Subject to the provisions of this section. (2) Period of designation.--The initial period of such designation shall begin on the date of enactment of this Act and shall remain in effect for 18 months. (b) Aliens Eligible.--In applying section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a) pursuant to the designation made under this section, and subject to subsection (c)(3) of such section, an alien who is a national of Haiti is deemed to meet the requirements of subsection (c)(1) of such section only if the alien-- (1) is admissible as an immigrant, except as otherwise provided under subsection (c)(2)(A) of such section, and is not ineligible for temporary protected status under subsection (c)(2)(B) of such section; and (2) registers for temporary protected status in a manner that the Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish. (c) Consent to Travel Abroad.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall give the prior consent to travel abroad described in section 244(f)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a(f)(3)) to an alien who is granted temporary protected status pursuant to the designation made under this section, if the alien establishes to the satisfaction of the Secretary of Homeland Security that emergency and extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the alien require the alien to depart for a brief, temporary trip abroad. An alien returning to the United States in accordance with such an authorization shall be treated the same as any other returning alien provided temporary protected status under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a).


Or any loan or advance of credit represented by such an obligation-- ``(A) involves a principal obligation not exceeding the sum of-- ``(i) the amount of the mortgage insurance premium paid by the borrower at the time that the loan, advance of credit, or purchase is made; and ``(ii) 95 percent of the appraised value of the manufactured home or lot on which to place a manufactured home (or both) for which the loan or advance of credit is made; and ``(B) is made to a borrower who has paid in cash or its equivalent, on account of the manufactured home or lot on which to place a manufactured home (or both) for which the loan or advance of credit is made, at least 3 percent of the Secretary's estimate of the costs of acquisition, alteration, improvements, lot preparation, or other eligible activity for which the loan or advance of credit was made (excluding the amount of the mortgage insurance premium paid by the borrower at the time that the loan or advance of credit is made).''. SEC. 5. INSURANCE BENEFITS. Section 2(b) of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1703(b)), as amended by section 4, is further amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: ``(9) Insurance benefits for manufactured housing loans.-- ``(A) In general.--Any contract of insurance with respect to loans, advances of credit, or purchases in connection with a manufactured home or a lot on which to place a manufactured home (or both) for a financial institution that is executed under this title before or after the date of the enactment of the FHA Manufactured Housing Loan Modernization Act of 2005 by the Secretary shall be conclusive evidence of the eligibility of such financial institution for insurance, and the validity of any contract of insurance so executed shall be incontestable in the hands of the bearer from the date of the execution of such contract, except for fraud or misrepresentation on the part of such institution. ``(B) Losses.--With respect only to a loan, advance of credit, or purchase in connection with a manufactured home or a lot on which to place such a home (or both), the Secretary shall otherwise provide for the payment of insurance benefits under the provisions of this section for losses on such loans, advances, or purchases according to the same terms, conditions, procedures, and requirements applicable under section 204 to a mortgage insured


It is well known that New Physics can contribute to weak decays of heavy mesons via virtual processes during its decays. The discovery of New Physics, using such decays is made difficult due to intractable strong interaction effects needed to describe it. Modes such as B -> K^* l^+ l^- offer an advantage as they provide a multitude of observables via angular analysis. We show how the multitude of "related observables" obtained from B -> K^* l^+ l^-, can provide many new "clean tests" of the Standard Model. The hallmark of these tests is that several of them are independent of the unknown universal form factors in heavy quark effective theory. We derive a relation between observables that is free of form factors and Wilson coefficients, the violation of which will be an unambiguous signal of New Physics. We also derive relations between observables and form factors that are independent of Wilson coefficients and enable verification of hadronic estimates. We show how form factor ratios can be measured directly from helicity fraction with out any assumptions what so ever. We find that the allowed parameter space for observables is very tightly constrained in Standard Model, thereby providing clean signals of New Physics. We examine both the large-recoil and low-recoil regions of the K^* meson and point out special features and derive relations between observables valid in the two limits. In the large-recoil regions several of the relations are unaffected by corrections to all orders in \alpha_s. We present yet another new relation involving only observables that would verify the validity of the relations between form-factors assumed in the low-recoil region. The several relations and constraints derived will provide unambiguous signals of New Physics.


We study in this paper three different theories of gravitation with massive gravitons - the modified Fierz-Pauli (FP) model, Massive Gravity and the bimetric theory proposed by Visser - in linear perturbation theory around a Minkowski and a flat FRW background. For the TT tensor perturbations we show that the three theories give rise to the same dynamical equations and to the same form of the Boltzmann equations for the radiative transfer in General Relativity (GR). We then analyze vector perturbations in these theories and show that they do not give the same results as in the previous case. We first show that vector perturbations in Massive Gravity present the same form as found in General Relativity, whereas in the modified FP theory the vector gravitational-wave (GW) polarization modes ($\Psi_{3}$ amplitudes in the Newman-Penrose (NP) formalism) do not decay too fast as it happens in the former case. Rather, we show that such $\Psi_{3}$ polarization modes give rise to an unusual vector Sachs-Wolfe effect, leaving a signature in the quadrupole form $Y_{2,\pm 1}(\theta,\varphi)$ on the CMB polarization. We then derive the details for the Thomson scattering of CMB photons for these $\Psi_{3}$ modes, and then construct the correspondent Boltzmann equations. Based upon these results we then qualitatively show that $\Psi_{3}$-mode vector signatures -.


May make grants to demonstrate the effectiveness of outreach to populations in rural areas that do not normally seek or do not have access to health or mental health services. Grants shall be awarded to enhance linkages, integration, and cooperation in order to provide health or mental health services, to enhance services, or increase access to or utilization of health or mental health services. ``(b) Mission of the Outreach Projects.--Projects funded under subsection (a) should be designed to facilitate the integration and coordination of services in or among rural communities in order to address the needs of populations living in rural or frontier communities. ``(c) Composition of Program.-- ``(1) Consortium arrangement.--To be eligible to participate in the grant program established under subsection (a), an applicant entity shall be a consortium of three or more separate and distinct entities formed to carry out an outreach project under subsection (b). ``(2) Certain requirements.--A consortium under paragraph (1) shall be composed of three or more public or private nonprofit health care or social service providers. Consortium members may include local health departments, community or migrant health centers, community mental health centers, hospitals or private practices, or other publicly funded health or social service agencies. ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 for fiscal year 1996, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1997 through 2000.''. SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN PAYMENT PROVISIONS FOR MEDICARE DEPENDENT SMALL RURAL HOSPITALS. (a) In General.--Section 1886(d)(5)(G)(i) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(5)(G)(i)) is amended by striking ``October 1, 1994'' and inserting ``October 1, 1999''. (b) Payment.--Section 1886(b)(3)(D) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(b)(3)(D)) is amended by striking ``September 30, 1994'' and inserting ``September 30, 1999''. (C) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take effect as.


A L\'evy noise on $\mathbb{R}^d$ assigns a random real "mass" $\Pi(B)$ to each Borel subset $B$ of $\mathbb{R}^d$ with finite Lebesgue measure. The distribution of $\Pi(B)$ only depends on the Lebesgue measure of $B$, and if $B_1, ..., B_n$ is a finite collection of pairwise disjoint sets, then the random variables $\Pi(B_1), ..., \Pi(B_n)$ are independent with $\Pi(B_1 \cup >... \cup B_n) = \Pi(B_1) + ... + \Pi(B_n)$ almost surely. In particular, the distribution of $\Pi \circ g$ is the same as that of $\Pi$ when $g$ is a bijective transformation of $\mathbb{R}^d$ that preserves Lebesgue measure. It follows from the Hewitt--Savage zero--one law that any event which is almost surely invariant under the mappings $\Pi \mapsto \Pi \circ g$ for every Lebesgue measure preserving bijection $g$ of $\mathbb{R}^d$ must have probability 0 or 1. We investigate whether certain smaller groups of Lebesgue measure preserving bijections also possess this property. We show that if $d \ge 2$, the L\'evy noise is not purely deterministic, and the group consists of linear transformations and is closed, then the invariant events all have probability 0 or 1.


