NSF funds Clemson research of mobile technology for perioperative services

Public release date: 9-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Kevin Taaffe taaffe@clemson.edu 864-656-0291 Clemson University

CLEMSON, S.C. Three Clemson University professors have received $797,066 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to investigate how the use of mobile technology can improve coordination in perioperative services.

The care provided by perioperative services is given before, during and after surgery, and takes place in three main areas pre-op, the operating room and post-anesthesia care.

The Clemson faculty are principal investigator Kevin Taaffe and co-investigators Joel Greenstein, both professors in the industrial engineering department, and Larry Fredendall, a professor of management in the College of Business and Behavioral Science.

The team will share research findings with Health Sciences South Carolina and the S.C. Hospital Association. Their work also will be used in health care-training simulations to improve coordination among staff.

The Clemson researchers are part of a statewide team that includes two faculty at the University of South Carolina. The total NSF award for the two universities is $1.4 million.

The researchers will use artificial intelligence and data analytics to improve coordination in perioperative services at three hospitals: Greenville Memorial Hospital, Palmetto Health Richland in the Columbia area and the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

Taaffe will coordinate research across the two universities, the three hospital systems and other state-level institutions.

The collaboration will provide expertise in operations research, data mining, computer science, simulation, human-computer interaction and quality and process management.

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NSF funds Clemson research of mobile technology for perioperative services

World Rainbow Hotels (WRH) launch online booking platform for travel agents

London (PRWEB UK) 9 October 2012

World Rainbow Hotels (WRH), the gay & lesbian travel organization which made the headlines two years ago as the first ever supplier of gay-friendly hotels on the GDS, launched an online booking platform for travel agents on Oct. 1, 2012.

WRHs website, http://www.worldrainbowhotels.com, which was unveiled earlier this year as a consumer portal allowing LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) consumers to find and book genuinely gay and lesbian-welcoming hotels, now also offers travel agencies the possibility to book online more than 850 gay & lesbian-welcoming hotels in 129 of the worlds most popular destinations.

This new online portal for travel agents is the latest addition to WRHs current distribution channels: the four GDSs (WHR reach out to 60,000 agencies monthly), WRHs consumer portal and 100+ affiliated websites.

Travel agents using WRHs online booking platform earn up to 12% commission, have access to exclusive discounted and promotional rates, can create their own agency profile as well as personalize and brand their agency confirmation emails.

WRHs website features image and content-rich information on hotels and destinations, aimed to help agents and consumers fully understand what makes a hotel gay-friendly and appealing to this niche market.

Other features have also been added, helping users make an informed decision when it comes to choosing a gay-friendly hotel:

Your Voice An interactive section of the website in which LGBT consumers post their comments and suggestions about member hotels, destinations and their local gay scene.

Out & About A recommendations list of local bars, restaurants, clubs and events of appeal to gay & lesbian guests, created by each hotel. These guides, named Out & About, can be downloaded directly from the hotel profile on the website, giving consumers and travel agents an insiders look into the local gay and lesbian scene.

Additionally, WRHs website now features a members portal, enabling member hotels to edit their own profiles (i.e. descriptions, pictures and amenities) and giving them access to information on gay & lesbian trade organisations, events, exclusive advertising offers and additional marketing opportunities.

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World Rainbow Hotels (WRH) launch online booking platform for travel agents

French, US scientists win Nobel Physics Prize

STOCKHOLM (AFP) - Serge Haroche of France and David Wineland of the US won the Nobel Prize on Tuesday for work in quantum physics that could one day open the way to revolutionary computers.

The pair, both 68, were honoured for pioneering optical experiments in "measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems," the Nobel Physics jury said in its citation.

"Their groundbreaking methods have enabled this field of research to take the very first steps towards building a new type of super-fast computer based on quantum physics," it said.

"Perhaps the quantum computer will change our everyday lives in this century in the same radical way as the classical computer did in the last century."

