Toronto researchers part of international team that caught neutrinos in the act

Public release date: 19-Jul-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Sean Bettam
s.bettam@utoronto.ca
416-946-7950
University of Toronto

TORONTO -- Today TRIUMF, a Canadian laboratory for nuclear and particle physics that works in partnership with York University and University of Toronto, announced a new breakthrough in understanding neutrinos -- nature's most elusive particles.

The international Tokai to Kamioka (T2K) collaboration designed an experiment to investigate how neutrinos change from one form to another as they travel. TRIUMF researcher Michael Wilking spoke at the prestigious European Physical Society meeting in Stockholm, Sweden, confirming definitive proof of a new type of neutrino oscillation in which muon neutrinos transform to electron neutrinos. It has been known that neutrinos transform from one kind into another, but this particular transformation had never before been conclusively observed and is a major milestone.

In the T2K experiment, a beam of muon neutrinos is produced in the J-PARC accelerator facility in Tokai, Japan. The neutrino beam is monitored by a nearby detector complex ND280 (much of which was built in Canada) and aimed at the gigantic Super-Kamiokande (SK) underground detector in Kamioka, 295 km away. An analysis of data observed at SK associated with the neutrinos from J-PARC reveals that there are more electron neutrinos (28 events) than would be expected (4.6 events) without this new transformation process. This T2K observation is the first of its kind to explicitly see a unique flavor of neutrinos appear at the detection point from a beam initially consisting of a different type of neutrino.

York University made significant contributions to this historic result, focusing on the study of the rate of neutrino production at the J-PARC facility and the rate of neutrino interactions in the T2K nearby detector complex. In order to measure the oscillation effect precisely, these are important components to this measurement since it is necessary to know how many neutrinos are present before oscillations, and how often they interact, in order to determine how many have transformed.

The neutrinos in T2K are produced from a beam of protons. The Optical Transition Radiation (OTR) device monitors the proton beam accurately and is critical for these precision neutrino measurements. York University Physics Professor Sampa Bhadra is the project leader for the OTR, which was built in collaboration with the University of Toronto and TRIUMF. The OTR monitor is essential for the stable and safe operation of the experiment, and the beam properties that it measures are important inputs for estimating the production rate of neutrinos. York PhD graduate Vyacheslav Galymov played a central role in this analysis and with graduate student Elder Pinzon developed analysis techniques to interpret the data from this monitor. Research associate Mark Hartz (also at the University of Toronto) coordinated the neutrino flux estimation needed for the physics measurement. He developed methods to further constrain the models of neutrino production and interactions by using measurements of neutrino interactions in the T2K near detectors. This led to the reduction of uncertainties on the predicted rate of neutrino interactions at SK by more than a factor of two, which along with better statistics, were critical for this significant result.

OTR's mechanical systems were designed by mechanical engineer Mircea Cadabeschi and built mostly at U of T, where graduate student Patrick de Perio worked on understanding the microscopic details of how neutrinos interact with atoms, producing the particles that we eventually observe in the detectors. He also helped develop a new software algorithm with other Canadian researchers for characterizing these particles in the SK detector in Japan. Both these efforts were critical in reducing background from the physics signal and increasing the precision of the measurement used for the new result.

"This form of transformation is sensitive to matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe," says Bhadra. "What can be more exciting that studying a particle that may hold the clue to our very existence?"

###

York University is helping to shape the global thinkers and thinking that will define tomorrow. York's unwavering commitment to excellence reflects a rich diversity of perspectives and a strong sense of social responsibility that sets us apart. A York U degree empowers graduates to thrive in the world and achieve their life goals through a rigorous academic foundation balanced by real-world experiential education. As a globally recognized research centre, York is fully engaged in the critical discussions that lead to innovative solutions to the most pressing local and global social challenges. York's 11 faculties and 28 research centres are thinking bigger, broader and more globally, partnering with 288 leading universities worldwide. York's community is strong -- 55,000 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, and more than 250,000 alumni.

Media Contact:

Robin Heron
Media Relations, York University
416-736-2100 x22097
rheron@yorku.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.

