Rhode Island Adds Requirements for Remote Retailers
Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo has signed the 2017-18 fiscal year budget bill, which makes various changes to the sales and use tax laws. Specifically, the legislation affects certain out-of-state retailers using in-state software, the taxation of seeds and plants used to grow food and food ingredients, tax exempt certificates, a taxpayer’s sale of assets, criminal penalties, and remote data manipulation.Out-of-State Retailers Using In-State SoftwareThe legislation states that the existence and/or presence of certain out-of-state retailer’s, referrer’s, and facilitator’s in-state software on the devices of in-state customers constitutes physical presence (and thus creates nexus) under Quill Corp. v. North Dakota, 504 U.S. 298 (1992). As a result, new requirements are established for the retailers, referrers, and facilitators that in the immediately preceding calendar year either:had gross revenue from the sale of tangible personal property, prewritten computer software delivered electronically or by load and leave, and/or taxable services delivered into Rhode Island of at least $100,000; orsold tangible personal property, prewritten computer software delivered electronically or by load and leave, and/or taxable services for delivery into Rhode Island in 200 or more separate transactions.“In-state software” is defined as software used by in-state customers on their computers, smartphones, and other electronic and/or communication devices (including information or software such as cached files, cached software, “cookies,” or other data tracking tools) that are stored on property in Rhode Island or distributed in the state for the purpose of purchasing tangible personal property, prewritten computer software delivered electronically or by load and leave, and/or taxable services.Under the new requirements, certain out-of-state retailers must either:register in Rhode Island for a retail sales permit and collect/remit sales and use tax on all taxable sales into the state, orcomply with various notice and reporting requirements.In addition, notice requirements are also created for certain referrers that receive more than $10,000 from fees, commissions, and/or other compensation paid from retailers for listing and/or advertising for sales of tangible personal property, prewritten computer software delivered electronically or by load and leave, and/or taxable services. Furthermore, certain retail sale facilitators must submit annual reports to the Rhode Island Division of Taxation concerning the retailers they did business with during the previous year.Exemptions exist for referrers and retail sale facilitators that provided eithera copy of the retailer’s Rhode Island sales tax permit or its resale certificate, orevidence of a fully completed Rhode Island or Streamlined agreement sales and use tax exemption certificate.Failure to comply with any of the new requirements will result in a penalty of $10 for each failure, but not less than a total penalty of $10,000 per calendar year. Each instance of failure to comply will constitute a separate violation for purposes of calculating the penalty. The penalty is also in addition to any other applicable penalties allowed by law.Seeds and PlantsGross receipts from the sale, storage, use or other consumption in Rhode Island of seeds and plants used to grow food and food ingredients (not including marijuana seeds or plants) is exempt from sales tax. The definition of “food and food ingredients” is also amended to include “seeds and plants used to grow food and food ingredients” and exclude “marijuana seeds or plants.”Certificates of ExemptionThe legislation clarifies that the $25 fee that must be paid by organizations applying for a certificate of exemption from the Rhode Island sales and use tax applies to charitable, educational, and religious organizations. In addition, the legislation states that certificates of exemption will be valid for four years from the date of issue. All certificates issued prior to July 1, 2017, will expire July 1, 2021.Sale of AssetsThe asset transfer or sale notice requirements are revised to:exempt debtors in possession in bankruptcy;specify that the notice must come in the form of a request for a letter of good standing from the Rhode Island Tax Division; andforce taxpayers to file any and all sales tax returns when the notice is provided.Criminal PenaltiesThe sales and use tax criminal penalties for noncompliance are increased to $25,000 and/or five years of imprisonment (previously $10,000 and/or one year of imprisonment), and made applicable to the willful failure to remit any tax to the state that was collected from a customer.Remote Data ManipulationA person may not knowingly suppress sales by engaging in remote data manipulation, either as the sender or the receiver of the information. “Remote data manipulation” means and includes, but is not limited to, sending, transmitting, transporting, or receiving through any electronic means any and all transaction data to a remote location, whether or not that location is in Rhode Island or outside the state or the United States, for the purpose of manipulating and/or altering the data in any way, whether or not the actual manipulation is performed manually or through automated means.Any person who violates is provision will be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, subject to a fine of up to $50,000 and/or five years of imprisonment. In addition, a person who violates this provision will be liable to the state forall taxes, interest, and penalties due as the result of the person’s remote data manipulation; andall profits associated with the person’s remote data manipulation.Ch. 302 ( H.B. 5175), Laws 2017, effective July 1, 2017Login to read more tax news on CCH® AnswerConnect or CCH® Intelliconnect®.Not a subscriber? Sign up for a free trial or contact us for a representative.
Lodging marketplaces that provide a platform for short-term rentals must register with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue for a license to collect sales and use taxes. This applies to taxes imposed by the state on short-term rentals and also to local room taxes.In addition to applying for the license, a lodging marketplace doing business in Wisconsin has to:register for a seller’s permit;contact each Wisconsin municipality where it makes short-term rentals to see if additional registration is required;collect state sales and use taxes from the occupant and forward them to the department;collect local room taxes from the occupant and forward them to the municipality; andnotify the short-term rental owner that the taxes have been collected and forwarded.The department’s notice is available at https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/TaxPro/news-home.aspx.News for Tax Professionals, Wisconsin Department of Revenue, November 3, 2017Login to read more tax news on CCH® AnswerConnect or CCH® Intelliconnect®.Not a subscriber? Sign up for a free trial or contact us for a representative.
A Maryland bill proposes changing the state’s standard corporate income tax apportionment formula to a single-sales factor formula. The bill has been introduced in the Maryland Senate.If enacted, the new standard apportionment formula would apply to tax years beginning after 2017.Current Three-Factor FormulaThe current standard formula is a three-factor formula (sales, property, and payroll), with a double-weighted sales factor.S.B. 1090, as introduced in the Maryland Senate on February 12, 2018Login to read more tax news on CCH® AnswerConnect or CCH® Intelliconnect®.Not a subscriber? Sign up for a free trial or contact us for a representative.
