November 2, 2007 Following 6 point decline in August, Architecture Billings Index for September dropped to its lowest level since June 2006 amid fears in credit market. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, ABI shows approximate 9-12 month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. AIA reported September ABI rating was 51.1, down from previous mark of 53.9 (any score above 50 indicates increase in billings), and inquiries for new projects was 61.4.

November 2, 2007 David A. Thurm, Senior VP and Chief Information Officer of The New York Times, has been elected by AIA to serve as Public Director from close of 2007 annual meeting until close of 2009 annual meeting. In this capacity, he will offer insights on information technology, media, and strategic planning. Thurm also sits on executive committee and board of Architectural League of New York and advisory board of Center for Architecture.

November 2, 2007 Developed collaboratively with input of owners, contractors, and their attorneys, AIA Contract Documents define contractual relationships in design and construction projects and are updated every 10 years to reflect legal changes, as well as industry trends and practices. AIA will also introduce Integrated Project Delivery: A Guide, which will provide detailed analysis of new delivery models and offer best practices for working within collaborative model.

November 1, 2007 Edited by IEEE Fellows Derek Abbot and Xi-Cheng Zhang, August 2007 Special Issue of IEEE Proceedings focuses on advances in T-ray imaging, sensing, and retection. It contains papers that discuss both technical and practical applications including T-ray imaging and retection; T-ray bio- and chemical sensing; novel T-ray technology; T-rays for material, semiconductor, and IC diagnostics; high power electron-based T-ray sources; and bridging T-rays to millimeter wave region.

November 1, 2007 Despite some softening in individual components of a composite quarterly measurement, U.S. manufacturing should maintain growth trend in near term, according to Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI Survey on Business Outlook. Index measures direction of change rather than absolute strength of activity in manufacturing. While 6 of 10 factors were lower than previous report, all remain at relatively high levels in absolute terms. There were increases in 2 indexes and 2 remained flat.

November 1, 2007 Regarding industrial production report for Sept 2007, Cliff Waldman, Economist for Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI, stated that while UAW strike against GM exaggerated decline in automotive product output, there was overall sluggishness in factory performance. Declines in output of consumer durable products was offset by strength in business equipment categories. Manufacturing sector is being impacted by housing slump, difficulties in automotive industry, and sluggish capital spending.

November 1, 2007 According to MAPI Quarterly Forecast of U.S. Exports, Global Growth, and the Dollar, unsettling length and depth of housing market downturn in U.S., coupled with financial shock sparked by problems in sub-prime mortgage lending, are most notable concerns. Report projects slowdown in annual growth of total U.S. goods and services exports, from 8.4% during 2006 to 6.8% during 2007. As dollar depreciation takes hold, total U.S. export growth is forecast to accelerate to 9.1% during 2008.

November 1, 2007 MAPI's analysis, China's New Antitrust Law: Legal Implications and Protectionism Concerns, provides details on China's Anti-Monopoly law, and describes potential legal and business ramifications for non-Chinese companies doing business with China. While law demonstrates move to thwart monopolistic activity, it highlights continued role of China's socialist markets for economic development, and places heightened focus on mergers and acquisitions, particularly by foreign enterprises.

October 31, 2007 The College Industry Council on Material Handling Education (CICMHE) announced the winners of the 2007 Outstanding Material Handling & Logistics Content Award Competition on October 2nd at the MHIA 2007 Annual Membership Meetings. Winners of the bi-annual award were FKI Logistex in 1st place, Modern Materials Handling Magazine in 2nd place, and Cisco-Eagle in 3rd place, with Schafer Systems International receiving an honorable mention.

October 31, 2007 According to FAA, redesigning airspace for New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia metropolitan area will reduce delays, fuel consumption, aircraft emissions, and noise. Reduced delays are estimated to reach 20% by 2011 compared to amount of delays air traffic system would have without changes. Alternative design integrates airspace surrounding metropolitan area and expands use of separation standards. It also allows FAA to move more rapidly toward satellite-based technology.

October 31, 2007 With 9 new colleges and universities selected by FAA to train students, the number of prospective air traffic controllers is expected to increase significantly. There are now 23 schools chosen by FAA to participate in Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative program, which is part of broader effort by agency to recruit, train, and hire controllers as current workforce faces retirement. CTI schools are accredited and offer non-engineering aviation degree in aviation programs.

October 31, 2007 According to U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters, Electronically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP) brakes provide improved train control through simultaneous and graduated application and release of the brakes on all rail cars. The FRAs proposed rule would permit a train to travel up to 3,500 miles between routine brake tests. Derailments caused by sudden emergency brake applications and runaway trains caused by loss of brake air pressure can be averted using ECP brakes.

October 31, 2007 A Norfolk Southern Railway freight train fully equipped with electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brake technology began hauling coal in southwestern Pennsylvania under a waiver approved by the FRA. The waiver allows NS and BNSF trains equipped with ECP brakes to safely travel up to 3,500 miles. Conditions such as a defined process for railroads to rectify brake problems en route, inspections, and training are included in the waiver and proposed rule.

October 31, 2007 ARI and GAMA executive committees have instructed staff to engage outside legal and financial experts to conduct necessary due diligence reviews required and draft proposed merger documents. Their staffs have been meeting to review current operations and services for recommendation on how those can be combined in a merger. If the ARI Executive Committee approves this information prior to a board meeting in November, the ARI Board will review the merger documents.

October 31, 2007 Speaking to audience of air conditioning and refrigeration engineers attending International Congress of Refrigeration, Robert Wilkins, 2007 Chairman of ARI, appealed to delegates for greater research and technology development to help solve world's energy and environmental challenges. Wilkins outlined vision of industry energy and environmental program based on 4 tenets: energy efficiency, responsible refrigerant use, standards development, and performance certification.

October 31, 2007 According to independent research studies commissioned by MHIA and conducted by Brigham Young University's Marriott School of Management, Automated Storage/Retrieval Systems provide average uptime of 97.34%. Studies were based on fixed-aisle systems that rely on mobile load handling machines to store and retrieve loads to and from storage racks aligned along aisles of varying lengths. Studies concluded that reliability of AS/RS systems can improve productivity across supply chain.

October 30, 2007 According to Department of Labor's employment report, manufacturing lost 46,000 jobs in August, reflecting inability of leaders in Washington to craft sensible, pro-growth policies for nation and eliminate impediments that cost America jobs. NAM Senior Vice President for Policy, Jay Timmons said loss of manufacturing jobs is a direct result of Washington's failure to address external costs that make it unnecessarily expensive to create jobs.

October 30, 2007 According to FAA's proposal, all aircraft flying in nation's busiest airspace would be required to have satellite-based avionics by 2020, enabling air traffic controllers to track aircraft by satellites using Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast, which is more accurate than current radar technology. Pilots viewing ADS-B cockpit displays are able to see, in real time, their location in relation to other aircraft, bad weather, and terrain.

October 30, 2007 By hiring more than 1,800 controllers during the year, FAA exceeded air traffic controller staffing targets for fiscal year that ended on Sept 30. They included people with prior FAA or DOD air traffic control experience, students who completed program of study as part of FAA's collegiate training initiative, and qualified applicants recruited through job announcements. FAA will hire and train more than 15,000 controllers over the next decade to replace those promoted or retiring.

October 30, 2007 At the annual seminar of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators in Singapore, NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker noted that many of the promoted safety improvements are now providing benefits. However, more needs to be done to reduce the worldwide accident rate. Rosenker urged the importance of participants to transfer vital information from an accident site anywhere in the world to the offices and the staff of ICAO in Montreal.