The importance of outside playing and toys
The game is an important part of the mental growth of your child. When they engage in physical activity through outdoor equipment, they can develop the initiative, imagination, cooperation and self-confidence. Buying a scooter with pneumatic tyres can be useful for reducing idleness, learning relationship building and negotiation skills. Playing at open air is the foundation of social skills your child will need for the future. Today, there are wide range of outdoor toys at affordable prices, you can order online and buy easily.
Your garden or outdoor play area should give your children the freedom to play freely. You can buy modern toys in different models, because they are an important part of the growth of your children. Playing outside is vital for your kid’s all-round development, such as staying inside all the time with video games and watching TV lead to physical inactivity and can hinder their personal development.
In addition to toys for education, there are many toys available that are developed for fun playing for children and adults. Buying a pool is a useful idea. Also parents are involved in a fun game to play in the pool with children during the hot summer months. The available options are limitless and games can be as simple as a fun game of volleyball in the water or you can choose adventure games using the most advanced diving rings.
There are many different types of children’s toys such as outdoor tables, sandpits, jungle gyms and trampoline nets and poles. All toys have different sizes, shapes, colors and accessories. Toys can be used even in winter, which can keep your children occupied and entertained for hours. Suppliers of the best outdoor equipment offer superior products that meet safety standards. You can buy outdoor toys at the best price now.
One Man’s Retirement Plan
Have you given any thought to your retirement? Planning on pottering? Catching up on reading? Thinking you’ll cross that bridge when you come to it?
According to Prof. Bernardo Vidne, retirement can be more like jumping out of a plane than crossing a bridge – even if you are prepared. The story of Vidne’s working career is almost archetypical: From a poor childhood in Argentina, he rose to become head of the largest cardiac surgery department in Israel. In addition to some 40,000 surgeries – 10,000 on children – Vidne authored around 300 papers in medical journals and taught many students.
Prof. Bernardo Vidne and his Ph.D. adviser, Prof. Talila Volk
So maybe it is not a complete surprise that Vidne’s idea of the perfect retirement plan is to pursue full-time Ph.D. research in a molecular genetics lab, performing surgery on fruit fly hearts rather than human ones.
That plan fits in with Vidne’s philosophy, which he is eager to share: Never fulfill all of your goals. Once you’ve checked everything off your list, that’s when you start to die. Fortunately, it is never too late to set yourself new goals. And by all means, plan for that retirement, because it is in your future as surely as all those other things you have tried to plan for – career, partnership, children, etc.
That’s advice that most of us – though we may be slackers in comparison – can aspire to follow.
For more on Vidne, read today’s online article.
As a surgeon, Vidne operated on all four of these children in one week
Enrollment freeze for school with slashed budget
Will the risky move save the school money, or give them a permanent black eye with students?
California State University plans to freeze enrollment next spring at most of its campuses, and wait-list all later applicants to cope with a $750 million funding cut. It all depends on the outcome of a November tax proposal.
Eight campuses — Channel Islands, Chico, East Bay, Fullerton, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Bernardino and Sonoma — will accept only a few hundred students transferring from community colleges for the spring 2013 semester.
It’s especially bad news for students who planned to transfer from community colleges with the intent to finish their course work and graduate.
While tens of thousands of students (Cal State receives around 70,000 applications in the spring) could be denied access to the huge public university system, it also sends a clear message to California voters to support a tax increase that would net CSU a $200 million tax cut.
The only alternative, according to the school: further tuition increases. And raises in fees for the previous six years have not been popular.
Should the tax measure fail to pass, reducing enrollment may be considered for fall 2013.
It’s a drastic move – but is it the right one? Share your thoughts in the comments section, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.
Make Cross-Curricular Comics with MakeBeliefsComix!
Ive been using MakeBeliefsComix with my classes for many years. Its a great (and free) online comic strip creator that lets you add a range of characters, speech bubbles and thought bubbles. Its really easy to use and children can quickly build a wonderful comic by selecting, moving, resizing and flipping the pictures that they add to each scene. Since last using it, the range of characters available has greatly increased and there are also props that you can add to each scene.
