Last night Ken Rosenthal reported the potential for a ?blockbuster? deal involving the Diamondbacks. That deal, Rosenthal speculated, could involve Justin Upton and could be for a big name pitcher, names currently unknown. The Dbacks may make a blockbuster move, but according to Bob Nightengale, it won?t include Justin Upton: The #Dbacks say that Justin?
Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/
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WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Labor Department said Monday that federal contractors do not have to warn their employees about potential layoffs from across-the-board budget cuts that could begin on Jan. 2.
In a guidance letter, the agency said it would be "inappropriate" for employers to send such warnings because it is still speculative if and where the $110 billion in automatic cuts might occur. About half the cuts would be in defense.
The letter comes days after a Pentagon official said Defense Department contractors could be sending their workers layoff notices four days before the Nov. 6 presidential election. That prospect has unnerved the White House because it would affect thousands of defense workers in presidential battleground states such as Florida, North Carolina and Virginia.
Under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, employers of companies with 100 workers or more are required to provide notice 60 days in advance of a plant closing or mass layoffs.
But the Labor Department letter says federal agencies have not announced which contracts might be affected by the budget cuts ? known in Washington as sequestration ? so any plant closings or layoffs such cutbacks are "speculative and unforeseeable." It also points out that lawmakers are trying to avert the cuts, which would avoid layoffs altogether.
The letter was sent to state workforce agencies which help laid off workers find new jobs or get additional training.
The GOP chairman of House Armed Services Committee claimed the new guidance was politically motivated.
"People will still get laid off because of the president's irresponsibility, but they won't have the notice to protect themselves and their families," California Rep. Buck McKeon said.
The guidance comes as major defense contractors are bracing for the possibility of mass layoffs. Lockheed Martin, for example, has told Congress that across-the-board reductions could result in layoffs of 10,000 employees out of the company's 120,000 workers.
The military will face a reduction of $492 billion over a decade, with a $55 billion cut beginning in January, unless Obama and congressional Republicans and Democrats can agree on a plan to avert the cuts. Domestic programs also would be reduced by $492 billion over 10 years.
The automatic cuts are slated to take effect because of the failure last year of a bipartisan congressional panel to come up with a plan to cut the deficit by $1.2 trillion over 10 years.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/labor-dept-says-no-warning-layoffs-212433667--finance.html
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JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's cabinet is expected to approve a controversial package of tax hikes and spending cuts aimed at reining in the budget deficit, which analysts say will give the central bank room to resume monetary easing to support a weakening economy.
The vote is slated for later on Monday although such discussions in the past have gone on into the night. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has received the backing of one of his coalition partners, Yisrael Beiteinu, but ministers from the ultra-Orthodox Shas party are likely to vote against the plan.
Israel's economy weathered the global economic crisis well until a year ago when exports began to slow as a result of a downturn in Europe and the United States - Israel's two largest trading partners. Exports account for about 40 percent of Israel's economic activity.
Israel forecasts economic growth of around 2.5 percent this year, slowing from 4.8 percent in 2011 and resulting in a tax revenue shortfall that will push the budget deficit closer to 4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). That would be well above an initial target of 2 percent.
The government last month opted to raise the 2013 deficit target to 3 percent of GDP from 1.5 percent, leading Bank of Israel chief Stanley Fischer to warn that interest rates may have to rise since fiscal loosening is inflationary.
The measures the cabinet will vote on include raising income taxes by 1 percent on those earning more than the average salary of 8,881 shekels ($2,198) a month starting in 2013. Taxes on salaries over 67,000 shekels a month will go up 2 percent. Income tax rates in Israel range between 10 and 48 percent.
Value added tax (VAT) is also set to rise to 17 percent from 16 percent, most ministries' budgets will be trimmed by 5 percent and the tax authority is targeting tax evaders to collect billions of shekels. Last week, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz ordered immediate tax hikes on cigarettes and beer.
The Finance Ministry said the measures would add 14.4 billion shekels to state coffers next year.
ATTACK ON MIDDLE CLASS?
Netanyahu and Steinitz have defended the austerity steps as crucial to preventing the economy from deteriorating and requiring more severe measures.
"Governments that did not act in time, did not take determined action, and did not act responsibly, caused great harm to their people, both in terms of mass unemployment and in terms of crumbling social systems," Netanyahu said at the start of the cabinet meeting. "We will not allow that to happen ... We need to act responsibly."
Details of the plan have dominated the news, with commentators and opposition leaders criticizing the government for attacking the middle class at a time when the public has been protesting the high cost of living.
One of Netanyahu's few supporters is Fischer, who on Sunday called the fiscal steps "brave and essential" to improve Israel's budget situation.
"Due to Netanyahu's determination to act as soon as possible, in order to prevent Israel from sliding into a debt crisis, we believe now that the Bank of Israel will feel more comfortable to continue cutting rates in the near future," said Modi Shafrir, head of ILS Brokers, who forecasts cuts of up to another half-point by the end of 2012.
Last week, the Bank of Israel held its benchmark rate at 2.25 percent, after cutting it in June for the first time in five months, with some analysts citing concerns over the budget as a key reason for the central bank staying on hold.
"If progress is made towards improving fiscal prospects, the Bank of Israel will likely cut its base rate 25 basis points to 2.0 percent at its next meeting" on August 27, said Barclays Capital emerging markets economist Daniel Hewitt.
($1 = 4.04 shekels)
(Editing by Susan Fenton)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israels-cabinet-expected-approve-austerity-measures-122940717--business.html
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When June's employment data were released last week, some analysts quickly hailed them as indicators of a strong California recovery from the deepest recession since the Great Depression.
Steve Levy, who directs the Center for the Continuing Study of the California Economy, was particularly upbeat, to wit:
"California has now posted two blockbuster months for job growth, and the economy has regained some mojo for moving forward. The state added 38,300 jobs in June and 45,900 jobs in May for a two-month total of 84,200 jobs or an astounding 50 percent of the national job increase in these two months."
Call The Bee's Dan Walters, (916) 321-1195. Back columns, www.sacbee.com/ walters. Follow him on Twitter @WaltersBee.One assumes that Levy won't be branded a "declinist," Gov. Jerry Brown's sobriquet for those with a less-than-rosy outlook.
At the risk of earning such a gubernatorial epithet once again, let's put the new jobs report and other recent economic data in a larger, perhaps more realistic, context.
Non-agricultural wage and salary employment in California last month was 14.3 million, and total employment ? including the self-employed ? was 16.5 million. With 18.5 million in a "labor force" of potential workers, that means just under 2 million were jobless for an unemployment rate of 10.7 percent.
A year earlier, unemployment was just over 200,000 higher and the unemployment rate was 11.9 percent, so June was a definite improvement. But it was still the third-highest rate in the nation, nearly a third higher than the national rate.
More disturbingly, there were fewer Californians receiving paychecks in June than there were 10 years earlier, in 2002, even though the state's population had increased by 3 million, according to a Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. compilation.
California may be recovering, but without some big surge, returning to where we used to be will take many years. The LAEDC's forecast is for California to recover "slowly but steadily" but with double-digit unemployment at least into 2013.
The other emerging facet of the slow recovery is that it's very uneven in economic, sociological and geographic terms.
The most vigorous job growth is found, as Levy also notes, in the coastal centers of technology, while inland regions and their agriculture-, manufacturing- and transportation-centered economies continue to lag.
The technology-heavy San Francisco Bay Area, for instance, has jobless rates at or below those at the national level, with Marin County, at 6.6 percent, the state's lowest. But high double-digit rates are still evident in inland areas, topped by a stunning 28.2 percent in mostly Latino Imperial County.
