Navy Enlisted Job Description for Storekeeper (SK)

Navy Enlisted Job Description for Storekeeper (SK)Navy Enlisted Job Description for Storekeeper (SK)Navy Storekeepers manage inventories of repair parts and general supplies that support ships, squadrons, and shore-based activities. They do what their job title suggests Keep track of supplies in Navy stores. Duties of Navy Storekeepers These sailors are responsible for a lot of the behind-the-scenes work of the Navy. Theyre responsible for ordering, stocking and issuing repair parts, clothing and general supplies, and they maintain financial records, accounting systems and inventory databases for supplies in shore-based warehouses and ships storerooms. Part of the job entails the proper umgang and management of hazardous materials. Navy storekeepers also organize and maintaining databases, files, and reports. Working Environment Storekeepers work in offices, shore-based warehouses, air cargo terminals at naval air stations and in storerooms aboard ships. While they work close ly with other people, their tasks usually require independent decisions. The diverse working locations associated with this rating provide an excellent opportunity for learning a wide range of inventory database management, financial management, procurement, and warehouse management skills. SKs work aboard all types of ships and shore bases throughout the Navy. Training and Qualifying as a Navy Storekeeper To be eligible for this job, you need a combined score of 103 on the verbal (VE) and arithmetic (AR) segments of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) tests. After the requisite basic training (also known as boot camp), sailors in this rating (job) will spend 40 days in technical school (A-School) training at the Navy Air Station in Meridian, Mississippi.There is no Department of Defense security clearance required for this job. Sea/Shore Rotation for Navy Storekeepers First Sea Tour 48 monthsFirst Shore Tour 36 monthsSecond Sea Tour 48 monthsSecond Shore Tour 36 monthsThird Sea Tour 42 monthsThird Shore Tour 36 monthsFourth Sea Tour 36 monthsForth Shore Tour 36 months Sea tours and shore tours for sailors that have completed four sea tours will be 36 months at sea followed by 36 months ashore until retirement.

Sports Engineering Feature on Diana Nelson

Sports Engineering Feature on Diana Nelson Sports Engineering Feature on Diana Nelson Sports Engineering Feature on Diana NelsonDiana at the USA Triathlon Collegiate Nationals in 2012Diana Nelson is a mechanical engineering student at the University of Florida (UF). Entering herbeibei fourth year at the university, Diana has participated in many activities that express her interest and passion for sports. These activities include rowing on the crew team during her freshman year being a member of the triathlon team, TriGators at the university getting involved with ASME Human Powered Vehicle Challenge (HPVC) and completing an internship with Specialized Bicycles. Her passion for sports and the technology behind designing running shoes and bicycles fuels her aspiration to become a sports engineer.Sports engineering is a specialized field of engineering that is concerned with the research and development of technologies for the sports industry. Dianas minor in Biomechanics is directly r elated to the field she wants to go into. The minor allows her to learn how an athletes interaction with their equipment affects their performance. For many people, sports engineering is a career that will allow them to combine their passion for sports and technology together.Dianas first interest in mechanical engineering began as a child when she watched Junkyard Wars, a TV show in which a team of contestants have a given amount of time to build a working machine that does a specific task, using the materials available in a junkyard.During her childhood, she also found that she enjoyed putting together materials like furniture and basketball hoops, and even remembers using a dolly and scooter to create a derby-like vehicle. Although these creations may or may not have counted as mechanical engineering, these early activities showed her sparks of interest in the creation of mechanical equipment. In addition to that, her love of running, biking, and sports in general, further pointe d her in that direction.I realized I wanted to become a sports engineer at some point during my senior year of high school. I worked at a running shoe store in high school where I got a glimpse of the technology that goes on behind running shoes. I must have had some sort of revelation that it would be an awesome jobWhen my research told me that fruchtwein sports engineering jobs fell into the category of Mechanical Engineering, I made the easy decision that it welches what I was majoring in, said Diana.To take further steps towards her career path, Diana contacted Leslie Voorhees, who at the time was featured in an article on her engineering internship experience at Nike.I contacted Leslie because she had the job that I wanted. And the best person to ask advice on how to get somewhere is someone who has already gotten there themselves.Through the contact, Diana was able to get some advice and a better idea on how Leslie got to where she was.In order to get mora of a hands-on experi ence in mechanical engineering, Diana became involved with the ASME HPVC during her sophomore year in college. As she initially went into engineering with a desire to engineer running shoes, the competition exposed her to opportunities available in the cycling industry as well. It provided students the opportunity to develop sustainable and practical transportation alternatives for underdeveloped and inaccessible parts of the world.Diana competing in a drag race in an ASME Human Powered Vehicle Challenge, where her team helped designed the bicycle seen here.Recently, Diana completed an internship with Specialized Bicycle Components where she gained invaluable technical, business, and interpersonal skills.A lot of the manufacturing for Specialized is done in China and Taiwan, so I was able to observe how the engineers interacted with the manufacturers during the production cycle. Seeing all of the steps that happen in between an idea and marketable product was something I had never s een before, so that was very insightful.Specialized Bicycles also has an intern house where all of the interns in the company live together during the duration of their internship. Diana was able to connect with and meet other interns from different departments. This allowed her to learn and see all aspects of the company and how they work together. She was also able to experience being a part of the culture at Specialized.I love the sense of play that anybody can experience from being active and playing sports in both a recreational and competitive setting. I really like the idea of being able to make a product that someone is going to use when they are doing what makes them happy.In addition, she also enjoyed the perk of being able to ride her bike every day at lunchtime along with the other interns.Diana expects to graduate in May 2015, as she enjoys dedicating her time to explore other activities outside of class. As for her plans after graduation, she is planning on keeping her options open.I definitely have goals to be an engineer at a sports corporation, so I am gaining experience while in college that can help me get there. However, I am aware that those goals could change if I discover a new passion in a different specialization or if I realize from practical experience that my dream job wasnt all that I thought it was I could see myself eventually going in the business/product management direction, but I think right after graduation Id want to start on the technical side of things.For those interested in pursuing a career in sports engineering, Diana offers this adviceIf you really think this is what you want to do and you feel passionate about it, then you have to believe in your dream job becoming a reality and commit to it. The companies you want to work for most likely are not going to be at your schools career fair, so you have to do your own networking and reach out to companies. For example, when I saw that there was a bicycle wheel and compon ent company that was located in my hometown, I emailed the owner and asked if there were any projects I could help out on. Then when I interviewed with Specialized, I was asked about this experience and they could see I had initiative to get into the industry. Every little bit counts. Little connections you make can eventually turn into big connections. That doesnt mean that you shouldnt go to career fairs or get practical experiences in other fields of engineering. Any experience that you can learn from is valuable.

