10 Florida beaches make TripAdvisor's list of 25 best in the U.S.

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From Perdido Key to Marco Island, from Amelia Island to the Florida Keys, Florida's beaches are among the best in the world.

That's no idle boast it's a fact, according to the 2014 TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Top 25 U.S. Beaches list announced March 18. Of the 25, an unprecedented 10 are Florida beaches.

"We appreciate the passion of our visitors who love Florida beaches and recommend them to others through TripAdvisor," said Visit Florida's chief marketing officer, Paul Phipps. "The Sunshine State has 825 miles of beaches, and they have all won people's hearts, from the wild beauty you find at St. George Island to the urban sophistication of Miami's South Beach."

The Travelers' Choice Top 25 beaches for 2014 include Florida shores that are serene and wild, such as Caladesi Island State Park, and those that brim with activity, such as Pensacola Beach.

With overall ranking in parentheses, here are the Florida beaches on the 2014 Travelers' Choice list:

Siesta Key Public Beach (#3)

St. Pete Beach (#9)

Caladesi Island State Park (#11)

St. Augustine Beach (#14)

Bahia Honda State Park and Beach (#17)

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10 Florida beaches make TripAdvisor's list of 25 best in the U.S.

Businesses show their commitment to reducing rubbish on our beaches

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Businesses show their commitment to reducing rubbish on our beaches

1:00pm Thursday 10th April 2014 in News By Lee Irving

AN INITIATIVE to rid Dorset beaches of litter and debris has launched its business accreditation scheme in Weymouth and Portland.

The Litter Free Coast and Sea campaign created the accreditation for food outlets and accommodation providers along the coast so they can show customers their commitment in reducing rubbish on beaches.

The scheme was launched at The B+B bed and breakfast in Weymouth.

At the meeting, Waffle On takeaway restaurant and Taste Cafe signed up to the scheme.

Matilda Bark, from Litter Free Coast and Sea, said: The business accreditation is a way of encouraging local business to do their bit for the local beaches.

Businesses can do a lot to help create the good beaches that are good for business.

Its like a cycle affect, if the beaches are good then more tourists will come to visit. Its a really nice message to give to customers that you care about beaches and we are really pleased with the response from business in Weymouth and Portland. It is clear to see they love their beaches.

The accreditation is free and after businesses register for it, they will receive an accreditation pack which includes self-audit sheets, stickers and posters to give to customers and childrens activity sheets.

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Businesses show their commitment to reducing rubbish on our beaches

NRAO, WVU Expand Broadband Data Network to Bolster Astronomy Research

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Newswise Two of West Virginias premier research institutions, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Green Bank and West Virginia University (WVU) in Morgantown, have inaugurated a new super high-speed broadband data network to bolster collaboration and scientific research between these two education-focused organizations.

The new system will be more than 200 times faster than NRAOs previous data link, allowing scientists and students to more effectively conduct research using one of the worlds most powerful astronomical instruments, the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT).

The Green Bank site is fairly remote, which makes it ideal for sensitive radio astronomy research, notes NRAO Site Director Karen ONeil. Previously, this meant a tradeoff in our access to data and communications infrastructure; but no longer. By upgrading to one of the most advanced data networks available, we can ensure the world-class instruments and staff on site are readily accessible by students and researchers across West Virginia and around the world."

Fred King, WVU's vice president for research, said, "This new data pipeline will significantly improve the ability of researchers at WVU and from across the country to make the fullest possible use of the NRAO facility. A side benefit is the enhanced connectivity it provides to WVU communities along the way."

The technology behind this upgrade is a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM), a device that can nimbly transmit and receive signals of various wavelengths, greatly enhancing the speed with which information can be transmitted. Both NRAO and WVU will host data terminals, essentially the on ramps that are connected to an optical link that loops around the state. The network uses a combination of existing and newly installed optical fiber to carry the signal.

The new system will allow students and astronomers to conduct real-time observations and data reduction as well as better participate in research with other telescopes around the world. It also will expand the impact of NRAOs Pulsar Search Collaboratory (PSC), a project that provides high school students in West Virginia and elsewhere access to GBT data to search for new pulsars -- rapidly spinning neutron stars.

The link will also allow researchers at WVU to take full advantage of an agreement reached last year with NRAO in which the University pledged $1 million over two years to support personnel and operations costs associated with the GBT. This agreement reinforced the strong historical collaboration between NRAO and WVU's researchers, faculty and students, and allows WVU 500 hours of time on the telescope.