Public release date: 19-Jul-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Sean Bettam
s.bettam@utoronto.ca
416-946-7950
University of Toronto

TORONTO -- Today TRIUMF, a Canadian laboratory for nuclear and particle physics that works in partnership with York University and University of Toronto, announced a new breakthrough in understanding neutrinos -- nature's most elusive particles.

The international Tokai to Kamioka (T2K) collaboration designed an experiment to investigate how neutrinos change from one form to another as they travel. TRIUMF researcher Michael Wilking spoke at the prestigious European Physical Society meeting in Stockholm, Sweden, confirming definitive proof of a new type of neutrino oscillation in which muon neutrinos transform to electron neutrinos. It has been known that neutrinos transform from one kind into another, but this particular transformation had never before been conclusively observed and is a major milestone.

In the T2K experiment, a beam of muon neutrinos is produced in the J-PARC accelerator facility in Tokai, Japan. The neutrino beam is monitored by a nearby detector complex ND280 (much of which was built in Canada) and aimed at the gigantic Super-Kamiokande (SK) underground detector in Kamioka, 295 km away. An analysis of data observed at SK associated with the neutrinos from J-PARC reveals that there are more electron neutrinos (28 events) than would be expected (4.6 events) without this new transformation process. This T2K observation is the first of its kind to explicitly see a unique flavor of neutrinos appear at the detection point from a beam initially consisting of a different type of neutrino.

York University made significant contributions to this historic result, focusing on the study of the rate of neutrino production at the J-PARC facility and the rate of neutrino interactions in the T2K nearby detector complex. In order to measure the oscillation effect precisely, these are important components to this measurement since it is necessary to know how many neutrinos are present before oscillations, and how often they interact, in order to determine how many have transformed.

The neutrinos in T2K are produced from a beam of protons. The Optical Transition Radiation (OTR) device monitors the proton beam accurately and is critical for these precision neutrino measurements. York University Physics Professor Sampa Bhadra is the project leader for the OTR, which was built in collaboration with the University of Toronto and TRIUMF. The OTR monitor is essential for the stable and safe operation of the experiment, and the beam properties that it measures are important inputs for estimating the production rate of neutrinos. York PhD graduate Vyacheslav Galymov played a central role in this analysis and with graduate student Elder Pinzon developed analysis techniques to interpret the data from this monitor. Research associate Mark Hartz (also at the University of Toronto) coordinated the neutrino flux estimation needed for the physics measurement. He developed methods to further constrain the models of neutrino production and interactions by using measurements of neutrino interactions in the T2K near detectors. This led to the reduction of uncertainties on the predicted rate of neutrino interactions at SK by more than a factor of two, which along with better statistics, were critical for this significant result.

OTR's mechanical systems were designed by mechanical engineer Mircea Cadabeschi and built mostly at U of T, where graduate student Patrick de Perio worked on understanding the microscopic details of how neutrinos interact with atoms, producing the particles that we eventually observe in the detectors. He also helped develop a new software algorithm with other Canadian researchers for characterizing these particles in the SK detector in Japan. Both these efforts were critical in reducing background from the physics signal and increasing the precision of the measurement used for the new result.

"This form of transformation is sensitive to matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe," says Bhadra. "What can be more exciting that studying a particle that may hold the clue to our very existence?"

###

York University is helping to shape the global thinkers and thinking that will define tomorrow. York's unwavering commitment to excellence reflects a rich diversity of perspectives and a strong sense of social responsibility that sets us apart. A York U degree empowers graduates to thrive in the world and achieve their life goals through a rigorous academic foundation balanced by real-world experiential education. As a globally recognized research centre, York is fully engaged in the critical discussions that lead to innovative solutions to the most pressing local and global social challenges. York's 11 faculties and 28 research centres are thinking bigger, broader and more globally, partnering with 288 leading universities worldwide. York's community is strong -- 55,000 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, and more than 250,000 alumni.