Volunteering to Build Your Experience - FlexJobs

Volunteering to Build Your Experience - FlexJobsVolunteering to Build Your Experience Its the biggest Catch-22 for job landseekers You need experience to get hired, but employers wont hire you unless you have experience. If you alreadyvolunteer and help others in need, why not carry that action overand help build your experience as well?Volunteering to build your experience can help expose you to hands-on work in areas like project management, sales, managing a team, marketing, accounting, and other areas. Because nonprofits need lots of help, theyll often give you a good amount of responsibility when it comes to helping them with a particular project or fundraising. If youre given the chance to plunge into a project or go in-depth with a task, take the opportunity and run with itVolunteering to Build Your ExperienceWhere can you find volunteer opportunities? CEO Sara Sutton says that her favorite website to find volunteer opportunities isVolunteerMatch.org. You can search for both i n-person and virtual volunteer opportunities, and you can search by specific areas so look for volunteer opportunities in your career field of choice. also has a small listing of volunteer opportunities and jobs that involve volunteering, so thats another place to start.What if you dont have a lot of time to volunteer?If you arent sure how much time youll have to devote, look for volunteer opportunities that are virtual, which means youll be doing the work over the computer/phone from your apartment or dorm, rather than going into an office.How can you ensure that your volunteer activities help build your professional experience?One tip if youve started volunteering and need or want more responsibility, ask for it. Sometimes the organization wont want to burden you with lots of work because they dont want to scare a good volunteer away, but if they see that youre ready and willing to take on more work, theyll gladly give it to you. And if you see a problem that you can help them so lve, speak up This will open up other opportunities for you to gain valuable experience.Readers, do you volunteer to build your experience? Tell us about it in the comments below