Philly, get to know Brianna Cash. This Philly-based singer/songwriter has been generating plenty of buzz in the local music scene. So, it’s definitely time for her to shine on the Philly 360° playlist. Cash just released her EP The Journey After June to much acclaim from music makers and fans alike. This week, we’re spotlighting her single, “Kisses in the Rain.” The heavy, warm, guitar-driven track automatically makes you reminisce about summertime in the city. Cash’s raspy voice sings of the complexity of love—when you’re all in but the other person doesn’t quite get it. The production on the track is light and leaves plenty of space to get into the lyrics and the song’s laid back vibe. Also, who isn’t a sucker for a well-played guitar solo? The Journey After June was written, composed and produced by Cash. When explaining her relationship with the music from the EP, Cash explains “Each song has gotten me through a lot in my life, and I feel like they can help others as well. I love to share good music.” As a young artist, Cash already has a distinctive sound that sets her apart from others. Originally from Philadelphia, this up-and-coming singer/songwriter been working hard on the the locallive scene circuit—performing with recognizable Philly talent like Chill Moody, GoGo Morrow and Roc Nation’s Bridget Kelly. Also, just last week, Starr Island Group announced Brianna Cash as one of the performers for next week’s The Winner Circle II music showcase at Underground Arts, along with MPrynt, Jeremy Isaac & Hangover and Good Girl. At just 21, Brianna Cash has a voice and musical sensibility that are well beyond her age, yet her music remains fresh, current and relatable to today’s audiences. She’s definitey the epitome of Philly music, and the perfect representation of the heartfelt sound that has always come from our town. Make sure you catch Brianna Cash at her upcoming show and download The Journey After June now. You’ll definitely be pleased. Brianna Cash – Journey After June(Courtesy of Brianna Cash)
Heading into our fifth installment of the “What’s Good in My ‘Hood” series, we’ll like to introduce you to one of Philly’s most beloved neighborhoods, Graduate Hospital. A part of Southwest Center City, “G Ho”, as it’s affectionately called, was named after the medical facility on the northern tip of the neighborhood. Characterized by a mix of an old meets new vibe in its architecture, the neighborhood is littered with many pubs, small parks, shops and galleries. It’s easily walkable and just steps from Rittenhouse, Fitler Square and Point Breeze neighborhoods. So, we asked Philadelphia resident, graphic artist and photographer, Darnell Lamont, what he thinks of his ‘hood. Philly 360° Q&A with Graduate Hospital resident Darnell Lamont …Powered by Cincopa 
A $30 million building for the MU Sinclair School of Nursing has been approved by the UM System Board of Curators on Thursday.According to the University, the current building will be replaced with a new facility to focus on increasing enrollment in the school by 2020.About $12 million will come from the nursing school’s reserves. The rest of the money will come from private gifts, land sales at Sinclair Farm, and MU Health Care Contributions.(This story was last updated at 5:47 a.m. Friday.)
I’ve worked for a number of startups. Was “Marketing Director/Office Manager/HR” (lot of slashes in small business) for a software startup; a great experience but certainly fewer resources (compared to what I have now) to turn to for help. Still, doing so many different things, every day, was one of the best aspects of working for a small business. With Intel RPAT, a small business (using Intel vPro Technology-based PCs) having PC problems can enter a keystroke sequence on a failed computer and directly connect the failed PC to their Managed Service Provider (MSP) or IT Helpdesk, such as AT&T Tech Support 360 technicians, even when the PCs has had a hardware or OS failure, or has been corrupted by a virus or malware. That means support for a whole new class of tech problems, and I’m talking about the nasty ones that get down deep into the PC: BIOS issues, damaged internet connections, system password resets and the toughest viruses and malware to name a few. Best aspects of working at Intel? Near the top: Intel tech support. If my PC has a problem I can’t solve myself, I call somebody and it’s fixed. In minutes. Day or night, 365 days a year, from anywhere in the world. I hit speed dial and someone from somewhere is answering my questions or remotely controlling and repairing my PC. I’d give up my dental plan before I’d give up this little perk. I didn’t have that luxury during my startup days, but a new announcement from AT&T and Intel should bring that kind of support to more small businesses than ever before. Last fall, AT&T launched a service called AT&T Tech Support 360SM– remote 24/7 support including setup, configuration, troubleshooting and performance optimization for PCs, networks and more. They obviously addressed a need, as over 100,000 small and medium business customers have signed up. Now they’ve announced support for Intel® vPro™ Technology (starting first half of 2010) including the Intel® Remote PC Assist Technology (Intel® RPAT) feature. 
I’m excited to be part of a solution that enables my small business customers and friends to experience the kind of PC tech support I enjoy in my 80,000+ person company – hopefully it means you can remove one of the “slashes” from your daily tasks. Check out the AT&T and Intel press release for more information, or comment here with any questions I can help answer. Product Discontinuation Notice:All,Due to market response, Intel Corporation (“Intel”) has decided to discontinue Intel® Remote PC Assist Technology (Intel® RPAT). As a consequence, Intel® Remote PC Assist Service and associated marketing activities will wind down and eventually cease in October, 2010.Intel remains committed to the needs of its customers; as we move forward, we will use this site to share with you alternate technologies that harness the out-of-band communication capability of Intel® vPro™ technology and extend the performance, value and capabilities of Intel® Architecture.Please submit RPAT related questions to RPAT_Support@intel.comYou can find this article posted here.Regards,Corey
Managing the Changing IT Landscape: Creating Data Scientists The men’s college basketball tournament is a wild ride from start to finish—a notoriously unpredictable contest. I’m especially excited this year to watch the outcome because there’s money riding on it. Not a bet, but a cash prize for the best analytics model accurately predicting the winning teams during the tournament. I’m not referring to Warren Buffet’s prizeOpens in a new window either, but rather to March Machine Learning ManiaOpens in a new window, a competition sponsored by Intel on the Kaggle* platformOpens in a new window with a $15K award. A previous blog describes the predictive analytics competition in more detail. Unlike other bracket prediction contests or office pools that reward an individual’s predictions (dare I say guesses) for the outcome of the actual tournament, the March Machine Learning Mania contest focuses on creating the best analytics model that most accurately predicts the outcome of the tournament, regardless of who is playing. The goal here is to put science and technology behind the predictions to help make those guesses more accurate in the future. Cutting-edge data scienceI’m intrigued by Kaggle, a global community of data scientists that solves data problems in a competitive framework. Predictive analytics is by definition an inexact science. Based on the idea that there are multiple ways to develop a predictive model, Kaggle uses crowdsourcing and gamification to inspire “players” to work on specific problems. Scored and ranked throughout the competition, players have the opportunity to continuously improve their models. Ultimately the most effective one is developed by the winning player. Various levels of reward serve as incentives. Back in 2012, Harvard Business Review* magazine called the data scientist the sexiest job of the twenty-first centuryOpens in a new window. As companies seek to implement predictive analytics and big data solutions across their business, IT organizations are finding that there is a skill set shortage for data scientistsOpens in a new window. Competitions like March Machine Learning Mania serve to stimulate these skills, which will be critical for future business applications. The Kaggle draws community members from