The data link was funded through a Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grant to the State of West Virginia, the largest single BTOP award in the United States.

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NRAO, WVU Expand Broadband Data Network to Bolster Astronomy Research

Broadband Data Network Expanded to Bolster Astronomy Research

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Two of West Virginias premier research institutions, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Green Bank and West Virginia University (WVU) in Morgantown, have inaugurated a new super high-speed broadband data network to bolster collaboration and scientific research between these two education-focused organizations.The new system will be more than 200 times faster than NRAOs previous data link, allowing scientists and students to more effectively conduct research using one of the worlds most powerful astronomical instruments, the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT).The Green Bank site is fairly remote, which makes it ideal for sensitive radio astronomy research, notes NRAO Site Director Karen ONeil. Previously, this meant a tradeoff in our access to data and communications infrastructure; but no longer. By upgrading to one of the most advanced data networks available, we can ensure the world-class instruments and staff on site are readily accessible by students and researchers across West Virginia and around the world.Fred King, WVUs vice president for research, said, This new data pipeline will significantly improve the ability of researchers at WVU and from across the country to make the fullest possible use of the NRAO facility. A side benefit is the enhanced connectivity it provides to WVU communities along the way.The technology behind this upgrade is a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM), a device that can nimbly transmit and receive signals of various wavelengths, greatly enhancing the speed with which information can be transmitted. Both NRAO and WVU will host data terminals, essentially the on ramps that are connected to an optical link that loops around the state. The network uses a combination of existing and newly installed optical fiber to carry the signal.The new system will allow students and astronomers to conduct real-time observations and data reduction as well as better participate in research with other telescopes around the world. It also will expand the impact of NRAOs Pulsar Search Collaboratory (PSC), a project that provides high school students in West Virginia and elsewhere access to GBT data to search for new pulsars -- rapidly spinning neutron stars.The link will also allow researchers at WVU to take full advantage of an agreement reached last year with NRAO in which the University pledged $1 million over two years to support personnel and operations costs associated with the GBT. This agreement reinforced the strong historical collaboration between NRAO and WVUs researchers, faculty and students, and allows WVU 500 hours of time on the telescope.The data link was funded through a Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grant to the State of West Virginia, the largest single BTOP award in the United States.Each year, hundreds of astronomers from around the world apply for time on the GBT, which is the worlds largest fully steerable radio telescope. Its location in the National Radio Quiet Zone and the West Virginia Radio Astronomy Zone protects the incredibly sensitive telescope from unwanted radio interference. It has been in full-scale scientific operation since 2002.Contacts:Charles BlueNRAO Public Information Officer+1 (434) 296-0314cblue@nrao.eduJohn BoltWVU Director, University Relations/News+1 (304) 293-5520john.bolt@mail.wvu.eduThe National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

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Orbital Physics Is Child's Play with 'Super Planet Crash'

