In this interview, Grae wears her brass knuckle necklace in the hopes of intimidating him into revealing how to kill his character Andrew Scott, as well as the only thing that's scarier than fighting a Universal Soldier.
Click here to watch more video interviews
Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1926357/news/1926357/
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - The ageing New York Yankees, struggling to inject youth into their roster, appear poised to sign two of their evergreen core members for one more go-round in a drive for a sixth World Series ring since 1996. Left-handed starting pitcher Andy Pettitte, 40, and all-time Major League Baseball saves leader Mariano Rivera, who turns 43 on Thursday, are reportedly on the verge of signing deals for one last campaign. Those pitchers could well be effective in 2013. Pettitte returned from a one-year retirement last season to go 5-4 with an impressive 2. ...
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-epa-suspends-oil-giant-bp-federal-contracts-135953310--finance.html
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![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 28-Nov-2012
Share ] Contact: David Glickson
david.glickson@nrel.gov
303-275-4097
DOE/National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and collaborators released a 20-year updated version of the U.S. National Solar Radiation Database, a web-based technical report that provides critical information about solar and meteorological data for 1,454 locations in the U.S. and its territories.
The updated database covers 1991-2010 and includes data from 2006-2010 for the first time. It also features improved cloud algorithms for modeling solar radiation data, and an improved State University of New York (SUNY) model for gridded data based on satellite observations.
The database, which tracks hourly solar and meteorological parameters, is widely used by solar system designers, building architects and engineers, renewable energy analysts and others to plan, size and site solar electric systems.
The National Solar Radiation Database (NSRD) provides solar resource information to industry in support of central solar power plant and distributed rooftop feasibility studies, economic analyses and research. The database also underlies other industry data and tools, including NREL's Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) data sets, PVWattsTM calculator, Solar Power Prospector and System Advisor Model (SAM).
The project was completed in collaboration with Clean Power Research and the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). This update, which supersedes the 1961-1990 and 1991-2005 NSRDB releases, is available in three forms:
A copy of the 1991-2010 report can be viewed and downloaded without cost on the NCDC website.
The revised National Solar Radiation Database 1991-2010 Update: User's Manual is available on the NREL Renewable Resource Data Center.
The NSRDB solar data fields include global horizontal, direct normal, and diffuse horizontal irradiance. The NSRDB also features a 20-year summary with statistics (monthly/annual, diurnal, and persistence) for the 860 serially complete stations.
NREL has applied uncertainty estimates to each hourly data record to help users determine the suitability of data for each application. Station data are broadly classified based on uncertainty as Class I, II and III. The first two classifications segregate serially complete stations by data of higher and lower quality respectively; Class III stations have data gaps in the period of record, yet hold enough data in the time series to support many applications.
NREL is currently in the process of updating the Typical Meteorological Year data sets using data from the NSRDB update.
###
Contact:
Steve Wilcox, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Stephen Wilcox or 303-384-7785
NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.
Visit NREL online at www.nrel.gov
For further information contact NREL Public Relations at 303-275-4090.
[ | 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: 28-Nov-2012 Share ] Contact: David Glickson
david.glickson@nrel.gov
303-275-4097
DOE/National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and collaborators released a 20-year updated version of the U.S. National Solar Radiation Database, a web-based technical report that provides critical information about solar and meteorological data for 1,454 locations in the U.S. and its territories.
The updated database covers 1991-2010 and includes data from 2006-2010 for the first time. It also features improved cloud algorithms for modeling solar radiation data, and an improved State University of New York (SUNY) model for gridded data based on satellite observations.
The database, which tracks hourly solar and meteorological parameters, is widely used by solar system designers, building architects and engineers, renewable energy analysts and others to plan, size and site solar electric systems.
The National Solar Radiation Database (NSRD) provides solar resource information to industry in support of central solar power plant and distributed rooftop feasibility studies, economic analyses and research. The database also underlies other industry data and tools, including NREL's Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) data sets, PVWattsTM calculator, Solar Power Prospector and System Advisor Model (SAM).
The project was completed in collaboration with Clean Power Research and the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). This update, which supersedes the 1961-1990 and 1991-2005 NSRDB releases, is available in three forms:
A copy of the 1991-2010 report can be viewed and downloaded without cost on the NCDC website.
The revised National Solar Radiation Database 1991-2010 Update: User's Manual is available on the NREL Renewable Resource Data Center.
The NSRDB solar data fields include global horizontal, direct normal, and diffuse horizontal irradiance. The NSRDB also features a 20-year summary with statistics (monthly/annual, diurnal, and persistence) for the 860 serially complete stations.
NREL has applied uncertainty estimates to each hourly data record to help users determine the suitability of data for each application. Station data are broadly classified based on uncertainty as Class I, II and III. The first two classifications segregate serially complete stations by data of higher and lower quality respectively; Class III stations have data gaps in the period of record, yet hold enough data in the time series to support many applications.
NREL is currently in the process of updating the Typical Meteorological Year data sets using data from the NSRDB update.
###
Contact:
Steve Wilcox, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Stephen Wilcox or 303-384-7785
NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.
Visit NREL online at www.nrel.gov
For further information contact NREL Public Relations at 303-275-4090.