more than 100 countries and 200 universities who hone their skills playing in sponsored competitions. They are computer scientists, statisticians, data scientists, mathematicians, and physicists. Newbies are ranked by Kaggle as novices (just getting started with competitions). The widest group is classified as “Kagglers” (active competition participants). Top players achieve the rank of Masters by consistently providing stellar competition results. Like a top-ranking basketball player, these guys have skills.Kaggle offers companies a way to solve problems with analytics, especially organizations without in-house data science resources. But large companies are using the Kaggle platform to solve business problems as well. For example, Allstate is currently running the Purchase Prediction ChallengeOpens in a new window, and Walmart is running a Store Sales ForecastingOpens in a new window competition as a recruitment tool for filling its data scientist positions. Predictive analytics meets men’s basketballI’m excited about how the March Machine Learning Mania competition will turn out and what the results can tell us about the Kaggle platform as a model for effective IT-based data analytics for business. Here’s what we know so far: As of March 15, the last day to submit for the first stage of the March Machine Mania competition, Kaggle had received 1,866 submissions. Some 255 teams with 342 players developed analytics models to predict the NCAA tournament outcome based on historical data from the last five tournaments. A dynamic leaderboard ranking listed the final top 10 teams based on how effectively the submissions predict historical tournament outcomes. Congratulations to these awesome teams!The second half of the gameThis week kicked off the second stage of the competition—using the models to predict the outcome for the 2014 tournament. The solution file from the first stage plus data for the regular 2014 season results were provided to players to refine their submissions. New entries (not in the first-stage competition) were also allowed. Kaggle accepted entries from March 17 to March 19. Teams will be ranked against the tournament results as it progresses. I expect to see the leaderboards change as winning teams progress through the brackets. Tune into the Big Data DanceThis year, the NCAA tournament is more than fast plays, surprising upsets, and Cinderella teams. It’s a chance to see data analytics in action. While you’re watching the real games during the “Big Dance,” I’ll be right there with you, watching Kaggle’s “Big Data Dance” to see how predictive analytics play out on the basketball court. What’s your take on crowdsourcing big data analytics? I welcome your comments along with more intuitive predictions on the NCAA tournament.Chris Find Chris on LinkedIn.Start a conversation with Chris on Twitter.See previous content from Chris.#ITCenter #PredictiveAnalytics
Managing Internet of Things Data on the Edge and in the Cloud with Intel and IBM Informix* Solutions – Session 6140A (10-11am, Oct. 28, Banyan F). IBM’s Kevin Brown and Preston Walters, who leads Intel’s technical enablement and co-marketing of IBM software products on Intel technology, describe the challenges of Internet of Things and Internet of Everything requirements, and how data architecture and technologies from Intel and IBM are responding to these challenges in both edge devices and cloud infrastructure. TPC-DI: An Industry Standard Benchmark for Data Integration – 5193A (10-11am, Oct 28, Jasmine G). Along with IBM software engineers Ron Liu and Sam Wong, Jantz Tran returns to introduce TPC-DI, a new industry standard for measuring and comparing the performance of data integration (DI) or ETL systems. They will discuss early observations from running TPC-DI with IBM Infosphere Datastage* on the latest generation Intel Xeon systems, and provide best practice optimization recommendations for Datastage deployments. Ideas for Implementing Big Data on Intel Architecture – Session 7188A (2-2:20pm, Oct. 27, Solution Expo Theater). In this session, Jim Fister, lead strategist and director of business development for Intel’s Data Center Group, will discuss the opportunity for data analytics, the case for driving analytics ahead of schedule, and options for implementing your solutions using Intel Architecture and IBM software. IBM Big SQL: Accelerating SQL and Big Data Performance on Intel Architecture – Session 5191A (10:15-11:15am, Oct 27, Jasmine G). Jantz Tran, an Intel Software Performance Engineer, and IBM’s Simon Harris, provide an overview of IBM Big SQL* and describe the breakthrough performance it delivers when run on Intel Xeon servers and platform products. Intel and IBM Software: A Long History – Session 7189A (2-2:20pm, Oct. 28, Solution Expo Theater). In this session, Jim Fister will cover the history of Intel and IBM’s relationship, along with a discussion of performance enhancements for IBM OLTP and data analytics software using the latest Intel platforms. Using IBM Bluemix* and IBM SoftLayer* to Run IBM InfoSphere Information Server* on an Intel® Technology-Powered Cloud – Session 5198A (10-11am, Oct. 30. Jasmine E). In this session, Jantz Tran, with IBM’s Beate Porst and Sam Wong, explain how IBM InfoSphere Information Server* works in the cloud and provides data for scaling performance. They also discuss bare metal and virtualization options available with IBM SoftLayer.At IBM Insights, Intel will be sharing a booth with our friends at Lenovo. Stop by to say hello and check out the latest Lenovo tablets, which rate highly in performance and security in the recent report Do More, Faster with IBM Cognos* Business Intelligence. Download the report to learn how tablets and servers based on Intel processors provide unparalleled improvements to speed and capabilities for IBM Cognos BI workloads.Follow me at @TimIntel and watch for my Vine videos and man-on-the-street commentary and impressions from IBM Insights. Follow @IntelITCenter to join the dialogue with Intel IT experts, and follow @IntelSoftware to engage with Intel’s software community. See you in Las Vegas! IBM’s long-time Information on Demand conference has changed its name, and its focus. Big Blue’s major fall conference is now called IBM Insight, and it will take over Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas from Oct. 26 to 30. The name change reflects a key shift in the tech industry: Beyond managing vast amounts of information—increasingly, technology’s role is to extract value and insights from a vast range of information sources. It’s our job to create actionable information to help businesses succeed and gain a competitive advantage in a highly competitive marketplace. Intel and IBM have worked together for over 20 years to help their customers achieve precisely that. Joint engineering built into IBM and Intel solutions, such as IBM DB2 with BLU Acceleration* optimized for Intel® Xeon® processors, deliver dramatic performance gains that can transform big data into vital business insights more quickly, all while lowering costs and power consumption.The other word that describes IBM Insights is “big.” Not only is the focus big data, but the event itself is huge. With over 13,000 attendees, and over 700 sessions and keynotes, IBM Insight is the largest big data conference in the world. I’m looking forward to catching up with the latest perspectives and emerging technologies in the fast-evolving world of data analytics. Be sure not to miss the following sessions, where you’ll discover the newest advances in data management and analytics from Intel and IBM (all events are in the Mandalay Bay South Convention Center). Optimizing Mixed Workloads and High Availability with IBM DB2 10.5 on an Intel® Architecture – Session 5141A (3-4pm. Oct. 28, Banyan F). In this session, Kshitij Doshi, a principal engineer in Intel’s Software and Services Group, and Jessica Rockwood, an IBM senior manager for DB2 performance, provide an overview of the latest Intel® Xeon® E5-2600 V3 series processor architecture and its benefits for transaction processing workloads with IBM DB2 10.5 with BLU Acceleration. Goodbye Smart; Hello Smarter: Enabling the Internet of Things for Connected Environments – Session 6402A (11:15am-12:15pm, Oct. 29, Banyan F). Intel’s Preston Walters, with Oliver Goh, CEO of Shaspa GmpH, discuss how Intel, Shaspa and IBM provide intelligent solutions for connected environments that enable local analytics and decision-making to improve business and consumer services. Attend this session to see a demo of the Internet of Things in action.
