Health care website contractors deny culpability

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It was the government's fault, contractors on the problem-plagued website for President Barack Obama's signature health care reforms told a congressional hearing on Thursday.

In more than four hours of testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, officials of companies hired to create the HealthCare.gov website cited a lack of testing on the full system and last-minute changes by the federal agency overseeing the online enrollment system.

Angry exchanges between Republicans who oppose the Affordable Care Act and Democrats defending it erupted repeatedly, while the contractors insisted their work went fine even though the software buckled when the system went online on Oct. 1.

Complaints about logging in, lengthy delays, incorrect information relayed to insurance companies and other problems have fueled continued GOP attacks on the 2010 Affordable Care Act that was upheld by the Supreme Court last year.

The White House and administration officials say the enrollment problems are being fixed. On Thursday, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) that oversees the new programs under the health care reforms said almost 700,000 applications have been submitted online on either the federal or state websites.

While the applications don't mean that many people have fully enrolled for health insurance under the new system, the figure represents a significant increase in those who have been able to start the process in recent days.

However, Julie Bataille, the CMS director of communications, was unable to say how many of the 700,000 applications were submitted on the federal website.

At Thursday's hearing, committee Chairman Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan called the launch of the website "nothing short of a disaster," noting that contractors at the hearing previously "looked us in the eye and assured us repeatedly that everything was on track, except that it wasn't."

Upton and other Republicans said it heralded problems with the rest of the health car reforms.

"I am more nervous today than I was when I got here," House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers of Michigan said of security concerns raised by Thursday's testimony, such as code changes being made to fix the problems without undergoing normal testing.

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Health care website contractors deny culpability

Health Care Without Harm Kicks Off Climate Change and Health Contest for Nurses

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Washington, DC (PRWEB) October 24, 2013

Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) is announcing its first-ever Climate Change and Health Contest for Nurses. The contest, which offers a $10,000 grand prize, and an opportunity to present at the annual CleanMed conference, is intended to help encourage nurses to play an active role in mitigating the health threats of climate change through local and national projects.

The World Health Organization has called climate change the biggest global health threat of the 21st century. Nurses are at the front lines of managing health effects of climate change, such as acute asthma attacks, encroaching infectious diseases such as Lyme Disease and Dengue Fever, heat strokes, and injuries from severe weather events. Many nurses have taken on climate change in an activist role in their professions and their communities because they have seen these effects.

As trusted health professionals, nurses can make a difference in how communities, health systems, and governments react to climate change, said Eric Lerner, director of the HCWH Climate program. Nurses can help communities address and prepare for the health threats associated with climate change, and can help influence public policies that address related issues, such as carbon pollution, and the development of alternative energies.

Many nurses are engaged in climate change activities ranging from bike rides to raise awareness to testimony before state legislatures and utility boards, stated Mary Margaret Thomas, co-chair of the HCWH Nurses Work Group. Because the nursing profession is so multi-faceted and focused on health promotion, their potential to reach people in all walks of life is unparalleled and makes nurses excellent advocates for climate change solutions.

The Climate Change and Health contest is open to nurses in the United States and Canada. To apply, nurses describe a project that they are involved in currently that they want to expand, or a new project, that addresses one of three areas: Climate Resiliency and Preparedness, Climate Mitigation, or Climate Leadership. Nurses can participate individually or in groups of five or less. Applications and more details are to be found here. The deadline for receipt of applications is December 16, 2013.

Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) is an international coalition of more than 500 organizations in 53 countries, working to transform the health care sector, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. To learn more about Health Care Without Harm, visit http://www.noharm.org. ###

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Health Care Without Harm Kicks Off Climate Change and Health Contest for Nurses

edit – Freedom (cover) Studebaker7.com Great River Block Party – Video

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edit - Freedom (cover) Studebaker7.com Great River Block Party
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Freedom Farmers opens this Saturday at Auckland Art Gallery

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25 October, 2013

Freedom Farmers opens this Saturday at Auckland Art Gallery

Auckland Art Gallery kicks off Labour Weekend with the opening of Freedom Farmers: New Zealand Artists Growing Ideas, the largest overview of new contemporary art in New Zealand today.

This dynamic and free exhibition sees 20 artists engage with ideas of utopia and sustainability, and demonstrates the way these creative thinkers act as leaders and innovators in New Zealand a country whose culture values invention, ingenuity and liberty.