So far, therefore, our slow recovery is reinforcing our evolution into a two-tier economy, and therefore a two-tier society.
That's reality, not declinism.
Source: http://www.modbee.com/2012/07/29/2302022/dan-walters-california-job-report.html
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by Lillian E. Wong
Recently the U.S. Department of Education released new regulations that govern the?rights of infants and toddlers?(birth through two years)? with disabilities (Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).
The regulations are over?900 pages?long and will take effect soon.
What are some of the important changes?
Special Education rights begin at birth.? From birth until age three, children who qualify for special education services under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) receive supports and services through Early Intervention.? In most states, the agency responsible for implementing Early Intervention services is the state Department of Health and Human Services.??
Just as the IEP main document for programming the services to be given a child with disabilities under Part B of the IDEA, the principal document for identifying services for an infant or toddler under Part C is the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).
The IFSP must provide the child with a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).? If you believe Early Intervention is denying your child a Free Appropriate Public Education, you have the right to request a Due Process Hearing and have an impartial hearing officer decide if your child is receiving FAPE through Early Intervention.? IDEA also provides parents of children in Early Intervention other rights, including the right of Parental Participation.
Read more at?Category: 1
Source: http://specialedpost.com/2012/07/29/special-education-rights-begin-at-birth/
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Courtesy the family via KUSA
Veronica Moser-Sullivan, 6, was the youngest victim of the rampage.
By Gil Aegerter, NBC News
Updated at 5 p.m., Sunday ET: A woman who was shot in the Aurora, Colo., theater shooting rampage has suffered a miscarriage, her family said.
Ashley Moser, the?mother of the youngest victim killed in the shooting, was pregnant and was shot in the neck and stomach during the attack July 20. The family said the trauma that Moser sustained caused a miscarriage and that she underwent more surgery on Saturday morning.?
Moser, 25, is being treated at Aurora Medical Center.?
The family released the following statement:
Ashley Moser is recovering from an additional surgery she had this morning. Tragically, the extreme trauma she sustained also caused a miscarriage.
We want to send a special thank you to the courageous heroes of law enforcement, other first responders, paramedics, and doctors and nurses who have all gone beyond the call-of-duty in caring for our daughter, granddaughter and all of the other victims of this tragic event.
Our sincere appreciation goes out to all of those who have been sending well-wishes, prayers and good thoughts to Ashley. Her lifetime of care will be a long road. For those who wish to donate, please go to any Wells Fargo Bank and request the "Donation Account for Ashley and Veronica Moser." This is the only official donation account for the family.
Funeral arrangements for Moser's daughter, Veronica Moser-Sullivan, 6, are still pending.
Until recently, Moser and her daughter had lived with Moser's father -- Veronica's grandfather -- David Moser. But two months ago, David Moser, 65, died after a 10-month battle with leukemia.
Stay informed with the latest headlines; sign up for our newsletter
Defense attorney Karen Steinhauser, a former prosecutor and current adjunct professor at the University of Denver, told The Associated Press that suspected gunman James Holmes, 24, will not face an additional charge as result of the miscarriage. She said charges in Colorado apply onto to those "who had been born and alive."?
Holmes, a former doctoral student studying neuroscience, is accused of opening fire in the theater, killing Veronica and 11 others, and wounding 58. He is due to be formally charged Monday in Colorado.?
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I'm in love with the sheet music above! It would be awesome for Christmas cardmaking.
You can find this and tons more at?vintagefeedsacks.blogspot.com
Here's a direct link to the sheet music.?Christmas sheet music
Source: http://piecesofmepapercrafts.blogspot.com/2012/07/christmas-in-july.html
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Now remember I am talking about when your child is first diagnosed, not how an adult should or would handle their own diagnosis. I am told, for many adults the diagnosis comes as a relief and they wholeheartedly embrace their autism. They throw themselves into understanding themselves by understanding everything they can about autism. I am in no way telling these adults what to do, how to feel or how to approach their autism. For them this is a very personal decision and not something anyone else (NT or autistic)? has a right to dictate.
What I am going to discuss here is how you the parent should? act and what you need to do in order for it not to be "all autism all the time." The reality is, that in the very beginning it is all autism all the time. How could it not be? When you finally get that diagnosis for your child, your instinct as the parent is to try to find ways to help your offspring. You need, you want , you are compelled to find out everything you can about autism so that you understand how to help your child. You want to "fix" everything. You want to make everything better and if not better than more manageable, less painful and confusing for your child.
So yes in the very beginning you delve not the world of autism. Your home becomes a sensory friendly environment. Your refrigerator is full of foods and drinks that you are told may be helpful. You make sure that when you go out that there will be a minimal of sensory issues. You look for "autism-friendly" movie theaters, play groups and schools. Good. This is what you are supposed to do.
But......
You also need to remember that not everything in the world is about autism and as I like to say, your child is more than autism. The child who liked to draw before diagnosis is still the child who liked to draw. The child who liked to write stories is still the child who liked to write stories. The child who liked to ride his bike or play on the jungle gym is still the same child. The child who liked to swim before diagnosis is still the same water-fish. Autism didn't give them the ability to do these things, it may make their perspectives or their ability to analyze a project different than say an typical child, but it is not the autism that gives them their talent, their drive or their gifts. Harness these gifts as gifts. Not as an outgrowth of autism.
I used to have a group of friends, all of us have children on the spectrum.? We were at one time our own little support group. Well one of these friends everytime her son did something would say it was because of the autism. When he swam it was because autistic children liked being in the water. When he listened to classical music it was because autistic children are calmed by this type of music. This attitude used to drive a third member of our group to distraction. She would tell me how much she hated that perspective. Everything that our children do is not because of autism, she would say. Honestly I think this difference, among other realities, led to the breakup of our little group. We expected more from our sons, while the autism-encapsulated-mom not only decided everything was due to autism, but autism was also a great excuse for her as well.
While you recognize that your child is still your child after diagnosis you must remember that YOU are still you after diagnosis too. Yes read as much about autism as you possibly can. Make sure you know about the laws and what programs do and do not work for a child on the spectrum. Understand medical advice and the latest technologies to help your child. Delve deeply into this world. You do have to.....but then...
1. Make sure you have a place in your house that belongs to you and you alone.
? ? ? ? ? When the boys were little and everything about the house was an autism friendly environment, my parents bought me a little black and white television for the kitchen. They told me that I needed to stay connected to the real world. Watch the news they said while I make dinner. It was the best advice. It's why I post information about other topics even on this blog from time to time. You must stay connected to the wider world.
?????????? Have a chair or an area in your bedroom for makeup, and a closet for "nicer" clothes.
?????????? Make sure that you still continue to use face cream and even a little make-up if you want.
?????????? Get your hair cut every few months,? if you can't afford a mani and pedi, then get a manicure at least once a month. Have someone wait on you for a change.Yes the husband can stay with the children for an hour or two while you do this. The hubby will survive and so will the children. Even before we knew that the boys were on the spectrum, I would leave the husband with them for several hours on a weekend day and go do something myself, even if it was only food shopping. They can handle the children and you are allowed some alone time. It's good that they truly learn to understand what your day is really like too. (Listen I understand that not everybody has a partner, but try to find someone to watch the children for a few hours a week if you can or even every other week. Many call it respite, I call it your right to be an adult.)
?????????? Find time to exercise. Even if its no more than going for a walk. Or buy a DVD and have the children do it with you while you are home. Or when they go to school instead of doing the laundry or cleaning the toilets, do some exercise. It's only 30 minutes out of the day.
