MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) ? The Colombian-style music group was playing at a ranch in northern Mexico when at least 10 gunmen entered the warehouse where the private party was being held and forced them and several crew members into waiting vehicles, a survivor of the attack told authorities.
Nuevo Leon state security spokesmanJorge Domene said the survivor, a member of the Kombo Kolombia band, told police the 18 were blindfolded and driven on dirt roads until they stopped. He then heard the assailants ask fellow band members if they belonged to a drug cartel, shots were fired and the bodies were dumped into a well.
Domene said the survivor, who is being protected by soldiers, was able to reach a nearby ranch and get help. He wouldn't give details on how the man was able to escape.
The man later led authorities to the well where searchers found several bodies, Domene said.
Domene said four bodies first pulled from the well on Sunday have been identified by their relatives, including a Colombian citizen who played the keyboard. Three of them were wearing matching T-shirt with the name of the band.
"The search will continue ... to see how many more bodies may be hidden there," he said.
By Monday afternoon, searchers had pulled 12 bodies from the well along a dirt road in the town of Mina, about 140 miles (225 kilometers) from Laredo, Texas, Domene said.
The bodies recovered showed signs of torture, said a forensic official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly on the case.
It was hard to determine how many more bodies were submersed in the water, he said.
Authorities initially said 16 members of the band Kombo Kolombia and four crew members were reported missing early Friday after playing at a private party attended by about 50 people and held at a ranch called La Carreta, or The Wagon, in the town of Hidalgo north of Monterrey.
But Domene said Monday 18 band members had gone missing. He didn't say how many were crew members and how many were musicians.
The party guests are being questioned and police have yet to determine a motive in the killings, Domene said.
Nuevo Leon state, on the border with Texas, has been the scene of a turf battle between members of the Gulf drug cartel and the Zetas drug gang. The Zetas were hit men for the Gulf cartel until they split in 2010, unleashing their bloody war.
People living near the ranch in Hidalgo reported hearing gunshots at about 4 a.m. Friday, followed by the sound of vehicles speeding away, said a separate source with the Nuevo Leon State Investigative Agency. He also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to be quoted by the news media.
The officials added that gunfire is common in the area and said investigators found spent bullets nearby.
Relatives filed a missing persons report on Friday after losing cellular phone contact with the musicians. When they went to the ranch to investigate, they found the band members' vehicles still parked outside.
Kombo Kolombia has played a Colombian style of music known as vallenato, which is popular in working class neighborhood in the city of Monterrey and other parts of Nuevo Leon state. Most of the group's musicians were from the area, except for the keyboard player who is Colombian and had Mexican residency, Domene said.
The band regularly played at bars in downtown Monterrey on the weekend. At least two of the bars where they had played had been attacked by gunmen.
It was Mexico's largest single kidnapping since 20 tourists from the western state of Michoacan were abducted in Acapulco in 2010. Most of their bodies were found a month later in a mass grave. Authorities said the tourists were mistaken for cartel members.
Members of other musical groups have been murdered in Mexico in recent years, usually groups that perform "narcocorridos" that celebrate the exploits of drug traffickers. But Kombo Kolombia did not play that type of music, and its lyrics were about love and heartbreak and did not deal with violence or drug trafficking.
But singers of drug exploits are not the only musicians targeted, said Elijah Wald, author of the book, "Narcocorrido: A Journey into the Music of Drugs, Guns and Guerrillas."
"There is really not correlation. Drug guys hire people to play for their parties and they hire whatever is happening," he said. "Sergio Gomez, the single-most famous singer killed from K-Paz de la Sierra, his big hit was a version of 'Jambalaya.'"
Gomez was kidnapped and found strangled and tortured in 2007 in the western state of Michoacan, a day after Zayda Pena of the group Zayda and the Guilty Ones was shot in a hospital while recovering from a separate bullet wound in the border town of Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas.