Context. LS I +61 303 is a member of the select group of gamma-ray binaries: galactic binary systems that contain a massive star and a compact object, show a changing milliarcsecond morphology and a similar broad spectral energy distribution (SED) that peaks at MeV-TeV energies and is modulated by the orbital motion. The nature of the compact object is unclear in LS I +61 303, LS 5039 and HESS J0632+057, whereas PSR B1259-63 harbours a 47.74 ms radio pulsar. Aims. A scenario in which a young pulsar wind interacts with the stellar wind has been proposed to explain the very high energy (VHE, E > 100 GeV) gamma-ray emission detected from LS I +61 303, although no pulses have been reported from this system at any wavelength. We aim to find evidence of the pulsar nature of the compact object. Methods. We performed phased array observations with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) at 1280 MHz centred at phase 0.54. Simultaneous data from the multi-bit phased array (PA) back-end with a sampling time of tsamp = 128 microsec and from the polarimeter (PMT) back-end with tsamp = 256 microsec where taken. Results. No pulses have been found in the data set, with a minimum detectable mean flux density of \sim 0.38 mJy at 8-sigma level for the pulsed emission from a putative pulsar with period P >2 ms and duty cycle D = 10% in the direction of LS I +61 303. Conclusions. The detection of posible radio pulsations will require deep and sensitive observations at frequencies \sim0.5-5 GHz and orbital phases 0.6-0.7. However, it may be unfeasible to detect pulses.


An important result in the study of polynomial-time preprocessing shows that there is an algorithm which given an instance (G,k) of Vertex Cover outputs an equivalent instance (G',k') in polynomial time with the guarantee that G' has at most 2k' vertices (and thus O((k')^2) edges) with k' <= k. Using the terminology of parameterized complexity we say that k-Vertex Cover has a kernel with 2k vertices. There is complexity-theoretic evidence that both 2k vertices and Theta(k^2) edges are optimal for the kernel size. In this paper we consider the Vertex Cover problem with a different parameter, the size fvs(G) of a minimum feedback vertex set for G. This refined parameter is structurally smaller than the parameter k associated to the vertex covering number vc(G) since fvs(G) <= vc(G) and the difference can be arbitrarily large. We give a kernel for Vertex Cover with a number of vertices that is cubic in fvs(G): an instance (G,X,k) of Vertex Cover, where X is a feedback vertex set for G, can be transformed in polynomial time into an equivalent instance (G',X',k') such that |V(G')| <= 2k and |V(G')| <= O(|X'|^3). A similar result holds when the feedback vertex set X is not given along with the input. In sharp contrast we show that the Weighted Vertex Cover problem does not have a polynomial kernel when parameterized by the cardinality of a given vertex cover of the graph.


We use high-resolution relativistic MHD simulations coupled with a radiative transfer code to compute multiwavelength afterglow light curves of magnetized ejecta of gamma-ray bursts interacting with a uniform circumburst medium. The aim of our study is to determine how the magnetization of the ejecta at large distance from the central engine influences the afterglow emission, and to assess whether observations can be reliably used to infer the strength of the magnetic field. We find that, for typical parameters of the ejecta, the emission from the reverse shock peaks for magnetization $\sigma_0 \sim 0.01 - 0.1$ of the flow, and that it is greatly suppressed for higher $\sigma_0$. The emission from the forward shock shows an achromatic break shortly after the end of the burst marking the onset of the self-similar evolution of the blast wave. Fitting the early afterglow of GRB 990123 and 090102 with our numerical models we infer respective magnetizations of $\sigma_0 \sim 0.01$ and $\sigma_0 \sim 0.1$ for these bursts. We argue that the lack of observed reverse shock emission from the majority of the bursts can be understood if $\sigma_0 \simmore 0.1$, since we obtain that the luminosity of the reverse shock decreases significantly for $\sigma_0 \sim 1$. For ejecta with $\sigma_0 \simmore 0.1$ our models predict that there is sufficient energy left in the magnetic field, at least during an interval of ~10 times the burst duration, to produce a substantial emission.


We study the nonlinear growth of cosmic structure in different dark energy models, using large volume N-body simulations. We consider a range of quintessence models which feature both rapidly and slowly varying dark energy equations of state, and compare the growth of structure to that in a universe with a cosmological constant. The adoption of a quintessence model changes the expansion history of the universe, the form of the linear theory power spectrum and can alter key observables, such as the horizon scale and the distance to last scattering. We incorporate these effects into our simulations in stages to isolate the impact of each on the growth of structure. The difference in structure formation can be explained to first order by the difference in growth factor at a given epoch; this scaling also accounts for the nonlinear growth at the 15% level. We find that quintessence models that are different from $\Lambda$CDM both today and at high redshifts $(z \sim 1000)$ and which feature late $(z<2)$, rapid transitions in the equation of state, can have identical baryonic acoustic oscillation (BAO) peak positions to those in $\Lambda$CDM. We find that these models have higher abundances of dark matter haloes at $z>0$ compared to $\Lambda$CDM and so measurements of the mass function should allow us to distinguish these quintessence models from a cosmological constant. However, we find that a second class of quintessence models, whose equation of state makes an early $(z>2)$ rapid transition to $w=-1$, cannot be distinguished from $\Lambda$CDM using measurements of the mass function or the BAO, even.


Protecting Your Reputation When You’re Ready to Go A top manager is preparing to leave an organization she set on a good course. What if her successors foul things up and blame her? Image Credit Glenn Harvey Send your workplace conundrums to workologist@nytimes.com, including your name and contact information (even if you want it withheld). The Workologist is a guy with well-intentioned opinions, not a professional career adviser. Letters may be edited. I’m the founding director of a nonprofit that works with local government on legal policy matters. Everyone on my small staff is competent, but all are tied in to political forces in the region. My board of directors is packed with elected officials, as well as a couple of community members. The political influence causes a lot of dysfunction, and I’m happily on my way to another position in a different field. The agency has successfully grown under my direction, but I’m worried that my colleagues will not keep the place functioning smoothly — and that their poor performance will somehow be blamed on me. Is there a checklist or some sort of parting document I can prepare to protect my reputation? LIZ Here’s one (admittedly rude) thought: Get over yourself. That’s a churlish thing to say, but I mean it in the most reassuring way possible. We’ve all had the feeling that our workplace would completely crumble in our absence. It’s rarely true. So at least consider the possibility that the organization will muddle along happily without you. More seriously, the best thing you can do is worry less about your reputation than about the organization itself. “When I think of making a checklist,” says Rebecca Zucker, a partner in the leadership development firm Next Step Partners, “I think, ‘What do I need to make sure is in place before I leave?’” Make sure you’re giving your people the information and guidance you believe they need — and responding to whatever they believe they need. In short, leave the agency “in a good position to continue on the trajectory that you’ve set it on,” Ms. Zucker adds. Even if they louse things up anyway, it’s time to move on. “There is no protecting yourself against blame once you leave a company,” says Camille Fournier, author of “The Manager’s Path” and a managing director at Two Sigma, an investment firm. Accept that this is true, she adds, even.