2. Charity and volunteering
?????????? If you liked to volunteer for your church, synagogue, mosque, or temple before diagnosis still do. If you spent time with the Untied Way or local homeless shelter, still do. I spent time volunteering for a law group that went into schools to teach middle school students about their rights and obligations. I created seminars for my local school about the constitution and coordinated this history with the appropriate school curriculum. I created an ethics seminar for my synagogues education program (the children didn't like the class so it got scrubbed) but heck simply try and teach Sunday school.
? ? ? ? ?? If you wanted to help out with the PTA still do and don't just do it for the special education committee. I purposely did not volunteer for the special education committee while the boys were in school. I helped out as class parent, party coordinator, welcoming committee chair, publishing center support, library aide, and even treasurer of the high school PTA (that one was a hoot since I still can't balance my own checkbook.) People used to ask my why I never participated in the special ed committee and I answered truthfully, that it was important that people see our family as more than an autism family. People needed to see the boys as more than autism or us as more than just a special needs family. Remember society knows that your special needs child takes more money and more effort than a typical school child and it is nice when you can be seen as giving back to the community for something that other people's children can use...seriously a higher percentage of their tax dollars do go to help your child too...
?????????? By the way, this attitude goes for your children in the long run as well. When the boys could join after school clubs I had them join the local volunteer organizations. They helped out by collecting food for the local food bank, collecting childrens books for a local homeless shelter, making posters for? local charity events, raising awareness about the genocide in Darfur, lately they have helped a local horse therapy barn with some construction (they did not see it as an extension of their autism, this project was for Martin Luther King, Jr service day) and this summer they are interning at a local charity doing data entry and what ever else is needed. I had them help out with charity events at our synagogue when they were younger too. If your religious organization has youth groups sign your child up too.
?????????? Now I did and still am a volunteer parent advocate in my town. I am there to help parents of newly diagnosed children and to shepherd them through the education process if they want. But it is done privately with the school district. My name is not on a roster nor is my name part of the CSE committee members. My services are just offered when a parent applies for an evaluation. Listen, I said do other things besides autism or special needs, I didn't say don't help others if you can....
3. Your professional and education life
?????????? I will admit right away that I am one of those very lucky women who could chose to stay home with my children. The hubby earned enough money that we were able to give the boys what they needed. OK, I will also admit it, we have an obscene amount of debt too. But that just goes with the territory of special needs parenting I think. The issue for me was who would do a better job at raising the boys, me or a stranger. Luckily I really didn't have to think? too long about this issue. Hats off to the single-special-needs-parent or any working-parent-couple of special needs children. Coordinating that reality is something I never had to face and I am not certain what I would have done.
? ? ? ? ? ? Remember too, if you are one of those parents who goes to work, its OK to like what you do and to be away from home for awhile as well. It's just fine to think about your professional life and to care about your professional future. Don't guilt yourself. I have friends of typical children who love to work because they like having daily grown-up conversations. These people like that they inhabit two worlds and not just one. Being a special needs parents doesn't mean you can't and shouldn't feel the same.
? ? ? ? ? ? But for those of us who do stay home, another way to not becoming inundated with autism is to remember that you were trained in a profession and have some skill sets that are very important. After the boys were diagnosed I decided that I needed to continue with my professional life. I actually had never passed the Bar Exam in the state and I decided to try again. I bought an on-line study course and I coordinated my program. I studied between therapy appointments, laundry, cooking, food shopping and mommy-taxi time. I studied with two small children either sitting on my lap or sitting next to me. And yes I passed. It was something I had to do for myself. Have I ever really practiced law? I tried part-time from home, but nope it really didn't work out at all. No, sometimes you really can't have it all.
?????????? Today there is so much on-line education and professional programs that you can continue to learn and practice your skills without actually leaving home. Remember that little corner of a room for your make-up and clothes....add a computer and/or text books. Don't stop learning and don't give up what you have learned.
? ? ? ? ? ? Also telecommuting is a major part of business today. Don't just give up everything you have worked for. Talk to your boss, see what you can work out. Or start a business from home. So many moms do it, especially in today's economy. You would not seem like the odd-person out. (I know I talk a good game, but in reality I still haven't figured out a business from home. As I said, I am still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.)
In truth there is alot you can do to not become an autism-only family. But this mainly depends on the time and effort you put into remaining a rounded person. It takes work to accomplish this goal. It will not happen simply because you want it to. In all honesty while your children are little, you will be more of an autism-only family. You are working on understanding and coordinating everything in their lives to set them on the right path. As they grow up and you see what they are also interested in and where their talents lay, you too can loosen the autism-strings and as they fly so can you. When you have more hours during the day to yourself, you will find that you can rediscover yourself as well.
Everything I mentioned in this post is not something I did or accomplished from the get-go. Initially as I wrote, my parents bought me a little television to stay connected to the world. That and studying and passing the bar are the two things that kept me in the wider-world. You need to understand that everything is incremental in this world and that the steps you take do not have to be huge ones either. For example: crossword puzzles. I love puzzles. For years everyday I did the New York Times crossword puzzle. That was my challenge and that was my escape, so to speak. Remember to keep yourself its the little things, not the big things that count.
This is also why I started the blog The Rediscovered Self. As an autism-parent I realized that so many of us forget ourselves and what gives us joy. We spend out lives worried and frightened for our children and what the future may hold for them. But you need to try not to live that way. Plan and coordinate as best you can. Do what you can for your children. But a depressed parent, a parent who forgets their own humanity will not be a help to their children ever.
Related posts:?
From B is for Balance:
Balance. I would have to say that that has probably been one of the hardest aspects of life with special needs children. Oh not that you don't balance their lives. Between therapies, doctors, school, "typical" activities and just plain doing nothing, we all seem to be able to balance our children's lives. What I am concerned about when I speak to many parents of special needs children is the ability of the parent to balance their lives.
Yes, when you have a child your obligation is to make sure that that child has every advantage in the world. Yes, as parent you have the obligation to provide, nurture and support your child as they grow, develop and mature. Yes as a parent you have the obligation to ensure that your children thrive.
The problem that happens though is that we forget that we too are entitled to grow, develop and thrive along with our children. You do not cease to be a person because you are a parent. You do not cease to be a person because you are a parent of a special needs child. You do not cease to have your likes, dislikes, needs and wants as well.
This is when the balancing becomes important. You need to find the time to remember that you too are a person. Now do I speak from experience of being able to balance my life? Absolutely not. I speak from experience of NOT? being able to balance my life. I speak from experience of demoting my own importance. Read this mea culpa to see how sorely lacking I am in this regard.
Listen it is not that you relegate your obligations and the love you have for your child to the back burner when you do something for yourself. It is merely making sure that you remember your own humanity. Now what exactly am I talking about?
What I am talking about is that YOU are allowed to go with a friend to get a cup of coffee without the children just like parents of typical children do. You are allowed to have lunch, go to a movie and even have a date with your spouse. I am talking about reading a newspaper or a book that has nothing to do with autism, but may be part of a hobby that YOU love. I am talking about that it is OK to get a manicure and a haircut. It is OK to buy yourself some makeup if that makes you feel better. It is OK for you to go for walks, exercise and eat food that you enjoy, not just eating the leftovers from your child's meal. It is OK that YOU are not subsumed by your child's special needs. It is OK to still be YOU.
Y is for You
?My Happiness Project
Don't Lose Yourself
Life May Suck, But Your Are Still a Human Being
Until next time,
Elise
??????????