In my last insight into the Intel IT Business Review I am looking at the impact of one of the BIGGEST trends in business IT, Big Data or as I prefer to use, Analytics.In an age when organizations such as Intel are rich in data, finding value in this data lies in the ability to analyze it and derive actionable business intelligence (BI). Intel IT continues to invest in tools that can transform data into insights to solve high-value business problems. We have seen significant BI results from our investments in a number of areas.For example, Intel IT have developed a recommendation engine to help Intel sales teams strategically focus their sales efforts to deliver greater revenue. This engine uses predictive algorithms and real-time data analysis to prioritize sales engagements with resellers that show the greatest potential for high-volume sales. We saw USD 76.2 million in revenue uplift for 2014 through the use of this capability.Integrating multiple data sources has enabled Intel to use its decision support system to significantly impact revenue and margins by optimizing supply, demand, and pricing decisions. This work resulted in revenue optimization of USD 264 million for 2014.And the big data platform for web analytics is yielding insights that enable more focused and effective marketing campaigns, which, in turn, increase customer engagement and sales.The exploration and implementation of Assembly Test Manufacturing (ATM) cost reduction initiatives involve complex algorithms and strong computation capabilities due to the high volume and velocity of data that must be processed quickly. The ATM data sets–containing up to billions of rows–cannot be effectively processed with traditional SQL platforms. To address this gap, IT have implemented a reusable big data analytics correlation engine. This tool will support various high-value projects. The estimated value for the first of these projects, a pilot project for one of Intel’s future processors, is greater than USD 13 million.Intel IT are exploring additional use cases for data collection and analytics across Intel’s manufacturing, supply chain, marketing, and other operations to improve Intel’s operational efficiency, market reach, and business results. In 2014 alone, Intel IT’s use of BI and analytics tools increased Intel revenue by USD 351 million.To read the Intel IT Business Review in full go to www.intel.com/ITAnnualReport
US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently announced a massive data breach, containing very personal and private data of government and military personnel. The stolen data was originally gathered to process security clearances and contains a plethora of background information, including criminal records, mental conditions, drug usage, veteran status, birthdates, social security numbers, pay histories and pension figures, insurance data, financial records, home addresses, contacts, and other profile data. Millions of records in total were stolen, for current and previous government workers, contractors, and partners. Investigators concluded the attack was conducted by another nation state. This leads to the question of why would another nation launch such an attack and how will they use such personal information to their advantage? The answers might be shocking.Unlike cybercriminals, who would be interested in opening lines of credit, filing fictions tax refunds, creating false identities, siphoning financial assets, and fraudulently charging on accounts, nation states have different motivations which drive their actions. Nation states are interested in influencing policies in their favor across the globe, boosting national economic strength, military power projection, enhancing intelligence gathering capabilities, and protecting themselves from foreign attempts to do the same against them.For centuries, one of the best ways to accomplish these goals has been by influencing, manipulating, or outright controlling important people in other countries. Employing tactics to achieve such lofty goals requires two things. First, key foreigners with the necessary power or access must be identified. Secondly, the means to best influence them must be determined. History has shown that with both pieces to the puzzle, governments can maneuver in advantageous ways to achieve nothing short of world change. Many nations have elaborate infrastructures and organizations dedicated to these goals. They use a variety of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), Human Intelligence (HUMINT), and Cyber Intelligence (CYBINT) methods to gather insights and data. Nowadays, OSINT is very effective and with the meteoric rise in social media sharing and personal applications, has become a highly productive tool at providing personal details of a populace. However, the deepest secrets and most private information is still difficult to come by. CYBINT can fill the gaps and provide the hard to come by intelligence and personal connections which are highly valuable for these campaigns. Profile IntelligenceWith the wealth of personal data fleeced from OPM, an attacker can begin building a database of interlocking profiles. The result is a network showing people, connections, access, knowledge, and spheres of influence. This information will be blended with any other high confidence data, garnered from other sources, to paint a better picture of individuals who may be of interest. They will likely be looking for those who are active in local and national politics, drive or enforce inter-agency government policies, leaders and technical advisors to the military, those who possess influence in the decisions of others, have internal access to valuable data, are part of the offensive/defensive intelligence apparatus, and people who have earned the trust of those in power.These people become targets of focus and opportunity for various types of influencing tactics, including bribery, blackmail, marketing, facilitation of revenge, social pressure, ethical conundrums, retribution of justice, and demonstrations of patriotism. Professional manipulators can be very creative in how to position and push people in certain directions.Methods of InfluenceThese profiles are also intended to give insights to how people can be motivated and controlled. Building a collective social picture can show how key individuals are influenced. It may highlight the respected close community around a target who offer advice and guidance. Past indiscretions can provide an understanding of how someone is vulnerable to situations involving drugs, money, sex, ideology, or fame. This can be exactly what is needed by manipulators. Personal and private information can be embarrassing or give the necessary signs of weakness. Some people can be blackmailed, threatened, tricked, cheated, bribed, or flipped to provide information, access, or facilitate the influence of others. A cascade effect can take place as people are linked. In rare cases, some assets may be groomed to become direct action operatives, where the risks, impacts, and rewards can be much higher. Achieving success is no easy task for nation state orchestrators. Private information is a highly prized chip in this game. The more sensitive, revealing, and humiliating the data, the more valuable it is to those who plan to use it as leverage for their benefit.Beyond the targeting of individuals, such data can be valuable in other ways. To disrupt the operational effectiveness of an organization, key personnel can be affected with campaigns to publicly embarrass or undermine renewals for top clearances therefore causing gaps or delays in the work of important positions. This can also provide advancement avenues for others who may be more conducive to support the attacker’s objectives.Compromising computer systems becomes much easier. In the cybersecurity realm, private information and a list of known contacts makes phishing attacks near impossible to defend against. Emails, texts, attachments, and files can appear to be sent from friends, family, coworkers, academia, and professional colleagues with no good way for the average person to discern the difference between legitimate and malicious, until it is too late. These phishing attacks can bypass system defenses and allow hackers to gain access to computers, networks, databases, and cloud environments. Follow-on attacks in this manner should be expected, both at home and work. Infecting and controlling devices of people with security clearances is an opportunity not likely passed-up by nation state attackers.The data itself has value and can be sold, traded, or given to a variety of other groups. Terrorists, allies, political rivals, in-country revolutionaries, radicals, or other nation state intelligence agencies would be likely interested parties. There are national economic advantages as well. Discretely providing profile data to state-owned companies can greatly improve their business negotiations, bidding, pricing, employee recruiting activities, and overall competiveness abroad. This can boost domestic economies while undermining foreign positions. Politically, in a bit of irony, such attacks may also drive the desire of attacked nations to establish international accords governing global cybersecurity practices with their attackers. In essence, hacking can motivate governments to come to the negotiation table and put them at a disadvantage in the agreement of terms. With the loss of millions of highly personal records, the outlook is not a pretty picture. Time will tell which of these tactics will be employed by those who took OPM data. But keep in mind such spycraft has been around for thousands of years. The intents and purposes are not new, just the scale, tactics, and tools have changed to include the information rich world of cyber. My heart goes out to those whose data was part of the recent breach, their families, friends, and associates. In a very personal way, they are all now part of a larger geopolitical game. Take all necessary precautions to protect your name, reputation, finances, history, and honor. Although the attack cannot be undone, governments around the world can learn from these situations and institute better controls, data policies, and political responses to protect future generations.
