WASHINGTON (AP) ? The White House says President Barack Obama's lunch with Republican Mitt Romney focused on America's leadership and the two presidential rivals pledged to stay in touch, particularly if opportunities to work together come up in the future.
In their first meeting since the election, Obama and the GOP nominee met for lunch in the White House's private dining room, fulfilling a promise Obama made in his victory speech the night of Nov. 6.
The White House says Romney congratulated the president for his successful campaign and wished him well in the coming four years. The conversation during the hourlong meeting focused on America's leadership in the world and the importance of maintaining that leadership position.
The lunch menu included white turkey chili and Southwestern grilled chicken salad.
Chrome for Android has been updated to fix some stability issues, says Google.
This news comes on the back of Google’s announcement last week on their Google+ page that it will bring mobile Chrome version numbers up to speed with desktop versions by early next year. With desktop Chrome at version 23 right now and mobile Chrome at 18, we can expect releases to be streamlined eventually.
For reference, the stable channel for the latest Android Chrome release for ARM devices is 18.0.1025469 and 18.0.1026322 for x86 devices.
Robert Siegel talks with UT-Austin astrophysicist Karl Gebhardt about his team's discovery of a giant black hole in a tiny galaxy. The discovery contradicts traditional theories of galaxy formation.
Copyright ? 2012 National Public Radio. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:
Astrophysicists evidently have their own chicken and egg problem. Which came first, the galaxy or the black hole? In reading up on the latest black hole discovery, I've learned that recently the smart money has been on the galaxy. But the new discovery evidently adds weight to the argument that the black hole may have come first. The discovery is a giant black hole in a tiny galaxy.
It was spotted by an international team of astrophysicists. And joining us now from Austin, Texas, at the University of Texas, is professor Karl Gebhardt. Welcome to the program and congratulations on this discovery.
KARL GEBHARDT: Thank you. It's very nice to be here.
SIEGEL: I gather that a galaxy typically comes with a black hole and vice versa. What's so unusual about this black hole that you've spotted?
GEBHARDT: Right. So every galaxy typically comes with a black hole, but in this one, the mass of this black hole is about 100 times larger than what we had expected based on the typical galaxy.
SIEGEL: So how does this change whatever theoretical ideas there are about the creations of galaxies and black holes and which one comes first?
GEBHARDT: Right. So the general consensus is exactly as you said. You start with a galaxy. There's a lot of stuff in a galaxy. There's lots of gas and dust. That stuff will interact with itself and it will fall into the middle. If there is a black hole, the gas and dust will go into the black hole and feed the black hole and grow its mass. And this leads to a really nice theoretical prediction that there's a correlation between the amount of mass in the black hole and the amount of mass in the galaxy.
SIEGEL: Okay. Now, your huge black hole that you've discovered suggests that it would've had to be formed in a different way.
GEBHARDT: Exactly, because this violates that idea. You just - the amount of mass we're talking about for the size of the galaxy, first of all, the amount of gas and dust the galaxy would have to start out with is pretty enormous. And secondly, you'd have to get that material, all that material, down into the black hole. And we just don't understand right now the physical process that could allow that to happen 'cause it just doesn't want to make it in.
It's trying to jam way too much material into two small of a lake. So you're exactly right. We likely need a different mechanism.
SIEGEL: Well, is it possible that you've discovered something that is anomalous and that is a black hole but doesn't follow the rules that govern other black holes or would that be science fiction?
GEBHARDT: You're exactly spot on. And look, there are 100 billion galaxies in the observable universe, approximately, you know, plus or minus a large factor. There's got to be some weird oddballs out there and this could be just a super weird oddball. So what we've been doing is we have a big survey and we have a handful now of other galaxies with very similar properties to NGC1277, the one with the big black hole.
We haven't analyzed it at the level of detail, but the properties look similar enough that it tentatively suggests that these also have anomalously large black holes. And if that's the case, now we have a trend and now we have to do something about that in terms of the theory.
SIEGEL: Well, wouldn't you have to redefine this thing, in that case and, you know, call it a, you know, black and blue hole or something like that?
GEBHARDT: Something like that.
SIEGEL: I could've done better in physics if one of the answers was this is anomalous. It could be anomalous and not conform to any known rule that we have.
GEBHARDT: There you go. That's right. But this one, the black hole is about 15 percent of the mass of the galaxy and we just don't know how to make that. There are ideas that had been floated in the past that it's possible that black holes come first. Maybe in this case, something happened to feed a black hole at an enormous rate and then the galaxy assembled around it.
We don't have that worked out yet. That's where we're going, but right now, we're just going to sit on the observational side and really try to characterize what's going on in these systems.
SIEGEL: So there's a project for the 21st century...
GEBHARDT: There we go and it's a - exactly. And it's a project to keep the theorists busy, too. I always like to toss something at the theorists just so they can justify their existence.
SIEGEL: Well, Professor Gebhardt, congratulations to you and the whole team and thanks for talking with us.
GEBHARDT: Thank you very much.
SIEGEL: That's astrophysicist Karl Gebhardt of the University of Texas, Austin.
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Verizon FiOS brings its live TV streaming app to LG Smart TVs
Verizon is continuing to extend access to its FiOS TV service (at least, within the homes of subscribers) by bringing an app to LG Smart TVs with access to 75 channels and Flex View video on-demand. That follows the iPad last week, as well as earlier apps for the Xbox 360 and Samsung's connected TV platform. This app is of course customized for LG's Magic Remote gesture control feature, and is available on all 2012 Smart TVs, plus the BP620 Blu-ray player via the Smart TV smart World app store. The good news is you can make use of it in a room with no cable box needed, however the lineup is still missing a few key channels (ESPN) that may be tough to do without. Verizon recently announced a deal with NBCUniversal to increase its TV Everywhere selection, if it can add a few more the set-top box-less future may be within reach.
North Korea joke slips over China's Great Firewall
BEIJING (AP) ? How did a spoof article about North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un being the sexiest man alive end up as a real news item in China? Turns out it was a case of telephone, or Chinese whispers, in the digital age.
Hong Kong media picked up the piece by U.S. satirical website The Onion a week ago while explaining to readers in Chinese that it was a farce. But from there, it jumped over the Great Firewall and landed into the official, irony-free Chinese media.
When Hong Kong's Phoenix TV website, ifeng.com, ran its story on its fashion channel on Nov. 21, the story's second paragraph clearly stated: "The Onion is a satirical news organization."