In his new installation for the exhibition New York-based artist Martin Basher comments on the ideals portrayed in modern advertising with Untitled (Spiritual-Marketplace 01), as does newcomer Dorota Broda in her work, Power to you. Adventurous visitors to Freedom Farmers can physically climb into Richard Maloys Treehouse or consider different ways of living with Louise Menziess video work on the alternative living community Peloha. Walters Prize winning artist Dan Arps shows his latest large-scale installation which scrutinises the world of daycare creativity and copyright.

Auckland Art Gallery Curator Contemporary Art, Natasha Conland, says, Freedom Farmers gives visitors an opportunity to explore how artists have examined tried and true values of New Zealand society, our care of the environment, our ability to live creatively and with freedom.

Our opening weekend offers rolling artist talks, an overview by myself, pottery demonstration, and leads into an exceptionally dynamic visitor programme over the four months.

Auckland Art Gallery Director, Rhana Devenport, says, Freedom Farmers reveals an energetic, varied view of New Zealand art not seen for some time, and is a continuation of the Gallerys commitment to contemporary art.

Equally exciting is the full events programme which has been workshopped together with the artists and The University of Aucklands Creative Thinking Project, which celebrates the importance of creativity not just within the arts world, but in all aspects of society today.

The events programme features a mix of performances, guest lectures, special events and ongoing artist talks. Upcoming event highlights include:

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Freedom Farmers opens this Saturday at Auckland Art Gallery

Freedom rallies to defeat Heritatge

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Coming off a 35-7 loss to Deer Valley last week, Freedoms football team wanted to prove it was still a contender for the league title in its matchup with Heritage last Friday.

The Falcons message was sent in a 28-21 victory over the Patriots (0-7, 0-2 in the Bay Valley Athletic League), but it didnt come without a fight.

Freedom senior Joe Mixon scored the game-winning touchdown with 28 seconds left to win the game for the Falcons (3-4, 1-1) and thwart a ferocious comeback attempt by Heritage, which overcame a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

I think Heritage is the best 0-7 team weve ever played, said Freedom head coach Kevin Hartwig. If we got a break here or there, we would be fine, but we sucked it up, challenged them at the end and did what we needed to do.

Down 21-7 early in the fourth quarter, Heritage stormed back to tie the game with 5:09 left after scoring back-to-back touchdowns.

Freedom counted with a four minute, 14-play drive to pull ahead with 28 seconds left. Heritage managed to reach the Falcons 16-yard line on the ensuing possession, but Heritage senior Nate Rollins was sacked by senior defensive end Patrick Choudja as time expired.

My team came out to battle, Mixon said. It was a dogfight.

Behind Mixon, who finished with 143 yards rushing and three touchdowns and senior Nick Garcias 141 yards receiving, Freedom jumped out to a 21-7 lead with 7:36 left in the game. Aside from the game-winner, Mixon scored on a 22-yard pass on the games opening drive and again on a 5-yard run midway through the second quarter to put the Falcons up 14-7.

Freedom extended its lead to 21-7 on an 8-yard catch by senior Kristian Simmons with 11:53 left in the game.

Just when it looked like Freedom was ready to run away with the victory, the Patriots broke through. Rollins found senior Nate McCallion for a 12-yard touchdown to cut the Falcons lead to 21-14 with 7:36 left. Two minutes later, Rollins connected with Sam Hinn on a 28-yard pass to knot the game at 21. Rollins was stellar in the contest, connecting on 18 of 19 passes for 196 yards, but was helpless to watch on Freedoms final possession as the Falcons became the second league team to close out Heritage in the waning moments of a game. Heritage lost its opening league game to Pittsburg on a last-second field goal.

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Freedom rallies to defeat Heritatge

Freedom Farmers opens at Auckland Art Gallery tomorrow

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Auckland Art Gallery kicks off Labour Weekend with the opening of Freedom Farmers: New Zealand Artists Growing Ideas, the largest overview of new contemporary art in New Zealand today.

This dynamic and free exhibition sees 20 artists engage with ideas of utopia and sustainability, and demonstrates the way these creative thinkers act as leaders and innovators in New Zealand - a country whose culture values invention, ingenuity and liberty.

In his new installation for the exhibition New York-based artist Martin Basher comments on the ideals portrayed in modern advertising with Untitled (Spiritual-Marketplace 01), as does newcomer Dorota Broda in her work, Power to you. Adventurous visitors to Freedom Farmers can physically climb into Richard Maloys Treehouse or consider different ways of living with Louise Menziess video work on the alternative living community Peloha. Walters Prize winning artist Dan Arps shows his latest large-scale installation which scrutinises the world of daycare creativity and copyright.

