Regulations
Non-compete agreements create ‘career detours’
October 5, 2011 1:55 pm | by Peter Dizikes, MIT News Office | News | CommentsTechnology firms frequently require workers to sign non-compete agreements, which typically bar their employees from joining rival companies for one to two years. A new study of more than 1,000 engineers, conducted by an MIT professor, shows that these agreements come with a high cost for employees.
Report: EPA cut corners on climate finding
September 28, 2011 1:36 pm | by Dina Cappiello, Associated Press | News | CommentsAccording to an internal government watchdog, the Obama administration cut corners before concluding that climate-change pollution can endanger human health. This key finding underpins costly new regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Spin overtaking facts in Marcellus Shale debate
September 27, 2011 8:44 am | by Kevin Begos, Associated Press | News | CommentsFor some, Marcellus Shale natural gas represents a economic boon for America. For others, it’s an ongoing ecological disaster. Scientists worry that as advocates on both sides spin every shred of research to fit their own views, they will ignore the bigger picture.
Automation in the air dulls pilot skill
August 31, 2011 5:26 am | by Joan Lowy, Associated Press | News | CommentsPilots' "automation addiction" has eroded their flying skills to the point that they sometimes don't know how to recover from stalls and other mid-flight problems, say pilots and safety officials. The weakened skills have contributed to hundreds of deaths in airline crashes in the last five years.
New data spill shows risk of online health records
August 22, 2011 6:48 am | by Jordan Robertson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsUntil recently, medical files belonging to nearly 300,000 Californians sat unsecured on the Internet for the entire world to see. The leak was not brought about by a hacker, however, just a company’s neglect. Experts worry that such mistakes could hinder the transition of medical records to digital form.
Drug prices to plummet in wave of expiring patents
July 25, 2011 5:00 am | by Linda A. Johnson, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsThe next 14 months will bring generic versions of seven of the world's 20 best-selling drugs, including the top two: cholesterol fighter Lipitor and blood thinner Plavix. Generic competition will decimate sales of the brand-name drugs and cut costs to patients and companies that provide health benefits.
Regulatory hurdles hinder biofuels market
July 21, 2011 9:37 am | News | CommentsRegulatory hurdles abound for the successful commercialization of emerging liquid biofuels, which hold the promise of enhancing United States energy security, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and serving as a driver for rural economic development. A University of Illinois study argues that regulatory innovations are needed to keep pace with technological innovations in the biofuels industry.
Judges approve $4.5B Nortel patents sale
July 11, 2011 12:54 pm | by Randall Chase, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsA consortium that includes a veritable who’s-who of telecommunications and software giants have successfully placed their $4.5 billion cash bid for thousands of patents held by bankrupt telecom-equipment maker Nortel Networks Corp. The patents cover technologies that include data networking, semiconductors and 4G wireless systems. Nortel won three R&D 100 Awards for its products in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
U.S. nuke regulators weaken safety rules
June 20, 2011 8:26 am | by Jeff Donn, AP National Writer | News | CommentsAccording to an extensive investigation by the Associated Press, federal regulators have been working closely with the nuclear power industry to keep the nation's aging reactors operating within safety standards by repeatedly weakening those standards. The report claims that nuclear regulatory officials have often decided original regulations are too strict and has argued that safety margins could be eased without peril.
China plans restructure of rare earths industry
June 8, 2011 11:56 am | News | CommentsOne of China’s biggest, state-owned rare earths miners and producers has been given a monopoly over rare earth mining, processing, and trading in the northern part of the country. The move is an effort by the country’s government to bring the rare earths industry, which provides 97% of global supply, under tighter control.
Greenhouse gas emissions hitting record highs
June 6, 2011 6:14 am | by Arthur Max, Associated Press | News | CommentsRecent reports of record high greenhouse gas emissions and unprecedented carbon levels in the atmosphere have added a sense of urgency to the efforts of United Nations climate negotiators, who are trying to make industrial countries continue reducing greenhouse gas emissions after their current commitment expires next year.
Radiation expert criticizes comparison of Fukushima to Chernobyl
May 18, 2011 7:25 am | News | CommentsIn rating the severity of the Fukushima accident as a Level 7 major accident, the highest possible level, the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale has prompted another kind of fallout. Richard Wakefield, a radiological protection specialist at the Univ. of Manchester’s Dalton Nuclear Institute, is questioning the accuracy of the system, which also placed Chernobyl at Level 7 despite that reactor's much greater release of radiation, and thinks media confusion will result.
Northwest power surplus may halt wind energy
May 16, 2011 6:17 am | by Tim Fought, Associated Press | News | CommentsLast Friday, the manager of most of the electricity in the Pacific Northwest put wind farms on notice that they may be shut down on short notice. A cold, wet spring has given hydroelectric dams so much potential energy that the energy grid is at capacity. The move could precipitate a legal battle between wind farm owners and the U.S. government.
