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The Authors and Contributors of Patent Docs are patent attorneys and agents who hold doctorates in a diverse array of biotech and chemical disciplines.

The Brevard Zoo is more than a place to feed a giraffe or go zip-lining. It?s also a business, a publicly supported tourist attraction and a nonprofit education center.

Executive Director Keith Winsten oversees all of those disciplines, juggling zoology with marketing concerns. I asked Winsten about the zoo?s inhabitants and strategy in a TV interview posted at Floridatoday.com. Excerpts:

Question:I understand the zoo population of 550 just grew by one. Please share.

Winsten: We are a huge dating system for animals. Accredited zoos manage our animal populations carefully, and this was a planned birth of a baby anteater, our first ever born at the zoo. We had to work with the zoo in West Palm Beach to get just the right combination ?? you have to get the candles and the lights and music just right ? and, uh ?

Q:It?s not just a matter of getting together a male and female anteater?

Winsten: No, they have to get along. Animals have feelings, as anyone who has pets knows. She?s a first-time mother. She?s doing well.

Q:What is the local zoo?s mission?

Winsten: It?s wildlife conservation through education and participation. We try to provide really personal experiences with nature in an authentic setting. With our Wild Florida loop, we?re envisioning a process to bring in a lot of community input, because we think that should be our signature loop.

Q:Do you have a favorite animal?

Winsten: We have lemurs, which I adore, fantastic primates from Madagascar. And I?ve always had a fondness for cheetahs. So we brought cheetahs in 2010. But my favorite animal at the zoo is Ollie, a black-throated monitor lizard that lives in our children?s zoo. He has such a unique personality. He runs free with the kids, goats and alpacas.

Q:Do taxpayers support the zoo?

Winsten: We don?t get any recurring operating dollars from the government. We?re very entrepreneurial, earning about 93 cents on the dollar. Most of our other money comes from fundraising and donations.

Creighton University’s Dr. Isabelle Cherney will discuss the benefits of interdepartmental collaboration at upcoming conference

Omaha, NE (PRWEB) February 15, 2012

Collaboration across disciplines and departments to design and teach programs can result in new and exciting work, potentially leading to ideas that can solve problems in society and around the world. Isabelle D. Cherney, PhD, associate dean of Creighton University’s Graduate School and director of the interdisciplinary Doctor of Education (EdD) program in Leadership, will present a talk exploring those ideas as part of the upcoming Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities’ Graduate Dean Conference at Loyola University Chicago March 8-10, 2012.

Dr. Cherney notes that while higher education institutions know the value of interdisciplinary programs, it can be difficult to create enthusiasm for them in academic cultures that are resistant to change. In her talk, she will present strategies and tools that can help key players successfully guide and lead planning, development, and implementation across disciplines within the Jesuit/Catholic intellectual context and tradition.

“The results of interdisciplinary programs can be truly exciting for both students and faculty, and absolutely worth the effort it takes to develop them,” said Dr. Cherney. “The Graduate Dean Conference is an excellent opportunity for all of us to compare notes on experiences and continue to define and refine the collaborative process.”

For her session, “Interdisciplinary Initiatives at Jesuit Colleges and Universities,” Dr. Cherney will use examples and lessons learned during her experience creating and implementing the EdD program at Creighton. Taught by faculty members from the fields of arts and sciences, business, pharmacy and health professions, medicine, and law, the program offers an inclusive view of leadership that can be applied to any industry, especially business, education, and health care. Coursework builds on Creighton’s Catholic and Jesuit tradition of social justice, self-reflection, and service to others to create ethical, extraordinary leaders prepared to drive transformational change at their organizations. Offered in the convenient and flexible online format, the program is designed for working adults and allows them to organize their studies around their busy schedules.

To learn more about the online EdD, go to http://www.creighton-online.com or call 866.717.6365.

