NASA: Assessments of Selected Large-Scale Projects

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What GAO Found

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) total portfolio of major projects saw cost and schedule growth that remains low compared to GAO's first review of the portfolio. Some projects in this year's portfolio launched within their cost and schedule baselines; however, several others are undergoing replans, which could temper the portfolio's positive performance. For example, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN project launched on time and cost about $35 million less than its baseline estimate, but NASA officials are reporting that issues with the Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2 project's primary instrument are driving costs to exceed the original baseline by at least 15 percent, and that the project will miss its committed launch date.

NASA projects have continued to make progress in maturing technologies prior to the preliminary design review. This year, 63 percent of projects met this standard, up from only 29 percent of projects in 2010. For example, in preparation for its upcoming confirmation review, one project has matured all 10 of its critical technologies, which GAO's past work has shown is important to decrease the likelihood of cost and schedule growth. NASA's heightened awareness of reducing technology risk is further evidenced by new guidance aimed at ensuring continued focus on technical maturity. As NASA continues to undertake more complex projects it will be important to maintain heightened attention to best practices to lessen the risk of technology development and continue positive cost and schedule performance.

NASA projects are maintaining steady performance toward meeting GAO's best practices for design stability, and the agency has also increased its focus on design stability. GAO has found over past several years that projects have consistently reported higher percentages of drawings releasable at the critical design review and lower percentages of drawing growth after that time, which indicates that project design stability has increased overall. NASA has taken steps to enhance its ability to assess design maturity. For example, NASA implemented three technical indicators to assess design maturity, and projects in the portfolio are tracking the required indicators. Additionally, experts in the space community have identified other design stability metrics, which can be used in tandem with GAO's and NASA's indicators in order to provide a more complete and robust assessment of a project's design stability.

NASA faces several challenges that could impact its ability to effectively manage its portfolio. A primary challenge in the next few years will be to complete a series of complex and expensive projects within constrained budgets and competing priorities. Any cost or schedule growth on NASA's largest, most complex projects, such as the James Webb Space Telescope, could have a ripple effect across the portfolio. While NASA has implemented a plan for improving its acquisition management, monitoring NASA's performance against that plan over time will be important in determining if the agency's efforts to improve its acquisition management practices have become institutionalized. For example, in 2013, two projects experienced significant issues immediately after being confirmed, indicating that neither project had completed an adequate assessment of risk which is necessary to ensure that the project's cost and schedule baseline estimates were realistic.

Why GAO Did This Study

This is GAO's annual assessment of NASA's major projects. This report provides a snapshot of how well NASA is planning and executing its major acquisitions. In 2013, GAO reported that the performance of NASA's major projects had improved since GAO's first assessment in 2009, due, in part, to some underperforming projects launching and some demonstrating progress meeting practices that GAO has reported decrease cost and schedule risk.

In response to an explanatory statement of the House Committee on Appropriations accompanying the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009, this report assesses (1) the current status of NASA's portfolio of major projects, (2) NASA's progress in developing and maturing critical technologies (3) efforts NASA has taken to improve design stability of its projects, and (4) any challenges to NASA's management of the portfolio. GAO assessed 2013 and 2014 data on NASA's 18 major projects and the Commercial Crew program all with an estimated life-cycle cost of over $250 million, such as data on the projects' cost, schedule, technology maturity, design stability, and contracts; analyzed monthly project status reports; and interviewed NASA and contractor officials.

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NASA Signs Agreement With SpaceX For Use Of Historic Launch Pad

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April 15, 2014

Image Caption: Launch of the final Saturn IB rocket from Pad 39B on July 15, 1975 carrying the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project Command Module into orbit. Credit: NASA

WASHINGTON, April 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ NASA Kennedy Space Centers historic Launch Complex 39A, the site from which numerous Apollo and space shuttle missions began, is beginning a new mission as a commercial launch site.