Fix of wildebeest giving birth? Are you not entertained? In our current political climate, is this not more cathartic television than anything short of Arya’s Frey Faceoff? Starting this Sunday after the Big Game (get it?), the show is airing for five straight nights. The program broadcasts game drives from Sabi Sands, South Africa, and the Maasai Mara, Kenya, zooming in on all kinds of wildlife, from big cats to bugs. It’s the circle of life and you’re all up in it. As co-founder Graham Wallington puts it, “Everything about how we build our safari experience recreates exactly what it feels like to be on the vehicle.” I’ve tagged along in the back of Mara Safari LIVE vehicle and watched an impressive amount of broadcasting, and let me tell you: watching from home has its benefits. All of the excitement of a game drive, none of the danger of tumbling-while-tipsy out of the vehicle to being eaten by lions. Note: Throughout the week of February 4th, Safari LIVE is giving normals-like-us the chance to win a full luxury African safari by playing interactive bingo.* *I, on the other hand, am offering absolutely nothing for you to play my SAFARI SUNDOWNER DRINKING GAME except the utter joy of it, so you should definitely prioritize mine. Without further ado… THE SAFARI SUNDOWNER DRINKING GAME: Unsplash Well, okay, one more ado. For our purposes, a “drink” is a sip of your favorite poison. A proper sundowner is a gin and tonic, but we’ll forgive you.


Adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(d) Application With Respect to Major Integrated Oil Companies.-- This section shall not apply to amounts paid or incurred by a taxpayer in any taxable year in which such taxpayer is a major integrated oil company (as defined in section 167(h)(5)(B)).''. (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section shall apply to amounts paid or incurred in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2011. Subtitle B--Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Natural Gas SEC. 211. REPEAL OF OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF DEEP WATER AND DEEP GAS ROYALTY RELIEF. (a) In General.--Sections 344 and 345 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15904, 15905) are repealed. (b) Administration.--The Secretary of the Interior shall not be required to provide for royalty relief in the lease sale terms beginning with the first lease sale held on or after the date of the enactment of this Act for which a final notice of sale has not been published. Subtitle C--Miscellaneous SEC. 221. DEFICIT REDUCTION. The net amount of any savings realized as a result of the enactment of this Act and the amendments made by this Act (after any expenditures authorized by this Act and the amendments made by this Act) shall be deposited in the Treasury and used for Federal budget deficit reduction or, if there is no Federal budget deficit, for reducing the Federal debt in such manner as the Secretary of the Treasury considers appropriate. SEC. 222. BUDGETARY EFFECTS. The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee.


We combine new Herschel/SPIRE sub-millimeter observations with existing multiwavelength data to investigate the dust scaling relations of the Herschel Reference Survey, a magnitude-, volume-limited sample of ~300 nearby galaxies in different environments. We show that the dust-to-stellar mass ratio anti-correlates with stellar mass, stellar mass surface density and NUV-r colour across the whole range of parameters covered by our sample. Moreover, the dust-to-stellar mass ratio decreases significantly when moving from late- to early-type galaxies. These scaling relations are similar to those observed for the HI gas-fraction, supporting the idea that the cold dust is tightly coupled to the cold atomic gas component in the interstellar medium. We also find a weak increase of the dust-to-HI mass ratio with stellar mass and colour but no trend is seen with stellar mass surface density. By comparing galaxies in different environments we show that, although these scaling relations are followed by both cluster and field galaxies, HI-deficient systems have, at fixed stellar mass, stellar mass surface density and morphological type systematically lower dust-to-stellar mass and higher dust-to-HI mass ratios than HI-normal/field galaxies. This provides clear evidence that dust is removed from the star-forming disk of cluster galaxies but the effect of the environment is less strong than what is observed in the case of the HI disk. Such effects naturally arise if the dust disk is less extended than the HI and follows more closely the distribution of the molecular gas phase, i.e..


One or many website addresses you want to point people toward. Categories are actually quite extensive so technically you should find something to describe your business. If not, there's the ever-present Other to pick. Away Messages Away messages are automated responses that your customers will get when they try reaching you and you're not available. You can set them to on, off, or on a schedule. The message can be personalized to include any text you want (+ emoji!). As for scheduling, it's quite rudimentary now. You can set a start and end date and time, but I hope that gets improved. Recurrent options like every day or every Saturday and Sunday for example should be possible, that way you don't have to manually turn it on every night or every weekend. And that's what we've discovered so far that's different between WhatsApp Business and the regular app. For the most part, the rest of the app is unchanged, but there could be more hidden features for businesses only when you start a chat or get notifications for example. From the customer's side When your customers add your phone business' number and try to reach it, they will see a yellow briefing for end-to-end encryption (happens with regular personal chats too) as well as a pop-up and yellow briefing that they're talking to a business account and it has/hasn't been verified yet. If they check your profile, they'll see all the details you've manually applied in your business profile: image, verification status, location, category, email address, web address, and so on. So what do you think? Maybe WhatsApp Business isn't something many of you will use, but if you live in a country where everything happens on WhatsApp, you'll definitely come across businesses who use it at some point and you probably have thoughts about how they should/shouldn't handle this transition to a Business account. As a small business owner, I like what I see. I was pleasantly surprised by the landline support addition and the well thought multiple account management possibilities, but I'm expecting better analytics, better away scheduling, and more useful features in the future. You can't download WhatsApp Business right now (and neither can we) but you can sign up to test it here. Once you do, and.


It’s that fact and truth are established after multiple studies converge on an answer. Even after that, further research might turn over what you thought was true of the other studies, because you were looking at it through too narrow of a lens. Single papers offer evidence, but rarely do they offer firm truths. This reality is compounded by another factor in certain fields, like nutrition and medical science. There are business interests trying to sell you a product, and proof that a product is healthy is obviously a great selling point. On the other side, if you’re an activist, proof that a product is bad can be just as useful. All of this can add bias. What the Health, a new documentary on Netflix produced by Joaquin Phoenix, takes advantage of these realities. The documentary cherry-picks studies to “prove” that any animal-based product will cause cancer or diabetes. Of course, we don’t know for sure whether giving up animal products is actually good for your health in the long run. Some studies show that vegetarians and vegans live longer, but others don’t, as Melody Ding outlines in The Conversation. Those that do suffer from a general health consciousness bias. Those folks that avoid meat and animal products could simply be living longer because they care more about their lifestyles in lots of different ways. They might also be younger and wealthier. What does that mean for you? Well, avoid meat if animal welfare or environmentalism is important to you. Otherwise, if you’re really interested in living longer (which is what everyone ultimately wants, right?) cross your fingers and hope your parents live for a long time. We use this quote a lot, but S. Jay Olshansky once told Gizmodo, “In the world of aging sciences, if you want to live a long life, choose long-lived parents.” After that, don’t smoke, and focus on a diet that minimises processed foods and includes more vegetables. Maybe eat less, get out more, and focus on a real healthy lifestyle change like biking to work every day or giving up all desserts. Past that, you might have to rely on research or expertise backed by less or less reliable data that will point you in the direction the expert thinks best reflects the existing evidence... and maybe their ethics. More Netflix Posts:


LOS ANGELES — The Latest on a shooting following a house fire south of downtown Los Angeles (all times local): 7:35 a.m. Police say a suspect who opened fire, killing one person, after a house fire in Los Angeles appears to have suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Los Angeles police say the suspect was taken into custody after holing himself up Tuesday morning for two hours inside the burned home. Police said one person had been killed but provided no additional details. Firefighters were first called to the home in the Harbor Gateway neighbourhood before dawn and reported hearing gunshots after knocking down the flames. Police and sheriff’s deputies had set up a perimeter and evacuated nearby homes. —— 7:05 a.m. Los Angeles authorities say one person was fatally shot at the scene of a house fire and a suspect is in custody after holing himself up for two hours inside the burned home. Police Officer Chris No confirmed one fatality in the shooting early Tuesday but didn’t know whether the victim is a man or woman. The Fire Department says crews heard gunshots after knocking down the flames before dawn south of downtown Los Angeles. The gunman was taken into custody shortly before 7 a.m. Several homes in the Harbor Gateway neighbourhood were evacuated as police set up a perimeter. There are no reports of injuries to firefighters or police officers. —— 6:30 a.m. Authorities say a suspect fired a weapon at the scene of a house fire south of downtown Los Angeles. The Fire Department says crews heard gunshots after dousing the flames in the Harbor Gateway neighbourhood early Tuesday. Officials say the suspect then holed up inside a home. Police and sheriff’s deputies have set up a perimeter and evacuated nearby homes. Authorities have not confirmed.


