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| December 17, 2007 |
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local newsEmail this article to a friend
Virtual pooch to teach acupuncture
FORT COLLINS -- Colorado State University engineering students are
getting a cross-discipline lesson while creating a virtual dog.
Undergraduate students of Peter Young, an associate professor in the
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, are working to
create a simulated, anatomically accurate dog for teaching purposes.
Narda Robinson, a chair in the College of Veterinary Medicine and
Biomedical Sciences, is working with the students to design SimPooch.
The virtual Labrador retriever would be used to teach veterinary
students the feel of correctly applying acupuncture.
The project started last year, with Robinson teaming up with mechanical
engineering students and Sue James, the director of the School of
Biomedical Engineering, to create the physical model of the dog's head.
The model is intended to reproduce varying densities of bone, muscle
skin and fat.
The electrical engineering students are moving forward to build
computer software that will further track the accuracy of acupuncture
points. Robinson said that SimPooch could ultimately be used in other
applications, such as tracking nerve blocks for interventional pain
relief as well as in radiology and oncology. |
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Gas prices not canceling holiday trips
Despite increased costs, holiday travelers will not be dissuaded from
making the annual trek, according to AAA Colorado.
AAA estimates that 65.2 million Americans will travel 50 or more miles
from home during the Christmas and New Year's holiday. That represents
a .7 percent increase compared to last year.
At the same time, costs for gas, airfares, hotels and rental cars are
general up from the 2006 holiday season. In Northern Colorado, gas
prices are up more than 70 cents. The Fort Collins-Loveland metro area
is seeing average prices for regular gasoline at $2.89 per gallon, up
from $2.19 last year. Greeley is seeing $2.81 gasoline, up from $2.18
last year. Statewide, gas prices are up 67 cents over last year at
$2.87 per gallon, and national prices are up 70 cents at $3.
"Many travelers have become resilient to travel challenges," explained
Sandra Barnes, AAA Colorado's director of travel, in a prepared
statement. "Travelers have continued to travel despite increased
delays." |
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Economic experts ready to prognosticate
GREELEY -- The 10th annual Economic Forecast luncheon event will feature an expert panel of economists.
The event, presented by the Northern Colorado Business Report, will be held Jan. 15 at the Island Grove Events Center, 501 N. 14th Ave. in Greeley.
Tucker Hart Adams will be a featured guest. She is the president and
CEO of The Adams Group LLC in Denver, a regional economic consulting
firm, providing research, analysis and forecasts throughout the
Mountain West.
Other panelists joining Hart Adams include:
- John Green, a regional economist and researcher behind the Northern Colorado Business Report's quarterly Index of Leading Economic Indicators.
- Dan Eckles, partner/broker at Realtec Commercial Real Estate Services Inc., Fort Collins
- Martin Shields, Colorado State University economist, Fort Collins
The panel will discuss major industries and topics, including
agriculture, banking and finance, health care, real estate, technology
and the overall economy in Northern Colorado.
The 2008 Economic Forecast will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Reservations are required to attend. Individual tickets cost $35, while
corporate tables of eight are available for $300. Those wishing to
register can call 970-221-5400, or register online at www.ncbr.com. The deadline for registration is Jan. 10.
Sponsors include Bank of Choice; Ehrhardt, Keefe, Steiner & Hottman; KUNC and MediaTech Productions. |
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national news
Ingersoll-Rand to buy Trane in cash, stock deal
BOSTON
(Reuters) - Diversified manufacturer Ingersoll-Rand Co Ltd said on
Monday it would buy Trane Inc , a maker of heating and air conditioning
systems, for about $9.4 billion in cash and stock.
Statisticians to poll millions of U.S. businesses
WASHINGTON
(Reuters) - Carrying on a practice that began on horseback nearly 200
years ago, the government will mail out this week nearly five million
questionnaires to businesses across the nation to help take a better
reading on the health of the world's richest economy.
With prices high, farming is bright spot
Sky-high
prices for corn, soybeans and wheat, and a jump in the value of
farmland across the U.S. heartland, have boosted the fortunes of
farmers this year and breathed fresh life into rural communities.
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