ScienceDaily (June 18, 2012) ? What does a robot feel when it touches something? Little or nothing until now. But with the right sensors, actuators and software, robots can be given the sense of feel -- or at least the ability to identify different materials by touch.
Researchers at the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering published a study June 18 in Frontiers in Neurorobotics showing that a specially designed robot can outperform humans in identifying a wide range of natural materials according to their textures, paving the way for advancements in prostheses, personal assistive robots and consumer product testing.
The robot was equipped with a new type of tactile sensor built to mimic the human fingertip. It also used a newly designed algorithm to make decisions about how to explore the outside world by imitating human strategies. Capable of other human sensations, the sensor can also tell where and in which direction forces are applied to the fingertip and even the thermal properties of an object being touched.
Like the human finger, the group's BioTac? sensor has a soft, flexible skin over a liquid filling. The skin even has fingerprints on its surface, greatly enhancing its sensitivity to vibration. As the finger slides over a textured surface, the skin vibrates in characteristic ways. These vibrations are detected by a hydrophone inside the bone-like core of the finger. The human finger uses similar vibrations to identify textures, but the robot finger is even more sensitive.
When humans try to identify an object by touch, they use a wide range of exploratory movements based on their prior experience with similar objects. A famous theorem by 18th century mathematician Thomas Bayes describes how decisions might be made from the information obtained during these movements. Until now, however, there was no way to decide which exploratory movement to make next. The article, authored by Professor of Biomedical Engineering Gerald Loeb and recently graduated doctoral student Jeremy Fishel, describes their new theorem for solving this general problem as "Bayesian Exploration."
Built by Fishel, the specialized robot was trained on 117 common materials gathered from fabric, stationery and hardware stores. When confronted with one material at random, the robot could correctly identify the material 95% of the time, after intelligently selecting and making an average of five exploratory movements. It was only rarely confused by pairs of similar textures that human subjects making their own exploratory movements could not distinguish at all.
So, is touch another task that humans will outsource to robots? Fishel and Loeb point out that while their robot is very good at identifying which textures are similar to each other, it has no way to tell what textures people will prefer. Instead, they say this robot touch technology could be used in human prostheses or to assist companies who employ experts to assess the feel of consumer products and even human skin.
Loeb and Fishel are partners in SynTouch LLC, which develops and manufactures tactile sensors for mechatronic systems that mimic the human hand. Founded in 2008 by researchers from USC's Medical Device Development Facility, the start-up is now selling their BioTac sensors to other researchers and manufacturers of industrial robots and prosthetic hands.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Southern California.
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Journal Reference:
Jeremy A. Fishel, Gerald E. Loeb. Bayesian Exploration for Intelligent Identification of Textures. Frontiers in Neurorobotics, 2012; 6 DOI: 10.3389/fnbot.2012.00004
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Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Advanced Photon Source and Canadian Light Source strengthen ties Public release date: 18-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Tona Kunz tkunz@anl.gov 630-252-5560 DOE/Argonne National Laboratory
Partnership will expand X-ray technology and research
ARGONNE, Ill. (June 18, 2012) Seeking to solve some of today's greatest global problems, scientists using X-ray light source facilities at national research laboratories in the United States and Canada are sharing more expertise.
The Canadian Light Source and the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory agreed in January 2012 to a Partner User Proposal that cements a stronger working relationship for the next three years. The two premier light sources use different but complementary X-ray techniques to probe materials in order to understand chemical and structural behavior.
"The ravages of disease, the shortage of sustainable energy sources and the need for high-performance materials cross all borders," said Brian Stephenson, APS director. "By sharing technological expertise and offering scientists the complementary research techniques of the laboratories, we hope to more quickly discover answers to the challenges of our high-tech world."
This new agreement will provide Canadian scientists with more research time to use the X-ray light source facilities and more time on a larger number of APS beamlines. Using varied X-ray and imaging capabilities will broaden the range of experiments Canadians may undertake at the APS to augment their research done at the Canadian Light Source. X-ray science offers potential solutions to a broad range of problems in surface, material, environmental and earth sciences, condensed matter physics, chemistry and geosciences.