[ | 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/2012-11/drel-nus112712.php
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By Anna Chan, TODAY
UPDATE: "Dancing With the Stars" pro Tony Dovolani finally has his first mirror ball trophy! The hoofer and celeb partner Melissa Rycroft defeated Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson and "General Hospital" star Kelly Monaco on Tuesday to win the competition's first all-star season.
Adam Taylor / ABC via Reuters
Melissa Rycroft and pro partner Tony Dovolani hold the mirror ball trophy as they are crowned champions on the season finale of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars" in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
This is also Melissa's first mirror ball trophy. When she competed in season eight, she finished in third place, with Shawn as that season's champ. Melissa had kicked off the all-star season with a prediction that she wouldn't last past the fourth week, but as the season progressed, she continued to improve and win fan votes.?
?My mind went blank for a minute,? Rycroft told reporters after the show as to what she was thinking when host Tom Bergeron called her name as the winner.
?When we were standing there with Shawn and Derek I assumed it?d be them. After I realized it was our names, I said, ?Oh, my God! How?did this just happen???
Rycroft's "Life Is a Highway" instant samba on finale night sealed her victory, which is based on the judges' scores and viewer votes. The judges -- who failed to call her out on two slips, but did note a flawed interpretation of the music -- gave her a score of 28.5 for the performance and praised her moves.
"You've been my greatest pleasure to watch," head judge Len Goodman said.?
But no doubt, Melissa's likable pro played a sizable role in her victory. Tony has been a fan favorite with his patience, nice-guy attitude and positive demeanor. Of all the pros on the show, he has perhaps been paired with the most contestants who lacked the ballroom skills to go far (Kate Gosselin and Martina Navratilova, to name two), and was often eliminated early in the competition. And in his 14th season, he finally got his mirror ball.
"This has been a long time coming for Tony," Bergeron noted as the winners celebrated.
The victory was especially sweet for Dovolani and not just because he?d been arguably paired with some, ahem, shall we say ?challenging? partners over the years.
?I?ve paid my dues,? Dovolani nodded. ?But it was worth the entire 14 seasons to get somebody like Melissa. It was worth this unbelievable moment. All the stars have to align sometimes and tonight they did.?
The pro dancer had much to celebrate. ?It?s my wife?s and my 13th?(wedding) anniversary,? he shared. ?Also, it?s been 100 years of independence for (my native) Albania. This is an incredible moment! I share this with all our fans.?
The couple had few expectations given that they started out competing against numerous past winners in terms of both stars and pros.
?We thought we?d go home in week one,? Dovolani exclaimed.
?We were going to try to hold our own and maybe leave with some sort of impression,? Rycroft mused. ?We never thought we?d be champions or be the last ones standing. I wish we hadn?t underestimated ourselves but at the same time it makes us more proud of what we?ve accomplished.?
It was almost more of the pro's win than Melissa's. When the pair were announced as the newest champs, fellow pros Maks and Val Chmerkovskiy hoisted Tony onto their shoulders as the cameras zoomed in on him pumping his fists in the air, leaving Melissa out of the picture until pro Derek Hough finally got her up and back into the frame.
Though Tony and Melissa appeared poised to win after their two perfect scores on Monday, Shawn and Kelly gave them some tough competition in the insta-dance round.
The "General Hospital" actress nearly nailed her energetic jive with great twirls and kicks. The judges dinged them for a little lack of precision, and gave her and Val matching 9.5s for a two-night total of 87.5 out of 90. And when she was eliminated in third place, the actress gave big props to her partner.
"This guy is the most incredible man, and he's the most talented dancer out there," she said. "He taught somebody who has no idea how to stand on both of her feet and talk at the same time how to dance gracefully."
As for Shawn, she added one more perfect score to her ballroom history with the instant cha-cha-cha to finish in second place with a total of 87 points. Derek, who has hinted that this may very well be his last season on "Dancing," said after their final performance, "After doing the show for so long, you try to find new ways to make it special. (Shawn) made it more than special regardless of the result."
Did the right celeb win? What did you think of the finale show overall??Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!?
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The National Planning Commission recently identified a 30 percent fall in public sector spending since 2008.
Project bonds, an asset class that is still untapped in this country, could be a viable alternative means of financing infrastructure projects.
This is more bad news for many South African infrastructure groups who are battling to survive, especially considering that (according to Murray & Roberts) though government announced South Africa?s R4 trillion expenditure on infrastructure over the next 15 years, there were no tenders issued for a major infrastructure project.
With the infrastructure sector now waiting for the state to start spending on its 18 strategic infrastructure projects, outlined at the October 2012 Presidential Infrastructure Investment Conference, funding has become a real problem.
With banks, other financiers and major equity investors tightening their lending requirements for many infrastructure projects, an opportunity for non-bank money to fill some of the gaps being left by international banks scaling down on long-term lending is available.
Locally, the time is ripe for the injection of fresh life into South African infrastructure investment ? but borrowers will have to start looking beyond the banks at alternative sources of funding.
Are project bonds the future of infrastructure in South Africa?
Around the world, governments have embarked on major infrastructure investments following the global financial crisis and the resultant economic downturn.
These initiatives are designed to cushion, if not reverse, the rapid slide into economic recession.
Governments are also attempting to fill the gaps that have emerged as banks, other financiers and major equity investors turn off the funding tap for many infrastructure projects.
Project bonds, an asset class that is still untapped in this country, could be a viable alternative means of financing infrastructure projects.