Valentin Elizalde, "El Gallo de Oro," was shot to death along with his manager and driver in 2006 following a performance in Reynosa, across the border from McAllen, Texas. Norteno singer Sergio Vega was shot dead in a northern state of Sinaloa in 2010.
"A lot of people are being killed because they're in the wrong place at the wrong time and musicians are some of the people on that list," Wald said.
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When it comes to skin cancer, you cannot afford to take any chances, especially if you live in sunny Florida. That is why it is never too soon to visit a dermatologist at Sarasota Skin and Cancer Center for an annual skin cancer screening.
Skin cancer is highly curable if detected early. Although the risk of developing the disease is greater for people over 50 years old or for those with fair skin, people of all ages and complexions can get it. When allowed to fully progress, skin cancer can lead to permanent disfigurement and even death.
Sarasota Skin can help you stay healthy by providing you with an annual skin cancer screening along with your regular dermatology visit. A screening usually involves early detection of skin cancer through the inspection of freckles, moles and other skin abnormalities.
During the screening, you must fully undress so the dermatologist can inspect your entire skin surface for any signs of cancerous growths. These growths can include rashes, lesions or a mole that is atypical. An atypical mole is one that is greater than the diameter of a pencil eraser in size, especially light or dark in tone, asymmetrical or actively bleeding. If your dermatologist discovers an atypical mole on your skin, she will perform a biopsy.
A biopsy is a relatively painless procedure. The dermatologist removes a small part of the atypical mole and inspects it for cancer. Surgical removal of the mole only takes place if the mole is determined to be cancerous.
Schedule your routine skin cancer screening with Sarasota Skin today. This small, once-a-year examination could save your life.
DRI to led efforts in clean water, sanitation and hygiene solutions in developing nationsPublic release date: 28-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Ashley Conroy conroy.ashley@dri.edu 702-862-5411 Desert Research Institute
Research will encourage more effective and efficient management of water resources
RENO Born and raised in a rural village in Northern Ghana, Dr. Braimah Apambire knows the value of resources in a critically deprived country.
"I grew up in a rural community in Northern Ghana where firsthand, I learned that water scarcity was a prominent concern," Apambire said.
Apambire recently has been selected as the Senior Assistant to the President for Global Sustainability and Director for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programs at the Desert Research Institute. His work will help examine the sustainable use of water resources and build capacity in the developing world.
This opportunity was made possible through a generous three year grant of $500,000 from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. It will support Apambire's work with DRI to create a center on Water, Development and Sustainability issues.
Dr. Stephen Wells, DRI President, says research of this stature is what gives the institution its credibility as a world leader in the sciences. "Not only will the Hilton Foundation grant help DRI establish an extremely worthwhile and needed program, it will ultimately raise the international profile and awareness of DRI's water sustainability efforts."
Apambire has traveled the world in search of effective and safe drinking water solutions in developing nations. He previously published articles and reports on water crises in third world countries and the subsequent result of non-potable water quality on human health.
"Gaps in knowledge, research and human resource capacity impede government and non-governmental organizations' ability to implement water, sanitation and hygiene programs in developing countries," Apambire said. "This research is an opportunity to help change that."
The grant will provide both information and technical capacity to governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in solving water crises in African countries such as Ghana, Mali, and Ethiopia and as far east as India.
The research conducted will not only provide an informational gateway and technical approach to developing clean water solutions, but it will give citizens in developing countries an opportunity to improve the quality and effective use of a precious resource.
"We are extremely pleased to have Dr. Braimah Apambire serving through the good graces of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, as the director of this critical and exciting program that will benefit so many needy people around the world," Dr. Wells said.
For decades, the growing concern on limited water resources in places such as West Africa has turned into a reality. As safe water sources are sparse in these areas, it has led to diseases such as diarrhea, trachoma, and guinea worm from contaminated drinking water. To Apambire, this research will focus on developing solutions to real world problems that are considered a human rights concern.
