World

Teachers from China arrived in Pennsylvania in March to learn strategies for integrating special needs students into the classroom, and have begun observing classes in Pittsburgh public schools. The teachers are also in training at Duquesne University, learning about customizing elementary school programs for autistic students, in addition to classroom integration. A partnership between the Beijing Autism Association and South East Asia Prayer Center (SEAPC) in Oakmont will train families and teachers to address the needs of autistic children over the next 10 years. Each country will host trainers and set up online training resources to establish educational standards for children with autism, as well as to study potential causes. The partnership will also create a database of educational...

Technology is always advancing, but one of the hurdles that hybrid and electric car technology faces is creating a longer-lasting, quickly charging battery -- without sacrificing range. A new development from researchers at UCLA's California NanoSystems Institute might have the answer. According to Gizmag.com, scientists have created a battery that combines both the energy of a lead-acid battery (think of the traditional battery in a car) and the quick charge and discharge rates of a supercapacitor. Batteries in hybrid cars paved the way for electric cars, but the hybrid supercapacitor could mark a huge development in making them more accessible and better-performing. Professor Richard Kaner and Dr. Maher El-Kady of the Institute say that their new battery can quickly charge and dischar...

Solar power systems -- both commercial and residential -- have become so popular that by 2016, it's estimated a new solar power system will be installed every 20 seconds. However, although the popularity of solar power has exploded in recent years, Brazil is just now beginning to consider it a viable source of sustainable energy -- and not necessarily by choice. Despite being one of the sunniest countries on Earth due its close proximity to the equator, Brazil has only recently begun turning to solar power to meet its energy needs due to a devastating drought, which is the worst the country has experienced in 80 years. Prior to the drought, solar energy was called "a fantasy" by President Dilma Rousseff. In fact, a mere 400 homes in Brazil are equipped with photovoltaic (PV) panels due t...

Benjamin Franklin once said, "[Those] that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety," an aphorism that's more relevant now than ever before, as the complicated problem of online censorship seemingly worsens each week. Most recently, Pakistan and France have blocked online platforms that they suspect are used as terrorist platforms. The Pakistan Telecommunications authority has reportedly asked Internet service providers (ISPs) to block WordPress due to its usage by international terrorist organization Tehreek Taliban Pakistan. France has used its new anti-terrorism powers, which were approved by its parliament last year, to block five websites suspected of condoning terrorism and spreading hate speech without court orders. "...

Mexican authorities confirmed on March 12 that a gray whale slammed into a small, sightseeing boat, killing a 35-year-old Canadian tourist and seriously injuring two others. "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of a Canadian citizen who passed away in Mexico,” said Diana Khaddaj, a spokesperson for the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs. Marine Capt. Vicente Arturo Martinez Morale told CBC news that the victim was on vacation in Cabo with her husband and parents. The Attorney General's Office for Environmental Protection said that the victim was one of nine tourists aboard the sightseeing boat, "a fragile type with inflatable parts." The vessel was headed back to the Cabo San Lucas resort, and was nearly to port when the collision occurred. "The captain had to make a movem...

Biobanks are often an integral part of medical research, helping scientists store and access needed biological samples for study. As a result, research facilities around the world invest in biorepository management tools and software to ensure the integrity of their findings, which can hopefully be translated into new therapies and treatments for different medical conditions. For one international research group, this investment, combined with diligent work, seems to have paid off: recently, the team made what could be the biggest discovery about cerebral palsy in 20 years. Cerebral palsy is a condition that causes permanent physical disability, as well as epilepsy, communication problem,s and cognition problems in some cases. The disorder has long been thought to be due to a lack of ox...

Long regarded as a promised land of sorts for international business and manufacturers, China has always attracted hordes of eager expatriates ready to work alongside the country's billion-plus consumers. According to an international moving company, however, those days could soon be over. A recent study by UniGroup Relocation -- which moves more than 260,000 families worldwide each year for work -- indicates that expatriates to China are undergoing a bit of an exodus. In 2014, twice as people moved out of China than into the country, according to UniGroup's customer data. The increased outflow could be the result of a combination of factors, such as expiring work contracts which can keep expats in China for two to three years, according to UniGroup. Other reasons include the rising cos...

It may sound like the plot of a children’s educational cartoon, but one little copper rockfish in the Vancouver Aquarium was dealing with some pretty rough bullying from his fishy peers after he lost one of his eyes -- that is, until veterinary experts at the aquarium decided to give him a new, non-functional prosthetic eye. Even though the eye is merely aesthetic and can’t provide vision for the fish, it appears that the new eye has already begun serving its purpose. After veterinarians found and removed cataracts in the rockfish’s eyes two years ago, one of the eyes failed to heal properly and had to be removed. Although the rockfish fully recovered and was capable of living happily in the aquarium with just one eye, it didn’t take long for his fellow fish to notice that something was ...

A new report by the Montpellier Panel warns that if more is not done to aid Africa's ailing soils, the continent's current food insecurities will plunge into a vicious cycle for generations to come. The panel is made up of experts from the agricultural, ecological and trade industries from both Africa and Europe, whose recommendations include making land degradation a bigger priority for governments around the world. They noted that restoring and preserving the soil can greatly improve the economy, public health and the environment of the continent. The severe damage to the African landscape has caused less fertile soils, which in turn means fewer successful crops and greater amounts of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. Food scarcity is already a huge problem acros...

While it may not seem like it, the fashion world and technology have a lot in common. Just when we get used to the idea of a trend being latest and greatest, it’s quickly replaced by something else. In the wise words of Heidi Klum, supermodel and host of the hit fashion design series “Project Runway,” “One minute you’re in, and the next you’re out!” Though camouflage has long been a staple in the fashion world, it seems that a technological breakthrough is taking it to the next level in terms of functionality. According to researchers, as cool as invisibility cloaks are, they’re so last season and out of style thanks “illusion coatings,” which conceal objects by making them appear as something else. Illusion coatings could be used to help troops or spies protect antennas and sensors from...