Nature Publishing Group Officially Launches New Interactive Textbook

Last spring I wrote about Nature Publishing Group's plan for a $49 electronic textbook packed with interactivity and unlimited content updates for life. The original publication date was scheduled for September 1, 2011, but for a variety of reasons the release was pushed back. Today marks the official launch of "Principles of Biology". This book is "born digital", according to Vikram Savkar, SVP & Publishing Director at Nature Publishing Group, and is the first in a line of texts that NPG plans to release for the life and physical sciences. It's not an e-book or fancy PDF, but a dynamic interactive website that can be customized by the instructor, contains built-in assessments that students can take, and works appropriately on any device that can access it: desktop, tablet, or phone.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/HQJ7Ku8ku9k/

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Simple Tips, Tricks And Techniques To Build Your Muscle Mass ...

New Health And Fitness.Org - Health Information You Can Use

You may believe that it takes years of hard gym hours to get muscles. Building muscles is not all about exercise. You need to learn learn how to grow muscle in a way that is effective, without taking a wealth of time. Keep reading for some effective tips for muscle building.

Take a naked picture of yourself every few days. Since you use a mirror frequently, it will often be difficult to see true progression. This will enable you to compare your photos over time and see your muscle growth, as well as identify any areas that need more work.

If you are looking to gain muscle, you will need to eat a lot more. You need to eat the amount necessary to pack on one more pound each week. Look for more ways to take in more calories. After two weeks, increase your intake again if you notice no weight changes.

Don?t forget the importance of pre-workout stretching. Stretching is an important part of your workout routine. You can protect muscles from injury by doing some warm-up stretches and can relax muscles to prevent soreness and stimulate building after you finish your workout. Deep tissue massage is also an effective way for you to relax post-exercise tension in your muscles.

Think about going to a gym if you?re a weight training rookie. It is beneficial for several reasons. First, gyms offer a wide range of equipment that make training easier and more effective. Second, there are usually professionals on hand to show you the proper technique or way to use specific equipment. You will have the chance to ask questions as needed.

Keep your protein intake high to increase muscle mass. Muscles are comprised of protein, so its availability is key to increasing your strength. You body has trouble sustaining muscle mass when you do not eat enough. Two-thirds of your meals and snacks should incorporate lean proteins to ensure your body has an ample supply to draw upon.

What you learn here can be used through out your life. Keep your strength of willpower high, and stay dedicated to achieve the body condition you are aiming for. Remember that change isn?t going to happen right away, it takes time to build muscle mass and get your body strong.

If you?re looking for more information about muscle building, check out Jill Wilson?s site, Muscle Building GuideMuscle Building Diet Plan.

Source: http://newhealthandfitness.org/2012/02/15/simple-tips-tricks-and-techniques-to-build-your-muscle-mass/

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Australians falling behind in Asian language education

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Photo: Gary Tamin

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?WE?VE gone from crisis to disaster.?

Professor Tim Lindsey is blunt when describing the state of the study of Asian languages in Australia. He believes the failure to come even close to reaching Australian Government targets will endanger the nation?s lucrative Asian education market.

The chair of the Australia-Indonesia Institute and the director of the Asian Law Centre at the University of Melbourne, Professor Lindsey said the disinterest in learning Asian languages and failure to properly invest in their study shows a dangerous ?naivety? of Asia.

?Asian countries are overwhelmingly our largest trade partners (and) we are engaged in a state of ignorance,? Professor Lindsey said.

?It is a matter of national survival.?

Lindsey?s comments come after leading accountancy body CPA Australia called for Asian languages to be compulsory for all students from prep to Year 12.

Such calls have been criticised by Institute of Public Affairs researcher Chris Berg, who has said growth in engagement with Asia would be best encouraged through increased permanent migration, rather than a focus on what languages our students speak.

While the consequences of a decline in language study are disputed, the drop in student numbers, particularly those learning as a second-language, is clear for all to see.