You may be aware that more attention is being focused on how that seafood was captured. There are several certification programs meant to convey whether the fish you like to eat was taken from overfished areas. Enter another program: Fair Trade. You may know if from coffee or chocolate. In recent years, it’s expanded into seafood. And soon, the first U.S. seafood products will get that label. Is there something truly different about the Fair Trade label, or is it just another fish in the sea? If you’re a socially conscious seafood eater, you’ve got options. There’s the Marine Stewardship Council’s “Sustainable Seafood” mark, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium has a “Seafood Watch” app to help you shop. Ashley Apel, manager of the seafood program at Fair Trade USA, said her organization’s certification is different because it considers workers’ conditions and social benefits. “Other seafood certifications — at least for wild capture — really only focus on environmental sustainability of the stock,” Apel said. For U.S. scallop fishers, the premium price that comes with the label could help ease some regulatory costs. “Fishermen are still dealing with having to provide a lot of data and a lot of tracking on their vessels, and that can be very expensive,” Apel said. “So part of the premium can be used to ensure the health of the stock.” Can the marketplace sustain yet another label for responsible seafood? “If we ever got to the point where sustainability labels were competing with each other, that’d probably be a good problem to have,” said Tim Fitzgerald, who focuses on fisheries for the Environmental Defense Fund. He’s also on the advisory committee for Fair Trade’s seafood program. He said one big benefit of the label: people recognize it. “With Fair Trade getting into seafood, it puts social responsibility and environmental responsibility on the radar of just a huge amount more people,” Fitzgerald said. Still, he said price is the main factor when people choose which fish they’ll buy, and the Fair Trade scallops that’ll roll out later this month will cost a little more.


You're not alone. Americans work hard, and it takes a physical and mental toll, not to mention that it frequently cuts into personal time, according to a comprehensive survey on working conditions the nonpartisan RAND Corporation published Monday. But having a good boss and good friends on the job can make work feel less taxing. In 2015, RAND researchers, along with Harvard Medical School and the University of California, Los Angeles, began collecting data from over 3,000 people from all income and education levels who work or have worked in all types of jobs. What they discovered about how we work may help inform policymakers looking to grow the economy and employers looking to retain the best workers. This kind of data, examining workplace conditions in the U.S., has not been collected for decades. "We have excellent data on wages, on training... but we don't know much about the conditions of work," says Nicole Maestas, an economist and associate health care policy professor at Harvard Medical School who is the lead researcher on this study. What the researchers found was that more than 1 in 4 Americans surveyed say they don't have enough time to do their jobs, with about half of Americans reporting that they do some work in their free time. This was most prevalent among white-collar workers. Two-thirds of all workers say they frequently work under tight deadlines or at high speed. In addition, 1 in 5 reported experiencing verbal abuse, threats, humiliating behavior or unwanted sexual attention at work in the past month; or they experienced bullying, harassment or sexual harassment in the past year. "One thing that really struck me was the high prevalence of hostile social interactions at work," says Maestas. Her survey found that while such interactions were seen across the board, verbal abuse was much more common in customer service jobs and experienced at the highest rates among men who did not graduate from college. Younger women and women of "prime age," defined in the survey as ages 35-49, experienced the most unwanted sexual attention. But people who have "good" bosses — or bosses who respect them, praise them, work with them and give feedback — were less likely to have workers who reported verbal or physical threats, Maestra notes. "Maybe bad bosses are part of the problem," she says, when it comes to a hostile work environment. American workers feel, by and large, that they have a reasonable amount


) and (c) of section 6412 of such Code shall apply for purposes of this section. SEC. 4. FLOOR STOCKS TAX. (a) Imposition of Tax.--In the case of any liquid subject to tax under section 4091 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 by reason of section 4092(b)(2) of such Code and on which such tax would have been imposed but for section 2, and which is held on the suspension termination date, by any person, there is hereby imposed a floor stocks tax equal to the excess of the tax which would be imposed on such liquid had the taxable event occurred on such date over the tax previously paid (if any) on such liquid. (b) Liability for Tax and Method of Payment.-- (1) Liability for tax.--A person holding a liquid on the suspension termination date, to which the tax imposed by subsection (a) applies shall be liable for such tax. (2) Method of payment.--The tax imposed by subsection (a) shall be paid in such manner as the Secretary shall prescribe. (3) Time for payment.--The tax imposed by paragraph (1) shall be paid on or before 45 days after the suspension termination date. (c) Definitions.--For purposes of this section-- (1) Held by a person.--A liquid shall be considered as ``held by a person'' if title thereto has passed to such person (whether or not delivery to the person has been made). (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Treasury or the Secretary's delegate. (d) Other Law Applicable.--All provisions of law, including penalties, applicable with respect to the taxes imposed by sections 4091 and 4092 of such Code shall, insofar as applicable and not inconsistent with the provisions of this section, apply with respect to the floor stock taxes imposed by subsection (a) to the same extent as.


Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1166) is amended-- (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``or (6)'' and inserting ``(6), or (7)''; and (B) in paragraph (4)(A), by striking ``or (6)'' and inserting ``(6), or (7)''. (4) Definition.--Section 607(3)(C) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1167(2)) is amended by striking ``603(6)'' and inserting ``603(6) or 603(7)''. (c) Internal Revenue Code of 1986.-- (1) Period of coverage.--Section 4980B(f)(2)(B)(i) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subclause: ``(VI) Qualifying event involving substantial reduction or elimination of a retiree group health plan.--In the case of an event described in paragraph (3)(G), the date on which such covered qualified beneficiary becomes entitled to benefits under title XVIII of the Social Security Act.''. (2) Qualifying event.--Section 4980B(f)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subparagraph: ``(G) The substantial reduction or elimination of group health coverage as a result of plan changes or termination with respect to a qualified beneficiary described in subsection (g)(1)(D).''. (3) Notice.--Section 4980B(f)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended-- (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``or (F)'' and inserting ``(F), or (G)''; and (B) in subparagraph (D)(i), by striking ``or (F)'' and inserting ``(F), or (G)''. (4) Definition.--Section 4980B(g)(1)(D) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking ``(f)(3)(F)'' and inserting ``(f)(3)(F) or (f)(3)(G)''. SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act shall take effect as.