"The need for improved management of water resources continues to grow as populations increase across the developing world. As a result, water quality challenges persist and global climate change constrains available resources even further," Apambire said.
Apambire's work will primarily be conducted out of the Division of Hydrologic Sciences at DRI. Jim Thomas, DHS Executive Director says it is of great value to have Apambire's experience and expertise at DRI. "Braimah's work and practical research approach with water and sanitation around the world will set apart DRI's research helping service real world problems in developing nations."
Apambire is familiar with Nevada as he is a former DRI Assistant Professor and a University of Nevada Reno (UNR) hydrologic sciences graduate student.
"With the generous grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, I look forward to working with colleagues at DRI and in developing countries to assist with reducing health-related issues and with the design of sustainable WASH programs."
###
To follow Dr. Apambire's work on Twitter: https://twitter.com/braimaha
About Desert Research Institute: DRI, the nonprofit research campus of the Nevada System of Higher Education, strives to be the world leader in environmental sciences through the application of knowledge and technologies to improve people's lives throughout Nevada and the world.
All DRI news releases are available at: http://news.dri.edu/.
About the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation: The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation was created in 1944 by international business pioneer Conrad N. Hilton, who founded Hilton Hotels and left his fortune to help the world's disadvantaged and vulnerable people. The Foundation currently conducts strategic initiatives in six priority areas: providing safe water, ending chronic homelessness, preventing substance abuse, helping children affected by HIV and AIDS, supporting transition-age youth in foster care, and extending Conrad Hilton's support for the work of Catholic Sisters. From its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $1 billion in grants, distributing $82 million in the U.S. and around the world in 2011.
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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.
DRI to led efforts in clean water, sanitation and hygiene solutions in developing nationsPublic release date: 28-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Ashley Conroy conroy.ashley@dri.edu 702-862-5411 Desert Research Institute
Research will encourage more effective and efficient management of water resources
RENO Born and raised in a rural village in Northern Ghana, Dr. Braimah Apambire knows the value of resources in a critically deprived country.
"I grew up in a rural community in Northern Ghana where firsthand, I learned that water scarcity was a prominent concern," Apambire said.
Apambire recently has been selected as the Senior Assistant to the President for Global Sustainability and Director for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programs at the Desert Research Institute. His work will help examine the sustainable use of water resources and build capacity in the developing world.
This opportunity was made possible through a generous three year grant of $500,000 from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. It will support Apambire's work with DRI to create a center on Water, Development and Sustainability issues.
Dr. Stephen Wells, DRI President, says research of this stature is what gives the institution its credibility as a world leader in the sciences. "Not only will the Hilton Foundation grant help DRI establish an extremely worthwhile and needed program, it will ultimately raise the international profile and awareness of DRI's water sustainability efforts."
Apambire has traveled the world in search of effective and safe drinking water solutions in developing nations. He previously published articles and reports on water crises in third world countries and the subsequent result of non-potable water quality on human health.
"Gaps in knowledge, research and human resource capacity impede government and non-governmental organizations' ability to implement water, sanitation and hygiene programs in developing countries," Apambire said. "This research is an opportunity to help change that."
The grant will provide both information and technical capacity to governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in solving water crises in African countries such as Ghana, Mali, and Ethiopia and as far east as India.
The research conducted will not only provide an informational gateway and technical approach to developing clean water solutions, but it will give citizens in developing countries an opportunity to improve the quality and effective use of a precious resource.
"We are extremely pleased to have Dr. Braimah Apambire serving through the good graces of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, as the director of this critical and exciting program that will benefit so many needy people around the world," Dr. Wells said.
For decades, the growing concern on limited water resources in places such as West Africa has turned into a reality. As safe water sources are sparse in these areas, it has led to diseases such as diarrhea, trachoma, and guinea worm from contaminated drinking water. To Apambire, this research will focus on developing solutions to real world problems that are considered a human rights concern.