About Creighton University

Creighton University, a Catholic, Jesuit institution located in Omaha, Neb., enrolls more than 4,200 undergraduate and 3,500 professional school and graduate students. Nationally recognized for providing a balanced educational experience, the University offers a rigorous academic agenda with a broad range of disciplines, providing undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs that emphasize educating the whole person: academically, socially and spiritually. Creighton has been a top-ranked Midwestern university in the college edition of US News amp; World Report magazine for more than 20 years. For more information, visit our website at http://www.creighton.edu.

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For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/2/prweb9184170.htm

Can science give us the perfect sleep-inducing song?

Ive been a bit of an insomniac lately. Somewhere in the depths of 2 am last night (or this morning?), I Googled most relaxing song ever.

And what did I expect to find? Well, a bunch of songs esteemed Most Relaxing by the court of popular opinion.

But instead, I foundscience. Maybe.

From The Telegraph:

the eight minute track [by Marconi Union], called Weightless, is so effective at inducing sleep it should not be listened to while driving.

Carefully arranged harmonies, rhythms and bass lines help to slow the heart rate, reduce blood pressure and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Manchester trio Marconi Union worked with sound therapists to create the soothing tune, which also slows breathing and reduces brain activity.

Lyz Cooper, founder of the British Academy of Sound Therapy, says that the songs rhythm begins at 60 beats per minute and then gradually falls to 50 by the end. She told The Telegraph that the songs lack of melodic repetition quiets the brain from trying to predict a musical pattern.

While the song definitely has some subjectively relaxing qualities to it, Im a bit wary of the research thats labeled it as the most relaxing tune ever. When a spa company funds your researchwell, eh, that sort of smells like a marketing gimmick to me. You can read the full article here and decide if any of the research is truly scientific.

But lets put the science vs. pseudoscience debate aside for now. And lets relax.

Scientists (and perhaps I mean that loosely) recommend that you avoid listening to this song while drivingso, if youre driving, dont listen to the song below.

Of course, if youre driving and reading blogs at the same time, thats clearly worse.

Anyway. Here it is:

Of course, music is subjective and its perfectly possible that slow ambient may increase anxiety for some people. I know it sounds silly, but its true. If youve ever had a panic attack on a massage table or at a spa, then you might negatively associate slow amp; droning music with your experience. (If thats the case for you personally, what kind of music relaxes you?)

What do you think? Give it a complete listen before bed tonight and let me know if it deserves its title.

M-Sport has today announced the dates for the FIA WRC Academy pre-season training as 6 to 8 March 2012. Registered competitors will be invited to M-Sport’s HQ at Dovenby Hall where they will receive expert tuition in a number of disciplines ahead of the season opener in Portugal next month.

The training sessions will be split over three days with two groups each completing two full days of training: one day to familiarise competitors with the Ford Fiesta R2, and one centring on the administrative side of the sport and mentor guidance.

The practical training will start with a technical introduction to the award-winning Ford Fiesta R2 from an experienced team of M-Sport engineers and technicians. Drivers and co-drivers will then participate in a wheel change competition before heading to M-Sport’s testing ground where they will receive instruction from an experienced driver mentor and the opportunity to test the Ford Fiesta R2 for themselves.

Focusing on the administrative side of the sport, the managerial training will bring competitors together for briefings on media activities, career management and organisation on event. Competitors will also partake in a physical exercise – to assess each individual’s flexibility, core strength, endurance and reaction speed – as well as first aid training and team building activities.

Supplying the WRC Academy with control tyres again in 2012, Pirelli will also be on hand to brief competitors on the various compounds available throughout the season.

The closing date for FIA WRC Academy entries ahead of the 2012 Vodafone Rally de Portugal is 27 February. Please see www.wrc.com/wrcacademy for further information or contact WRC Academy Manager, Kate Rhodes, at krhodes@m-sport.co.uk or +44 (0)1900 828 888.

FIA WRC Academy Manager, Maciej Woda said:

“The training days are a great opportunity for competitors to get to know each other and become integrated into the team. As last year proved, a working knowledge of the car [Ford Fiesta R2] can be a big advantage both within the Academy Cup and in each driver’s personal development.

