High bacteria levels prompt advisories at five Pinellas beaches

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By Andy Thomason, Times Staff Writer Andy ThomasonTampa Bay Times In Print: Thursday, July 19, 2012

Tropical Storm Debby dissipated almost three weeks ago, but it may still be leaving a bad taste in the mouths of some Pinellas County beachgoers whether they know it or not.

The Pinellas County Health Department issued an advisory Wednesday declaring the water at five of Pinellas County's popular beaches a potential health risk due to high bacteria counts.

The culprit? Fecal matter that was washed from the land into the gulf by Debby's torrential rains.

Maggie Hall, public information director for the Health Department, said she doesn't recall a previous advisory involving so many local beaches. "Debby just drowned the state," she said.

The beaches named in the advisory are Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin, Sand Key Park in Clearwater, Indian Rocks Beach near the 1700 block of Gulf Boulevard, Archibald Park at Madeira Beach, and Redington Shores near 182nd Avenue W.

Hall didn't rule out the possibility of water at adjacent beaches also being contaminated.

While the beaches remain open, signs have been erected stating that swimming is not recommended because of "increased risk of illness."

Fecal contamination in the water can lead to infection or rashes, so children and people with compromised immune systems shouldn't get in the water. But the average person probably wouldn't get sick, Hall said.

"It's not going to kill you to be in water with a higher (bacteria) count, but it's just not very clean," she said.

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High bacteria levels prompt advisories at five Pinellas beaches

Scituate beaches: Seaweed issue prompts policy

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After considerable discussion on how to deal with the problem of seaweed on the beaches, the Scituate Board of Selectmen voted to adopt the Scituate Public Swim Beach Seaweed Removal Policy at their July 10 meeting.

The policy was developed by Scituate Department of Public Works (DPW) Director, Al Bangert; Scituate Conservation Agent Jim OConnell; Scituate Health Director, Jennifer Sullivan; and Scituate Recreation Director Jennifer Vitelli.

All were present at the July 10 meeting.

The purpose of this policy is to establish the protocol for removing seaweed and other debris from guarded public beaches during the summer swim season, Bangert explained. The policy must balance the desire of citizens to use the beaches for recreation purposes, with the environmental impact of modifying the natural processes of beach dynamics and foraging habitat for shorebirds and wildlife.

Sullivan said, All departments aired their concerns and limitations in developing this policy.

According to the policy, the recreation director and the director of public health will discuss the status of a beach with the conservation agent and together they will make the decision to activate a beach cleanup.

In terms of the method of seaweed removal, the DPW will obtain an Order of Conditions from the conservation commission for beach cleanup on public land.

The primary means of removal will entail using small machines with finger-like grabbles to minimize sand removal. A secondary means of removal will be using front-end loaders. A determination will be made of the approximate quantity of sand removed, and the beach will be re-nourished with an equal quantity of beach-compatible sand.

The removed material will be disposed of at the Bourne landfill, or other approved sites.

During the discussion on the issue at the July 10 selectmen meeting, Selectmen Chairman Joseph Norton said that the board is cognizant that Scituate is a beach community, so were very aware of the seaweed periodically building up on the beaches often takes care of itself.

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Ahead of his time, Turing's pardon is now long overdue

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The Irish Times - Thursday, July 19, 2012

KARLIN LILLINGTON

THE GREAT British mathematician, second World War codebreaker and computer scientist Alan Turing has become one of the heroes of modern computing for his challenging intellect, his intriguing insights into computing problems and artificial intelligence, and of course, his critical role at Britains Bletchley Park in cracking the devilishly complicated Enigma Machine code, which the Nazis used to encrypt messages during the war.

Ultimately, he was treated atrociously by the very government he served so well despite the fact that the cracking of the Enigma code in particular is credited with shortening the length of the war and saving many millions of lives.

He was prosecuted in 1952 under Britains old anti-homosexuality laws, and given the choice of prison or the humility of chemical castration with female hormone injections, choosing if this could even be viewed as a choice the latter. Due to his sexual preference, he was stripped of his high-security clearances and could no longer do the high-level intelligence and mathematical work he loved.

He died in 1954 of cyanide poisoning officially ruled a suicide, although some, including his mother, believed his death was accidental.

This year marks the centenary of his birth, and has seen many global initiatives in his honour. One in Ireland, which provided a multilayered look at Turings legacy, was a well attended session at the Euroscience Open Forum last week at which four speakers weighed his ideas and influence.

UCD philosophy professor Dermot Moran considered whether his famous Turing Test of artificial intelligence could be accepted as a mark of true intelligence; Oxford mathematician (and frequent BBC science presenter) Prof Marcus du Sautoy looked at some mathematical influences behind Turings view of computation, UCD cognitive science professor Mark Keane examined how human activities might be viewed as different forms of computation; and IBM researcher Freddy Lecue delved into the development of artificial intelligence since Turing.