The enablement of choice and flexibility, the optimization of the underlying Intel architecture based infrastructure, and the delivery of easy to deploy solutions to market will help secure broad adoption.So where are we with optimization of SDI stacks for underlying infrastructure? The good news is, we’ve made great progress with the industry on intelligent orchestration. In my talk today, I shared a few examples of industry progress.I walked the audience through one example with Apache Mesos detailing how hyper-scale orchestration is achieved through a dual level scheduler, and how frameworks can be built to handle complex use cases like even storage orchestration. I also demonstrated a new technology for Mesos Oversubscription that we’re calling Serenity that helps drive maximum infrastructure utilization. This has been a partnership with MesoSphere and Intel engineers in the community to help lower the TCO of data centers; something I care a lot about…. Real business results with technology.I also shared how infrastructure telemetry and infrastructure analytics can deliver improved stack management. I shared an example of a power & thermal aware orchestration scheduler that has helped Baidu net a data center PUE of 1.21 with 24% of potential cooling energy savings. Security is also a significant focus, and I walked through an approach of using Intel VT technology to improve container security isolation. In fact, CoreOS announced today that its rkt 0.8 release has been optimized for Intel VT using the approach outlined in my talk, and we expect more work with the container industry towards delivery of like security capabilities present only in traditional hypervisor based environments.But what about data center application optimization for SDI? For that focus, I ended my talk with the announcement of the first Cloud for All Challenge, a competition for infrastructure SW application developers to rewrite for cloud native environments. I’m excited to see developer response to our challenge simply because the opportunity is ripe for introduction of cloud native applications to the enterprise using container orchestration, and Intel wants to help accelerate the software industry towards delivery of cloud native solutions. If you’re an app developer, I encourage you to engage in this Challenge! The winning team will receive $5,000 of cold, hard cash and bragging rights at being at the forefront of your field. Simply contact cloudforall@intel.com for information, and please see the preliminary entry form. Earlier this summer, Intel announced our Cloud for All initiative signaling a deepening engagement with the cloud software industry on SDI delivery for mainstream data centers. Today at IDF2015, I had my first opportunity post the announcement, to discuss why Cloud for All is such a critical focus for Intel, for the cloud industry, and for the enterprises and service providers that will benefit from enterprise feature rich cloud solutions. Delivering the agility and efficiency found today in the world’s largest data centers to broad enterprise and provider environments has the opportunity to transform the availability and economics of computing and reframe the role of technology in the way we do business and live our lives.Why this focus? Building a hyperscale data center from the ground up to power applications written specifically for cloud is a very different challenge than migrating workloads designed for traditional infrastructure to a cloud environment. In order to move traditional enterprise workloads to the cloud, either an app must be rewritten for native cloud optimization or the SDI stack must be optimized to support enterprise workload requirements. This means supporting things like live workload migration, rolling software upgrades, and failover. Intel’s vision for pervasive cloud embraces both approaches, and while we expect applications to be optimized as cloud native over time, near term cloud adoption in the enterprise is hinged upon SDI stack optimization for support of both traditional applications and cloud native applications.How does this influence our approach of industry engagement in Cloud for All? It means that we need to enable a wide range of potential usage models while being pragmatic that a wide range of infrastructure solutions exists across the world today. While many are still running traditional infrastructure without self-service, there is a growing trend towards enabling self-service on existing and new SDI infrastructure through solutions like OpenStack, providing the well-known “give me a server” or “give me storage” capabilities… Cloud Type A – server focused. Meanwhile SW developers over the last year have grown very fond of containers and are thinking not in terms of servers, but instead in terms of app containers and connections… a Cloud Type B – process focused. If we look out into the future, we could assume that many new data centers will be built with this as the foundation, and will provide a portion of the capacity out to traditional apps. Convergence of usage models while bringing the infrastructure solutions forward.
