all the convincing we needed to join the consortium," said Mr Tatsuo Shirahama, President of Innox Co Ltd, Japan, which specialises in the design, development, productionand sale of functional nanostructured films for light management and other applications. Innox is confident that NIT can enhance the anti-reflection properties of the company's current display industry-related plastic films by bringing down the optical reflectance to just 0.1%.

"R&D may be seen as unaffordable for most SMEs but in order to stay ahead of others, innovation and R&D are key. ICON is an excellent platform for SMEs to tap on the available resources in A*STAR and jumpstart R&D ata nominal cost," explained Mr Koh Teng Hwee, Managing Director of Solves Innovative Technology, a local company that worked with IMRE to build the first made-in-Singapore tool for advanced manufacturing of nano-sized structures. The production-gradetool is faster and more accurate with features such as double-sided imprinting to reduce processing time, a customised dosing system, and imprinting in vacuum to prevent air bubbles, for precision patterning.

The members of ICON will not only gain first-hand access to the advanced nanoimprint developments in A*STAR but will be able to work on joint, shared cost projects to develop new products and applications resulting in potentially huge savings in R&D costs and resources. Training of their manpower in nanoimprint techniques and tools as well as the prospect of networking with companies that cover the entire spectrum of nanopatterning services are sweeteners for membership.


About the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE)

Established in September 1997, IMRE has built strong capabilities in materials analysis, characterisation, materials growth, patterning, fabrication, synthesis and integration. IMRE is an institute of talented researchers equipped with state-of-the-art facilities such as the SERC Nanofabrication and Characterisation Facility to conduct world-class materials science research. Leveraging on these capabilities, R&D programmes have been established in collaboration with industry partners. These include research on organic solar cells, nanocomposites, flexible organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), solid-state lighting, nanoimprinting, microfluidics and next generation atomic scale interconnect technology. For more information aboutIMRE, please visit www.imre.a-star.edu.sg


About the Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC)

As a national research institute supported by A*STAR through SERC, the Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC) was established in April1998 to provide leadership in high performance computing as a strategic resource for scientific inquiry. IHPC seeks to power discoveries through advanced methodologies, techniques and new tools in modelling, simulation and visualisation. Its researchfocus are in the realm of complex-coupled systems, mechanics and fluid dynamics, large-scale systems, scientific computing and software development, digital modelling, adaptive and collaborative computing, data mining and analyses, computational electronics and electromagnetics and computational material and chemistry. For more information on IHPC, please visit www.ihpc.a-star.edu.sg

About Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is the lead agency for fostering world-class scientific research and talent for a vibrant knowledge-based and innovation-driven Singapore. A*STAR oversees 14 biomedical sciences, and physical sciences and engineering research institutes, and nine consortia & centre, which are located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis, as well as their immediate vicinity. A*STAR supports Singapore's key economic clusters by providing intellectual, human and industrial capital to its partners in industry. It also supports extramural research in the universities, hospitals, research centres, and with other local and international partners. For more information about A*STAR, please visit www.a-star.edu.sg.

Source: Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)

Health - Focus on These 5 Body Parts, and Save Money

Wise Bread, On Tuesday 27 July 2010, 21:44 SGT

Many of us are willing to spend plenty of time and money to maintain a youthful appearance. The face gets the most attention, but there are other areas we shouldn't neglect that also show telltale signs of aging. Pay extra attention to these body parts now, and you'll spend less improving their appearance later.

[Slideshow: 20 Things You Should Never Buy Used]

Neck: The neck consistently gets overlooked, even though it reveals aging prominently. (Nora Ephron, after all, wrote an entire book on that premise - I feel Bad About My Neck.) It's also extremely difficult to hide -- try pulling off a turtleneck or scarf in the middle of summer. It may seem wasteful to use pricey face cream on your neck, but it will be well worth it. The neck will reveal aging that makeup and facials can't hide. When applying various face creams, masks, and treatments, always include the neck and upper chest area.

Hands: The hands, particularly the back of them, take a lot of damage from the sun. They're always exposed, and usually forgotten about -- do you reapply sunblock after you wash your hands? The hands will often show age spots first, since most of us are careful to protect our face with sunscreen or shade. Apply hand lotion that contains anti-aging antioxidants and sunblock to combat sun damage. (Did you know lotion with sunscreen protection is often 50% cheaper than regular sunscreen?) Even better, when you're applying the age-defying face lotion to your neck and chest, dab a little on the back of your hands, too.

Hair: We do a lot to our hair. Blow drying, hot ironing, and regular styling stress and damage it. Having regular treatments to condition and strengthen your hair will prevent permanent damage that can result in hair loss, the most difficult condition on this list to treat and hide. (See also: How to replace your toxic shampoos with baking soda and vinegar).

Feet: If you're fond of wearing strappy sandals (or just flip flops), take care to treat your feet if you want to keep wearing them. The sun does just as much damage to your toes as it does the other parts of the body. If you don't use sunblock, your toes will look like shriveled raisins before long. Also, wearing sandals will cause your heels to become dry and cracked. Would you want to slip on sandals with feet like that?