Auckland Art Gallery Curator Contemporary Art, Natasha Conland, says, Freedom Farmers gives visitors an opportunity to explore how artists have examined tried and true values of New Zealand society, our care of the environment, our ability to live creatively and with freedom.

Our opening weekend offers rolling artist talks, an overview by myself, pottery demonstration, and leads into an exceptionally dynamic visitor programme over the four months.

Auckland Art Gallery Director, Rhana Devenport, says, Freedom Farmers reveals an energetic, varied view of New Zealand art not seen for some time, and is a continuation of the Gallerys commitment to contemporary art.

Equally exciting is the full events programme which has been workshopped together with the artists and The University of Aucklands Creative Thinking Project, which celebrates the importance of creativity not just within the arts world, but in all aspects of society today.

The events programme features a mix of performances, guest lectures, special events and ongoing artist talks. Upcoming event highlights include:

3 November, 3pm - Artist Talks listen to artist Xin Cheng discuss her work with University of Auckland Senior Lecturer in Fine Arts, Allan Smith - FREE

10 November, 1pm - World-famous Bogan expert Dr Dave Snell talks on this unique and interesting subculture - FREE

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Freedom Farmers opens at Auckland Art Gallery tomorrow

Freedom Destinations Launches Redesigned New Zealand Website

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(PRWEB UK) 25 October 2013

Specialists in the arena of New Zealand touring holidays, Freedom Destinations are delighted to announce the launch of their newly redesigned Freedom New Zealand website - freedomnewzealand.co.uk the number one option for travellers hoping to embark on a memorable and fulfilling trip Down Under in the Kiwi nation.

Embodying a sophisticated look and feel as inherited from sister brands Freedom Africa, Asia and Australia, the upgraded and enhanced website is headed with a splash of the iconic spiral shaped Koru silver fern an integral symbol of Kiwi and Maori culture.

Specially constructed with travellers every need and requirements taking paramount importance, the Freedom New Zealand home page is a thriving interface listing the latest company special offers, the range of touring options available, dedicated flights page and a handy supplementary news and features blog and important call to action-type information, all displayed in non-overwhelming fashion.

An ergonomic and swift navigational menu is truly welcoming in every sense by clearly signposting the key areas that forge the entire holiday experience. With clearly noticeable telephone contact numbers and comprehensive lists of the travel service indented across each landing page, visiting travellers are never too far away from experiencing themes of authority and total reassurance when embarking on the booking process.

Displaying a positively fulfilling range of touring options around both New Zealands North and South Islands, the company offering is vast. Each type of touring preference boasts its own dedicated page such as escorted tours, car hire, self drive tours, campervans, rail and cruise and day tours/activities so visitors can easily source the area which suits them best.

Underpinning the entire redesign is the repeated company principles surrounding versatility. Freedom New Zealand are incredibly receptive and are highly interested in building tailor-made New Zealand holidays as initiated by each and every individual.

Despite some great value touring packages such as the 1595 New Zealand Marvel and 1325 Southern Spotlight tours featuring on the company homepage, if travellers are inclined to hand select a bespoke list of pursuits, Freedom New Zealand will try their best to make these visions reality.

One particular package that Freedom New Zealand are incredibly proud to offer are their self confessed Early Bird discount tours. Couples are invited to save as much as 500 by booking one of the companys fully escorted tours where they can receive five per cent off total costs by booking six months in advance or 7.5 per cent off by booking ten months in advance.

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Freedom Destinations Launches Redesigned New Zealand Website

B/E Aerospace Appoints Werner Lieberherr Co-Chief Executive Officer

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WELLINGTON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

B/E Aerospace, Inc. (BEAV), the worlds leading manufacturer of aircraft cabin interior products and the worlds leading provider of aerospace fasteners, consumables and logistics services, today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Werner Lieberherr, who is currently President and Chief Operating Officer of B/E Aerospace, Inc., as co-Chief Executive Officer of B/E Aerospace, Inc. effective as of January 1, 2014.