An Australian Government-commissioned report released in mid-2010 revealed that the number of school students at all levels studying a language had decreased by more than 100,000 between 2000 and 2008. Prepared by the Asia Education Foundation, the report, titled the Current State of Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese and Korean Language Education in Australian Schools, indicated that the proportion of students at all levels studying one of the four key Asian languages had dropped from 24 per cent to 18.6 percent.

On Indonesian, for instance, the report stated there had been a decline of 10,000 students a year since 2005, making it an ?at-risk language at senior secondary schools?. Amazingly, given Australia?s population growth and the increased government interest in Asia, there were more Australian students studying Indonesian in the 1970s than now, Professor Lindsey said.

The decline in Japanese has been slower but is also serious. Between 2000 and 2008, the report described a 21 per cent decline in primary enrolments, and a 16.6 per cent drop in those studying it as a second language in Year 12. Korean meanwhile is ?all but gone from the education system?, although this is not a new development.

Growth in the Mandarin figures bucks the trend, boosting the average of the four languages. At the all crucial Year 12, there were 5,256 students enrolled in 2008. This equates to 45 per cent of the students at that level studying one of the four languages, which are promoted as part of the National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program (NALSSP). But this Mandarin growth hides the fact that the large majority of these students are from a Chinese ethnic background ? CPA Australia estimates only 300 Year 12 students are learning Chinese as a second language annually.

On 2008 figures, there would need to be a 100 per cent increase in Year 12 language enrolments to try to meet the NALSSP aim of 12 per cent of Australian students graduating with fluency in one of the Asian languages by 2020. This looks very unlikely.

Professor Lindsey said it was time for some ?social engineering? through language policy to occur, and hoped the Asian Century white paper due for release mid-year would call for a massive increase in funding for languages in schools and universities.

?We are the OECD country with the lowest level of second-country language skills?, he said.

?If the government throws $35 million at it, it will achieve nothing [and] our capacity to deal with [Asia] on our terms will suffer.?

One of Lindsey?s leading fears is the decline of our international education exports, worth $18 billion in 2009 according to a report prepared for the Australian Technology Network of Universities.

?Australia?s third biggest export is education, largely to the Asian market,? Professor Lindsey said.

?You can?t expect Asia to send their students to a country which is increasingly less understanding of them,? he said.

?Australia is educating Asia, but not investing in it? [and] as Asian universities increase their quality and sophistication, our market will decline.?

The IPA?s Chris Berg acknowledged the benefits of more Australians speaking the languages of our leading trade partners, but said the focus on Asian languages was unnecessary.

?You can have a deeper relationship if you speak the language,? Mr Berg said.

?[But] it is quite wrong to say if Anglo-Australians don?t learn Chinese that we will be without Asian skills.?

Last month Berg wrote in The Sunday Age that English?s status as the global language meant a government-backed Asian language push was unwarranted.

?English?s dominance is something to be celebrated, not regretted. And the education curriculum is already stuffed full. Choices have to be made. If governments want to give every student an advantage in business, perhaps basic statistics and accountancy would be more helpful,? he said.

CPA Australia?s checklist for this year?s federal budget seeks the establishment of a free-to-air television channel dedicated to Asian news and culture, and more integration of Asian history and culture into Australian curriculum, in addition to the mandatory language push.

CPA?s chief executive Alex Malley said the relationship with Asia must be based on broad mutual understanding and respect.

?Even in today?s wireless and virtual world, ongoing business success ultimately rests on personal interaction and nowhere is this more relevant than in an Asian context.?

Tim Lindsey does not believe all Australian students should be forced to study Asian languages, but rather exposure to them should be mandatory.

?We can?t rely on the immigration system,? he said.

?Yes, many Asians are learning English, but most are not. In Indonesia and China, it is just not spoken fluently outside one or two cities.?

The Professor said a free-to-air TV channel wouldn?t make much difference, given the likely low number of viewers. Chris Berg also disagreed with the calls for a new channel, which he said shouldn?t be publically funding.

Professor Lindsey, who was a member of the reference group for the four-year NALSSP project now ending, said greater study of Asian history, culture and politics could occur in Australian schools, at the same time as students learnt about liberal democracy and Western history.