"The need for improved management of water resources continues to grow as populations increase across the developing world. As a result, water quality challenges persist and global climate change constrains available resources even further," Apambire said.
Apambire's work will primarily be conducted out of the Division of Hydrologic Sciences at DRI. Jim Thomas, DHS Executive Director says it is of great value to have Apambire's experience and expertise at DRI. "Braimah's work and practical research approach with water and sanitation around the world will set apart DRI's research helping service real world problems in developing nations."
Apambire is familiar with Nevada as he is a former DRI Assistant Professor and a University of Nevada Reno (UNR) hydrologic sciences graduate student.
"With the generous grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, I look forward to working with colleagues at DRI and in developing countries to assist with reducing health-related issues and with the design of sustainable WASH programs."
###
To follow Dr. Apambire's work on Twitter: https://twitter.com/braimaha
About Desert Research Institute: DRI, the nonprofit research campus of the Nevada System of Higher Education, strives to be the world leader in environmental sciences through the application of knowledge and technologies to improve people's lives throughout Nevada and the world.
All DRI news releases are available at: http://news.dri.edu/.
About the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation: The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation was created in 1944 by international business pioneer Conrad N. Hilton, who founded Hilton Hotels and left his fortune to help the world's disadvantaged and vulnerable people. The Foundation currently conducts strategic initiatives in six priority areas: providing safe water, ending chronic homelessness, preventing substance abuse, helping children affected by HIV and AIDS, supporting transition-age youth in foster care, and extending Conrad Hilton's support for the work of Catholic Sisters. From its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $1 billion in grants, distributing $82 million in the U.S. and around the world in 2011.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
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.
Jan. 28, 2013 ? Research by U.S. Forest Service scientists forecasts profound changes over the next 50 years in the summer range of the endangered Indiana bat. In an article published in the journal Ecology and Evolution, Forest Service Southern Research Station researchers Susan Loeb and Eric Winters discuss the findings of one of the first studies designed to forecast the responses of a temperate zone bat species to climate change.
The researchers modeled the current maternity distribution of Indiana bats and then modeled future distributions based on four different climate change scenarios. "We found that due to projected changes in temperature, the most suitable summer range for Indiana bats would decline and become concentrated in the northeastern United States and the Appalachian Mountains," says SRS research ecologist Loeb. "The western part of the range (Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio) -- currently considered the heart of Indiana bat maternity range -- would become unsuitable under most climates that we modeled. This has important implications for managers in the Northeast and the Appalachian Mountains as these areas will most likely serve as climatic refuges for these animals when other parts of the range become too warm."
In general, bat species in temperate zones such as Indiana bats may be more sensitive than many other groups of mammals to climate change because their reproductive cycles, hibernation patterns, and migration are closely tied to temperature. Indiana bat populations were in decline for decades due to multiple factors, including the destruction of winter hibernation sites and loss of summer maternity habitat.
Due to conservation efforts, researchers saw an increase in Indiana bat populations in 2000 to 2005, but with the onset of white-nose syndrome populations are declining again, with the number of Indiana bats reported hibernating in the northeastern United States down by 72 percent in 2011. The study predicts even more declines due to temperature rises from climate change, with much of the western portion of the current range forecast to be unsuitable for maternity habitat by 2060.
"Our model suggests that once average summer (May through August) maximum temperatures reach 27.4?C (81.3?F), the climatic suitability of the area for Indiana bat maternity colonies declines," says Loeb. "Once they reach 29.9?C (85.8?F), the area is forecast to become completely unsuitable. Initially, Indiana bat maternity colonies may respond to warming temperatures by choosing roosts that have more shade than the roosts that they currently use. Eventually, it is likely that they will have to find more suitable climates."
