NASA aims to trim giant SLS rocket's costs

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New and efficient assembly methods should lower the price tag of NASA's giant new rocket for deep space missions, agency officials say.

Engineers at ATK Space Systems in Utah are putting together the solid rocket boosters for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lifter, which is designed to blast astronauts toward near-Earth asteroids, Mars and other destinations beyond Earth orbit.

The new boosters are similar to the ones that helped loft NASA's now-retired space shuttles to orbit. But several new upgrades and improvements should allow the new boosters to be built more cheaply and efficiently, officials said.

"We are embracing innovation both technically and in our management processes as we design and build SLS," Alex Priskos, SLS booster manager at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., said in a statement. "Through the use of new streamlined approaches and techniques, we have been able to drive down costs and enhance the reliability of the hardware." [Video: Building SLS More Efficiently]

For example, ATK replaced traditional X-ray inspections with an ultrasonic examination of the booster's nozzle, allowing technicians to evaluate the hardware on the production floor, officials said. And the company reduced the number of moves during one stage of booster assembly from 47 to seven, decreasing both the time required to complete the process and the chance of damage to parts in transit.

In all, new handling methodologies can reduce the booster's total assembly time by 46 percent, ATK engineers estimate.

"As we were challenged with decreased budgets and a more streamlined workforce, we knew we had to make changes in order to stay competitive, but we also know the importance of ensuring we deliver a safe and reliable product for Americas human space flight program," said former astronaut Charlie Precourt, general manager and vice president of ATKs Space Launch Division, in a statement.

The improvements have been implemented throughout the manufacturing of Qualification Motor-1, the next full-scale test article for the SLS booster, NASA officials said. Engineers are preparing the motor for a ground test in the spring of 2013.

The SLS first stage will be powered by four RS-25 engines which served as the main engines for the space shuttle fleet flanked by two five-segment solid rocket boosters.

In its initial configuration, the SLS will be capable of launching 70 metric tons of payload and will generate 10 percent more thrust than NASA's Saturn 5 rocket, which blasted Apollo astronauts toward the moon. It will stand about 320 feet tall (97.5 meters).

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NASA aims to trim giant SLS rocket's costs

NASA to upgrade vital communications link

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TDRS-K is in the Boeing satellite factory undergoing a fit check. Credit: Boeing Corp.

Technicians and engineers are completing final system checks and spacecraft inspections on the first of NASA's third-generation Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS). Boeing Space Systems will ship TDRS-K from its satellite assembly facility in El Segundo, Calif., to Cape Canaveral, Fla., in November. The December launch of TDRS-K will be aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., is home to the team responsible for building and launching these satellites. Once in orbit, the new satellite will become part of NASA's Space Network, which incorporates a fleet of TDRS spacecraft. Currently, seven first- and second-generation satellites are connected in real-time to a series of ground stations and data facilities. This network provides the critical communications lifeline for NASA missions such as the Hubble Space Telescope and International Space Station.

NASA established the TDRS project in 1973 to provide around-the-clock communications to the agency's most critical missions in low Earth orbit. The TDRS design also increases the data rate of the space-to-ground communication service. The resulting system is a set of geosynchronous relay satellites distributed around the globe. Ground terminals complete the system, connecting scientists and engineers on Earth with satellites in orbit.

The first TDRS launched in April 1983. It was designed to handle an exponential increase in data volume and provide a major increase in coverage for low Earth orbit spacecraft. When TDRS-1 was launched from space shuttle Challenger, TDRS spacecraft were the largest, most sophisticated communication satellites ever built. After on-orbit checkout, TDRS-1 began providing communication support to space shuttle missions in late 1983. On that first mission, TDRS transmissions enabled more shuttle data flow to the ground than had been accomplished in the previous seven shuttle missions combined.

NASA continued adding first generation TDRS spacecraft until 1995. TRW, later to become Northrop Grumman built seven satellites. TDRS-2 was lost aboard Challenger in 1986. From 2000-2002, NASA added three second-generation spacecraft to the fleet. Hughes, now the Boeing Co., built the TDRS-H, I and J satellites, which continue operating along with four members of the first generation.

It has been almost thirty years, and the TDRS constellation continues to play a major role in maintaining a reliable communications network for NASA with critical, non-interrupted connections. Of the nine TDRS satellites launched, seven are still operational. Two have been retired. NASA engineers recognize the fleet is aging and are working to replenish the fleet with a new generation of TDRS satellites.

TDRS-K will be the first of three, next generation satellites designed to ensure vital operational continuity for NASA. TDRS-L is scheduled to launch in 2013, and TDRS-M is planned to launch in 2015.

The TDRS network provides critical support to NASA's human spaceflight endeavors that began during the shuttle era and continues with ongoing International Space Station support. It also provides communications support to an array of science missions, as well as various types of launch vehicles.