But, when state-run Yangtse.com picked up the Phoenix piece a few hours later, it had morphed into straight news. The piece never mentioned that the original was a joke, instead plucking comical reader comments attached to the Phoenix story and running those.
"A man with so much fat on the face, and the double chin, and the excessively white skin. And they call him the sexiest. They do deserve the name Onion. I can't help but shed sad tears."
The editor cited for the story, Yang Fang, could not immediately be reached ? and two employees who answered the phone at the Nanjing media outlet said Wednesday they weren't even sure if Yang still worked there.
Five days after the Yangste piece, Beijing's Guangming Daily website took the story for a spin, trimming its length and citing Yangtse.com as its source. The Guangming piece was still online Wednesday and the story's editor told The Associated Press that she had not realized it was a joke until the AP called.
The editor, Wang Miaomiao, said she wasn't worried about the gaffe.
"Even if it was satire, the report itself was true. The content is not made up. Also, we have to go through a procedure to take something down from the website," Wang said. "In addition, it is not a fabricated report, and it does not jeopardize society."
The story next made it to the flagship paper of the Communist Party, the People's Daily, on Tuesday along with a significant upgrade: a 55-photo slideshow of Kim. An editor at the People's Daily website who refused to give his name said the story was picked up from the Guangming Daily site, running on three channels in Chinese and English.
Upon realizing it was a spoof, the People's Daily decided to take down their versions on Wednesday. But not before The Onion updated their original piece with a link to the People's Daily and a shout-out: "For more coverage on The Onion's Sexiest Man Alive 2012, Kim Jong-Un, please visit our friends at the People's Daily in China, a proud Communist subsidiary of The Onion, Inc."
"Exemplary reportage, comrades," The Onion wrote.
It is not the first time China's heavily censored media have fallen for a fictional report by the just-for-laughs The Onion.
In 2002, the Beijing Evening News, one of the capital's biggest tabloids at the time, published as news the fictional account that the U.S. Congress wanted a new building and that it might leave Washington. The Onion article was a spoof of the way sports teams threaten to leave cities in order to get new stadiums.
Jeremy Goldkorn, director of Danwei.com, a firm that researches Chinese media and Internet, said that one of the peculiarities of the Chinese news business is that stories can be freely shared by any other media outlet in their entirety, or edited, as long as the original source is credited somewhere on the page.
"It does mean that stuff gets circulated a lot more widely because you don't have intellectual property restrictions on articles that you would in the U.S. for example," he said. "So when you mix that up with this culture of no fact-checking and not really having a news editor whose main job is seeking truth, then what you get is The Onion being taken seriously in the People's Daily."
___
Associated Press researchers Zhao Liang and Yu Bing contributed to this report.
Follow Alexa Olesen on Twitter at twitter.com/alobeijing
Powerball profits don't all go where you think they do
44 min.
John W. Schoen, NBC News
Ed Rodriguez, the father of two school-aged kids in Otisville, N.Y., had high hopes of? winning the $580 million Powerball jackpot last night. Either way, he figured at least some of?the money went to a good cause.
"Some of it goes to education," he said after buying a ticket Wednesday at a Citgo station on the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey. With many school budgets in his area facing tight budgets, "it helps a lot."
He'd be disappointed on both counts. He didn't win the largest Powerball drawing in history, which went to ticket holders in Arizona and Missouri. And the money doesn't do as much good for education?as he thinks.
About 72 cents of every state lottery dollar goes somewhere else. About 60 cents goes to the winner. Some goes to run the lottery. A piece of it goes to a private, Italian-based conglomerate that operates lotteries and slot machines in 50 countries around the world.
Depending on what state you live in, that leaves as little as 11 cents left to pay for the government services these games were created to help.
Critics argue that, aside from being an inefficient way to raise money, the use of lottery sales to pay for government services also?shifts the overall tax burden to those who can least afford it.
?It?s a very regressive tax," said Lucy Dadayan, a senior policy analyst at the Rockefeller Institute of Government. ?And any time a government relies on a regressive tax it not the best policy option.?But it?s easier for state officials to promote gambling rather than to increase income taxes or sales taxes.?
State-run lotteries have been around since the U.S. was founded, but the modern era of government games dates to the 1960s. Since then, they?ve spread to 44 states, which took in nearly $69 billion in sales in the 2012 fiscal year.
After paying the winners and operating expenses, the roughly $19 billion in remaining?proceeds went to fund a long list of state and local programs and services, from education to social services,?according to ?David Gale, ?Executive Director, North American Association of State and Provincial?Lotteries.
?If lotteries were not in existence those programs and services would be cut or they would have to be funded through another source,? he said.
The bulk of the money collected from tickets ? about 60 cents of every dollar on average - goes back to the winners, said Gale. After expenses ? everything from advertising, fees paid to vendors selling tickets and salaries for lottery commission staff - ?the amount left over varies widely from state to state.
In Rhode Island, just 11 cents in net profits was returned to the 2012 state budget to support a variety of programs, from education to social services. Oregon?s lottery, the most profitable in the country, generated 50 cents in profits for each?dollar of ticket sales last year to help pay for education, economic development and natural resource programs.
Profits can vary for a number of reasons, said Pierce. Some states use some of the revenues to pay for gambling addiction counseling programs. Some states have?laws governing how much money can be spent on advertising.
To try to boost the take, a handful of states are considering turning over their lottery operations to private companies, like GTECH, which already provides a variety of services ? from computer systems to retail terminals ? to about half the states. ?Illinois and Indiana have signed on and New Jersey officials are considering the move, according to Robert Vincent, a company spokesman
"They?re saying, 'We think we can make more money for good causes if we put this in the hands of a private manager,'" he said. ?We think we can drive more sales over the course of the contract.?
With revenues of more than $1 billion last year, GTECH is owned by Lottomatica Group, an Italian-based global gaming giant with 8,000 employees in more than 50 countries worldwide. Vincent said many state-run lotteries simply have don?t have the expertise to maximize their profits and boost tickets sales.
?You?re competing with Altoids,? he said. ?You?re on the counter of a convenience store and it's an impulse purchase whether you?re going to buy a lottery ticket or buy something else that?s there competing for your attention. That?s a very different environment than other government agencies that are there to protect, collect and manage infrastructure.?
States' hard-pressed tight budgets can use all the tickets sales they can get, which has increased pressure on lottery commissions to raise more money.?
But critics of the reliance on lotteries to fund government argue that it shifts the funding burden unfairly onto the poor and working class.
