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They also The National can flake off and interfere

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They also gleans cbc the national can flake high school football scores conclude off and interfere with sensitive optics. Scientists debate their cause, but they agree on one thing: Small amounts of lead mixed with the tin have been remarkably effective at preventing whisker eruptions for decades. Lead, however, is a serious health concern. In children, it can cause learning or behavioral problems and has been associated with anemia and kidney problems. In adults, exposure has been linked to high blood pressure and reproductive organ damage. Last year, Europeans barred the toxic metal from most electronics to prevent its being incinerated or accumulating in dumps after computers and other gadgets are tossed out. Similar measures are being considered or are already in place in other countries, including Japan, China, South Korea, Argentina, Australia and the United States. Some companies say the EU rules threaten the reliability of their products, exposing them to unknown risks and possibly threatening people's safety. But EU officials say the regulations banning lead, cadmium, mercury and three other hazardous substances are needed to protect people and the environment. They also note that many types of electronics are exempt from the law, including military and other national security equipment, medical devices, data storage computers, servers and telecommunications gear that use leaded solders. Exemptions are also granted when alternatives to the hazardous materials don't exist yet or when the substances can't be replaced without jeopardizing safety. Still, even some companies with exemptions say it's getting harder to buy the leaded parts. They worry about the increased risk of pure-tin parts, the culprit behind the most devastating tin-whisker-related failures. "Over time [the failures] are just going to get worse and worse and worse," said Jim McElroy, executive director of the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative, a group of big electronics makers, government agencies and other parties active in tin whisker research. "Even if the military is exempt forever, they will be forced to convert because they can't get the components they want," he said. "And that will eventually happen across the board. "Tin whiskers have left a trail of destruction in a string of important machinery, chronicled in an extensive database of publicly disclosed failures kept by researchers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Last year, for example, NASA engineers testing parts for the space shuttle Endeavour discovered that millions of tin whiskers were causing an electronic box to inaccurately point the shuttle's engine, knocking the rocket's trajectory off-kilter, said Henning Leidecker, chief engineer of the electronic parts office of NASA's Goddard center and a tin whisker expert. It turns out NASA had approved the pure-tin-coated clamps used for holding circuit boards in place back when the electronics were made in the 1980s, before the agency adopted its current rule requiring a small amount of lead in its tin coatings. "These whiskers have the potential to destroy missions," Leidecker said. Failures blamed on tin whiskers have run the gamut of devices and manufacturers. In the 1980s, the Food and Drug Administration recalled some pacemakers because of a high failure rate caused by tin whiskers. In 1998, PanAmSat Corp. 's $250-million Galaxy IV communications satellite, which provided service to tens of millions of pagers across North America and thousands of pay-at-the-pump gasoline station machines, was deemed a total loss after two processors failed.

The main spacecraft control processor, which governs the satellite's positioning and other functions, failed for an unknown reason, and the backup couldn't be used because tin whiskers had shorted it out a year before. At least 10 other satellite failures have been blamed on tin whiskers, according to the NASA database. Over the last two decades, also according to the NASA database, nuclear power plants have been temporarily shut down at least seven times after tin whiskers in the alarm system circuit boards triggered false alarms, alerting managers to threats that didn't exist concert on the national mall. There have been no reported injuries. "There's a real loss of money because the plant is shut down and stays down, and it also presents a situation where workers are taught not to believe the alarms," Leidecker said high school football rankings . "Are you comfortable with that? I am not. "The military also isn't immune high school football . Tin-whisker-related malfunctions have been reported in the radar used aboard fighter jets and in the target-detection system of certain missiles, along with various unspecified problems in other parts of the U. S football . military's missile programs. Most of those failures involve military secrets and are only known because they're revealed in technical forums by defense contractors, which incur heavy repair expenses for malfunctioning tin-whisker-infested equipment and are active in scientific circles looking for a fix that doesn't involve lead. The National tickets Tin whisker experts said the industry was working fast to come up with a lead-free solution The National . So far, other materials have shown to be effective in preventing tin whiskers, but not as powerfully as lead. One promising remedy is tin-silver-copper solders, said George Galyon, a senior technical staff member at IBM Corp.

Galyon, however, noted that lead-free solders often required much higher temperatures, which can warp circuit boards and cause materials to degrade. Despite the setbacks, he said, the major players know that anti-lead laws give them no choice. "It's whistling in the wind if you think we're turning this back," he said "China's full-bent on it; the major markets are into it earth day on the national mall . The world flipped over in one fell swoop. "At least 10 other satellite failures have been blamed on tin whiskers, according to the NASA database. Over the last two decades, also according to the NASA database, nuclear power plants have been temporarily shut down at least seven times after tin whiskers in the alarm system circuit boards triggered false alarms, alerting managers to threats that didn't exist what is 'the national capital . There have been no reported injuries. "There's a real loss of money because the plant is shut down and stays down, and it also presents a situation where workers are taught not to believe the alarms," Leidecker said the iii . "Are you comfortable with that? I am not. "The military also isn't immune national . Tin-whisker-related malfunctions have been reported in the radar used aboard fighter jets and in the target-detection system of certain missiles, along with various unspecified problems in other parts of the U. S. military's missile programs. Most of those failures involve military secrets and are only known because they're revealed in technical forums by defense contractors, which incur heavy repair expenses for malfunctioning tin-whisker-infested equipment and are active in scientific circles looking for a fix that doesn't involve lead. Tin whisker experts said the industry was working fast to come up with a lead-free solution.