Work-at-Home Jobs

Work-at-Home JobsAmerican Express / AxcessHome / Work-at-Home JobsAmerican Express is a leading financial services company with more than 60,000 employees allows many of them to work from home. On the corporate side, a flexible work policy that is friendly to telecommuting means that many existing employees eventually transition to telecommuting part-time. However, also, the company has a divorstellung thatit directly hires telecommuters for call center and travel-related jobs and for positions to support these jobs. Types of Work-at-Home Positions The travel division of American Express has a large telecommute workforce and actively hires telecommuters in the U.S., U.K, Canada, and Australia for travel counselor and other call center jobs. Also, the financial company also allows many of its corporate jobs to be telecommuted. However, many of these are not necessarily hired as telecommuting jobs but transition to it. Travel Counselor Counselors working within American Express Con sumer Travel Network (CTN) service Premium Cardmembers offering leisure travel and tailoring products and service offering to create a unique and memorable vacation experience. Requirements for these sales jobs include a nadir of three years of recent experience selling domestic and international travel services, experience in international air car and hotel booking, computer reservations experience (Sabre is preferred),domestic and international destination knowledge, effective sales. Previous call center experience is preferred. Counselors must be able to work flexible shifts including nights and weekends. Corporate Travel Counselor Agents in this position service corporate clients of the American Express Business Travel division. They use of Sabre reservation system as they arrange for air or rail transportation, hotels, and auto rental as well as consult with clients on routes information, lowest fares, exchange rates, and travel products or services. Requirements for these job s include a minimum of a year experience in corporate travel, knowledge of Sabre GDS and TraveSuite, proficiency using multiple computer applications simultaneously, strong organizational skills and written communication. Some corporate travel counselor positions require the candidate to be bilingual in Spanish. Home-Based Servicing Customer Care Representative In these call center positions, sales agents respond to customer inquiries and solve customer issues by evaluating and analyzing account information, recommending solutions, and providing relevant offers to customers. Average pay is $16and hour but with incentives can be as much as $28/hour. Requirements for these jobs include four years of customer service experience or a four-year college degree, experience owning or working in a small business or experience with B2B sales (is a plus), ability to work in a metric-driven environment. This positions operate 24 hours a day and may require a second shift starting between 12 p .m. and 430 p.m. EST and weekend work.Candidates for these jobs must live in Alabama , Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin or Wyoming Additionally, positions that support the this division may also be work-at-home jobs. These might include jobs in data analytics or call center management. Requirements The following are some of the requirements of American Expresss work-at-home program. Even though the jobs are home-based, they still require eligibility to work in the country in which the position is located and residency withi n the specific state, province, county or city where the job is located. Home office must meet safety standards and must be inspected by an American Express representative. It must have a separate high-speed Internet connection (DSL or cable) of a certain speed and phone that are used exclusively for business. American Express will have this installed in agents homes and pay for it or pay a monthly allowance. Benefits These are employment, not contracting, positions and so they include benefits. These benefits may include incentive bonus programs medical, dental and vision insurance vacation401(k) with company match legal assistance, pet insurance, life and disability insurance medical and dependent care reimbursement programs and domestic partner benefits. Using the American Express Employment Page In the jobs database, use virtual, telecommute or work at home as keywords to find a job online in its database.

Uncommon Article Gives You the Facts on Social Work Resume Example That Only a Few People Know Exist