Since the sector 20 beamlines became fully operational, scientists from Canada and other areas who have used these beamlines at the APS have produced an average of 51 scientific publications a year. This research includes the study of more effective mineral exploration strategies, ways to mitigate mine waste and mercury contamination, and novel ways to fabricate nanomaterials for use in fuel cells, batteries and LEDs.
"Having secure access to brilliant beams of hard X-rays has allowed the CLS to concentrate our local efforts on those applications best suited to the performance characteristics of our lattice while continuing to support Canadian scientists in programs that are truly best served by doing the science at the CLS or the APS, whichever provides the best performance," said Josef Hormes, CLS executive director.
Before the Canadian Light Source began operation in 2004, a Canadian group led by Daryl Crozier of Simon Fraser University, working in partnership with colleagues at the University of Washington and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, helped found the sector 20 beamlines at the APS as part of the Pacific Northwest Consortium Collaborative Access Team, or PNC-CAT. Parts of this team were included in the X-ray Science Division of the APS when it was formed.
This long-standing partnership has led to scientifically significant upgrades to the beamline. This new agreement will provide the valuable manpower and expertise to allow the APS to continue to push the innovation envelope.
Scientists from the APS and the Canadian Light Source will work together on R&D projects to improve light-source technology. In particular, scientists will upgrade even further the two beamlines at sector 20 in four key areas. This will provide a unique capability to prepare and measure in situ films and interfaces, a new technique to create quantitative 3-D chemical maps of samples, and improved forms of spectroscopy to expand the range of elements and types of environments that can be examined.
"Canadian researchers have been strongly involved with the APS since its inception," Stephenson said. "This expanded agreement builds on our long history of successful collaboration and promises a continued future of plentiful science results and technological innovations."
###
The APS is supported by DOE's Office of Science.
For Editors:
The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.
Argonne's Advanced Photon Source is home to the brightest high-energy X-rays in the Western Hemisphere. More than 5,000 scientists from across the globe conduct research at the APS beamlines annually. Research at the PNC/XSD beamlines is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy - Basic Energy Sciences, a Major Resources Support grant from NSERC, the University of Washington, the Canadian Light Source and the Advanced Photon Source.
The Canadian Light Source is Canada's national center for synchrotron radiation research and is a global leader and a recognized center of excellence in synchrotron radiation science and its applications. Located on the University of Saskatchewan campus in Saskatoon, the CLS has hosted 2600 researchers from academic institutions, government, and industry from across Canada and 20 countries on over 5,600 user visits, delivering over 20,000 experimental shifts to users since 2005. CLS operations are funded by Western Economic Diversification Canada, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, National Research Council of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Government of Saskatchewan and the University of Saskatchewan.
DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Advanced Photon Source and Canadian Light Source strengthen ties Public release date: 18-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Tona Kunz tkunz@anl.gov 630-252-5560 DOE/Argonne National Laboratory
Partnership will expand X-ray technology and research
ARGONNE, Ill. (June 18, 2012) Seeking to solve some of today's greatest global problems, scientists using X-ray light source facilities at national research laboratories in the United States and Canada are sharing more expertise.
The Canadian Light Source and the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory agreed in January 2012 to a Partner User Proposal that cements a stronger working relationship for the next three years. The two premier light sources use different but complementary X-ray techniques to probe materials in order to understand chemical and structural behavior.
"The ravages of disease, the shortage of sustainable energy sources and the need for high-performance materials cross all borders," said Brian Stephenson, APS director. "By sharing technological expertise and offering scientists the complementary research techniques of the laboratories, we hope to more quickly discover answers to the challenges of our high-tech world."
This new agreement will provide Canadian scientists with more research time to use the X-ray light source facilities and more time on a larger number of APS beamlines. Using varied X-ray and imaging capabilities will broaden the range of experiments Canadians may undertake at the APS to augment their research done at the Canadian Light Source. X-ray science offers potential solutions to a broad range of problems in surface, material, environmental and earth sciences, condensed matter physics, chemistry and geosciences.