There are also 250 new printables and writing prompts that encourage writing and thinking in a quick and imaginative way and foster classroom discussion. Pupils can add their own ideas to the writing prompts and use these as a starting point for their own stories or poems on the chosen subject. The site is building into a wonderful resources for schools take a look now!
Scientist awarded inaugural Antonio M. Gotto Jr. Prize
DALLAS – March 26, 2012 – Dr. Helen Hobbs, a preeminent researcher who studies the genetics of cholesterol metabolism at UT Southwestern Medical Center, has won a prestigious award from the International Atherosclerosis Society.
Dr. Helen Hobbs
Dr. Hobbs, director of the Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, will receive the inaugural Antonio M. Gotto Jr. Prize in Atherosclerosis Research today at the society’s meeting in Sydney.
Her research focuses on identifying genetic factors that contribute to variations in the levels of cholesterol in the blood, especially low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Elevated levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood increase the risk of a heart attack.
Since 1999 Dr. Hobbs has led the Dallas Heart Study, a longitudinal, multiethnic, population-based study of risk factors underlying cardiovascular disease. The study, funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, involves thousands of participants.
In research done with colleague Dr. Jonathan Cohen, professor of internal medicine, Dr. Hobbs identified people with a genetic mutation that kept them from making normal amounts of the PCSK9 protein. Those with the mutation have a 28 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol levels and an 88 percent reduction in risk of coronary heart disease over a 15-year period compared to those without the mutation.
“This is a greater reduction in heart disease than expected based on the statin trials,” she said. “This finding reflects the fact that atherosclerosis is a chronic disease that takes years to develop. Individuals with a mutation in PCSK9 have had lower cholesterol levels their entire lives and consequently have less heart disease.”
An editorial in the March 22 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine credited their work with “spurring interest in PCSK9 therapeutics,” which now are under development by several pharmaceutical companies.
A UT Southwestern faculty member since 1987, Dr. Hobbs majored in human biology at Stanford University and then earned her medical degree at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland. The Boston native completed an internship in internal medicine at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City before moving in 1980 to Dallas and UT Southwestern, where she finished her clinical training and served as chief resident in internal medicine at Parkland Memorial Hospital.
Dr. Hobbs made the transition from full-time clinician to physician-scientist at the urging of her UT Southwestern mentors, Nobel laureates Dr. Michael Brown, director of the Erik Jonsson Center for Research in Molecular Genetics and Human Disease, and Dr. Joseph Goldstein, chairman of molecular genetics. Drs. Brown and Goldstein shared the 1985 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for their discovery of the basic mechanism of cholesterol metabolism. Beginning in 1983, Dr. Hobbs spent four years as a postdoctoral research fellow in their laboratory before joining the faculty.
Dr. Hobbs was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2007, to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2006, and to the National Academy’s Institute of Medicine in 2004. Her many recognitions and honors include the first Clinical Research Prize in 2005 from the American Heart Association, the Heinrich Wieland Prize from Germany, and the 2007 AHA Distinguished Scientist Award.
National institute launched to help businesses grow with Asian consumers
Nanyang Technological University
Launched officially today, the Institute on Asian Consumer Insight (ACI) announced its strategy and plans for becoming the world’s go-to centre for companies seeking to grow their business in Asia.
Top on the list is an Asia Consumer Summit, organised with the Financial Times. Modelled in format after the World Economic Forum in Davos, this event, to be attended by global business leaders, will be a platform to examine Asian consumers. The rest of this year’s calendar is filled with conferences headlined by big names in the region, like Acer’s Stan Shih, and uniquely Asian events including a seminar on “Ghosts, Spirits, Lucky Numbers and Other Superstitions” and the consumer.