Getty Image Jermaine Fowler was named to Variety‘s 10 comics to watch list in 2016, and in 2017, we’re all getting the chance with Fowler starring alongside Judd Hirsch in CBS’ Superior Donuts as an energetic artist/donut shop clerk and as a stand-up comic opposite Pete Holmes in HBO’s Crashing, which premieres on Sunday. Fowler was nice enough to take some time to add his answers to the Uproxx questionnaire series and to reveal that Lupe Fiasco has made him cry, Redman changed his life, and that he’d like to do the same for Nic Cage. 1. You walk into a bar. What do you order from the bartender? Pineapple juice. 2. Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram? The Rock on Instagram and Aretha Franklin on Twitter. 3. What’s currently waiting for you on your DVR? I don’t have a DVR. Smartass. 4. It’s your last meal — what are you going out with? I’m not answering this question during Black History Month. 5. What websites do you visit on a regular basis? Forbes, Fast Company, Box Office Mojo, Complex, Fandango, Jermainefowler.com. 6. What’s the most frequently played song on your mobile device? “4r Da Squaw” by Isaiah Rashad. It used to be “LAXTasy” by Brandon DeShay until I updated my damn iPhone. I’m still pissed. 7. If you could go back and give your 18-year-old self one piece of advice what would it be? She’s gonna dump you, don’t answer the phone! 8. What’s the last thing you Googled? “is Kevin Durant a Deer?” 9. Dogs or cats? I don’t think it’s fair that I have to choose. Though!


We present a detailed analysis of the reliability of abundance and magnetic maps of Ap stars obtained by Zeeman Doppler mapping (ZDM). It is shown how they can be adversely affected by the assumption of a mean stellar atmosphere instead of appropriate "local" atmospheres corresponding to the actual abundances in a given region. The essenceof the difficulties was already shown by Chandrasekhar's picket-fence model. The results obtained with a suite of Stokes codes written in the Ada programming language and based on modern line-blanketed atmospheres are described in detail. We demonstrate that the high metallicity values claimed to have been found in chemically inhomogeneous Ap star atmospheres would lead to local temperature structures, continuum and line intensities, and line shapes that differ significantly from those predicted by a mean stellar atmosphere. Unfortunately, past applications of ZDM have consistently overlooked the intricate aspects of metallicity with their all-pervading effects. The erroneous assumption of a mean atmosphere for a spotted star can lead to phase-dependent errors of uncomfortably large proportions at varying wavelengths both in the Stokes I and V profiles, making precise mapping of abundances and magnetic field vectors largely impossible. The relation between core and wings of the H_beta line changes, too, with possible repercussions on the determination of gravity and effective temperature. Finally, a ZDM analysis of the synthetic Stokes spectra of a spotted star reveals the disturbing differences between the respective abundance maps based on a mean atmosphere on the one hand, and on appropriate "local" atmospheres on the other. We then discuss what this all means for published ZDMresults. Our discussion makes it clear that realistic local atmospheres must be used, especially.


We analyzed two XMM-Newton observations of the bright atoll source 4U 1705-44, which can be considered a prototype of the class of the persistent NS LMXBs showing both hard and soft states. The first observation was performed when the source was in a hard low flux state, the second during a soft, high-flux state. Both the spectra show broad iron emission lines. We fit the spectra using a two-component model, together with a reflection model specifically suited to the case of a neutron star, where the incident spectrum has a blackbody shape. In the soft state, the reflection model, convolved with a relativistic smearing component, consistently describes the broad features present in the spectrum, and we find a clear relation between the temperature of the incident flux and the temperature of the harder X-ray component that we interpret as the boundary layer emission. In this state we find converging evidence that the boundary layer outer radius is ~ 2 times the neutron star radius. In the low flux state, we observe a change in the continuum shape of the spectrum with respect to the soft state. Still, the broad local emission features can be associated with a disk reflecting matter, but in a lower ionization state, and possibly produced in an accretion disk truncated at greater distance. Our analysis provides strong evidence that the reflection component in soft states of LMXBs comes from to hard X-ray thermal irradiation, which we identify with the boundary layer emission, also present in the continuum model. In the hard state, the broad iron line if also produced by reflection, and the continuum disk emission can be self-consistently accounted.


Roup Transactions.-- Section 355 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended by subsection (a), is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(f) Section Not To Apply to Certain Intragroup Transactions.-- Except as provided in regulations, this section shall not apply to the distribution of stock from 1 member of an affiliated group filing a consolidated return to another member of such group, and the Secretary shall provide proper adjustments for the treatment of such distribution, including (if necessary) adjustments to-- ``(1) the adjusted basis of any stock which-- ``(A) is in a corporation which is a member of such group, and ``(B) is held by another member of such group, and ``(2) the earnings and profits of any member of such group.'' (c) Effective Date.-- (1) In general.--The amendments made by this section shall apply to distributions after April 16, 1997. (2) Transition rule for distributions followed by acquisitions.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall not apply to any distribution after April 16, 1997, if such distribution is-- (A) made pursuant to a written agreement which was (subject to customary conditions) binding on such date and at all times thereafter, (B) described in a ruling request submitted to the Internal Revenue Service on or before such date, or (C) described on or before such date in a public announcement or in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission required solely by reason of the distribution. This paragraph shall not apply to any written agreement, ruling request, or public announcement or filing.


There is no need to stop by registration, you can simply enjoy our festival zone! Stroller are of course permitted along the walk route. Feel free to run the route, however please note that the March of Dimes will not be keeping time for runners. Please do not bring your bike, bikers will not be permitted on the walk route in the interest of the safety of all other walkers. Dogs ARE welcome at the Balboa Park walk, however they are not permitted at the Oceanside walk site. Together we hope for a day when all moms and babies are healthy. Families, businesses, and volunteers dedicated to the fight for the health of all moms and babies take part in March for Babies®, March of Dimes biggest annual fundraising event. All March for Babies events are non-smoking. About March of Dimes March of Dimes is the leading non-profit organization for pregnancy and baby health. If you had a heel prick test, and APGAR score, were ever given a Polio Vaccine or your mother took Folic Acid during pregnancy, chances are YOU are a March of Dimes Baby. Since 1938, March of Dimes has been actively working to fight infant disease, birth defects and premature birth across the globe. March of Dimes offers comprehensive information on pregnancy and newborn topics, such as, complications, caring for your baby, birth defects, folic acid, etc. Through marchofdimes.com you can search various pregnancy related topics and access medical references, publications, and reports.


Then you have likely passed by Reg Dried Foods. The dried fruit and nut shop on Baldwin Street is a modestly sized emporium overflowing with rare spices, dried exotic fruit and nuts in every shape and variety imported from all over the world. Among the gleaming jars of saffron and green and purple tubs filled with crushed pistachios sits Reg Alex, the store’s owner and chief employee. For the past 41 years, she has watched Kensington’s lively community evolve from a livestock market in the 1970s, to a bohemian hippy paradise in the 1990s, to the gentrified arena of craft beer breweries and artisanal grocery stores that it is today. After escaping communism and emigrating from Romania in 1976, Alex opened Reg Dried Foods later that year. At 80 years old, she has never taken a vacation. She works seven days a week and 14 hours a day everyday, only taking time off for Christmas and New Year’s. Her unwavering work ethic has woven her presence into the fabric of Kensington, right next to the kaleidoscopic graffiti alleys and corners overflowing with produce stands. Decades of Toronto residents are familiar with the lady who sits outside the dried food shop and watches to make sure that you don’t accidentally pop a plump sliver of dried kiwi into your mouth before paying for your haul, but few actually know who she is. “My name is Reg,” she says, pointing to the store sign that reads Reg Dried Foods. “Reg Alex. That’s it.” As a wave of shoppers clad in trendy streetwear labels and Louis Vuitton purses pass by, one gets the sense that there is almost too much to explain about the decades she has spent watching Kensington change. “Come here, Corina,” she says eventually, getting up from her stool between the bulk bins and walking out into the street. “It’s Claudia,” I correct without realizing that, to her, I might as well be called Reporter Number 156. “Ok Corina,” she insists, grabbing my arm and forcing me to lean in before whispering into my ear. “Chickens.” She points up and down the narrow road littered with gourmet food shops, including a chocolatier selling hand-painted single origin chocolates and an artisanal sourdough bakery. “In the ’