These bonds allow access to large international pockets of non-bank money and could potentially fill some of the gaps being left by international banks scaling down their involvement in the project finance arena.
Project bonds are typically debentures used to finance project and infrastructure transactions, and are issued with a long maturity, usually longer than 10 years.
Banks need to bear higher liquidity and capital holding costs as a result of Basel III, and this has pushed up the cost of lending.
This is in contrast to the tenure of five to seven years for corporate bonds and bank loans, the more traditional means of financing projects.
However, the tenure of project bonds would not appeal to all investors but specifically those with an appetite for long-term investments, notably pension funds and insurance firms.
Project bonds advantageous for borrowers and investors
At this particular point, project bonds could be advantageous for borrowers and investors alike as the capital markets are not contending with the same cost and regulatory constraints as the banking sector.
Banks need to bear higher liquidity and capital holding costs as a result of Basel III, and this has pushed up the cost of lending.
Additionally, faced with the Eurozone crisis, European banks? credit committees have less appetite and are taking a much more conservative approach towards long-term lending.?
While the position of South African banks is more positive, local banks have a clear preference for shorter dated assets, typically of five to seven years, and so are unlikely to step into the funding gap left by international banks.
Also, the funding available from local banks may be stretched because of demand for financing from bidders in the renewable energy programme for independent power producers.
As an alternative source of funding for capital-intensive projects, project bonds are well worth looking at.
They have been used successfully in markets such as Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.
In South Africa, if transactions are properly structured to address the issue of construction risk, there should be significant potential and appetite for project bonds among investors.
Construction risk refers to the initial period when the project is built or constructed, usually the first three years, when the risk to investors is highest because no cash flows are being generated yet and construction could be delayed for whatever reason or ultimately fail.
Investor concerns about construction risk can be addressed through upfront credit enhancement in the form of subordinated debt, or through guarantees from third parties, whether government or development finance institutions.
I think there is a place in South Africa for project bonds ? the expertise is available, there must be appetite and there is certainly a need for alternative sources of project finance provided that the bonds are structured in such a way as to minimise investor concerns.?
Project bonds could supplement existing infrastructure funding and help deliver the growth boost for which politicians and economists are looking at infrastructure investment to deliver.
The question is: who is going to be first to test the waters? - Richard Roothman
Source: http://www.property24.com/articles/sa%E2%80%99s-infrastructure-finance-future/16687
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If you don't have a dustpan on hand and need one right away?like if you broke some glass?you can make a quick one by cutting into a milk jug.
All you need to do is cut the bottom of the milk jug out, at an angle, so you have room to sweep in the debris. It isn't as good as a real dustpan (which are cheap, so just buy one already!) but it'll work if you're in a bind and need to sweep up a mess. Hit the link to see more.
How to Make a Soda Bottle Broom and Milk Jug Dustpan | WonderHowTo
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VIENNA (AP) ? Iranian scientists have run computer simulations for a nuclear weapon that would produce more than triple the explosive force of the World War II bomb that destroyed Hiroshima, according to a diagram obtained by The Associated Press.
The diagram was leaked by officials from a country critical of Iran's atomic program to bolster their arguments that Iran's nuclear program must be halted before it produces a weapon. The officials provided the diagram only on condition that they and their country not be named.
The International Atomic Energy Agency ? the Vienna-based U.N. nuclear watchdog ? reported last year that it had obtained diagrams indicating that Iran was calculating the "nuclear explosive yield" of potential weapons. A senior diplomat who is considered neutral on the issue confirmed that the graph obtained by the AP was indeed one of those cited by the IAEA in that report. He spoke only on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the issue.
The IAEA report mentioning the diagrams last year did not give details of what they showed. But the diagram seen by the AP shows a bell curve ? with variables of time in micro-seconds, and power and energy both in kilotons ? the traditional measurement of the energy output, and hence the destructive power of nuclear weapons. The curve peaks at just above 50 kilotons at around 2 microseconds, reflecting the full force of the weapon being modeled.
The bomb that the United States dropped on Hiroshima in Japan during World War II, in comparison, had a force of about 15 kilotons. Modern nuclear weapons have yields hundreds of times higher than that.
The diagram has a caption in Farsi: "Changes in output and in energy released as a function of time through power pulse." The number "5'' is part of the title, suggesting it is part of a series.
David Albright, whose Institute for Science and International Security is used by the U.S. government as a go-to source on Iran's nuclear program, said the diagram looks genuine but seems to be designed more "to understand the process" than as part of a blueprint for an actual weapon in the making.
"The yield is too big," Albright said, noting that North Korea's first tests of a nuclear weapon were only a few kilotons. Because the graph appears to be only one in a series, others might show lower yields, closer to what a test explosion might produce, he said.
The senior diplomat said the diagram was part of a series of Iranian computer-generated models provided to the IAEA by the intelligences services of member nations for use in its investigations of suspicions that Iran is trying to produce a nuclear weapon. Iran denies any interest in such a weapon and has accused the United States and Israel of fabricating evidence that suggests it is trying to build a bomb.
Asked about the project, Iran's chief IAEA delegate, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, said he had not heard of it. IAEA spokeswoman Gill Tudor said the agency had no comment.
Iran has refused to halt uranium enrichment, despite offers of reactor fuel from abroad, saying it is producing nuclear fuel for civilian uses. It has refused for years to cooperate with the U.N. nuclear agency's efforts to investigate its program.
