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)     

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)     

Microwaves studied for commercial ends

The Fraunhofer IFAM Institute in Dresden, Germany is installing a high-temperature microwave-sintering furnace with hybrid heating technology for IFAM's innovative sintering research programme.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

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.     

Hoeganaes funds new Chair in PM at Philadelphia's Drexel

Hoeganaes Corporation has established a $250?000 endowment for a Chair in Powder Metallurgy in the department of Materials Engineering at Drexel University in Philadelphia.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

ALD — Osprey link brings new melt package to market

UK spray-forming specialists Osprey and German vacuum-melting experts ALD have signed an agreement that puts together a unique software/hardware package for customers using the patented Osprey process.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

Memory for news in young and old adults.

Memory for news stories was studied in 48 young and 48 old adults (20–40 and 60–80 years of age, respectively). Three stories selected from actual news programs were presented in print, audio, and TV formats for study. Young adults recalled a higher proportion of news content than old adults and performed better on source recognition tests. Presentation of the information in a TV format led to better performance than in an audio format for both young and old adults. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that approximately 86% of the age-related variance in news recall was mediated by measures of sensory acuity and processing speed, and commonality analysis revealed that 75% of the age-related variance was mediated jointly by acuity and speed. Findings support common-cause and generalized slowing views of memory impairment in old age. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

New way to the LME

SDS Applications has launched the latest version of its Order Routing connecting to the London Metal Exchange.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

Joint trading

Umicore and Arcelor have agreed to combine non-ferrous and ferro-alloy activities into a trading, marketing and distribution joint venture named Traxys.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

Mothballed plant

Metal Powder Products has mothballed its Coldwater, Michigan, plant. The PM parts facility dates back to the 1960s.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest metallurgy industry news     

New tech centre

Metaldyne's Engine Group has opened a 14?000-sq foot European Technical Centre in Dieburg, Germany, to support advanced development of the Engine Group's products.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest 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.     

Companies weave business webs

Centorr Vacuum Industries, the New Hampshire furnace builder has launched a foreign-language web site to accommodate its changing customer base.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

Chinese aerospace titanium melt contract for PSI

A specialist UK atomisation company has won major equipment contract to provide the Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials (BIAM) with a cold-crucible inert gas atomisation system.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

Communicating developmental research results to the general public through television.

Describes a project in which developmental psychologists worked cooperatively with producers to create a series of 20 news features (60–250 sec episodes) that were broadcast on the local news of TV stations across the US. Topics included divorce, adolescent abuse, parent–infant attachment, and the visual capabilities of babies. Public relations specialists, an interviewer, and 2 developmental psychologists experienced in TV appearances provided suggestions for developmental psychologists on how to be more effective as sources for news programs, talk shows, and documentaries. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Patents and intellectual property to be discussed in Luxembourg

The importance of intellectual property and the latest developments in electronic tools and the Internet for patent information are to be discussed in Luxembourg at two conferences in a three-day session later this month.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

Stainless winners

According to American Metal Market, Ford is set to use a record number of PM stainless steel parts in new premium midsize saloons and sport wagons.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

Treibacher takes back its rare earths division

The rare earths division of Treibacher AG has been taken back into the control of the main company after almost 10 years' semi-autonomous operations.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

Sold out

The latest share offering by Umicore has been rapidly oversubscribed, with high levels of interest shown by North American investors.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

Vanadium market shows signs of life after oversupply

The closure of a vanadium production facility in Australia seems to have been enough to breathe some life back into the market in the first quarter of 2003 after a period of chronic oversupply and sub-economic prices.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest metallurgy industry news