Chris Berg supported Asian studies in the curriculum, although he said western civilisations were not taught well to children.

?It is important they learn about western civilisations and the origins of liberal democracy first, [and] they?re not getting that at the moment,? Mr Berg said.

Professor Lindsey supported his push for greater government investment in Asian education by pointing to continuing poor attitudes towards the region. The latest Lowy Poll on Australians? attitudes to foreign policy issues found that a majority of respondents believed Australia was right to worry about Indonesia as a military threat, and had lukewarm feelings to its closest neighbour and China.

Putting in place measures to reverse the language decline would be expensive, Professor Lindsey said.

?[But] minor policy changes won?t do anything,? he said.

?If it is steady as we go, we will pay for it.?

Do you think more Australians should learn Asian languages? Will a failure to do so disadvantage Australia?

Source: http://www.meldmagazine.com.au/2012/02/australians-language-education/

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Happy Valentine's Day, McDonald's! | The Business Ethics Blog

? Happy Birthday, Boz! | Home

By Lauren | February 14, 2012

Writing about business ethics can get pretty depressing sometimes. There are so many situations where corporations make the news by behaving badly in one way or another that it sometimes seems it isn?t even possible to catalogue them all. Consequently, I?m excited to have the opportunity to praise McDonald?s for teaming up with The Humane Society of the United States to improve the lot of animals on industrial farms.

You may remember that, back in November, I wrote up an SEC complaint filed by HSUS against Smithfield Farms, the company that supplies pork for McDonald?s McRib sandwich. Yesterday, I was delighted to learn that McDonald?s had issued a joint statement with HSUS calling for the end of sow confinement in gestation crates at industrial farms. For those who aren?t familiar with gestation crates, imagine being trapped in a metal box so small you couldn?t even turn around ? for weeks on end. Those crates keep sows essentially immobile, ensuring that they?ll suffer miserably before eventually being put to death. Having a restaurant mega-chain like McDonald?s come out against use of the crates will undoubtedly grab the attention of the pork industry and could lead to significant improvements in the lives of breeding pigs. Who knows? Smithfield might even agree to get rid of the crates before 2017, its current (and, to my mind, ridiculously distant) target date.

Even better, that isn?t all McDonald?s has done. Poking around a little more on the HSUS website, I discovered that, in May of 2011, McDonald?s started buying cage-free eggs in the United States. If gestation crates are tiny, the barren battery cages used by the egg industry are even smaller, about the size of a placemat. They make very efficient use of space but, once again, impose utter misery on the hens who are forced to inhabit them. HSUS estimates that McDonald?s? decision to start using cage-free eggs will free about 50,000 hens from those tiny cages, a good start toward ending a barbaric practice.

Don?t get me wrong - I?m not saying that McDonald?s has suddenly become an incredibly enlightened company or that my daughter will be allowed to eat there daily from now on. But I have some understanding of the pressures that corporations face to pay ever-escalating dividends to their shareholders and the impact those pressures can have on management?s willingness to sacrifice profits in the name of principles. Consequently, I believe that even small changes toward a more humane and sustainable food industry should be applauded. Yes, consumers eat animal products, but that doesn?t mean that it?s right for animals to suffer needlessly. I?m glad to see McDonald?s putting its economic muscle behind more humane farming practices. So, this Valentine?s Day, here?s a virtual hug for the corporate executives at McDonald?s who chose to help HSUS improve the lot of America?s farm animals. Good going, Ronald!

Topics: Business Ethics, Corporate Governance, Social Ethics, corporate responsibility, customer relations, ethics |

Comments

Source: http://www.thebusinessethicsblog.com/happy-valentines-day-mcdonalds

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Samsung announces the Galaxy Tab 2, featuring Ice Cream Sandwich (Digital Trends)

Prior to Mobile World Congress, Samsung has announced the Galaxy Tab 2. The new 7-inch tablet will run Android Ice Cream Sandwich (meaning you can add it to the short list of devices that can access the new Chrome app) and feature Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi with 3G options.