Source: http://asd2mom.blogspot.com/2012/07/practicality-not-becoming-and-autism.html
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Boston, MA -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/27/2012 -- "European Construction Supplier Industry Outlook Survey 2012-2013: Industry Dynamics, Market Trends and Opportunities, Marketing Spend and Sales Strategies in the Construction Industry" is a new report by Timetric that analyzes how European construction industry supplier media spend, marketing and sales strategies and business practices are set to change in 2012-2013. This report gives you access to the media channel spending outlooks, media budgets, marketing agency selection criteria, business challenges and sales tactics of leading suppliers in Europe. The report also identifies future growth of buyers and suppliers, M&A and investment expectations. This report not only grants access to the opinions and strategies of business decision makers and competitors, but also examines their actions surrounding business priorities. The report also provides access to information categorized by company type and size.
Key Highlights
- China, Russia and Brazil are estimated to be the fastest growing regions among developing countries for the European construction industry. The relatively lower levels of public debt in these regions, leading economic growth, expansion of business activities into emerging markets, changing consumer lifestyles and increasing disposable incomes are fueling growth.
- A total of 59% of respondents expect their companies to increase their marketing expenditure over the next 12 months, with only 13% looking to decrease it.
- Overall, in the process of choosing marketing agencies, the 'ability of the agency to provide 'strategic and tactical consulting' is considered the most important factor by 35% of respondents from European construction industry suppliers.
View Full Report Details and Table of Contents
Scope
The report features the opinions of European construction industry respondents related to the following:
- Revenue growth and future developments in business structure
- Merger and acquisition activity
- Capital expenditure and change in staff recruitment activity
- Key regions of growth
- Key industry threats and opportunities
- Annual marketing budgets and change in marketing expenditure
- Future spending outlook on media channels
- Marketing agency selection criteria
Reasons to Get this Report
- Benchmark your sales and marketing spend with industry peers to effectively determine strategy.
- Identify the specific marketing approaches your competitors are using to win business.
- Better promote your business by aligning your capabilities and business practices with your customer's changing needs.
- Secure stronger customer relationships by understanding the leading business concerns and changing strategies of construction industry buyers and suppliers.
- Project how the industry will grow, consolidate and where it will stagnate.
Companies Mentioned in this Report: Atkins, Eurovia, Lafarge, Vinci Immobilier, Vivendi, Skanska, KONE, Atlas Copco AB, Balfour Beatty
About Fast Market Research
Fast Market Research is an online aggregator and distributor of market research and business information. Representing the world's top research publishers and analysts, we provide quick and easy access to the best competitive intelligence available. Our unbiased, expert staff will help you find the right research to fit your requirements and your budget. For more information about these or related research reports, please visit our website at http://www.fastmr.com or call us at 1.800.844.8156.
Browse all Construction research reports at Fast Market Research
You may also be interested in these related reports:
- Global Construction Supplier Industry Outlook Survey 2012-2013: Industry Dynamics, Market Trends and Opportunities, Marketing Spend and Sales Strategies in the Construction Industry
- Global Construction Supplier Industry Outlook Survey 2011-2012: Industry Dynamics, Market Trends and Opportunities, Marketing Spend and Sales Strategies
- European Construction Industry Outlook Survey 2012-2013: Industry Dynamics, Market Trends and Opportunities, Buyer Spend and Procurement Strategies in the Construction Industry
- Global Construction Industry Outlook Survey 2012-2013: Industry Dynamics, Market Trends and Opportunities, Buyer Spend and Procurement Strategies in the Construction Industry
- European Interior Design Industry Outlook Survey 2011-2012: Industry Dynamics, Market Trends and Opportunities, Marketing Spend and Sales Strategies
- Global Construction Industry Outlook Survey 2011-12: Industry Dynamics, Market Trends and Opportunities, Buyer Spend and Procurement Strategies
- Business Confidence in the Global Construction Industry in 2011-12: Industry Dynamics, Market Trends and Opportunities, and Demand and Expenditure Forecast
- Global Construction Industry CEO Business Outlook Survey 2012-2013
- European Interior Design Industry Outlook Survey 2011-12: Industry Dynamics, Market Trends and Opportunities, Buyer Spend and Procurement Strategies
- Supplier Marketing Spend Activity, Marketing and Sales Behaviors and Strategies in the Global Construction Supplier Industry 2012-2013: Survey Intelligence
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Every considered of traffic building because one of the ways to make money online? Many people often get disappointed after they consider the range of Google along with think that they can not make it. You?ll find thousands of individuals who use the internet of daily basis. This needs to be motivating sufficient for an individual to go on along with your search engine building desire. The Google individuals started off merely like you together with every day they?re making massive income. Consider the obtainable chances as well as move on. Do not necessarily goal at rivaling Google, start out and within no time you will always be making tons of money by way of the search engine. Nevertheless this will call for an individual to have some substantial amount of cash flow for start-up.
Do not forget that the complete procedure can be computerized and also you will need to have to have powerful and also highly effective servers. Within just handful of months, your business will ready to go.
In the existing world, internet accessibility features spread in every aspect of the world so because of this individuals can get the information they need very easily. This is just done through making of a site. Website making can nonetheless end up being tasking when you are necessary to get better at a few traces of code. Nevertheless, it isn?t necessarily essential produce the internet site yourself. There are numerous internet sites programmers which will charge a small charge to develop a new web site for a person relying on your particular requirements. This certainly will not be seen as a drawback because in the long term a person will make large amount of money from the idea.
All you could are needed to do is actually check with an internet internet marketer that will help you on the very best products to market in your website motivating men and women to pay a visit to this and also enhance traffic.
Traffic building is actually one of the highly effective as well as most effective ways of making money online right after developing the website. It?s nonetheless a specialized strategy as well as a whole lot of knowledge compared to various other techniques. Not surprisingly, it really is an easy approach after you turn out to be personalized to the idea.
Link building is mostly more of affiliate marketing. It is because bulk of the people who do affiliate marketing rely consequently hard on link building in order that they can have the ability to size upward many of the business procedures. So they can efficiently create their own lists, vast majority of the link builders make certain that these people retain the individuals brand of the list for an any period of time of time so they really can reap some benefits of the win-win circumstance. These people majorly make employ of web sites like Aweber to get the necessary information
To learn more, check out best online business for women and also make money fast
Source: http://www.expertsarticles.com/traffic-building-to-make-money-online/
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Friday, July 27th, 2012. 22 views.
Looking for a birthday or early Christmas present? Then you should consider buying a board game, after years of being pushed aside as video games became so popular sales for these types of games are now slowly rising again. This is partly due to the recession, as families have had to tighten their belts and watch the pennies expensive video games are being overlooked in favour of board games that can be good fun and are much cheaper.
There are hundreds to choose from and they each have a quality and uniqueness of their own, the human interaction involved in a board game remains their biggest draw. Here are just some of the most traditional and fashionable you will find in the shops today.
One of the most classic board games of course is Monopoly which has been around since the Great Depression, and is a game that most of us probably remember from when we were young, and might still be a fan of! It is definitely one of the most successful board games of all time with more than 500 million units sold since it hit the stores.
Scrabble is another game that everyone has heard of and knows how to play. It provides endless hours of enjoyment in wordplay helping players to learn new words and definitions, as well as developing memory skills, building up language skills, and exercising the mind muscles.
It doesn?t take long to get good at Scrabble, just time and practice will soon have you spinning off potent word combinations, and become adept at recognising patterns that can up your word scores. It?s important to keep the brain sharp and functioning at its optimum particularly as you get older, Scrabble is a word game that can boost stimulation in a fun way, and even helps to increase the thinking process, and thus intelligence.