Media Contact:

Robin Heron
Media Relations, York University
416-736-2100 x22097
rheron@yorku.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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-07/uot-trp071913.php

Super Bowl 2013 Commercials Evasi0n Superdome Iron Man 3 Trailer Super Bowl 2013 Ray Rice sodastream

Madeline Mitchell, Miss Alabama 2011: Topless Photo Being Shopped

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/07/madeline-mitchell-miss-alabama-2011-topless-photo-being-shopped/

wisconsin recall election april 4 wisconsin primary dallas fort worth airport texas tornados seattle seahawks new uniforms wisconsin recall

iTunes Radio, right on cue as streaming dollars replace download ...

You don?t get anywhere in consumer tech by being tone-deaf to trends. Apple?s decision to get into digital music downloads just as sales of CDs slowed is just an example. Now comes evidence the iTunes Music Store owner is on the leading edge of the latest trend to hit: streaming replacing music downloads.

Apple?s upcoming ad-supported iTunes Radio will appear as the number of digital songs sold have been slowing for some time while the number of tunes being streamed across the Internet is?skyrocketing lately.?Through the first half of 2013, 682 million digital songs were sold, a 2.3 percent drop from the 698 million in 2012.

By comparison, the number of songs streamed has risen 24 percent, according to industry watchers?

According to the Nielsen Entertainment and Billboard?s 2013 Mid-Year Music Industry Report, the disparity between how many of the Top 10 songs were downloaded versus streamed is clear. For instance, the number one digital song purchased was download more than 5.5 million times. However, the same song was streamed nearly 188 million times.

By the way, Nielsen is undercounting streaming usage because Pandora ? which streams more than a billion hours of audio a month ? isn?t included in its totals. And Warner Music Group last August said?streaming?accounted for 25 percent of its music revenue.

Although Pandora and others have been in the streaming business for years, it takes a whale like Apple to make a significant splash.

Apple?s iTunes Radio is scheduled to be released in the U.S. this fall along with iOS 7. However, hoping to steal some of the thunder, Google beat Apple by pre-emptively launching its own streaming music play with the $9.99 a month Google Play All Music Access service.

It appears Apple has learned its lesson from the bruising battle with music industry execs and song publishers.

The Cupertino, California company already has said it will pay studios higher royalties than what?s available from Pandora.

The switch from agressor to appeaser appears seemingly is being adopted in other Apple media efforts, including a long-rumored push into the living room.

As we wrote earlier this week, Apple is looking to support Time Warner Cable and other video distributors with Apple TV apps.

In exchange, the company hopes its efforts to prop up the cable industry will be rewarded by friendly negotiations when it comes time to secure rights for video content.

Source: http://www.idownloadblog.com/2013/07/19/apple-itunes-radio-streaming/

gold rush windows 8 Emanuel Steward nyc.gov SAT Notre Dame Football Schedule detroit tigers

Long-distance relationships can form stronger bonds than face-to-face ones

Public release date: 18-Jul-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: John Paul Gutierrez
jpgutierrez@icahdq.org
International Communication Association

Long-distance couples disclose more and idealize partners' behaviors

Washington, DC (July 15, 2013) The long-distance relationship has plagued college students and people relocated for work for ages. These relationships are seen as destined to fail, but are they actually creating stronger bonds than a geographically closer relationship? A recent paper published in the Journal of Communication found that people in long-distance relationships often have stronger bonds from more constant, and deeper, communication than normal relationships.

Crystal Jiang, City University of Hong Kong and Jeffrey Hancock, Cornell University, asked dating couples in long-distance and geographically close relationships to report their daily interactions over different media: face-to-face, phone calls, video chat, texting, instant messenger, and email. Over a week, they reported to what extent they shared about themselves and experienced intimacy, and to what extent they felt their partners did the same thing. When comparing the two types of relationships, Jiang and Hancock found that long-distance couples felt more intimate to each other, and this greater intimacy is driven by two tendencies: long-distance couples disclosed themselves more, and they idealized their partners' behaviors. These two tendencies become more manifested when they communicated in text-based, asynchronous and mobile media because they made more efforts to overcome the media constraints.

Long-distance relationships have been unexplored for years. One of the reasons is that the general public believes it is rare and not normal. Previous studies have focused on how couples cope with problems, such as jealousy and stress, but until recently, several studies have shown that long-distance relationships are not always problematic. Some surveys even indicate that long-distance couples have equal or better relationship qualities than geographically close couples. This study was designed to observe what exactly happens in long-distance relational communication, particularly in comparison to geographically close ones.