The Institute, funded jointly by the Singapore Economic Development Board and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), is a world-class, first-of-its-kind institute focused on Asian consumers. Through research, education programmes and industry collaborations, ACI will help companies develop strategies for Asian markets. Hosted at NTU and funded up to $77 million over five years, the Institute will help businesses innovate brands, products and services, based on insight about pan-Asian consumer needs, wants, and preferences.
The Institute was officially launched at an inauguration ceremony at the Mandarin Orchard Hotel Singapore. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade & Industry, S. Iswaran, presided over the event.
In his speech, Mr. Iswaran noted that the launch of the institute is in tandem with the shift in economic focus to Asia. He added that Singapore’s ideal location and integrative research capabilities in biomedical sciences and engineering will benefit consumer goods companies looking to access and capture market opportunities in the region and beyond.
“Singapore’s physical connectivity and cultural proximity to the region, coupled with our multi-cultural talent base, makes us an ideal outward looking pan-Asian hub for many research agencies and consultancies to acquire a nuanced understanding of similarities and differences among Asian consumers,” said Mr. Iswaran.
Top executives of global consumer goods and market research companies also attended the event. They included Unilever, ADK, Kraft Foods, Research in Motion, and Nielsen, which have committed to collaborating with ACI on various initiatives. Also present were Professor Amitava Chattopadhyay from INSEAD, Professor Shi Zhang from the UCLA, Ms Leung Cheong Tai, President (Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa) from Nielsen, and Mr BV Pradeep, Vice President (Consumer & Market Insight) from Unilever, who participated in panel discussions on consumer insights, and strategy and growth.
“Unilever is delighted to support ACI. We need thought leadership and insights about Asian consumers that we can use for marketing and product innovations.” said Mr Pradeep.
Ms Leung said, “As consumer needs evolve at an increasingly rapid pace, insights into how and why they make purchasing decisions become even more critical for companies to win, and also identify emerging demand for growth. We welcome the ACI’s initiatives to accelerate the development of talents in the region, which will foster an even stronger community of professionals to help companies win.”
At the event, NTU President, Bertil Andersson highlighted ACI’s relevance to NTU’s strategy of becoming a New Silk Road of knowledge that combined the best of the East and West. “The study of Asian consumer insight is one that relies on expertise across many disciplines. Say, you are looking to make inroads into the Asian retail markets. You may start by looking to history, culture, psychology, to figure out what goes on in the mind of the consumers. This requires a multi-disciplinary approach. At NTU, ACI will have access to some of the world’s best brains in fields like marketing, culture intelligence, accounting, engineering, and very soon, neuro-science when NTU’s new medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, set up in partnership with Imperial College London, enrols its first 50 students in August next year,” he said.
The Institute is led by Executive Director Bernd Schmitt, who is currently at NTU as a Nanyang Visiting Professor. A professor of international business at Columbia Business School, New York, and Director at the Centre on Global Brand Leadership, Professor Schmitt has taught and conducted research on Asian consumers for almost 20 years, at universities such as CEIBS in China, Yonsei University in South Korea, and Hong Kong University. He has also consulted for a variety of organizations Sony in Japan, Samsung, Lotte, and Amore Pacific and Hanjin in South Korea, Wheelock in Hong Kong and Tata Industries in India.
“The Asian consumers are set to become the number one priority for companies around the world. Vibrant economies and youthful demographics are creating the world’s fastest growing middle class. Firms that are seeking that next phase of growth cannot ignore this region and I’m most excited for this opportunity to lead this pioneering work at the frontier of the global consumer franchise,” said Professor Schmitt.
Conferences, Seminars and Executive Programmes
ACI’s flagship event is the Asia Consumer Summit, which will be the global platform to examine issues of growth and strategy, exploring Asia’s latest consumer trends and how to capitalise on business opportunities that arise from them. Organised in partnership with the Financial Times, it is fashioned after the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, and will bring together the world’s most influential and iconic leaders from business-to-consumer (B2C) companies, research firms, creative agencies and academia. The inaugural conference is scheduled for October 11, 2012.