NASA signed a property agreement with Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif., on Monday for use and occupancy of the seaside complex along Floridas central east coast. It will serve as a platform for SpaceX to support their commercial launch activities.

Its exciting that this storied NASA launch pad is opening a new chapter for space exploration and the commercial aerospace industry, said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. While SpaceX will use pad 39A at Kennedy, about a mile away on pad 39B, were preparing for our deep space missions to an asteroid and eventually Mars. The parallel pads at Kennedy perfectly exemplify NASAs parallel path for human spaceflight exploration U.S. commercial companies providing access to low-Earth orbit and NASA deep space exploration missions at the same time.

Under a 20-year agreement, SpaceX will operate and maintain the facility at its own expense.

SpaceX is the worlds fastest growing launch services provider, said Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of SpaceX. With nearly 50 missions on manifest, SpaceX will maximize the use of pad 39A to the benefit of both the commercial launch industry as well as the American taxpayer.

The reuse of pad 39A is part of NASAs work to transform the Kennedy Space Center into a 21st century launch complex capable of supporting both government and commercial users. At the same time, NASA and Lockheed Martin are assembling the agencys first Orion spacecraft in the Operations and Checkout building while preparing Kennedys infrastructure for the Space Launch System rocket, which will lift off from the centers Launch Complex 39B and send American astronauts into deep space, including to an asteroid and eventually Mars.

Kennedy Space Center is excited to welcome SpaceX to our growing list of partners, Center Director Bob Cabana said. As we continue to reconfigure and repurpose these tremendous facilities, it is gratifying to see our plan for a multi-user spaceport shared by government and commercial partners coming to fruition.

Launch Complex 39A originally was designed to support NASAs Apollo Program and later modified to support the Space Shuttle Program. Because of the transition from the shuttle program to NASAs Space Launch System and Orion programs, the agency does not have a need for the complex to support future missions.

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Nanocrystalline cellulose for viral inhibitor

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Researchers have succeeded in creating a surface on nano-sized cellulose crystals that imitates a biological structure. The surface adsorbs viruses and disables them. The results can prove useful in the development of antiviral ointments and surfaces, for instance.

There are many viral diseases in the world for which no pharmaceutical treatment exists. These include, among others, dengue fever, which is spread by mosquitoes in the tropics, as well as a type of diarrhea, which is more familiar in Finland and is easily spread by the hands and can be dangerous especially for small children and the elderly.

Researchers at Aalto University and the University of Eastern Finland have now succeeded in preliminary tests to prevent the spread of one type of virus into cells with the help of a new type of nanocrystalline cellulose. Nano-sized cellulose crystals were manufactured out of cotton fibre or filter paper with the help of sulphuric acid, causing sulphate ions with negative charges to attach to their surfaces. The ions then attached to alphaviruses used in the test and neutralised them. When the researchers replaced the sulphate ions with cellulose derivatives that imitate tyrosine sulphates, the activity of the viruses was further reduced. The experiments succeeded in preventing viral infection in 88-100 percent of the time with no noticeable effect on the viability of the cells by the nanoparticles.

The coordinator of the research, Jukka Seppl, Professor of Polymer Technology at Aalto University, sees the results as a good example of the possibilities that could be advanced with nanotechnology.

Certain cellulose derivatives had been seen to have an impact on viruses before. The nano scale increases the proportion of the surface area to that of the number of grams to a very high level, which is an advantage, because viruses specifically attach themselves to surfaces. Making the cellulose crystals biomimetic, which means that they mimic biological structures, was an important step, as we know that in nature viruses often interact specifically with tyrosine structures, he says.

Both Jukka Seppl and Ari Hinkkanen, Professor of Gene Transfer Technology at the University of Eastern Finland, emphasise that the research is still in the early stages.