Since the sector 20 beamlines became fully operational, scientists from Canada and other areas who have used these beamlines at the APS have produced an average of 51 scientific publications a year. This research includes the study of more effective mineral exploration strategies, ways to mitigate mine waste and mercury contamination, and novel ways to fabricate nanomaterials for use in fuel cells, batteries and LEDs.
"Having secure access to brilliant beams of hard X-rays has allowed the CLS to concentrate our local efforts on those applications best suited to the performance characteristics of our lattice while continuing to support Canadian scientists in programs that are truly best served by doing the science at the CLS or the APS, whichever provides the best performance," said Josef Hormes, CLS executive director.
Before the Canadian Light Source began operation in 2004, a Canadian group led by Daryl Crozier of Simon Fraser University, working in partnership with colleagues at the University of Washington and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, helped found the sector 20 beamlines at the APS as part of the Pacific Northwest Consortium Collaborative Access Team, or PNC-CAT. Parts of this team were included in the X-ray Science Division of the APS when it was formed.
This long-standing partnership has led to scientifically significant upgrades to the beamline. This new agreement will provide the valuable manpower and expertise to allow the APS to continue to push the innovation envelope.
Scientists from the APS and the Canadian Light Source will work together on R&D projects to improve light-source technology. In particular, scientists will upgrade even further the two beamlines at sector 20 in four key areas. This will provide a unique capability to prepare and measure in situ films and interfaces, a new technique to create quantitative 3-D chemical maps of samples, and improved forms of spectroscopy to expand the range of elements and types of environments that can be examined.
"Canadian researchers have been strongly involved with the APS since its inception," Stephenson said. "This expanded agreement builds on our long history of successful collaboration and promises a continued future of plentiful science results and technological innovations."
###
The APS is supported by DOE's Office of Science.
For Editors:
The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.
Argonne's Advanced Photon Source is home to the brightest high-energy X-rays in the Western Hemisphere. More than 5,000 scientists from across the globe conduct research at the APS beamlines annually. Research at the PNC/XSD beamlines is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy - Basic Energy Sciences, a Major Resources Support grant from NSERC, the University of Washington, the Canadian Light Source and the Advanced Photon Source.
The Canadian Light Source is Canada's national center for synchrotron radiation research and is a global leader and a recognized center of excellence in synchrotron radiation science and its applications. Located on the University of Saskatchewan campus in Saskatoon, the CLS has hosted 2600 researchers from academic institutions, government, and industry from across Canada and 20 countries on over 5,600 user visits, delivering over 20,000 experimental shifts to users since 2005. CLS operations are funded by Western Economic Diversification Canada, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, National Research Council of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Government of Saskatchewan and the University of Saskatchewan.
DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Webb Simpson reacts on the 18th hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Open Championship golf tournament Sunday, June 17, 2012, at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
Webb Simpson reacts on the 18th hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Open Championship golf tournament Sunday, June 17, 2012, at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
Webb Simpson kisses the championship trophy after the fourth round of the U.S. Open Championship golf tournament Sunday, June 17, 2012, at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Webb Simpson holds up the championship trophy after the U.S. Open Championship golf tournament Sunday, June 17, 2012, at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Graeme McDowell, of Northern Ireland, reacts as he walks off the 18th hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Open Championship golf tournament Sunday, June 17, 2012, at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. Webb Simpson won the tournament. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Webb Simpson waves after chipping on the 18th hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Open Championship golf tournament Sunday, June 17, 2012, at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Webb Simpson won the U.S. Open and put two more names into the graveyard of champions.
Overlooked for so much of the week, Simpson emerged on a fog-filled Sunday at The Olympic Club with four birdies around the turn and a tough chip out of a hole to the right of the 18th green that he converted into par for a 2-under 68.
He finished at 1-over 281, and it was enough to outlast former U.S. Open champions Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell.
Furyk bogeyed two of his last three holes. McDowell had a 25-foot birdie on the 18th to force a playoff, but it never had a chance.
"Oh, wow," Simpson said, watching from the locker room.
