LinkedIn today is adding some new features into its "Influencer" program, the company's Klout-inspired network of experts and leaders in different fields launched in October 2012, who regularly publish posts that get extra special syndication on LinkedIn's network. Now, users can start conversations around Influencer posts with threaded comments. And now more than 300 people in the Influencer program -- some like Richard Branson with nearly 2 million followers -- users can now search for them and their posts specifically through LinkedIn's search box.
Watch out #Swifties: #Directioners are coming to snatch your title of ?Fandom Most Likely to Rabidly Attack on Twitter.?
Yesterday, British GQ announced that each member of One Direction would score his own cover of the September issue. You would think their fans would be excited to see their idols looking like scruffed-up #menswear hotties?but you would be wrong. You see, fans took offense to the quotes used to tease the feature story. So they did what any irrational teen-based fandom would do: They took to Twitter to hurl threats?lots of inanimate objects ?up the butthole??at the magazine.
The only problem? They were sending their Twitter rage to the wrong GQ.
It all kicked off when the official One Direction Twitter account tweeted about the covers using American GQ?s handle. GQ?s social media manager Nate Erickson says that Directioners ?came at us from all sides.? Fortunately, Erickson has a great sense of humor.
Eventually, they also went after British GQ. ?Churchill would?ve been proud,? Erickson says of the way his Brit counterparts have handled the drama?and there was this pretty awesome exchange between US and British GQs:
Erickson doubts most of the Directioners even noticed they were sending threats to the wrong mag. ?We still get replies about a worst-dressed list that [British GQ] put Ed Sheeran on in 2012, so this is probably just the beginning,? he told me.
And they weren?t just going after GQ?they also started in on Erickson?s personal Twitter handle @Nately. Some of his favorites:
GQ is taking these threats VERY seriously. ?We?re working actively to identify the suspects, and we?ve got two of our best detectives on the case,? Erickson said, linking to this photo of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen in detective gear.
All in all, it made for a pretty entertaining Monday afternoon diversion?and it?s still going on, if you?re interested in following along. British GQ has also posted a list of some of their scariest tweets received. All social media hate aside: We suspect most of these #Directioners (like, uh, me) will still be buying all five covers.
There is a lot of choice in the smartphone world especially on the Android platform with hardware available at various price and spec levels. Smartphone manufacturer Samsung has a lot of different handsets for all tastes and we now have an extensive Galaxy S4 mini video collection for your viewing pleasure.
As expected Samsung launched a mini version of its flagship Galaxy S4 smartphone and below this article we have a large collection of videos looking at the device against various over hardware in a number of comparison tests.
The first video we have for you is just over 5 minutes long and is pitting the S4 mini against the Galaxy Note 2 in a benchmark test. The two handsets are compared using the Geekbench 2 test with the Note 2 obviously producing a higher score, before the video then goes on to run a 3D benchmark program and to find out the results you will have to watch the video.
In the next video the handset is going up against its larger sibling that is running the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean software, which again runs the same benchmark tests as the previous video. This brings out a larger gap in the results and again check out the video to find out the final results.
Up next the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini is going up against the iPhone 5 while running iOS 7 and again to see how the benchmark results compare for the two handsets. This time though the S4 mini comes out on top in the first test that is run before the graphic benchmark is also run on both handsets.
The next video is comparing the browser speeds of the S4 mini with the Galaxy S4 with this video lasting almost 11 minutes. It becomes apparent that the S4 that is running stock Android is a little slower in certain aspects due to the lack of the Samsung TouchWiz overlay.
Another 11 minute video is up next which sees the Galaxy S4 mini going up against the HTC One in another browser speed test comparison before another video is doing the same but this time against the older Galaxy S3 mini.
This also looks at some of the features that are missing on the S3 mini such as Smart Stay which many users will find useful when browsing the Internet. The final three videos we have embedded for you include the S4 mini against the Note 2 in another browser speed test, a browser test against the iPhone 4 with iOS 7, and finally the same test against the iPhone 5.
Are you impressed with the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini?
While the White House is concerned about the amount of violence in Egypt, Josh Earnest, the White House principal deputy press secretary, said the administration isn't concerned about not calling the military overthrow a coup.
INDIANAPOLIS -- Former Indiana and current Florida schools chief Tony Bennett built his national star by promising to hold ?failing? schools accountable. But when it appeared an Indianapolis charter school run by a prominent Republican donor might receive a poor grade, Bennett?s education team frantically overhauled his signature ?A-F? school grading system to improve the school?s marks.
Emails obtained by The Associated Press show Bennett and his staff scrambled last fall to ensure influential donor?s Christel DeHaan?s school received an ?A,? despite poor test scores in algebra that initially earned it a ?C.?
?They need to understand that anything less than an A for Christel House compromises all of our accountability work,? Bennett wrote in a Sept. 12 email to then-chief of staff Heather Neal.
The timing could not be worse for Bennett, who recently came under fire for revising the school grading formula in Florida.
Superintendents complained that the new formula would cause school grades to sink, despite gains in student achievement. Bennett ultimately recommended a ?safety-net? provision that prevented any school from dipping more than one letter grade. But some school system and union leaders blasted Bennett anyway, saying the credibility of the entire system had already been undermined.
Florida Democrats weighed in Friday, saying the latest development cast further doubt on Bennett.
?How can we trust Florida?s school grades ? already the product of political manipulation ? with Tony Bennett in charge?? Florida Democratic Chairwoman Allison Tant said.
But state Sen. Bill Montford, a Tallahassee Democrat and CEO of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents, said the situation in Indiana should not be compared to the situation in Florida.
?It does not shake my confidence in the commissioner at all,? Montford said. ?I think I speak for the majority of the superintendents of Florida when I say that.?
The emails, which also show Bennett discussed with staff the legality of changing just DeHaan?s grade, raise unsettling questions about the validity of a grading system that has broad implications. Like Florida, Indiana uses the A-F grades to determine which schools get taken over by the state.They also help determine how much state funding schools receive.
A low grade also can detract from a neighborhood and drive homebuyers elsewhere.
Bennett reviewed the emails Monday morning and denied that DeHaan?s school received special treatment. He said discovering that the charter would receive a low grade raised broader concerns with grades for other ?combined? schools ? those that included multiple grade levels ? across the state.
?There was not a secret about this,? he said. ?This wasn?t just to give Christel House an A. It was to make sure the system was right to make sure the system was face valid.?