Iran's critics fear it could use the enriched uranium for military purposes. Such concerns grew this month when the IAEA said Iran is poised to double its output of higher-enriched uranium at its fortified underground facility ? a development that could put Tehran within months of being able to make the core of a nuclear warhead.
In reporting on the existence of the diagrams last year, the IAEA said it had obtained them from two member nations that it did not identify. Other diplomats have said that Israel and the United States ? the countries most concerned about Iran's nuclear program ? have supplied the bulk of intelligence being used by the IAEA in its investigation.
"The application of such studies to anything other than a nuclear explosive is unclear to the agency," the IAEA said at the time.
The models were allegedly created in 2008 and 2009 ? well after 2003, the year that the United States said Tehran had suspended such work in any meaningful way. That date has been questioned by Britain, France, Germany and Israel, and the IAEA now believes that ? while Iran shut down some of its work back then ? other tests and experiments continue today.
With both the IAEA probe and international attempts to engage Iran stalled, there are fears that Israel may opt to strike at Tehran's nuclear program. The Jewish state insists it will not tolerate an Iran armed with nuclear arms.
An intelligence summary provided with the drawing linked it to other alleged nuclear weapons work ? significant because it would indicate that Iran is working not on isolated experiments, but rather on a single program aimed at mastering all aspects of nuclear arms development.
The IAEA suspects that Iran has conducted live tests of conventional explosives that could be used to detonate a nuclear weapon at Parchin, a sprawling military base southeast of Tehran. The intelligence summary provided to the AP said data gained from those tests fed the model plotted in the diagram. Iran has repeatedly turned down IAEA requests to visit the site, which the agency fears is undergoing a major cleanup meant to eliminate any traces of such experiments.
The intelligence summary named nuclear scientists Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Majid Shahriari and Fereidoun Abbasi as key players in developing the computer diagrams, adding that Shahriari and Abbasi were also involved in the Parchin testing.
Iran has for years rebuffed IAEA attempts to question Fakhrizadeh for his suspected involvement in secret programs. Shahriari was assassinated in 2010 by what Iran says were Israeli agents. Abbasi, now the head of Iran's nuclear agency, was wounded in a separate assassination attempt the same day that Shahriari was killed.
The senior diplomat, who is familiar with the Iran probe, said the agency has not yet determined any connection between Parchin and the computer models. But Olli Heinonen, who headed the IAEA's Iran investigation until 2010, said using the results of the alleged Parchin tests would "make sense as part of the design and testing of a (computer) model."
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PARIS (AP) ? Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative party is holding emergency meetings Sunday to try to figure out who's in charge, after a disputed election for its new leader that could reshape French politics.
After a decade at the helm of one of the world's leading economies, the Union for a Popular Movement party is now in shambles and may fall apart altogether.
Central to the troubles is a debate among conservatives over immigration and Islam in France. The election a week ago split party members into those leaning toward the anti-immigrant far right, represented by Jean-Francois Cope, and those hewing to more centrist views, supporting Francois Fillon.
Cope, who led France's push to ban face-covering Islamic veils, was initially declared winner. But uncounted votes were then discovered that could swing the vote in Fillon's favor.
A UMP commission that handles vote disputes convened Sunday morning to discuss what to do. Then Fillon's team, arguing that the commission was weighted in Cope's favor, suspended its involvement around midday, the Sipa news agency reported.
Hopes focused on Sunday evening, when former Prime Minister Alain Juppe is to meet with both candidates to try to mediate a solution.
Juppe knows his task is nearly insurmountable.
Speaking on Europe-1 radio Sunday, he said he is hoping to "cultivate a small flame of hope," though admitted "I have very few chances" of success.
"If this evening, Jean-Francois Cope and Francois Fillon do not accept what I propose ... I have no ability to impose it," he admitted.
Both Cope and Fillon want to lead opposition to Socialist President Francois Hollande ? and run for president themselves in 2017. Since Sarkozy left office in May, France's presidency, parliament and most regional governments have all been under Socialist control.
France's politics weigh on Europe's direction, too. Hollande's Socialists have pushed against austerity plans for indebted countries that use the shared euro currency, and battled Britain over cutbacks in the European Union budget.
France's far right National Front is hoping to capitalize on the UMP's troubles and bring in new support from the more hard-right members of the conservative party. Meanwhile a new centrist party, UDI, has already reaped benefits from the drama, winning new members over the past week amid increasing disillusion with the divided UMP.
At the same time nostalgia for Sarkozy is on the rise, with many conservatives hoping he returns to politics ? even though the former leader was named special witness in an investigation last week involving alleged illegal party financing that could see him face charges.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/france-sarkozys-party-battles-save-itself-114420713.html
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Public release date: 26-Nov-2012 Share ] Contact: Lynn Nystrom
tansy@vt.edu
540-231-4371
Virginia Tech
New combinations of medical imaging technologies hold promise for improved early disease screening, cancer staging, therapeutic assessment, and other aspects of personalized medicine, according to Ge Wang, director of Virginia Tech's Center for Biomedical Imaging, in a recent paper that appeared in the refereed journal PLOS ONE.
The integration of multiple major tomographic scanners into a single framework "is a new way of thinking in the biomedical imaging world" and is evolving into a "grand fusion" of many imaging modalities known as "omni-tomography," explained Wang, the lead author of the article.