Olympic is known as the "graveyard of champions" because proven major winners who were poised to win the U.S. Open have always lost to the underdog. One of those was Arnold Palmer in 1966, when he lost a seven-shot lead on the back nine.
Perhaps it was only fitting that the 25-year-old Simpson went to Wake Forest on an Arnold Palmer scholarship.
"Arnold has been so good to me," Simpson said. "Just the other day, I read that story and thought about it. He's meant so much to me and Wake Forest. Hopefully, I can get a little back for him and make him smile."
No one was beaming like Simpson, who followed a breakthrough year on the PGA Tour with his first major.
No one was more disgusted than Furyk, in control of the U.S. Open for so much of the final round until he snap-hooked his tee shot on the par-5 16th hole to fall out of the lead for the first time all day, and was unable to get it back. Needing a birdie on the final hole, he hit into the bunker. He crouched and clamped his teeth onto the shaft of his wedge. Furyk made bogey on the final hole and closed with a 74, a final round without a single birdie.
McDowell, who made four bogeys on the front nine, at least gave himself a chance with a 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th and a shot into the 18th that had him sprinting up the hill to see what kind of chance he had. The putt stayed left of the hole the entire way, and he had to settle for a 73.
McDowell shared second place with Michael Thompson, who closed with a 67 and waited two hours to see if it would be good enough.
Tiger Woods, starting five shots behind, played the first six holes in 6-over par and was never a factor. He shot 73.
Contact: Michelle Donovan donovam@mcmaster.ca 905-525-9104 McMaster University
New research from scientists at McMaster University reveals exercise-related testosterone and growth hormone do not play an influential role in building muscle after weightlifting, despite conventional wisdom suggesting otherwise.
The findings indicate that bodybuilders who look to manipulate those hormones through exercise routines are wasting their time.
In two separate studies, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology and the European Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers found anabolic hormoneslong thought to be essential for building a muscular framedo not influence muscle protein synthesis, the process that leads to bigger muscles.
"A popular mindset for weightlifters is that increased levels of hormones after exercise play a key role in building muscle," explains Daniel West, lead author of both studies and a graduate student in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster. "That is simply not the case."
In the first study, researchers examined the responses of both male and female participants to intense leg exercise. Despite a 45-fold difference in testosterone increase, men and women were able to make new muscle protein at exactly the same rate.
"Since new muscle proteins eventually add up to muscle growth, this is an important finding," says West.
"While testosterone is definitely anabolic and promotes muscle growth in men and women at high doses, such as those used during steroid abuse, our findings show that naturally occurring levels of testosterone do not influence the rate of muscle protein synthesis."
In the second study, researchers analyzed the post-exercise hormonal responses of 56 young men, aged 18 to 30, who trained five days a week for 12 weeks in total.
The men experienced gains in muscle mass that ranged from virtually nothing to more than 12 pounds, yet their levels of testosterone and growth hormone after exercise showed no relationship to muscle growth or strength gain.
Surprisingly, the researchers noted that cortisolconsidered to have the opposite effect of anabolic hormones because it reduces protein synthesis and breaks down tissuewas related to the gain in muscle mass.
"The idea that you can or should base entire exercise training programs on trying to manipulate testosterone or growth hormone levels is false," says Stuart Phillips, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology. "There is simply no evidence to support this concept."
###
The research was funded in part by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
A copy of study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology can be found at: http://www.springerlink.com/content/228h54586751g19l/fulltext.pdf
A copy of the paper published in the Journal of Applied Physiology can be found at: http://jap.physiology.org/content/112/11/1805
McMaster University, one of four Canadian universities listed among the Top 100 universities in the world, is renowned for its innovation in both learning and discovery. It has a student population of 23,000, and more than 156,000 alumni in 140 countries.
For more information, please contact:
Stuart Phillips
Professor of Kinesiology
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 24465
phillis@mcmaster.ca
Michelle Donovan
Public Relations Manager
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22869
donovam@mcmaster.ca
Wade Hemsworth
Public Relations Manager
McMaster University
905-525-9140, ext. 27988
hemswor@mcmaster.ca
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Michelle Donovan donovam@mcmaster.ca 905-525-9104 McMaster University
New research from scientists at McMaster University reveals exercise-related testosterone and growth hormone do not play an influential role in building muscle after weightlifting, despite conventional wisdom suggesting otherwise.