However, the emails clearly show Bennett?s staff was intensely focused on Christel House, whose founder has given more than $2.8 million to Republicans since 1998, including $130,000 to Bennett and thousands more to Indiana legislative leaders.
Other schools saw their grades change, but the emails show DeHaan?s charter was the catalyst for any changes.
Let?s start your needle felt project with this pack with all materials included! And you can make 3 of them from just one kit.
There are 3 designs for you to choose from. There are 3 Seal Brothers of adorable colors. There are our best friends, Dog & Cat & Panda. There are also the colorful friends, Chicken & Bunny & Elephant.
These felt wool dolls are about 5cm in diameter. Kit package includes high quality Japanese felt wool, eyes, pattern and diagram-detailed instruction in Japanese.
You can choose from Seal Brothers, Dog & Cat & Panda or Chicken & Bunny & Elephant. Please indicate your choice to us.
Sri Lanka 239 for 2 (Dilshan 115*, Sangakkara 91) beat South Africa 238 (Duminy 97, Mendis 4-51) An unbeaten century from Tillakaratne Dilshan and 91 from Kumar Sangakkara carried Sri Lanka to a series win over South Africa with one match to play. The pair ensured the hosts achieved the highest successful run chase at Pallekele with six overs to spare to underline some of South Africa's most pressing issues as they attempt to rebuild their one-day side. Click Here to Watch the Video Highlights of Sri Lanka vs South Africa ?4th ODI Video Highlights
Click Here to Watch the Video Highlights of Sri Lanka vs South Africa ?4th ODI Video Highlights
At first glance, it would seem the bowlers are to blame but South Africa's middle-order are the real culprits in their defeat. Hashim Amla and JP Duminy shared a second-wicket stand of 101 to set a strong base for the team but the batsmen who followed squandered the advantage.
Celebrity golf tournament to feature Bill Lee, Luis Tiant, Mike Torrez and other MLB Alumni
Colorado Springs, Colo. ? The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association and Ray Haskell Ford will be hosting a celebrity golf tournament to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCA of greater Waterville, ME. The event will feature retired MLB All-Stars, former Red Sox, and other alumni. There will also be a celebrity dinner, baseball clinic, and cocktail reception with auction. The event will take place on July 28th and 29th, 2013.
Alumni players attending include Bill Lee, Luis Tiant, Mike Torrez, Tom Burgmeier, Mark Clear, Bruce Berenyi, Kevin Buckley, Jimmy Driscoll, Larry Gowell, Pete Ladd, Skip Lockwood, Paul Mitchell, Ed Phillips and Chico Walker.
The event will begin on Sunday, July 28thwith a reception at the Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCA of Greater Waterville, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., located at 126 North Street, Waterville, ME, 04901. After the reception, there will be a dedication and roast for Mike Torrez at Cancun Restaurant, starting at 7:30 p.m., located at 14 Silver Street, Waterville, ME, 04901. The baseball clinic will take place at Mini Fenway on Monday, July 29th, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., located at 152 Camp Tracy Road, Oakland, ME, 04963. The tournament will take place at Belgrade Lakes Golf Club, with a barbecue lunch starting at 12 p.m., followed by a 1:00 p.m. shotgun start. Belgrade Lakes Golf Clubis located at 46 Clubhouse Drive, Belgrade Lakes, ME, 04918.
Contact: Nikki Warner
Director of Communications
?, (719) 477-1870 x. 105
About The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA)
MLBPAA was founded in 1982 with the mission of promoting baseball, raising money for charity, and protecting the dignity of the game through its Alumni players. The MLBPAA is headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO with a membership of over 6,400, of which approximately 5,300 are Alumni and active players. Alumni players find the MLBPAA to be a vital tool to become involved in charity and community philanthropy.
The Free Software Foundation's latest open-source project it's trying to push along is Replicant, a fully-free Android Linux distribution for select mobile devices.
Replicant isn't nearly as popular as Android itself (obviously) or CyanogenMod, but the FSF believes in it since it tries to be fully open-source. At the moment this Android distribution is running on ten known devices as of its 4.0 release. Among the working devices are the Samsung Galaxy S and Samsung Galaxy Tab.
The Free Software Foundation is trying to raise funds so that it can buy more mobile hardware for the Replicant developers. While I wouldn't expect any really ground-breaking and original innovations out of this free Android project, those wishing to learn more can visit FSF.org. The foundation is also continuing to push its high priority projects.
Details on the upstream Replicant open-source mobile operating system project can be found at Replicant.us.
This publicity photo released by Twentieth Century Fox shows Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine in a scene from the film, "The Wolverine." (AP Photo/Twentieth Century Fox, Ben Rothstein)
This publicity photo released by Twentieth Century Fox shows Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine in a scene from the film, "The Wolverine." (AP Photo/Twentieth Century Fox, Ben Rothstein)
This publicity image released by 20th Century Fox shows Hugh Jackman in a scene from "The Wolverine." (AP Photo/20th Century Fox, Ben Rothstein)
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? "The Wolverine" slashed monsters and minions to debut atop the weekend box office.
The Fox film featuring Hugh Jackman's sixth turn as the claw-wielding superhero opened with $55 million in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Last weekend's top movie, Warner Bros.' low-budget horror "The Conjuring," slipped to second place, adding another $22.1 million to its take.
"Despicable Me 2" was in third with $16 million. The Universal animated sequel, with its cast of cute, yellow minions, has made more than $600 million worldwide since it came out four weeks ago.
"The Wolverine," which is set in Japan and features an international cast, earned another $86.1 million overseas. The film's opening-week take surpassed the $120 million it cost to make, said Chris Aronson, Fox's head of domestic distribution.
"It's a huge opening for the clawed one," he said. "It played equally well from Maine to Maui."
Another Fox film, the animated snail-racing tale "Turbo," was in fourth place with $13.3 million. Adam Sandler's "Grown Ups 2" followed with $11.5 million.
Woody Allen's latest, "Blue Jasmine," enjoyed a stellar opening of its own, though on a much smaller scale. Starring Cate Blanchett, the film opened in just six theaters but still collected $612,767.
"It's one of the biggest opening per-theater averages ever for a non-animated film," said Paul Dergarabedian of box-office tracker Hollywood.com.
Ticket sales this weekend were up almost 30 percent over the same weekend last summer, he said.
"It was a good weekend to be a moviegoer because the choices just got a lot more interesting," Dergarabedian said, noting a mix that includes animated, independent and big-budget action offerings.