So far, other materials have shown to be effective in preventing tin whiskers, but not as powerfully as lead. One promising remedy is tin-silver-copper solders, said George Galyon, a senior technical staff member at IBM Corp enlarging the national state . Galyon, however, noted that lead-free solders often required much higher temperatures, which can warp circuit boards and cause materials to degrade. Despite the setbacks, he said, the major players know that anti-lead laws give them no choice. "It's whistling in the wind if you think we're turning this back," he said "China's full-bent on it; the major markets are into it The world flipped over in one fell swoop. " national companies . Regal Entertainment Group, the largest U. S the companies . movie theater chain, posted quarterly results Monday that fell short of analysts' estimates and sent its stock price down 5. 6%. Ticket prices rose less than expected because more children's films played in Regal theaters national. geographic. in. the. womb . Admission fees for children are less than those for adults. Janco Partners analyst Matthew Harrigan said the earnings' miss was "not an indication of a systemic problem," but he said he was not surprised that Regal's shares dropped. "If the movie product continues to be strong . . . there is no reason the stock can't move higher," he said. Second-quarter net income fell to $16. 6 million, or 11 cents a share, from $26. 4 million, or 17 cents, a year earlier, as the company paid down debt. Revenue rose 6. 5% to $684. 6 million. Excluding one-time items, earnings were 23 cents a share.

On that basis, analysts' average forecast was 27 cents a share on revenue of $687. 4 million, according to Reuters Estimates. Chief Financial Officer Amy Miles told analysts on a conference call that the company was "still comfortable" with its previous forecast for $550 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization for fiscal 2006. Attendance at Regal theaters rose 6. 6% during the quarter, with the average ticket price rising 1. 2% to $6. 94 from $6. 86 gaylord national on the potomac . Average concession sales per patron rose 1. 4% to $2. 84 from $2. 80. Regal operates 6,383 screens in 542 locations in 40 states and the District of Columbia. Ticket prices rose less than expected in the second quarter as 32% of the films shown were family-oriented and commanded lower children's admission prices, Miles said national rental cars . A year earlier, the figure was 20% . Regal Chief Executive Michael Campbell told analysts that second-quarter results tracked increases in the movie theater industry overall national hertz . Both box-office revenue and attendance rose 6. 5% per screen compared with last summer's disappointing results. Campbell said Regal was "very pleased" so far with the current quarter results, which have been buoyed by the box-office smash "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" and a strong performance last weekend by "Miami Vice. "He said the current quarter would benefit from a larger slate of September releases -- 17 films compared with 12 in September 2005. Campbell said the company was "more optimistic regarding box-office potential in the fourth quarter," when films scheduled for release include the James Bond adventure "Casino Royale" and "Charlotte's Web," starring Julia Roberts and Dakota Fanning. Shares of Knoxville, Tenn. -based Regal fell $1. 16 on Monday to $19. 66. car rental national . Little girls, as the saying goes, are sugar and spice and everything nice. Now, more and more, they're plus-size too. As apparel makers heed the call of increasingly heftier Americans, they're beginning to look to the youngest as well, launching clothing lines for larger girls.

Retail experts say the trend is growing, and more stores are now showing an interest in catering to these harder-to-shop-for girls. "It's just an untapped market," said Renee Forbes, a designer launching her plus-size girls' line, Jellybean of Miami Inc. , at a trade show in Las Vegas. Forbes, who started the line after being frustrated seeking cute clothes for her plus-size 8-year-old daughter, said buyers nationwide had been visiting her booth and letting her know that demand was strong. Marshal Cohen, a retail analyst with NPD Group, said the children's plus-size market was not tracked yet because it was so small home of the war in the pacific national historic park The National - myspace . Still, he said it could eventually become 18% of the total kids' apparel market of more than $35 billion. "All of a sudden in 2008 you'll see a plethora of brands and stores offering plus sizes for kids," Cohen said. The timing seems right for more brands to jump on the plus-size bandwagon national discount . According to a National Center for Health Statistics survey using data from 1999 to 2002, 16% of children ages 6 to 19 were overweight, and the number is growing The National - americanmary . U. S national renting . chain stores that cater exclusively to plus-size adults include Charming Shoppes Inc. 's Lane Bryant for women and Casual Male for men national rent . But no large retailer specifically targets larger kids, although children's retailer Gymboree offers some plus-sized jeans, skirts and shorts over the Internet, where a host of small brands sell plus-size options for kids. Torrid, a chain owned by Hot Topic, caters to trendy, plus-size women ages 15 to 35. Among the stalwarts already in the plus-size girls' market are J. C Penney, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Sears Holdings Corp. , which carry "husky" sizes for boys as well. J. C. Penney has been carrying plus-size clothing for girls ages 7 to 12 ever since Laura Batey, the company's vice president of merchandise for girls, first started working in the stores 26 years ago. "We are the market leader not only in girls' plus but in all special sizes across all segments of the business," Batey said "It is strategically a direction for our company.