Chess can take years to master with its rules and challenges, but is still enjoyed by millions all over the world. One of the most intellectual and competitive games played between two people it?s a fun game and is well-known for its ability to improve brain function. Suitable for all age groups, particularly with kids it?s even been incorporated into school curriculums in various countries and you can even get chess computers now.
Chess-playing students demonstrate a high level of progress in their overall academic performance, and it?s proven to improve concentration, language skills, logical thinking, problem-solving proficiency, self-discipline, the capacity to take decisions more analytically and logically, and much more. Luxury chess sets are available from websites that specialize in sets and other board games.
There are some new names amongst the bestsellers too, Settlers of Catan is one of the most popular games of all time and has won multiple awards world-wide. The game entails players racing against each other to build cities and is all the rage with all ages as it is a game that requires both skill and luck.
Dixit won the Game of the Year award in 2010 for its originality and creativity. Players start with a hand of cards of which each shows a distinctive and witty abstract painting. A player chooses one picture and describes it to other players, and if you want to know more you have to buy the game! This kind of board game can really stretch your child?s creative skills and imagination.
The health benefits of logic puzzles, word games and backgammon sets are acknowledged as being beneficial to brain function as well as all the social skills it can help kids with. Regular play encourages the brain to form new patterns and complex neural networks naturally so enhance your child?s growing up years and check board games out today.
James Bennett writes articles for ChessSets.co.uk about Backgammon Sets and Luxury Chess Sets. For a typical chess game each player starts with 1 King and Queen, two Bishops, 2 Knights, 2 Rooks and 8 Pawns placed in specific positions on the chequerboard. One side is usually represented by light colour pieces commonly known as the white the other side features darker pieces usually described as the black. Buying your chess set from ChessSets.co.uk means you are buying from UK stock and can expect a rapid delivery. Unlike the competitors ChessSets.co.uk offer free shipping of all products to all of the UK including the highlands and channel islands, providing an extensive assortment of premium quality yet inexpensive chess pieces such as Chess Computers, chess timers and Lewis Chess Sets.
Source: http://www.articlewebby.com/home-family/hobbies/top-5-board-games-for-the-family/
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There is a strong push in many American communities to either strengthen or institute physical education programs in public schools. Will all these efforts make any difference to the childhood obesity epidemic? There are both positive and negative indications. In Dr. Pretlow?s view, an ineffective program is worse than none at all, because the ineffective program fools people into thinking they are accomplishing something when that is far from being the case.
In fact, there is often a negative consequence, because the false sense of security diverts attention from the biggest factor in childhood obesity. Hyperpalatable foods are designed to encourage comfort eating, which can lead to an unhealthy dependency on these foods. This dependency is so similar to addiction that no difference can be found between them.
But that doesn?t mean a program can?t be helpful. As Dr. Pretlow says, each item of the physical education curriculum should be examined through the ?psychological food dependence-addiction lens.? In other words, does the activity do something to prevent children from using comfort eating to deal with stress and emotional disturbance?
A program called Playworks sounds as if it might work, if anything can. Designed for elementary school recess periods, it is sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Dr. Esther Entin is a big believer in recess, as an aid to physical fitness, a reducer of childhood obesity, and a means of helping kids concentrate on their academic subjects. She says:
As play and recess have declined over the past half-century, anxiety, depression, suicide, feelings of helplessness, and narcissism have increased, suggesting a connection between play and children?s long-term mental health.
Anxiety, depression, feelings of powerlessness, suicidal ideation ? these states of being are the very ones that lead to comfort eating, and from there to food addiction. So if a program can alleviate those conditions, there is strong reason to hope that it will help reduce childhood obesity. The Playworks recess program is said to be those things and more ? to reduce aggression and promote conflict resolution, and to improve student behavior and indeed the whole general climate of a school.
Dr. Entin describes the team effort to evaluate the early results:
The researchers evaluated the program based on onsite observations and feedback from 1,982 fourth and fifth grade students, 247 teachers, and 25 principals, as well as the 14 Playworks coaches who participated in the study. The evaluation found some positive, and no negative, impacts of the Playworks program. Most teachers, students, and principals had favorable impressions. Teachers reported that the program addressed student needs and improved behaviors. Students reported enjoying the program and principals responded by inviting the program back.
So far, it sounds very promising. At Playworks? own website, the originators explore such vital questions as why play matters, and how to make recess count. And? they?re into hula hoops.
Your responses and feedback are welcome!
Source: ?Recess: A Learning Opportunity,? The Doctor Will See You Now, 2012
Image by?pennuja (Jim Pennucci), used under its Creative Commons license.
Source: http://childhoodobesitynews.com/2012/07/26/physical-activity-in-schools-part-5/
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The Kyocera DuraXT ($69.99) is Sprint's replacement for the Kyocera DuraMax (3 stars). It has a bigger, better speaker, but is otherwise pretty much the same rugged flip-style?cell phone. It's super tough, uses Sprint's relatively new Direct Connect service, and has a loud speaker and great battery life. A dated UI and few features mean it's only average otherwise, but if you need a push-to-talk feature phone, the DuraXT is your best bet.
Design, Call Quality, and Direct Connect
Like Sprint's other push-to-talk phones, the DuraXT is built like a big old brick. It measures 4 by 2.1 by 1.1 inches (HWD) when closed, and is covered in a grippy, scratch-resistant, rubberized casing. It's also a bit heavy, at 5.3 ounces. It feels tough, and that's for good reason. The DuraXT meets military specification 810G, so it's resistant to dust, extreme temperatures, low pressure, rain, salt fog, shock, and vibration, among other rough conditions. It can even be submerged in three feet of standing water for 30 minutes. It survived plenty of drops of drops to the floor of the PCMag Labs with nary a scratch. On one drop the door that covers the charging port came open, but nothing was damaged. We also placed the phone in a bucket of water, where it was still able to receive calls and snap photos.
There's a 1-inch, monochrome 96-by-64-pixel external display that shows battery life, reception, and time. The internal 320-by-240-pixel LCD looks surprisingly sharp. The default font size is a bit small, but you can make it larger. The phone's keypad is great; it features large, raised keys with plenty of space in between, which should make it possible to dial while wearing gloves.
The DuraXT is a dual-band EV-DO Rev. A (850/1900 MHz) device with no Wi-Fi.?Reception is average and voice quality is good overall. Earpiece volume goes very loud, and voices sound clear, if a bit thin. Calls made with the phone also sound natural, with good noise cancellation. Calls sounded good through a?Jawbone Era?Bluetooth headset ($129, 4.5 stars) and the Nuance-powered voice dialing worked well. Battery life was great at 8 hours and 12 minutes of talk time.
Back when we reviewed the DuraMax, our biggest issue was that the speaker volume wasn't as loud as we would've liked it to be. After all, a push-to-talk phone should be built to hear outside in a noisy environment. While the DuraXT's speaker isn't quite deafening, it is certainly louder than the DuraMax. It's loud enough to hear on a busy city street, so it should be loud enough to hear over most reasonable construction noise.
Sprint's Direct Connect service combines the 3G Internet speeds and nationwide coverage of Sprint's CDMA network with the instantaneous push-to-talk of the old Nextel iDEN network. You need to be in a Sprint coverage area in order to use the DuraXT, but you can still make push-to-talk calls to Nextel iDEN subscribers.?The new network supports Call Alert With Text, which sends an audio alert and text message to another subscriber, along with Group Connect, which can connect 20 subscribers together at once. You can also use the Direct Connect button to mass-message up to 200 Direct Connect subscribers in one shot, or to send recorded messages to email addresses or handsets via text message.?