Werner Lieberherr was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of B/E Aerospace effective December 31, 2010. Mr. Lieberherr joined B/E Aerospace as Senior Vice President and General Manager for the Commercial Aircraft Segment in 2006. Prior to joining B/E Aerospace, Mr. Lieberherr spent nearly 20 years in the energy industry, leading businesses for ABB Ltd. and Alstom S.A. during which time he served in various senior management positions in Europe, Asia and as President of ABB Power Generation North America. A native of Switzerland, Mr. Lieberherr holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University and a Master's Degree in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich.

Amin J. Khoury, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of B/E Aerospace said, As President and COO and prior to that as head of our Commercial Aircraft Segment, Werner has made numerous important contributions and has played a significant role in the success of B/E Aerospace. He has been an exceptional leader who has contributed substantially to our competitive position, standing with our customers, and our operational effectiveness. He has also made important contributions to our continuous improvement initiatives which have resulted in improved product quality, product support, and customer satisfaction and ultimately lower costs and higher market shares. Werner is a highly effective leader and is well respected internally and throughout the industry. Werner, Tom McCaffrey, our Senior Vice President and CFO, and I work extremely well together as a highly effective team. I welcome Werner to his new role as co-CEO as he, Tom and I continue to drive business growth and shareholder value creation.

B/E Aerospace enjoys a very solid foundation on which to build future success, stated Werner Lieberherr. As a result of our multiple company specific growth drivers in addition to the aerospace up cycle, we believe we are uniquely positioned to benefit from both market share gains driven by our innovative product offerings developed through successful R&D efforts as well as our leverage to wide-body aircraft deliveries and retrofits. I am excited to take on my new role as co-CEO and continuing to work with Amin and Tom as a team as we continue to strive for superior earnings growth and shareholder value creation.

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. The Companys actual experience and results may differ materially from the experience and results anticipated in such statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include those discussed in the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which include its Proxy Statement, Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. For more information, see the section entitled "Forward-Looking Statements" contained in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K and in other filings. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made only as of the date of this news release and, except as required by federal securities laws and rules and regulations of the SEC, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About B/E Aerospace, Inc.

B/E Aerospace is the worlds leading manufacturer of aircraft cabin interior products and the worlds leading provider of aerospace fasteners, consumables and logistics services. B/E Aerospace designs, develops and manufactures a broad range of products for both commercial aircraft and business jets. B/E Aerospace manufactured products include aircraft cabin seating, lighting systems, oxygen systems, food and beverage preparation and storage equipment, galley systems, and modular lavatory systems. The Company also provides cabin interior reconfiguration, program management and certification services. B/E Aerospace sells and supports its products through its own global direct sales and product support organization. For more information, visit the B/E Aerospace website at http://www.beaerospace.com.

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B/E Aerospace Appoints Werner Lieberherr Co-Chief Executive Officer

FAA Established Practices for Human Space Flight Occupant Safety (Draft)

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1. Purpose

The issuance of this document continues a conversation - a conversation between the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST), the commercial space transportation industry, and other stakeholders on commercial human space flight occupant safety. AST has developed this document to share our thoughts about established practices for human space flight occupant safety. Ultimately, our goal is to gain the consensus of government, industry, and academia on established practices as part of our mandate to encourage, facilitate, and promote the continuous improvement of the safety of launch and reentry vehicles designed to carry humans. The outcome of this effort may also serve as a starting point for a future rulemaking project, although AST has no plans to start a rulemaking project in the near term.

2. Scope

The scope of this document includes suborbital and orbital launch and reentry vehicles. The document assumes that any orbital vehicle will stay on orbit for a maximum of 2 weeks, and can return to earth in under 24 hours if necessary. Orbital rendezvous and docking, long duration flights, extravehicular activity, and any flights beyond earth orbit are not explicitly covered in this document. Future versions of this document may cover such additional human space flight operations.

The established practices in this document cover occupant safety only; public safety and mission assurance are not covered. This document also takes a clean sheet approach to occupant safety, that is, it assumes no other regulations act to protect occupants from harm. This includes AST's existing regulations in 14 CFR Chapter III.

Lastly, the established practices in this document cover occupants from when they are exposed to vehicle hazards prior to flight through when they are no longer exposed to vehicle hazards after landing.

3. Development Process

Fifty years of human space flight by governments has provided AST with a wealth of information to use in developing this document. AST reviewed a number of existing government and private sector requirements and standards including those from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency, and the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety. AST chose to primarily use

Draft Established Practices for Human Space FlightPage 5 of 49 Occupant SafetyNASA's requirements and guidance for its Commercial Crew Program1 to guide the development of this document. The purpose was not to copy NASA's requirements, but to use them as a means to capture areas of concern for human space flight.