The models the researchers produced provide resource managers guidance on areas that are likely to contain maternity colonies now and in the future, depending on the availability of suitable habitat in those areas. "Managers in the western parts of the range should be aware of the potential changes in summer distributions due to climate change and not assume that declines are due to habitat loss or degradation," says Loeb. "Management actions that foster high reproductive success and survival will be critical for the conservation and recovery of the species."
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by USDA Forest Service ? Southern Research Station.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Susan C. Loeb, Eric A. Winters. Indiana bat summer maternity distribution: effects of current and future climates. Ecology and Evolution, 2012; 3 (1): 103 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.440
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Jan. 28, 2013 ? In a major breakthrough for uterine serous carcinoma (USC) -- a chemo-resistant, aggressive form of endometrial cancer, Yale researchers have defined the genetic landscape of USC tumors, findings that point to new treatment opportunities.
The collaborative team -- which included researchers with expertise in gynecological cancer, genomics, and computational biology -- identified a number of new genes that are frequently mutated in USC. The results of this comprehensive genetic analysis of USC are published in the Jan. 28 Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS) online early edition. The researchers were supported as part of a collaborative program with Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Endometrial cancer is the most prevalent gynecologic tumor in women, with over 47,000 newly diagnosed cases and about 8,000 deaths in 2012 in the United States alone. Patients with type I endometrial cancer tumors generally have a good outcome, but those with type II, or USC, have more relapses and deaths, and the disease is more aggressive.
"We have clearly identified the mutations that are responsible for USC tumors," said senior author of the study Dr. Alessandro Santin, professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at Yale School of Medicine, and program leader of the gynecological cancers research program at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven and a member of Yale Cancer Center. "In addition to a number of well-known cancer genes, we found three genes that had not previously been associated with cancer that are found in these tumors. This finding points to new pathways that could be important in developing therapies down the road."
The team collected tumors from 57 women affected with USC to try to determine the molecular basis of the tumor's aggressive behavior. They sequenced all the genes from the tumors and identified mutations that are crucial for these tumors to grow. The team also studied the copy number variations -- genes that are not mutated but are amplified in the tumors to give them a growth advantage over normal tissues.
The newly-identified cancer-related genes included two -- CHD4 and MBD3 -- that are found in the same protein complex and play a role in remodeling the genome to allow certain regions to be turned on and off. The discovery of a third gene, TAF1, was a surprise to researchers because it is a core component of the machinery responsible for transcribing a large fraction of the protein coding genes in the human genome.
"The detailed study of different cancers continues to produce new and unexpected discoveries," said corresponding author Dr. Richard P. Lifton, Sterling Professor, chair of genetics at Yale, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. "These new findings define the biological basis of this cancer, and suggest new opportunities for personalized therapy."
Other authors on the study include first author Siming Zhao, Murim Choi, John D. Overton, Stefania Bellone, Dana M. Roque, Emiliano Cocco, Federica Guzzo, Diana P. English, Joyce Varughese, Sara Gasparrini, Ileana Bortolomai, Natalia Buza, Pei Hui, Maysa Abu-Khalaf, Antonella Ravaggi, Eliana Bignotti, Elisabetta Bandiera, Chiara Romani, Paola Todeschini, Renata Tassi, Laura Zanotti, Luisa Carrara, Sergio Pecorelli, Dan-Arin Silasi, Elena Ratner, Masoud Azodi, Peter E. Schwartz, Thomas J. Rutherford, Amy L. Stiegler, Shrikant Mane, Titus J. Boggon, and Joseph Schlessinger.