Uncommon Article Gives You the Facts on Social Work Resume Example That Only a Few People Know Exist Using Social Work Resume Example If it was for a single semester or less, we dont require a transcript with that institution in the event the grades show up on your undergraduate transcript. Examples of resumes are among the absolute most productive strategies to be certain that youre writing one which is good and thats correct for the specific job youre applying for. What You Must Know About Social Work Resume Example Therefore youll need to target your resume to fit the specific position thats advertised and attempt to blend your skills with the requirements of the corporation. Your social worker resume should make clear the degree of your present position, together with your previous accomplishments. Each guide has step-by-step explanations and examples, which means you know precisely how to create a winning one. Youve got to provide your prospective employer a very clear and direct job objective, that youre able to join the corporation. If at all possible, it is also possible to include skills specifically mentioned in the work description, so the hiring manager immediately knows you have them. It is quite a bit easier for a hiring manager to discover that value in a brief paragraph than attempting to piece it together from a lengthy history of expert experience and education. A well-written one is going to impress on the hiring manager the methods by which you are a best candidate for the job. Social Work Resume Example the Ultimate Convenience Social work isnt a field at which you can succeed without a true awareness of mission. If youre considering turning into a social worker, you would be wise to concentrate on developing these skills which are important for everybody in social work. Youre able to focus more on the abilities and experiences which are directly about the responsibilities you would hold in a specific position. A crystal cl ear statement about how you are going to utilize your strongest relevant abilities and professional experiences to satisfy the specific role youre applying for 3. Whispered Social Work Resume Example Secrets The major concern of social workers is to help encourage individuals to come up with their abilities and abilities and the way to pull their resources with each other to enhance their circumstances. Because they juggle multiple cases and administrative responsibilities at once, they must effectively manage their time to ensure all clients receive the care, attention, and tafelgeschirr they need. To compose a strong social worker resume, you should offer evidence of your capacity to help others. Hospital social workers may need to deal with possibly draining and emotionally intense conditions where threats to identity might occur. See our guide on the best way to look at your on-line presence before employers do. As a social worker, youre trained to help people when theyre v ulnerable. Social workers help a vast range of individuals deal with everyday troubles. They help their clients function better in society. Our customers say that hiring CareerProPlus is among the best decisions they ever made Hiring managers should be able to recognize your skills clearly and with ease bulleted lists may be used here. Reading through resumes might be tedious and repetitive approach. Simply comply with the directions and suggestions, and youll learn precisely how to capture the attention of hiring managers. Marc Grandmaison Operations Director Marc is a very experienced, skilled, and talented hospitality professional that has been in the business for over 20 decades. If youre aiming for advancement or a specialized region of Social Work make sure to find the ideal Certifications before applying. Social work is an extensive industry that has many diverse facets. It is a profession that requires a variety of emotional and psychological skills in addition t o formal academic training. Finding the Best Social Work Resume Example In locating the sufficient data of an applicantyoupresented in an extremely professional fashion, you are going to be put in the position you wish to be. Your previous work experience might be completely different from the sort of work you hope to do later on. To begin with, consider the job description to see whether it indicates the kind of skills the provider is seeking. The method varies slightly, based on what kind of position youre pursuingstill, youre going to be a step ahead when you get the hang of the fundamental structure. Some folks meet their community service requirements by spending a couple of hours or a day or two volunteering with a great deal of unique places. Specify an outstanding history of your social work involvements where you had the ability to extend the requirements of various entities in various kinds of settings. Try to consider the absolute most impressive thing youve don e in social work, and place it on display. There are different types of social works that individuals would like to get involved in which you may immediately recognize the content of their Resume Objectives. The History of Social Work Resume Example Refuted The illustration will help make sure that you compose a resume of your own that will unquestionably be correct and in the correct format. You will also need to hope it is set up using the right format. The perfect format for your resume is shown in the example that you will just need to adjust for your own personal circumstance. There isnt a one-size-fits-all format that encompasses every sort of career.

3 Goal-Setting Mistakes You Can#8217;t Afford to Make

3 Goal-drumherum Mistakes You Can8217t Afford to Make Goals are like your roadmap in life, or a compass. If you dont know where you want to go, you can never get there. - Spyros Thalassinos, founder of Design HavenWe harp on productivity metrics and constantly refine performance management programs, hoping all the attention will lead to mora productive workforces and better business results.But what if the real issue occurs much earlier in the process? What if performance is being stunted at the very outset?It happens and it happens quite often when leaders and managers neglect to set performance goals with their workers, leaving employees without the roadmaps they need to succeed.Here are three common mistakes companies make with respect to the goal-setting processMistake 1 Not Setting Goals in the First PlaceOne of the most common goal-setting mistakes is not setting any goals to begin with. Only 36 percent of organizations have standard, company- wide strategies for setting goals. Theres a significant aussicht your company isnt making a regular, concerted effort to set meaningful employee goals. This lack of goals is damaging toall involved, but especially to your newest hires. You invested so much in attracting them, and now they lack the guidance they need to thrive.The Solution Theres no shortcut here. To fix this mistake, you have to create an organization-wide goal-setting process leaders and employees can follow. The protocol should be scalable and applicable to everyone from interns to executives. That way, the goal-setting process will build good habits across the organization and remind everyone that no one is too new or too experienced to aim for improvement.Mistake 2 Setting Goals That Are Too AttainableNo one reaches greatness unless they consciously set themselves up for it. Theres nothing wrong with focusing on the little tasks that lead to the end of a big project, but those are daily goals. Theyre different f rom the big goals we use to guide our career trajectories or the achievements of an entire company.When setting goals with employees, its important that you find a balance between big challenges and smaller, more obvious wins. An even mix will mean a motivated and satisfied employee, while too much of one or the other canlead to frustration.The Solution Set goals with employees, not for them. Doing so will increase transparency and communication between you and your employees, who will jump at the chance to provide eintrag on the direction of their career. Additionally, the process gives employees a more personal stake in achieving their goals.Mistake 3 Forgetting to Maintain GoalsMaybe you already have a goal-setting plan. Maybe you already work hard to name common goals and align employees personal aims with the company mission.And yet, at the end of the year, those goals you worked so hard to develop are left unattained.The problem isnt that you neglected to set goals, nor did yo u fail to take employees motivations into account. Rather, the problem is that you overlooked the planning phase You cant just set goals in order for employees toactually achieve their goals,theyll need plans that keep them on track.The SolutionDid you know people who write down their goals are 50 percent more likely to achieve them? Thats why employees should leave goal-setting meetings with written lists of the objectives they need to achieve and the timeframes in which they need to achieve them. To further increase the chances of achievement, you should help the employee break their overarching goals down into week-by-week or month-by-month plans of tasks and objectives.Setting goals is important for any organization that wants to see real employee progress. To make sure your goal-setting process actually works, be sure to avoid these three mistakesA version of this article originally appeared on theiRev blog.Michael Heller is the CEO and founder ofiRev.