The link between lottery sales and low-income purchasers has been fairly well established. In 2004, three Cornell economists reviewed 10 years of data from 39 states and found a strong correlation between lottery sales and poverty rates.
?State o?cials laud the bene?ts of lottery proceeds and promote the fun and excitement of participation,? the researchers wrote. ?This entertainment value is one explanation for lottery demand by the poor: individuals with lower incomes substitute lottery play for other entertainment.?
By contrast, the researchers found little correlation between poverty rates and sales of movie tickets.,
In some cases, lottery revenues have been used to cut income and sales taxes, further shifiting the burden of paying for state services to the poor, according to Patrick?Pierce, a political scientist and author of "Gambling Politics: State Government and the Business of Betting."
Pierce found that in the early stages of initiating a lottery, spending on services like education went up for a few years, but then began to level off as the new lottery winnings eventually replaced taxes collected as general revenue.
?Governors could then take the political credit for no tax increases or tax cuts while they were governors,? he said. ?The only reason they were able to do it was because of the lottery. They didn?t make state government more efficient. They didn?t do anything other than benefit from this voluntary tax that state residents were paying.?
State officials have found another reason to rely more heavily on lottery revenues. While revenues from sales and income are slowly recovering from the 2007 recession and weak recovery, profits from state lotteries have bounced back sharply ? up 37 percent in the past two years.
Despite high unemployment and little or no wage growth, lottery ticket buyers are durable customers.
?When their situation becomes more desperate because of the economy, you get some folks playing the lottery precisely because their situation is more desperate,? said Pierce. ?And this is the only route they see to escaping the situation that they?re in.?
Student Union Building regulations require that any food provided in SUB conference rooms be catered by Chartwells
news@dailylobo.com
Student organizations that host events in the SUB cannot bring in their own food.
According to the SUB?s Room Reservation Policy for chartered on-campus organizations, only Chartwells Catering and Campus Dining Services can provide food for events held in the building?s meeting rooms. Organizations can select from a menu prepared by the SUB, with prices that range from about $8 to $21 per person.
Associate Vice President for Student Life Walter Miller said other companies can?t provide food services in the SUB because Chartwells is the only company licensed by the state for food operations in the SUB. He said Chartwells is also liable for any food-related accidents that occur in the SUB.
Miller said the policy only applies in the SUB because the University?s contract with Chartwells authorizes only the company to provide food for social events in the meeting rooms in the building. He said the contract does not apply to academic halls or to classrooms on campus because catering is not used in other buildings.
Miller said the policy makes it safer for students who eat food in the SUB because the food is certified to meet state health standards.
?The main reason ? is that the current food provider is licensed to do it,? he said. ?They are certified by the Department of Health in the state. If anything goes wrong, the state department will have to go after that organization.?
Miller said that because the SUB aims to uphold its health standards, there is no possibility that the building will allow student organizations to bring their own food to events in the future.
?It?s protection to the students as well as the whole student community,? he said. ?Health comes before policy. We are a licensed facility and we maintain health standards, and so we?re going to protect that.?
Miller said the SUB rarely encounters problems with student groups not following the policy and that problems usually occur in the beginning of the semester because students are not used to the policy.
Miller said organizations that disobey the policy for the first time receive verbal warnings. But he said that if an organization repeatedly disregards the policy, it will be barred from renting rooms in the SUB.
Miller said the catering menu is priced fairly, providing students with price-sensitive options and a simple menu. He said fundraisers hosted in the SUB, such as bake sales, are exceptions to the policy because the SUB wants to help organizations raise money without asking them to pay more. The SUB is still accountable for any trouble that may be caused by food sold at fundraisers.
He said the SUB only allows baked goods to be sold at fundraisers because baked goods are cooked in advance and don?t need special care, such as refrigeration or heating. He said they have not encountered food-related problems with student-organized fundraisers in the past.
But Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) Council Chair Kris Miranda said that because the policy prohibits organizations from bringing their own food, the policy makes it hard to organize events in the SUB.
Miranda said GPSA hosts most of its meetings in the morning, which would require the organization to purchase a breakfast catering option from Chartwells. He said this option is too expensive.
?I would like to do more GPSA Council meetings in the SUB because it?s more convenient,? he said. ?But I can?t do many of that because our budget is pretty tight.?
Miranda said that although the policy sometimes benefits students, the policy puts newer student organizations with small budgets at a disadvantage.
?I understand the reasoning,? he said. ?But I think starting organizations are hit. Student organizations use the SUB because it is free and they don?t have huge budgets.?
Miranda said that although the SUB should not eliminate the catering menu, allowing students to choose to bring their own food or buy from the SUB would give organizations more flexibility.
?The convenient thing for us is just not to have those restrictions,? he said. ?I like having the option, but those sorts of things would cost a lot less money coming from outside.?
Associated Students of the University of New Mexico (ASUNM) Attorney General Gregory Montoya-Mora said the SUB?s catering menu has a variety of options that can accommodate both small and large events.
?Dealing with organizing events for ASUNM, it?s really convenient,? he said. ?We could place some orders, the menu?s easily readable and we can have large-capacity events.?
Montoya-Mora said that because members of ASUNM are often busy with school and with operations in the organization, they are never able to bring their own food. Because of this, he said the menu makes it easier for student organizations to organize events.
?It will not be possible for ASUNM to bring our own food,? he said. ?We?re pretty busy with other stuff. So if we do need food ? perfect.?
Montoya-Mora said that because the catering policy is part of the SUB?s rules, organizations should adhere to the policy. He said that although it might be cheaper for organizations to bring their own food to events, the policy is a fair move by the SUB.
?In an institution as big as the University of New Mexico, it?s hard to do it any other way,? he said.
Greener storage for green energyPublic release date: 29-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Michael Patrick Rutter mrutter@seas.harvard.edu 617-496-3815 Harvard University
ARPA-E grant will support research into next-generation flow batteries to solve wind/solar intermittency problem
Cambridge, Mass. November 29, 2012 Renewable energy solutions like wind and solar operate on nature's timetable. When the sun blazes or when the breeze blows, power is plentifulbut not necessarily at the moments when consumers need it, like on a hot, calm summer night.
Storing energy from these intermittent sources has aroused interest, yet practical economics and basic chemistry have limited the wider use of green energy. Storage, to be viable, cannot add much to the price of renewable electricity without making it unacceptably expensive. Fossil fuels remain the world's chief energy source due to their relatively low cost.