It was an exhilarating afternoon. I found it particularly interesting to hear a philosophers perspective on Turings ideas around artificial intelligence and the Turing Test, which Turing envisioned as a gauge of machine intelligence.

In the test, proposed in his paper Computing Machinery and Intelligence, a person would have a conversation at the same time with a human and a computer. They would not be able to see either, and hence would not know which was which. If the human could not distinguish between the other human and machine, Turing proposed that this would be a mark of whether a machine could think.

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Ahead of his time, Turing's pardon is now long overdue

Predictive Analytics Software supports aerospace and defense.

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AUSTIN, Texas -- Clockwork, a global leader of predictive analytic solutions for enterprise asset management (EAM), today announced their Aerospace and Defense product suite designed to improve availability, reduce repair parts inventory and drive down life cycle costs of critical air and ground platforms. The company has significant experience in the Aerospace and Defense sector and has built this product suite to fill the gap in predicting and forecasting parts and maintenance requirements for high these highly valued assets.

"The substantial costs to buy and maintain these platforms, along with tight budgets and increased military demand have put pressure on the Aerospace and Defense industry to develop new strategies to ensure fleet availability without increasing costs," stated Sean Connors, CEO. "Optimizing the life cycle of these expensive mission critical assets addresses these concerns and provides a new innovative approach to managing the bottom line."

The Aerospace and Defense industry is looking for solutions to better manage their operations under restricted budgets. The ability to predict an asset failure, the labor workload associated with fleet maintenance, and the optimized repair parts demand is essential to managing in the current environment. Repair parts and service for a single maintenance request can cost millions, but with Clockwork's products one can minimize cost, maximize uptime, and predict the best time to perform maintenance for these critical platforms:

DESIGN products are predictive analytic offerings that provide defense systems design firms and their military customers the ability to reduce life cycle costs during asset design phases.

DEMAND predictive analytic offerings provide defense logistics planners the ability to improve fleet readiness while reducing repair parts and maintenance costs.

COMMAND predictive analytic offerings are focused on the evaluation, implementation, and ongoing support of a predictive maintenance solution for individual platforms and fleets, assessing and managing the risk of possible component/part failure.

To learn more about Clockwork's experience and detailed product information in the Aerospace and Defense industry visit http://www.clockwork-solutions.com/ae... or email us at info@clockwork-solutions.com.

About Clockwork: Clockwork is a global leader of predictive analytic solutions for enterprise asset management (EAM) that improve availability and reduce repair parts inventory and maintenance costs of capital intensive assets. The company has years of experience serving the needs of the Aerospace and Defense, Energy, Heavy Machinery and Transportation industries by providing cutting edge solutions to help analyze their data, giving them visibility to each phase of an asset's life cycle, resulting in billions worth of savings. For more information visit http://www.clockwork-solutions.com.

CONTACT: Tracey Ellis, +1-952-237-2018, tellis@clockwork-solutions.com

Web Site: http://www.clockwork-solutions.com

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Predictive Analytics Software supports aerospace and defense.

Aerospace industry fears looming defense cut, lack of R&D

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WASHINGTON Sen. Maria Cantwell opened a Senate subcommittee hearing Wednesday afternoon to explore how Boeing and other American aerospace companies can fend off rising competition from China, Brazil, Europe and other global rivals.

But earlier in the day, on the other side of the Capitol, U.S. aerospace executives testified about a more immediate threat from home the looming $1.2 trillion in automatic federal spending cuts over 10 years that would eliminate scores of defense-related jobs.

The dueling House and Senate hearings offered a real-time view of the ways that Congress sometimes seems to work at cross-purposes.

At a morning hearing before the House Armed Services Committee, the heads of Lockheed Martin, EADS North America and two other defense contractors vented their frustration over the automatic spending cuts that will kick in Jan. 2 unless Congress can agree to an alternative.

One witness, Pratt & Whitney President David Hess, went as far as to suggest that Congress consider raising taxes to minimize budget reductions.

Democrats and Republicans have been deadlocked for a year on how to implement deep cuts that the GOP extracted last summer as part of the debate over raising the federal debt ceiling. The automatic cuts, split evenly between defense and nondefense programs, were intended as a poison pill to spur a bipartisan "supercommittee" co-led by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. to forge a more sensible alternative.

But the supercommittee collapsed last November and the two parties are no closer today on just how to avert the cuts. Republicans are intent on preventing what they call "a catastrophic" hit to the Pentagon's budget. Murray and other Democratic leaders are just as insistent the Pentagon shouldn't be protected without equal consideration for cuts slated for education, housing, environmental and other nondefense programs.