It’s likely you got to where you are through hard work, perseverance, and a determination to be the best you can be. Regardless of your success, you’re unlikely to be content with your current leadership game. Instead, you’re always seeking ways in which to advance and improve. This is no easy feat. Being a leader demands high levels of responsibility; leaders need to motivate and inspire their team, and they need to deal with fluctuating workplace demands. Moreover, what constitutes a great leader tends to evolve and change over time. What compelled Generation X to work hard won’t work with Generation Z. As our understanding of human psychology advances, we also become more knowledgeable on what inspires high levels of engagement and discretionary effort. With this article, we’ll look at modern leadership techniques and how to implement them in 2018 in order to improve individual, team, and company performance and productivity, while building a more competitive and profitable business. 1. Take the time to discover employee strengths — and allow them to use them As we move into 2018, autonomy is a key concept all leaders should keep in mind when it comes to both their leadership style and their performance management systems. Rather than rigidly controlling your employees or trying to manipulate their strengths to suit your company, you would be far more efficient and successful as a leader if you allowed your employees to play to their strengths. According to a Gallup poll, if you keep your employees' strengths in mind when constructing objectives and goals, you can make your company much stronger. Simultaneously, you can boost engagement and morale while minimizing turnover and lessening stress levels The use of employee strengths has been shown to be far more effective a motivator than even leadership exhortations. Put simply, this is because as a leader, you have taken the time to find out what truly motivates your employees, which ultimately works to your company’s advantage. In fact, even simply learning about employee strengths is known to make them 7.8% more productive, while boosting company sales and profit. So as we move into 2018, leaders should do more to focus on strengths and positives than dwelling on what employees can stand to improve. 2. Incorporate real-time feedback and more frequent one-on-ones The concept of continuous, agile performance management is no longer a revolutionary or disruptive management trend. It’s widely recognized to be a more effective means of managing behavior and performance than an annual performance review


The XMM-Newton survey of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) was performed to study the population of X-ray sources in this neighbouring galaxy. During one of the observations, the symbiotic binary SMC3 was found at its highest X-ray luminosity observed until now. In SMC3 wind accretion from a giant donor star onto a white dwarf is believed to cause steady hydrogen burning on the white dwarf surface, making such systems candidates for supernova type Ia progenitors. It was suggested that the X-ray source is eclipsed every ~4.5 years by the companion star and its stellar wind to explain the large X-ray variability seen in ROSAT data. We use the available X-ray data to test this scenario. We present the ~20 year X-ray light curve of SMC3 and study the spectral evolution as seen with XMM-Newton/EPIC-pn to investigate possible scenarios which can reproduce the high X-ray variability. We did not find significant variations in the photo-electric absorption, as it would be expected during eclipse ingress and egress. Instead, the X-ray spectra from different intensity levels, when modelled by black-body emission, can be better explained by variations either in normalisation (by a factor of ~50) or in temperature (kT between 24 eV and 34 eV). The light curve shows maxima and minima with slow transitions between them. To explain the gradual variations in the X-ray light curve and to avoid changes in absorption by neutral gas, a predominant part of the stellar wind must be ionised by the X-ray source. Compton scattering with variable electron column density (of the order of 5 x 10^24 cm^-2) along the line of sight could then be responsible for the intensity changes. The X-ray variability of SMC3 could also be caused by temperature changes in the hydrogen burning envelope of the white dwarf, an effect which could even dominate.


We investigate the potential of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) for measuring the magnetic fields in clusters of galaxies via Faraday rotation of background polarised sources. [...] We find that about 10 per cent of the sky is covered by a significant extragalactic Faraday screen. Most of it has rotation measures between 10 and 100 rad/m/m. We argue that the cluster centres should have up to about 5000 rad/m/m. We show that the proposed mid frequency aperture array of the SKA as well as the lowest band of the SKA dish array are well suited to make measurements for most of these rotation measure values, typically requiring a signal-to-noise of ten. We calculate the spacing of sources forming a grid for the purpose of measuring foreground rotation measures: it reaches a spacing of 36 arcsec for a 100 hour SKA observation per field. We also calculate the statistics for background RM measurements in clusters of galaxies. We find that a first phase of the SKA would allow us to take stacking experiments out to high redshifts (>1), and provide improved magnetic field structure measurements for individual nearby clusters. The full SKA aperture array would be able to make very detailed magnetic field structure measurements of clusters with more than 100 background sources per cluster up to a redshift of 0.5 and more than 1000 background sources per cluster for nearby clusters, and could for reasonable assumptions about future measurements of electron densities in high redshift clusters constrain the power law index for the magnetic field evolution to better than dm=0.4.


An investigation is launched into the fundamental characteristics of operations on and between sets, with a focus on compact convex sets and star sets (compact sets star-shaped with respect to the origin) in $n$-dimensional Euclidean space $\R^n$. For example, it is proved that if $n\ge 2$, with three trivial exceptions, an operation between origin-symmetric compact convex sets is continuous in the Hausdorff metric, GL(n) covariant, and associative if and only if it is $L_p$ addition for some $1\le p\le\infty$. It is also demonstrated that if $n\ge 2$, an operation * between compact convex sets is continuous in the Hausdorff metric, GL(n) covariant, and has the identity property (i.e., $K*\{o\}=K=\{o\}*K$ for all compact convex sets $K$, where $o$ denotes the origin) if and only if it is Minkowski addition. Some analogous results for operations between star sets are obtained. An operation called $M$-addition is generalized and systematically studied for the first time. Geometric-analytic formulas that characterize continuous and GL(n)-covariant operations between compact convex sets in terms of $M$-addition are established. The term "polynomial volume" is introduced for the property of operations * between compact convex or star sets that the volume of $rK*sL$, $r,s\ge 0$, is a polynomial in the variables $r$ and $s$. It is proved that if $n\ge 2$, with three trivial exceptions, an operation between origin-symmetric compact convex sets is continuous in the Hausdorff metric, GL(n) covariant, associative, and has polynomial volume.


The existence of solutions ${\bf u}\in H^1_0(\Omega)^n$ of ${div} {\bf u} = f$ for $f\in L^2(\Omega)$ with vanishing mean value, is a basic result in the analysis of the Stokes equations. In particular it allows to show the existence of a solution $({\bf u},p)\in H^1_0(\Omega)^n\times L^2(\Omega)$, where ${\bf u}$ is the velocity and $p$ the pressure. It is known that the above mentioned result holds when $\Omega$ is a Lipschitz domain and that it is not valid for arbitrary H\"older-$\alpha$ domains. In this paper we prove that if $\Omega$ is a planar simply connected H\"older-$\alpha$ domain, there exist right inverses of the divergence which are continuous in appropriate weighted spaces, where the weights are powers of the distance to the boundary. Moreover, we show that the powers of the distance in the results obtained are optimal. In our results, the zero boundary condition is replaced by a weaker one. For the particular case of domains with an external cusp of power type, we prove that our weaker boundary condition is equivalent to the standard one. In this case we show the well posedness of the Stokes equations in appropriate weighted Sobolev spaces obtaining as a consequence the existence of a solution $({\bf u},p)\in H^1_0(\Omega)^n\times L^r(\Omega)$ for some $r<2$ depending on the power of the cusp.