To give renewables a fighting chance, a team led by engineers and chemists at Harvard University will use a one-year, $600,000 innovation grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects AgencyEnergy (ARPA-E) program to develop a new type of storage battery. The grant may be subject to renewal beyond a year, depending on performance. The award is part of a $130-million funding effort by ARPA-E through its "OPEN 2012" program, designed to support innovative energy technologies.
Called a flow battery, the technology offers the prospect of cost-effective, grid-scale electrical energy storage based on eco-friendly small organic molecules. Because practical implementation is a core driver for the program, the researchers are collaborating with Sustainable Innovations, LLC, a commercial electrochemical system developer.
"Storage of very large amounts of energy is required if we are to generate a major portion of our electricity from intermittent renewable sources such as wind turbines and photovoltaics," says lead investigator Michael Aziz, Gene and Tracy Sykes Professor of Materials and Energy Technologies at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). "Currently no cost-effective solution exists to this large-scale storage problem. Flow batteries may make stationary storage viable in the marketplace, and that will enable wind and solar to displace a lot more fossil fuel."
A type of highly rechargable fuel cell, flow batteries are suitable for storing large amounts of electrical energy in the form of liquid chemicals, which are flowed past the electrochemical conversion hardware and stored externally in inexpensive tanks that can be arbitrarily large. This permits the designer to independently size the electrochemical conversion hardware (which sets the peak power capacity) and the chemical storage tanks (which set the energy capacity).
By contrast, in solid-electrode batteries, such as those commonly found in cars and mobile devices, the power conversion hardware and energy capacity are packaged together in one unit, and cannot be decoupled. Consequently they can maintain peak discharge power for less than an hour before being drained. Studies indicate that 1 to 2 days (the cycle of day/night) are required for rendering renewables like wind and solar dispatchable through the current electrical grid.
To store 50 hours of energy from a 1-megawatt wind turbine (50 megawatt-hours), for example, a possible solution would be to buy solid-electrode batteries with 50 megawatt-hours of energy storage. The effective result, paying for 50 megawatts of power capacity when only 1 megawatt is necessary, however, makes little economic sense.
"Not only are existing solid-state batteries impractical for storing intermittent wind and solar energy, but flow batteries currently under development have their own set of limitations," says Aziz. "The chemicals used for storage in flow batteries can be expensive or difficult to maintain."
For example, vanadium redox flow batteriesthe type of chemistry receiving the most attentionhave limited commercial head room because the high price of vanadium sets a floor on the cost per kilowatt-hour of storage. Sodium-sulfur batteries operate with their components in a molten state, requiring the tanks to be kept at very high temperatures in hot houses. Both cost and complexity limit their use.
Aziz believes that using a particular class of small organic molecules may be the key. These molecules, which his team has already been working on, are found in plants and can be synthesized artificially for very low cost. They are also non-toxic and can be stored at room temperature. Furthermore, they cycle very efficiently between the chemical states needed for energy storage.
As an expert in materials science and a developer of high-performance flow cells, Aziz will focus his efforts on molecular and electrode electrochemistry and flow cell development. Joining him will be Roy Gordon, Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Materials Science, who will be responsible for the chemical screening and synthesis of molecules and of practical electrocatalytic and protective coatings. Aln Aspuru-Guzik, an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, will use his pioneering high-throughput molecular screening methods to identify optimal molecules. Trent M. Molter, President and CEO of Sustainable Innovations, LLC, will provide expertise on implementing these innovations into commercial electrochemical systems.
"We think our particular approach could have advantages over other flow batteries, such as higher power density, high efficiency, inexpensive chemicals, and a safer type of energy storage," says Aziz. "The success of this program would render intermittent renewables like wind and photovoltaics dispatchable at will, and thereby permit them to supply a large fraction of our electricity needs."
Aziz foresees using next-generation flow batteries for local energy storage, such as in the basement of a house or office outfitted with rooftop solar panels or, at a larger scale, directly integrated into wind and solar farms. The technology could even out-compete lead-acid batteries for solar energy storage in remote areas without access to a grid.
"While not eliminating fossil fuels, flow battery storage potentially eliminates a barrier to doing so within the existing energy system and market," says Aziz. "The best engineering and chemistry alone are not enough to solve our energy challenges. Compatibility with current infrastructure is almost always essential, and economic viability is always essential. Flow batteries may play a huge role in our transition off of fossil fuels and I am very excited that Harvard has the opportunity to develop a potential game-changer."
###
About the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects AgencyEnergy (ARPA-E)
ARPA-E was launched in 2009 to seek out transformational, breakthrough technologies that are too risky for private-sector investment but have the potential to translate science into great leaps in energy technology, form the foundation for entirely new industries, and have large commercial impacts. ARPA-E has attracted over 5,000 applications from research teams, which have resulted in over 180 groundbreaking projects worth nearly $500 million. More information on the program is available at www.arpa-e.energy.gov.
This is the first ARPA-E grant awarded to the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). Simultaneously, a team led by Joanna Aizenberg, Amy Smith Berylson Professor of Materials Science at SEAS and a Core Faculty Member at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard, is receiving an ARPA-E award through the Wyss Institute. Pamela Silver, Elliott T. and Onie H. Adams Professor of Biochemistry and Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School and a core faculty member of the Wyss Institute, is also leading a prior ARPA-E-funded project focused on developing new approaches for microbial biofuels.
The team acknowledges initial funding on early-stage research from the Harvard University Center for the Environment (HUCE) and from the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS).
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Greener storage for green energyPublic release date: 29-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Michael Patrick Rutter mrutter@seas.harvard.edu 617-496-3815 Harvard University
ARPA-E grant will support research into next-generation flow batteries to solve wind/solar intermittency problem
Cambridge, Mass. November 29, 2012 Renewable energy solutions like wind and solar operate on nature's timetable. When the sun blazes or when the breeze blows, power is plentifulbut not necessarily at the moments when consumers need it, like on a hot, calm summer night.
Storing energy from these intermittent sources has aroused interest, yet practical economics and basic chemistry have limited the wider use of green energy. Storage, to be viable, cannot add much to the price of renewable electricity without making it unacceptably expensive. Fossil fuels remain the world's chief energy source due to their relatively low cost.
To give renewables a fighting chance, a team led by engineers and chemists at Harvard University will use a one-year, $600,000 innovation grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects AgencyEnergy (ARPA-E) program to develop a new type of storage battery. The grant may be subject to renewal beyond a year, depending on performance. The award is part of a $130-million funding effort by ARPA-E through its "OPEN 2012" program, designed to support innovative energy technologies.