“Last year we were very proud of the atmosphere we created within the [FIA WRC] Academy and this year will see another big emphasis on team building and sportsmanship. I am really looking forward to meeting everyone – old friends and new – next month.”

FIA WRC Manager, Michèle Mouton said:

“Becoming an FIA World Rally Champion is about so much more than just driving fast. Training is so important and covers many different aspects. A driver needs to know how to conduct themselves with the media, how to find sponsors, personal preparation, fitness, hydration; the list goes on. As part of the FIA World Rally Championship, the WRC Academy has unrivalled access to some of the world’s most experienced people in the sport; the knowledge and experience they can pass on to our stars of the future is priceless.”

Now that it is winter again, children tend to stay indoors more often. When I received a flyer about our towns winter sports program, I realized that it was exactly what I needed for my grade school boys to keep themselves busy before their rowdiness at home drives me crazy.

Ricard, my Grade 3 boy, insists that I stay with him while they have their basketball practice. Since I want to support him and show him that I am interested in his new endeavor, I patiently stay and watch. There are a couple of moms and dads who watch the practices as well. On weekends, most if not all parents are present for the games.

I found out from one of the moms that his son has been in a basketball program since he was a toddler. Im surprised how early kids can start with this sport. My son is just starting to learn about this game at Grade 3, when a few of his team mates where playing the game since age three.

In the practices and games, many parents cheer, including me. A few moms yell instructions to their sons. After the game, some dads discuss strategies with their sons.

Being a new soccer mom, I noticed how supportive and passionate we can get with our childrens sports activities. I believe that our commitment reflects in the total number of Olympic medals won by team USA – a number that cannot be matched even if the total medals of the next country in rank were to be doubled.

It got me thinking that if we, as parents, can be as involved about our childs education as we are with their sports activities, we wouldnt be lagging behind other countries in terms of scholastic performance.

Leaving education solely at the hands of teachers is not working to get top scores for our kids. Wont this translate to how competitive our children will be in the global economy in their generation? As is, America is slipping downwards. We have to get involved. Lets take a look at what we are doing right in motivating our children to excel in sports and figure out how to apply this to propel our kids to succeed in school.

Chacha Tumbokon is the founder of RaiseSmartKid.com, a parents guide on how to raise a smart, intelligent, and bright child – from baby, toddler, preschooler, and school-age kid to teen.

How many people does it take to create a website, design a T-shirt, plan a VIP lounge, make product packaging and put together a video installation? James Chang has shown that sometimes you need only one.

In his 15 years as a designer, Chang has taken on numerous jobs in different design fields. He has moved back and forth among interactive, graphic, interior, product and multimedia design. And theres no other place hed rather be.

It is how I like to market myself right now – as a one-stop-solution designer, says the 35-year-old creative director of TC Interactive, an e-commerce startup in Zhejiangs provincial capital Hangzhou.

I can work in all different disciplines, platforms – with architects, interior designers, musicians. You name it.

Sheryl Ubelacker

The Canadian Press

Canadians may be a winter-hardy lot overall, but thousands end up in hospital each year after breaking bones on the ski slope or snowboard run, sustaining a concussion from a hit on the hockey rink or suffering multiple injuries in snowmobile crashes.

In the fiscal year 2010-2011, more than 5,600 Canadians of all ages were hospitalized with serious injuries related to winter sports and recreational activities, says a report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

Skiing and snowboarding accounted for the largest proportion of serious injuries, with more than 2,300 Canadians admitted to hospital after being hurt, CIHI reported Tuesday.

The number of injuries from the two sports combined is more than double the 1,114 hockey-related injuries requiring hospitalization. Other seasonal activities that led to a hospital stay of at least one night included ice skating (889); snowmobiling (1,126); and tobogganing (171).

“These numbers do not include visits that involve only the emergency department or a doctor’s office, or deaths at the scene,” said Greg Webster, CIHI’s director of primary health care information and clinical registries. “So the total number of injuries is actually much higher.”