Asia nuclear reactors face tsunami risk
April 19, 2011 6:21 am | by Margie Mason and Robin McDowell, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe world's most seismically charged region is undergoing a nuclear renaissance as it struggles to harness enough power for its huge populations and booming economies. But China, Taiwan, India and several other countries have made little use of new science to determine whether these areas are safe. At least 32 plants in operation or under construction in Asia are at risk of one day being hit by a tsunami, nuclear experts and geologists warn.
World's first certified reference material for nanoparticle size analysis
February 18, 2011 5:31 am | News | CommentsThe European Commission's Joint Research Centre has recently developed the world's first certified nanoparticle reference material based on industry-sourced nanoparticles. ERM-FD100 consists of 20 nm dia silica nanoparticles, and nominal size was measured in collaboration with 33 laboratories from 11 different countries. Silica is among the world’s most widely dispersed nanoparticles.
The threat of inadequacy
October 14, 2010 9:05 am | Blogs | CommentsMore immigrants live in the U.S. today than at any time since 1910. There are more immigrants living in the U.S. than there are Canadians. In reflecting on the wave of anti immigration sentiment that has swept the country in
R & D Tax Credit Can Turn R & D Investment into Cash
February 18, 2010 5:05 am | by Les Bryson and Peter Feldman | Articles | CommentsOne truly benign way of cutting costs is reducing the tax burden. In industries from chemicals to software, from agriculture to fashion, and at every level, taking full advantage of a tax credit provided by the federal and many state governments to encourage innovation and competitiveness—the R&D tax credit—enables companies to achieve remarkable tax savings.
Understanding Contract Labs
October 21, 2009 4:25 am | by Lindsay Hock, Managing Editor | Articles | CommentsWith pressure to get new products to market, companies are faced with meeting rigorous standards and the time consuming development and testing to make their products market ready. Since the development process is time consuming, taking from months, up to years, there is no doubt that outside, unbiased help could be beneficial. When faced with deadlines, companies turn to contract laboratories to meet their needs.
Contract Laboratory Profile: The MicroStar Lab, LTD.
October 21, 2009 4:20 am | Articles | CommentsThe MicroStar Lab, Ltd. is a microbiology laboratory that specializes in the microbiological needs for aerospace, military, and industrial applications. Fungal work, mold-resistance testing, and standardized testing of antimicrobial agents is our primary focus. Contract R&D, plant audits and industrial microbiological troubleshooting are also available.
Contract Laboratory Profile: Delsen Testing Laboratories, Inc.
October 21, 2009 4:20 am | Articles | CommentsDelsen is engaged in testing advanced materials for industrial and aerospace clients. Delsen's particular areas of expertise are testing advanced composite materials, flammability testing of aircraft interior materials, and testing of electrical materials.
Contract Laboratory Profile: Indesign LLC
October 21, 2009 4:20 am | Articles | CommentsIndesign provides electronic product design services. This includes full turn-key product development starting with concept development, continuing through detailed product design and prototyping, and finishing with production support. Indesign develops products for clients in a wide range of markets: medical, military, consumer, industrial, communications, and computer peripherals.
Contract Laboratory Profile: Intertek
October 21, 2009 4:20 am | Articles | CommentsIntertek provides a wide range of global laboratory testing services, from quality control to advanced research and development support. Intertek works with our clients on multiple levels, from transactional and contractual relationships to strategic laboratory acquisition and outsourcing projects and support.
Contract Laboratory Profile: Combustion Research Center
October 21, 2009 4:20 am | Articles | CommentsThe Combustion Research Center (CRC) is a business unit of Kidde-Fenwal, Inc. The CRC provides testing services related to the combustion and ignition properties of dusts, liquids and gases through application of ASTM standard test methods. The CRC laboratory is accredited to ISO 17025.
EU Takes Lead in Driving Nanotech Standards
February 26, 2008 4:25 am | by Tim Studt | Articles | CommentsThe European Commission (EC) recently awarded a $587,000 development grant to researchers on how to regulate nanotechnologies in the European Union (EU) and the U.S. The grant was given to researchers at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK; Chatham House, London, UK; the Environmental Law Institute, Washington, D.C.; and the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN)-an initiative of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Pew Charitable Trusts, Washington, D.C.
Crunching the Numbers: A Conceptual Cost Estimating System for LEED Facilities
February 21, 2008 5:52 am | by Bruce Haxton, AIA, LEED AP, Senior Project Manager/Design Architect, MHTN Architects, Inc. Glen Beckstead, ASPE, Chief Cost Estimator, MHTN Architects, Inc. | Articles | CommentsEver since a sustainable design team first discussed the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC's) LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification system with their first potential "green" client, the question that has been on every client's lips has been, "How much will it cost?"