Prior to that, ACI will be organizing its first seminar on Friday, 13th April, at 1808hrs. Titled “Ghosts, Spirits, Lucky Numbers and Other Superstitions and How They Influence Consumer Behaviour”, this seminar will help retailers, hoteliers, property developers and other companies unravel the mysteries of how superstitions affect consumer perceptions, decisions and ultimately business. For more tailored insights on market-specific trends and issues, ACI will be conducting several Country Series seminars this year. The first of the Country Series takes place in July, with the spotlight on South Korea. This will be followed by a seminar on India in August, and one on Indonesia in December. The Institute will also offer executive education courses for working professionals. It will also develop customised courses for companies that want their employees to be trained to meet their specific needs.
Research
ACI, through its research fellows, conducts academic research in areas such as consumer decision-making, consumer psychology and consumer culture. ACI fellows are a multi-disciplinary faculty from universities in the region, including NTU, National University of Singapore, Singapore Management University, INSEAD, and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. ACI has already invited professors from leading US business schools, such as University of Chicago, University of California, Los Angeles, and Columbia University, to present their research. It has established a partnership with the Centre on Customer Insight at the University of St Gallen, Switzerland.
Master of Science Programme
ACI, together with the Nanyang Business School, will launch a Master of Science in Marketing programme in October 2012 to help nurture talent that understands Asian consumers, and possesses the know-how to reach out to them. This one-year, part-time programme will focus on developing quantitative and qualitative research skills to analyse, evaluate and appreciate the unique needs of Asian consumers. Students will learn well-established research methods like survey design as well as cutting-edge methods such as ethnography, text mining and Bayesian analysis. More than just theory, participants will learn how to implement and apply these methods in practically relevant contexts, such as design, branding and product innovation.
Industry Collaborations
ACI invites companies to engage in joint projects and create “next practices” for areas such as understanding young Asian females, “the bottom of the pyramid” and emotional consumption. Corporations can sponsor company-specific research projects and case studies, which will provide them with key strategic insights into how they can grow their businesses in Asia.
Senior Assistant Director
Institute on Asian Consumer Insight
Nanyang Business School
Nanyang Technological University
Tel: 6592-7915
Email:
Feisal Abdul Rahman
Senior Assistant Director, Media Relations
Corporate Communications Office
Nanyang Technological University
Tel: 6790-6687
Email:
About the Institute on Asian Consumer Insight (ACI)
ACI is a world-class, first-of-its-kind institute focused on Asian consumers. A national institute in Singapore, ACI started as an initiative of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) in 2011 and is hosted by Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
ACI has launched various research projects focused on Asian markets and consumers, a Master of Science program, conferences and events, executive programs and company projects. ACI helps companies to develop customer-focused strategies based on insights about Asian consumers. The Institute create value in the areas of innovation, branding, new-market development and new media.
Led by its Executive Director, Professor Bernd Schmitt, ACI has more than 20 researchers and post-docs conducting research on Asian consumers. On a regular basis, ACI also invites faculty from US and European institutions as visitors and research collaborators to Singapore.
For more information, visit
About Nanyang Technological University
A research-intensive public university, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has 33,500 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the colleges of Engineering, Business, Science, and Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences. In 2013, NTU will enrol the first batch of students at its new medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, which is set up jointly with Imperial College London.
NTU is also home to four world-class autonomous institutes the National Institute of Education, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Earth Observatory of Singapore, and Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering and various leading research centres such as the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI) and Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N).
A fast-growing university with an international outlook, NTU is putting its global stamp on Five Peaks of Excellence: Sustainable Earth, Future Healthcare, New Media, New Silk Road, and Innovation Asia.
Besides the main Yunnan Garden campus, NTU also has a satellite campus in Singapore’s science and tech hub, one-north, and is setting up a third campus in Novena, Singapore’s medical district.
For more information, visit