In this paper we consider a nearest-neighbor $p$-adic hard core (HC) model, with fugacity $\lambda$, on a homogeneous Cayley tree of order $k$ (with $k + 1$ neighbors). We focus on $p$-adic Gibbs measures for the HC model, in particular on $p$-adic "splitting" Gibbs measures generating a $p$-adic Markov chain along each path on the tree. We show that the $p$-adic HC model is completely different from real HC model: For a fixed $k$ we prove that the $p$-adic HC model may have a splitting Gibbs measure only if $p$ divides $2^k-1$. Moreover if $p$ divides $2^k-1$ but does not divide $k+2$ then there exists unique translational invariant $p$-adic Gibbs measure. We also study $p$-adic periodic splitting Gibbs measures and show that the above model admits only translational invariant and periodic with period two (chess-board) Gibbs measures. For $p\geq 7$ (resp. $p=2,3,5$) we give necessary and sufficient (resp. necessary) conditions for the existence of a periodic $p$-adic measure. For k=2 a $p$-adic splitting Gibbs measures exists if and only if p=3, in this case we show that if $\lambda$ belongs to a $p$-adic ball of radius 1/27 then there are precisely two periodic (non translational invariant) $p$-adic Gibbs measures. We prove that a $p$-adic Gibbs measure is bounded.


Let game B be Toral's cooperative Parrondo game with (one-dimensional) spatial dependence, parameterized by N (3 or more) and p_0,p_1,p_2,p_3 in [0,1], and let game A be the special case p_0=p_1=p_2=p_3=1/2. Let mu_B (resp., mu_(1/2,1/2)) denote the mean profit per turn to the ensemble of N players always playing game B (resp., always playing the randomly mixed game (1/2)(A+B)). In previous work we showed that, under certain conditions, both sequences converge and the limits can be expressed in terms of a parameterized spin system on the one-dimensional integer lattice. Of course one can get similar results for mu_(gamma,1-gamma) corresponding to gamma A+(1-gamma)B for 0<gamma<1. In this paper we replace the random mixture with the nonrandom periodic pattern A^r B^s, where r and s are positive integers. We show that, under certain conditions, mu_[r,s], the mean profit per turn to the ensemble of N players repeatedly playing the pattern A^r B^s, converges to the same limit that mu_(gamma,1-gamma) converges to, where gamma:=r/(r+s). For a particular choice of the probability parameters, namely p_0=1, p_1=p_2 in (1/2,1), and p_3=0, we show that the Parrondo effect (i.e., mu_B is nonpositive and mu_[r,s] is positive) is present.


On Twitter suggesting the same. Paul McShane’s reaction when Liam Hood threw the ball at him suggested he was dumbfounded that, after giving himself up and not risking giving away a penalty for failing to be square, he was instead penalised for standing a good few metres behind the play-the-ball after someone chucked it at him! “I’ve seen it a few times over the weekend and it’s not something I’m a big fan of,” Hull captain Gareth Ellis said on Monday’s Super League Show. “I’d like to see it addressed.” It’s hard to disagree with Ellis. It’s essentially gamesmanship – and perhaps referees can instead penalise attacking teams for doing it so blatantly to try and win a penalty and get easy points if they believe that’s the case? Apparently, one Super League coach warned his side off doing it following the opening weekend. Hopefully it can be clamped down upon sooner rather than later – although we’ll see on Thursday with Huddersfield’s clash against Salford whether anything has changed. Perhaps it’s no surprise when you read this column and see that I picked out Castleford Tigers as the team that really caught my eye on the first weekend of the new season. The Tigers were well-held by Leigh for the opening 20 minutes of their match last Friday but in truth, once Cas got one try, the points continued to flow – and you might struggle to see as breathless a 20 minutes all season as the period Daryl Powell’s men put together in the run-up to half-time at the weekend. There were impressive performances all across the field, and while new recruits such as Zak Hardaker and Jesse Sene-Lefao will make a massive impact in 2017, having captain Michael Shenton back was like a whole new signing in itself. Shenton was back to his best on Friday night too, I thought. A winger is only as good as his centre, so the old saying goes, and whichever Cas winger is lucky enough to play outside the classy Shenton this season will have a hell of a time pocketing tries. It’s no surprise to see him straight back in England’s EPS squad after his cruel season-ending injury 12 months ago, too. He remains one of England’s most enjoyable outside backs to watch – and he will give England an extra dimension.


What four drivers would you like to see race for the win at Daytona? Nate Ryan: Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr. David Pearson and Richard Petty. When I think of winners in magical moments at Daytona, those are the four names that initially come to mind. The next question would be: Does the race happen with or without restrictor plates? Dustin Long: Richard Petty, David Pearson, Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Mario Andretti. All Daytona 500 winners and among the greats in racing. Daniel McFadin: Dale Earnhardt Jr. from 2004, Dale Earnhardt Sr. from 1991, Bill Elliott from 1988 and Brad Keselowski from today. Give them some IROC cars from 1999 and let them loose for 25 laps. Dan Beaver: Richard Petty, David Pearson, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Sr. I’m not sure who would win, but it would certainly be spectacular. What driver currently outside a playoff spot is one you think has the best chance to win Saturday’s race at Daytona (7:30 p.m. ET on NBC)? Nate Ryan: Jamie McMurray. The two-time winner at Daytona always is a solid driver in plate races if he can avoid the wrecks and getting antsy in the draft. Dustin Long: Ryan Newman. He’s won at Daytona before and his teammate, Austin Dillon, won the Daytona 500 in February. Richard Childress Racing could make it two in a row there. Daniel McFadin: I think Paul Menard could be a sleeper. He’s finished in the top six in his last three Daytona starts. He and AJ Allmendinger are the only drivers who have finished in the top 10 in the last three Daytona races. Dan Beaver: The defending winner of this race, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., has a knack for plate racing and could get into the playoffs this week. What’s the wildest finish you’ve witnessed? Nate Ryan: The Oct. 7, 2012 race at Talladega Superspeedway. Tony Stewart attempted to throw a block off Turn 4 on the last lap, and 25 cars wrecked a few hundred yards from the finish line in a massive storm of dirt, sheet metal and smoke Dustin Long: The finish to the 2007 Daytona 500. It has Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin side-by-side


By adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(e) Methodology for Designating Assets.-- ``(1) In general.--In carrying out subsection (b), the Secretary may develop and implement a methodology for designating assets after the replacement plan adoption date that takes into account the value of the District Retirement Fund as of the replacement plan adoption date and the proportion of such value represented by $1.275 billion, together with the income (including returns on investments) earned on the assets of and withdrawals from and deposits to the Fund during the period between such date and the date on which the Secretary designates assets under subsection (b). In implementing a methodology under the previous sentence, the Secretary shall not be required to determine the value of designated assets as of the replacement plan adoption date. Nothing in this paragraph may be deemed to effect the entitlement of the District Retirement Fund to income (including returns on investments) earned after the replacement plan adoption date on assets designated for retention by the Fund. ``(2) Employee contributions; judicial retirement and survivors annuity fund.--The Secretary may develop and implement a methodology comparable to the methodology described in paragraph (1) in carrying out the requirements of subsection (c) and in designating assets to be transferred to the District of Columbia Judicial Retirement and Survivors Annuity Fund pursuant to section 124(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Retirement Reform Act (as amended by section 11252). ``(3) Discretion of the secretary.--The Secretary's development and implementation of methodologies for designating assets under this subsection shall be final and binding.''. SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect as.


Using a combination of N-body simulations, semi-analytic models and radiative transfer calculations, we have estimated the theoretical cross power spectrum between galaxies and the 21cm emission from neutral hydrogen during the epoch of reionization. In accordance with previous studies, we find that the 21cm emission is initially correlated with halos on large scales (> 30 Mpc), anti-correlated on intermediate (~ 5 Mpc), and uncorrelated on small (< 3 Mpc) scales. This picture quickly changes as reionization proceeds and the two fields become anti-correlated on large scales. The normalization of the cross power spectrum can be used to set constraints on the average neutral fraction in the intergalactic medium and its shape can be a tool to study the topology of reionization. When we apply a drop-out technique to select galaxies and add to the 21cm signal the noise expected from the LOFAR telescope, we find that while the normalization of the cross power spectrum remains a useful tool for probing reionization, its shape becomes too noisy to be informative. On the other hand, for a Lyalpha Emitter (LAE) survey both the normalization and the shape of the cross power spectrum are suitable probes of reionization. A closer look at a specific planned LAE observing program using Subaru Hyper-Suprime Cam reveals concerns about the strength of the 21cm signal at the planned redshifts. If the ionized fraction at z ~ 7 is lower that the one estimated here, then using the cross power spectrum may be a useful exercise.