Long-distance romance is much more common nowadays. Couples get separated for a variety of reasons, due to modern mobility, and they choose to maintain the relationships through all kinds of communication technologies. Recent statistics show that 3 million married couples in the US live apart; 25- 50% college students are currently in long-distance relationships and up to 75% of them have engaged in one at some point. On the other hand, people think long-distance relationships are challenging.

"Indeed, our culture, emphasizes being together physically and frequent face-to-face contact for close relationships, but long-distance relationships clearly stand against all these values. People don't have to be so pessimistic about long-distance romance," said Jiang. "The long-distance couples try harder than geographically close couples in communicating affection and intimacy, and their efforts do pay back."

###

"Absence Makes the Communication Grow Fonder: Geographic Separation, Interpersonal Media, and Intimacy in Dating Relationships," by L. Crystal Jiang and Jeffrey T. Hancock. Journal of Communication, Volume 63 Number 3, pages 556-577. doi:10.1111/jcom.12029

Contact: To schedule an interview with the author or a copy of the research, please contact John Paul Gutierrez, jpgutierrez@icahdq.org.

About ICA

The International Communication Association is an academic association for scholars interested in the study, teaching, and application of all aspects of human and mediated communication. With more than 4,300 members in 80 countries, ICA includes 26 Divisions and Interest Groups and publishes the Communication Yearbook and five major, peer-reviewed journals: Journal of Communication, Communication Theory, Human Communication Research, Communication, Culture & Critique, and the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. For more information, visit http://www.icahdq.org.

---

[ | 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.

Public release date: 18-Jul-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: John Paul Gutierrez
jpgutierrez@icahdq.org
International Communication Association

Long-distance couples disclose more and idealize partners' behaviors

Washington, DC (July 15, 2013) The long-distance relationship has plagued college students and people relocated for work for ages. These relationships are seen as destined to fail, but are they actually creating stronger bonds than a geographically closer relationship? A recent paper published in the Journal of Communication found that people in long-distance relationships often have stronger bonds from more constant, and deeper, communication than normal relationships.

Crystal Jiang, City University of Hong Kong and Jeffrey Hancock, Cornell University, asked dating couples in long-distance and geographically close relationships to report their daily interactions over different media: face-to-face, phone calls, video chat, texting, instant messenger, and email. Over a week, they reported to what extent they shared about themselves and experienced intimacy, and to what extent they felt their partners did the same thing. When comparing the two types of relationships, Jiang and Hancock found that long-distance couples felt more intimate to each other, and this greater intimacy is driven by two tendencies: long-distance couples disclosed themselves more, and they idealized their partners' behaviors. These two tendencies become more manifested when they communicated in text-based, asynchronous and mobile media because they made more efforts to overcome the media constraints.

Long-distance relationships have been unexplored for years. One of the reasons is that the general public believes it is rare and not normal. Previous studies have focused on how couples cope with problems, such as jealousy and stress, but until recently, several studies have shown that long-distance relationships are not always problematic. Some surveys even indicate that long-distance couples have equal or better relationship qualities than geographically close couples. This study was designed to observe what exactly happens in long-distance relational communication, particularly in comparison to geographically close ones.

Long-distance romance is much more common nowadays. Couples get separated for a variety of reasons, due to modern mobility, and they choose to maintain the relationships through all kinds of communication technologies. Recent statistics show that 3 million married couples in the US live apart; 25- 50% college students are currently in long-distance relationships and up to 75% of them have engaged in one at some point. On the other hand, people think long-distance relationships are challenging.

"Indeed, our culture, emphasizes being together physically and frequent face-to-face contact for close relationships, but long-distance relationships clearly stand against all these values. People don't have to be so pessimistic about long-distance romance," said Jiang. "The long-distance couples try harder than geographically close couples in communicating affection and intimacy, and their efforts do pay back."

###

"Absence Makes the Communication Grow Fonder: Geographic Separation, Interpersonal Media, and Intimacy in Dating Relationships," by L. Crystal Jiang and Jeffrey T. Hancock. Journal of Communication, Volume 63 Number 3, pages 556-577. doi:10.1111/jcom.12029

Contact: To schedule an interview with the author or a copy of the research, please contact John Paul Gutierrez, jpgutierrez@icahdq.org.