Discussions of genome sequencing often focus on human genomes and precision medicine. But genomic information about the plant and animal worlds is equally crucial. On a fragile planet, our ability to study genomes across the tree of life is critical to preserving biodiversity. Knowledge of plant and animal genomes can also help us manage climate change, feed a growing population, and mitigate the impact of newly emergent diseases. It can lead to breakthroughs in drug discovery, food safety, and more.Reflecting the importance of plant and animal genomics, the Smithsonian Institution has established a new Institute for Biodiversity Genomics to focus on genomic studies that can help humans understand and preserve the diversity of life on earth. To run their genomic assemblies and analysis, the institute’s researchers used the Smithsonian Institution’s shared HPC cluster, a massive system with multiple generations of processors and networked storage. But, as is often the case with such systems, there were problems. Genome assemblies often took weeks to complete. Some large assemblies failed to run to completion, causing frustration for scientists and slowing the research pipeline. With the clock ticking on species extinction, leaders at the Smithsonian Institute for Biodiversity Genomics set out to see what impact Intel’s latest data center technologies could provide for their genomics workloads. They worked with Intel technologists to evaluate the performance of the Intel® Xeon® processor E7-8890 v3 using dedicated Intel® Solid-State Drive (Intel® SSD) Data Center (DC) Family for PCIe P3700 series.We recently worked with Dr. Rebecca Dikow of the Smithsonian Institute for Biodiversity Genomics to create a white paper describing the results of this collaboration. This paper discusses the open-source technologies used in the institute’s genomics workflows, and describes the dramatic speedups produced by the new technologies. It also shares insights about what these performance improvements will mean for scientists like Dr. Dikow—and ultimately for all of us.Read the paper and share your observations in the comments. How is your work affected by plant and animal genomics? How could your work benefit from newer processors and dedicated SSDs?Learn more about big data in healthcare www.intel.com/healthcare/bigdatawww.intel.com/healthcare/optimizecodeRead about the Smithsonian Institute for Biodiversity Genomicshttp://biogenomics.si.eduFollow us on Twitter:@IntelHealth, @portlandketan@smithsonian, @rdikow
Secretary of Energy Steven Chu often talks about the need for international cooperation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “It’s like all countries becoming allies against this common foe, which is the energy problem,” he told reporters 2 weeks ago after a tour of Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York. Chu think allies should share their best tools: “By very collaborative, I mean share all intellectual property as much as possible,” he said. Not so fast, says Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R–WI). Sensenbrenner sent Chu a letter today asking for clarification of the Administration’s ideas. “Sharing intellectual property rights is exactly the wrong approach,” wrote Sensenbrenner, because companies need strong patent protections on their inventions in order to invest money in R&D. Sensenbrenner quoted an executive from General Electric, Steve Fludder, who, in an interview with The New York Times, said, “Why would anybody invest in anything that they would have to just give away?” This exchange raises an interesting question: When the U.S. government funds research on energy efficiency at national laboratories, universities, and private companies, who gets to own the resulting inventions? Currently, those institutions are free to license such technologies to the highest bidder. According to a 2007 report by John Barton, an expert on intellectual-property law at Stanford Law School in Palo Alto, California, most governments around the world also tend to license such technologies exclusively to their own domestic companies. Barton, however, says it’s time for rich nations to “forgo their national favoritism” and make sure valuable technologies get to where they are needed.Sign up for our daily newsletterGet more great content like this delivered right to you!Country *AfghanistanAland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBolivia, Plurinational State ofBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, The Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCote D’IvoireCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and Mcdonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)HondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran, Islamic Republic ofIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People’s Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People’s Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMoldova, Republic ofMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorwayOmanPakistanPalestinianPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalQatarReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRWANDASaint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Dutch part)SlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofVietnamVirgin Islands, BritishWallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweI also wish to receive emails from AAAS/Science and Science advertisers, including information on products, services and special offers which may include but are not limited to news, careers information & upcoming events.Required fields are included by an asterisk(*)See Sensenbrenner’s letter below.April 3, 2009The Honorable Steven ChuSecretaryU.S. Department of Energy1000 Independence, SWWashington, DC 20585Dear Mr. Secretary:I am writing to request clarification of the Administration’s policies regarding the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR). After a recent tour of the Brookhaven National Laboratory, you suggested that America should drop IPR on some technologies.Technological advancement is the only possible path to energy independence and reduced emissions. Increased IPR protection, not waivers, is the only way to spur these advancements. Arbitrary caps and exorbitant taxes will have no direct effect on emissions. Unless the Obama Administration is prepared to sacrifice America’s way of life, technological development is the only means to achieve its stated goals of large-scale emissions reductions. Developments of this scale will require massive investment. Investments will only occur if businesses, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists worldwide know that their risks can be rewarded. Every week, I hear potentially ground-breaking ideas to increase efficiency or produce renewable energy. Individually, the odds of any one of these ideas succeeding are likely small, but as long as the proper market-based incentives exist, the odds of all of them failing are almost zero. Ingenuity is our path forward.Sharing intellectual property rights is exactly the wrong approach. Not surprisingly, business leaders are already alarmed. The New York Timesreported that Steve Fludder, the head of the “Ecomagination” division of General Electric, “aggressively refuted” the suggestion that waiving IPR would spread technology. Mr. Fludder asked, “I mean, why would anybody invest in anything that they would have to just give away?”New technologies absolutely must reach developing countries, but if IPR protections are waived, there will be no technologies to share. Left unexplained, your statements could already work to stifle innovation. In addition, your proposal would likely violate our treaty obligations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Article 27.1 of the Agreement on Trade Related Intellectual Property Issues (TRIPS) states that “[p]atents shall be available and enjoyable without discrimination as to the place of invention, the field of technology or whether the product is imported or produced locally.” In other words, we can’t provide greater patent protection for certain kinds of technology and discriminate against other kinds, as your statement suggests. Please provide clarification of the Administration’s policies in this critical area by April 30, 2009.Sincerely,F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.Member of CongressRanking Republican Member, Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warmingcc: The Honorable Ron KirkUnited States Trade RepresentativeOffice of the United States Trade Representative600 17th St., NWWashington, DC 20508
Thomas Frieden, the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has decided to dismantle a key component of former CDC Director Julie Gerberding’s controversial reorganization of the Atlanta-based agency. In a memo sent to CDC staffers on Friday, Frieden said he will “remove … from the CDC’s structure” the four Coordinating Centers—for infectious disease, health information, health promotion, and environmental health—that had been established as part of Gerberding’s restructuring, started in 2005.While the centers’ functions will be preserved, Frieden told staffers that “the current organizational structure is not best suited to meet the agency’s mission.” He based his decision on the recommendations of an internal panel which said that CDC can operate more efficiently with fewer layers of management. The Coordinating Center structure had been unpopular with many at CDC because it diminished the influence of national centers under its umbrella.Sign up for our daily newsletterGet more great content like this delivered right to you!Country *AfghanistanAland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBolivia, Plurinational State ofBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, The Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCote D’IvoireCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and Mcdonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)HondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran, Islamic Republic ofIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People’s Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People’s Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMoldova, Republic ofMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorwayOmanPakistanPalestinianPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalQatarReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRWANDASaint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Dutch part)SlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofVietnamVirgin Islands, BritishWallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweI also wish to receive emails from AAAS/Science and Science advertisers, including information on products, services and special offers which may include but are not limited to news, careers information & upcoming events.Required fields are included by an asterisk(*)
