Pennington getting high tech in fight against fat

A federally funded pilot project at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center is exploring whether people can increase weight loss when tracked by technology. Participants carry around Blackberry Curves to snap pictures of their meals and leftovers. They also wear a quarter-sized device on their shoe that counts the number of steps they take. Counselors pore over the incoming data and give individually tailored health advice through e-mail or telephone. Every month, the participants get their weight checked, and their progress is compared against a separate group that receives only generic health tips. The study involves just seven people, but researchers eventually hope to have 40. "It's highly personalized. You get feedback very quickly," says Dr. Corby Martin, who heads Pennington's Ingestive Behavior Laboratory. By using technology to capture eating and exercise details, researchers hope to bypass self-reporting, which can sometimes give an incomplete picture. Pennington is one of several research centers monitoring diet and exercise using high-tech devices, such as tiny video cameras and accelerometers that can measure the duration and intensity of a workout. But some medical experts are concerned about ethical questions. Even if people agree to be tracked, researchers worry about intruding into the rest of their lives and the lives of those around them.

La. online classified ads down 24%

The number of vacant Louisiana jobs advertised online fell by 24% in December when compared with the year before. The Conference Board Help Wanted OnLine Data Series says there were 36,500 ads in Louisiana last month, in contrast to 48,000 in December 2008. The December 2009 numbers were an improvement over November, with 2,000 more help wanted ads running on Web sites. Nationally, the number of vacant jobs advertised on the Web was down 5.2% from December 2008, going from 3.8 million to 3.6 million. The national growth in job demand has perked up from a low point in April, but the yearly average of nearly 3.36 million help wanted ads is far below the 2008 average of nearly 4.5 million.

More state vehicles up for auction Saturday

Even as the state prepares to sell off more of its vehicles at a weekend auction, Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration fell short of a December target to shrink the state-owned fleet by 10%. Commissioner of Administration Angele Davis, the governor's top fiscal adviser, set the goal as a way to cut government spending amid years of projected budget shortfalls. The number of cars, trucks, vans and other vehicles that Louisiana agencies had at their disposal stood at 12,740 in August, when Davis put a freeze on state agencies buying new vehicles — except for public safety vehicles, like police cars. Departments have turned over 552 vehicles to state surplus so far for auction, not quite even the halfway mark, according to figures provided by the governor's Division of Administration. Davis says cabinet agencies have identified another 289 state vehicles that they have pledged to turn over to the surplus yard. The dilemma is, while cabinet agencies are under the Jindal administration's control, Davis can't order public colleges or statewide elected officials to turn over their cars. Institutions of higher education and the agencies overseen by elected officials control more than 3,300 vehicles. The state is putting up 250 vehicles for auction at a surplus sale on Saturday, following an auction of similar size in December that shed 274 vehicles and brought in $499,000, according to the Division of Administration.

State launches campaign to control Asian carp

Eat lots of Asian carp, and call them “silverfin.” That's the latest message from Louisiana's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. It's part of a new campaign to try to control bighead and silver carp, which were introduced into the United States in the 1970s to help manage aquaculture ponds and wastewater lagoons farther north. The fish made it into Louisiana waterways in the late 1980s and early 1990s. “We will never be able to fully eradicate these fish, so we are trying to make the best out of what these fish have to offer,” says Gary Tilyou, administrator for inland fisheries. “By creating a demand for the meat, we hope to create a commercial and recreational freshwater fishing industry for Asian carp.” Silver carp, which can grow up to 50 pounds, are known to leap several feet out of the water when disturbed by boat propellers. Both silver and bighead carp threaten Louisiana freshwater species that feed on plankton, as they do. Plankton is also the main diet for shad, bigmouth buffalo and paddlefish, and for very young catfish, bass and other freshwater species. The department wants to create a market for carp meat, which a news release described as white and delicious. It will join Chef Philippe Parola on Jan. 12 to unveil a new marketing plan that includes the name change and the launch of products to be distributed by Rouses Super Market.

U.S. service sector posts slight growth in Dec.

A measure tracking the U.S. service sector returned to growth last month, its up-tick helped by the holiday season's retail sales; but the slight expansion wasn't enough to kick-start hiring. The Institute for Supply Management, a private trade group, says its service index rose to 50.1 in December from 48.7 in November. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had expected a reading of 50.5. A level above 50 signals growth. The gauge rose in September for the first time in 13 months, but the comeback has been fitful amid tiny gains in consumers' incomes and tight bank lending to small businesses. Seven industries reported growth, led by agriculture and retail. ISM's service-sector gauge is closely watched because service jobs comprise more than 80% of non-farm U.S. employment.

Poll: Most are satisfied with their jobs

Sixty-nine percent of people who responded to a Daily Report poll say they are satisfied with their jobs. Forty-three percent of people who took the online survey say they are "very satisfied," while 26% say they are "somewhat satisfied" with work. Fourteen percent of respondents say they are "somewhat unsatisfied" with their jobs, and 11% "very unsatisfied." Six percent of workers report being “indifferent.” More than 1,200 people participated in the survey. A Conference Board report released earlier this week found that 45% of Americans are satisfied with their work, the lowest rate in the study's 22-year history.

Today's question: Have you noticed an increase in your auto insurance rates for 2010?

News roundup: Local Chinese restaurants receive national honors...Bella, Max top pet name lists

Best in class: Three Capital Region restaurants were honored at the Top 100 Chinese Restaurants awards ceremony, recently held in Las Vegas. The Chinese Inn on Nicholson Drive was named as one of the top 100 local favorites, which went to restaurants that have an important community presence and devoted customers. Happy Wok in Addis and Hot Wok in Prairieville were winners in the top 100 healthy menu category, which honors restaurants that offer tasty meals with reduced calories, sodium and fat.

What happened to Fido and Fluffy? A list of the most popular pet names found that Bella was tops among dogs and Max was the favorite for cats. Veterinary Pet Insurance compiled the list by going through 475,000 insured pooches and kitties. Max had been the most popular name for dogs for the past six years before being demoted to second place; VPI officials suspect the massive popularity of the Twilight books and movies, which feature a heroine named Bella, led to the change. Other popular dog names were Bailey, Lucy and Molly. Popular cat names include Chloe, Bella, Oliver and Tiger.