Now we know that the attachment of a certain alphavirus can be effectively prevented when we use large amounts of nanocrystalline cellulose. Next we need to experiment with other alpha viruses and learn to better understand the mechanisms that prevent viral infection. In addition, it is necessary to ascertain if cellulose can also block other viruses and in what conditions, and to investigate whether or not the sulphates have a deleterious effects on an organism, Ari Hinkkanen explains.

According to Kristiina Jrvinen, Professor of Pharmaceutical Technology at the University of Eastern Finland, there are many routes that can be taken in the commercialisation of the results. The development of an antiviral medicine is the most distant of these; the idea could be sooner applied in disinfectant ointments and coatings, for instance.

It would be possible to provide protection against viruses, spread by mosquitoes, by applying ointment containing nanocrystalline cellulose onto the skin. Nanocrystalline cellulose applied on hospital door handles could kill viruses and prevent them from spreading. However, we first need to ascertain if the compounds will remain effective in a non-liquid form and how they work in animal tests, she ponders.

This story is reprinted from material from Aalto University, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier. Link to original source.

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[Portrait of an Innovator] Stanislaw Ostoja-Starzewski looks to nano-satellites to connect the world up at an …

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Interview with Stanislaw Ostoja-Starzewski to mark his selection as a finalist for the MIT TR35 Young French Innovator of the Year contest, which LAtelier partners. The Engineering graduate of the Lyon Applied Science Institute INSA, who is fascinated by space, is creating with his company, NovaNano, disruptive solutions around nano-satellites to provide low-cost communications capability.

Yes, and one who has been passionate about space since his earliest years. I was already excited about the exploits of the astronauts and the moon landings when I was five years old, confesses 29-year-old Stanislaw. And he was already building experimental rockets up to 10 feet in length as a member of a university club while he was studying at the National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA Lyon). He also had the opportunity to take part in a rocket launch campaign with the French space agency CNES, and really started thinking of working in this field. During his studies, he met Spas Balinov and their friendship turned into a decision to set up NovaNano together when they graduated in 2009.

To build miniature satellites equipped with receivers to provide a means of radio communication all over the world, even in the most inaccessible areas. Their NovaSat nano-satellite is a space platform with a specific purpose. Every satellite has a function it might be Earth observation, a listening device or a communication resource, and thats the path that we chose, explains Stanislaw. The two engineers have been working with telecommunications experts, combining the two technological fields in order to create their business model around global connectivity. "Spas and I felt that something really disruptive was about to happen in the next few years. That was rather a historic moment for us," reveals Stanislaw. As regards nano-satellites: "This is a vector which is going to bring about new applications and create disruption in terms of costs, vis--vis the services that exist today."

During various exchange programmes and internships, Stanislaw realised that while miniaturised satellites were being developed on university campuses they still remained at the stage of an experimental concept. "Systems had already been launched in the early 2000s but they werent really working properly. Performance and quality still fell a long way short of the target. Universities simply dont have the industrial resources to bring this type of project to fruition. So we saw an opportunity there." The two colleagues embarked on their adventure, in full awareness that they were not the only ones likely to be attracted to the field of nano-satellite construction. "Following the miniaturisation of electronics, due largely to the progress described by Moores Law, i.e. Gordon Moores prediction that computer chip performance would double every eighteen months, were able today to build satellites small enough (weighing less than 50kg) to launch as a sort of extra passenger on a rocket, car-pooling for satellites if you like. And development costs are low enough for a startup to be able to get into this business." In fact space projects are mostly state-run "The space field previously used to be the preserve of major manufacturers nourished by State contracts," stresses Stanislaw so a startup/small business like NovaNano can feel relieved to have been able to obtain financing to build and launch satellites into space.

"Today, two thirds of the worlds population is still not connected to the Internet. This lack of connectivity and communication capability is affecting the development potential of those people and economic activity in those regions." Through NovaNano, Stanislaw intends to connect as many geographical areas as possible at an affordable cost. The basic principle of a satellite is that it orbits the Earth so as to provide global coverage. This ability to reach any and every point on the Earths surface and thus enable information to be exchanged with areas not covered by the traditional networks is certainly going to have an impact on those societies.