Wang has a history of "firsts" in the imaging world, including the first paper on spiral multi-slice/cone-beam CT in 1991, on bioluminescence tomography in 2004, and on interior tomography in 2007.
"The holy grail of biomedical imaging is an integrated system capable of producing tomographic, simultaneous, dynamic observations of highly complex biological phenomena in vivo," Wang said.
Currently, dual-modality imaging such as a positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) is "a powerful example of the synergy provided" by using the two as a hybrid technology when assessing concerns in oncology and cardiology, Wang said. "There are no longer any lone PET scanners. Today all are coupled with computed tomography (CT) scanners," added Wang.
For the past decade, Wang and his colleagues have investigated approaches to fusing the various scanning techniques. Recently, they became interested in going beyond the dual-mode imaging, and found that the enabling technology for omni-tomography is "interior tomography" that allows for the integration of multiple major tomographic scanners into one architecture.
He explained that many of the real-world problems in cancer or heart disease are localized or often observed in a relatively small region of interest (ROI) in a human body. In order to obtain a theoretically exact reconstruction of this small area, Wang and others have shown that by using some prior knowledge and common properties on an ROI, they can precisely reconstruct the ROI from data collected with a narrow x-ray beam just covering the ROI.
"We call this novel approach `interior tomography'," Wang added. "In our latest work, we elevated interior tomography from its origin in x-ray CT to a general tomographic imaging principle, and demonstrated its validity for different tomographic modalities including single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), MRI, and phase-contrast tomography," Wang said.
Because interior tomographic imaging can be theoretically exact and practically informative for each of all the major imaging modalities, it becomes feasible to make each scanner "slimmer" or more compact. This compression creates the necessary room to put all of the involved tomographic modalities tightly together in space, and operates them in parallel, achieving space and time synchrony. "It is necessary to depict complicated correlative relationships among diversified physiological features," Wang further explained.
The potential clinical applications for omni-tomography may improve personalized medicine. "As an example enabled by interior tomography, an interior CT-MRI scanner can target the fast-beating heart for registration of functions and structures, delivery of drugs or stem cells, and guidance of complicated procedures such as heart valve replacement," Wang said.
Omni-tomography as a unified technology "also gives leverage to a greatly reduced radiation dose when MRI-aided interior CT reconstruction is implemented," Wang asserted. On the other hand, "it can generate higher-resolution details in MRI images."
The reduction in radiation dosage is a hot topic in the CT field. Medical X-rays, in use for more than 100 years, only accounted for about 10 percent of the total American radiation exposure in the late 1980s. The subsequent growth of the use of various medical x-ray imaging methods now accounts for approximately half of the total radiation exposure of the U.S. population.
"Omni-tomography is a promising direction for biomedical imaging and systems biomedicine," Wang said. Wang's team efforts are related to the Physiome Project, a worldwide undertaking to understand an individual's physiological state from the genome scale to complex organisms in a systematic fashion. This project supports a worldwide repository of models and data sets and is an integral part of systems medicine. "Biomedical imaging is instrumental for the Physiome Project, and especially so could be omni-tomography," Wang added.
###
This work was funded partially by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering grant EBO11785 and National Institutes of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute grant HLO98912.
The co-authors of the paper who are affiliated with the Virginia Tech Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences http://www.sbes.vt.edu include: Hengyong Yu, Wenxiang Cong, Haiou Shen, James Bennett, Mark Furth, and Yue Wang.
The other collaborators include: Jie Zhang of the University of Kentucky, Hao Gao of the University of California Los Angeles, Victor Weir of the Baylor Health Care System, Xiaochen Xu of Texas Instruments Inc., and Michael Vannier of the University of Chicago.
For more detail, read Wang's talking point article, along with the references therein, at: http://medicalphysicsweb.org/cws/article/opinion/51026
A link to a video on his work is at: http://www.unirel.vt.edu/audio_video/2012/11/111912-omni-tomography.html
[ | 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: 26-Nov-2012 Share ] Contact: Lynn Nystrom
tansy@vt.edu
540-231-4371
Virginia Tech
New combinations of medical imaging technologies hold promise for improved early disease screening, cancer staging, therapeutic assessment, and other aspects of personalized medicine, according to Ge Wang, director of Virginia Tech's Center for Biomedical Imaging, in a recent paper that appeared in the refereed journal PLOS ONE.
The integration of multiple major tomographic scanners into a single framework "is a new way of thinking in the biomedical imaging world" and is evolving into a "grand fusion" of many imaging modalities known as "omni-tomography," explained Wang, the lead author of the article.
Wang has a history of "firsts" in the imaging world, including the first paper on spiral multi-slice/cone-beam CT in 1991, on bioluminescence tomography in 2004, and on interior tomography in 2007.
"The holy grail of biomedical imaging is an integrated system capable of producing tomographic, simultaneous, dynamic observations of highly complex biological phenomena in vivo," Wang said.
Currently, dual-modality imaging such as a positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) is "a powerful example of the synergy provided" by using the two as a hybrid technology when assessing concerns in oncology and cardiology, Wang said. "There are no longer any lone PET scanners. Today all are coupled with computed tomography (CT) scanners," added Wang.
For the past decade, Wang and his colleagues have investigated approaches to fusing the various scanning techniques. Recently, they became interested in going beyond the dual-mode imaging, and found that the enabling technology for omni-tomography is "interior tomography" that allows for the integration of multiple major tomographic scanners into one architecture.