Wineland cautioned on Tuesday such a super-computer was "a long, long way" off.

"I think many of us feel that it will eventually happen," he said in a pre-dawn phone interview recorded and posted on the Nobel committee website.

The research has also led to the construction of extremely precise clocks that could become the future basis for a new standard of time, with more than hundred-fold greater precision than present-day caesium clocks, it said.

Haroche said the award was "fairly overwhelming."

"I was in the street, passing near a bench, and was able to sit down immediately," he told journalists via a live link to Stockholm.

"I was walking with my wife, when I saw the Swedish area code, I realised."

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French, US scientists win Nobel Physics Prize

French and American scientists win Nobel Physics Prize

Serge Haroche of France and David Wineland of the US won the Nobel Prize on Tuesday for work in quantum physics that could one day open the way to revolutionary computers.

The pair, both 68, were honoured for pioneering optical experiments in "measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems," the Nobel Physics jury said in its citation.

"Their groundbreaking methods have enabled this field of research to take the very first steps towards building a new type of super-fast computer based on quantum physics," it said.

"Perhaps the quantum computer will change our everyday lives in this century in the same radical way as the classical computer did in the last century."

Wineland cautioned on Tuesday such a super-computer was "a long, long way" off.

"I think many of us feel that it will eventually happen," he said in a pre-dawn phone interview recorded and posted on the Nobel committee website.

The research has also led to the construction of extremely precise clocks that could become the future basis for a new standard of time, with more than hundred-fold greater precision than present-day caesium clocks, it said.

Haroche said the award was "fairly overwhelming."

"I was in the street, passing near a bench, and was able to sit down immediately," he told journalists via a live link to Stockholm.

"I was walking with my wife, when I saw the Swedish area code, I realised."

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French and American scientists win Nobel Physics Prize

Manatee (Bradenton, FL) Remains No. 1 For Fifth Straight Week In USA TODAY High School Sports Super 25 Football Rankings

Top 20 teams maintain positioning from previous week; full Super 25 in today's print edition of USA TODAY and online at usatodayhss.com

MCLEAN, Va., Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Manatee HS (Bradenton, FL) continues to hold down the number one spot in the USA TODAY High School Sports Super 25 national high school football editorial rankings for the fifth straight week, a week in which each of the top 20 teams also maintained their positioning.

The USA TODAY High School Sports Super 25 rankings appear in today's print edition of USA TODAY Sports and are also available online at USA TODAY High School Sports (www.usatodayhss.com).

Manatee (5-0) got two blocked punts from defensive end Blake Keller in a 56-0 shutout of crosstown rival Braden River Friday to maintain its spot at the top of the Super 25. John Curtis (6-0, River Ridge, LA) continues at No. 2 with Byrnes (7-0, Duncan, SC) at No. 3, Santa Margarita (6-0, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) at No. 4 and 5-0 DeSoto (TX) at No. 5.

The only movement within the Super 25 this week took place at No. 22 where Nashville's Ensworth School (8-0) moved up two spots from No. 24, swapping spots with 5-1 Good Counsel (Olney, MD) which slid down two spots to No. 24.

The USA TODAY High School Sports Super 25 is now in its 30th year as the most prestigious high school ranking platform in the nation. Gatorade is the Official Fuel of the Super 25 rankings platform, which includes computer rankings of every major high school football, baseball, boys and girls basketball and boys and girls lacrosse team in the nation.

Following is the complete listing of this week'sUSA TODAY High School Sports football rankings.

USA TODAY High School Sports High School Football Super 25 For Week of October 8, 2012

For more information on the Super 25, visit USA TODAY High School Sports.

The USA TODAY Sports Media Group encompasses all sports initiatives across USA TODAY Sports and Gannett's more than 100 well-known local media brands. It also includes the sports photography service U.S. Presswire, USA TODAY High School Sports and the hundreds of sites within USA TODAY Sports Digital Properties such as thebiglead.comand mixed martial arts siteMMAjunkie.com, among others. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (GCI).