As a vital information pipeline for space-based research and exploration ambitions, TDRS fulfills NASA's broadest communication demands. Now in its third operational decade, the TDRS legacy of communications excellence has become key to enabling many of NASA's scientific discoveries. TDRS-K continues a legacy while increasing bandwidth of a network that has become the vital communications link for the missions of NASA.

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NASA to upgrade vital communications link

NASA's HS3 mission thoroughly investigates long-lived Hurricane Nadine

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NASA's Global Hawk flew five science missions into Tropical Storm/Hurricane Nadine, plus the transit flight circling around the east side of Hurricane Leslie. This is a composite of the ground tracks of the transit flight to NASA Wallops plus the five science flights. TD means Tropical Depression; TS means Tropical Storm. Credit: NASA

NASA's Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel or HS3 scientists had a fascinating tropical cyclone to study in long-lived Hurricane Nadine. NASA's Global Hawk aircraft has investigated Nadine five times during the storm's lifetime.

NASA's Global Hawk also circled around the eastern side of Hurricane Leslie when it initially flew from NASA's Dryden Research Flight Center, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. to the HS3 base at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va. on Sept. 6-7, 2012.

Nadine has been a great tropical cyclone to study because it has lived so long and has strengthened to hurricane status a couple of times, and then weakened back into a tropical storm. Hurricane Nadine is an anomaly because it has been tracking through the North Atlantic since Sept. 11, when it developed as the fourteenth tropical system of the hurricane season.

Longest-lived Tropical Cyclones

As of Oct. 2, Nadine has been alive in the north Atlantic for 21 days. According to NOAA, in the Atlantic Ocean, Hurricane Ginger lasted 28 days in 1971. The Pacific Ocean holds the record, though as Hurricane/Typhoon John lasted 31 days. John was "born" in the Eastern North Pacific, crossed the International Dateline and moved through the Western North Pacific over 31 days during August and September 1994. Nadine, however, is in the top 50 longest-lasting tropical cyclones in either ocean basin.

First Flight into Nadine

On Sept. 11, as part of NASA's HS3 mission, the Global Hawk aircraft took off from NASA Wallops at 7:06 a.m. EDT and headed for Tropical Depression 14, which at the time of take-off, was still a developing low pressure area called System 91L.

At 11 a.m. EDT that day, Tropical Depression 14 was located near 16.3 North latitude and 43.1 West longitude, about 1,210 miles (1,950 km) east of the Lesser Antilles. The depression had maximum sustained winds near 35 mph. It was moving to the west near 10 mph (17 kmh) and had a minimum central pressure of 1006 millibars.

NASA's Global Hawk landed back at Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va., on Sept. 12 after spending 11 hours gathering data in the storm, which had strengthened into Tropical Storm Nadine during the early morning hours of Sept. 12.

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NASA's HS3 mission thoroughly investigates long-lived Hurricane Nadine

Giant Eye In Space Seen by NASA Telescopes

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A pair of NASA space telescopes have captured a spectacular new photo of the Helix Nebula, a glowing celestial vision that resembles a giant cosmic eye.

The Helix Nebula (also known as NGC 7293) represents a dying star known as a planetary nebula. The new picture, released Wednesday (Oct. 3), combines data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, which observes in long-wavelength infrared light, andthe Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX), which picked out the short-wavelength ultraviolet light coming from the object.

The Helix Nebula is located about 650 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Aquarius. It provides a sneak peak at the future of our own sun, which is expected to turn into a planetary nebula in about 5 billion years.

Planetary nebulas are stars around the size of the sun that have neared the ends of their lives and run out of hydrogen and helium fuel for fusion in their cores. At this point, they puff out their outer gaseous layers into glowing shells around them, and condense into small white dwarf stars.

"The white dwarf is about the size of Earth, but has a mass very close to that of the original star; in fact, a teaspoon of a white dwarf would weigh as much as a few elephants!" NASA scientists wrote in a statement.

The white dwarf star is visible in the picture as the tiny white dot in the center of the nebula.

This star emits intense ultraviolet radiation, which in turns lights up the outer gas layers in infrared wavelengths. Both ranges of the spectrum are shown here in the combined light of the two telescopes. In the photo, the GALEX data is shown in blue, while the Spitze Space Telescopeobservations are represented in yellow. Some of the background space is from data collected by NASA's all-sky Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE).

Planetary nebulas aren't planets at all, but they were erroneously named in the 18th century because they resembled gas giant planets, and the name has stuck.

Follow SPACE.com on Twitter@Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook&Google+.

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Giant Eye In Space Seen by NASA Telescopes

NASA Aims to Trim Giant Deep-Space Rocket's Cost

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Newly efficient assembly methods should lower the price tag of NASA's giant new rocket for deep space missions, agency officials say.