About ICA

The International Communication Association is an academic association for scholars interested in the study, teaching, and application of all aspects of human and mediated communication. With more than 4,300 members in 80 countries, ICA includes 26 Divisions and Interest Groups and publishes the Communication Yearbook and five major, peer-reviewed journals: Journal of Communication, Communication Theory, Human Communication Research, Communication, Culture & Critique, and the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. For more information, visit http://www.icahdq.org.

---

[ | 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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-07/ica-lrc071513.php

Riot Fest Granbury Tx Jaden Smith eminem eminem google io Kelly Rowland Dirty Laundry

Jamaica to Have Zero Energy Consuming Buildings

Prensa Latina Wednesday 17th July, 2013

Kingston, Jul 17 (Prensa Latina) Buildings that generate as much power as they consume will be erected in Jamaica through collaboration among the University of the West Indies (UWI), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) among others. The so-called zero-energy/energy-plus buildings (ZEB/EB) work by combining energy-efficient designs with efficient sources of energy sources, according to Jamaican media. This plan puts Jamaica is to lead the way in the Caribbean in the development of these buildings. The project aims to increase energy efficiency in buildings and at the same time m...

Read more

Source: http://www.caribbeanherald.com/index.php/sid/215898232/scat/e5abd99746ab67f4

St Francis Anquan Boldin Pope Benedict Jesuits percy harvin percy harvin mike wallace

Other jurors distance themselves from Juror B37

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) ? Four of the six jurors from the murder trial of neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman have distanced themselves from statements another juror made in a televised interview.

The four jurors issued a brief statement Tuesday on court stationery saying the opinions expressed by Juror B37 to CNN's Anderson Cooper are not representative of their views.

"The opinions of Juror B37, expressed on the Anderson Cooper show were her own, and not in any way representative of the jurors listed below," said the statement, signed by Jurors B51, B76, E6 and E40. The six-sentence statement did not specify what parts of the other juror's comments they disagreed with.

Juror B37 said the actions of Zimmerman and 17-year-old Trayvon Martin both led to the teenager's fatal shooting last year, but that Zimmerman didn't actually break the law.

The four other jurors said in their statement that Martin's death weighed on them.

"Serving on this jury has been a highly emotional and physically draining experience for each of us," the statement said. "The death of a teenager weighed heavily on our hearts but in the end we did what the law required us to do."

They also made a request for privacy. The court has not released the names of the six-woman jury, which included five whites and one woman who appeared to reporters to be Hispanic. B37's face was obscured by shadow during her interview.

In a statement to CNN released Wednesday, Juror B37 said she prayed for those who have the power to modify laws that gave her "no verdict option other than 'not guilty' in order to remain within the instructions."

Juror B37 had an agreement with a literary agent to explore a book deal, but she ended the relationship when she realized the emotions tied to the case once she was out of the bubble of sequestration, she said.

"My prayers are with Trayvon's parents for their loss, as they have always been," she said.

Juror B37's interview came two days after the jury acquitted Zimmerman of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Martin in a gated community in Sanford, Fla. Martin was black, and Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic. Zimmerman was not arrested for 44 days, and the delay in charging him led to protests from those who believed race was a factor in the handling of the case.

While prosecutors accused Zimmerman of profiling Martin, Zimmerman maintained he acted in self-defense. He claimed Martin was slamming his head into the concrete sidewalk when he fired the gun.

In the CNN interview, Juror B37 said she did not believe Zimmerman followed Martin because of his race. She said Zimmerman made some mistakes, but that she believed Martin struck Zimmerman first and that the neighborhood watch volunteer had a right to defend himself.

Juror B37 said the jurors were initially divided on Zimmerman's guilt, with three jurors believing he was guilty of either manslaughter or second-degree murder, but that the jury agreed to acquit the 29-year-old Zimmerman after more closely reviewing the law.

In a part of the interview that aired Tuesday, Juror B37 said it wouldn't have made much difference if Zimmerman had testified at trial since she believes he would have given the same story he gave investigators in videotaped police interviews that were played at the trial.