He explained that many of the real-world problems in cancer or heart disease are localized or often observed in a relatively small region of interest (ROI) in a human body. In order to obtain a theoretically exact reconstruction of this small area, Wang and others have shown that by using some prior knowledge and common properties on an ROI, they can precisely reconstruct the ROI from data collected with a narrow x-ray beam just covering the ROI.
"We call this novel approach `interior tomography'," Wang added. "In our latest work, we elevated interior tomography from its origin in x-ray CT to a general tomographic imaging principle, and demonstrated its validity for different tomographic modalities including single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), MRI, and phase-contrast tomography," Wang said.
Because interior tomographic imaging can be theoretically exact and practically informative for each of all the major imaging modalities, it becomes feasible to make each scanner "slimmer" or more compact. This compression creates the necessary room to put all of the involved tomographic modalities tightly together in space, and operates them in parallel, achieving space and time synchrony. "It is necessary to depict complicated correlative relationships among diversified physiological features," Wang further explained.
The potential clinical applications for omni-tomography may improve personalized medicine. "As an example enabled by interior tomography, an interior CT-MRI scanner can target the fast-beating heart for registration of functions and structures, delivery of drugs or stem cells, and guidance of complicated procedures such as heart valve replacement," Wang said.
Omni-tomography as a unified technology "also gives leverage to a greatly reduced radiation dose when MRI-aided interior CT reconstruction is implemented," Wang asserted. On the other hand, "it can generate higher-resolution details in MRI images."
The reduction in radiation dosage is a hot topic in the CT field. Medical X-rays, in use for more than 100 years, only accounted for about 10 percent of the total American radiation exposure in the late 1980s. The subsequent growth of the use of various medical x-ray imaging methods now accounts for approximately half of the total radiation exposure of the U.S. population.
"Omni-tomography is a promising direction for biomedical imaging and systems biomedicine," Wang said. Wang's team efforts are related to the Physiome Project, a worldwide undertaking to understand an individual's physiological state from the genome scale to complex organisms in a systematic fashion. This project supports a worldwide repository of models and data sets and is an integral part of systems medicine. "Biomedical imaging is instrumental for the Physiome Project, and especially so could be omni-tomography," Wang added.
###
This work was funded partially by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering grant EBO11785 and National Institutes of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute grant HLO98912.
The co-authors of the paper who are affiliated with the Virginia Tech Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences http://www.sbes.vt.edu include: Hengyong Yu, Wenxiang Cong, Haiou Shen, James Bennett, Mark Furth, and Yue Wang.
The other collaborators include: Jie Zhang of the University of Kentucky, Hao Gao of the University of California Los Angeles, Victor Weir of the Baylor Health Care System, Xiaochen Xu of Texas Instruments Inc., and Michael Vannier of the University of Chicago.
For more detail, read Wang's talking point article, along with the references therein, at: http://medicalphysicsweb.org/cws/article/opinion/51026
A link to a video on his work is at: http://www.unirel.vt.edu/audio_video/2012/11/111912-omni-tomography.html
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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-11/vt-sic112612.php
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Fathers and Families is asking NC Governor Pat McCrory to start talking with NC Senate and House leaders about bringing the presumption for Equally Shared Parenting to NC Children so that they can experience direct support, love, guidance, and nurturing from both parents and extended families. As a reader of this article, be it a non-custodial parent, step-parent, grandparent, or other interested party, it is important to widely share this article with other NC non-custodial family members on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and other networks to help rally them around this issue. Governor Pat McCrory needs to hear from NC non-custodial families numbering in the millions that they are tired of being marginalized in their childrens lives as visitors 5 days a month. NC Governor Pat McCrory needs to understand that having two equal parents at the table for children that are providing emotional, physical, psychological, and direct financial support to them brings far greater resources and opportunities than any big government enforcement agency like child support enforcement can ever deliver. Fathers and Families strongly believes that in situations where custodial parents who are receiving expanding social services like educational assistance, housing assistance, food assistance, medical assistance, job assistance, and other programs which is creating havoc on the NC budget, that there will be less of a need for these programs when you have the non-custodial parent and extended family in the lives of children. NC Governor Pat McCrory needs to understand that currently in the NC Family Law system, non-custodial parents and families are pushed to the margins of kids lives and can only offer financial help to their children.
Fathers and Families did not endorse Candidate McCrory in his run for the Governor, nor is the posting of this video meant to imply an endorsement for future elections. This video is here to remind Governor McCrory of NC non-custodial family struggles as outlined below.
Statement on Positive Outcomes with NC Shared Parenting
Fathers and Families believes there are many positive outcomes for NC children in families with shared parenting, and we are asking Governor Pat McCrory to review this information when considering legislation surrounding it.
Statement on Social Security Title IV-D Legislation
Fathers and Families wants Governor Pat McCrory to understand that the Social Security Act, Title IV, Part D, and specifically section 458 which is entitled ?Incentive Payments To States? is a revenue stream for NC Social Services Jobs, Programs, and Services. In NC, for each dollar collected in Child Support, the State gets back a match amount of federal money that is then used to replenish Welfare money. While at face value this may seem positive, it actually isn?t because the State of NC has become dependent on this money and NEEDS non-custodial parents as far from their children as possible so that they pay greater child support money and trigger greater federal money. Fathers and Families has faith in Governor McCrory, the NC Senate, House of Representatives, and Family Law Judges to find an alternative way to fund Social Services outside of separating kids from half of their family.