The findings indicate that bodybuilders who look to manipulate those hormones through exercise routines are wasting their time.
In two separate studies, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology and the European Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers found anabolic hormoneslong thought to be essential for building a muscular framedo not influence muscle protein synthesis, the process that leads to bigger muscles.
"A popular mindset for weightlifters is that increased levels of hormones after exercise play a key role in building muscle," explains Daniel West, lead author of both studies and a graduate student in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster. "That is simply not the case."
In the first study, researchers examined the responses of both male and female participants to intense leg exercise. Despite a 45-fold difference in testosterone increase, men and women were able to make new muscle protein at exactly the same rate.
"Since new muscle proteins eventually add up to muscle growth, this is an important finding," says West.
"While testosterone is definitely anabolic and promotes muscle growth in men and women at high doses, such as those used during steroid abuse, our findings show that naturally occurring levels of testosterone do not influence the rate of muscle protein synthesis."
In the second study, researchers analyzed the post-exercise hormonal responses of 56 young men, aged 18 to 30, who trained five days a week for 12 weeks in total.
The men experienced gains in muscle mass that ranged from virtually nothing to more than 12 pounds, yet their levels of testosterone and growth hormone after exercise showed no relationship to muscle growth or strength gain.
Surprisingly, the researchers noted that cortisolconsidered to have the opposite effect of anabolic hormones because it reduces protein synthesis and breaks down tissuewas related to the gain in muscle mass.
"The idea that you can or should base entire exercise training programs on trying to manipulate testosterone or growth hormone levels is false," says Stuart Phillips, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology. "There is simply no evidence to support this concept."
###
The research was funded in part by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
A copy of study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology can be found at: http://www.springerlink.com/content/228h54586751g19l/fulltext.pdf
A copy of the paper published in the Journal of Applied Physiology can be found at: http://jap.physiology.org/content/112/11/1805
McMaster University, one of four Canadian universities listed among the Top 100 universities in the world, is renowned for its innovation in both learning and discovery. It has a student population of 23,000, and more than 156,000 alumni in 140 countries.
For more information, please contact:
Stuart Phillips
Professor of Kinesiology
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 24465
phillis@mcmaster.ca
Michelle Donovan
Public Relations Manager
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22869
donovam@mcmaster.ca
Wade Hemsworth
Public Relations Manager
McMaster University
905-525-9140, ext. 27988
hemswor@mcmaster.ca
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Marrying the power you'd expect from a MacBook Pro with the sleekness and instant-on responsiveness of a MacBook Air, the next-generation MacBook Pro is one gorgeous laptop. And with a starting price of $2,199 it should be. This machine is state of the art through and through, and it all starts with a Retina display that packs an unprecedented 2880 x 1800 pixels. Add in quad-core power, 256 GB of fast flash memory and 7 hours of juice in a 4.4-pound body and you have a potential dream machine for highly mobile pros.
With 3 million more pixels than an HDTV, the Retina Display on the next-gen MacBook Pro provides a crazy amount of detail. When compared side by side with the 13-inch Air we immediately noticed a difference in terms of detail but also color saturation. A trailer of The Dark Knight Rises had more vibrant colors during the football stadium scene. And on Apple's own site the green grass on a shot of the MacBook Pro looked more lush on our Pro than the Air.
When we looked more closely at Launchpad, the icon for GarageBand had a lot more pixelation on the Air than on the new MacBook Pro. On the latter notebook icons and text look almost painted on, because the resolution is actually better than what's on the printed page. Viewing angles are also quite generous, though the glossy panel kicked back minimal reflections.
Apple has updated a lot of its software to take advantage of the Retina Display, including Safari, Mail and iCal, as well as iPhoto, Aperture and more. Third-party apps are being updated as we speak.