Rep. Adam Smith of Tacoma, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, couldn't resist pointing out that lawmakers who believed they could swiftly slash federal spending without economic consequences were wrongheaded.

"It's that attitude that led us to where we are sitting here today," Smith said. "Government spending matters."

A report commissioned by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) and released Tuesday concluded that the cuts would trigger the biggest one-year drop in the gross domestic product, about $215 billion, directly and indirectly. The report also projected that more than 2 million jobs would vanish.

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Aerospace industry fears looming defense cut, lack of R&D

Ball Aerospace's STPSat-3 to Fly Solar TIM Instrument for NOAA

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BOULDER, Colo., July 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. will integrate the Total Irradiance Monitor (TIM), to fly aboard the STPSat-3 spacecraft built for the US Air Force (USAF). A cooperative agreement between NASA, NOAA and the USAF will allow the TIM instrument to catch a ride on STPSat-3 to be launched in 2013.

This TIM instrument was originally intended to fly as a space shuttle Hitchhiker payload as part of the University of Colorado, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP's) SORCE program. The TIM Hitchhiker instrument will measure the Sun's net energy output or total solar irradiance (TSI), continuing a 35-year climate data record that is a key component in understanding the Earth climate system.

The 2013 flight provides a continuity of measurements between the currently flying NASA SORCE program launched in January 2003, and the Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS) mission that is now part of NOAA's JPSS program. Along with TSIS, the JPSS program incorporates a broad set of critical weather and climate measurements, and includes the nation's next state-of-the-art civil polar weather satellite, JPSS-1, also being built by Ball Aerospace in preparation for a 2017 launch.

"This cost effective solution and rapid schedule will help to mitigate the potential gap left by the loss of the Glory mission in this critically important climate data record," said David L. Taylor, President and CEO of Ball Aerospace. "The STPSat-3 was built in only 47 days, and demonstrated the outstanding flexibility of its standardized interface approach by accommodating additional payloads after the spacecraft was completed."

The TIM instrument will be one of five payloads on board the USAF STPSat-3 spacecraft when it launches aboard a Minotaur I in 2013. The launch will be part of the Operationally Responsive Space enabler launch mission (ORS-3).

The STP-SIV series of satellites built by Ball Aerospace successfully prove the concept of standard interface vehicles for the USAF Space and Missile Systems Center, Space Development & Test Directorate (SMC/SD). The first in the series, STPSat-2, launched on November 19, 2010. The STP-SIV standard interface supports a variety of experimental and risk reduction payloads at different low-Earth orbits, and is compatible with multiple launch vehicles.

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. supports critical missions for national agencies such as the Department of Defense, NASA, NOAA and other U.S. government and commercial entities. The company develops and manufactures spacecraft, advanced instruments and sensors, components, data exploitation systems and RF solutions for strategic, tactical and scientific applications. For more information visit http://www.ballaerospace.com.

Ball Corporation (BLL) is a supplier of high quality packaging for beverage, food and household products customers, and of aerospace and other technologies and services, primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ more than 14,500 people worldwide and reported 2011 sales of more than $8.6 billion. For the latest Ball news and for other company information, please visit http://www.ball.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains "forward-looking" statements concerning future events and financial performance. Words such as "expects," "anticipates, " "estimates" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. 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. Key risks and uncertainties are summarized in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Exhibit 99.2 in our Form 10-K, which are available on our website and at http://www.sec.gov. Factors that might affect our packaging segments include fluctuation in product demand and preferences; availability and cost of raw materials; competitive packaging availability, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; crop yields; competitive activity; failure to achieve anticipated productivity improvements or production cost reductions; mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; changes in major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier; political instability and sanctions; and changes in foreign exchange rates or tax rates. Factors that might affect our aerospace segment include: funding, authorization, availability and returns of government and commercial contracts; and delays, extensions and technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts. Factors that might affect the company as a whole include those listed plus: accounting changes; changes in senior management; the recent global recession and its effects on liquidity, credit risk, asset values and the economy; successful or unsuccessful acquisitions; regulatory action or laws including tax, environmental, health and workplace safety, including U.S. FDA and other actions affecting products filled in our containers, or chemicals or substances used in raw materials or in the manufacturing process; governmental investigations; technological developments and innovations; goodwill impairment; antitrust, patent and other litigation; strikes; labor cost changes; rates of return projected and earned on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; pension changes; uncertainties surrounding the U.S. government budget and debt limit; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and changes to unaudited results due to statutory audits or other effects.