"Fruitvale Station," the Sundance winner already generating Oscar buzz, expanded to theaters across the country and edged its way into the top 10, contributing to a summer box office that is up more than 10 percent over last 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 on Monday.
1. "The Wolverine," $55 million ($86.1 million international).
2. "The Conjuring," $22.1 million ($6.9 million international).
3. "Despicable Me 2," $16 million ($24.5 million international).
4. "Turbo," $13.3 million ($12.5 million international).
5. "Grown Ups 2," $11.5 million ($4.2 million international).
6. "Red 2," $9.4 million ($6.1 million international).
7. "Pacific Rim," $7.5 million ($14.25 million international).
8. "The Heat," $6.85 million ($3.1 million international).
9. "R.I.P.D.," $5.85 million ($3.1 million international).
10. "Fruitvale Station," $4.65 million.
___
Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:
1. "The Wolverine," $86.1 million.
2. "Fast & Furious 6," $25.3 million.
3. "Despicable Me 2," $24.5 million.
4. "White House Down," $19.8 million.
5. "Monsters University," $15.6 million.
6. "Pacific Rim," $14.25 million.
7. "Turbo," $12.5 million.
8. "The Conjuring," $6.9 million.
9. "Red 2," $6.1 million.
10. "World War Z," $5.6 million.
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen at www.twitter.com/APSandy .
___
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.
The Obama administration is making no sign of helping Detroit as its emergency manager and republican governor steer the city towards bankruptcy proceedings.(Photo: Associated Press)
Yet, that is not enough assurance for some in the GOP who are pushing for passage of a law explicitly banning the bailout of Detroit, and any other municipality for that matter.
Stock Markets News Headlines - Yahoo! Newshttp://news.yahoo.com/stocks/ Get the latest stock markets news headlines from Yahoo! News. Find breaking stock markets news, including analysis and opinion on top stock markets stories, photos and more.en-USCopyright (c) 2013 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reservedFri, 26 Jul 2013 20:39:31 -04005Stock Markets News Headlines - Yahoo! Newshttp://news.yahoo.com/stocks/ http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/nws/th/main_142c.gifSummers' work for financial firms could give critics ammunition<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/summers-financial-firms-could-critics-ammunition-003931186.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Wx90U5u2jp7yxkdoHYM5HQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-27T003931Z_1_CBRE96P1SDP00_RTROPTP_2_USA-FED-BERNANKE.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. "Larry" Summers speaks during a financial and economic event at the London School of Economics (LSE) in London" align="left" title="Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. "Larry" Summers speaks during a financial and economic event at the London School of Economics (LSE) in London" border="0" /></a>NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers, a top contender for the leadership of the Federal Reserve, has been a consultant to large financial institutions, including Citigroup Inc, news that could fuel questions about his suitability to head the central bank. Summers has built a reputation as a brilliant economist and a shrewd policymaker. But his roles with the financial firms could give ammunition to critics who argue he has too cozy a relationship with Wall Street to maintain the Fed's vaunted independence. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/summers-financial-firms-could-critics-ammunition-003931186.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 20:39:31 -0400Reuterssummers-financial-firms-could-critics-ammunition-003931186<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/summers-financial-firms-could-critics-ammunition-003931186.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Wx90U5u2jp7yxkdoHYM5HQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-27T003931Z_1_CBRE96P1SDP00_RTROPTP_2_USA-FED-BERNANKE.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. "Larry" Summers speaks during a financial and economic event at the London School of Economics (LSE) in London" align="left" title="Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. "Larry" Summers speaks during a financial and economic event at the London School of Economics (LSE) in London" border="0" /></a>NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers, a top contender for the leadership of the Federal Reserve, has been a consultant to large financial institutions, including Citigroup Inc, news that could fuel questions about his suitability to head the central bank. Summers has built a reputation as a brilliant economist and a shrewd policymaker. But his roles with the financial firms could give ammunition to critics who argue he has too cozy a relationship with Wall Street to maintain the Fed's vaunted independence. ...</p><br clear="all"/>Wall St. Week Ahead: Stocks face the Fed, jobs and earnings<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/wall-st-week-ahead-stocks-face-fed-jobs-231821503.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/cSbmLewEqhskK6DAsSEmbw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-26T231821Z_1_CBRE96P1SQS00_RTROPTP_2_MARKETS-STOCKS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange" align="left" title="Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange" border="0" /></a>By Caroline Valetkevitch NEW YORK (Reuters) - The coming week on Wall Street could be a summer blockbuster, with the marquee featuring a triple bill: the Fed, jobs and earnings. Of the three, the Federal Reserve has the most potential to upset the market. The Federal Open Market Committee is expected to release a statement on Wednesday after a two-day meeting. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke jolted markets in late May by saying the U.S. central bank planned to ease back on its stimulus efforts once the economy improves. Investors have been glued to his every comment since then. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/wall-st-week-ahead-stocks-face-fed-jobs-231821503.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 19:18:21 -0400Reuterswall-st-week-ahead-stocks-face-fed-jobs-231821503<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/wall-st-week-ahead-stocks-face-fed-jobs-231821503.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/cSbmLewEqhskK6DAsSEmbw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-26T231821Z_1_CBRE96P1SQS00_RTROPTP_2_MARKETS-STOCKS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange" align="left" title="Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange" border="0" /></a>By Caroline Valetkevitch NEW YORK (Reuters) - The coming week on Wall Street could be a summer blockbuster, with the marquee featuring a triple bill: the Fed, jobs and earnings. Of the three, the Federal Reserve has the most potential to upset the market. The Federal Open Market Committee is expected to release a statement on Wednesday after a two-day meeting. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke jolted markets in late May by saying the U.S. central bank planned to ease back on its stimulus efforts once the economy improves. Investors have been glued to his every comment since then. ...</p><br clear="all"/>Starbucks, Zynga, Expedia are big moversStocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Friday on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market: NYSE Tempur Sealy International Inc., down $4.91 at $37.05 The mattress company posted ...http://news.yahoo.com/starbucks-zynga-expedia-big-movers-222749084.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 18:27:49 -0400Associated Pressstarbucks-zynga-expedia-big-movers-222749084JPMorgan to quit physical commodity trade amid scrutinyBy David Sheppard NEW YORK (Reuters) - JP Morgan Chase & Co (NYS:JPM) is exiting physical commodities trading, the bank said in a surprise statement on Friday, as Wall Street's role in the trading of raw ...http://news.yahoo.com/jpmorgan-quit-physical-commodity-trade-220858915.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 18:08:58 -0400Reutersjpmorgan-quit-physical-commodity-trade-220858915NYSE stocks posting largest volume increasesA look at the 10 biggest volume gainers on New York Stock Exchange at the close of trading: Munienhanced Fund : Approximately 653,500 shares changed hands, a 428.3 percent increase over its 65-day average ...http://news.yahoo.com/nyse-stocks-posting-largest-volume-230828802.