Engineers at ATK Space Systems in Utah are putting together the solid rocket boosters for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lifter, which is designed to blast astronauts toward near-Earth asteroids, Mars and other destinations beyond Earth orbit.

The new boosters are similar to the ones that helped loft NASA's now-retired space shuttles to orbit. But several new upgrades and improvements should allow the new boosters to be built more cheaply and efficiently, officials said.

"We are embracing innovation both technically and in our management processes as we design and build SLS," Alex Priskos, SLS booster manager at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., said in a statement. "Through the use of new streamlined approaches and techniques, we have been able to drive down costs and enhance the reliability of the hardware." [Video: Building SLS More Efficiently]

For example, ATK replaced traditional X-ray inspections with an ultrasonic examination of the booster's nozzle, allowing technicians to evaluate the hardware on the production floor, officials said. And the company reduced the number of moves during one stage of booster assembly from 47 to seven, decreasing both the time required to complete the process and the chance of damage to parts in transit.

In all, new handling methodologies can reduce the booster's total assembly time by 46 percent, ATK engineers estimate.

"As we were challenged with decreased budgets and a more streamlined workforce, we knew we had to make changes in order to stay competitive, but we also know the importance of ensuring we deliver a safe and reliable product for Americas human space flight program," said former astronaut Charlie Precourt, general manager and vice president of ATKs Space Launch Division, in a statement.

The improvements have been implemented throughout the manufacturing of Qualification Motor-1, the next full-scale test article for the SLS booster, NASA officials said. Engineers are preparing the motor for a ground test in the spring of 2013.

The SLS first stage will be powered by four RS-25 engines which served as the main engines for the space shuttle fleet flanked by two five-segment solid rocket boosters.

In its initial configuration, the SLS will be capable of launching 70 metric tons of payload and will generate 10 percent more thrust than NASA's Saturn 5 rocket, which blasted Apollo astronauts toward the moon. It will stand about 320 feet tall(97.5 meters).

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NASA Aims to Trim Giant Deep-Space Rocket's Cost

$80M research facility to open at UMass Lowell

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The UMass Lowell Emerging Technologies Innovation Center will officially open next week.

The opening of the UMass Lowells 84,000-square-foot Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center (ETIC) is slated for next week.

Susan Windham-Bannister, president and COO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center told Mass High Tech that the $80 million education and research-based facility specializing in nanotechnology, molecular biology and plastics engineering, will not only support the university, it will position UMass Lowell as an integral member of the regions life sciences cluster and ultimately become a powerful resource for the entire state.

The North Shore has a very strong life science cluster, and with this investment, UMass Lowell is becoming a focal point for this cluster, said Windham-Bannister.

High on the list of facility assets is the nano-manufacturing research laboratories and clean room. These amenities equate to a $5 million-a-year operation is largely supported by federal grants.

In addition to high tech clean rooms, the facility located off VFW Highway in Lowell will also house a plastics-processing high bay. The facility mission is to educate students in the fields of life sciences, energy, national security and environmental protection and become a corporate and government-sponsored research site, a release states.

Officials said the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center will commit $10 million dollars and house nano medicine and biomaterial laboratories on the facilitys third floor.

We are very excited to not just support the university but to be creating a resource that will create value for the life sciences community more broadly, Windham-Bannister said.

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$80M research facility to open at UMass Lowell

Research and Markets: Micro-Nano Technology XIII from the 13th Annual Conference of Chinese Society of Micro-Nano …

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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/d4wkjk/micronano) has announced the addition of the "Micro-Nano Technology XIII" report to their offering.

Selected, peer reviewed papers from the 13th Annual Conference of Chinese Society of Micro-Nano Technology, September 28-30, 2011, Changchow, China

These 81 papers, all written by Chinese researchers, are grouped into 8 chapters: Micro/Nano Transducer/Acutar/Robot, Microfluidic Devices and Systems, Micro/ Nano Fabrication and Measurement Technologies, Microfluidics and nano fluids, Nano Material Research/Nanotube/Nanowire Devices, MEMS/NENS and Applications, Nanometer Biological / Nano Medicine and Packaging Technology. This work offers an excellent overview of current research on MEMS and nano-technology in China. It will be invaluable to researchers, graduate students and engineers who work in the fields of MEMS and nano technology.

Key Topics Covered:

The Out-Rotator of Spin Traveling Wave Pump on Magnetic Fluid

Meng Zhao, Ji Bin Zou, Jing Shang

A Flush-Mounted Resonant Ice Detection Sensor with High Sensitivity

Qiang Shi, Jun Bo Wang, De Yong Chen, Yan Long Shang

Heating Carve Technique for Polymer Microfluidic Microchannel

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Research and Markets: Micro-Nano Technology XIII from the 13th Annual Conference of Chinese Society of Micro-Nano ...