“It’s a much more delicate and well-controlled mechanism than regular lapping,” says Stocker. But what’s most delicate is the physics behind it. To better understand the mechanics, Stocker and his team built a rudimentary robotic tongue from a glass disk about the size of the tip of a cat’s tongue. The disk moved up and down over a liquid, making and breaking contact with the surface as the scientists tried out different lapping speeds.Sign up for our daily newsletterGet more great content like this delivered right to you!Country *AfghanistanAland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBolivia, Plurinational State ofBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, The Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCote D’IvoireCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and Mcdonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)HondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran, Islamic Republic ofIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People’s Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People’s Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMoldova, Republic ofMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorwayOmanPakistanPalestinianPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalQatarReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRWANDASaint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Dutch part)SlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofVietnamVirgin Islands, BritishWallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweI also wish to receive emails from AAAS/Science and Science advertisers, including information on products, services and special offers which may include but are not limited to news, careers information & upcoming events.Required fields are included by an asterisk(*)They realized that feline lapping balances the liquid’s inertia, its tendency to keep moving upward as the cat draws its tongue in, against the pull of gravity, which drags the liquid back down into the bowl. To get a satisfying drink, the cat must lap faster than gravity can overtake inertia. Good timing gives the cat the biggest drink, because the column of water is at its longest and thickest right before gravity wins out and pulls it down, the team reports online today in Science.”The cat seems to know exactly how fast to lap,” Stocker explains. “If the cat closed its jaws sooner, it would miss some of the water. If it closed later, it would lose the whole column.”The researchers were surprised again when they took their experiment to the zoo. They filmed other species of cats, including a lion and a tiger, and found that they, too, exploited inertia with pinpoint lapping. Because these cats are taller and have bigger tongues, they need to lap more slowly to keep inertia and gravity in balance, but the mechanism is the same one used by their tiny domestic cousins.”This study has a really big cool factor,” says neurophysiologist Rebecca German of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, who researches mammalian feeding mechanisms. “It’s elegant; they found something new in a really simple fashion.”So far, this drinking behavior has been seen only in felines, but robots could soon join their ranks. Hillel Chiel, a neurobiologist at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, who works to develop “soft” robots that mimic natural behavior, says feline lapping could give robotics experts a new way to approach problems that require delicate handling of liquids, such as oil cleanups. “I think this study will definitely have an impact.” Chiel says he’s now “sort of sorry” he doesn’t own cats. “I think I’d like to watch them lap.” Cats like to do things their own way—even, it seems, when it comes to drinking. Researchers have discovered that felines have their own style of lapping water. Their tongues perform a complex maneuver that pits gravity versus inertia in a delicate balance.Surprisingly little is known about the physics of lapping. Dogs and many other animals with incomplete cheeks—who can’t seal their mouths like we do to produce suction—lap up water by curling their tongues into a ladlelike shape and scooping up the liquid. Most researchers assumed felines do the same, albeit with much smaller, raspier tongues. But Roman Stocker, a biophysicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, began to doubt this assumption one morning over breakfast. He watched his cat Cutta Cutta lap water from a bowl and began to wonder if there was more to her dainty drinking than met his eye.On their own time, Stocker and a small crew of his colleagues filmed Cutta Cutta—and eventually nine more cats from a local shelter—with a high-speed camera. They found that, as opposed to dogs, cats rest the tips of their tongues on the liquid’s surface without penetrating it. The water sticks to the cat’s tongue and is pulled upward as the cat draws its tongue into its mouth. When the cat closes its mouth, it breaks the liquid column but still keeps its chin and whiskers dry (see video). Perfect balance. A robotic tongue mimics the pinpoint lapping cats use to keep inertia and gravity in balance.Credit: Roman StockerMore Science News Videos
PARIS—Science and sustainable development were the buzz words at the first meeting of a new advisory panel to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at the end of last week. The charge to the High Panel on Science for Development is to identify trends in science and technology and to help UNESCO sharpen the focus of its work in promoting sustainable development, according to UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, who addressed the meeting. The brief is broad, as the panel has been asked to include in its discussions all the organization’s work in the natural sciences, humanities, and engineering, as well as find links between science and culture, education, and communications and look for new partners in the private sector, civil society, and academia.Among the challenges on the table are to pinpoint the best ways of harnessing science and technology for local economic development, incorporating indigenous knowledge systems into the global scientific base, wiping out disparities in access to resources, and preventing brain drain from developing countries. The panel is also to define UNESCO’s role in promoting international cooperation in areas such as climate change and the climatic impact of the oceans, Bokova said at the meeting. Sustainable development “requires holistic approaches that cross disciplinary and policy domains and make the most of synergies between them,” she said. “Better understanding is the first step to anticipating developments and designing better public policy.” The panel, which will meet here twice a year, is made up of 24 scientists and academics drawn from a multitude of scientific disciplines and from all regions of the world. Members include Susan Avery, director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; José Sarukhán Kermez, national coordinator of Mexico’s National Commission for Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity; Ahmadou Lamine N’Diaye, president of the African Academy of Science; Gong Ke, president of Nankai University; and Rolf Heuer, director general of CERN. But group deliberately has no chairperson, at least for the moment. “This is the way U.N. high panels usually work, Gretchen Kalonji, UNESCO assistant director-general for science told ScienceInsider. “But we may well change our methods of working as time goes by.”Sign up for our daily newsletterGet more great content like this delivered right to you!Country *AfghanistanAland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBolivia, Plurinational State ofBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, The Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCote D’IvoireCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and Mcdonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)HondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran, Islamic Republic ofIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People’s Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People’s Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMoldova, Republic ofMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorwayOmanPakistanPalestinianPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalQatarReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRWANDASaint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Dutch part)SlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofVietnamVirgin Islands, BritishWallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweI also wish to receive emails from AAAS/Science and Science advertisers, including information on products, services and special offers which may include but are not limited to news, careers information & upcoming events.Required fields are included by an asterisk(*)The 15 of the 24 panelists who attended the meeting debated two topics: “mobilizing international science to address pressing interdisciplinary challenges facing our societies” and “models for capacity building in science, technology, and innovation.” A recurring theme throughout the presentations and the panel’s discussions was the growing demand for interdisciplinary work. “It is important by the nature of the problems,” says physicist Jose Mariano Gago, Portugal’s minister of science, technology, and higher education, who moderated the debate. “Many can’t be solved without it.” The question of data-intensive science, which offers opportunities for developing countries but requires huge infrastructure investment, was also raised several times, Gago noted during his summing up. “What is new [in education] is that a back-to-basics policy is no longer sufficient,” Gago added. “Higher education will be a major driving force for the next decades.” But knowledge is not necessarily the whole answer, Bokova noted, citing Albert Einstein’s declaration that imagination is more important than knowledge.
An international panel of experts released recommendations today for future research on Alzheimer’s disease. The recommendations will help guide the research component of the new national plan for Alzheimer’s disease announced Tuesday by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The plan sets the ambitious goal of developing effective prevention and treatment strategies for Alzheimer’s by 2025.The new research strategy was developed by experts who met during a 2-day summit at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, earlier this week. The panel acknowledges a number of challenges facing the field, including the need to develop better experimental models and to initiate clinical trials at earlier stages of the disease. Their recommendations include conducting more interdisciplinary research on the biological mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease and therapeutic targets, enabling more rapid and extensive sharing of data and biological specimens, and fostering more public-private partnerships (along the lines of the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, a successful biomarker development effort jointly funded by NIH and the pharmaceutical industry). The panel also calls for more research on nondrug interventions, such as lifestyle changes, that might prevent or slow the disease. A financial stimulus for Alzheimer’s research appears to be in the works: President Barack Obama’s proposed 2013 budget includes $80 million in new funding. Congress has yet to weigh in on that plan.Sign up for our daily newsletterGet more great content like this delivered right to you!Country *AfghanistanAland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBolivia, Plurinational State ofBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, The Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCote D’IvoireCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and Mcdonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)HondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran, Islamic Republic ofIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People’s Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People’s Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMoldova, Republic ofMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorwayOmanPakistanPalestinianPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalQatarReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRWANDASaint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Dutch part)SlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofVietnamVirgin Islands, BritishWallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweI also wish to receive emails from AAAS/Science and Science advertisers, including information on products, services and special offers which may include but are not limited to news, careers information & upcoming events.Required fields are included by an asterisk(*) U.S. National Institute on Aging, Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center Warning signs. Developing brain scans and other biomarkers that detect the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s is a priority for researchers. 