The company is planning to embark on the pilot phase, which means demonstrating the full system, as of July this year. 2014. The partners envisage launching two demo satellites in order to assess how they function in orbit. The testing phase will be backed by a number of clients who wish to help set in motion and perfect the system. NovaNano is now seeking to raise funds 2.5 million is the target for this financing round and is currently in discussions with various potential industrial and financial partners.

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SEM image of a flower-like ZnO material

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One of the winning images of the 2014 Nano Today Cover Competition. Look out for more cover competition winners, here on Materials Today.

The new issue of Nano Today (Volume 9, Issue 1) is out now. Click here to read the articles.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a metal oxide material that exhibits unique semiconducting, piezoelectric, and pyroelectric properties. With a direct wide bandgap (3.37 eV) and a high exciton binding energy (60 meV) at room temperature, it has received significant attention in applications ranging from solar cells, chemical sensors, optoelectronic devices, piezoelectric transducers and actuators, and environmental photocatalysis [1-4]. Particularly for the latter application, and despite its unfavorable electrochemical properties, ZnO has become an efficient alternative for titanium dioxide, the benchmark photocatalyst [5-8].

Controlling the morphology is a very important challenge in the synthesis of inorganic materials since it greatly affects their properties and corresponding potential applications. ZnO is a very versatile material in terms of morphology. One- (wires, rods and tubes) two- (sheets and ribbons) or even three-dimensional (rings, bows, helices and springs) structures can be obtained by selecting the appropriate synthesis method and preparation conditions [9]. Various routes including chemical vapor deposition, thermal evaporation, electrodeposition, solvothermal and hydrothermal methods have been reported for the preparation of ZnO materials with distinct morphologies at the micro/nanoscale [10]. Amongst the different synthesis procedures, the hydrothermal route is attractive mainly because of its simplicity and environmentally friendly conditions [11].

The cover image on Volume 9, Issue 1 of Nano Today shows flower-like ZnO structures produced through a hydrothermal procedure starting from an aqueous solution of zinc nitrate hexahydrate and hexamethylenetetramine. The mixture was thermally treated at 90 C for 12 h in a Teflon-lined stainless steel autoclave after adjusting the pH to 10.0 using an ammonium solution. Finally, the obtained material was thoroughly washed with deionized water, in order to eliminate residual salts, and dried at 60 C under vacuum.

The ZnO bundles strongly resemble natural flowers. A single flower consists of needle-like crystals (petals) radiating from the center. The micrograph was made using a high resolution (Schottky) environmental scanning electron microscope with X-raymicroanalysis and electron backscattered diffraction analysis (Quanta 400 FEG ESEM/EDAX Genesis X4M; secondary electron detector, 20 000, 15.00 kV) at the Materials Centre of the University of Porto (CEMUP), Portugal.

The material was synthesized at Laboratory of Catalysis and Materials (LCM), Associate Laboratory LSRE-LCM, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (Portugal). It resulted from an ongoing joint collaboration between LCM and the Institute of Physics of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), on the effect of the synthesis route in the morphology, optical properties and photocatalytic activity of ZnO materials. The ZnO materials produced are being used (ongoing work) as catalysts for two specific applications: the removal of organic pollutants from wastewater and hydrogen production from biomass compounds.

Acknowledgments: The authors acknowledge Project PEst-C/EQB/LA0020/2013, financed by FEDER through COMPETE - Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade, and by FCT - Fundao para a Cincia e a Tecnologia, and co-financed by QREN, ON2 and FEDER (Project NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-0000015). FCT is acknowledged for funding the Post-Doctoral grant SFRH/BPD/48777/2008. Dr. Carlos M. S (CEMUP) is acknowledged for assistance with SEM/EDS analyses. Support by Brazilian agencies CNPq and CAPES is also acknowledged.