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Ball Aerospace's STPSat-3 to Fly Solar TIM Instrument for NOAA

DSM completes acquisition of Ocean Nutrition Canada and expands its Nutritional Lipids growth platform

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Royal DSM, the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company, announced today that it has successfully completed the acquisition of Ocean Nutrition Canada, the leading global provider of fish-oil derived nutritional products to the dietary supplement and food and beverage markets. The acquisition, announced on 18 May 2012, strengthens and complements DSM`s newly established, global Nutritional Lipids growth platform. The acquisition, for a total enterprise value of CAD 540 million, is expected to be EPS accretive from 2013 onwards.

Feike Sijbesma, CEO and Chairman of the DSM Managing Board, said: "With the completion of this transaction we have now completed 1.7 billion worth of growth enhancing acquisitions since we embarked on our current strategic plan less than two years ago, including nearly 1.3 billion in the Nutrition cluster, as we continue to further improve our attractive portfolio in health, nutrition and materials to deliver shareholder value with stronger, more stable growth and profitability. After our successful acquisition of Martek in 2011, the acquisition of Ocean Nutrition Canada is the logical next step in developing our Nutritional Lipids into a major growth platform for our Nutrition cluster."

Leendert Staal, President and CEO of DSM Nutritional Products, commented: "Having completed the acquisition in a timeframe of only two months, we are very pleased to welcome all employees of Ocean Nutrition Canada to DSM today and I look forward to developing this exciting opportunity together. Our attention is now fully focused on ensuring a smooth integration of the business in a timely and efficient manner. Business continuity and customer satisfaction will remain key priorities for us as we focus on future synergy generation between both businesses."

Strategic rationale With the acquisition of Ocean Nutrition Canada, DSM strengthens and complements its Nutritional Lipids growth platform, which was established after the acquisition of Martek in 2011. DSM can now uniquely offer a full range of products in the rapidly growing nutritional lipids category, offering both fish oil derived omega-3 fatty acids and microbially derived nutritional lipids.

The nutritional lipids category is at an early stage yet well established and is based on strong science, offering significant growth opportunities across a broad range of market segments and applications. Healthy nutritional lipids have been shown in a growing body of scientific evidence to provide significant health benefits and support brain, eye, and cardiovascular health throughout life, yet many consumers do not include enough in their daily diets because dietary sources are limited. In particular, leading experts have noted the important health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, a specific class of nutritional lipids.

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), is an omega-3 fatty acid abundant in the brain and retina and important to supporting brain health throughout life. EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) is also an omega-3 fatty acid important for human health. Together, EPA and DHA have been identified as important to supporting cardiovascular health throughout life.

Ocean Nutrition Canada is the leading provider of fish-derived DHA and EPA omega-3 with its MEG-3 product line. DSM is the leading provider of microbial DHA from algae with its life`sDHA(TM) product line. Also part of the DSM portfolio is life`sARA(TM), a microbially derived nutritional lipid called ARA (arachidonic acid). ARA is an omega-6 fatty acid and the principal omega-6 in the brain. Like DHA, ARA is important for proper brain development in infants.

Given the very different value proposition and pricing of fish oil derived omega-3s compared to microbial derived nutritional lipids, these products do not compete. In fact, Ocean Nutrition Canada`s fish derived omega-3 products are highly complementary to DSM`s existing microbially derived nutritional lipid products as they address different customer needs and reach different market segments.

The acquisition allows DSM to strengthen and complement its newly established, global Nutritional Lipids growth platform. It strengthens DSM`s position in the North American dietary supplement market by adding fish-oil derived omega-3 fatty acids to its portfolio and it allows DSM to further leverage its global infrastructure to expand Ocean Nutrition Canada`s sales in dietary supplement markets outside North America and in the food and beverage markets worldwide. In addition, by leveraging forms, encapsulation and emulsification technologies, the range of applications and products can be expanded.

DSM expects the transaction to be EPS accretive from 2013 onwards. The acquisition is expected to accelerate revenue growth through material revenue synergies with expanded distribution, marketing and product development. Customary operational efficiencies will also be realized in the integration process.

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DSM completes acquisition of Ocean Nutrition Canada and expands its Nutritional Lipids growth platform

DNA analysis of ancient remains to uncover origin mysteries

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Public release date: 17-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Deborah Marshall d.mashall@griffith.edu.au 61-040-872-7734 Griffith University

Griffith University researchers will analyse DNA sequences from ancient human remains, some dating back 45,000 years, to determine the origins of the peoples of South-east Asia and Australia.

In collaboration with the Universities of Auckland, Copenhagen and New South Wales, the researchers will analyse human remains from continental and oceanic Asia and Australia using more powerful newly developed ancient DNA sequencing methods.

Chief Investigator Professor David Lambert from the School of Environment says understanding where the earliest people of Asia and continental Australia came from is critical to understanding modern human evolution.

"The recent sequencing of the Australian Aboriginal genome has identified two waves of human migration through Asia,'' he said.