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FAA Established Practices for Human Space Flight Occupant Safety (Draft)

ALIEN TV Comet Ison very Latest Hubble NASA Findings pics and world News report Oct 2013 – Video

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ALIEN TV Comet Ison very Latest Hubble NASA Findings pics and world News report Oct 2013
VERY LATEST Hubble NASA Comet Ison pics world events News Info from Alien Tv with a touch of humour and best info a short news update for subscribers. Import...

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ALIEN TV Comet Ison very Latest Hubble NASA Findings pics and world News report Oct 2013 - Video

NASA Engages the Public to Discover New Uses for Out-of-this-World Technologies

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The technologies NASA develops don't just blast off into space. They also improve our lives here on Earth. Life-saving search-and-rescue tools, implantable medical devices, advances in commercial aircraft safety and efficiency, increased accuracy in weather forecasting, even the miniature cameras in our cell phones. For over fifty years, NASA has transferred its cutting-edge aerospace technologies to the private sector, helping create new commercial products, improve existing products, and boost the competitiveness of the U.S. economy.

Now NASA has joined forces with the product development startup Marblar (www.marblar.com) for a pilot program allowing the public to crowdsource product ideas for forty of NASA's patents. This initiative will allow Marblar's online community to use a portion of NASA's diverse portfolio of patented technologies as the basis of new product ideas.

Starting today, 14 NASA technologies will be available on Marblar. Over the next four weeks, 26 additional patents will be posted on the website. Anyone can submit ideas and contribute to other submitted ideas over the next year. Commercial partners will study the ideas for potential new products and services, with contributors to successful ideas sharing in their ownership.

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center Technology Transfer Office will lead the pilot program. "We are excited about partnering with Marblar to reach new audiences. By using crowdsourcing as a way to generate new assessments of NASA technologies, we hope to work with the global community to identify transformative commercial products," said Terry Taylor, Manager of the MSFC Technology Transfer Office.

"Crowdsourcing has allowed NASA to tap into more than the usual suspects to get ideas and solutions that address an assortment of NASA needs," said Jenn Gustetic, NASA's Prizes and Challenges Program Executive. "Reaching out to innovators in a variety of fields through online crowdsourcing may provide a 21st century way for NASA to expand the reach of its technology portfolio for commercialization and use right here on Earth"

Marblar is a platform that curates patented science from the world's top research labs, and allows anyone to submit new product ideas based upon these technologies. The technologies NASA will be making available to the platform range from advanced satellite optics, to micro-sensors, to materials, devices, and manufacturing techniques developed for the shuttle program. These technologies represent a handful of the over 1000 patented technologies and 400 software codes and analysis tools NASA has available for transfer to the public.

"By engaging a global community towards re-imagining NASA's patents, along with the half-billion dollars worth of patents from other institutions world-wide available on Marblar, we're aiming to create a pivot point and redefine product development for the 21st century," said Daniel Perez, Marblar CEO.

NASA's Technology Transfer Program, managed by the Office of the Chief Technologist at NASA Headquarters, ensures that technologies developed for missions in exploration and discovery are broadly available to the public. To view the entire NASA patent portfolio, visit: technology.nasa.gov.

Contribute your ideas at: http://www.marblar.com/nasa.

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NASA Engages the Public to Discover New Uses for Out-of-this-World Technologies

NASA Administrator Visits Stennis to Commend Employee Efforts

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NASA Administrator Charles Bolden visited Stennis Space Center in Mississippi Wednesday to welcome employees back to work after the U.S. government shutdown and thank them for their ongoing commitment to the nation's space program.

Bolden held separate meetings with Stennis and NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) employees. At Stennis, he also toured the B-2 Test Stand, which is being prepared to test the core stage of NASA's new Space Launch System (SLS). NASA is building the SLS to carry humans deeper into space than ever before.

"Stennis continues to demonstrate that the road to space goes through Mississippi," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "I applaud the center's continued work to help bring about a new era of exploration through its commercial partnerships and the ongoing essential work it does for us in testing new propulsion systems. I also salute the personnel of the NASA Shared Services Center, housed at Stennis, for the superb contingency support they provided the agency during the recent government shutdown. It's my pleasure to visit the Stennis and NSSC workforces and thank them for holding the fort during the shutdown and ensuring our forward progress."