Called a flow battery, the technology offers the prospect of cost-effective, grid-scale electrical energy storage based on eco-friendly small organic molecules. Because practical implementation is a core driver for the program, the researchers are collaborating with Sustainable Innovations, LLC, a commercial electrochemical system developer.
"Storage of very large amounts of energy is required if we are to generate a major portion of our electricity from intermittent renewable sources such as wind turbines and photovoltaics," says lead investigator Michael Aziz, Gene and Tracy Sykes Professor of Materials and Energy Technologies at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). "Currently no cost-effective solution exists to this large-scale storage problem. Flow batteries may make stationary storage viable in the marketplace, and that will enable wind and solar to displace a lot more fossil fuel."
A type of highly rechargable fuel cell, flow batteries are suitable for storing large amounts of electrical energy in the form of liquid chemicals, which are flowed past the electrochemical conversion hardware and stored externally in inexpensive tanks that can be arbitrarily large. This permits the designer to independently size the electrochemical conversion hardware (which sets the peak power capacity) and the chemical storage tanks (which set the energy capacity).
By contrast, in solid-electrode batteries, such as those commonly found in cars and mobile devices, the power conversion hardware and energy capacity are packaged together in one unit, and cannot be decoupled. Consequently they can maintain peak discharge power for less than an hour before being drained. Studies indicate that 1 to 2 days (the cycle of day/night) are required for rendering renewables like wind and solar dispatchable through the current electrical grid.
To store 50 hours of energy from a 1-megawatt wind turbine (50 megawatt-hours), for example, a possible solution would be to buy solid-electrode batteries with 50 megawatt-hours of energy storage. The effective result, paying for 50 megawatts of power capacity when only 1 megawatt is necessary, however, makes little economic sense.
"Not only are existing solid-state batteries impractical for storing intermittent wind and solar energy, but flow batteries currently under development have their own set of limitations," says Aziz. "The chemicals used for storage in flow batteries can be expensive or difficult to maintain."
For example, vanadium redox flow batteriesthe type of chemistry receiving the most attentionhave limited commercial head room because the high price of vanadium sets a floor on the cost per kilowatt-hour of storage. Sodium-sulfur batteries operate with their components in a molten state, requiring the tanks to be kept at very high temperatures in hot houses. Both cost and complexity limit their use.
Aziz believes that using a particular class of small organic molecules may be the key. These molecules, which his team has already been working on, are found in plants and can be synthesized artificially for very low cost. They are also non-toxic and can be stored at room temperature. Furthermore, they cycle very efficiently between the chemical states needed for energy storage.
As an expert in materials science and a developer of high-performance flow cells, Aziz will focus his efforts on molecular and electrode electrochemistry and flow cell development. Joining him will be Roy Gordon, Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Materials Science, who will be responsible for the chemical screening and synthesis of molecules and of practical electrocatalytic and protective coatings. Aln Aspuru-Guzik, an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, will use his pioneering high-throughput molecular screening methods to identify optimal molecules. Trent M. Molter, President and CEO of Sustainable Innovations, LLC, will provide expertise on implementing these innovations into commercial electrochemical systems.
"We think our particular approach could have advantages over other flow batteries, such as higher power density, high efficiency, inexpensive chemicals, and a safer type of energy storage," says Aziz. "The success of this program would render intermittent renewables like wind and photovoltaics dispatchable at will, and thereby permit them to supply a large fraction of our electricity needs."
Aziz foresees using next-generation flow batteries for local energy storage, such as in the basement of a house or office outfitted with rooftop solar panels or, at a larger scale, directly integrated into wind and solar farms. The technology could even out-compete lead-acid batteries for solar energy storage in remote areas without access to a grid.
"While not eliminating fossil fuels, flow battery storage potentially eliminates a barrier to doing so within the existing energy system and market," says Aziz. "The best engineering and chemistry alone are not enough to solve our energy challenges. Compatibility with current infrastructure is almost always essential, and economic viability is always essential. Flow batteries may play a huge role in our transition off of fossil fuels and I am very excited that Harvard has the opportunity to develop a potential game-changer."
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About the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects AgencyEnergy (ARPA-E)
ARPA-E was launched in 2009 to seek out transformational, breakthrough technologies that are too risky for private-sector investment but have the potential to translate science into great leaps in energy technology, form the foundation for entirely new industries, and have large commercial impacts. ARPA-E has attracted over 5,000 applications from research teams, which have resulted in over 180 groundbreaking projects worth nearly $500 million. More information on the program is available at www.arpa-e.energy.gov.
This is the first ARPA-E grant awarded to the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). Simultaneously, a team led by Joanna Aizenberg, Amy Smith Berylson Professor of Materials Science at SEAS and a Core Faculty Member at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard, is receiving an ARPA-E award through the Wyss Institute. Pamela Silver, Elliott T. and Onie H. Adams Professor of Biochemistry and Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School and a core faculty member of the Wyss Institute, is also leading a prior ARPA-E-funded project focused on developing new approaches for microbial biofuels.
The team acknowledges initial funding on early-stage research from the Harvard University Center for the Environment (HUCE) and from the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS).
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Recreational Sport ? Steps to Follow When Choosing Your Leisure ...
How do you know which recreational sport is right for you? Though this is a simple question, it may not have a simple answer. Before answering this question, it makes sense to know the definition of a recreational sport. In simple terms, a recreational sport is any sport activity or event that one engages in during leisure time. In other words, it is a sport activity or event performed primarily for entertainment and fun. Though in some cases there may be monetary rewards associated with passtime sport, it is not usually the main goal. Other reasons associated with participating in a leisure activities includes: fitness, health, socialization, competition and sport support among others.
There are several options of leisure activities available for all age categories ranging from indoor to outdoor. Making the decision on which choice to pursue can be a real challenge and this varies significantly from one person to the other. For former professional athletes, the decision may be easier especially if they continue participating in their particular former professional sports (i.e. recreational level). The big task of choosing the right recreational sport is however on beginners. In order to make the right choice(s) if you are a beginner, it is important to consider the following general guidelines:
1. Choose a sport that you understand and are passionate about: Leisure sport in a way becomes part of your lifestyle and therefore needs to be entertaining and enjoyable. Choosing something that you don?t like or have no knowledge about can be frustrating even if your friends adore it. It only makes sense to pursue something that you know its rules and regulations. However, this does not mean one cannot learn a new sport or game, but it easier to do so if you love the sport.