In addition to Gilead, the study was funded in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Yale University. The original article was written by Karen N. Peart.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Siming Zhao, Murim Choi, John D. Overton, Stefania Bellone, Dana M. Roque, Emiliano Cocco, Federica Guzzo, Diana P. English, Joyce Varughese, Sara Gasparrini, Ileana Bortolomai, Natalia Buza, Pei Hui, Maysa Abu-Khalaf, Antonella Ravaggi, Eliana Bignotti, Elisabetta Bandiera, Chiara Romani, Paola Todeschini, Renata Tassi, Laura Zanotti, Luisa Carrara, Sergio Pecorelli, Dan-Arin Silasi, Elena Ratner, Masoud Azodi, Peter E. Schwartz, Thomas J. Rutherford, Amy L. Stiegler, Shrikant Mane, Titus J. Boggon, Joseph Schlessinger, Richard P. Lifton, and Alessandro D. Santin. Landscape of somatic single-nucleotide and copy-number mutations in uterine serous carcinoma. PNAS, January 28, 2013 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1222577110
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Jan. 27, 2013 ? Rice University scientists have taken an important step toward the creation of two-dimensional electronics with a process to make patterns in atom-thick layers that combine a conductor and an insulator.
The materials at play -- graphene and hexagonal boron nitride -- have been merged into sheets and built into a variety of patterns at nanoscale dimensions.
Rice introduced a technique to stitch the identically structured materials together nearly three years ago. Since then, the idea has received a lot of attention from researchers interested in the prospect of building 2-D, atomic-layer circuits, said Rice materials scientist Pulickel Ajayan. He is one of the authors of the new work that appears this week in Nature Nanotechnology. In particular, Ajayan noted that Cornell University scientists reported an advance late last year on the art of making atomic-layer heterostructures through sequential growth schemes.
This week's contribution by Rice offers manufacturers the possibility of shrinking electronic devices into even smaller packages. While Rice's technical capabilities limited features to a resolution of about 100 nanometers, the only real limits are those defined by modern lithographic techniques, according to the researchers. (A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.)
"It should be possible to make fully functional devices with circuits 30, even 20 nanometers wide, all in two dimensions," said Rice researcher Jun Lou, a co-author of the new paper. That would make circuits on about the same scale as in current semiconductor fabrication, he said.
Graphene has been touted as a wonder material since its discovery in the last decade. Even at one atom thick, the hexagonal array of carbon atoms has proven its potential as a fascinating electronic material. But to build a working device, conductors alone will not do. Graphene-based electronics require similar, compatible 2-D materials for other components, and researchers have found hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) works nicely as an insulator.
H-BN looks like graphene, with the same chicken-wire atomic array. The earlier work at Rice showed that merging graphene and h-BN via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) created sheets with pools of the two that afforded some control of the material's electronic properties. Ajayan said at the time that the creation offered "a great playground for materials scientists."
He has since concluded that the area of two-dimensional materials beyond graphene "has grown significantly and will play out as one of the key exciting materials in the near future."
His prediction bears fruit in the new work, in which finely detailed patterns of graphene are laced into gaps created in sheets of h-BN. Combs, bars, concentric rings and even microscopic Rice Owls were laid down through a lithographic process. The interface between elements, seen clearly in scanning transmission electron microscope images taken at Oak Ridge National Laboratories, shows a razor-sharp transition from graphene to h-BN along a subnanometer line.
"This is not a simple quilt," Lou said. "It's very precisely engineered. We can control the domain sizes and the domain shapes, both of which are necessary to make electronic devices."
The new technique also began with CVD. Lead author Zheng Liu, a Rice research scientist, and his colleagues first laid down a sheet of h-BN. Laser-cut photoresistant masks were placed over the h-BN, and exposed material was etched away with argon gas. (A focused ion beam system was later used to create even finer patterns, down to 100-nanometer resolution, without masks.) After the masks were washed away, graphene was grown via CVD in the open spaces, where it bonded edge-to-edge with the h-BN. The hybrid layer could then be picked up and placed on any substrate.
While there's much work ahead to characterize the atomic bonds where graphene and h-BN domains meet and to analyze potential defects along the boundaries, Liu's electrical measurements proved the components' qualities remain intact.
"One important thing Zheng showed is that even by doing all kinds of growth, then etching, then regrowth, the intrinsic properties of these two materials are not affected," Lou said. "Insulators stay insulators; they're not doped by the carbon. And the graphene still looks very good. That's important, because we want to be sure what we're growing is exactly what we want."