"Aboriginal Australians descended from an early human dispersal into eastern Asia, possibly 62,000 to 75,000 years ago.

"This dispersal is separate from the one that gave rise to modern Asians 25,000 to 38,000 years ago, although there is evidence for hybridisation between them."

The researchers aim to identify descendent individuals from both lineages and detect historic patterns of interbreeding among these early people.

Professor Paul Tacon from Griffith University's Place, Evolution & Rock Art Heritage Unit said the research was a world-first study to attempt to recover human DNA sequences from more than 80 ancient human remains collected from a range of time points.

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DNA experts testify at Main Street shooting trial

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Jurors at the attempted-murder trial of Robert Zlahn got a heavy dose of DNA on Wednesday as scientific experts offered different conclusions about whether another man touched the pistol used in the crime.

The third day of Zlahns trial for the shooting on Main Street on July 1, 2011, was dominated by lengthy testimony from two DNA experts. A state crime lab expert who tested for gunshot residue and the first police officer to interview Zlahn also testified Wednesday.

Zlahn, 26, is accused of shooting a .45-caliber pistol three times at Ryan Grosulak at the intersection of Main Street and Pemberton Lane. The shooting happened after Grosulak, a former star football player and a bodybuilder, tried to confront the men who had allegedly harassed his girlfriend outside the couples apartment.

Zlahn is charged with attempted deliberate homicide, criminal endangerment and tampering. His trial before Judge Mary Jane Knisely began Monday with jury selection and opening statements. Court officials said Wednesday that the trial will continue into next week.

Testimony on Tuesday included the accounts of Grosulak and his girlfriend, Alanna Vincent. She said she was terrified by two black men in a maroon minivan who confronted her outside her apartment and made sexually offensive remarks.

Grosulak told jurors he went looking for the men and found them in the minivan at the busy Heights intersection at about 3 p.m. After exchanging words, the driver of the van whom Grosulak described as a black man with short hair shot at him three times, Grosulak said.

Sean Bowers also testified Tuesday, telling jurors he had stepped out of the van during the verbal exchange with Grosulak and saw his friend, Zlahn, fire the pistol during the confrontation.

Former police officer Joseph Dickerson was the first witness to testify Wednesday, describing how he was called to the shooting scene and interviewed Zlahn after another officer stopped Zlahn, Bowers and a third man, Samuel Bettie, as they were walking on Bench Boulevard shortly after the shooting.

Zlahn denied being involved in a shooting, Dickerson said, and encouraged officers to go try to find the people responsible.

Bahne Klietz, a forensic chemist at the Montana State Crime Lab, also testified Wednesday. She said swabs taken from Zlahn, Bowers and Bettie showed all three men had some amount of gunshot residue on their hands or faces.

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DNA experts testify at Main Street shooting trial

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Supreme Court stays DNA ruling

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The U.S. Supreme Court has put on hold at least for a week a ruling by Marylands highest court that prohibits DNA collection from suspects charged but not yet convicted in violent crimes.

Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler had asked the nations highest court to intervene in the case of Alonzo Jay King Jr. v. State of Maryland after his bid failed to have the Maryland Court of Appeals reverse its own decision. The order grants a stay until at least July 25.

In a statement, Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler said he was encouraged by the order which may indeed result in identifying perpetrators in some of Marylands most horrific unsolved cases where DNA was left at the scene of the crime. David Paulson, a Gansler spokesman, said police agencies certainly may resume DNA collection, though lawyers in the attorney generals office were still weighing how they would advise those agencies on how to proceed.

Stephen Mercer, the chief attorney for the Office of the Maryland Public Defenders Forensics Division, said the public defenders office, which opposes the pre-conviction DNA testing, was preparing to respond immediately.

The case centers on Maryland legislation, which, starting in 2009, allowed police to collect DNA from suspects after they were charged with violent crimes or burglaries. Before then, police had been able to collect DNA only from convicted criminals.

Alonzo Jay King Jr. challenged the law after he was arrested in Wicomico County in April 2009 on first- and second-degree assault charges. Prosecutors used a DNA swab stemming from that case to connect him to a 2003 rape. He was eventually convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the rape.

But in a 5 to 2 ruling, the Maryland Court of Appeals sent Kings case back to the Wicomico County Circuit Court and threw out the DNA evidence against him, saying investigators violated his Fourth Amendment rights in taking his genetic material and comparing it with old crime scene samples. The ruling was condemned by prosecutors and police chiefs, who said it would hamper detectives ability to solve cold cases and jeopardize the convictions of 34 robbers, burglars and rapists whose genetic samples were taken after they were charged in separate cases.

Police across the state had stopped collecting DNA from charged suspects in the wake of the Court of Appeals ruling. It remains unclear how they will proceed as the case continues to make its way through the nations court system.