Elbows: Elbows take a lot of daily stress. We rest on them when pondering a problem. We use them to push open doors when our hands are full. But it's not something we consider when fighting age spots and wrinkles. The skin around the elbows, already loose, will begin to sag and make the back of your arm look older.

[See 5 Things You Should Never Put in a Dishwasher.]

Don't worry, you don't need to spend a fortune on skin care products. You can protect yourself with beauty products you can make at home, or use beauty secrets that cost almost nothing. As long as you pay more attention to these important body parts, they will look fabulous for years to come -- and you won't go broke in the process.

Lynn Truong is the co-founder and Daily Deals Editor of Wise Bread, a blog dedicated to helping readers live large on a small budget. Wise Bread's book, 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget, debuted as the #1 Money Management book on Amazon.com.

© Copyright 2010 U.S.News & World Report, L.P

Travel - Gator Feeding Frenzy?

A fisherman records hundreds of reptiles engaging in a very unusual behaviour in a swamp at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in USA.

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is a 395,080 acre (1,598 km²) National Wildlife RefugeCharlton, Ware, and Clinch Counties of Georgia, and Baker County in Florida, United States. The refuge is administered from offices in Folkston, Georgia. The refuge was established in 1937 to protect a majority of the 438,000 acre (1,772 km²) Okefenokee Swamp. The name "Okefenokee" is a Native American word meaning "trembling earth."

A wildfire which began with a lightning strike near the center of the Refuge on May 5, 2007 eventually merged with another wildfire which had begun near Waycross, Georgia on April 16 due to a tree falling on a power line. By May 28, more than 580,000 acres (2,300 km²) had burned in the region, or more than 900 square miles (2300 km²).

Nearly 400,000 people visit the refuge each year, making it the 16th most visited refuge in the National Wildlife Refuge System. It is the largest in acreage of any that is not located in a western state. In 1999, the economic impact of tourism in Charlton, Ware, and Clinch Counties in Georgia exceeded $67 million. The refuge has a staff of 16 with a fiscal year 2005 budget of $1,451,000.Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge also administers the Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

Cars - 918 Porsche Spyder

Offering a unique combination of extremely low fuel consumption, supreme performance and long electric range, the Porsche 918 Spyder represents an essential milestone in Porsche’s strategy on the way to genuine electro-mobility.

Porsche 918 Spyder, a plug-in hybrid embodying the best of Porsche Intelligent Performance is a GO for Production! The price? 500,000 euros ($630,000 USD).

The 918 Spyder prototype combines high-tech racing features and electro-mobility to offer a fascinating range of qualities:

An emission level of just 70 grams CO2 per kilometre on fuel consumption of three litres/100 kilometres (equal to 94 mpg imp) truly outstanding even for an ultra-compact city car, on the one hand, combined with the performance of a super sports car and acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/h in just under 3.2 seconds, top speed of 320 km/h (198 mph) plus, and a lap time on the Nordschleife of Nürburgring in less than 7:30 minutes, faster than even the Porsche Carrera GT, on the other.

The 918 Spyder is one of three Porsche models with hybrid drive making their world debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. This trio – made up of Porsche’s new Cayenne S Hybrid SUV with parallel full-hybrid drive, the 911 GT3 R Hybrid racing car with electric drive on the front axle and a flywheel mass battery, and the two-seater high-performance 918 Spyder mid-engined sports car with plug-in hybrid – clearly demonstrates not only the great bandwidth of this new drive technology, but also the innovative power of Porsche as a genuine pioneer in hybrid drive.

The highly innovative 918 Spyder concept car combines Porsche’s Intelligent Performance technology, high-tech in motorsport, and classic but modern design to make a truly convincing statement.

The Porsche 918 Spyder with plug-in hybrid provides the performance of a thoroughbred super sports car on fuel consumption of just three litres/100 kilometres in the New European Driving Cycle, equal to a CO2 emission rating of 70 g/km.

This open two-seater is powered by a high-speed V8 developing more than 500 bhp and running at maximum speed engine of 9,200 rpm as well as electric motors on the front and rear axle with overall mechanical output of 218 bhp (160 kW).

The V8 combustion engine is a further development of the highly successful 3.4-litre power unit already featured in the RS Spyder racing car and positioned midship in front of the rear axle, giving the car the right set-up for supreme performance on the race track through its good balance.

Reminiscent of highly successful, legendary racing cars such as the Porsche 917 Le Mans and the current Porsche RS Spyder, the 918 Spyder with its design concept so typical of Porsche arouses powerful emotions. The combination of racing car dimensions, clearly structured design with perfectly balanced surfaces, and innovative details all round creates an overall pattern of aesthetic, perfectly balanced harmony in design full of power and dynamics. This indeed is the ideal synthesis of form and function following Porsche’s design DNA.

Offering a unique combination of extremely low fuel consumption, supreme performance and long electric range, the Porsche 918 Spyder represents an essential milestone in Porsche’s strategy on the way to genuine electro-mobility.

(Source : Senatus.net)