For this review, I tested Direct Connect using two different DuraXTs. It takes about a second to initiate the connection, after which transmissions are essentially instantaneous. Voice quality is solid, and like the speakerphone, volume is suitably loud.
Apps, Multimedia, and Conclusions
Like the rest of Sprint's push-to-talk lineup, the DuraXT is an otherwise bare bones feature phone. The main menu features the same grid with 12 icons that Sprint has used on many flip phones in the past. It's dated, and requires many button presses to perform even the simplest tasks.
There's an Access NetFront 4.1 browser for reading WAP pages; desktop HTML is out. The DuraXT also supports Sprint Navigation for voice-enabled, turn-by-turn directions, as well as Sprint Family Locator. You also get the standard apps like an alarm, calculator, and calendar.
There's no music or video player, so the nonstandard 2.5mm headphone jack on the right side of the phone isn't a big issue. You get 64MB of free internal memory, along with a 2GB microSD card installed in the slot underneath the battery. You probably won't need anything larger than this, though my 32 and 64GB SanDisk cards worked fine as well.
The 3.2-megapixel camera includes an LED flash, but no auto-focus. It snaps photos in about 0.5 second, but then takes a good 2 seconds to save them. Test photos look decent, if a little dark, with acceptable color and detail. Videos, on the other hand, are terrible. They max out at a miniscule 176-by-144-pixels and play back at a stuttering 10 frames per second indoors and 15 frames per second outside.
If you're looking for a push-to-talk feature phone on Sprint, the Kyocera DuraXT is your best bet. The Kyocera DuraCore ($49.99, 3 stars) costs $20 less, but it isn't as rugged and lacks a camera. The Kyocera DuraPlus?($69.99, 3 stars) is a slab-style phone that's just as rugged as the DuraXT, but it's a 6.7-ounce beast that also lacks a camera. If you're interested in something more advanced, the?Motorola Admiral?($99.99, 4 stars) is a ruggedized push-to-talk Android smartphone with plenty of excellent multimedia features, as well as access to more than 400,000 apps in the Android Market.?
More Cell Phone Reviews:
??? Kyocera DuraXT (Sprint)
??? Clarity Pal (Unlocked)
??? Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Unlocked)
??? Samsung Freeform 4 (U.S. Cellular)
??? RIM BlackBerry Curve 9310 (Boost Mobile)
?? more
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/6UFKgEkL3iI/0,2817,2407724,00.asp
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Title: American Small Business Centers/The Business Network Summer Bash
Location: Iron Horse Inn, 40 Village Square, Cincinnati OH 45246
Link out: Click here
Time: 6 ? 8 p.m.
Description: ASBC and TBN have formally come together for an after-hours event that includes ASBC?s Quarterly Networking event and the celebration of TBN?s 4th Anniversary.
Enjoy a summer evening on the patio at the Iron Horse Restaurant in Glendale as you make new connections and re-connect with old colleagues and friends at our next quarterly networking event.
Food from the outside grill at The Iron Horse will be provided, courtesy of our sponsors.
A special thank you to our sponsors: The Business Network, Cooperative Business Services, LLC, and Sequoia Wealth Counsel.
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Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/48332570/
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As Syrian rebels gain ground in fierce fighting, the Syrian government has acknowledged its stockpiles of chemical weapons (CW) ? by announcing that they will not be used against Syrians, only foreign invaders.
However, the regime has insisted that the rebellion, which began over a year ago, is the work of foreigners. Ironically, the only known plans for foreign troops to engage Syria are to secure the CWs.
Leonard Spector of the Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Washington DC told a US Congressional committee last week that in a recent military exercise, the US and 18 other nations, and "more than 12,000 participants" rehearsed ways to "prevent the transfer of chemical arms out of Syria".
Syria is thought to possess between 500 and 1000 tonnes of mainly mustard gas and the nerve gas sarin. A stolen shell set off in a city "could wreak havoc", Spector warned. He added that a sudden collapse of the regime could make it difficult to establish who controls the CWs.
So-called "retroactive verification" that nothing has been spirited away "will be very difficult, since we do not have a reliable baseline for Syria", says Andreas Persbo, head of VERTIC, a verification research organisation based in London.
Foreign powers should now "negotiate international monitoring and security arrangements" for the CW sites, Spector said, starting by assuring the current guards that they will be rewarded for staying at their posts if the current regime falls. Any new government must renounce CWs, he added, though he admitted the current government acquired them as a deterrent against nuclear-armed Israel, a situation that still exists.
"There is no guarantee that a post-Assad government would accede to the treaty banning CW," agrees Persbo ? especially if it inherits an existing supply.
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Public release date: 26-Jul-2012
Share ] Contact: Tilo Arnhold
presse@ufz.de
49-341-235-1635
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
This press release is available in German.
Leipzig. The carcinogenic harmful substance benzene can seriously impact the soil and ground water following chemical accidents or at old industrial sites. Nevertheless, bacteria exist which can degrade this compound even in the absence of oxygen. Until now it was not clear which organisms take part in this process and how they work together. With modern analytical procedures scientists of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) have succeeded for the first time in tracking the path of this harmful substance through such a bacterial community with proteins. Accordingly, three teams of microbial harmful substance eliminators cooperate, each with its own tasks. In the professional publication ISME Journal, jointly issued by the Nature Publishing Group and the International Society for Microbial Ecology, the researchers say that this method could also help to clarify the complex processes in other bacterial cooperatives.
On the premises of the former Zeitz hydrogenation plant in Saxony-Anhalt traces of chemicals from earlier times are still present. The plant began the extraction of liquid fuels and lubricants from lignite in 1938. When the allied forces bombed and largely destroyed the plant in the final months of the Second World War, large amounts of harmful substances seeped into the ground and into the ground water. Further impacting came during the era of East Germany when Zeitz developed to a centre for the processing of coal and crude oil. In the meantime the old production facilities have been torn down and the required restoration work is continuing under the direction of the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt. However, residual contamination, particularly in the deeper areas, will remain. In the sediment and ground water, above all a group of compounds is found which chemists refer to by the abbreviation BTEX. This stands for the highly volatile aromatic compounds benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene. Particularly benzene can be detected in relevant concentrations.
Benzene a "hot" harmful substance
Benzene is of special significance for the environment, because this compound is carcinogenic and damaging to the central nervous system. Higher concentrations can lead to unconsciousness and respiratory paralysis and can be damaging to health even in low concentrations.
A variety of products from plastics and resins to pesticides and paints derives from benzene. Furthermore, it is also an important component of petrol. Thus, there are many sources of pollution. Benzene can penetrate into the environment as a result of chemical accidents and is also found in the areas surrounding oil refineries and tank storage facilities, petrol stations and well-travelled roads. Consequently, for many years researchers from the UFZ have been investigating the possibilities for the remediation of such impacted areas. This is also of interest for other areas. "In Germany, to be sure, for many years the problems caused by this harmful substance have been declining", says Martin von Bergen, Head of the Proteomics Department at the UFZ. Nevertheless, this in no way applies for other countries, as this expert is aware: "In China, for example, pollution is increasing dramatically". Thus, in November 2005 around 100 tonnes of benzene flowed into the Songhua River, following an accident in a chemical plant. This resulted in a toxic plume 80 kilometres long and reached the city of Harbin, with a population of several million, making the interruption of the supply of drinking water to the city necessary.