The overall design of the MacBook Pro is as solid as a rock, yet the aluminum body measures only .71 inches thick and weighs 4.5 pounds. We're not sure we'd want to use this laptop on a plane, though, because it's certainly wider and taller than the Air. But then there's always first class.
We're also impressed with the new MacBook Pro's pipes. When we cranked Adele's "Someone Like You" at our hotel pool here in San Francisco we startled some of the guests. The sound is rich and full without any distortion.
How about performance? Thus far we've ran the OpenGL test within Cinebench 11.5 and the new MacBook Pro returned a CPU score of 6.12 points and a OpenGL score of 33.4 fps. The 13-inch MacBook Air scored just 2.09 points on the CPU test and 10.39 frames per second on OpenGL, so we're talking nearly 3X the performance.
So far we'd say that the next-gen MacBook Pro is living up to our expectations. The display is simply stunning, and the combination of components make this notebook an absolute beast in terms of performance.
UPDATE:?LAPTOP has posted its full review of the MacBook Pro with Retina Display.?Go ahead and have a look.
Copyright 2012 LAPTOP, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
SINGAPORE (AP) ? After supplying European customers for more than 40 years with neon bright ornamental fish, Shirley Lim is now looking elsewhere for sales.
Lim, whose business in Singapore and Malaysia grows aquatic plants and breeds colorful fish such as the Checkered Rainbow and Butterfly Barb, said orders from Europe are down by a fifth this year.
"The situation in Europe seems so unpredictable," said Lim of the debt stricken and economically ailing continent that once accounted for as much as 80 percent of her South Island Aquarium company's business. "I'm looking at other Asian markets instead of just concentrating on the EU."
Lim's story is an increasingly familiar one in Asia, for companies big and small. The family run business flourished by operating in a low-cost location and selling its products to countries that while far away, were rich and dependable. Now, those big markets in Europe and the U.S. no longer seem so rich or reliable and Asian countries, while fast-growing, cannot pick up all the slack.
As an austerity-weary Greece votes this weekend in elections that could determine if it stays in the euro and Spain's ailing banks get bailout money, Asia is girding for a worsening Europe crisis that has already stifled demand for exports that have powered growth and given hundreds of millions a higher standard of living.
One of the biggest concerns in Asia is that a sudden Greek exit from the euro common currency will spark panic and freeze global credit such as in the aftermath of the Lehman collapse in 2008.
"Fears are growing of a potential rerun of 2008, this time sparked by Europe," said Frederic Neumann, an economist at HSBC in Hong Kong. "Asia is in a little better shape to withstand a similar shock. But it would still hurt."
How China weathers the European crisis will serve as a harbinger for the rest of Asia. China is not only the region's biggest economy and exporter but it has become the top destination for other leading Asian exporters such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. They feed China's growing domestic market and manufacture many of the components which make up its exports.
Strong growth in emerging Asian economies such as India, Indonesia and Thailand over the last decade has eased the region's dependence on demand from developed markets. But Europe is still China's biggest export market and sales to the continent have fallen 0.8 percent in the first five months of 2012 from the year before.
The debt crisis and economic malaise of the last four years in the U.S. and Europe have helped accelerate the longer-term trend of Asian exporters focusing closer to home and on other emerging regions in search of growing markets for their goods.
Europe used to be a top destination for Yi Haijun's blue and white Chinese porcelain plates, bowls and tea sets. Now he says buyers in France are balking over the price of his $0.85 porcelain lampshades.
"Some of my friends in this industry have even stopped selling to Europe because they can't afford our products like before," said Yi, a third generation porcelain producer in the southern Chinese city of Jingdezhen. "We sell more within China now and to the Middle East."
In India, Asia's third-biggest economy, exports of clothing, footwear, carpets and handicrafts to Europe have slowed sharply this year, said Ajay Sahai, director general of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations.
Weak European demand has Indian companies scrambling to find new customers in South America, Japan, South Africa and Russia, said A. Sakthivel, who manages clothing manufacturer Poppys Knitwear in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu state.
"From September onwards, European importers were asking us to postpone shipments and cancel or reduce orders," said Sakthivel, whose company usually earns over half its revenue from Europe, mostly from cotton T-shirt sales. "From Europe, we don't get many orders now, especially from Greece, Spain and Italy."