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Super Planet Crash is a pretty simple game: players build their own planetary system, putting planets into orbit around a star and racking up points until they add a planet that destabilizes the whole system. Beneath the surface, however, this addictive little game is driven by highly sophisticated software code that astronomers use to find planets beyond our solar system (called exoplanets).The release of Super Planet Crash (available online athttp://www.stefanom.org/spc) follows the release of the latest version of Systemic Console, a scientific software package used to pull planet discoveries out of the reams of data acquired by telescopes such as the Automated Planet Finder (APF) at the University of Californias Lick Observatory. Developed at UC Santa Cruz, Systemic Console is integrated into the workflow of the APF, and is also widely used by astronomers to analyze data from other telescopes.Greg Laughlin, professor and chair of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz, developed Systemic Console with his students, primarily Stefano Meschiari (now a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas, Austin). Meschiari did the bulk of the work on the new version, Systemic 2, as a graduate student at UC Santa Cruz. He also used the Systemic code as a foundation to create not only Super Planet Crash but also an online web application (Systemic Live) for educational use.Systemic Console is open-source software that weve made available for other scientists to use. But we also wanted to create a portal for students and teachers so that anyone can use it, Laughlin said. For the online version, Stefano tuned the software to make it more accessible, and then he went even further with Super Planet Crash, which makes the ideas behind planetary systems accessible at the most visceral level.Meschiari said hes seen people quickly get hooked on playing the game. It doesnt take long for them to understand whats going on with the orbital dynamics, he said.The educational program, Systemic Live, provides simplified tools that students can use to analyze real data. Students get a taste of what the real process of exoplanet discovery is like, using the same tools scientists use, Meschiari said.The previous version of Systemic was already being used in physics and astronomy classes at UCSC, Columbia University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and elsewhere, and it was the basis for an MIT Educational Studies program for high school teachers. The new online version has earned raves from professors who are using it.The online Systemic Console is a real gift to the community, said Debra Fischer, professor of astronomy at Yale University. I use this site to train both undergraduate and graduate students--they love the power of this program.Planet hunters use several kinds of data to find planets around other stars. Very few exoplanets have been detected by direct imaging because planets dont produce their own light and are usually hidden in the glare of a bright star. A widely used method for exoplanet discovery, known as the radial velocity method, measures the tiny wobble induced in a star by the gravitational tug of an orbiting planet. Motion of the star is detected as shifts in the stellar spectrum--the different wavelengths of starlight measured by a sensitive spectrometer, such as the APFs Levy Spectrometer. Scientists can derive a planets mass and orbit from radial velocity data.Another method detects planets that pass in front of their parent star, causing a slight dip in the brightness of the star. Known as the transit method, this approach can determine the size and orbit of the planet.Both of these methods rely on repeated observations of periodic variations in starlight. When multiple planets orbit the same star, the variations in brightness or radial velocity are very complex. Systemic Console is designed to help scientists explore and analyze this type of data. It can combine data from different telescopes, and even different types of data if both radial velocity and transit data are available for the same star. Systemic includes a large array of tools for deriving the orbital properties of planetary systems, evaluating the stability of planetary orbits, generating animations of planetary systems, and performing a variety of technical analyzes.Systemic Console aggregates data from the full range of resources being brought to bear on extrasolar planets and provides an interface between these subtle measurements and the planetary systems were trying to find and describe, Meschiari said.Laughlin said he was struck by the fact that, while the techniques used to find exoplanets are extremely subtle and difficult, the planet discoveries that emerge from these obscure techniques have generated enormous public interest. These planet discoveries have done a lot to create public awareness of whats out there in our galaxy, and thats one reason why we wanted to make this work more accessible, he said.PIO Contact:Tim Stephens+1 (831) 459-2495stephens@ucsc.eduScience Contacts:Greg Laughlin+1 (831) 459-3208laughlin@ucolick.orgStefano Meschiaristefano@astro.as.utexas.eduSupport for the development of the core scientific routines underlying the Systemic Console was provided by an NSF CAREER Award to Laughlin.

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Practical Radiation Oncology Accepted in MEDLINE(r)

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Newswise Fairfax, Va., April 9, 2014 Practical Radiation Oncology (PRO), the official clinical practice journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), has been accepted for indexing in MEDLINE, the U.S. National Library of Medicines (NLM) premier online bibliographic database.

MEDLINE provides international access to the worlds biomedical journal literature and contains more than 20 million references to journal articles from approximately 5,600 scholarly journals worldwide dating back to 1946. As the primary component of PubMed, MEDLINE utilizes the NLM-controlled vocabulary Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) to index citations. PubMed is the NLMs National Center for Biotechnology Informations (NCBI) online library of more than 23 million citations for biomedical literature including MEDLINE, journals/manuscripts deposited in PubMed Central and the NCBI Bookshelf.

Journal selection for MEDLINE indexing is made by the Director of the NLM based on the recommendation of the Literature Selection Technical Review Committee (LSTRC), a National Institutes of Health-chartered advisory committee of external experts. The LSTRC assesses the journals content based on several critical elements including scope and coverage, quality of content, quality of editorial work, production quality and audience.

PRO is fully indexed in MEDLINE beginning with the January-February 2014 issue. Issues published prior to 2014, dating back to the first volume in January 2011, will be available through PubMed.

PRO fulfills the need for practical articles on issues of quality, safety and ethics in radiation oncology, and includes ASTRO's official practice guidelines and white papers. PRO has become a must-read and -reference journal for many cancer care professionals, said W. Robert Lee, MD, MS, MEd, editor-in-chief of PRO, and a professor of radiation oncology at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. PROs inclusion in MEDLINEs library is a testament to its value to physicians and researchers around the world.