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 18:02:40 -0400Associated Pressnyse-stocks-posting-largest-volume-230828802Nasdaq stocks posting largest volume increasesA look at the 10 biggest volume gainers on Nasdaq at the close of trading: Bonso Electronics International Inc. : Approximately 31,700 shares changed hands, a 1,832.2 percent increase over its 65-day average ...http://news.yahoo.com/nasdaq-stocks-posting-largest-volume-220505435.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 18:02:40 -0400Associated Pressnasdaq-stocks-posting-largest-volume-220505435Nasdaq stocks posting largest volume decreasesA look at the 10 biggest volume decliners on Nasdaq at the close of trading: Air T Inc. : Approximately 300 shares changed hands, a 92.9 decrease from its 65-day average volume. The shares fell $.12 or ...http://news.yahoo.com/nasdaq-stocks-posting-largest-volume-230826852.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 18:02:40 -0400Associated Pressnasdaq-stocks-posting-largest-volume-230826852Nasdaq stocks posting largest percentage decreasesA look at the 10 biggest percentage decliners on Nasdaq at the close of trading: Expedia Inc. fell 27.4 percent to $47.20. Abaxis Inc. fell 16.1 percent to $41.47. Global Technologies Appliances Inc. fell ...http://news.yahoo.com/nasdaq-stocks-posting-largest-percentage-174219887.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 18:02:39 -0400Associated Pressnasdaq-stocks-posting-largest-percentage-174219887NYSE stocks posting largest percentage decreasesA look at the 10 biggest percentage decliners on New York Stock Exchange at the close of trading: SolarWinds Inc. fell 22.2 percent to $35.86. Tempur-Pedic International Inc. fell 11.7 percent to $37.05. ...http://news.yahoo.com/nyse-stocks-posting-largest-percentage-174225999.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 18:02:39 -0400Associated Pressnyse-stocks-posting-largest-percentage-174225999Nasdaq stocks posting largest percentage increasesA look at the 10 biggest percentage gainers on Nasdaq at the close of trading: SPS Commerce Inc. rose 16.0 percent to $65.97. Brightcove Inc. rose 15.7 percent to $11.15. Activision Inc. rose 15.0 percent ...http://news.yahoo.com/nasdaq-stocks-posting-largest-percentage-174218904.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 18:02:39 -0400Associated Pressnasdaq-stocks-posting-largest-percentage-174218904NYSE stocks posting largest percentage increasesA look at the 10 biggest percentage gainers on New York Stock Exchange at the close of trading: USEC Inc. rose 37.5 percent to $19.21. Nam Tai Electronics Inc. rose 11.0 percent to $8.10. Phillips 66 LP ...http://news.yahoo.com/nyse-stocks-posting-largest-percentage-174225292.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 18:02:39 -0400Associated Pressnyse-stocks-posting-largest-percentage-174225292Most active Nasdaq-traded stocksA look at Nasdaq 10 most-active stocks at the close of trading: Activision Inc. rose 15.0 percent to $17.46 with 37,631,100 shares traded. Cisco Systems Inc. was unchanged at $25.50 with 18,614,600 shares ...http://news.yahoo.com/most-active-nasdaq-traded-stocks-174218975.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 18:02:38 -0400Associated Pressmost-active-nasdaq-traded-stocks-174218975Stocks eke out tiny gains on Wall Street<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/stocks-eke-tiny-gains-wall-street-205017593.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/y_HyKx3j_jNDNnaxORtgIg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/0aed65fcfe00a818380f6a706700f785.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="In this Friday, June 28, 2013, photo, Trader Timothy Nick, right, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Asian stock markets floundered Friday July 26, 2013 as China pressed ahead with industrial restructuring that is partly to blame for slowing growth in the world's No. 2 economy. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)" align="left" title="In this Friday, June 28, 2013, photo, Trader Timothy Nick, right, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Asian stock markets floundered Friday July 26, 2013 as China pressed ahead with industrial restructuring that is partly to blame for slowing growth in the world's No. 2 economy. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)" border="0" /></a>NEW YORK (AP) ? A mixed batch of earnings results gave investors little direction on Friday as traders began looking ahead to a packed schedule next week.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/stocks-eke-tiny-gains-wall-street-205017593.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 17:54:59 -0400Associated Pressstocks-eke-tiny-gains-wall-street-205017593<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/stocks-eke-tiny-gains-wall-street-205017593.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/y_HyKx3j_jNDNnaxORtgIg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/0aed65fcfe00a818380f6a706700f785.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="In this Friday, June 28, 2013, photo, Trader Timothy Nick, right, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Asian stock markets floundered Friday July 26, 2013 as China pressed ahead with industrial restructuring that is partly to blame for slowing growth in the world's No. 2 economy. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)" align="left" title="In this Friday, June 28, 2013, photo, Trader Timothy Nick, right, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Asian stock markets floundered Friday July 26, 2013 as China pressed ahead with industrial restructuring that is partly to blame for slowing growth in the world's No. 2 economy. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)" border="0" /></a>NEW YORK (AP) ? A mixed batch of earnings results gave investors little direction on Friday as traders began looking ahead to a packed schedule next week.</p><br clear="all"/>Factbox: JPMorgan's physical commodity tradingNEW YORK (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co. has expanded into the physical commodity markets aggressively over the past five years, first with the purchase of Bear Stearns in 2008 and most significantly with a $1.7 billion deal to buy RBS Sempra's global oil and metals business in 2010. On Friday the bank - which had become Wall Street's biggest trader in commodities - announced that it was putting the physical trading operations up for sale, quitting the business after months of intensifying pressure. ...http://news.yahoo.com/factbox-jpmorgans-physical-commodity-trading-215155487.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 17:51:55 -0400Reutersfactbox-jpmorgans-physical-commodity-trading-215155487How the Dow Jones average fared FridayThe stock market recovered from an early swoon and ended the day pretty much where it started. The Standard & Poor's 500 index had its first weekly loss in a month. The Dow Jones industrial average rose ...http://news.yahoo.com/dow-jones-average-fared-friday-210427340.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 17:04:27 -0400Associated Pressdow-jones-average-fared-friday-210427340News Summary: US stocks end little changedBARELY BUDGED: The stock market recovered from an early swoon and ended the day pretty much where it started. DOW REVERSAL: The Dow Jones industrial average recovered from a 150-point loss and ended up ...http://news.yahoo.com/news-summary-us-stocks-end-210217570.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 17:02:17 -0400Associated Pressnews-summary-us-stocks-end-210217570Dollar hits five-week low on Fed caution, Wall Street recovers<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/dollar-near-five-week-low-japan-stocks-tumble-004711742.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/ARW_uxnUXnD6qo8_zVgJpQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-26T205301Z_51_CBRE96716SR00_RTROPTP_2_MARKETS-STOCKS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange" align="left" title="Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange" border="0" /></a>By Leah Schnurr NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar fell to a five-week low on Friday on expectations the Federal Reserve will underline its intention to keep interest rates low for a long time at its upcoming policy meeting, while U.S. stocks managed to recover late in the day to end with a slim gain. Gold also erased losses late in the session, racking up its third week of gains. But oil, which typically benefits from a weaker dollar, slipped on worries about falling demand in China, the world's second-largest energy consumer. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/dollar-near-five-week-low-japan-stocks-tumble-004711742.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 16:53:01 -0400Reutersdollar-near-five-week-low-japan-stocks-tumble-004711742<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/dollar-near-five-week-low-japan-stocks-tumble-004711742.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/ARW_uxnUXnD6qo8_zVgJpQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-26T205301Z_51_CBRE96716SR00_RTROPTP_2_MARKETS-STOCKS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange" align="left" title="Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange" border="0" /></a>By Leah Schnurr NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar fell to a five-week low on Friday on expectations the Federal Reserve will underline its intention to keep interest rates low for a long time at its upcoming policy meeting, while U.S. stocks managed to recover late in the day to end with a slim gain. Gold also erased losses late in the session, racking up its third week of gains. But oil, which typically benefits from a weaker dollar, slipped on worries about falling demand in China, the world's second-largest energy consumer. ...</p><br clear="all"/>Buyer of Bulgarian pension fund says to seek regulatory nod soon<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/buyer-bulgarian-pension-fund-says-seek-regulatory-nod-205133623.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/an4rmGJ.9cTcdcIa3ZwZxg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-26T205133Z_1_CBRE96P1LYB00_RTROPTP_2_BULGARIA-PENSIONS-REGULATOR.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="The headquarters of Doverie pension fund is seen in Sofia" align="left" title="The headquarters of Doverie pension fund is seen in Sofia" border="0" /></a>SOFIA (Reuters) - UK-registered company United Capital, the selected buyer of Bulgaria's largest private pension fund Doverie, said on Friday it plans to file soon for regulatory approvals with Bulgarian authorities and keep the current management. Vienna Insurance Group has agreed to sell its 92.58 percent stake in Doverie to United Capital, but lack of public information about who stands behind the buyer has raised concerns in Bulgaria and ruling Socialists have urged the financial regulator to halt the deal. United Capital has no stock market listing, website, or phone number. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/buyer-bulgarian-pension-fund-says-seek-regulatory-nod-205133623.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 16:51:33 -0400Reutersbuyer-bulgarian-pension-fund-says-seek-regulatory-nod-205133623<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/buyer-bulgarian-pension-fund-says-seek-regulatory-nod-205133623.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/an4rmGJ.9cTcdcIa3ZwZxg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-26T205133Z_1_CBRE96P1LYB00_RTROPTP_2_BULGARIA-PENSIONS-REGULATOR.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="The headquarters of Doverie pension fund is seen in Sofia" align="left" title="The headquarters of Doverie pension fund is seen in Sofia" border="0" /></a>SOFIA (Reuters) - UK-registered company United Capital, the selected buyer of Bulgaria's largest private pension fund Doverie, said on Friday it plans to file soon for regulatory approvals with Bulgarian authorities and keep the current management. Vienna Insurance Group has agreed to sell its 92.58 percent stake in Doverie to United Capital, but lack of public information about who stands behind the buyer has raised concerns in Bulgaria and ruling Socialists have urged the financial regulator to halt the deal. United Capital has no stock market listing, website, or phone number. ...</p><br clear="all"/>Procter & Gamble, Chevron Headline Next Week?s EarningsThis week, tech stocks took center stage in earnings season. Next week, big oil, entertainment stocks and consumer staples move to the forefront.http://news.yahoo.com/procter-gamble-chevron-headline-next-202106917.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 16:21:06 -0400Wyatt Investment Researchprocter-gamble-chevron-headline-next-202106917Panera Bread's Earnings Were Up, but Sales Continue to Be an IssueAre prices too high at Panera?http://news.yahoo.com/panera-breads-earnings-were-sales-202100949.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 16:21:00 -0400Minyanvillepanera-breads-earnings-were-sales-202100949Sonic Automotive Q2 Earnings Miss EstimatesSonic Automotive reiterated its guidance of earnings per share from continuing operations between $1.93 and $2.03 for the full year 2013http://news.yahoo.com/sonic-automotive-q2-earnings-miss-202053036.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 16:20:53 -0400Zackssonic-automotive-q2-earnings-miss-202053036DTE Energy Misses 2Q Earnings, Affirms ViewDTE Energy Company reported second quarter 2013 with earnings below but revenue above the Zacks Consensus Estimate.http://news.yahoo.com/dte-energy-misses-2q-earnings-202002783.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 16:20:02 -0400Zacksdte-energy-misses-2q-earnings-202002783RCL Beats Earnings in 2Q, Revs LagRoyal Caribbean's adjusted second-quarter 2013 earnings were 23 cents per share.http://news.yahoo.com/rcl-beats-earnings-2q-revs-201732579.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 16:17:32 -0400Zacksrcl-beats-earnings-2q-revs-201732579Hubbell's 2Q Earnings Beat EstimateHubbell's second quarter earnings of $1.37 per share were above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.30 on the back of a lower tax rate and outstanding share count.http://news.yahoo.com/hubbells-2q-earnings-beat-estimate-201731615.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 16:17:31 -0400Zackshubbells-2q-earnings-beat-estimate-201731615US stocks recover from an early swoon, end mixed<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/us-stocks-recover-early-swoon-201208438.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/t43zPi418DzLybseJwIbMg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/images/US_AHTTP_AP_HEADLINES_BUSINESS/0aed65fcfe00a818380f6a706700f785_original.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Stocks eke out tiny gains on Wall Street" align="left" title="Stocks eke out tiny gains on Wall Street" border="0" /></a>The stock market recovered from an early swoon and is ending the day pretty much where it started. The Standard & Poor's 500 index edged up a point, or 0.08 percent, to 1,691 Friday. The index had its ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/us-stocks-recover-early-swoon-201208438.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 16:12:30 -0400Associated Pressus-stocks-recover-early-swoon-201208438<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/us-stocks-recover-early-swoon-201208438.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/t43zPi418DzLybseJwIbMg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/images/US_AHTTP_AP_HEADLINES_BUSINESS/0aed65fcfe00a818380f6a706700f785_original.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Stocks eke out tiny gains on Wall Street" align="left" title="Stocks eke out tiny gains on Wall Street" border="0" /></a>The stock market recovered from an early swoon and is ending the day pretty much where it started. The Standard & Poor's 500 index edged up a point, or 0.08 percent, to 1,691 Friday. The index had its ...</p><br clear="all"/>
Potential well water contaminants highest near natural gas drilling, UT Arlington study saysPublic release date: 26-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Traci Peterson tpeterso@uta.edu 817-521-5494 University of Texas at Arlington
A new study of 100 private water wells in and near the Barnett Shale showed elevated levels of potential contaminants such as arsenic and selenium closest to natural gas extraction sites, according to a team of researchers that was led by UT Arlington associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry Kevin Schug.
