Thursday, June 03, 2004

New Evidence Points to a Gamma-Ray Burst... In Our Own Backyard 06.02.04 Astronomers have uncovered evidence that a 7:33:01 PM    comment []

Baby food could trigger meningitis   10:29 03 June 04   Exclusive from New Scientist Print Edition. Subscribe and get 4 free issues.   An extensive survey of baby foods has found they contain worrying levels of disease-causing microbes. Of most concern was the presence of a bacterium called Enterobacter sakazakii, which has been linked to a handful of fatal outbreaks of meningitis at children's hospitals in the US and Europe. The meningitis-causing bug has been found in powdered infant formula before, but this study is the first to detect it in dried infant food. Although there are only a few cases each year, the death rate from infection can be as high as one-third. Premature babies and those with a weakened immune system are at particular risk. Even the babies who survive an infection often suffer brain damage, says Carol Iversen, who studies the bacterium at Nottingham Trent University in the UK. "Very few recover fully," she says. A serious outbreak of meningitis at a neonatal intensive care unit in Tennessee in 2001 was traced to a batch of powdered infant formula. One baby died and eight others were infected. The incident prompted the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, to warn US doctors about the potential dangers of powdered formula. The manufacturer recalled the product. Now Iversen and her colleagues have undertaken an extensive survey of powdered infant formula, dried infant food and milk powder from seven European countries, the US, South Korea and South Africa. Stomach bugs They analysed more than 200 samples from 110 different products for the presence of a variety of bacteria. Eight out of 82 powdered infant formula samples contained stomach bacteria, as did 12 out of 49 dried infant food samples. Thirteen of the bacterial species they identified, including E. sakazakii, are members of the Enterobacteriaceae, a family associated with hospital-acquired infections. Iversen stresses that manufacturers do not claim the products are completely free of pathogens, but she points out that many parents and nurses assume they are. "There is a misconception that infant formula powder is a sterile product," she says.     Subscribe to New Scientist for more news and features   Related Stories   Friendly mouth bacteria could block HIV 26 May 2004   Maternal diet linked to offspring's longevity 28 January 2004   Nasal vaccine protects against meningitis B 10 April 2002     For more related stories search the print edition Archive     Weblinks   Steve Forsythe, Nottingham Trent University   Meningitis Trust, UK   American Society for Microbiology     In a separate study, the team looked at the best ways to prepare and store infant formula made from powder to minimise the risk of infection. They found that the number of bacteria doubled every 10 hours in the fridge, while at room temperature it took just half an hour for numbers to double. This means that any formula left out overnight could go from containing very few bacteria to harbouring dangerous levels, says Stephen Forsythe, who led the team. As a father himself, Forsythe sympathises with parents who want to prepare bottles ahead so that night feeds go as quickly as possible. "At three o'clock in the morning an extra three minutes is a long time," he says. But Forsythe urges parents to resist the temptation to prepare formula in advance. Both studies were presented at a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in New Orleans last week.   James Randerson, New Orleans 7:23:35 PM    comment []

Dubya swings both ways? Post #4353 Dubya, about to assume the position? 7:21:45 PM    comment []

En Banc Federal Circuit Says Rewriting of Dependent Patent Claims in Independent Form Can Result in Surrender of Equivalents Coverage -- Honeywell International Inc. v. Hamilton Sundstrand Corp. -- On June 2 in an en banc opinion by Judge Dyk, the Federal Circuit decided prosecution history estoppel can prevent a patent owner from relying on the doctrine of equivalents to prove infringement when an independent claim is cancelled to narrow the scope of subject matter claimed and dependent claims are rewritten in independent form. The Honeywell claims at issue cover an aircraft auxiliary power unit. The court noted that surrenders of subject matter are determined on a limitation-by-limitation basis. The case was remanded to determine whether Honeywell can overcome the presumption of surrender under the Supreme Court’s Festo rule. Judge Newman dissented. 7:16:35 PM    comment []

Seagate to Cut 2,700 Jobs June 4, 2004 Seagate Technology Inc. will reduce its work force by 7%, or about 2,900 jobs, as the maker of computer hard drives struggles to cut costs as prices for its products fall. The company, incorporated in the Cayman Islands with operations directed from Scotts Valley, Calif., didn't specify what locations or divisions would be affected by the job cuts, though it said it won't affect the introduction of new products expected in the next few weeks. Some of the reductions are expected to be through voluntary severance packages. During an update of its business outlook for the fiscal fourth quarter ending July 2, the company said it expects a decline in the average selling price for all of its products for the quarter to be about 5%. Seagate said the job cuts and other cost cuts will reduce annual operating expenses by about $150 million and will result in a charge of about $50 million for the current quarter. Seagate shares rose 39 cents, or 3.2%, to $12.60 in 4 p.m. New York Stock Exchange composite trading. 7:14:08 PM    comment []

India to Increase Software Exports Via Outsourcing By ASHOK BHATTACHARJEE DOW JONES NEWSWIRES June 4, 2004 NEW DELHI -- The software-outsourcing sector in India is poised for a year of robust exports, as savings for U.S. companies outweigh a political backlash there against shipping jobs overseas, an industry body said Thursday. Signs of a recovery in the U.S. economy and job market are giving Indian companies confidence to bid more aggressively for software orders, according to the National Association of Software and Service Companies, or Nasscom, which represents more than 800 technology companies in India. For the year ending March 31, 2005, Nasscom forecasts Indian exports of software and back-office services will grow 32% to $16.3 billion. That would compare with the previous year when software exports rose 31% to $12.5 billion, crossing the $10 billion mark for the first time. "We are riding the crest of a wave and we need to make it count," said Nasscom Chairman Jerry Rao. "We are looking at a very good year ahead. And the last year was possibly the best since the slowdown in the global technology market." WHEN U.S. JOBS GO ABROAD • Complete coverage of the outsourcing debate, including news and interactive graphics.   Annual growth in exports of software services may have slowed from 50% in the boom years of the late 1990s, but a squeeze on U.S. and European technology budgets actually has benefited Indian companies, which offer their Western customers up to 50% savings on operating expenses. The lure of substantial cost reductions has prompted U.S. and British companies to cut back on jobs and expansion plans at home and instead ship the work to low-wage countries like India. The trend has triggered a backlash in the U.S. and United Kingdom that poses a threat to the future of the outsourcing industry. However, Nasscom is optimistic. "We know the backlash is an issue but we expect it to blow over. We expect the backlash to end, with the U.S. economy generating more jobs over the last few months," said Nasscom President Kiran Karnik. In April, nonfarm business payrolls in the U.S. grew by a net 288,000, raising the total gain to 1.1 million over the past eight months. The unemployment rate, meanwhile, dropped one-tenth of a percentage point to 5.6% in April. The U.S. remains the biggest market for Indian software companies, generating 70% of their revenue. The U.K. is second, with a 15% share of India's software exports. To maintain the headstart India has over its rivals like the Philippines, South Africa and Ireland, Nasscom urged the government to set the agenda for services trading in negotiations at the World Trade Organization. "India has a natural advantage in services and we need to press that home. India will be a disproportionate beneficiary of WTO negotiations if we are able to set the agenda," Mr. Rao said, referring to guidelines on crossborder trade in services. In the past, Western companies have questioned India's record on data safety and its legal protections on intellectual-property rights. But Nasscom member companies now are moving to put in place stricter regulations on data transference to keep their Western customers plugged into India's outsourcing boom. More than one million Indians are expected to be employed in call-center, back-office and software jobs by 2008, making the sector the country's biggest foreign-exchange earner, with expected annual revenue of $50 billion. 7:12:53 PM    comment []