Northland Resources S.A. and TriOil Resources Ltd Under Current Evaluation

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Equedia.com and The Equedia Weekly Letter provides research on Canadian companies with a focus on mining and resource stocks. Equedia is continuing research and evaluation on the prospects of Northland Resources S.A. (TSX:NAU.TO - News) and TriOil Resources Ltd (TSX:TOL.V - News). To be further notified of our updates on these companies and special report editions through the Equedia Weekly letter, please obtain your free subscription here:

http://equedia.com/equediaweekly

Many companies previously featured in our special report editions have hit new 52 week highs since the initiation of our coverage and man) y companies under evaluation have made strong gains since being placed under evaluation. To receive these reports, please make sure to subscribe for your complimentary subscription to Equedia Weekly here:

http://equedia.com/equediaweekly

Here is a brief excerpt from one of our latest weekly letter, "Watch the Throne":

September is over and we're now heading into a month where gold has traditionally not performed as well. We've seen gold and silver prices rise over the last few weeks, so it wouldn't shock me that we see a pullback. October is also generally a more volatile month for both gold and stocks.

Keep in mind that central bank buying, investor demand, and mine strikes in Africa could cause supply constraints and force gold higher, even in a month where gold has often been down.

Should gold prices follow historical trends for October along with stocks, it would represent a great buying opportunity. Over the past 40 years, November has generally been one of the best months for gold, second only to September. However, in the last decade

To continue reading and receive your next free edition of Equedia Weekly, please subscribe by going to http://equedia.com/equediaweekly/ and visit http://equedia.com/blog/view.php/Watch-the-Throne for a copy of this edition.

You should also visit http://www.equedia.com to gain access to insider information, analyst ratings, videos, corporate coverage, financials, and in-depth stock charts for the above mentioned companies. Shareholders are also asked to assist our staff by providing us more details on your knowledge of the above-mentioned companies as we put them under evaluation. By registering through http://www.equedia.com, you can upload your findings and attach them to the respective companies under their corporate landing page.

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Northland Resources S.A. and TriOil Resources Ltd Under Current Evaluation

Mirabela Nickel Limited and Questerre Energy Corporation Under Current Evaluation

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Equedia.com and The Equedia Weekly Letter provides research on Canadian companies with a focus on mining and resource stocks. Equedia is continuing research and evaluation on the prospects of Mirabela Nickel Limited (TSX:MNB.TO - News) and Questerre Energy Corporation (TSX:QEC.TO - News). To be further notified of our updates on these companies and special report editions through the Equedia Weekly letter, please obtain your free subscription here:

http://equedia.com/equediaweekly

Many companies previously featured in our special report editions have hit new 52 week highs since the initiation of our coverage and man) y companies under evaluation have made strong gains since being placed under evaluation. To receive these reports, please make sure to subscribe for your complimentary subscription to Equedia Weekly here:

http://equedia.com/equediaweekly

Here is a brief excerpt from one of our latest weekly letter, "Watch the Throne":

September is over and we're now heading into a month where gold has traditionally not performed as well. We've seen gold and silver prices rise over the last few weeks, so it wouldn't shock me that we see a pullback. October is also generally a more volatile month for both gold and stocks.

Keep in mind that central bank buying, investor demand, and mine strikes in Africa could cause supply constraints and force gold higher, even in a month where gold has often been down.

Should gold prices follow historical trends for October along with stocks, it would represent a great buying opportunity. Over the past 40 years, November has generally been one of the best months for gold, second only to September. However, in the last decade

To continue reading and receive your next free edition of Equedia Weekly, please subscribe by going to http://equedia.com/equediaweekly/ and visit http://equedia.com/blog/view.php/Watch-the-Throne for a copy of this edition.

You should also visit http://www.equedia.com to gain access to insider information, analyst ratings, videos, corporate coverage, financials, and in-depth stock charts for the above mentioned companies. Shareholders are also asked to assist our staff by providing us more details on your knowledge of the above-mentioned companies as we put them under evaluation. By registering through http://www.equedia.com, you can upload your findings and attach them to the respective companies under their corporate landing page.

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Mirabela Nickel Limited and Questerre Energy Corporation Under Current Evaluation

Free TeamHealth iPad Application Offers Custom, Streamlined Job Search Tool for Emergency Medicine Providers

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KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Today, TeamHealth announced the launch of its new iPad application, TeamHealth Careers, a customizable job search tool that allows users to access hundreds of emergency medicine positions across the country. Through the TeamHealth Careers app, users have the unique ability to filter their career search by community, region or nationwide while also searching for positions that meet clinical preferences such as annual volume. TeamHealth Careers also provides information about schools, restaurants and activities in the community of the user's choice and allows users to apply for positions and contact TeamHealth recruiters.

"At TeamHealth, we know that choosing an emergency medicine career is about much more than simply filling a position," said Susan Masterson, Vice President of Provider Recruitment. "The TeamHealth Careers app puts the power at the user's fingertips, allowing providers to conveniently customize and streamline their job search process."

