Production and sales up for Höganäs

Swedish powder producer Höganäs increased sales by 13 per cent during the first half of 2003 to SK 1918 million — about $240 million. This figure includes earnings of around $43 million from SCM Metal Products, the former powder metallurgy arm of OM Group acquired by Höganäs for $65 million earlier this year.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest metallurgy industry news     

Q2 Hawk up — but PM sales decline

US engineering group Hawk Corporation reported that second quarter income from operations increased by 16 per cent to $3.6 million, up from $3.1 million for the same period of 2002.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest metallurgy industry news     

More black stuff

Timcal Graphite and Carbon has completed the acquisition of the Belgian carbon black unit of Erachem Comilog, a subsidiary of the Eramet Group. It has sales of €15m a year in the the battery and conductive polymer markets.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

Plansee down

Austria's Plansee Group reported a decline in sales during the fiscal year 2002/2003, which closed at the end of February. After eight years with sales increasing by an average of 15 per cent, last year's sales dropped by 9 per cent to €528 million.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest metallurgy industry news     

SKF wins bearing order for Metso

Sweden's SKF has reached a two_year agreement for the supply of products and services to Metso Corporation, the paper to minerals combine. The SEK350 million deal will see SKF supply a large number of different products.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

US tantalum sale

The US Defense National Stockpile Center has announced that it sold about 450?000 pounds of tantalum/ columbium concentrates to Ulba Metallurgical Plant and Sogem USA, a subsidiary of Umicore, for $9 million. It also sold 38?000 pounds of vacuum grade metal and 2200lb capacitor grade to Cabot and H C Starck for $2.2 millionThis is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

On the social psychology of the stock market: Aggregate attributional effects and the regressiveness of prediction.

The expectation that changes will either persist or regress to previous levels depends in large part on whether causal attributions are provided to explain recent changes. If these attributions are provided, then the tendency to make regressive predictions is diminished. It is argued that the news media provide such attributions and so cause aggregate-level changes in the predictions of those who receive these communications and thereby in receivers' subsequent behaviors. Causal attributions by members of the media should be expected to be more frequent and more extreme than those that would be generated by individuals who do not expect to communicate information to others. This aggregate attributional process, whereby one group acts on the attributions provided by another, is illustrated in financial markets. First, this research shows that the financial press explains recent changes in stock prices with good news after price rises and with bad news after price falls. In an experimental study, such news is shown to lead to less regressive predictions. The normative and theoretical implications of the results for economic and psychological processes are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Implications of BSE policy for livestock production and veterinary services in the United Kingdom

The likely impacts of BSE policy on UK milk and beef markets and on livestock numbers between 1997 and 2000 are explored using a dynamic spreadsheet model of UK milk and beef production, and linked demand, price and supply models for alternative meats. Two accelerated slaughter policies are considered--one representing the 'Florence Agreement' and the other involving an additional culling of calves born to confirmed BSE cases. The projections show significant changes to livestock populations over the next few years with implications for veterinary inputs. It is estimated that the BSE crisis will result in a fall in expenditure on veterinary medicines and services of around 10 Pounds million in 1999 (for the Florence Agreement) compared with that projected in the absence of the BSE crisis.     

Bad news transmission as a function of the definitiveness of consequences and the relationship between communicator and recipient.

There is ample evidence suggesting (e.g., A. Tesser & S. Rosen, 1975) that people are reluctant to transmit bad news. Research on rumors, on the other hand, suggests that people sometimes are less reluctant to transmit bad news. It is argued that differences between the 2 lines of research include the definitiveness of the consequences of the news and the relationship between communicator and recipient. The influence of these 2 factors on news transmission was investigated in 3 experiments. Results showed that bad news with indefinite consequences was transmitted more often than bad news with definite consequences and that both kinds of bad news were transmitted more often if the recipient was a friend rather than a stranger. Differences in feelings of moral responsibility to transmit the news largely accounted for both effects. The 2 factors did not affect the likelihood of good news transmission. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Strategies for implementing a media-based AIDS prevention program.