Field 57, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear

Field 57, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and NuclearField 57, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and NuclearCreating specialists in the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) Defense requires skill and application of knowledge as a teacher, but also commitment, dedication, and nerves of steel to be a student learning about these deadly compounds as a young Marine. These brave men and women fight chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear incidents. What these Marines are preparing for is a real possibility and a threat to thousands or millions of people. The availability of advanced military and commercial technologies and information combined with commonly available transportation and delivery means, may allow adversaries opportunities to acquire, develop, and employ WMD or create a CBRN environment without regard for national or regional boundaries via shipping containers or on their person entering the country. See DOD Joint Publication on Operations in Chemica l, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Environments. Such situations could also expose US military operations to CBRN threats and hazards. While the adversaries in those operational areas may not possess WMD or other CBRN materials, other forms of CBRN hazards may be present that could result in CBRN environments, if released. US forces must be trained and fully capable of operating in those CBRN environments to accomplish all assigned missions. The Marine MOS Field 57 has that duty. But what is CBRN? Chemical - Chemical hazards are any chemical manufactured, used, transported, or stored that can cause death or other harm through toxic properties of those materials, including chemical agents and chemical weapons prohibited under the Chemical Weapons Convention as well as toxic industrial chemicals.Application of these to kill people (military or civilians) is known as chemical warfare.Access to deadly chemicals is not that difficult to people of terrorist intent. This is a very r eal threat. Common types Nerve agents, blood agent, blister agents, and incapacitating agents. Biological - Biological agents are microorganisms (or a toxins derived from it) that causes disease and death in personnel, plants, or animals or causes the deterioration of materiel.These can also be stored on an industrial level with relative easy access as any biological material manufactured, used, transported, or stored by industrial, medical, or commercial processes which could pose an infectious or toxic threat is considered a potential weapon. Radiological - Radiological dispersal devices (RDD) are improvised assembly or process, other than a nuclear explosive device, designed to disseminate radioactive material to cause destruction, damage, or injury. A radiological exposure device (RED) is a radioactive source placed to cause injury or death.It causes death and injury by ionizing radiation that can cause damage, injury, or destruction from either external irradiation or due to ra diation from radioactive materials within the body. All radiological devices have the ability to cause residual radiation, which is the dangerous radiation caused by fallout, lichtbrechung of radioactive material, or irradiation following a burst. Nuclear - Nuclear weapons, whether by a state actor or a rogue terrorist group, could be a threat given the world-wide situation and potential proliferation of nuclear devices. Being able to use intelligence and sophisticated sensing equipment gives the professional in the CBRN world the ability to assess and react to potential threat areas. MOS Field 57 - Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) Defense Besides being highly motivated, brave, and skilled thinker in dangerous situations, the personnel involved in CBRN must be able to do the following duties and have the following responsibilities The Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) Defense field includes the detection, identification, warning, reporting, pro tection, avoidance and decontamination procedures associated with CBRN hazard and contamination on the battlefield.CBRN defense specialists duties involve operational and technical skills, along with logistical and administrative requirements.CBRN defenses specialists will be required to learn chemical and biological (CB) warfare agents characteristics, physiological symptoms, and effects, treatment, detection, and identification. They must know the procedures necessary for mitigating the effects of nuclear explosions and detection of radiological hazards.CBRN defense specialists will learn how to conduct CBRN hazard prediction, disseminate this information utilizing the CBRN Warning and Report System, and ensure their command effectively executes contamination avoidance procedures.CBRN defense specialists must possess the necessary knowledge to be able to employ and supervise unit level decontamination, monitor survey, and reconnaissance operations. CBRN defense specialist must be able to effectively instruct CBRN defense individual and unit survival measures to their unit personnel, and provide more in-depth training to their units CBRN defense team members.Additionally, CBRN defense specialists must be familiar with the proper employment, operation, serviceability, maintenance, calibration, storage, supply, and accountability procedures for all CBRN defense equipment and materials down to the battalion/squadron level.Formal schooling is provided at the entry level. Billets available in the Occupational Field are at the battalion, select squadron, regiment and Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) level - as a member of a CBRN defense platoon in the Division or Marine Logistics Group as a member of a CBRN defense section in a Marine/aircraft Wing - on staffs involving the development of doctrine and acquisition of new equipment as a member of a equipment assessment unit assigned to a Marine Corps Base as a member of the Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBI RF) - and as an instructor at a Marine Corps or other service school. Marines entering this Occupational Field will initially receive MOS 5700, Basic CBRN Defense Marine. Below are the Marine Corps Enlisted Military Occupation Specialties which are organized under this occupational field 5711 Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Defense Specialist 5731 Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Reconnaissance System Operator (JCBRNRS) LAV Operator