A tumultuous and divisive episode at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is set to come to a conclusion tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. in Paris, when the U.N. agency plans to give three researchers an award for the life sciences sponsored by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the dictator of Equatorial Guinea. A broad coalition of human rights advocates, scientists, and health experts have fought until last week to prevent the ceremony from occurring. They say the award is an attempt by Obiang to buy credibility for his regime, which stands accused of human rights violations. The winners of the prize are Maged Al-Sherbiny from Egypt, for his research on vaccines and diagnostics against hepatitis C and schistosomiasis; plant scientist Felix Dapare Dakora from Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, in South Africa for his work on legumes and soil bacteria; and Rossana Arroyo of the Centre for Research and Advanced Studies of Mexico’s National Polytechnic Institute, who studies trichomoniasis, a parasitic disease. Al-Sherbiny and Dakora plan to attend the award ceremony and are already in Paris, a UNESCO spokesperson says; Arroyo is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Whether Obiang will be present was still uncertain today, the spokesperson says. Just last Friday, a French court issued an arrest warrant for Obiang’s son Teodorin, who’s suspected of money laundering and embezzlement. It’s also unclear whether UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, who opposed the award, will attend. “She will make the decision herself tomorrow,” says the spokesperson. Sign up for our daily newsletterGet more great content like this delivered right to you!Country *AfghanistanAland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBolivia, Plurinational State ofBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, The Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCote D’IvoireCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and Mcdonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)HondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran, Islamic Republic ofIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People’s Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People’s Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMoldova, Republic ofMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorwayOmanPakistanPalestinianPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalQatarReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRWANDASaint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Dutch part)SlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofVietnamVirgin Islands, BritishWallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweI also wish to receive emails from AAAS/Science and Science advertisers, including information on products, services and special offers which may include but are not limited to news, careers information & upcoming events.Required fields are included by an asterisk(*) The prize was adopted by UNESCO’s Executive Board, composed of delegates from 58 member states, in 2008 , but delayed several times after an international outcry. Bokova last year told the Executive Board that she thought the award would damage UNESCO’s credibility. In the March vote, however, 33 countries voted to go ahead with the award, after Obiang agreed to have it named after his country instead of himself. Among the supporters were all 14 African members and 19 other, mostly developing, countries. Opponents had hoped that the prize might yet be stopped after obtaining a letter in which UNESCO lawyers stated there were doubts about the provenance of the funds. But the March vote overruled such concerns, the spokesperson says, leaving Bokova no choice but to let the ceremony go ahead. The spokesperson says the prize will be awarded annually at least five times, as Obiang has donated a total of $3 million. “It is shameful and utterly irresponsible for UNESCO to award this prize, given the litany of serious legal and ethical problems surrounding it,” Tutu Alicante, director of the human rights group EG Justice, said in a statement released today. “Beyond letting itself be used to polish the sullied image of Obiang, UNESCO also risks ruining its own credibility.” Prize controversy. Human rights activists are protesting the award of a life science prize proposed by Equatorial Guinea strongman Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, shown here in 2008. Wikimedia 
ISPRA, ITALY—When the Costa Concordia ran aground and capsized off the Italian island of Giglio on 13 January, more was lost than 32 lives and a luxurious €450 million cruise liner. The sunken ship was also home to €120,000 worth in measurement systems for air pollution, owned by the European Union’s Joint Research Centre (JRC). Most of the floating lab could not be salvaged.Now, JRC technicians have installed a similar but updated system on the Costa Magica, which sails the same route as the disaster ship. The equipment, in operation since Monday, will continuously measure a range of pollutants on its journeys, which take it to Savona, Marseille, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Catania, and Naples every week.In 2005, JRC signed a deal with cruise ship line Costa Crociere to have automatic measurements systems installed on the Costa Concordia as well as on two of the company’s other ships. For JRC scientists, the cruisers’ fixed routes offer an easy way to measure air pollution frequently, says project leader Jens Hjorth of JRC’s Institute for Environment and Sustainability, located in this small town on the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore. The shipborne labs measure ozone, “black carbon,” nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide; they also capture wind, temperature, and other meteorological data.Sign up for our daily newsletterGet more great content like this delivered right to you!Country *AfghanistanAland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBolivia, Plurinational State ofBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, The Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCote D’IvoireCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and Mcdonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)HondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran, Islamic Republic ofIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People’s Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People’s Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMoldova, Republic ofMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorwayOmanPakistanPalestinianPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalQatarReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRWANDASaint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Dutch part)SlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofVietnamVirgin Islands, BritishWallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweI also wish to receive emails from AAAS/Science and Science advertisers, including information on products, services and special offers which may include but are not limited to news, careers information & upcoming events.Required fields are included by an asterisk(*)The coastal areas of Barcelona, Genoa, Marseille, and Rome have the highest pollution levels in the Mediterranean; Shipping is a major contributor, along with long-distance road transport. While the loss of the Costa Concordia halted some ongoing studies, it has also led to some innovations, says JRC’s Friedrich Lagler, who is in charge of the equipment onboard the Magica. The instruments are more sensitive and better calibrated than those on the Costa Concordia, and while data were previously stored on a laptop, an Internet connection now allows them to be sent straight to the JRC’s computers.In July, the journal Atmospheric Environment published online some of the results from JRC’s floating monitoring systems. Data collected on the Costa Pacifica—a sister ship of the Costa Magica—showed that sulfur dioxide (SO2) levels have dropped by an average of 66% in the harbors of Civitavecchia, Savona, and Palma de Mallorca between 2009 and 2010; measurements in the port of Barcelona were inconclusive but additional data suggest SO2 emissions have gone down there as well. The authors say the drop is the result of a new E.U. directive, which bans ships at berth or at anchor in E.U. harbors from using fuels with a high sulfur content; it took effect in January 2010. SO2 levels did not fall in the harbor of Tunis, a non-E.U. city where the Pacifica also made stops until the Tunisian revolution of 2011. Lost lab. The Costa Concordia had air pollution-monitoring systems on board. Wikimedia/Rvongher 