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Manatee (Bradenton, FL) Remains No. 1 For Fifth Straight Week In USA TODAY High School Sports Super 25 Football Rankings

Serge Haroche, David Wineland win Nobel Physics Prize

Serge Haroche of France and David Wineland of the US today won the Nobel Prize for work in quantum physics that could one day open the way to revolutionary computers.

The pair were honoured for pioneering optical experiments in "measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems," the Nobel Physics jury said in its citation.

"Their groundbreaking methods have enabled this field of research to take the very first steps towards building a new type of super-fast computer based on quantum physics," it said.

"Perhaps the quantum computer will change our everyday lives in this century in the same radical way as the classical computer did in the last century."

The research has also led to the construction of extremely precise clocks that could become the future basis for a new standard of time, with more than hundred-fold greater precision than present-day caesium clocks, it said.

Haroche, 68, said the award was "fairly overwhelming."

"I was in the street, passing near a bench, and was able to sit down immediately," he told journalists via a live link to Stockholm.

"I was walking with my wife, when I saw the Swedish area code, I realised." "I think we will have champagne," he added.

The two scientists specialise in quantum entanglement, a phenomenon of particle physics that has been proven by experiments but remains poorly understood.

When two particles interact, they become "entangled," which means one particle affects the other at a distance. The connection lasts long after they are separated.

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Serge Haroche, David Wineland win Nobel Physics Prize

Super Micro Computer Sees Q1 Revenue At Low End Of Guidance

(RTTNews.com) - Super Micro Computer, Inc. (SMCI) said Tuesday that it now expects to report first quarter revenue of about $270 million, compared to its prior guidance of $270 to $290 million.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters currently expect the company to post revenue of $279.54 million for the first quarter.

Non-GAAP gross margin for the first quarter is expected to be about 13%. The main cause for the lower gross margin was the steep price drops for hard disk drives and memory, the company said. Margins on other products and components were stable to higher.

"Revenue for the quarter was up about 9% from last year and down slightly from our record last quarter despite challenges from a weaker global economy. The big price drops of HDD and memory, particularly late in the quarter, negatively impacted our net profit for the quarter as we adjusted to vendor contracts we entered into in the March quarter," said Charles Liang, Chairman and CEO.

The company said it will release final first quarter financial results on October 23.

Super Micro Computer shares are currently trading at $10.17, down 47 cents or 4.46%.

For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com

http://www.rttnews.com

Excerpt from:

Super Micro Computer Sees Q1 Revenue At Low End Of Guidance

Super Micro Computer Inc. Provides First Quarter Financial Update and Schedules Conference Call and Webcast for Final …

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Super Micro Computer, Inc. (SMCI), the leader in server technology innovation and green computing, today provided preliminary information regarding its financial results for the first fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2012.

The Company also announced that it will release final first quarter fiscal 2013 financial results on Tuesday, October 23, 2012, immediately after the close of regular trading, followed by a teleconference beginning at 2:00 p.m. (Pacific Time).

The Company now anticipates that it will report revenue for its first quarter of fiscal 2013 of approximately $270 million. This compares to the Company's previous guidance range of $270 to $290 million.

Non-GAAP gross margin is expected to be about 13%. The primary cause for the lower gross margin was the steep price drops for hard disk drives and memory. Margins on other products and components were stable to higher.

The Company anticipates that it will report non-GAAP operating expenses for the quarter in line with those reported for the prior quarter ended June 30, 2012.

Revenue for the quarter was up about 9% from last year and down slightly from our record last quarter despite challenges from a weaker global economy. The big price drops of HDD and memory, particularly late in the quarter, negatively impacted our net profit for the quarter as we adjusted to vendor contracts we entered into in the March quarter, said Charles Liang, Chairman and CEO. This quarter we experienced stronger demand for our new Sandybridge product lines suggesting a positive ramp for this new technology. In addition, late in the quarter, we began shipping our new Fat Twin architecture which is a benchmarked leader in performance, power efficiency and cost. We believe that we are well positioned in the market and we will provide more details on the earnings call.