2. Consider your goals and objectives: As mentioned above, there are different reasons that drive people into recreational sports. Choosing a sport that is in line with your goals, for example losing weight will only enrich the whole recreational experience. Some one looking for a recreational sport to aid in cutting down some extra body weight may benefit from running, jogging, walking, hiking or swimming among other high calorie burning sport activities as opposed to playing cards or video games. On the other hand somebody looking for a recreational sport that favors socialization may benefit from the latter.
3. Facilities, tools and equipment required: Different recreational sports may require different tools, facilities or equipment or in some cases may require none at all. These tools, facilities or equipment may also vary depending on the needs of every person. For example if you want to play golf for recreation, you will definitely have to purchase a golf club, balls and perhaps shoes. You will also need an available and accessible golf course to play. In some cases if you have more than one favorite recreational sport, you may have to choose what is more convenient based on availability of facilities. It makes more sense to go running at a nearby track especially if you get off work late in the evenings than having to drive for several miles to get to a golf course (i.e. if you like both golf and running).
4. Availability of time: Since a recreational sport is a pastime sport, choosing the right one may be dictated by how much free time is at one?s disposal. Some leisure sports are more time consuming than others. Additionally some of these sports must only be played outside. Where as some sports such as running, jogging, walking, playing tennis, playing basketball or swimming offers both indoor and outdoor options, some of them, for example playing golf, hiking, kayaking, surfing among other don?t. The more time one has, the more the options to choose from and the vice versa.
5. Seasonality: Though this may not be a big deal to people living along the equatorial line geographically, it definitely affects people living in areas with winter and summer climatic seasons. Some recreational sports such as those requiring snow may only be available during winter and only in some parts of the world. So if skiing is the only favorite recreational sport that one can participate in, it means there will be nothing to do for most of the year i.e. during the other seasons. When deciding on the right sport for recreation, it is advisable to have more than one option especially in a situation where one is affected by seasonal changes.
6. Number of participants required: Where as most sports require participation of more than one person at one time, some can be pursued individually. If your schedule does not allow group or team participation, choosing a recreational sport that will enable you to participate alone is a good idea. Jogging, walking, swimming, biking and running are great examples.
As mentioned earlier, this is not an exhaustive list of guidelines, but it is only meant to give you an idea of how to pick the best sport that will make your recreational life a success. Remember the bottom line is fun and entertainment.
Author: Philip Rotich
The author has masters in sports and leisure management. He is a former professional track and field athlete. He is currently pursuing Ph. D program as well coaching and counseling athletes and recreational sports individuals of all ages. For information visit Lose Abdominal Fat
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Biomarker May Help Mesothelioma Patients Combat Resistance to ...
Nov282012
Innovation in mesothelioma research is happening at a staggering pace. This year alone, the clinical trials at multiple research institutions have yielded a myriad of improvements in how oncologists treat mesothelioma.
Currently, chemotherapy, such as crizotinib, is the most used method of treatment for inhibiting the growth of the disease and slowing the symptoms. There are multiple chemotherapeutic methods that can be used to treat mesothelioma but problems arise when the cancer becomes chemo-resistant, which essentially renders the treatments useless. Medical researchers, however, believe they have found a new biomarker that may help identify chemo-resistance in mesothelioma and lung cancer patients and potentially restore drug sensitivity.
Mesothelioma researchers have reported that they have identified a key gene that determines a patient?s resistance to a host of different chemotherapy drugs.? Researchers have found a biomarker that can forecast a patient?s reaction to cancer drugs and aid oncologists in determining the best strategy of treatment.
A biomarker is a molecule or gene in the body that indicates a biological state.? Researchers can use biomarkers to measure how certain people react to various types of treatment.?Mesothelioma researchers have also been looking at biomarkers to diagnose mesothelioma and other types of cancers in the early stages and evaluate which treatments work best in patients.?
Professor Rene Bernards of the Netherlands Cancer Institute was the senior author in a study that evaluated how a specific biomarker influenced drug resistance.? Bernards and his team of researchers began the study to determine why some patients developed resistance to crizotinib. The group discovered that a protein involved in cell growth and cell death was enhanced when the MED12 biomarker was suppressed. Furthermore, certain cancer drugs, such as crizotinib, were rendered ineffective. The drug responsiveness was restored, however, when the researchers inhibited TGF-betaR signaling in MED12-deficient cells.
In order to prevent drug resistance in mesothelioma patients, Bernards says that researchers must first understand the mechanisms of drug resistance.?After establishing what effects that blocking the escape route in MED12-deficient cells has in a mesothelioma patient, researchers may be able to restore a patient?s resistance to chemotherapy drugs.
The mesothelioma lawyers at Baron and Budd applaud the efforts of Professor Rene Bernards and his team of researchers at the Netherlands Cancer Institute.?For almost 35 years, the mesothelioma law firm has been dedicated to the advancement of mesothelioma treatment. The firm is committed to delivering the most current, relevant and cohesive information to the mesothelioma community in addition to fighting against the asbestos companies responsible for asbestos-related diseases.
To learn more about how Baron and Budd fights to protect those affected by mesothelioma, visit here.
Tagged chemotherapy, Crizotinib, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Rene Bernards
[Press Release] Gov. Perry Gives Keynote at the United Negro College Fund?s North Texas Governor's Luncheon
Wednesday, November 28, 2012?????Irving, Texas?????Press Release
Gov. Rick Perry delivered the keynote address at the North Texas Governor's Luncheon benefiting the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). The UNCF provides financial support to small higher education institutions throughout the country to help keep the cost of education affordable for underserved populations. Proceeds from today's luncheon will benefit scholarships for low-income college students.
"As governor, I support the role UNCF plays in helping young people achieve their goal of a higher education," Gov. Perry said. "It is my mission to ensure that we devote our efforts and resources to carrying out proposed education reforms during the upcoming legislative session. The four-year tuition freeze for incoming freshmen, linking a portion of each university's funding to student outcomes and expanding the number of universities offering degrees will motivate students to graduate on time and enter the workforce sooner by making Texas colleges more accessible, affordable and accountable for all Texans."
To view more information on higher education reforms, please visit http://governor.state.tx.us/news/press-release/17697/.
To view the governor's remarks from the UNCF North Texas Governor's Luncheon, please visit http://governor.state.tx.us/news/speech/17918/.
Tory senator surprised to be mentioned at Quebec construction ...