Statement on False Allegations of Domestic Violence and Child Abuse
Fathers and Families hears daily from many non-custodial families, be it fathers, mothers, and men and women in the extended family who tell us that the majority of child custody battles and child support enforcement cases today involve some type of false allegation of Domestic Violence or Abuse in the hopes of gaining a tactical advantage in the NC Family Courts. Given the emotion surrounding these issues, many NC Judges are allowing these false allegations to proceed to conviction to ?be on the safe side.? The problems with this is, that a simple allegation in NC can lead to complete alienation of children from their fathers, step-mothers, grandmothers, aunts and uncles, and step-siblings.
Undoubtedly Governor Pat McCrory is aware of the divorce statistics in NC, and rate at which parents are having children outside of marriage. With that, Fathers and Families believes that roughly HALF of the NC population has either a direct tie or indirect tie to a NC non-custodial family member who sees the struggle they endure within the NC Family Law system and courts. Furthermore, Governor McCrory needs to understand that non-custodial families come from all racial and ethnic backgrounds, political party affiliations, and socioeconomic backgrounds. And, one can clearly see that many WOMEN in non-custodial families are equally hurt in the NC Family Courts unless we bring about reform for the presumption for Equally Shared Parenting.
How You Can Help Send The Message To Governor Pat McCrory That Family Law Reform in NC Is Needed, And That Shared Parenting Is In The Best Interest of Children.
1) Contact the Governor via email and send him to this blog, and be sure to show your support for Fathers and Families Shared Parenting mission: (Coming Soon Once The Newly Elected Governor Has a Website Up)
2) Call Governor McCrory personally and tell him your story as a non-custodial family member: (Coming Soon)
3) Send a message to the Governor on his Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/PatMcCroryNC
4) Using Twitter, tweet this blog to the Governor under his Twitter name: @patmccrorync ? Be sure to add the Twitter hashtags #ncleg #ncga and #ncpol to the end of your tweet.
5) Find your local NC Representative and Senator and email them a link to this blog: For House Representatives: http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/members/memberList.pl?sChamber=House and for State Senators: http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/members/memberList.pl?sChamber=Senate
6) Extensively share this article on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and other networks.
7) Help Support Fathers and Families: http://www.fathersandfamilies.org/give-a-gift
8) Join Fathers and Families on Facebook
9) If you have a website or blog, please copy and paste the code below into your site to help support Governor Pat McCrory in bringing Equally Shared Parenting and Family Law reform to NC
Ask <a href="http://www.fathersandfamilies.org/2012/11/24/nc-governor-pat-mccrory-family-law-reform-for-shared-parenting" target="_blank">Governor Pat McCrory</a> To Support Equally Shared Parenting in NC.
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Life can hit you by surprise sometimes. It?s possible to be unemployed after holding a job for years, and you suddenly don?t know what to do. Consider creating a online business as a viable solution to getting your life back on track. The advice in this article can be a springboard to getting you started.
Being the sole proprietor of a home business enterprise includes being the sole financial officer of your business. If you allow another person to use your business credit card to make a personal purchase, you may be unable to write off other business-related purchases on your taxes that show up on the same receipt.
Research anyone you plan to hire for your home business enterprise. Your employees should be dependable and they should know what they are talking about.
TIP! It might seem like a vacation being able to send correspondence from home, but eventually you may come to miss interacting with others on a daily basis. Be sure you go out and have fun from time to time.
Give your work from home business website the ability to sell. You increase your profits by offering your products or services online as well as at the site of your business. Many online providers allow you to register domain names at affordable rates.
When starting a home business enterprise, avoid taking out a loan. Is the chance worth taking if it means jeopardizing your relationship? Is it wise to use your home as collateral on a bank loan?
Set aside an area in your residence that serves as your work area. Always make sure that you arrange your house in a way that is organized and provides you with enough space for the materials you need. Doing this will ensure that your business stays organized, and organization in a business that is based from home is extremely important.
TIP! Removable storage devices such as portable hard drives should be used to back up the computer you use for your business. A few minutes spent backing up documents and receipts can potentially save a lot of aggravation if you were to lose the originals.
Maintain all contracts in an easy to find place. You should also keep your own contracts, such as with your phone company or Internet provider, in the same place in case YOU have to battle with THEM over service!
Make sure you keep a mileage log for each vehicle that is used for your business. Business-related transportation costs are often tax deductible. If your business requires a lot of road time, you can save a significant amount on your taxes with driving-related deductions.
TIP! One of the greatest resources for your home-based business is a functional website that you can use to sell your products or services. The website will expand your potential market base and increase sales.
Use search engine optimization to boost your work from home business visibility on the Internet. Search engine optimization, sometimes simply called SEO, can be used to get your work from home business more traffic by increasing your visibility on search engines. You can hire someone to help you with your SEO, or you can research it and find out how to do it yourself.
Create a schedule for both your personal and professional time and stick to the times. Set a time of day when you will cease to accept business calls. Allow plenty of time to spend with your family and friends, as well as time to relax and pursue your interests.
When your work from home, it is all too easy to bury yourself in work. You should separate your work and personal life by establishing a specific work zone, as well as setting clear work hours to leave time for your personal life.