The preliminary fiscal first quarter financial results presented in this press release are estimates and remain subject to finalization and review.

Conference Call/Webcast Information for October 23, 2012

Supermicro will hold a teleconference to announce its final first fiscal quarter financial results on October 23, 2012, beginning at 2 p.m. Pacific Time. Those wishing to participate in the conference call should call 1-888-438-5525 (international callers dial 1-719-325-2323) a few minutes prior to the calls start to register. A replay of the call will be available through 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Tuesday, November 6, by dialing 1-877-870-5176 (international callers dial 1-858-384-5517) and entering replay PIN 8555814.

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Super Micro Computer Inc. Provides First Quarter Financial Update and Schedules Conference Call and Webcast for Final ...

Cancer Stem Cell Therapy: Real Or Just Hype?

(Photo credit: Wikipedia) This morning, at the annual Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) Investor Forum in San Francisco, I'm hosting a panel discussion on the increasingly popular hypothesis that cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a vital role in tumor recalcitrance. The panel includes senior executives from three CSC-focused companies -- OncoMed, Stemline Therapeutics, [...]

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Cancer Stem Cell Therapy: Real Or Just Hype?

Stoopville Farms: Online Healing Community For Trauma Survivors

NEWTOWN, Pa., Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Trauma survivors now have a forum to foster support and camaraderie with the newly unveiled community that encourages spiritual healing and transformation. The Stoopville Farms Communityis the first of its kind to unite spirituality and healing in a forum that allows visitors to anonymously dialogue about their journeys toward healing.

(Logo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121009/PH87256LOGO )

The site was founded by victims of trauma who wished to create a safe place for fellow survivors to come together and heal from rape, sexual abuse, depression, addiction, chronic illness, war, loss, grief, bullying, hurt and other difficult or traumatic experiences. "Being a trauma survivor can feel so lonely and isolating," says a founder, inspired by close-knit farming communities of the past, where barn raisings and crop plantings were done with the help of others. "Here we are helping to seed transformation. Our online community creates a safe place to interact with others, allowing visitors to dialogue and explore their path toward healing and spiritual growth."

Instead of revealing personal names, visitors choose an "avatar" to maintain anonymity. Members share with, learn from, and empower one another on their quest for healing and growing. In addition to sharing, users can read blogs, find information about spirituality, meditation, self-love practices, healing and more.

Stoopville Farms offers visitors a unique experience as it does not tell people how to live or what to believe but rather creates an opportunity for visitors of any faith to explore their own spirituality through a wide variety of traditions and practices, augmenting their own path to healing, recovery and growth. The site is nondenominational and encourages participation and exploration from people of any faith or spiritual tradition.

The website store, http://www.StoopvilleFarms.com, sells high quality, unique products relating to traditions and spirituality. These products, introduced with stories written by Healing Farmer, include items such as jewelry, incense, candles, music, pottery, artwork as well as kits with instructions for special meditations and prayers to inspire daily spiritual practice. The Stoopville Farms store will also give users an opportunity to make charitable donations to organizations that are aligned with Stoopville Farms' mission. These organizations include Heifer International, an organization dedicated to ending poverty and hunger, Laurel House, an organization that helps victims of domestic violence and their families, and RAINN: Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, which works with rape crisis centers around the country to help survivors heal and cope. Stoopville Farms will also be matching any donation made by customers.

Stoopville Farms is a private organization headquartered in Newtown, Pennsylvania, dedicated to seeding transformation and promoting spiritual healing. Founded in 2012 by victims of trauma, it is the first of its kind to unite spirituality and healing in a forum that allows visitors to join discussions under unanimous avatars and find support towards healing from rape, depression, addiction, chronic illness, war, loss, grief, and other difficult or traumatic experiences. For more information: http://www.Stoopvillefarms.com.