In fact, the number of injuries from seasonal activities that sent Canadians to emergency departments alone is estimated to be 10 times the number of hospitalizations, said Webster, extrapolating from Ontario data that saw a total of 45,270 ED visits in 2010–2011.

Children and youth aged 10 to 19 accounted for half of all hospitalizations for hockey injuries and almost one-third of those related to skiing and snowboarding falls and crashes, the report found.

“And within that age group, over 80 per cent of the injuries are accounted for by boys,” Webster said. “So this is obviously a group that could be targeted for injury-prevention, both in the area of hockey and also skiing and snowboarding.”

When it comes to children younger than age 10, the most common reason for a hospital stay was an injury from skiing, snowboarding or tobogganing.

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No more classes, no more books, no more teachers . . . well, at least for a few days, anyway.

The fourth week of February marks winter recess for many students across the region, a time when freedom reigns, as well as free time.

So, if parents are looking to fill the void left by homework and studying, they might want to check out a bevy of museums, nature centers and community groups hosting vacation week activities next week.

Programs range from walks in the woods to fun with fossils to hands-on aquatic adventures:

Vacation Drop Off Days at Stamford Museum and Nature Center: Kids ages 5 to 8 can view the night sky in the planetarium, play winter games and discover how animals get ready for winter from Tuesday, Feb. 21, through Thursday, Feb. 23, from 2 to 5 pm The cost is $120 for three days, $45 per day. At 39 Scofieldtown Road, Stamford. 203-322-1646, www.stamfordmuseum.org.

School Vacation Week at Yale Peabody Museum: Dinosaur Days is featuring a fossil dig, fossil touch table and a meet-and-greet with paleontologists; and Roxi Fox Puppet Shows Monday, Feb. 20, through Friday, Feb. 24, from 10 am to 2 pm; call for schedule of events. Free with admission. $9, $5 for ages 3 through 18. At 170 Whitney Ave., New Haven. 203-432-5050, www.peabody.yale.edu.

Winter Vacation Adventures at Maritime Aquarium: Kids ages 6 to 9 can make snowflakes, rockets and otter toys, set up a real salt-water aquarium and learn about the aquariums flippered and furry friends Monday, Feb. 20, through Friday, Feb. 24, from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm Pre-care is from 8:30-9:30 am The cost is $395 for the full week, $85 per day; $15 for pre-care per day, $65 for pre-care per week. At 10 N. Water St., Norwalk. 203-852-0700, www.maritimeaquarium.org.

Paint with the Animals at Beardsley Zoo: Kids ages 6 and older can create art projects with the zoos very own resident animals Tuesday Feb. 21, through Thursday, Feb. 23, from 10 am to noon. The cost is $100 for the week. At 1875 Noble Ave., Bridgeport. 203-394-6565, 203-394-6563, www.beardsleyzoo.org.

Winter Break Adventures at Audubon Greenwich: Kids in grades K-5 can enjoy two programs — Tracks Traces and Homes Hideouts — that will explore local wildlife Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 21 and 22, from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm The cost is $75 per day. At 613 Riversville Road, Greenwich. 203-869-5272, www.greenwich.audubon.org.

Vacation Day Camp at Pratt Nature Center: Kids can hike the mountain, snowshoe and ride sleds (weather permitting) Friday and Monday, Feb. 17 and Feb. 20, from 9 am to 5 pm Call for prices. At 163 Papermill Road, New Milford. 860-355-3137, www.prattcenter.org.

Winter Vacation Camp at Bartlett Arboretum: Kids ages 5 to 11 can explore a different topic each day — Monday, Feb. 20, through Friday, Feb. 24, from 9 am to 4 pm related to the botanical and natural world; a healthy snack will be provided. The cost is $350 for the week, $75 per day. At 151 Brookdale Road, Stamford. 203-322-6971, www.bartlettarboretum.org, education@bartlettarboretum.org.

scott.gargan@scni.com; 203-964-2238;

http://twitter.com/scottgarg

Israeli company launches TV channel for canines
Channel features images of happy dogs, people playing soccer and relaxing piano music 24 hours a day.

By
Ruta Kupfer