Liu said the next step is to place a third element, a semiconductor, into the 2-D fabric. "We're trying very hard to integrate this into the platform," he said. "If we can do that, we can build truly integrated in-plane devices." That would give new options to manufacturers toying with the idea of flexible electronics, he said.
"The contribution of this paper is to demonstrate the general process," Lou added. "It's robust, it's repeatable and it creates materials with very nice properties and with dimensions that are at the limit of what is possible."
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Rice University.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
C. Drexler, S. A. Tarasenko, P. Olbrich, J. Karch, M. Hirmer, F. M?ller, M. Gmitra, J. Fabian, R. Yakimova, S. Lara-Avila, S. Kubatkin, M. Wang, R. Vajtai, P. M. Ajayan, J. Kono, S. D. Ganichev. Magnetic quantum ratchet effect in graphene. Nature Nanotechnology, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2012.231
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Effective business communication starts with finding your voice and the right tone for a specific audience.
Business memos, letters and reports can benefit from an authoritative, expert style. When you can write and communicate well within your industry and with your clients, your professional peers will take notice, and you may begin to rise through the ranks.
Speak Effectively, Accomplish More
Effective communications can increase workplace productivity. Time is money when it comes to explaining details to others, and your communication skills can pay off when you speak clearly and communicate well with peers either in your office or with a global team.
One call or video chat to deliver instructions, sometimes across language barriers, can save everyone time later and avoid follow-up calls or misunderstood communications that could jeopardize work or deadline.
Improve Your Writing, Boost Your Opportunities
A command of grammar and basic language skills in writing can produce crisp, concise written communications.
Your coworkers may appreciate memos that offer clear explanation or instructions, and your customers can benefit from targeted messages designed to increase sales. Everyone can benefit from a well-written email.
As you develop your writing talent, your supervisors may see your skill as something that can help motivate, sell a product or inspire others in the office, creating more career opportunities for you.
Other Aspects of Business Communication
To gain a level of confidence in oral and written communications, courses focusing on these skills can be beneficial. If you are shy or withdrawn and feel uncomfortable communicating to a large audience, taking a course can help in the following ways:
Gain basic writing skills: With these courses, you can improve your writing and develop your skills in writing informational, persuasive communications. The more you practice, the faster and easier this task may become.
Find your voice: You can learn the distinctions of a writing voice for an internal or external audience including nuances that resonate whether you are speaking to coworkers or clients.
Become more comfortable engaging others: Having a relaxed attitude is valuable when you are meeting with peers at conferences or taking a lead role in meetings. Your abilities and poise under pressure can help set the tone for the rest of the room.
Mediate, Motivate
Learning more about how to effectively discuss issues with others can be important in areas such as mediation. You may draw from all of your communication knowledge that you acquire in a basic course to inspire, manage conflicts in an office setting and keep everyone on task.
Business Communication?Training?Can Help You Update Your Job Skills
Business communication is more than just speaking and writing. Adopting new communication skills can put you on the leading edge of industry public relations and could help you build a new career with advanced skill sets.
Other elements that a basic course could introduce you to may include:
Desktop publishing and managing websites and blogs: Not only can you learn more about Web technology but also learn different ways to create effective content for a company website or blog.
Video conferencing using Google Hangouts, Skype or FaceTime: Verbal skills can shine in these arenas once you learn the fundamentals of presentation and delivering a clear message.
Social media cultivation and management: This growing field is becoming more important for businesses in terms of marketing, promotion and reputation management.
Business leaders are those who can rise to the challenge and present a charismatic version of themselves to the public through their verbal skills and ability to write effectively.
Your journey on this path could begin with what you learn initially in a basic business communication course. Your first lessons could be the foundation for future growth in your career.
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Public release date: 28-Jan-2013
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