Amanda Bruck anbpr2013@gmail.com (267)-716-4848

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Stoopville Farms: Online Healing Community For Trauma Survivors

GE Veteran To Head Human Resources At Webster Bank

7:13 p.m. EDT, October 8, 2012

Webster Bank has hired a chief of human resources who came up through General Electric, later led HR at CB Richard Ellis, and has been active in a group dedicated to transforming organizations through a holistic approach to "abundance, wellness and enlightenment."

Jennifer Buchholz joins Webster Financial Corp., the parent of Webster Bank, as executive vice president and chief human resources officer. She worked at GE from 1996 to 2007, with ranking positions in Mexico and Japan, and at CB Richard Ellis from 2007 to 2010.

While Buchholz was at GE, the Fairfield-based conglomerate was known for ranking employees and firing some of the bottom 10 percent every year, under CEO Jack Welch, who retired in 2001. The company also had some of the more forward-thinking team-building techniques under Welch, and has expanded that under CEO Jeffrey Immelt.

Buchholz, of Stamford, earned a Black Belt in the company's Six Sigma management methods, in which processes and manufacturing systems are designed to root out errors with fervor.

Buchholz, a University of Massachusetts graduate with an MBA from Pace University, is listed as an officer on the web site of the AWE Institute, a group that describes her as "a conduit between the spirit world and the corporate world," and a certified yoga instructor and ordained inter-spiritual minister.

Dan Haar

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GE Veteran To Head Human Resources At Webster Bank

SpaceX capsule chasing space station in orbit

A privately built robotic spacecraft is doggedly chasing down the International Space Station and remains on track for an early-morning arrival Wednesday to deliver a half-ton of supplies.

The Dragon space capsule is making the first commercial cargo delivery to the space station for NASA under a billion-dollar deal with the private spaceflight company SpaceX, which launched the spacecraft from Florida atop its Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday night.

"The Dragon spacecraft continues to look great, and all systems are performing nominally," SpaceX officials said in a mission update Tuesday.

Space news from NBCNews.com

Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: NASA's Curiosity rover started digging into Martian sand, but the operation had to be put on hold when scientists spotted a mysterious bright object nearby.

The space capsule is expected to rendezvous with the International Space Station early Wednesday. Astronauts inside the station will use a robotic arm to capture the Dragon capsule and attach it to an open docking port so it can be emptied of the nearly 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms) of supplies and gear inside.

If all goes well, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide will capture Dragon at 7:22 a.m. EDT (1122 GMT). NASA will broadcast the event live on NASA TV and online. You can watch the Dragon docking webcast live here beginning at 4 a.m. EDT (0800 GMT).

Satellite trackers also have one last chance to see Dragon in the night sky tonight before it docks at the space station. But you have to know when and where to look. For tips on spotting Dragon and the station as they fly overhead your location, see: " How to Spot SpaceX's Dragon in Night Sky."

The Hawthorne, Calif.-based SpaceX is one of two companies with commercial NASA contracts to launch unmanned cargo missions to the space station. SpaceX has a $1.6 billion deal for at least 12 Dragon cargo flights, while the Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corp. has a $1.9 billion agreement to provide NASA at least eight delivery flights using its own Antares rockets and Cygnus spacecraft.

The current Dragon cargo flight is the first of the company's 12 contracted flights, though SpaceX did launch a test flight to the station in May. It is slated to return to Earth on Oct. 28 carrying about 2,000 pounds of scientific experiments and station gear. Orbital Sciences, meanwhile, is gearing up for its first Antares rocket test later this year.

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SpaceX capsule chasing space station in orbit

SpaceX Dragon Capsule Chasing Space Station in Orbit

A privately built robotic spacecraft is doggedly chasing down the International Space Station and remains on track for an early-morning arrival Wednesday (Oct. 10) to deliver a half-ton of supplies.