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Supreme Court stays DNA ruling

Posted in DNA

CU-Boulder accepting bids to relocate 3 Grandview Terrace houses

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The University of Colorado announced today that it will be accepting proposals from qualified house movers and contractors to relocate three university-owned houses in Grandview Terrace.

The three houses -- 1220, 1243 and 1244 Grandview Avenue -- were all built in the 1920s and cannot be remodeled due to the cost, an estimated $2 million for all three properties. The buildings were vacated when faculty and staff with CU's Institute of Behavioral Science moved into a new building in 2010.

We don't want these buildings to become a neighborhood nuisance, and we want to give the public and members of the community an opportunity to relocate them if that is feasible and people are interested, said CU Interim Vice Chancellor for Administration Jeff Lipton in a statement.

CU originally notified the city in March that it planned to raze five buildings in Grandview Terrace unless someone from the city or residents stepped in to move the structures.

City spokeswoman Jody Jacobson said the city would not be putting in a bid, but is helping to find potential bidders.

"We would like to see these buildings preserved, but the city is not putting in a bid," she said.

The university is not accepting bids on the other two properties in that original memo and are not scheduled to demolish either building. The house at 1232 Grandview Ave. is currently being rented out and CU entered into an agreement with the city to take another look at alternative uses for the property at 1446 Broadway.

CU has no immediate plans to build on the properties, officials say, but instead will use the land for parking in the short term.

The five buildings are all located outside of the "Grandview Preserve," an area defined in a 2001 memorandum of agreement between the city and the university to protect historic buildings.

The university will accept proposals for relocation through Oct. 17. A proposal evaluation and selection period will then be conducted from Oct. 18 through Oct. 25, with contract award notifications going out on Oct. 29.

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CU-Boulder accepting bids to relocate 3 Grandview Terrace houses

NASA | Before the Flare – Video

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16-07-2012 16:12 The sun emitted a large flare on July 12, 2012, but earlier in the week it gave a demonstration of how gorgeous solar activity can be. This movie shows the sun from late July 8 to early July 10 shortly before it unleashed an X-class flare beginning at 12:11 PM EDT on July 12 as captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The flare isn't shown here, but the movie shows how the sun is constantly, and complexly, active. The region responsible for the flare, known as Active Region 1520, and sitting in the lower left part of the sun, crackles with giant loops of magnetized solar material that can help scientists understand how magnetic energy in the region creates these giant explosions. On the right side of the sun, the shimmering loops offer us the last vision of Active Region 1515 -- which was also responsible for many solar flares -- as it disappears out of view along with the sun's rotation. The movie represents light in the 171 Angstrom wavelength, a wavelength of light that is particularly good at highlighting these magnetic loops. This video is public domain and can be downloaded at: Like our videos? Subscribe to NASA's Goddard Shorts HD podcast: Or find NASA Goddard Space Flight Center on facebook: Or find us on Twitter:

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NASA | Before the Flare - Video

NASA expects Mars Odyssey orbiter to recover from malfunction

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The 11-year-old orbiter tasked with monitoring Curiosity's landing has lost the use of one of its three reaction wheels, but NASA says it will be fine.

A veteran NASA spacecraft in orbit around Mars is slowly bouncing back from a malfunction suffered last month, but mission managers expect the orbiter to make a full recovery, agency officials said.

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In early June, NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter lost the use of one of its three reaction wheels, which help control the probe's attitude and orientation in space without needing to fire thrusters.

When the wheel jammed, Odyssey placed itself into a so-called safe mode, which points the spacecraft toward Earth (rather than its normal downward position facing Mars) to ensure better communications access. Mission controllers then instructed Odyssey to use a spare reaction wheel onboard as they assessed the situation.

On July 11, after performing a maneuver to adjust its orbit, Odyssey again placed itself into a precautionary safe mode. The spacecraft remained in this state for 21 hours before mission managers began recovering normal operations, according to NASA officials.

"It's out of safe mode and they're adding science observations and functions a day at a time, in the process of getting it back to full operations," said Guy Webster, a spokesman at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif. [Mars Odyssey: Pictures from Longest Mars Mission]

Mission controllers are expecting the 11-year-old orbiter to eventually resume its regular tasks.

"We are on a cautious path to resume Odyssey's science and relay operations soon," Gaylon McSmith, Odyssey project manager at JPL in Pasadena, Calif., said in a statement last week.

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NASA expects Mars Odyssey orbiter to recover from malfunction

NASA says Mars Odyssey orbiter will likely recover from glitch (+video)

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The 11-year-old orbiter tasked with monitoring Curiosity's landing has lost the use of one of its three reaction wheels, but NASA says it will be fine.