In most respects, it?s quite similar to the original 7-inch Galaxy Tab but comes wrapped in ICS, which is a considerable upgrade. Here?s a quick peek at how the new version lines up.?

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You might be looking at those specs and noticing a couple things: First, ICS is the most notably difference. Second, that the camera is actually worse in the latest Galaxy Tab. Well both of those things are definitely true, but don?t feel too put out. It?s a subtle upgrade, but a necessary one nonetheless. The Galaxy Tab 2 has an improved UI that should allow for quicker access to your favorite apps, a recommendation feature on the home screen that suggests apps you might like, as well as access to Samsung?s new AllShare Play cloud service ? which if you?re a fan of Samsung electronics in general, will mean more to you.

Obviously, the big to-do here is around ICS, and it is something of a major makeover for Android devices. Still, it?s a strange niche that Samsung is addressing here ? launching a new tablet virtually only to outfit it with ICS. Maybe it will be dirt cheap and compete in the Nook Tablet and Kindle Fire segment. Availability and pricing have yet to be released, so it?s hard to determine how Samsung is going to market this thing.?

This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

More from Digital Trends

If the Galaxy S III is a no-show, Samsung could focus on tablets at MWC [UPDATE: The S III will not launch at MWC]

Samsung?s ?revolutionary? product unveiling at the Super Bowl is? the Galaxy Note

Massive Samsung Galaxy Note to hit AT&T on Feb. 19

Our favorite tablets at CES 2012

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/digitaltrends/20120213/tc_digitaltrends/samsungannouncesthegalaxytab2featuringicecreamsandwich

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Gaming Board Oks Vegas Hotel-Casino Renovations ? CBS Las ...

Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

LAS?VEGAS?(AP) ? The Nevada Gaming Control Board is recommending the approval of plans to renovate the old Lady Luck hotel and casino in downtown?Las?Vegas.

The?Las?Vegas?Sun reports (http://bit.ly/xyEWUy) the board supports a lease proposal from Seth Matthew Schorr and Jeffrey A. Fine for 650 slot machines, 32 table games and a race and sports book.

Final action on Schorr and Fine?s application by state the Gaming Commission is expected Feb. 23.

Schorr says renovation costs will top $100 million. The hotel-casino is scheduled to re-open in April 2013 as the Downtown Grand.

The partners have also secured board approval for 16 slot machines at the ?Mob Bar? in?Las?Vegas. The bar is decorated like a 1920s-era speakeasy.

___

Information from:?Las?Vegas?Sun, http://www.lasvegassun.com

? Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://lasvegas.cbslocal.com/2012/02/12/gaming-board-oks-vegas-hotel-casino-renovations/

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Love beats action as 'The Vow' bows with $41.7M (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Love triumphed over action at the weekend box office with a No. 1 debut for the romantic drama "The Vow."

Studio estimates Sunday show that the love story starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum took in $41.7 million to come in ahead of two new action tales and the first 3-D "Star Wars" reissue.

Landing a close second with $39.3 million was Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds' action thriller "Safe House." Coming in solidly at No. 3 was Dwayne Johnson's family action sequel "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" with $27.6 million.

And adding to George Lucas' riches was the 3-D premiere of "Star Wars: Episode I ? The Phantom Menace," which was No. 4 with $23 million. That raises the lifetime domestic total for "Phantom Menace to $454.1 million.

This was the first non-holiday weekend that four movies opened with more than $20 million each, said Paul Dergarabedian, analyst for box-office tracker Hollywood.com. The only other time when four new releases did that well was over Christmas weekend in 2008, he said.

"It felt like a summer weekend to me," Dergarabedian said. "This was like a great big valentine from Hollywood to the audience, or from the audience to Hollywood."

The four big debuts maintained Hollywood's strong business during the normally sleepy winter. Overall domestic revenues totaled $193 million, up 19.3 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Just Go with It" led with $30.5 million.

So far this year, domestic receipts are at $1.2 billion, 19 percent ahead of 2011's.