The Dragon space capsule is making the first commercial cargo delivery to the space station for NASA under a billion-dollar deal with the private spaceflight company SpaceX, which launched the spacecraft from Florida atop its Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday night (Oct. 7).

"The Dragon spacecraft continues to look great, and all systems are performing nominally," SpaceX officials said in a mission update today (Oct. 9).

The space capsule is expected to rendezvous with the International Space Station early Wednesday. Astronauts inside the station will use a robotic arm to capture the Dragon capsule and attach it to an open docking port so it can be emptied of the nearly 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms) of supplies and gear inside.

If all goes well, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide will capture Dragon at 7:22 a.m. EDT (1122 GMT). NASA will broadcast the event live on NASA TV and online. You can watch the Dragon docking webcast live here beginning at 4 a.m. EDT (0800 GMT).

Satellite trackers also have one last chance to see Dragon in the night sky tonight before it docks at the space station. But you have to know when and where to look. For tips on spotting Dragon and the station as they fly overhead your location, see: "How to Spot SpaceX's Dragon in Night Sky."

The Hawthorne, Calif.-based SpaceX is one of two companies with commercial NASA contracts to launch unmanned cargo missions to the space station. SpaceX has a $1.6 billion deal for at least 12 Dragon cargo flights, while the Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corp. has a $1.9 billion agreement to provide NASA at least eight delivery flights using its own Antares rockets and Cygnus spacecraft.

The current Dragon cargo flight is the first of the company's 12 contracted flights, though SpaceX did launch a test flight to the station in May. It is slated to return to Earth on Oct. 28 carrying about 2,000 pounds (907 kg) of scientific experiments and station gear.Orbital Sciences, meanwhile, is gearing up for its first Antares rocket test later this year.

With NASA's space shuttle fleet retired, the space agency is depending on private space taxis for ferrying cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station. SpaceX, which is upgrading Dragon to carry crew, is one of four private spaceflight companies that have received funding from NASA to develop new manned spacecraft.

Visit SPACE.com this week for complete coverage of SpaceX's first Dragon cargo flight to the International Space Station.

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SpaceX Dragon Capsule Chasing Space Station in Orbit

Child abuser Sandusky heads to court for sentencing

BELLEFONTE, Pa. -- Convicted child sex abuser Gerald A. "Jerry" Sandusky arrived at the Centre County Courhouse at 8:45 a.m. ET today wearing a red prison jumpsuit and handcuffs. Sentencing for the former Penn State assistant football coach is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. He was convicted June 22 of 45 counts of child sex abuse involving 10 boys over 15 years.

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Child abuser Sandusky heads to court for sentencing

Is Francona The Right Fit For The Cleveland Indians?

A few people are scratching their heads and asking why Terry Francona would agree to manage the Cleveland Indians. Why would someone who managed the Boston Red Sox to 744 wins and two World Series titles from 2004-2011 go to a team that ended last season 20 games back in the division standings, ranked in the lower-third of Major League Baseball team payroll, and hasn't won a World Series since ...

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Is Francona The Right Fit For The Cleveland Indians?

ATK Awarded $50 Million Contract for NASA's Advanced Concept Booster Development for SLS

ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ATK (ATK) today announced that NASA has awarded the company a $50 million contract to complete engineering development and risk reduction tests as part of the Advanced Concept Booster Development for the Space Launch System (SLS).

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121009/CG88984)

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with NASA to further reduce costs on the SLS program while providing advanced technology to enhance the capability of America's heavy launch system," said Charlie Precourt, ATK vice president and general manager, Space Launch Division. "We appreciate NASA's focus on addressing the challenges of enhancing performance."