First published in January 2011 as a quarterly journal, PROs mission is to improve the quality of radiation oncology practice by documenting the current practice, providing background for those in training and continuing education for practitioners through the discussion and illustration of new techniques, evaluating current practices and publishing case reports. The journal includes articles on practical topics in radiation oncology treatment, including imaging, contouring, target delineation, simulation, treatment planning, immobilization and organ motion, as well as practice quality improvement, maintenance of certification and biomedical ethics. PRO also publishes ASTRO practice guidelines, white papers and consensus statements. In 2014, the journal was expanded to six issues per year and has a 35 percent acceptance rate.

PROs acceptance in MEDLINE confirms the journals high quality papers and the importance of research focused on practical issues in the radiation oncology field, said Colleen A.F. Lawton, MD, FASTRO, chair of ASTROs Board of Directors. PROs worldwide availability through MEDLINE ensures access to the latest research and guidelines for the many oncology professionals who care for more than 60 percent of all cancer patients who receive radiation therapy.

For more information about PRO, visit http://www.practicalradonc.org.

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Equinix, Vancis and Nikhef Boost Network Connectivity with New Partnership in Amsterdam

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Equinix. (PRNewsFoto/Equinix)

AMSTERDAM, April 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX) the global interconnection and data center company, Vancis, provider of high-quality ICT services, and Nikhef, the National Institute for Subatomic Physics, today announced they have joined infrastructure to deliver enhanced network connectivity to businesses in the Amsterdam Science Park. The collaboration provides new opportunities for customers to expand their data centre footprint, and access to cloud providers such as Cloudsigma, Virtustream, Carrenza and Redbee and leading networks including Box, Joyent, Syniverse, FireHost and AMS-IX already present in Equinix's rich business ecosystems in Amsterdam. Access to Nikhef and Vancis is immediately available for Equinix customers in AM3 Science Park.

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About Equinix Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), connects more than 4,500 companies directly to their customers and partners inside the world's most networked data centers. Today, businesses leverage the Equinix interconnection platform in 32 strategic markets across the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific. http://www.equinix.com.

About VancisSince 2008, Vancis BV has been operational as a provider of high-quality ICT services. Vancis is a young corporation, but has access to over forty years of experience in the ICT sector by means of a technology transfer contract with SURFsara. From its sustainably equipped data centres in Amsterdam and Almere, Vancis offers value for money, 24x7 continuity and state-of-the-art security. Vancis offers extensive possibilities in the field of connectivity and is one if the locations of the Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX). Vancis is specialised in data centre services, cloud services, managed services and technical application management. From our scientific labs we constantly work on improving our services, e.g. in the field of Sector Clouds, Big Data and High-performance Computing. The Vancis team consists of approximately 145 enthusiastic members, divided among two locations.

About NikhefNikhef, the National Institute for Subatomic Physics [Nationaal Instituut voor Subatomaire Fysica], considers research in the field of (astro)particle physics its mission. As a nonprofit, neutral and independent organisation, Nikhef has a long-standing tradition regarding the development of the internet and advanced distributed computing and data processing. Since the mid-nineties, Nikhef has been a colocation for members of the Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX). A substantial share of the AMS-IX traffic occurs through the Nikhef location. There are also other internet exchanges established at Nikhef, such as NL-ix, as well as some essential internet services, for instance an any-cast K-root server of RIPE NCC, an F-root server of ISC and a number of top-level domain servers.

Forward Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from expectations discussed in such forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to, the challenges of acquiring, operating and constructing IBX centers and developing, deploying and delivering Equinix services; unanticipated costs or difficulties relating to the integration of companies we have acquired or will acquire into Equinix; a failure to receive significant revenue from customers in recently built out or acquired data centers; failure to complete any financing arrangements contemplated from time to time; competition from existing and new competitors; the ability to generate sufficient cash flow or otherwise obtain funds to repay new or outstanding indebtedness; the loss or decline in business from our key customers; and other risks described from time to time in Equinix's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In particular, see Equinix's recent quarterly and annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of which are available upon request from Equinix. Equinix does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.

Equinix and IBX are registered trademarks of Equinix, Inc. International Business Exchange is a trademark of Equinix, Inc.

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Marissa Mayer wants Yahoo to be big in mobile. Meet Aviate

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Yahoo's Mark Daiss, co-founder of artificial intelligence service Aviate Yahoo

When Marissa Mayer stepped on stage during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January to deliver her first keynote at the high-profile gadget extravaganza, she made sure it was a star-studded affair. There was a faux newscast by Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update team, poking fun at the "CEO of Yoo-hoo," a trio of songs crooned by musician John Legend, and a parade led by Yahoo's biggest talent grabs, news anchor Katie Couric and former New York Times reviewer David Pogue.