So far this year, exports to the U.S. have held up for most Asian countries ? despite recent signs of weak jobs growth in the world's largest economy. That has helped to avert a more pronounced economic slowdown. China said over the weekend that its sales to the U.S. jumped 23 percent in May.
Asian exporters are also anxious that a spreading bank crisis in Europe would tighten global credit. To protect against the risk that buyers won't pay after receiving merchandise, exporters often use loans, credit lines or some kind of guarantee from the importer's bank, known as export financing.
Disruptions to export financing in 2008 undermined sales and helped trigger a sharp economic slump in Asia. While Asian companies have sought to broaden their financing sources since the crisis, the region remains vulnerable to a European credit squeeze.
Figures from the Bank for International Settlements show overseas lending, particularly by European banks and in the bank-to-bank market, has been in retreat for months. Japan and Switzerland were the only two nations whose banks increased overseas lending in the final quarter of 2011 but not by enough to offset the overall decline.
Moody's Analytics estimates that should Greece leave the euro and the subsequent financial contagion were limited to Europe, Asian manufacturing growth would likely slow to 5 percent by March 2013 from a year earlier, or 4 percentage points less than if there were no contagion. If contagion spread to the U.S., Asian industrial output would likely fall 8.5 percent in March, Moody's said.
"If Greece does leave, the chances are that the exit will be disorderly," Moody's said. "Asian producers rely on European banks for export financing and would struggle under a scenario of European financial stress."
Low sovereign debt levels, trade surpluses and large foreign currency reserves should cushion Asia from turbulence in Europe and the U.S. The International Monetary Fund expects Europe's economy to contract 0.3 percent this year while the U.S. expands 2.1 percent and emerging Asia grows 7.3 percent.
Policymakers in the region also look poised to start using stimulus measures to arrest the decline in growth after spending most of the last couple years seeking to tame inflation pressures.
Beijing cut interest rates last week for the first time in nearly four years after its economy grew 8.1 percent in the first quarter, the slowest pace in almost three years.
However, inflation fears persist and China and others in Asia will be reluctant to unleash massive stimulus spending like they did in 2008, leaving manufacturers a longer road back to full production in the event of a financial crisis.
"It's simply becoming harder and harder to apply a powerful stimulus without negative side-effects," said HSBC's Neumann.
____
AP Business Writer Erika Kinetz in Mumbai, India and AP researcher Fu Ting in Shanghai contributed to this story.
Follow Alex Kennedy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/alexkennedy_ap
WASHINGTON (AP) ? His large frame towering over the microphone, Roger Clemens leaned forward at the podium and declared to the judge in a deep voice with a Texas twang: "Yes sir, I am not testifying."
Minutes earlier, four prosecutors representing the U.S. government huddled at their table and then declared: No, they wouldn't roll the dice to try to introduce new evidence to bolster the credibility of their key witness. There was just too much risk that it could backfire.
The final set of witnesses took the stand Monday as the contentious, start-and-stop Clemens perjury trial entered its ninth week, and both sides played it safe with major decisions. The tenor would have obviously changed completely had the defendant chosen to take the stand, and the jury would have been given another set of dueling impressions of Brian McNamee if the government had sought to bring in more evidence of other players' use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Clemens is charged with lying to Congress in 2008 when he denied using steroids and human growth hormone in his 24-season major league career. The defense rested, and the government called three rebuttal witnesses Monday ? including one who had testy exchanges with a Clemens lawyer about evidence saved with a beer can ? and closing arguments are set for Tuesday.
The jury, which has heard from 46 witnesses over 26 days of testimony, could get the case Tuesday afternoon. The jury will be able to deliberate on Wednesday if necessary, before taking a four-day break while U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton is out of town. Barring a quick verdict, the trial will extend into a 10th week ? when one of the jurors is scheduled to leave for a six-month trip to Germany.
With that in mind, the judge said he will promote the final alternate and designate the Germany-bound juror as the alternate. The juror added to the panel of 12 ? eight women and four men ? is an avid cyclist who said during jury selection that he knows people who use steroids.