Further reading: [1] A. Janotti, C.G. van de Walle, Rep. Prog. Phys. 2009, 72, 126501; [2] A. Moezzi, A.M. McDonagh, M.B. Cortie, Chem. Eng. J. 2012, 185-186, 1; [3] S.A.C. Carabineiro, B.F. Machado, R.R. Bacsa, P. Serp, G. Draic, J.L. Faria, J.L. Figueiredo, J. Catal. 2010, 273, 191; [4] S.A.C. Carabineiro, B.F. Machado, G. Draic, R.R. Bacsa, P. Serp, J.L. Figueiredo, J.L. Faria, Stud. Surf. Sci. Catal. 2010, 175, 629; [5] M.D. Hernndez-Alonso, F. Fresno, S. Surez, J.M. Coronado, Energy Environ. Sci. 2009, 2, 1231; [6] C. Martnez, M. Canle L., M.I. Fernndez, J.A. Santaballa, J.L. Faria, Appl. Catal. B 2011, 102, 563; [7] C.G. Silva, J.L. Faria, J. Mol. Catal. A 2009, 305, 147; [8] C.G. Silva, J. Monteiro, R.R.N. Marques, A.M.T. Silva, C. Martnez, M. Canle L., J.L. Faria, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci. 2013, 12, 638; [9] Y. Wang, X. Li, N. Wang, X. Quan, Y. Chen, Sep. Purif. Technol. 2008, 62, 727; [10] M. Vaseem, A. Umar, Y.-B. Hahn in ZnO Nanoparticles: Growth, Properties, and Applications, 2010, 136; [11] S. Baruah, J. Dutta, Sci. Technol. Adv. Mater. 2009,10, 013001.

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Bradley County couple present dirt-racing documentary

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Charlie Mincey is shown at age 19 in his first race car in 1949 at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta. He raced for 33 years all over the South.

Today's dirt track automobile racers may have a hard time connecting the dots between the early days of their sport and running moonshine, but a Bradley County couple believe they have done that with their newest documentary, "It's a Dirt Track Life."

Producers Ron and Debbie Moore have scheduled the first showing of the 80-minute documentary for Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Museum Center at 5ive Points in Cleveland. The address is 200 Inman St. East.

According to Debbie Moore, the documentary explores the belief that dirt track racing originated from the unique driving skills of moonshine deliverymen. She said many of the drivers who were interviewed shared stories about that.

The Moores started last May with their interviews of pioneer dirt track racers and others involved in the "glory days" of the sport. In addition to interviews with about 20 men and women, the documentary includes home movies taken by friends and relatives of those involved in the early days of dirt track racing.

Also included are more than 200 vintage photographs of drivers and their cars -- some made from parts taken from junked vehicles.

Famed NASCAR racer Robert Glen Johnson Jr., better known as Junior Johnson, was convicted in 1956 of having an illegal still and served 11 months of a two-year prison sentence for it. He had started running "shine" for his father when he was 14.

On Dec. 26, 1986, President Ronald Reagan issued a pardon for Johnson, thus allowing him to vote.

While not quite as well known, Georgia Racing Hall of Fame member Charlie Mincey also made his mark in moonshine running. Mincey, who is included in the documentary, started hauling illegal liquor at the age of 14 and did so for the next five years before starting a 30-year racing career.

Mincey, who lived in Atlanta, would travel to Dawsonville, Ga., to pick up about 200 gallons of moonshine in his 1939 Ford and then travel back to Atlanta with a careful eye out for the law.