Stennis employees returned to work Oct. 17 following a 16-day furlough. Their focus quickly returned to efforts critical to the future of American space exploration.

"It always is an honor to host the NASA administrator," Stennis Director Rick Gilbrech said. "We deeply appreciate his affirmation of our team and its support of NASA's deep-space and commercial spaceflight initiatives and pledge ourselves to ongoing excellence in all those efforts."

"We have always understood the work provided by the NASA Shared Services Center is crucial to the agency's mission," said NSSC Executive Director Michael Smith. "However, situations like the recent furlough shed a spotlight on the hard work and dedication of NSSC employees who stop at nothing to get the job done, even under strenuous circumstances."

Bolden's visit came the day a new commercial engine test agreement for Stennis was announced. Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant announced the Mississippi Development Authority has entered into agreement with Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) to provide initial testing of the company's Raptor methane rocket engines at Stennis. Testing is expected to begin in early 2014.

Along with this new commercial testing, Stennis is continuing to test Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ26 rocket engines for Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., which has partnered with NASA to provide commercial cargo flights to the International Space Station. Orbital's maiden flight to the space station launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia Sept. 18. Orbital's Antares rocket was powered by a pair of AJ26 engines -- E9 and E12 -- tested at Stennis May 3, 2012 and Jan. 18, respectively.

Orbital's Cygnus capsule connected to the space station Sept. 30. It detached from the space station successfully Tuesday after completing delivery of its cargo. Orbital has a contract through NASA's Commercial Resupply Services initiative to launch eight cargo missions to the space station.

Other companies also have tested their propulsion systems at Stennis. Blue Origin has conducted testing at the center's E-1 Test Stand. Stennis also has leased the B-1 Test Stand to Aerojet Rocketdyne for testing of its RS-68 engine. The RS-68 in a Delta IV heavy-lift rocket will power the first flight test of NASA's Orion multipurpose crew vehicle in 2014.

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NASA Administrator Visits Stennis to Commend Employee Efforts

State Rep. Peter Barca proposes UW Extension nanotechnology ‘hub’, council

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Two Democratic state representatives proposed a new bipartisan bill Monday aimed at increasing the funding for scientific research in nanotechnology through the University of Wisconsin System.

Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, and state Rep. Terese Berceau, D-Madison, introduced the bill that would create a nanotechnology hub at UW Extension. The bill would simultaneously create a council that sets policies and priorities as well as funds the hub.

Nanotechnology is the study of controlling and building with individual atoms and molecules and involves coordination among multiple scientific fields, according to a statement from Barcas office Monday.

The hub would be designed to report on emerging nanotech health and safety information for the state Legislature.

Nanotechnology represents a great opportunity to spur innovation while encouraging job growth and economic development, Barca said in the statement.

He also said the proposed hub would allow Wisconsin to build on the strong history of pioneering research in the UW System.

The proposal is a direct result of numerous recommendations by the Special Committee on Nanotechnology, which met from fall 2010 through spring 2011. It developed recommendations and was instrumental in drafting the bill, according to the statement.

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State Rep. Peter Barca proposes UW Extension nanotechnology ‘hub’, council

Billings Clinic draws worldwide interest in its Internal Medicine Residency Program

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At least 1,300 applicants from around the world have applied for one of six spots in the inaugural class of Billings Clinics Internal Medicine Residency Program, which is designed to train primary-care physicians.

About 200 of the applicants are U.S. graduates; the balance are from all corners of the globe.

Only 100 or so candidates will be invited to interview on the Billings Clinic campus. The grueling process began Tuesday and will continue into January.

In addition to the six internal medicine residency slots, four additional spots will be reserved for applicants who need only a one-year clinical base before going elsewhere to train in a specialty area such as radiology, ophthalmology, dermatology and anesthesiology.

The Internal Medicine Residency Program is the first of its kind in Montana and Wyoming. It was accredited earlier this year for three years by the Chicago-based Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the maximum length of time for an initial accreditation. It was one of only four internal-medicine residency programs in the country to achieve accreditation.

At full capacity, the residency program could be producing as many as six new doctors a year.

The hope is that those new doctors will choose to practice in Montana, where most counties have a shortage of primary-care physicians and 10 counties have no physician at all.

The program will open to the first class of students in July 2014.

Dr. RogerBush, program director, is pleased with the sizable number of applicants but not surprised.