For more information about TeamHealth Careers, visit MyEMCareer.com. Download TeamHealth Careers in the iPad app store.

About TeamHealth TeamHealth (Knoxville, Tenn.) (TMH) is one of the largest providers of outsourced physician staffing solutions for hospitals in the United States. Through its 17 regional locations and multiple service lines, TeamHealth's more than 8,300 affiliated healthcare professionals provide emergency medicine, hospital medicine, anesthesia, urgent care, and pediatric staffing and management services to approximately 790 civilian and military hospitals, clinics, and physician groups in 47 states. The term "TeamHealth" as used throughout this release includes Team Health, Inc., and all of its related entities, divisions, subsidiaries and affiliated physicians and physician groups. For more information about TeamHealth, visit http://www.teamhealth.com.

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Free TeamHealth iPad Application Offers Custom, Streamlined Job Search Tool for Emergency Medicine Providers

Dallas federal prosecutors join Medicine Abuse Project campaign to curb abuse of legal drugs

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New, 2:29 p.m.

The U.S. Attorneys Office in Dallas says it has joined a nationwide effort to stop the abuse of prescription medication.

The campaign from Partnership at Drugfree.org is called the Medicine Abuse Project.

The Northern District of Texas will hold several events as part of the campaign. The primary focus will be to help save lives by warning the public, and teenagers in particular, about the dangers of abusing prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

Prescription drug abuse is an epidemic, especially among our teens, said U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaa.

Also taking part will be the Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse, the Dallas Area Drug Prevention Partnership, local police departments, and federal agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Saldaa said last weekends prescription drug Take-Back initiative was a big success and set records locally for the disposal of expired and unwanted medications.

DEA Special Agent in Charge James L. Capra, of the Dallas division, said the agency collected 14,468 pounds of drugs from 70 collection sites in the region.

Prescription drug abuse has become a serious public health and safety issue and it is the nations fastest-growing drug problem, Capra said.

The U.S. Attorneys Office said 2,500 teens use a prescription drug every day to get high for the first time. The number of deaths from prescription painkillers has tripled over the past decade.

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Dallas federal prosecutors join Medicine Abuse Project campaign to curb abuse of legal drugs

Transfusion Medicine RFID Consortium details plans for commercializing technology to track and monitor blood products …

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PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --The Transfusion Medicine RFID Consortium announced today that S3Edge Inc., the software partner for the consortium has been selected to exclusively commercialize the RFID and barcode based Blood Product Tracking suite of applications designed and built under a private, academic, and public initiative funded by the NIH. The system, consisting of mobile, desktop, and server software applications provides greater visibility to the physical movement of blood products, while improving the efficiency of Blood Center operations. The RFID consortium includes BloodCenter of Wisconsin, SysLogic Inc., S3Edge Inc., Carter Bloodcare, Mississippi Blood Services, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Mississippi Baptist Health System, University of Wisconsin Madison RFID Laboratory, and Mediware Corp.

The suite of applications has been deployed in a production pilot at the BloodCenter of Wisconsin and the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) with promising results. "Thanks to the outstanding work of the entire consortium team, we have successfully piloted the new system to track blood products as they move from fixed and mobile donation sites, through the blood center and to distribution. After 24 weeks of running the system in a pilot mode here at the BloodCenter of Wisconsin, we have seen process efficiency and traceability gains, as well as marked improvements in reconciliation," said Lynne Briggs, Vice President and Chief Information Officer for BloodCenter of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

The hospital transfusion services tracking module was piloted at the DeGowin Blood Center at UIHC where it was run in parallel with IPR, an internally developed barcode-based tracking system. "The RFID system provided equivalent capabilities to those of IPR in terms of detecting and resolving process errors. It additionally provided the blood bank staff real-time visibility for blood products in transit from the hospital blood bank to the point-of-care and in remote storage in our emergency department." said Dr. Thomas J. Raife, MD, Clinical Professor & Medical Director, UIHC DeGowin Blood Center.

The initiative to introduce RFID technology in transfusion medicine is also a showcase of how ground-breaking solutions can be very effectively designed, developed, and commercialized via private-academic-public initiatives for the healthcare industry. "This effort represents the culmination of years of hard work by the consortium members in bringing a much needed innovation to the market in a collaborative manner. We are pleased to see S3Edge taking the next steps to ensure that the cumulative efforts of the consortium benefit the transfusion medicine industry as a whole," said Rodeina Davis who was the principal investigator for the STTR grant, and a luminary in the transfusion medicine field recognized for her role in advancing this new technology from idea to adoption.