The results of the North Texas well study were published online by the journal Environmental Science & Technology Thursday. The peer-reviewed paper focuses on the presence of metals such as arsenic, barium, selenium and strontium in water samples. Many of these heavy metals occur naturally at low levels in groundwater, but disturbances from natural gas extraction activities could cause them to occur at elevated levels.
"This study alone can't conclusively identify the exact causes of elevated levels of contaminants in areas near natural gas drilling, but it does provide a powerful argument for continued research," said Brian Fontenot, a UT Arlington graduate with a doctorate in quantitative biology and lead author on the new paper.
He added: "We expect this to be the first of multiple projects that will ultimately help the scientific community, the natural gas industry, and most importantly, the public, understand the effects of natural gas drilling on water quality."
Researchers believe the increased presence of metals could be due to a variety of factors including: industrial accidents such as faulty gas well casings; mechanical vibrations from natural gas drilling activity disturbing particles in neglected water well equipment; or the lowering of water tables through drought or the removal of water used for the hydraulic fracturing process. Any of these scenarios could release dangerous compounds into shallow groundwater.
Researchers gathered samples from private water wells of varying depth within a 13 county area in or near the Barnett Shale in North Texas over four months in the summer and fall of 2011. Ninety-one samples were drawn from what they termed "active extraction areas," or areas that had one or more gas wells within a five kilometer radius. Another nine samples were taken from sites either inside the Barnett Shale and more than 14 kilometers from a natural gas drilling site, or from sites outside the Barnett Shale altogether. The locations of those sites were referred to as "non-active/reference areas" in the study.
Researchers accepted no outside funding to ensure the integrity of the study. They compared the samples to historical data on water wells in these counties from the Texas Water Development Board groundwater database for 1989-1999, prior to the proliferation of natural gas drilling.
In addition to standard water quality tests, the researchers used gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Many of the tests were conducted in the Shimadzu Center for Advanced Analytical Chemistry on the UT Arlington campus.
"Natural gas drilling is one of the most talked about issues in North Texas and throughout the country. This study was an opportunity for us to use our knowledge of chemistry and statistical analysis to put people's concerns to the test and find out whether they would be backed by scientific data," said Schug, who is also the Shimadzu Distinguished Professor of Analytical Chemistry in the UT Arlington College of Science.
On average, researchers detected the highest levels of these contaminants within 3 kilometers of natural gas wells, including several samples that had arsenic and selenium above levels considered safe by the Environmental Protection Agency. For example, 29 wells that were within the study's active natural gas drilling area exceeded the EPA's Maximum Contaminant Limit of 10 micrograms per liter for arsenic, a potentially dangerous situation.
The areas lying outside of active drilling areas or outside the Barnett Shale did not show the same elevated levels for most of the metals.
Other leaders of the Texas Gas Wells team were Laura Hunt, who conducted her post-doctoral research in biology at UT Arlington, and Zacariah Hildenbrand, who earned his doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Texas at El Paso and performed post-doctoral research at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Hildenbrand is also the founder of Inform Environmental, LLC. Fontenot and Hunt work for the EPA regional office in Dallas, but the study is unaffiliated with the EPA and both received permission to work on this project outside the agency.
Scientists note in the paper that they did not find uniformity among the contamination in the active natural gas drilling areas. In other words, not all gas well sites were associated with higher levels of the metals in well water.
Some of the most notable results were on the following heavy metals:
Arsenic occurs naturally in the region's water and was detected in 99 of the 100 samples. But, the concentrations of arsenic were significantly higher in the active extraction areas compared to non-extraction areas and historical data. The maximum concentration from an extraction area sample was 161 micrograms per liter, or 16 times the EPA safety standard set for drinking water. According to the EPA, people who drink water containing arsenic well in excess of the safety standard for many years "could experience skin damage or problems with their circulatory system, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer."
Selenium was found in 10 samples near extraction sites, and all of those samples showed selenium levels were higher than the historical average. Two samples exceeded the standard for selenium set by the EPA. Circulation problems as well as hair or fingernail loss are some possible consequences of long-term exposure to high levels of selenium, according to the EPA.
Strontium was also found in almost all the samples, with concentrations significantly higher than historical levels in the areas of active gas extraction. A toxicological profile by the federal government's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry recommends no more than 4,000 micrograms of strontium per liter in drinking water. Seventeen samples from the active extraction area and one from the non-active areas exceeded that recommended limit. Exposure to high levels of stable strontium can result in impaired bone growth in children, according to the toxic substances agency.
"After we put the word out about the study, we received numerous calls from landowner volunteers and their opinions about the natural gas drilling in their communities varied," Hildenbrand said. "By participating in the study, they were able to get valuable data about their water, whether it be for household or land use.