OTTAWA ? Conservative Sen. Leo Housakos said he was surprised to hear his name mentioned at a commission of inquiry into Quebec?s construction industry Wednesday, and questioned the accuracy of the emerging evidence.
In an interview with Postmedia News, Housakos confirmed that he frequented an exclusive Montreal club to do networking, while noting that he had no business dealings with any of the representatives from the construction industry or municipal politics who are now under scrutiny by the commission over allegations of corruption and bid-rigging.
Housakos said he joined the venue, Club 357c, as a marketing consultant?in 2007 and 2008, following an invitation from Montreal-area businessman Paolo Catania.
?I just don?t see the issue (with me) at the commission,? Housakos said. ?I have never been in any shape, way or form in any business activity with these guys, directly or indirectly.?
Housakos, who gave up his membership at the prestigious club in Old Montreal before Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced his appointment to the Senate in December 2008, said he was prepared to answer questions at the commission, headed by Quebec Justice France Charbonneau.
?At the end of the day, I support the commission?s work 100-per-cent, and I just want to put on the record (that) at no such time has the commission called me or questioned me in regards to anything,? Housakos said. ?This is the first time I have gotten wind of my name at this commission and it would have been, I think, appropriate that they would take the time to inform people and question people on issues before they go forward.?
Housakos confirmed that he had crossed paths over the years with businessmen such as Catania and Joe Borsellino, as well as Bernard Trepanier, a fundraiser for municipal political party Union Montreal.
Catania and Trepanier are among a group of people facing charges in connection with an alleged bid-rigging scheme over a city of Montreal construction contract.
Housakos could not recall details of all of the meetings he had at the exclusive venue, but said he was checking his records to review what happened.
?We?re talking about events that happened five years ago, so my recollection is not as clear as it should be,? Housakos said.
But Housakos suggested some of the records presented as evidence Wednesday about his events at Club 357c were mistaken.
For example, he said a June 2007 event he hosted on behalf of the provincial Action democratique du Quebec party was not a fundraising event, as it was described at the commission, but rather a networking event to meet with the business community. He also denied evidence suggesting that Borsellino, from Garnier Construction, had attended the event.
?So that to me is false. It?s erroneous,? Housakos said. ?I don?t know if he was at the club while I was at that event, but at no such time did I ever come across Joe Borsellino in 2007 and I have no reason to believe that Mr. Borsellino would have been present at any of my meetings or events.?
Housakos, who was appointed by the government to the board of Via Rail before his Senate appointment in December 2008, also worked as an executive at a prominent engineering firm, BPR, in 2008 and was a major fundraiser for the ADQ.
He said he had met Catania several years earlier at a public event and was later invited to join the club.
?Paolo Catania was the gentleman who introduced me to the club, years back. He was an active member in the club,? Housakos said. ?We could have, on a couple of occasions, had lunch, that would be for sure. It?s possible.?
Housakos also noted that no one received any favours or preferential treatment from the federal government.
?I haven?t seen any accusations ? that?s the problem I face with this,? he said. ?I know in the House of Commons, they?re going to take liberties again, under the curtain of parliamentary immunity, and it?s unfortunate, but you can?t defend yourself against no allegations, and all I?ve seen so far are some breakfasts and lunches at a club that I was a member of with individuals who since then seem to have had some difficulty with the law, in some cases, obviously not in all of their cases. So what more can I say??
Opposition MPs asked the Harper government to explain Wednesday whether it knew what was going on in the private meetings at the club.
Harper dismissed the issue as ?hearsay,? without mentioning Housakos by name.
?I have no information of any credible allegation against this particular individual,? Harper said.
? With files from Christopher Curtis, Postmedia News
NEW YORK (AP) ? Radio talk show host Laura Ingraham is off the air ? at least temporarily.
She said Tuesday that she's leaving her distributor, Talk Radio Network, after more than nine years because her contract is up. Ingraham said she is in discussions with other distributors about her show, which currently airs on 325 stations nationally.
Talkers magazine says the conservative Ingraham is the most-listened to woman on radio, with an estimated 5.75 million listeners a week. Talkers said that ranks her among the top eight radio hosts overall.
In the meantime, she said she'll keep her opinions flowing on her website, on Twitter and during Fox News Channel appearances.
New Android Application Released by Michigan Secretary of State Gives Mobile Users Access to State of Michigan Campaign Finance Filings
New Android Application Released by Michigan Secretary of State Gives Mobile Users Access to State of Michigan Campaign Finance Filings
LANSING, Mich. - 11/14/2012
Transparency into Michigan state campaign finances expanded today. Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson announced the launch of a free Android application,?Michigan CFS? (Campaign Finance Search). This application provides the same mobile access as the iPhone version released in April. Now most mobile users can have immediate access to electronically filed campaign finance information for all Michigan state offices, and political committees. Both versions also provide access to contributor information, on the go.
"Transparency and accountability in campaign finance are now more easily accessible to all smartphone users," said Johnson, the state's chief elections officer. "I encourage everyone with an interest in campaign finance to check out this application."
Michigan CFS is available for free download on the Google Play Store. Users can use a simple search to find the most recent information on state candidates and/or committees. Information includes committee type, reporting waiver status, office sought, district sought, and election period. It also delivers the most current financial data such as contributions received, including in-kind contributions, expenditures made, and debt owed. Click once to see a list of contributors and the amounts they contributed. The app allows advanced searching as well; search by election period, party affiliation, committee type or the office being sought.
"We are delighted to support the Michigan Secretary of State in this Android version of the groundbreaking Michigan campaign finance mobile application," said Randall Bartlett, president of NIC Technologies. "This app on Android will provide mobile access to even more citizens with interest in Michigan campaign finance and elections."
The Michigan CFS app is developed and managed by NIC Technologies, LLC, part of eGovernment firm NIC Inc.?s (NASDAQ: EGOV) family of companies. NIC Technologies also provides key eGovernment services for other federal and state agencies. This includes the previous Michigan CFS iPhone application and an iPhone application ?FEC CF$? that provides similar election finance data at the federal level. NIC Technologies develops and maintains systems developed for the Michigan Bureau of Elections that support electronic filing and disclosure for State campaign finance information.
About NIC
NIC Inc. (NASDAQ: EGOV) is the nation?s leading provider of official government portals, online services, and secure payment processing solutions. The company?s innovative eGovernment services help reduce costs and increase efficiencies for government agencies, citizens, and businesses across the country. The NIC family of companies provides eGovernment solutions for more than 3,500 federal, state, and local agencies across the United States. Additional information is available at http://www.egov.com.