But amid the hoopla -- and before she delivered a slew of announcements during her hour-long talk -- Mayer gave the first headline to a little-known artificial intelligence startup. "We're incredibly excited to kick things off today by announcing that we have acquired Aviate," Mayer said.

Aviate's technology takes advantage of Android's open platform to take over your smartphone's home screen and showcase information and apps when they might be the most useful to you. If you check Yahoo's Finance app every morning, for example, Aviate takes note and rearranges your home screen to put that app -- and similar apps -- front and center. Like Google's artificial intelligence service Google Now, Aviate takes cues from personal information and data, as well as your location or the time of day, to surface information and highlight apps at the moment they're relevant.

"Think about how much your phone understands you," Mayer told the crowd at CES. "Imagine what happens when that context becomes part of the search experience."

While Yahoo, a lumbering early Internet pioneer, is in the midst of an attempted turnaround under Mayer, it is still an almost $5 billion-a-year company in annual sales with a lot of resources. Investing in the platform can only add to the net positive for consumers interested in artificial intelligence, as other tech giants like Apple, Google and even Twitter do the same.

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer at CES Screenshot by Richard Nieva/CNET

But Yahoo arguably needs this kind of technology more than those other companies. The race to dominate platforms, from smartphones to smart glasses, is in full swing and Yahoo is behind. While some companies are already on the lookout for the next big platform -- Facebook recently paid $2 billion for the virtual reality goggle maker Oculus -- Yahoo has had difficulty making a dent on the current platforms of choice, smartphones and tablets. That's a problem given that Yahoo's core business, display advertising, is in decline as its hold on consumers seems to be slipping. In February, Yahoo fell to No. 2 behind Google as the most-trafficked desktop Web site in the U.S. for the first time in seven months.

Since Mayer joined Yahoo as CEO in 2012, the company has overhauled many of its mobile properties, from its weather to email apps. But it still doesn't have a pervasive mobile experience, leaving Mayer on an earnings call with investors in January to describe Yahoo's mobile advertising revenue as "not material." By contrast, Facebook, which has also had woes transitioning from desktop to mobile, now makes 53 percent of its advertising revenue on mobile.

That pervasiveness is key. Then, Yahoo will have a mechanism to push its own content to users, including its Finance, Sports and Shopping properties. "If Marissa wants to tie all these apps into one cohesive experience, Aviate becomes critical," said Sameet Sinha, a senior analyst at research firm B. Riley and Co. (which owns a tiny holding in Yahoo).

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XCOR Aerospace Receives Lynx Mark I Cockpit

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XCOR Aerospace announced today that the XCOR Lynx Mark I cockpit has been delivered. AdamWorks engineers, along with XCOR engineers, performed several successful pressure tests before it was packed and shipped to XCOR.

The cockpit is the principle major subassembly XCOR needs to begin assembly of the Lynx suborbital spaceplane.

"The successful pressure testing of the Lynx cockpit and its delivery is a major milestone for us," said XCOR Founder and CEO Jeff Greason. "This will enable us to accelerate toward integration, ground testing and first flight over the rest of this year."

Andrew Nelson, Chief Operating Officer of XCOR added, "Our clients and partners are very happy to see this significant sign of progress. I could not be more happy with our designers, engineers and team who have worked so hard on this major accomplishment. We are that much closer to suborbital operations."

XCOR Aerospace: XCOR Aerospace is based in Mojave, California. It is currently creating a Research and Development Center in Midland, Texas, and will be establishing an operational and manufacturing site at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. XCOR builds safe, reliable and reusable rocket-powered vehicles, propulsion systems, advanced non-flammable composites and rocket piston pumps. XCOR works with aerospace prime contractors and government customers on major propulsion systems, while also building Lynx. Lynx is a piloted, two-seat, fully reusable liquid rocket-powered vehicle that takes off and lands horizontally. The Lynx family of vehicles serves three primary missions depending on their specific type including: research and scientific missions, private spaceflight and micro satellite launch (only on the Lynx Mark III). Lynx production models (designated Lynx Mark II) are designed to be robust, multi-mission (research/scientific or private spaceflight) commercial vehicles capable of flying to 100+ km in altitude, up to four times per day. Lynx vehicles are available to customers in the free world on a wet lease basis to start their own manned space flight program. Learn more at http://www.xcor.com.

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XCOR Aerospace Receives Lynx Mark I Cockpit