"Their participation has been incredibly important to this study and has helped us bring to light some of the important environmental questions surrounding this highly contentious issue."
The paper also recommends further research on levels of methanol and ethanol in water wells. Twenty-nine private water wells in the study contained methanol, with the highest concentrations in the active extraction areas. Twelve samples, four of which were from the non-active extraction sites, contained measurable ethanol. Both ethanol and methanol can occur naturally or as a result of industrial contamination.
Historical data on methanol and ethanol was not available, researchers said in the paper.
The paper is called "An evaluation of water quality in private drinking water wells near natural gas extraction sites in the Barnett Shale formation." It is available on the Just Accepted page of the journal's website. A YouTube interview with some of the study's authors is available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1_WDDtWR_k&feature=youtu.be.
Other co-authors include: Qinhong "Max" Hu, associate professor of earth and environmental sciences at UT Arlington; Doug D. Carlton Jr., a Ph.D. student in the chemistry and biochemistry department at UT Arlington; Hyppolite Oka, a recent graduate of the environmental and earth sciences master's program at UT Arlington; Jayme L. Walton, a recent graduate of the biology master's program at UT Arlington; and Dan Hopkins, of Carrollton-based Geotech Environmental Equipment, Inc.
Alexandria Osorio and Bryan Bjorndal of Assure Controls, Inc. in Vista, Calif., also are co-authors. The team used Assure's Qwiklite system to test for toxicity in well samples and those results are being prepared for a separate publication.
Many from the research team are now conducting well water sampling in the Permian Basin region of Texas, establishing a baseline set of data prior to gas well drilling activities there. That baseline will be used for a direct comparison to samples that will be collected during and after upcoming natural gas extraction. The team hopes that these efforts will shed further light on the relationship between natural gas extraction and ground water quality.
###
The research published this week is part of the important work going on at The University of Texas at Arlington, a comprehensive research institution with about 33,800 students and more than 2,200 faculty members in the heart of North Texas. For more information, please visit http://www.uta.edu.
[ | 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.
Potential well water contaminants highest near natural gas drilling, UT Arlington study saysPublic release date: 26-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Traci Peterson tpeterso@uta.edu 817-521-5494 University of Texas at Arlington
A new study of 100 private water wells in and near the Barnett Shale showed elevated levels of potential contaminants such as arsenic and selenium closest to natural gas extraction sites, according to a team of researchers that was led by UT Arlington associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry Kevin Schug.
The results of the North Texas well study were published online by the journal Environmental Science & Technology Thursday. The peer-reviewed paper focuses on the presence of metals such as arsenic, barium, selenium and strontium in water samples. Many of these heavy metals occur naturally at low levels in groundwater, but disturbances from natural gas extraction activities could cause them to occur at elevated levels.
"This study alone can't conclusively identify the exact causes of elevated levels of contaminants in areas near natural gas drilling, but it does provide a powerful argument for continued research," said Brian Fontenot, a UT Arlington graduate with a doctorate in quantitative biology and lead author on the new paper.
He added: "We expect this to be the first of multiple projects that will ultimately help the scientific community, the natural gas industry, and most importantly, the public, understand the effects of natural gas drilling on water quality."
Researchers believe the increased presence of metals could be due to a variety of factors including: industrial accidents such as faulty gas well casings; mechanical vibrations from natural gas drilling activity disturbing particles in neglected water well equipment; or the lowering of water tables through drought or the removal of water used for the hydraulic fracturing process. Any of these scenarios could release dangerous compounds into shallow groundwater.
Researchers gathered samples from private water wells of varying depth within a 13 county area in or near the Barnett Shale in North Texas over four months in the summer and fall of 2011. Ninety-one samples were drawn from what they termed "active extraction areas," or areas that had one or more gas wells within a five kilometer radius. Another nine samples were taken from sites either inside the Barnett Shale and more than 14 kilometers from a natural gas drilling site, or from sites outside the Barnett Shale altogether. The locations of those sites were referred to as "non-active/reference areas" in the study.
Researchers accepted no outside funding to ensure the integrity of the study. They compared the samples to historical data on water wells in these counties from the Texas Water Development Board groundwater database for 1989-1999, prior to the proliferation of natural gas drilling.
In addition to standard water quality tests, the researchers used gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Many of the tests were conducted in the Shimadzu Center for Advanced Analytical Chemistry on the UT Arlington campus.
"Natural gas drilling is one of the most talked about issues in North Texas and throughout the country. This study was an opportunity for us to use our knowledge of chemistry and statistical analysis to put people's concerns to the test and find out whether they would be backed by scientific data," said Schug, who is also the Shimadzu Distinguished Professor of Analytical Chemistry in the UT Arlington College of Science.
On average, researchers detected the highest levels of these contaminants within 3 kilometers of natural gas wells, including several samples that had arsenic and selenium above levels considered safe by the Environmental Protection Agency. For example, 29 wells that were within the study's active natural gas drilling area exceeded the EPA's Maximum Contaminant Limit of 10 micrograms per liter for arsenic, a potentially dangerous situation.
The areas lying outside of active drilling areas or outside the Barnett Shale did not show the same elevated levels for most of the metals.
Other leaders of the Texas Gas Wells team were Laura Hunt, who conducted her post-doctoral research in biology at UT Arlington, and Zacariah Hildenbrand, who earned his doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Texas at El Paso and performed post-doctoral research at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Hildenbrand is also the founder of Inform Environmental, LLC. Fontenot and Hunt work for the EPA regional office in Dallas, but the study is unaffiliated with the EPA and both received permission to work on this project outside the agency.
Scientists note in the paper that they did not find uniformity among the contamination in the active natural gas drilling areas. In other words, not all gas well sites were associated with higher levels of the metals in well water.
Some of the most notable results were on the following heavy metals:
Arsenic occurs naturally in the region's water and was detected in 99 of the 100 samples. But, the concentrations of arsenic were significantly higher in the active extraction areas compared to non-extraction areas and historical data. The maximum concentration from an extraction area sample was 161 micrograms per liter, or 16 times the EPA safety standard set for drinking water. According to the EPA, people who drink water containing arsenic well in excess of the safety standard for many years "could experience skin damage or problems with their circulatory system, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer."
Selenium was found in 10 samples near extraction sites, and all of those samples showed selenium levels were higher than the historical average. Two samples exceeded the standard for selenium set by the EPA. Circulation problems as well as hair or fingernail loss are some possible consequences of long-term exposure to high levels of selenium, according to the EPA.