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Bradley County couple present dirt-racing documentary

Pressure Relief Valve in Cellular Membrane Identified

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16.04.2014 - (idw) Max-Delbrck-Centrum fr Molekulare Medizin (MDC) Berlin-Buch

Regulation of cell volume is critical for the bodys cells, f. e. during cellular exposure to fluids of varying salt concentrations, in cell division, cell growth, but also in diseases such as cancer, stroke and myocardial infarction. A certain chloride channel, a membrane protein that allows the passage of the chloride ion, is of crucial importance in volume regulation. It is activated by the swelling of the cell and then releases chloride ions and organic matter (osmolytes) from the cell. Researchers in Berlin-Buch have now succeeded for the first time in elucidating the molecular identity of this volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC) (Science Express, DOI: 10.1126/science.1252826)*. Researchers led by Professor Thomas J. Jentsch (Max Delbrck Center for Molecular Medicine, MDC, Berlin-Buch/Leibniz-Institut fr Molekulare Pharmakologie, FMP) identified a molecule, LRRC8A, which is an essential constituent of the volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC). This protein needs to be assembled with related proteins (LRRC8B to E) to form channels with probably six subunits. They could also show for the first time that these chloride channels are also permeable to small organic molecules such as taurine or amino acids. For over 20 years, research groups across the globe have been seeking to elucidate the molecular structure of the volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC). It took Jentschs team almost four years to achieve this breakthrough.

The regulation of cell volume is important for many functions in the organism. The volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC) which Thomas Jentsch and his coworkers Felizia Voss and Tobias Stauber now identified at the molecular level is expressed in all vertebrate cells. If a particular cell volume is exceeded, the channel opens and permits the outflow of osmolytes such as chloride ions as well as small organic molecules such as taurine and amino acids. By contrast, cations such as potassium or sodium cannot permeate.

Once the channel is opened, chloride and other osmolytes pass in a passive process called diffusion. Due to its biophysical properties the channel only allows anions and certain organic compounds to pass. Thus, the cell reduces the concentration of its osmolytically active constituents to (or even below) that of the surrounding fluid. At the same time, the water content of the cell decreases as the water molecules flow out via aquaporins in the cell membrane. The volume of the cell decreases again.

LRRC8A was discovered as a VRAC component using a genome-wide RNA interference (siRNA) screen in collaboration with Katina Lazarow and Jens von Kries from the FMP Screening Unit. By means of short RNA snippets, the translation of the genetic information into the corresponding proteins can be suppressed. Using a one-by-one approach in a large-scale cell culture experiment, the Berlin group transiently silenced the products of all approximately 20,000 human genes. In an automated screening process the researchers investigated which of the genes are required for the swelling-activated anion flux across the cell membrane. The approximately 130,000 time-dependent ion flux measurements were statistically analyzed with help from the Bioinformatics Group of the MDC (Nancy Mah/Miguel Andrade-Navarro).

The essential role of LRRC8 proteins in the volume-regulated anion channel was verified using CRISPR/Cas technology, which just became available during the past two years. With this method, specific genes on the chromosomes can be disrupted completely. Different combinations of LRRC8 proteins, all including the obligate LRRC8A, either by omitting some of the family members from gene disruption or by reconstituting different combinations led to different electrophysiological properties of the channel. This allows us to explain the behavior of the channel in different tissues which until now had remained elusive, Thomas Jentsch said.

Deciphering the molecular structure of this chloride channel may also pave the way for better medical treatments, for example, after stroke. "In the case of damage in the brain, cells swell and release glutamate, which acts upon receptors on nerve cells. The subsequent inflow of calcium raises the intracellular concentration of this ion to toxic levels," Jentsch said. With the onset of programmed cell death (apoptosis) during cancer chemotherapy, however, there is a strong reduction in cell volume. The volume-regulated chloride channel also appears to be involved in this process.

*Identification of LRRC8 Heteromers as Essential Component of the Volume-regulated Anion Channel VRAC.

Felizia K. Voss1,2,3, Florian Ullrich1,2,3, Jonas Mnch1,2,3, Katina Lazarow1, Darius Lutter1,2,3, Nancy Mah2, Miguel A. Andrade-Navarro2, Jens P. von Kries1, Tobias Stauber1,2 * and Thomas J. Jentsch1,2,4 * *Correspondence to: Jentsch@fmp-berlin.de (T.J.J.); tstauber@fmp-berlin.de (T.S.).