Microhammer Aids Understanding of Brain Trauma

Microhammer Aids Understanding of Brain Trauma Microhammer Aids Understanding of Brain Trauma Microhammer Aids Understanding of Brain TraumaWith concussions continuing to dominate the sports media landscape, anything that can help to shed light on the impact of trauma to the brain is going to garner interest.Megan Valentine, associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an associate director of the California NanoSystems Institute at the school, is part of a team employing a microhammer in an attempt to unlock more of the brains mysteries when it comes to the effects of impact.What they find could affect everyone from athletes to accident victims.The Power of a Little fustelThe microhammer is just what it sounds like a microscale machine that can hit cells one at a time, Valentine explains. The microhammer is built from silicon using similar fabrication techniques as are used to make semiconductor microelectronics chips, and is magn etically actuated to strike each cell. The device is built onto a microfluidic chip that allows us to flow cells into the hammer strike zone, and then collect them afterwards for further analysis, including studies that assess the physical, chemical, and genetic changes in the cells due to impact. By leveraging cell-sorting technologies, we can strike and collect cells in a high-throughput manner.Post-impact structural, biochemical, and genetic expression analysis. Image University of CaliforniaValentines lab had previously developed tools using electromagnetic fields to apply forces to cells.However, we were never able to achieve the high force magnitudes or short pulse durations required to mimic traumatic brain injuries (TBI) with these approaches, she says. The lack of tools to study TBI at the cellular level has stymied research and limited our understanding of this disease, which impacts soldiers, athletes, and accident victims.The microhammer allows them to provide forces equ al to what the brain cells go through with TBI, Valentine says, adding that this allows for assessment of the threshold levels that trigger damage and repair.Our method will allow us to study the role of force and impact on large numbers of individual cells with extremely high precision, and will allow us to track the cell-level changes over time, she says. No other technology has this capability and we are excited to see where this project leads.Speaking the Same LanguageValentine marvels at how this type of project forces participants, from engineers to medical professionals, to find a common language in buchung to move forward in the work.This is a terrific opportunity and we have had a lot of success through these brainstorming sessions, she says. And we have found creative solutions that no one of us would have been able to accomplish working alone.Still, there is a good amount of work to be done in the next steps.We are currently studying how force impacts affect neural stem c ells, which hold promise as therapeutic agents after injury, Valentine says. We will continue this work and also plan to extend these studies to include not only single cells, but small tissue fragments, to allow us to assess how cell-cell interactions change after impact.Eric Butterman is an independent writer. For Further Discussion Our method will allow us to study the role of force and impact on large numbers of individual cells with extremely high precision, and will allow us to track the cell-level changes over time. Prof. Megan Valentine, University of California, Santa Barbara

Buffett Wants In On the Action

Buffett Wants In On the ActionBuffett Wants In On the ActionWhat was turning out to be a relative yawner of a day on the financial frontno bankruptcies, mergers, layoffs, status switches, Fed bailouts or Congressional decisionsjust got interesting, as the investing sektenfhrer from Nebraska, Mr. Buffett himself, has apparently taken a stake in Goldman Sachs to the tune of $5 billion in preferred shares. Im sure the folks at Goldman (who plan to raise $2.5 billion more in preferred stock) are thankful tootheir GS stock is boomingin after-hours trading, up 16 percent.