Nevertheless, bacteria exist which can degrade such pollution again. Provided that there is a sufficient supply of oxygen, this takes place relatively quickly. However, when the substance seeps into the ground it soon reaches regions with only little oxygen or none at all. "And no one knows exactly what happens there", says Martin von Bergen. It is in fact clear that degradation still takes place, even in the absence of oxygen, as earlier studies at the UFZ in which, above all, scientists of the Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry collaborated, have shown. Biochemists can explain part of this process relatively well. However, the first step of the biological attack against benzene remains a mystery so far. Indeed, until recently researchers had only limited conceptions of the bacteria taking part and their respective tasks.
Search for evidence in the microbial sphere
This has now changed. For the first time the new study, in which scientists of the Departments of Soil Ecology, Environmental Microbiology, Isotope Biogeochemistry and Proteomics collaborated, showed a rather detailed picture of the benzene eliminator community. "This was not a question of identifying every single type taking part", explains Martin von Bergen. This is generally difficult with environmental samples, because many of the types taking part have not yet even been described. Moreover, in the microbial realm "type" is a rather vague concept posing difficulties even for experts.
On the other hand, we can readily differentiate between groups having different functions. "Bacteria are team players", explains Martin von Bergen. Just as there are specialists for management, bookkeeping or production within a company, the degradation of benzene requires the cooperation of microorganisms with different talents. Whether or not one or several types serve to perform a given task is of secondary importance. Important is that the job gets done.
In order to investigate the nature of this division of tasks amongst the microbial benzene fans the researchers took samples of impacted underground water from Zeitz for analysis in the laboratory. There they subjected the proteins of the organisms to a so-called isotopic analysis. This procedure is based on the existence of two different highly stable carbon variants in nature. The lighter and far more frequently occurring of these isotopes is known as 12C and the heavier as 13C. The researchers offered the bacteria benzene molecules in which the heavier version was significantly enriched. They then investigated the extent to which the organisms incorporated this isotope in their proteins. This was determined by analysing fragments of the proteins with a mass spectrometer.
The harmful substance eliminator team
"This investigation provides us with two interesting types of information", explains Martin von Bergen. On the one hand, by comparing with databases we can determine the bacterial groups to which the protein fragments belong. In order to verify these results, the researchers also utilised modern methods to cast a glance into the genetic material of the microbe crew. "In this way, we were able to gain a genetic overview of the members of the bacterial community", says the UFZ researcher.
However, the second result of the isotopic analyses was still more interesting, as these analyses reveal information about the metabolism of the individual organisms. Decisive here is the amount of 13C found in the proteins as a function of time. "Here there are typical patterns, according to the source of nutrition", explains Martin von Bergen. Thus, the researchers succeeded in identifying a group of bacteria in which the 13C content immediately rises and then hardly increases any more. These microbes feed directly on 13C benzene. In a second group, on the other hand, larger concentrations of the isotope in the proteins are found only over a longer period of time. These organisms do not feed directly on the harmful substance itself, but live from its degradation products. Finally, there is also a third group, in which the 13C concentration remains at a low level over the entire time. These are presumably scavengers, which live from the remains of other bacteria.
"We have therefore succeeded in tracking the path of benzene atoms through the entire bacterial community", says Martin von Bergen proudly. The researchers have not only discovered who ingests what in which amounts. They now know more about how the co-operation between the different teams of bacteria functions. Thus, the directly feeding bacteria for the degradation of benzene presumably produce both acetate and hydrogen. However, they must release both substances, as these would otherwise inhibit their metabolism. Here the organisms of the second group, which feed only indirectly on the harmful substance, come to their aid by utilising the acetate as a source of carbon and eliminating the hydrogen.
A new look at sewage sludge and the intestinal tract
"Such co-operations of course not only exist amongst benzene eliminators", says Martin von Bergen. With the aid of their methods he and his colleagues hope to be able to analyse other complex bacterial communities. For example, it would be possible to investigate the co-operation of different microbes in biogas plants or in sewage sludge. An understanding of these processes would make better control of the processes possible in such plants. Such investigations can also furnish new knowledge for medicine. One knows, for example, that thin persons have other microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract than obese persons. In addition, the bacterial flora also appear to influence the immune system. One would like to know more about all of these relationships in order to help people lose weight or reinforce their natural defences, for example.
"Bacterial communities live everywhere, from the flower pot to within the human body", Martin von Bergen sums up. Previously microbiologists investigated above all which organisms occur where. However, now they want to know more about their activities and co-operations. For Martin von Bergen and his colleagues this "functional biodiversity" is a promising subject for future research. These exciting approaches could also play a role within the scope of the new Biodiversity Research Centre of the German Research Foundation (DFG), with the joint participation of the Universities of Leipzig, Halle and Jena and the UFZ.
###
Kerstin Viering
Publication:
Martin Taubert, Carsten Vogt, Tesfaye Wubet, Sabine Kleinsteuber, Mika T. Tarkka, Hauke Harms, Franois Buscot, Hans-Hermann Richnow, Martin von Bergen and Jana Seifert (2012): Protein-SIP enables time-resolved analysis of the carbon flux in a sulfate-reducing, benzene-degrading microbial consortium. The ISME Journal advance online publication, 12 July 2012; doi:10.1038/ismej.2012.68 http://www.nature.com/ismej/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ismej201268a.html
The studies were supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) through the priority program "Biological reactions of hydrocarbons in the absence of oxygen: from molecular to global scale (1319)" program. (http://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/spp1319/)
Further Information:
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ)
Dr. Jana Seifert/ PD Dr. Martin von Bergen, Department of Proteomics
Phone: +49-341-235-1352, -1211
http://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=17612
http://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=17634
Dr. Hans-Hermann Richnow, Department Isotope Biogeochemistry
Phone: +49-341-235-1212
http://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=10650
Prof. Hauke Harms, Department of Environmental Microbiology
Phone: +49-341-235-1260
http://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=1443
Prof. Francois Buscot, Department of Soil Ecology
Phone: +49-345-5585-221
http://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=7005
or via
Tilo Arnhold (UFZ Press Office)
Phone: +49-341-235-1635
www.ufz.de/index.php?en=640
Links:
Protein stable-isotope probing (Protein-SIP) for functional metaproteomics
http://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20157
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Public release date: 26-Jul-2012 Share ] Contact: Tilo Arnhold
presse@ufz.de
49-341-235-1635
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
This press release is available in German.
Leipzig. The carcinogenic harmful substance benzene can seriously impact the soil and ground water following chemical accidents or at old industrial sites. Nevertheless, bacteria exist which can degrade this compound even in the absence of oxygen. Until now it was not clear which organisms take part in this process and how they work together. With modern analytical procedures scientists of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) have succeeded for the first time in tracking the path of this harmful substance through such a bacterial community with proteins. Accordingly, three teams of microbial harmful substance eliminators cooperate, each with its own tasks. In the professional publication ISME Journal, jointly issued by the Nature Publishing Group and the International Society for Microbial Ecology, the researchers say that this method could also help to clarify the complex processes in other bacterial cooperatives.
On the premises of the former Zeitz hydrogenation plant in Saxony-Anhalt traces of chemicals from earlier times are still present. The plant began the extraction of liquid fuels and lubricants from lignite in 1938. When the allied forces bombed and largely destroyed the plant in the final months of the Second World War, large amounts of harmful substances seeped into the ground and into the ground water. Further impacting came during the era of East Germany when Zeitz developed to a centre for the processing of coal and crude oil. In the meantime the old production facilities have been torn down and the required restoration work is continuing under the direction of the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt. However, residual contamination, particularly in the deeper areas, will remain. In the sediment and ground water, above all a group of compounds is found which chemists refer to by the abbreviation BTEX. This stands for the highly volatile aromatic compounds benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene. Particularly benzene can be detected in relevant concentrations.