1Leibniz-Institut fr Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin 2Max Delbrck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Berlin 3Graduate program of the Freie Universitt Berlin 4Neurocure, Charit Universittsmedizin, Berlin Science Express, 10. April 2014; DOI: 10.1126/science.1252826

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Married to Medicine After Show Season 2 Episode 2 "Love and Basketball" | AfterBuzz TV – Video

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Married to Medicine After Show Season 2 Episode 2 "Love and Basketball" | AfterBuzz TV
AFTERBUZZ TV -- Married To Medicine edition, is a weekly "after show" for fans of Bravo #39;s Married To Medicine. In this show, host Michelle Renee breaks down ...

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Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical Group Physicians Named to Prestigious 2014 Best Doctors in America(r) List

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Newswise New Brunswick, NJEighty-five physicians affiliated with Robert Wood Johnson Medical Group, the faculty practice of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, have been selected for the Best Doctors in America List for 2014. Only 5 percent of physicians in the United States earn this prestigious honor, decided by impartial peer review.

This selection represents the latest acknowledgement of the medical groups physicians for their expertise. Overall, 112 Robert Wood Johnson Medical Group physicians have been recognized this year as leading physicians in their fields by Best Doctors and such publications as New Jersey Monthly, Inside Jersey magazine, and New York Magazine.

Robert Wood Johnson Medical Group physicians comprise approximately 10 percent of the N.J. physicians selected for the Best Doctors in America List this year. They represent a comprehensive range of primary and specialty care, including cardiovascular disease, womens health, surgery, and pediatrics, among others, said Dr. Vicente H. Gracias, interim dean, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. We congratulate our physicians and are proud of the dedication to exceptional care that each of our doctors exhibits every day.

The highly regarded Best Doctors in America List, assembled by Best Doctors, Inc., results from exhaustive polling of more than 45,000 physicians in the United States. In a confidential review, currently listed physicians answer the question, If you or a loved one needed a doctor in your specialty, to whom would you refer? Best Doctors, Inc. evaluates the review results and verifies all additional information to meet detailed inclusion criteria. Physicians cannot pay to be included in the database, nor are they paid to provide their input. Doctors in more than 40 specialties and 400 subspecialties of medicine appear on the 2014 list.

In 2014, Robert Wood Johnson Medical Groups physicians were the only individuals in the state recognized on the Best Doctors in America List for 16 subspecialties, while in an additional 10 subspecialties, they represented one of only two N.J. doctors selected for the list in their areas of expertise.

Boston-based Best Doctors, Inc., founded in 1989 by Harvard Medical School professors, is currently a global company serving more than 30 million members in every major region of the world. Best Doctors works with the top 5 percent of physicians to find the right diagnoses and treatments, and seamlessly integrates its services with employers other health-related benefits. In addition to its clinical advocacy in the United States, Best Doctors designs and implements international insurance programs. Gallup has audited and certified Best Doctors database of physicians, and its companion Best Doctors in America List, as using the highest industry standards survey methodology and processes.

About Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical Group Robert Wood Johnson Medical Group is the faculty practice of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. One of the largest multispecialty physician practices in the state, Robert Wood Johnson Medical Group consists of more than 500 physicians with expertise in more than 200 subspecialty clinical programs, providing a full range of highly specialized services for children and adults. In addition to its main practice location in New Brunswick, Robert Wood Johnson Medical Group offers services in Monroe, Piscataway, Princeton, and Somerset.

The group supports the education, research, patient care, and community outreach missions of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, one of the nations leading comprehensive medical schools. Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and its principal affiliate, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, comprise one of the nations premier academic medical centers. In addition, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has 34 other hospital affiliates and ambulatory care sites throughout the region.

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Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical Group Physicians Named to Prestigious 2014 Best Doctors in America(r) List