SysLogic Inc., one of the founding members of the consortium and awardee of the STTR grant allowing for creation of the system will continue to spearhead efforts to obtain the 510(k) clearance for the blood product tracking suite of applications developed by the consortium. "Today's announcement solidifies our commitment not just to create compelling technology, but to realize the vision of creating a successful product for the transfusion medicine industry. We look forward to completing the requirements for the 510(k) clearance and facilitate the technology's potential to transform current operations in the transfusion medicine industry for all end-users," said Tina Chang, CEO of SysLogic Inc., a Brookfield, Wisconsin-based information systems consulting and services firm.

"S3Edge is extremely pleased to lead the commercialization effort and make the technology broadly available to the transfusion medicine industry. This significant milestone could not have happened without the efforts, guidance and leadership of the consortium. We look forward to working in tandem with this team of health care stakeholders and distinguished researchers to ensure Blood Centers around the world can take full advantage of this new system," said Mark Anastas, President of S3Edge Inc.

To learn more about the RFID blood product tracking initiative and the commercialization plans, visit the S3Edge booth (#579) at the AABB Annual Meeting & CTTXPO 2012 to be held in Boston from October 6-9th, 2012.

About S3Edge Inc.

S3Edge Inc., a member of the TM RFID Consortium (http://www.transfusionmedicinerfid.org) is a software product company that provides packaged, Auto-ID-based tracking solutions for automation and error proofing of healthcare supply chain operations. Spotlight, S3Edge's software product enables enterprises to configure and view assets, zones, alerts, and reports and to track and obtain trends on asset movement within their organizations. For more information, visit http://www.s3edge.com.

Press-Release Contact: Anush Kumar, S3Edge Inc., E-mail: anush@s3edge.com, Phone: 424-832-113.

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Transfusion Medicine RFID Consortium details plans for commercializing technology to track and monitor blood products ...

Nacua, Liberty Hold Off Coronado

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Posted: Oct. 6, 2012 | 12:17 a.m.

Liberty's Kai Nacua did a little bit of everything on Friday night.

And when the senior launched himself toward the pylon from just inside the 5-yard line, he made sure his team finished with a homecoming victory.

Nacua's dive completed an 11-yard touchdown run with 9:38 to play that broke a 29-29 tie, and the No. 2 Patriots held on for a 35-29 win over visiting Coronado.

"It was a lead option," Nacua said. "And I saw the outside open, and I just started running at it. They tripped me up a little, and I saw the pylon and just dove into it."

The touchdown run capped an outstanding all-around game for Nacua. The Brigham Young-bound senior completed 14 of 22 passes for 223 yards, rushed for the touchdown, intercepted a pass on defense and recorded a tackle for loss.

"That's why he's a Division I football player," Liberty coach Rich Muraco said. "He makes plays. He stands out. He can do everything."

That included being named homecoming king at halftime.

"That was a cool experience," Nacua said.

Tenth-ranked Coronado (3-2, 0-1 Southeast League) stayed with Liberty (4-1, 1-0) all night thanks to a series of big plays.

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Nacua, Liberty Hold Off Coronado

Apple Maps Fixes the Statue of Liberty

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Apple's promised updates to Maps in iOS 6 are starting to roll out, starting with the Statue of Liberty.

[More from Mashable: Steve Jobs Tribute MacBook to be Auctioned for Charity]

Until Friday afternoon, the Lady Liberty was a pixelated mess in Apple's new homegrown mapping app. Thanks to a server update, the statue -- and all of Liberty Island -- is now replicated in beautiful 3D.

Check out the differences below:

[More from Mashable: The Insanely Great Chart of Apples History]

Since releasing Apple Maps as part of iOS 6, Apple has faced criticism from its users and competitors because of the unfinished state of the 3D depictions -- as well as the uneven mapping data. Apple CEO Tim Cook apologized for the product, admitting that it "fell short" of Apple's standards.

Fixing the Statue of Liberty might not stop Apple from being the butt of industry-related jokes, but it is a sign that the product is getting better.

France's gift to America might have received a makeover, but its own iconic landmark wasn't as lucky. The Eiffel Tower in Paris remains an two-dimensional block of pixels.

Have you noticed any other improvements to Apple Maps? Let us know in the comments.

"Carmen Sandiego strikes again, this time stealing a giant statue outside the Denver Center for Performing Arts." via The Amazing World of iOS Maps

Originally posted here:

Apple Maps Fixes the Statue of Liberty

Liberty Silver Reviews SEC Order of Suspension

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TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Oct 5, 2012) - Liberty Silver Corp. (LSL.TO)(LBSV) ("Liberty Silver" or the "Company") is providing this update regarding trading in the Company''s securities.

Liberty Silver was named in an Order of Suspension of Trading (the "Order") dated October 5, 2012 from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Pursuant to the Order, trading in the Company''s securities is suspended from October 5, 2012 through October 18, 2012.According to the Order, the SEC states that, "It appears to the SEC that there is a lack of current and accurate information concerning the securities of Liberty Silver because of questions concerning publicly available information about Liberty Silver, the control of its stock, its market price, and trading in the stock".