Strontium was also found in almost all the samples, with concentrations significantly higher than historical levels in the areas of active gas extraction. A toxicological profile by the federal government's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry recommends no more than 4,000 micrograms of strontium per liter in drinking water. Seventeen samples from the active extraction area and one from the non-active areas exceeded that recommended limit. Exposure to high levels of stable strontium can result in impaired bone growth in children, according to the toxic substances agency.
"After we put the word out about the study, we received numerous calls from landowner volunteers and their opinions about the natural gas drilling in their communities varied," Hildenbrand said. "By participating in the study, they were able to get valuable data about their water, whether it be for household or land use.
"Their participation has been incredibly important to this study and has helped us bring to light some of the important environmental questions surrounding this highly contentious issue."
The paper also recommends further research on levels of methanol and ethanol in water wells. Twenty-nine private water wells in the study contained methanol, with the highest concentrations in the active extraction areas. Twelve samples, four of which were from the non-active extraction sites, contained measurable ethanol. Both ethanol and methanol can occur naturally or as a result of industrial contamination.
Historical data on methanol and ethanol was not available, researchers said in the paper.
The paper is called "An evaluation of water quality in private drinking water wells near natural gas extraction sites in the Barnett Shale formation." It is available on the Just Accepted page of the journal's website. A YouTube interview with some of the study's authors is available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1_WDDtWR_k&feature=youtu.be.
Other co-authors include: Qinhong "Max" Hu, associate professor of earth and environmental sciences at UT Arlington; Doug D. Carlton Jr., a Ph.D. student in the chemistry and biochemistry department at UT Arlington; Hyppolite Oka, a recent graduate of the environmental and earth sciences master's program at UT Arlington; Jayme L. Walton, a recent graduate of the biology master's program at UT Arlington; and Dan Hopkins, of Carrollton-based Geotech Environmental Equipment, Inc.
Alexandria Osorio and Bryan Bjorndal of Assure Controls, Inc. in Vista, Calif., also are co-authors. The team used Assure's Qwiklite system to test for toxicity in well samples and those results are being prepared for a separate publication.
Many from the research team are now conducting well water sampling in the Permian Basin region of Texas, establishing a baseline set of data prior to gas well drilling activities there. That baseline will be used for a direct comparison to samples that will be collected during and after upcoming natural gas extraction. The team hopes that these efforts will shed further light on the relationship between natural gas extraction and ground water quality.
###
The research published this week is part of the important work going on at The University of Texas at Arlington, a comprehensive research institution with about 33,800 students and more than 2,200 faculty members in the heart of North Texas. For more information, please visit http://www.uta.edu.
[ | 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.
I?m very proud to announce the publication of an eBook that I co-authored with Brian Solis, entitled ?The Seven Success Factors of Social Business Strategy?.
Based on research as well as real-world experience with our clients, Brian and I found that?there are common characteristics of successful social business strategies, the most important one being a laser focus on achieving business goals. In fact, the most successful businesses are those with an executive who can articulate the vision and strategy roadmap almost as well as the social strategist.
Here?s a summary of the Seven Success Factors of Social Business:
1.??Define the overall business goals.?You can?t align your social strategy with your business objectives if you don?t even know what your objectives are.
2.?Establish the long-term vision.?If you?re not striving toward the end goal, you?re likely to veer off the path. If you want your team to fully invest in your social strategy ? and you need the support of your entire team? you?ll need to communicate your vision with clarity and passion.
3.?Ensure executive support.?In the early days you may be able to fly under the radar, but at some point, if you want to truly have an impact on the business, you?ll need the backing and support of key executives.
4.?Define the strategy roadmap.?You already know your business objectives and have a clear vision. But how are you going to get there? Plan out your route, what roads you?ll travel, and what roads you?ll avoid.
5. Establish governance and guidelines.?Who is responsible for executing the social strategy? What?s your process of listening and responding to your customers? If you clearly define this process and then stick to it, you?ll spend less tie floating along throughout the social sphere and more time strategizing your social growth.
6. Secure staff, resources, and funding.?In the early stages of social growth, you might outsource your social media campaign to an agency, and that?s fine. But you should also be looking down the road and planning to develop internal resources to take your company to the next level as your social prowess ? and your business ? grows.
7. Invest in technology platforms that evolve.?Resist the temptation to jump on the latest technology bandwagon before you have a long-term strategic plan in place. Hold off on making significant technology investments until you?re equipped with a sound vision and strategic plan.
The organizations we studied didn?t necessarily have each of these success factors fully developed; rather, we found that it was much more important that each factor was aligned with immediate and long-term business goals.
So ask yourself ? how robust is?your?social strategy??As you look at each of the elements above, consider how well you are doing in each area. Score your social strategy on each factor on a scale of 1 (not doing it well at all) to 5 (knocking it out of the park). In the spirit of open discussion, I?d love hear how you scored yourself ? where your strategy is strong, where you need to improve.
In the book, we go into detail about how to approach each success factor,?illustrating the key elements with best practices and exercises, as well as common mistakes to avoid. One of my favorite sections is how to convince and?even rally decision makers at the executive level. Brian and I?also designed the book to be a quick but useful read ? at only 100 pages it?s something that you can give to your team and executives and reasonable expect that they will actually read it!
Our hope is that the book will help you move from having a pile of social media?tactics?to having a social business?strategy?around which your entire organization is aligned. And if you need additional help crafting that strategy, Altimeter can also help with our?Social Business Strategy service offerings.
Source: app.feed.informer.com --- Wednesday, July 17, 2013 Thanks Max Keiser, for continuing to explain the European ponzi schemes that are sacrificing a generation. ?Banks are technically bankrupt?. Thanks Max Keiser, for continuing to explain the European ponzi schemes that are sacrificing a generation. ?Banks are technically bankrupt?. ...
LinkedIn today is adding some new features into its "Influencer" program, the company's Klout-inspired network of experts and leaders in different fields launched in October 2012, who regularly publish posts that get extra special syndication on LinkedIn's network. Now, users can start conversations around Influencer posts with threaded comments. And now more than 300 people in the Influencer program -- some like Richard Branson with nearly 2 million followers -- users can now search for them and their posts specifically through LinkedIn's search box.
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Public release date: 26-Jul-2013
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I?m very proud to announce the publication of an eBook that I co-authored with Brian Solis, entitled ?The Seven Success Factors of Social Business Strategy?.