A veteran NASA spacecraft in orbit around Mars is slowly bouncing back from a malfunction suffered last month, but mission managers expect the orbiter to make a full recovery, agency officials said.

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition

In early June, NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter lost the use of one of its three reaction wheels, which help control the probe's attitude and orientation in space without needing to fire thrusters.

When the wheel jammed, Odyssey placed itself into a so-called safe mode, which points the spacecraft toward Earth (rather than its normal downward position facing Mars) to ensure better communications access. Mission controllers then instructed Odyssey to use a spare reaction wheel onboard as they assessed the situation.

On July 11, after performing a maneuver to adjust its orbit, Odyssey again placed itself into a precautionary safe mode. The spacecraft remained in this state for 21 hours before mission managers began recovering normal operations, according to NASA officials.

"It's out of safe mode and they're adding science observations and functions a day at a time, in the process of getting it back to full operations," said Guy Webster, a spokesman at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif. [Mars Odyssey: Pictures from Longest Mars Mission]

Mission controllers are expecting the 11-year-old orbiter to eventually resume its regular tasks.

"We are on a cautious path to resume Odyssey's science and relay operations soon," Gaylon McSmith, Odyssey project manager at JPL in Pasadena, Calif., said in a statement last week.

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NASA says Mars Odyssey orbiter will likely recover from glitch (+video)

NASA hopes Mars rover landing will be 'grand and profound'

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NASA's Curiosity Mars rover, which is scheduled to touch down on the Red Planet on August 6, is the most advanced robot ever sent to another world.

In the early morning hours of Aug. 6, NASA and space enthusiasts across the world will be able to monitor the Mars landing of the most advanced robot ever to be sent to another world.

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Named Curiosity, the robot or rover has been heading toward Mars for nearly eight months. The landing is scheduled for 1:31 a.m. EDT.

Is it crazy? Not so much, said Doug McCuistion, the director of the Mars Exploration Program. Is it risky? Landing on Mars is always risky. Every landing is unique. Every landing is like a first.

At a news conference Monday, NASA scientists said they were looking for evidence that life existed on Mars billions of years ago. This evidence could include indicators of water, sources of energy or sources of carbon all of which are essential to sustain life.

Curiosity was launched into space last Nov. 26 from Cape Canaveral, Fla. The rover will go from 13,000 mph to zero in seven minutes, and will land in Gale Crater, which NASA scientists think held water billions of years ago.

In the middle of Gale is Mount Sharp, a mountain thats taller than any in the Lower 48 U.S. states, said John Grotzinger, a NASA scientist whos working on the mission. Curiosity will explore the crater and the mountain, looking for clues of life.

I see it as an extraordinary opportunity to get a bearing on our own existence on Earth, Grotzinger said. Ascending Mount Sharp, were going to go through the major eras in the history of Mars that give us the basis for comparison to our own planet.

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NASA hopes Mars rover landing will be 'grand and profound'

Zyvex Marine launches LRV-17 Long Range Vessel as the first nano-composite manned boat

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SEATTLE,COLUMBUS, Ohioand DUBAI, July 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Zyvex Marine, a division of Zyvex Technologies, the world's first molecular nanotechnology company, today announced the global launch of the LRV-17. The advanced Long Range Vessel is designed for fuel efficiency and rough sea stabilization with a sprint speed over 40 knots and a range of over 1,500 nautical miles, more than three times the range of comparatively sized vessels.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120718/CG42070)

Global Maritime Security Solutions (GMSS), a leading maritime security company based in Dubai, will deploy the vessels for maritime security, including piracy protection, off the coast of Africa and surrounding areas.

The LRV-17 is built from Arovex, a carbon fiber nano-composite system (carbon fiber reinforced plastic enhanced with carbon nanotubes or CFRP-CNT) that reduces structural weight, allowing for more efficient fuel usage and increased range. This is the first time nano-composites have been used as the primary material for a manned vessel.

The LRV-17 is modeled after the Piranha Unmanned Surface Vessel, which debuted in 2010. The Piranha received global attention and established Zyvex as a pioneer of nano-composite marine manufacturing. The vessel now joins several technology applications using Arovex.

"As the first molecular nanotechnology engineering company in the marine industry, we are proud to launch a manned vessel platform after successfully proving the unmanned platform and then introducing the industry's lightest and most durable doors, hatches, and other marine closures. These applications of nano-composites are advancing commercial and defense partners' capabilities when it comes to safety and efficiency," said Byron Nutley, Vice President of Zyvex Technologies and General Manager of Zyvex Marine.