Travel And Leisure Vacation-rentals | Home Schooling
Vacation Rentals offer the best lodgings for any occasion. It brings clients and owners to work together as these clients go for their vacation. Vacation rentals offer an alternative to hotels because it is more spacious, private and comfortable. These homes are also where families lived and they have just decided to rent out the place for a specific period of time. As you book for a vacation, you can choose from a variety of vacation rentals ranging from apartments, cottages, condos and even castles! You can get more than just a place where you can cook your meals or sleep because these vacation rentals are fully furnished. Over the past few years, the trend of renting out a villa or home in place of a hotel is growing as vacation rental homes industry is thriving and blooming day after day. Renting out apartments or homes is much more affordable when compared to the hotels, which is attracting more and more tourists to make plans for vacations, as it is affordable. Running a bed and breakfast is a dream career for a lot of people, but if you ask an experienced innkeeper about what it takes to run an inn, you will discover that it involves a lot of work and long hours, especially in the beginning phase of opening a bed and breakfast business. It will eventually get easier to run a B&B, in the meantime, here are some tips to help you manage a B&B with less cost and more efficiency. After choosing a destination for your vacation, the next problem becomes where to stay. Many people choose hotel chains based on name familiarity and ease, although all you will really get is a place to sleep and nothing more. Many people believe that a bed and breakfast is out of their budget when in fact, a luxury B & B Inn costs the same as a four star hotel. With a bed and breakfast you receive personalized service and attention, not a number on an invoice With both unemployment and financial hardship increasing, many people are looking at ways to either start their own business or supplement their existing income. An increasingly popular option is to put your home-making and culinary skills to good use and start a bed and breakfast business f your business is growing you may find that you are outgrowing your small home office. This can become more of a necessity than a want if you are about to take on employees for the first time. When you find yourself in this situation you should begin to consider short term rentals for business use. Also various amenities are offered to tourists for a comfortable stay at motel. Some are like Cable/Satellite TV, Air conditioning, Phone, Coffee/tea maker, Microwave, Wake-up calls, Housekeeping, Wi-Fi Available, Rollaway beds, Swimming pool ? outdoor, Fax machine and 24-hour front desk. Food facilities are also available for tourists
Rasul Mirzayev attends his trial where he was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, at a court in Moscow, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012. Mirzayev was sentenced to two years of house arrest over the death of a man he had punched outside a club. (AP Photo)
Rasul Mirzayev attends his trial where he was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, at a court in Moscow, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012. Mirzayev was sentenced to two years of house arrest over the death of a man he had punched outside a club. (AP Photo)
Police officers stand guard outside a court where Russian martial arts champion Rasul Mirzaev was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012. Mirzayev was sentenced to two years of house arrest over the death of a man he had punched outside a club. (AP Photo/Misha Japaridze)
Police officers detain Dmitry Demushkin, the leader of the banned ultra-nationalist group Slavic Union, outside a court where Russian martial arts champion Rasul Mirzaev was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012. Mirzayev was sentenced to two years of house arrest over the death of a man he had punched outside a club. (AP Photo/Misha Japaridze)
MOSCOW (AP) ? A world martial arts champion from Russia's southern Caucasus region was convicted Tuesday of involuntary manslaughter but set free after a trial that inflamed the country's ethnic tensions.
The verdict led to protests by nationalists outside the court and prompted Russian riot police to flood the wide square outside the Kremlin to prevent possible violent clashes between nationalists and ethnic minorities from the Caucasus.
Rasul Mirzayev had punched former police student Ivan Agafonov outside a Moscow nightclub in 2011 after the drunken 19-year-old offended Mirzayev's girlfriend. Agafonov fell down, hitting his head on a sewer grate and dying four days later.
Mirzayev's trial had raised the anger of nationalists, who accused him of deliberately killing the Russian student. The athlete's supporters argued that Agafonov had provoked the lethal punch and his killing was accidental.
The Zamoskvoretsky court ruled Tuesday that since Mirzayev had already served his sentence in pre-detention he could walk free.
There are significant tensions between ethnic Russians, who make up two-thirds of the country's 142 million people, and the more than 100 ethnicities that account for the remaining third. Hundreds of thousands of Caucasus natives have flooded central Russia in search of jobs, triggering widespread xenophobia and a spike in hate crimes.
Mirzayev, a bearded and lean 26-year-old, hails from Dagestan, Russia's most multiethnic province. Dagestan has for years been an epicenter of Islamic insurgency that stems from separatist wars in neighboring Chechnya.
The Caucasus has also been beset by high unemployment and rampant corruption. The Kremlin has poured billions of dollars to subsidize the restive region, but government critics say most of the money is being embezzled by local leaders.
Polls show that nearly half of Russians resent Kremlin's subsidies to the region and dislike migrants from both the Caucasus and the former Soviet Central Asian states.
A protest led by neo-Nazi leader Dmitri Demushkin erupted outside the court building Tuesday. Moscow police said six protesters, including Demushkin, were detained, while several dozen other protesters chanted "Shame!" A similar protest took place in the western Siberian city of Novosibirsk.
Dozens of riot police also gathered at Manezhnaya Square outside the Kremlin and blocked adjacent areas to prevent a nationalist rally. Last year, thousands of ultranationalists clashed with police and beat dark-skinned passers-by there to protest the shooting of a Russian soccer fan by a group of Caucasus men.
A top human rights advocate urged Russians not to escalate ethnic tensions following Mirzayev's release.
"There is no need to turn this everyday conflict into an inter-ethnic collision," Mikhail Fedotov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.
But thousands of angry comments made the conviction one of the top Twitter hashtags in Russia.
"Such verdicts might trigger a social explosion," opposition leader and outspoken Kremlin critic Vladimir Milov tweeted.
Other comments suggested that Mirzayev's release was prompted by pressure from the Kremlin and Caucasus leaders.
"The regime is more afraid of a small riot in the Caucasus than a big one throughout Russia," opposition activist Nikolai Permyakov tweeted.
Even a democratic activist like Alexei Navalny has urged the Kremlin to "stop feeding the Caucasus" and helped organize this year's Russian March, a rally of ultranationalists that also drew neo-Nazis, monarchists and militant Orthodox Christians.
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Public release date: 29-Nov-2012
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Innovation in mesothelioma research is happening at a staggering pace. This year alone, the clinical trials at multiple research institutions have yielded a myriad of improvements in how oncologists treat mesothelioma.