McNamee, Clemens' longtime strength coach, testified that he injected the former pitcher with steroids in 1998, 2000 and 2001 and with HGH in 2000. He is the only witness to claim firsthand knowledge of Clemens' use of performance-enhancing drugs, and Clemens' lawyers devoted much of the trial attacking his integrity.
To that end, the last of the defense's 23 witnesses was Jerry Laveroni, the security director for the New York Yankees when McNamee was the club's assistant strength and conditioning coach in 2000-01. Clemens lawyer Rusty Hardin used Laveroni to again make mention of two questionable incidents from 2001, when McNamee was involved in a criminal investigation in Florida and appeared disorientated in a hotel room in Seattle during a road trip.
"I don't believe he could be believed under oath," Laveroni said.
Clemens' lawyer Rusty Hardin asked how much credibility McNamee has.
"Zero," Laveroni replied.
To counter that powerful statement, the government wanted Laveroni to acknowledge that Yankees players Andy Pettitte, Chuck Knoblauch and Mike Stanton have all backed up McNamee's assertion that he helped them get HGH.
However, Hardin said that would allow Laveroni to introduce more details about the Florida and Seattle incidents. The jury, in particular, hasn't heard that McNamee was questioned about an alleged sexual assault in Florida in connection with a woman who was found to have a date rape drug in her system, or that McNamee then allegedly asked Laveroni to destroy evidence.
The judge said Hardin would be allowed to bring up the Florida incident only on a very limited basis ? just enough to say that McNamee provided false information in connection with the investigation.
That apparently was too much for the quartet of prosecutors, who exchanged whispers and then told the judge they wouldn't pursue a line of questioning about other players. The cross-examination of Laveroni was very brief ? basically long enough for him to acknowledge that Clemens continued to work with McNamee long after 2001.
The government's rebuttal witnesses included two who had already testified in the trial. FBI toxicologist Dr. Cynthia Morris-Kukoski countered a defense expert's opinions about the waste McNamee said he stored in and around a crumpled beer can after an alleged steroids injection of Clemens in 2001. The defense has repeatedly referred to the evidence as "garbage."
"One man's garbage," Morris-Kukoski's said, "is another man's find."
The combative nature of the trial was exemplified by the testimony of Dr. Ed Blake, a DNA expert from Forensic Analytical Sciences. Blake took issue with some of the opinions expressed by the defense's DNA expert. That drew several challenges from Clemens lawyer Michael Attanasio during cross-examination.
"You're trying to confuse this jury," Blake told Attanasio. "And you're trying to confuse me."
McNamee said he kept the beer can in a FedEx box in his house for more than six years, but his estranged wife, Eileen McNamee, testified last week that she didn't remembering seeing a beer can in the box when she found it in her husband's closet.
FBI agent John Longmire, making his third appearance on the stand, testified that Eileen McNamee gave a different account when he interviewed her last year. He said Eileen McNamee spoke of seeing a beer can inside the FedEx box ? as well as a separate beer can outside the box that has not been introduced as part of the case.
"She said that she saw one beer can next to the FedEx box. ... Separately, she saw a beer can in the plastic in the box, among other items," Longmire said.
After Longmire was done and the jury sent home for the day, lawyers spent about 90 minutes arguing over various exhibits and testimony, including a lengthy debate on the nature of the verdict form.
One crucial point was left hanging: The defense again moved that the issue of whether Clemens was at teammate Jose Canseco's house on June 9, 1998 is not relevant to the trial. Clemens said at his congressional deposition that he wasn't ? and one of the charges against him is that he obstructed Congress when he made that statement.
The evidence at the trial has clearly shown that Clemens was at Canseco's house that day, but prosecutors have connected his attendance to steroids use only in vague terms.
"I do have problems with that allegation," Walton said. He said he would study the matter further and rule on Tuesday.
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Associated Press writer Frederic J. Frommer contributed to this report.
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Follow Joseph White on Twitter at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP
Follow Fred Frommer on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ffrommer
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Public release date: 18-Jun-2012
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