ATK's effort focuses on overcoming key technological challenges in developing advanced booster requirements for NASA's SLS program. Tasks within the scope of ATK's award include development of a lithium-ion battery-powered electric thrust vector control system; high-performance propellant; lightweight composite rocket motor case; and an advanced nozzle. All of these developments will culminate with an integrated booster static test firing of these technologies. All of these tasks use cost-saving processes and materials that reduce cost and help lower risk as NASA moves towards a higher-performing booster in the future.

"This program will not only demonstrate a higher-performing booster, it will verify our affordability initiatives, which are key to sustainability as we move forward," said Precourt. "Our advanced booster design incorporates innovations that deliver greater performance than current NASA requirements, while also providing higher reliability and lower costs."

ATK's advanced booster concept leverages the company's human-rated experience on the Space Shuttle and five-segment first stage programs in conjunction with its extensive commercial heritage in supporting Delta, Antares, Pegasus and Taurus programs.

"Investing with ATK during this early development phase enables NASA to achieve the goal of having a safe and affordable human space exploration program," said Precourt.

ATK is an aerospace, defense, and commercial products company with operations in 21 states, Puerto Rico, and internationally. News and information can be found on the Internet at http://www.atk.com

Certain information discussed in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Although ATK believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Among those factors are: the challenges in developing a new commercial launch vehicle; changes in investment environment; FAA regulatory changes; the company's competitive environment; the terms and timing of awards and contracts; and economic conditions. ATK undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. For further information on factors that could impact ATK, and statements contained herein, please refer to ATK's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

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ATK Awarded $50 Million Contract for NASA's Advanced Concept Booster Development for SLS

Did NASA's Voyager 1 Spacecraft Just Exit the Solar System?

It will be another giant leap for mankind when NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft becomes the first manmade object to venture past the solar system's edge and into the uncharted territory of interstellar space. But did this giant leap already occur?

New data from the spacecraft indicate that the historic moment of its exit from the solar system might have come and gone two months ago. Scientists are crunching one more set of numbers to find out for sure.

Voyager 1, which left Earth on Sept. 5, 1977, has since sped to a distance of 11.3 billion miles (18.2 billion kilometers) from the sun, making it the farthest afield of any manmade object. (It has 2 billion miles on its twin, Voyager 2, which took a longer route through the solar system.) Still phoning home (via radio transmissions) after 35 years, the Voyagers are the longest operating spacecraft in history.

For two years now, data beamed back to Earth by Voyager 1 has hinted at its close approach to the edge of the solar system, a pressure boundary called the heliopause. At this boundary, the bubble of electrically charged particles blowing outward from the sun (called the heliosphere) exactly counterbalances the inward pressure of the gas and dust from interstellar space, causing equilibrium between the two. But scientists have had trouble figuring out what, exactly, happens at or near this boundary making it hard to tell whether Voyager has crossed it.

In 2010, Voyager passed the point where the solar wind, a stream of charged particles flowing outward from the sun, seemed to reach the end of its leash. The probe's detectors indicated that the wind had suddenly died down, and all the surrounding solar particles were at a standstill.

This "stagnation region" came as a surprise. Scientists had expected to see the solar wind veer sideways when it met the heliopause, like water hitting a wall, rather than screech to a halt. As Voyager scientists explained in a paper published last month in Nature, the perplexing collapse of the solar wind at the edge of the heliosphere left them without a working model for the outer solar system.

"There is no well-established criteria of what constitutes exit from the heliosphere," Stamatios Krimigis, a space scientist at Johns Hopkins University and NASA principal investigator in charge of the Voyager spacecraft's Low-Energy Charged Particle instrument, told Life's Little Mysteries. "All theoretical models have been found wanting."

However, Ed Roelof, also a space scientist at Johns Hopkins who works withVoyager 1 data, said that in any model of the heliopause, an object exiting through it should experience three changes: a sharp rise in the number of collisions with cosmic rays (high-energy particles from space), a dramatic drop in the number of collisions with charged particles from the sun, and a change in the direction of the surrounding magnetic field.