The 17-meter (57-foot) vessel's deep-V hull is designed for fuel efficiency and uses an active gyroscope stabilizer for improved sea handling and decreased human fatigue factors. It is fully deployable with only two operators and can be equipped with an additional four shock-mitigating seats for support personnel, allowing six crew to remain at sea for over five days. Zyvex Marine performed primary design and engineering, with secondary engineering, installation, and test analysis being performed by partners Pacific Coast Marine, S3 Maritime, Eltech Electric, Seakeeper, and Donald L. Blount and Associates.

GMSS plans to launch a Merchant Vessel Convoy Escort Program by deploying security teams to operatetwo LRV-17s to protect ships en route. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, there were 439 worldwide piracy attacks in 2011. One report estimated the piracy impact on the global economy to be $7 billion for 2011, the most detailed estimate to date. (1)

"The new LRV-17 boats are game changers in maritime security missions because they are the only vessels capable of long range escort and high speeds to deal with multiple pirate threats. They need only small security teams to effectively operate," said Rhynhardt Berrange, Managing Director of GMSS. "These attributes create a cost-effective platform to ensure maritime security. The visible presence of the new vessels is expected to deter and help prevent piracy attempts and attacks."

(1) One Earth Future's Ocean Beyond Piracy Initiative - http://www.cfr.org/france/combating-maritime-piracy/p18376

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Zyvex Marine launches LRV-17 Long Range Vessel as the first nano-composite manned boat

New Report Sports Medicine Devices Market (2012-2017) by MarketsandMarkets

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Sports medicine devices market research report provides comprehensive analysis on global market of sports medicine by products/devices, applications and technology.(PRWEB) July 18, 2012 Sports medicine is a very dynamic field of medicine which has made a mark in the healthcare sector only in the last decade. The field has witnessed a spurt in technology and has grown with the rise in the medical ...

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New Report Sports Medicine Devices Market (2012-2017) by MarketsandMarkets

Penn Medicine Hospitals Recognized for Outstanding Performance by

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PHILADELPHIA The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) (www.pennmedicine.org) has once again been ranked among the top hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The publication's annual ranking of hospitals in America lists HUP as one of only 17 hospitals in the nation to be recognized as an "Honor Roll" hospital for its exceptional performance, based on outstanding quality, expertise, technology, and experience. According to the editors, the Honor Roll distinction "signals both rare breadth and rare depth of medical excellence." HUP is the only hospital in the Philadelphia region to make the 2012-2013 Honor Roll.

In the publication's rating of regional hospitals, all three Penn Medicine hospitals were among the top 10 hospitals in Philadelphia. HUP again topped the list at #1, while Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and Pennsylvania Hospital ranked 3rd and 5th respectively. All three Penn Medicine hospitals also ranked among the top 10 hospitals in Pennsylvania.

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Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $4.3 billion enterprise.

The Perelman School of Medicine is currently ranked #2 in U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $479.3 million awarded in the 2011 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania -- recognized as one of the nation's top 10 hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; and Pennsylvania Hospital the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Penn Medicine also includes additional patient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2011, Penn Medicine provided $854 million to benefit our community.

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Penn Medicine Hospitals Recognized for Outstanding Performance by

Southern California University of Health Sciences to Welcome Beijing University of Chinese Medicine

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WHITTIER, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU), one of the United States most established universities for the study of integrative and complementary medicine, is proud to welcome a special delegation of Traditional Chinese Medicine administrators from the Peoples Republic of China on Thursday, July 19, 2012.

Comprised of officials and key personnel from the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and three other Chinese TCM schools, the delegation will arrive to strengthen and expand the current educational collaborative agreements and scholarly exchange programs with SCU.

They will be received by SCU President Dr. John Scaringe to discuss the current state of TCM education in the United States, and the future direction. Their meeting will include an exchange of gifts among team members, a tour of the 38-acre SCU campus, as well as the sharing of insights and opinions on topics relating to Traditional Chinese Medicine and the international community.

We are very honored with this State visit from the Official Chinese delegation, stated Dr. Scaringe. We look forward to forging stronger ties and developing additional opportunities for scholarly exchange.

SCU is recognized in China as a leading institution for Traditional Chinese Medicine in the United States. For more than 10 years, SCUs College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CAOM has been the only regionally accredited Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AOM) program by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) in California.

A testament to the quality of the AOM program at SCU is the fact that the Chinese government, through the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, has awarded PhD scholarships for TCM to graduates from the CAOM at SCU. In 2011, the Chinese government awarded two PhD scholarships through the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine for two recent SCU AOM graduates.

About Southern California University of Health Sciences:

Since 1911, SCU has prepared thousands of men and women for fulfilling careers in some of the fastest-growing areas of the healthcare industry. Comprised chiefly of the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic and the College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, our comprehensive campus in Whittier, California includes a University Health Center and a School of Professional Studies to give our students a well-rounded and hands-on educational experience.

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Southern California University of Health Sciences to Welcome Beijing University of Chinese Medicine