We describe a media-based acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-prevention program involving print and TV media. For 6 consecutive days, 5- to 10-min segments addressing AIDS and the family were televised on the noon and 9 p.m. news broadcasts of a major local TV station in the Midwest. On the 1st day of the broadcast, more than 1 million educational supplements were distributed to the general public through a local newspaper. This manual provided viewers a more in-depth coverage of the issues presented on the TV broadcasts. Issues involved in the funding and creation of this program are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Visual advantage from Leco

Hardness testing has taken a step forward with the introduction of Leco Corp's AMH₄₃ system. The semi — or fully automatic system features a “visual method” that allows users to position indents and patterns directly on an overview image of the sample material as a single “panoptic view”. The series supports all standards loads for micro indentation and Macro-Vickers hardness testing.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest metallurgy industry news     

Being the best bearer of bad tidings.

Giving bad news is an unpleasant task, and the medical literature provides numerous guidelines for giving bad news well. However, what people mean by "giving bad news well" is less clear. What should be the goal when communicating bad news? The authors suggest that the goal of news-givers should be to guide recipients toward a desired response and the authors propose a theoretical framework, the Bad News Response Model, for delivering bad news that draws from research in health and social psychology. The model is applicable to all forms of bad news and specifies that three characteristics of the news (controllability, likelihood, and severity) influence which response (Watchful Waiting, Active Change, or Acceptance) will most often lead to the best quality of life for the recipient. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

APA report from the Central Office, Washington.

Document highlights American Psychological Association news forwarded through the Central Office. Items include: news on the Community Mental Health Centers programs from the Professional Practice and the Public Interest; the publishing of a casebook by the Committee on Scientific and Professional Ethics and Conduct; news on a recent study that includes projected Changes from the Labor Department and Office of Education; new laws applicable to psychology; The APA Program of Visiting Psychologists in Field (Service) Settings; as well as correspondence forwarded to the Association. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

BASF’s new focus

BASF’s industrial coatings unit is to restructure its operations and consolidate.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

EPSI makes HIP sale in Taiwan as prospects look up

US and Belgium_based Engineered Pressure Systems has sold a hot isostatic press (HIP) system to a customer in Taiwan. The unit has a maximum operating pressure of 200 MPa (29?000 psi) and an operating temperature of 1300°C.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

New polish for Institute of Corrosion

The UK's Institute of Corrosion is (IC) launching a ”new look” in a bid to encourage new members. The IC will be seeking to promote sound corrosion management practice, the advancement of cost-effective corrosion control measures, and a sustained effort to raise awareness at all stages of design and manufacture. It estimates that corrosion costs the UK 4 per cent of GNP every year.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

Lovejoy invests against economic trends to offer greater accuracy and green density

An Illinois powder metal manufacturer has installed a new manufacturing system it claims to be a ”world-beater” — and set up a new division to take advantage of its capabilities.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

Reading achievement and diminishing returns to time.

Investigated the association of reading achievement with factors in learning by regressing the scores of 2,890 13-yr-old students from a National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) sample on 24 indexes of the factors, singly and as a set. The productivity factors most closely connected with learning can be divided into 9 categories: student age, ability, and motivation; amount and quality of instruction; the psychological environments of the home and the school; and exposure to mass media, particularly TV. Results of analysis indicate that the achievement correlations with the factors are close to the averages revealed by recent quantitative syntheses of bivariate studies. A considerable amount of the reliable variance in achievement, 40%, is accounted for by the factors, although they are colinear or correlated with one another. Achievement shows diminishing or eventually negative rather than linear marginal returns to 8 time variables: homework last night, read for enjoyment, spare-time reading last night, TV watched yesterday, news source—TV, news source—radio, news source—magazines, and news source—newspapers. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Transatlantic deal pushes microwave technology

Microwave specialists Harper International of New York and Fricke & Mallah of Germany have signed a licensing agreement to expand the marketing of microwave systems in both the US and Europe.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

Spring show

Mechanical processes for powder and bulk solids technologies will be showcased at Powtech 2004 from 16 - 18 March at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre in Germany.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.