Based on two of those criteria, Voyager 1 looks as if it passed through the heliopause at the end of the summer. Since May, the spacecraft has experienced a steady rise in the number of collisions with particles whose energies are greater than 70 Mega-electron-volts, indicating they are probably cosmic rays emanating from supernova explosions far beyond the solar system. The level of these cosmic ray collisions jumped significantly in late August.

As first reported by Houston Chronicle science blogger Eric Berger, that jump coincided with another change in late August: The spacecraft also experienced a dramatic drop in the number of collisions with low-energy particles, which probably originated from the sun.[See graph]

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Did NASA's Voyager 1 Spacecraft Just Exit the Solar System?

NASA's Curiosity Rover Finds Bright Object on Mars

Oct 9, 2012 4:22pm

(NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)

During NASAs Curiosity rovers first scoop of Mars surface, the robot discovered more than just soil.

An image taken by Curiositys right Mast Camera (Mastcam) shows a small, bright object near the rover (in the bottom right of the image).This was the first use of the scoop on the rovers robotic arm, NASA said in a press release.

NASA is investigating what exactly the bright object is, but they believe it may be a piece of the rover itself. They will not scoop anymore soil or use the arm until they determine what the shiny object is.

SEE MORE: OTHER SURPRISING FINDS ON MARS

The image was taken on Oct. 7, the rovers 61st day on Mars. The rover is part of a two-year, $2.5 billion project to look for signs that Mars could once have had the chemical resources needed to support microbial life.

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NASA's Curiosity Rover Finds Bright Object on Mars

Quinn uses nanotechnology summit to praise Wheeling High School

Article updated: 10/9/2012 4:47 PM

Gov. Pat Quinn, left, thanks Wheeling High School Principal Lazaro Lopez for his work on incorporating STEM educations into the high schools curriculum.

Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

Governor Pat Quinn speaks at the NANO Connect forum Tuesday at Wheeling High School.

Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

Governor Pat Quinn speaks at the NANO Connect forum Tuesday at Wheeling High School.

Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

Students and teachers listen to Gov. Pat Quinn at the NANO Connect forum Tuesday at Wheeling High School.

Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

Wheeling High School is known regionally and nationally as a leader in STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), a fact Gov. Pat Quinn reinforced on Tuesday when he visited the suburban school and called it an epicenter for developing technology.

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Research and Markets: Molecular Imaging Agents: Targets, Technology, Markets, and Commercial Opportunities

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/f9cskh/molecular_imaging) has announced the addition of the "Molecular Imaging Agents: Targets, Technology, Markets, and Commercial Opportunities" report to their offering.

Driven by advances in molecular probe design and biomarker detection methodologies, new imaging agents that can improve visualization of pathologies and cellular processes are changing the practice of diagnostic medicine. The ability of this new generation of contrast agents to detect metabolic changes at the molecular level has significant potential for improving visualization and quality of care. Targetable and activatable imaging agents are gaining interest for a wide range of diagnostic applications that include cardiology, neurology and soft tissue tumor detection. The number of healthcare conditions that can be effectively imaged noninvasively is expanding as a result of these innovative detection technologies. Targeted and activatable imaging agents offer a unique capability to generate unambiguous images by exploiting specific molecular targets, pathways or cellular processes. This new wave of imaging agents signals a paradigm shift in which the reagents take on new importance.

Highlights:

- Analyzes and assesses emerging imaging diagnostic candidates, their capabilities, benefits, limitations and potential

- Profiles development-stage imaging agents and examines their clinical status and commercial prospects

- Analyzes key industry alliances and partnerships by imaging modality, and examines the impact of next-generation imaging candidates on future imaging markets

- Profiles market participants, their development activity and business strategies

- Evaluates the impact of economic, technology, and regulatory factors on the development and commercialization of emerging imaging agents

Key Topics Covered:

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Research and Markets: Molecular Imaging Agents: Targets, Technology, Markets, and Commercial Opportunities