The Company believes it is in compliance with applicable disclosure and regulatory requirements.The Company is currently reviewing and working to resolve this matter.The Company will work closely and cooperatively with the SEC to resolve this matter for the benefit of our shareholders.

About Liberty Silver Corp.

Liberty Silver Corp. is focused on exploring and developing mineral properties located in North America. Liberty Silver is led by a skilled, experienced management team and board of directors with significant experience managing exploration, development and mining projects. Liberty Silver is committed to creating value for its shareholders by advancing its current projects utilizing its mitigated risk approach to production, developing new resources on its current properties, and acquiring new properties that have the potential to increase their resource base. The Trinity silver project, located in Pershing County, Nevada, is Liberty Silver''s flagship project. Liberty Silver has the right to earn a joint venture interest in the 10,476 acre Trinity property pursuant to the terms of an earn-in agreement with Renaissance Gold Inc.

Cautionary Statements

This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements". These statements are based on information currently available to Liberty Silver and Liberty Silver provides no assurance that actual results will meet management''s expectations. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that Liberty Silver''s future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that Liberty Silver or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results relating to, among other things, results of exploration, project development, reclamation and capital costs of Liberty Silver''s mineral properties, and Liberty Silver''s financial condition and prospects, could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand and prices for minerals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and operational difficulties encountered in connection with Liberty Silver''s activities; and other matters discussed in this News Release and in filings made with securities regulators. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of Liberty Silver''s forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on Liberty Silver''s forward-looking statements. Liberty Silver does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by Liberty Silver or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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Libertarian Could be Senate Race Spoiler

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Libertarian Dan Cox is running against Sen. Jon Tester and Congressman Denny Rehberg

The race between U.S. Sen. Jon Tester and U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg remains tight with a month before the election. Some Republicans worry and some Democrats hope that Libertarian Dan Cox could take needed conservative votes away from Rehberg.

A polling call targeting likely Rehberg voters promotes Cox as the real constitutional conservative in the race. The pollster isn't identifying which group is behind the call.

Kathy Means, an "actively involved" voter from Florence, said she became suspicious when the pollster kept trying to persuade her to pick Cox over Rehberg. She said the pollster pointed out Rehberg's past support for the Patriot Act, and other sensitive issues for libertarian-minded conservatives.

So-called "push polls" can be used to negatively portray a candidate in an effort to push voters to another candidate.

The Rehberg campaign called the poll a deceptive tactic. Spokesman Chris Bond said they suspect some third-party Tester ally is behind it.

"Montanans are smart, and they're not going to fall for this brand of dirty, deceptive politics coming from Sen. Tester's side," Bond said.

The Tester campaign said it had nothing to do with the calls.

But Cox said it isn't the only fishy call. He said Rehberg allies are calling his likely supporters and trying to talk them into voting for Rehberg.

Cox, who lives in Hamilton and runs an Internet fishing tackle store, said his wife got a call making the rounds to past Ron Paul donors.

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Libertarian Could be Senate Race Spoiler

Libertarian Congressional candidate balks at debate exclusion

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Dan Reale, Libertarian Party candidate for Congress in Eastern Connecticuts 2nd District, is balking at his exclusion from an Oct. 29 debate at Connecticut College and says he plans to go to the event any way.

Debate sponsors Connecticut Public Television and The Day newspaper have decided to limit the debate to Democratic incumbent Joe Courtney of Vernon and Republican Paul Formica, the first selectman of East Lyme. Reale, a Plainfield resident, and Colin Bennett, the Green Party candidate who lives in Westbrook, will not be allowed to participate.

CPTV is providing time for a one-hour telecast and having four candidates in the debate would dilute the limited time we have for questions that it would provide little opportunity for a true debate, Day Editorial Page Editor Paul Choiniere wrote in an email to Reale.

Reale said the exclusion will hurt his and Bennetts campaigns since the Oct. 29 New London event will likely be the final debate before voters cast ballots Nov. 6. Unaffiliated voters outnumber both Democrats and Republicans thus all candidates on the ballot should be given a final opportunity to address the electorate, said Reale, who is also chairman of the Libertarian Party of Connecticut.

I suppose its The Days and CPTVs right to hand out free advertising under the pretense of an actual debate of all the issues, he wrote in an email. The Day should call a spade a spade and not pretend this debate is something its not. If its not going to represent an actual forum then it should say so. Id even applaud the admission as an honest change of policy.

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Libertarian Congressional candidate balks at debate exclusion

Libertarian candidate makes push for Nevada's Ron Paul supporters

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AP Photo/The New Mexican, Clyde Mueller

Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson announces his bid for the Libertarian Party nomination for president of the United States, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011, in the rotunda of the New Mexico State Capitol in Santa Fe, N.M. Johnson, a long-shot candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, said Wednesday he was leaving the GOP in favor of running as aLibertarian.