With healthcare reform and the growth in the number of medical school graduates, theres a lot more demand for these types of physicians than there was a few years ago, Bush said. Ten years ago, not very many people considered general internal medicine or primary care, now it looks like its going to be much more popular.

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Billings Clinic draws worldwide interest in its Internal Medicine Residency Program

Medical School Applicants, Enrollment Reach All-Time Highs

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Washington, DC (PRWEB) October 24, 2013

A record number of students applied to and enrolled in the nations medical schools in 2013, according to data released today by the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges).

The total number of applicants to medical school grew by 6.1 percent to 48,014, surpassing the previous record set in 1996 by 1,049 students. First-time applicants, another important indicator of interest in medicine, increased by 5.5 percent to 35,727. The number of students enrolled in their first year of medical school exceeded 20,000 for the first time (20,055), a nearly 3 percent increase over 2012.

At a time when the nation faces a shortage of more than 90,000 doctors by the end of the decade and millions are gaining access to health insurance, we are very glad that more students than ever want to become physicians. However, unless Congress lifts the 16-year-old cap on federal support for residency training, we will still face a shortfall of physicians across dozens of specialties, said AAMC President and CEO Darrell G. Kirch, M.D. Students are doing their part by applying to medical school in record numbers. Medical schools are doing their part by expanding enrollment. Now Congress needs to do its part and act without delay to expand residency training to ensure that everyone who needs a doctor has access to one.

The overall growth in medical student enrollment can be attributed, in part, to the creation of new medical schools as well as existing schools efforts to expand their class sizes after the AAMC, in 2006, called for a 30 percent increase in enrollment to avert future doctor shortages. In 2013, 14 medical schools increased their class sizes by more than 10 percent. Four new medical schools welcomed their first classes this year, contributing to about half of the overall enrollment increase. Since 2002, medical schools have increased the number of first-year students by 21.6 percent.

The diversity of students applying to and enrolling in medical school remained relatively steady, with two notable gains. The number of first-time female applicants increased by 1,102 or 6.9 percent, after remaining flat in 2012. The number of Hispanics/Latinos attending medical school continued to increase, rising by 5.5 percent to 1,826 enrollees.

Additional highlights:

- As in past years, the total number of men and women applying to and enrolling in medical school is fairly equally split, with male enrollees accounting for approximately 53 percent and female enrollees accounting for 47 percent of the 2013 class. In addition to the increase in first-time female applicants, the total number of men applying to medical school increased 5.8 percent from 24,338 applicants in 2012 to 25,760 male applicants in 2013.

-The overall quality of this years application pool remained strong, with nearly three-quarters of applicants reporting research experience and two-thirds reporting voluntary community service. This years applicants reported an average undergraduate GPA of 3.54 and a combined median MCAT score of 29.

Charts containing this years data are available at http://www.aamc.org.

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Medical School Applicants, Enrollment Reach All-Time Highs

Medical School Applications, Enrollment Rise to Records

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A record number of students applied and enrolled in U.S. medical school this year, bucking predictions that President Barack Obamas health-care system overhaul would dissuade people from becoming doctors.

Total medical school applications increased 6.1 percent to more than 48,000, breaking a record set in 1996, according to data released today by the American Association of Medical Colleges. The number of students who enrolled this year rose 2.8 percent, exceeding 20,000 for the first time, the group said.

Hospitals and medical schools have been trying to find solutions to a doctor shortage that is projected to grow 10-fold to 130,000 by 2025 as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act adds at least 25 million new patients to the health system. During debates around the law, some doctors voiced concern that it may make the medical profession less attractive. Todays numbers show otherwise, said Darrell Kirch, the chief executive officer of the Washington-based medical colleges group.

Im a baby boomer and among my generation, a lot of colleagues are struggling with the feeling this isnt what we signed up for, a complex organization with a lot of physicians, Kirch said in a telephone interview. But premedical student groups and medical students see the world totally differently: the vast majority say they want to be employed in systems.

Thats because larger systems afford new doctors more resources, he said. Whats more, fewer medical students have interests in running private practices.

One of the biggest challenges will be what happens when the students finish their initial studies. More than 75 percent of residency programs -- where graduate medical students train for three to seven years before working independently -- are funded by the U.S. Medicare program, which is being subjected to mandatory federal budget cuts. In addition Congress has kept the number of slots capped at the same level since 1997.