"I really believe people are in a movie-going mode," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal, which released "Safe House." "There have been great choices so far this year. I feel honestly that the mild weather has helped them enjoy wintertime for what it is. They're not stuck inside, they're not snowed in. Maybe people like to get out of the home rather than cocooning."

Timed to Valentine's Day on Tuesday, "The Vow" stars McAdams as a woman who awakens in the hospital after a car wreck with no memory of her husband (Tatum) and the last five years of her life.

Women accounted for 72 percent of the audience for "The Vow," whose receipts in just its first two days exceeded the movie's $30 million production budget.

"There are certain movies that women, no pun intended, vow they are going to see, and this is that kind of movie," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony, whose Screen Gems banner released "The Vow." "I do think a lot of men are going to be seeing it on Feb. 14. It's a great date movie, and I think the men who do see it on Valentine's Day are going to be thoroughly entertained."

"The Vow" added $9.7 million in 20 overseas markets to bring its worldwide total to $51.4 million.

The audience was split evenly between males and females for "Safe House," which stars Washington as a CIA traitor who turns himself in and winds up on the run with his rookie minder (Reynolds).

"Safe House" also took in $10.2 million from 25 overseas territories to lift its worldwide total to $49.5 million.

"Journey 2" stars Johnson, Michael Caine, Josh Hutcherson and Vanessa Hudgens in a follow-up to the 2008 hit "Journey to the Center of the Earth," a modern take on Jules Verne's sci-fi classic. The sequel gives a similar twist to Verne's "The Mysterious Island."

The movie began rolling out overseas three weeks earlier than its domestic release. It added $25.5 million in 29 overseas markets this weekend to raise its international total to $74.7 million and putting its worldwide take at $102.3 million.

Domestically, "Journey 2" started modestly Friday, behind "The Phantom Menace." But family crowds swamped theaters for "Journey 2" on Saturday.

"For us to win that family battle this weekend was a tremendous coup for the film," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros., which released "Journey 2."

The PG-rated "Journey 2" filled out that family niche on a weekend that gave viewers wide choices.

"I've always felt the market is healthiest when there's something for everyone, and there is something for everyone now. `The Vow' has a specific audience, `Safe House' has a specific audience, `Journey 2' found its audience. And `Star Wars' is `Star Wars,'" said Chris Aronson, head of distribution for 20th Century Fox, which released Lucas' sci-fi franchise. "It's one of those really rare jewels in the film universe."

While business was strong for "The Phantom Menace," it came up short of the $30.2 million debut for last September's 3-D re-release of "The Lion King."

"The Phantom Menace" reissue added $20.5 million in 61 overseas markets, bringing the 3-D version's worldwide haul to $43.5 million. Added to the $924 million global total from its original 1999 release, the movie is climbing toward the $1 billion mark.

Release dates for 3-D versions of the remaining five "Star Wars" flicks have not been announced, though the initial plan for Fox and Lucas was to put out one a year.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. "The Vow," $41.7 million ($9.7 million international).

2. "Safe House," $39.3 million ($10.2 million international).

3. "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island," $27.6 million ($25.5 million international).

4. "Star Wars: Episode I ? The Phantom Menace" in 3-D, $23 million ($20.5 million international).

5. "Chronicle," $12.3 million.

6. "The Woman in Black," $10.3 million.

7. "The Grey," $5.1 million.

8. "Big Miracle," $3.9 million ($400,000 international).

9. "The Descendants," $3.5 million.

10. "Underworld Awakening," $2.5 million.

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Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:

1. "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island," $25.5 million.

2. "Star Wars: Episode I ? The Phantom Menace" in 3-D, $20.5 million.

3. "Mission: Impossible ? Ghost Protocol," $11.5 million.

4. "Safe House," $10.2 million.

5. "The Vow," $9.7 million.

6. "Underworld Awakening," $8.7 million.

7. "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," $8.4 million.

8 (tie). "The Descendants," $7.8 million.

8 (tie). "Jack and Jill," $7.8 million.

10. "The Woman in Black," $6.7 million.

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Online:

http://www.hollywood.com

http://www.rentrak.com

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120212/ap_en_ot/us_box_office

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