By Karoun Demirjian (contact)

Friday, Oct. 5, 2012 | 2 a.m.

Washington

When the election is this near and polls are this close, it often seems like any soft breeze could tip the scales in favor of one presidential candidate or the other.

Such as a good jobs report. Or a bad debate performance.

Or a third party candidate.

Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Partys pick for 2012, hasnt gained as much recognition as his third-party predecessors.

He hasnt been invited to participate in the debates, as Ross Perot was in 1992. He hasnt yet captured as many headlines as did the 2000 cycles Ralph Nader, whose 90,000 votes in Florida tipped the scales out of former vice president Al Gores favor enough that George W. Bush was eventually awarded the states electoral votes and became president.

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Libertarian candidate makes push for Nevada's Ron Paul supporters

Libertarian candidate shares ideas in Centerville

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By Jeremy P. Kelley

Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson addressed a packed theater at Centerville High School on Friday, presenting a mix of policy positions from across the political spectrum.

Johnson was a two-term Republican governor of New Mexico, and he calls for dramatic cuts to immediately balance the federal budget. He says Medicare is going broke, Social Securitys retirement age should be increased and federal government departments like education should be abolished and given back to state control.

But Johnson, speaking in a sport coat, jeans and a peace symbol T-shirt, also called for the immediate end of American military intervention abroad; repeal of the Patriot Act and the Department of Homeland Security; the legalization, regulation and taxing of some drugs; and support for gay marriage.

I think most people in this country are fiscally responsible and socially accepting, Johnson said, adding he avoids the word tolerant. I think actually we dont really care at all as long as that behavior doesnt negatively impact our lives.

Johnson is one of seven presidential candidates listed on the Ohio ballot this fall, joining Socialist Stewart Alexander, Independent Richard Duncan, the Constitution Partys Virgil Goode, Democrat Barack Obama, Republican Mitt Romney and the Green Partys Jill Stein.

But Johnson pointed out that most third party candidates are on the ballot in half or fewer of the 50 states. Johnson is currently on the ballot in 47 states and is fighting in court to be listed in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Oklahoma.

Third-party candidates have rarely garnered much support in presidential elections, as some voters fear wasting their vote on someone they believe cant win.

A wasted vote is voting for somebody that you dont believe in, Johnson said Friday. You should vote for who you believe in. Thats how you change things in this country. Im making a request of everybody, to waste their vote on me. And if everybody will do that, Im the next president of the United States.

With this election focused so heavily on jobs and the economy, Johnson aims to restore Americas industrial might by replacing corporate, personal and other income taxes with the FairTax plan, which places a flat consumption tax on all retail sales. Johnson believes that move would cause corporations and jobs to flock back to the United States, creating an explosion of growth in the tax base.

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Libertarian candidate shares ideas in Centerville

For Sale: Greek Islands, Marinas and Tax Offices

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Got some cash to spend? How about a piece of the Greek islands of Rhodes or Corfu? Or a royal palace, a marina, or even a consulate building?

As Greece is struggling to appease international lenders and live up to the conditions of its bailout, the debt-choked nation is speeding up the sale of state assets by expanding its privatization program.

Greece's state fund (Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund or HRADF) now has more than 70,000 state owned properties on offer for investors and it aims to generate 19 billion euro ($24.5 billion) by 2015 via the sales.

The state's properties include a 119,800 square meter peninsula with a palace hotel complex and a marina, a 450,000 square meter area in Rhodes with an 18-hole golf course and 4 miles of beach, a coastline in Corfu, an airport area in Athens and the 2004 Athens Olympics broadcast centre.

Apart from land areas, Greece is also offering its government buildings. Greece's ministries of justice, health, education and culture are seeking to rent out some of their buildings, and although the country is coping with rampant tax evasion, 13 of its tax offices are on offer for privatization as well.

Last week, Greece completed its first privatization deal by leasing the International Broadcast Centre, used during the 2004 Olympics, to development group Lamda. The group is paying 81 million euros ($104.7 million) to lease the 73,000 square-foot area for 90 years, a price Odisseas Athanassiou, CEO of Lamda Development, said is "fair."

"The deal made financial sense," Athanassiou told CNBC, and rejected rumors that the agreement was made to please Greece's international lenders.

But Sam Zell, U.S. real estate mogul and chairman of Equity Group Investments, told CNCB that a similar retail property would cost "dramatically less" in the U.S. and added that he wasn't familiar with the Greek commercial real estate market.

Privatization Wobbles

Greece's plans to launch a privatization program have been postponed several times because of the country's political uncertainty, but a source at the state fund told CNBC it is ready to make up for this "wasted time".

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For Sale: Greek Islands, Marinas and Tax Offices