We need to increase training positions now because were concerned that if congress doesnt act were not going to have enough residency positions to fully train these physicians, said Atul Grover, the chief public policy officer for the medical colleges group, in a telephone interview.

The lack of training may lead to a physician shortfall if graduates cant find residency programs to join, Grover said.

This year, 14 medical schools expanded class sizes by more than 10 percent. Since 2002, medical schools have increased the number of entering students by more than 20 percent, in an attempt to alleviate a projected physician shortfall to meet the aging of the baby boomers, those born from 1945 to 1965. A national shortage of 92,000 primary-care physicians is projected for 2020.

The Census Bureau estimates that 81.2 million people in the U.S. will be 65 or older in 2040 from 40.2 million in 2010.

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Medical School Applications, Enrollment Rise to Records

Liberty Mines Enters Into Shares for Debt Agreements and Implements Name Change

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TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Oct 24, 2013) - Liberty Mines Inc. (LBE.TO) has entered into settlement agreements with various creditors of the Company to re-structure approximately CDN$3,043,474in outstanding debt as at September 30, 2013. Liberty will settle the outstanding amount through the issuance of 1,380,891 common shares of the Company (the "Settlement Shares") and through a cash payment of CDN$$1,183,698. The deemed price of the Settlement Shares is based on the five day volume weighted average trading price of the common shares of the Company on October 22, 2013, being $0.66. Currently, the Company has 4,129,544 common shares issued and outstanding. Upon issuance of the Shares for Debt, the Company will have 5,510,435 shares outstanding and the shares for debt issuance will represent approximately 33% of the total issued and outstanding common shares of the Company. The transaction remains subject to the approval of the TSX and the common shares will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance.

Following the completion of the shares for debt transaction, as approved by the Company's shareholders at its most recent Special Meeting held on October 15, 2013, the Company shall convert a portion of the existing debt held by its largest shareholder and strategic partner, Jien International Investment Inc. ("JIIL") through the issuance of 2,000,000 common shares of the Company (the "JIIL Debt Conversion Shares"). Currently JIIL holds 2,476,633 common shares of Liberty, representing a 60% interest in the Company. Upon completion of the shares for debt transaction, JIIL will hold approximately 44%. Upon closing of both transactions there will be 7,510,435 common shares of the Company issued and outstanding and JIIL will maintain a 60% interest in the Company. The deemed price of the JIIL Debt Conversion Shares is based on the five day volume weighted average trading price of the common shares of the Company on October 22, 2013, being $0.66. The issuance of the JIIL Debt Conversion Shares will remain subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day. The JIIL Debt Conversion Shares will represent approximately 48% of the total issued and outstanding common shares of the Company and the combined issuance of both the Settlement Shares and the JIIL Debt Conversion Shares will represent approximately 82% of the total issued and outstanding common shares of the Company.

Further, as approved by shareholders at the Special Meeting, the Company has changed its name to Northern Sun Mining Corp. to better reflect its current activities and will begin trading on the TSX under the new symbol "NSC" effective market open on Friday, October 25, 2013.

David Rigg, President and CEO noted, "We believe the settlement of debt with various creditors is an integral step in the repositioning of the Company. We are actively engaged in a turnaround plan for the Company which involves cleaning up our existing liabilities, remediating the Redstone and McWatters sites and completing the acquisition of the Snow Lake property."

About Liberty Mines Inc.

Liberty Mines owns two former producing nickel mines and a large prospective land package in the Shaw Dome area, a prospective nickel belt near Timmins, Ontario. Liberty Mines Inc. owns the Redstone Mill which has operated as the only nickel concentrator in this Region. The Mill was designed with two processing circuits which can operate in tandem at 1,500 tonnes per day (tpd), but with the flexibility to operate independently processing two different ore types, each at 750 tpd. In 2014, the Company intends to re-open the mill to offer toll milling services to a variety of deposits in the Timmins Camp and general area.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS

This document includes "forward looking statements", as defined under applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding the impact of the debt settlement transactions, the timing of completion of the transactions, the name change, future plans and objectives of Liberty Mines, and the timing and completion of necessary financing and its consequences are forward looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Liberty Mines' expectations are: insolvency risks; regulatory approvals; environmental risks and other risks inherent in the mining industry, as described in Liberty Mines' public filings. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. Liberty does not undertake to publicly update any such statement, except where required by securities regulations. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained here.

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Liberty Mines Enters Into Shares for Debt Agreements and Implements Name Change