Benzene a "hot" harmful substance
Benzene is of special significance for the environment, because this compound is carcinogenic and damaging to the central nervous system. Higher concentrations can lead to unconsciousness and respiratory paralysis and can be damaging to health even in low concentrations.
A variety of products from plastics and resins to pesticides and paints derives from benzene. Furthermore, it is also an important component of petrol. Thus, there are many sources of pollution. Benzene can penetrate into the environment as a result of chemical accidents and is also found in the areas surrounding oil refineries and tank storage facilities, petrol stations and well-travelled roads. Consequently, for many years researchers from the UFZ have been investigating the possibilities for the remediation of such impacted areas. This is also of interest for other areas. "In Germany, to be sure, for many years the problems caused by this harmful substance have been declining", says Martin von Bergen, Head of the Proteomics Department at the UFZ. Nevertheless, this in no way applies for other countries, as this expert is aware: "In China, for example, pollution is increasing dramatically". Thus, in November 2005 around 100 tonnes of benzene flowed into the Songhua River, following an accident in a chemical plant. This resulted in a toxic plume 80 kilometres long and reached the city of Harbin, with a population of several million, making the interruption of the supply of drinking water to the city necessary.
Nevertheless, bacteria exist which can degrade such pollution again. Provided that there is a sufficient supply of oxygen, this takes place relatively quickly. However, when the substance seeps into the ground it soon reaches regions with only little oxygen or none at all. "And no one knows exactly what happens there", says Martin von Bergen. It is in fact clear that degradation still takes place, even in the absence of oxygen, as earlier studies at the UFZ in which, above all, scientists of the Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry collaborated, have shown. Biochemists can explain part of this process relatively well. However, the first step of the biological attack against benzene remains a mystery so far. Indeed, until recently researchers had only limited conceptions of the bacteria taking part and their respective tasks.
Search for evidence in the microbial sphere
This has now changed. For the first time the new study, in which scientists of the Departments of Soil Ecology, Environmental Microbiology, Isotope Biogeochemistry and Proteomics collaborated, showed a rather detailed picture of the benzene eliminator community. "This was not a question of identifying every single type taking part", explains Martin von Bergen. This is generally difficult with environmental samples, because many of the types taking part have not yet even been described. Moreover, in the microbial realm "type" is a rather vague concept posing difficulties even for experts.
On the other hand, we can readily differentiate between groups having different functions. "Bacteria are team players", explains Martin von Bergen. Just as there are specialists for management, bookkeeping or production within a company, the degradation of benzene requires the cooperation of microorganisms with different talents. Whether or not one or several types serve to perform a given task is of secondary importance. Important is that the job gets done.
In order to investigate the nature of this division of tasks amongst the microbial benzene fans the researchers took samples of impacted underground water from Zeitz for analysis in the laboratory. There they subjected the proteins of the organisms to a so-called isotopic analysis. This procedure is based on the existence of two different highly stable carbon variants in nature. The lighter and far more frequently occurring of these isotopes is known as 12C and the heavier as 13C. The researchers offered the bacteria benzene molecules in which the heavier version was significantly enriched. They then investigated the extent to which the organisms incorporated this isotope in their proteins. This was determined by analysing fragments of the proteins with a mass spectrometer.
The harmful substance eliminator team
"This investigation provides us with two interesting types of information", explains Martin von Bergen. On the one hand, by comparing with databases we can determine the bacterial groups to which the protein fragments belong. In order to verify these results, the researchers also utilised modern methods to cast a glance into the genetic material of the microbe crew. "In this way, we were able to gain a genetic overview of the members of the bacterial community", says the UFZ researcher.
However, the second result of the isotopic analyses was still more interesting, as these analyses reveal information about the metabolism of the individual organisms. Decisive here is the amount of 13C found in the proteins as a function of time. "Here there are typical patterns, according to the source of nutrition", explains Martin von Bergen. Thus, the researchers succeeded in identifying a group of bacteria in which the 13C content immediately rises and then hardly increases any more. These microbes feed directly on 13C benzene. In a second group, on the other hand, larger concentrations of the isotope in the proteins are found only over a longer period of time. These organisms do not feed directly on the harmful substance itself, but live from its degradation products. Finally, there is also a third group, in which the 13C concentration remains at a low level over the entire time. These are presumably scavengers, which live from the remains of other bacteria.
"We have therefore succeeded in tracking the path of benzene atoms through the entire bacterial community", says Martin von Bergen proudly. The researchers have not only discovered who ingests what in which amounts. They now know more about how the co-operation between the different teams of bacteria functions. Thus, the directly feeding bacteria for the degradation of benzene presumably produce both acetate and hydrogen. However, they must release both substances, as these would otherwise inhibit their metabolism. Here the organisms of the second group, which feed only indirectly on the harmful substance, come to their aid by utilising the acetate as a source of carbon and eliminating the hydrogen.
A new look at sewage sludge and the intestinal tract
"Such co-operations of course not only exist amongst benzene eliminators", says Martin von Bergen. With the aid of their methods he and his colleagues hope to be able to analyse other complex bacterial communities. For example, it would be possible to investigate the co-operation of different microbes in biogas plants or in sewage sludge. An understanding of these processes would make better control of the processes possible in such plants. Such investigations can also furnish new knowledge for medicine. One knows, for example, that thin persons have other microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract than obese persons. In addition, the bacterial flora also appear to influence the immune system. One would like to know more about all of these relationships in order to help people lose weight or reinforce their natural defences, for example.
"Bacterial communities live everywhere, from the flower pot to within the human body", Martin von Bergen sums up. Previously microbiologists investigated above all which organisms occur where. However, now they want to know more about their activities and co-operations. For Martin von Bergen and his colleagues this "functional biodiversity" is a promising subject for future research. These exciting approaches could also play a role within the scope of the new Biodiversity Research Centre of the German Research Foundation (DFG), with the joint participation of the Universities of Leipzig, Halle and Jena and the UFZ.
###
Kerstin Viering
Publication:
Martin Taubert, Carsten Vogt, Tesfaye Wubet, Sabine Kleinsteuber, Mika T. Tarkka, Hauke Harms, Franois Buscot, Hans-Hermann Richnow, Martin von Bergen and Jana Seifert (2012): Protein-SIP enables time-resolved analysis of the carbon flux in a sulfate-reducing, benzene-degrading microbial consortium. The ISME Journal advance online publication, 12 July 2012; doi:10.1038/ismej.2012.68 http://www.nature.com/ismej/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ismej201268a.html
The studies were supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) through the priority program "Biological reactions of hydrocarbons in the absence of oxygen: from molecular to global scale (1319)" program. (http://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/spp1319/)
Further Information:
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ)
Dr. Jana Seifert/ PD Dr. Martin von Bergen, Department of Proteomics
Phone: +49-341-235-1352, -1211
http://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=17612
http://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=17634
Dr. Hans-Hermann Richnow, Department Isotope Biogeochemistry
Phone: +49-341-235-1212
http://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=10650
Prof. Hauke Harms, Department of Environmental Microbiology
Phone: +49-341-235-1260
http://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=1443
Prof. Francois Buscot, Department of Soil Ecology
Phone: +49-345-5585-221
http://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=7005
or via
Tilo Arnhold (UFZ Press Office)
Phone: +49-341-235-1635
www.ufz.de/index.php?en=640
Links:
Protein stable-isotope probing (Protein-SIP) for functional metaproteomics
http://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20157
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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-07/haog-tab072612.php
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