The direction of media influence: Real-estate news and the stock market

This paper uses a novel identification strategy to test the influence of news media on the stock market. Because the stock market does not impact the media coverage of the housing market, a relationship between real-estate news and shares of companies engaged in the housing market is attributable media influence. I find that the content of reporting exhibits a significant relationship with stock returns, and the amount of news with the number of trades. These relationships exist even after controlling for known risk factors, housing market performance and intra-week correlation. This finding is consistent with the function of the media as a source of information and sentiment in financial markets.

Biosensors for the analysis of microbiological and chemical contaminants in food

Increases in food production and the ever-present threat of food contamination from microbiological and chemical sources have led the food industry and regulators to pursue rapid, inexpensive methods of analysis to safeguard the health and safety of the consumer. Although sophisticated techniques such as chromatography and spectrometry provide more accurate and conclusive results, screening tests allow a much higher throughput of samples at a lower cost and with less operator training, so larger numbers of samples can be analysed. Biosensors combine a biological recognition element (enzyme, antibody, receptor) with a transducer to produce a measurable signal proportional to the extent of interaction between the recognition element and the analyte. The different uses of the biosensing instrumentation available today are extremely varied, with food analysis as an emerging and growing application. The advantages offered by biosensors over other screening methods such as radioimmunoassay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, fluorescence immunoassay and luminescence immunoassay, with respect to food analysis, include automation, improved reproducibility, speed of analysis and real-time analysis. This article will provide a brief footing in history before reviewing the latest developments in biosensor applications for analysis of food contaminants (January 2007 to December 2010), focusing on the detection of pathogens, toxins, pesticides and veterinary drug residues by biosensors, with emphasis on articles showing data in food matrices. The main areas of development common to these groups of contaminants include multiplexing, the ability to simultaneously analyse a sample for more than one contaminant and portability. Biosensors currently have an important role in food safety; further advances in the technology, reagents and sample handling will surely reinforce this position.

Portfolio of Compositions investigating ensemble improvisation, distributed and real-time scoring, and multi-nodal input and output

This output is a collection of compositions which explore issues of ensemble improvisation, ensemble management and orchestration, real-time and distributed scoring, multi-nodal inputs and outputs, and animated and graphic notation. Compositions include: Activities I; tutti, duet, trio, solo, quartet; Lewitt Notations I; Webwork I; and Sometimes I feel the space between people (voices) in terms of tempos. These compositions are presented in computer animated scores which are synchronized through the network and subject to real-time modification and control. They can be performed by ensembles distributed over large physical spaces connected by the network. The scores for these compositions include software which displays the animations to the performers, software to structure and disseminate score events, and triggering software that allows the control of a performance to be distributed. Scores can also include live electronics which are coordinated with graphic events.