Juror B37 said at one point it appeared they might be heading to a hung jury as another juror wanted to leave. The other jurors convinced her to stay.

Juror B37 said a block of concrete that defense attorney Mark O'Mara placed in front of jurors during closing arguments made an impression, as did photos of Zimmerman's bloodied head. She also believed Martin's actions contributed to his death.

"I think George got in a little bit too deep, which he shouldn't have been there, but Trayvon decided that he wasn't going to let him scare him and get the one-over, up on him or something," she said. "I think Trayvon got mad and attacked him."

By not walking away from the confrontation, the juror said of Martin, "I believe he played a huge role in his death."

___

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mikeschneiderap

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/other-jurors-distance-themselves-juror-b37-113949691.html

2 Chainz Big Brother 15 BET AWARDS 2013 Yarnell Az Arizona fire cirque du soleil Confederations Cup

US builders start work on fewer homes in June

A construction worker is shown atop a roof at sunrise to beat daytime high temperatures, Thursday, June 27, 2013 in Queen Creek, Ariz. Excessive heat warnings will continue for much of the Desert Southwest as building high pressure triggers major warming in eastern California, Nevada, and Arizona. Dangerously hot temperatures are expected across the Arizona deserts throughout the week with a high of 118 by Friday. (AP Photo/Matt York)

A construction worker is shown atop a roof at sunrise to beat daytime high temperatures, Thursday, June 27, 2013 in Queen Creek, Ariz. Excessive heat warnings will continue for much of the Desert Southwest as building high pressure triggers major warming in eastern California, Nevada, and Arizona. Dangerously hot temperatures are expected across the Arizona deserts throughout the week with a high of 118 by Friday. (AP Photo/Matt York)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? U.S. builders started work on fewer homes in June, mostly because apartment construction fell sharply. But applications for permits to build single-family houses rose to the highest level in five years, suggesting the housing recovery will continue.

Developers began construction at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 836,000 homes in June, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. That was nearly 10 percent below May's total of 928,000, which was revised higher, and was the fewest since August 2012.

Most of the drop occurred in apartments, where starts fell almost 27 percent in June from May. Apartment construction is volatile from month-to-month.

Applications for permits to build single-family homes rose for the third straight month to 624,000, the highest since May 2008. That suggests home construction should rebound in the coming months. Overall permits fell to 911,000 in June from 985,000 in May, which was also revised higher.

Despite June's decline, builders started work on 10 percent more homes last month compared with a year earlier. And permits are 16 percent higher than a year ago.

"Today's drop in starts is more a pause in an otherwise improving trend," said Jonathan Basile, an economist at Credit Suisse.

The housing recovery has been helping support the economy at a critical time when manufacturing and business investment have stagnated.

Steady job growth and low mortgage rates have fueled more home sales. The increased demand, along with a tight supply of homes for sale, has pushed home prices higher. That's encouraged builders to start more homes and create more construction jobs.

Confidence among homebuilders rose this month to its highest level since January 2006, according to a monthly survey by the National Association of Home Builders. Measures of customer traffic, current sales conditions and builders' outlook for single-family home sales over the next six months vaulted to their highest levels in at least seven years.

Rising home prices also tend to make homeowners feel wealthier and more likely to spend. That drives more growth because consumers' spending accounts for roughly 70 percent of economic activity.

One concern is that mortgage rates have started to rise from their record lows and could spike further if the Federal Reserve slows its stimulus. Average rates on a 30-year mortgage rose to 4.5 percent this week, the highest in two years, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac.

Higher mortgage rates could slow the housing rebound, although most economists aren't concerned. They note that other factors are more important to the recovery, such as steady job gains, economic growth, and an increasing willingness among banks to lend.

Though new homes represent only a fraction of the housing market, they have an outsize impact on the economy. Each home built creates an average of three jobs for a year and generates about $90,000 in tax revenue, according to NAHB statistics.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-07-17-US-Housing-Starts/id-73cc68ef0d5f4e8a90357b8da0f8e5fe

odd lamar d antoni fashion star andrew bird lizzie borden lizzie borden