TIP! Pick a name that has true meaning. The brand you create will ultimately represent the products you produce so it is important to create a highly recognizable name.
Show your clients a good time, and try to obtain a tax deduction for your expenses. Taking clients or business associates out for meals can be a deduction on your taxes. Remember to save receipts for these meals. You are required to maintain receipts for meals over 75 dollars. You may also need to prove your expenses if audited.
To maximize the success of your home-business financial plan, claim every possible tax deduction related to your business. You will be surprised how much money you could save on your taxes just by taking advantage of your entitled deductions.
When you no longer have inventory of a given item, be sure to inform potential buyers. It is a sure-fire way to upset your customers when they find out their products had to be placed on back order, and will not be ready for immediate delivery. Clearly mark out of stock items, so that they can choose something they?ll receive sooner.
TIP! If you?re running a daycare from your home, then you probably know that having a sufficient amount of help is crucial to your success, as well as your sanity. Even there not enough others around to help you, managing all the kids and their needs will overwhelm you.
Having a contingency fund is an important step in keeping your business financially safe. Your business could eventually run into unexpected circumstances where you will need quick access to cash. Having an emergency fund will ensure the continuity of your business. However, be careful not to use your emergency funds unless it is truly an emergency. Replenish the fund as soon as you can.
While reading this article, hopefully you were inspired to take your life into your own hands. You were given a lot of tips about starting a online business, and now is the time to grab the bull by the horns and go for it! You can keep this article for reference to read anytime you are not sure what the next step you should be taking is.
Are you ready to have success in the home based business industry and build it on autopilot? Click below to register for free today. See how it works here. Also check out our team benefits here
Source: http://leucabiz.com/blog/how-to-have-a-successful-home-based-business/
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DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) -- Fire raced through a garment factory that supplies major retailers in the West, killing at least 112 people, many of whom were trapped by the flames because the eight-story building lacked emergency exits, an official said Sunday.
The blaze broke out late Saturday at a factory operated just outside Bangladesh's capital of Dhaka by Tazreen Fashions Ltd., a subsidiary of the Tuba Group, which makes products for Wal-Mart and other companies in the U.S. and Europe.
Firefighters recovered at least 100 bodies from the factory, Maj. Mohammad Mahbub, fire department operations director, told The Associated Press. He said 12 other people who were injured after they jumped from the building to escape died at hospitals.
Local media reported that up to 124 people were killed. The cause of the blaze was not immediately clear, and authorities ordered an investigation.
Army soldiers and border guards were sent to help police keep order as thousands of onlookers and anxious relatives of the factory workers gathered, Mahbub said.
Tazreen was given a "high risk" safety rating after a May 16, 2011, audit conducted by an "ethical sourcing" assessor for Wal-Mart, according to a document posted on the Tuba Group's website. It did not specify what led to the rating.
Wal-Mart spokesman Kevin Gardner said online documents indicating an orange or "high risk" assessment after the May 2011 inspection and a yellow or "medium risk" report after an inspection in August 2011 appeared to pertain to the factory where the fire broke out. The August 2011 letter said Wal-Mart would conduct another inspection within one year.
Gardner said it was not clear if that inspection had been conducted or whether the factory was still making products for Wal-Mart.
If a factory is rated "orange" three times in a two-year period, Wal-Mart won't place any orders for one year. The May 2011 report was the first orange rating for the factory.
Neither Tazreen's owner nor Tuba Group officials could be reached for comment.
The Tuba Group is a major Bangladeshi garment exporter whose clients also include Carrefour and IKEA, according to its website. Its factories export garments to the U.S., Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands, among other countries. The Tazreen factory, which opened in 2009 and employed about 1,700 people, made polo shirts, fleece jackets and T-shirts.
Bangladesh has some 4,000 garment factories, many without proper safety measures. The country annually earns about $20 billion from exports of garment products, mainly to the U.S. and Europe.
In its 2012 Global Responsibility report, Wal-Mart said that "fire safety continues to be a key focus for brands and retailers sourcing from Bangladesh." Wal-Mart said it ceased working with 49 factories in Bangladesh in 2011 because of fire safety issues, and was working with its supplier factories to phase out production from buildings deemed high risk.
At the factory, relatives of the workers frantically looked for their loved ones. Sabina Yasmine said she saw the body of her daughter-in-law, but had seen no trace of her son, who also worked there.
"Oh, Allah, where's my soul? Where's my son?" wailed Yasmine, who works at another factory in the area. "I want the factory owner to be hanged. For him, many have died, many have gone."
Mahbub said the fire broke out on the ground floor, which was used as a warehouse, and spread quickly to the upper floors. Many workers who retreated to the roof were rescued, he said. But he said that with no emergency exits leading outside the building, many victims were trapped, and firefighters recovered 69 bodies from the second floor alone.
"The factory had three staircases, and all of them were down through the ground floor," Mahbub said. "So the workers could not come out when the fire engulfed the building."
"Had there been at least one emergency exit through outside the factory, the casualties would have been much lower," he said.
Many victims were burned beyond recognition. The bodies were laid out in rows at a school nearby. Many of them were handed over to families; unclaimed victims were taken to Dhaka Medical College for identification.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed shock at the loss of so many lives.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association said it would stand by the victims' families.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/112-killed-fire-bangladesh-garment-060756696.html
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