The estimated amount that the hospital or critical access hospital will charge the individual for such items and services in excess of any cost sharing obligations that the individual would otherwise have under such health benefits coverage for such items and services if the hospital or critical access hospital were within such network or otherwise participating in such coverage. ``(C) Whether any of the providers of services or suppliers furnishing items or services at the hospital or critical access hospital who will furnish the items or services to the individual are not within the health care provider network or otherwise a participating provider of services or supplier with respect to such health benefits coverage of such individual. ``(D) If any of such providers of services or suppliers are not within such network or otherwise such a participating provider or supplier, the estimated amount that such providers of services or suppliers will charge the individual for such items and services in excess of any cost sharing obligations that the individual would otherwise have for such items and services if the providers of services or suppliers were within the such network or otherwise participating in such coverage. ``(3) Consent described.--For purposes of paragraph (1)(B), the consent described in this paragraph, with respect to an individual with health benefits coverage described in paragraph (1) who is to be furnished items or services by a hospital or critical access hospital (or provider of services or supplier furnishing services at such hospital or critical access hospital) that is not within the health care provider network or otherwise a participating provider of services or supplier with respect to such health benefits coverage of such individual, is a document specified by the Secretary through rulemaking that is signed by the individual (or by a representative of the individual) not less than 24 hours prior to the individual being furnished such items or services by such hospital, critical access hospital, provider of services, or supplier, respectively, and that-- ``(A) acknowledges that the individual has been-- ``(i) provided with a written estimate of the charge that the individual will be assessed for the items or services anticipated to be furnished to the individual by the hospital, critical access hospital, provider of services, or supplier that is not within such network or otherwise such a participating provider of services or supplier; and ``(ii) informed that the payment of such charge by the individual will not accrue toward any limitation that the health benefits coverage places upon the annual out-of-pocket expenses to be paid by the individual or upon the in-network


It is argued that one can determine the structure of vacua using precise measurements of the scalar spectral index and tensor perturbations at large scales. It is shown that for a vacuum structure where the energy gap between the minima is constant, i.e. $\epsilon_i=i m_f^4$, one obtains the scalar spectral index, $n_s$, to be $\simeq 0.9687$, for the modes that exit the horizon 60 e-folds before the end of inflation. Alternatively, for a vacuum structure in which the energy gap increases linearly with the vacuum index, i.e. $\epsilon_i=\frac{i^2}{2} m_f^4$, $n_s$ turns out to be $\simeq 0.9614$. Both these two models are motivated within the string theory landscape using flux-compactification and their predictions for scalar spectral index are compatible with WMAP results. For both these two models, the results for the scalar spectral index turn out to be independent of $m_f$. Nonetheless, assuming that inflation started at Planckian energies and that there had been successful thermalization at each step, one can constrain $m_f<2.6069\times 10^{-5} m_P$ and $m_f<6.5396\times 10^{-7} m_P$ in these two models, respectively. Violation of the single-field consistency relation between the tensor and scalar spectra is another prediction of chain inflation models. This corresponds to having a smaller tensor/scalar ratio at large scales in comparison with the slow-roll counterparts. Similar to slow-roll inflation, it is argued that one can reconstruct the vacuum structure using the CMB experiments.


D) Semiannual Reports.--Section 3013 of title 39, United States Code, is amended-- (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``3002b(b) or'' before ``3005''; and (2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``section 3007 of this title'' and inserting ``section 3002b(c) or section 3007, respectively,''. (e) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 30 of title 39, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 3002a the following: ``3002b. Nonmailability of certain tobacco products.''. (f) Effective Dates.-- (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the amendments made by this section shall take effect on the 60th day after the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall apply with respect to any mail matter mailed on or after such 60th day. (2) Semiannual reports.--The amendments made by subsection (d) shall apply beginning with the report submitted for the reporting period in which occurs the 60th day after the date of the enactment of this Act. SEC. 2. TECHNICAL CORRECTION. (a) In General.--Sections 3007(a)(1), 3012(b)(1), and 3018(f)(1) of title 39, United States Code, are amended by striking ``409(d)'' and inserting ``409(g)(2)''. (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect as.


Then its adjacency matrix represents a binary matroid $M_{A}(G)$ on $V(G)$. $M_{A}(G)$ may be obtained from the delta-matroid represented by the adjacency matrix of $G$, but $M_{A}(G)$ is less sensitive to the structure of $G$. Jaeger proved that every binary matroid is $M_{A}(G)$ for some $G$ [Ann. Discrete Math. 17 (1983), 371-376]. The relationship between the matroidal structure of $M_{A}(G)$ and the graphical structure of $G$ has many interesting features. For instance, the matroid minors $M_{A}(G)-v$ and $M_{A}(G)/v$ are both of the form $M_{A}(G^{\prime}-v)$ where $G^{\prime}$ may be obtained from $G$ using local complementation. In addition, matroidal considerations lead to a principal vertex tripartition, distinct from the principal edge tripartition of Rosenstiehl and Read [Ann. Discrete Math. 3 (1978), 195-226]. Several of these results are given two very different proofs, the first involving linear algebra and the second involving set systems or delta-matroids. Also, the Tutte polynomials of the adjacency matroids of $G$ and its full subgraphs are closely connected to the interlace polynomial of Arratia, Bollob\'{a}s and Sorkin [Combinatorica 24 (2004), 567-584].


Gronwall's function $G$ is defined for $n>1$ by $G(n)=\frac{\sigma(n)}{n \log\log n}$ where $\sigma(n)$ is the sum of the divisors of $n$. We call an integer $N>1$ a \emph{GA1 number} if $N$ is composite and $G(N) \ge G(N/p)$ for all prime factors $p$ of $N$. We say that $N$ is a \emph{GA2 number} if $G(N) \ge G(aN)$ for all multiples $aN$ of $N$. In arXiv 1110.5078, we used Robin's and Gronwall's theorems on $G$ to prove that the Riemann Hypothesis (RH) is true if and only if 4 is the only number that is both GA1 and GA2. Here, we study GA1 numbers and GA2 numbers separately. We compare them with superabundant (SA) and colossally abundant (CA) numbers (first studied by Ramanujan). We give algorithms for computing GA1 numbers; the smallest one with more than two prime factors is 183783600, while the smallest odd one is 1058462574572984015114271643676625. We find nineteen GA2 numbers $\le 5040$, and prove that a GA2 number $N>5040$ exists.


7. REGULATIONS. (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall revise Department of Defense regulations, and shall issue such new regulations as may be necessary, to implement section 656 of title 10, United States Code, as added by section 4(a). The Secretary of Defense shall further direct the Secretary of each military department to revise regulations of that military department in accordance with section 656 of title 10, United States Code, as added by section 4(a), not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. Such revisions shall include the following: (1) Revision of all equal opportunity and human relations regulations, directives, and instructions to add sexual orientation nondiscrimination to the Department of Defense Equal Opportunity policy and to related human relations training programs. (2) Revision of Department of Defense and military department personnel regulations to eliminate procedures for involuntary discharges based on sexual orientation. (3) Revision of Department of Defense and military department regulations governing victims' advocacy programs to include sexual orientation discrimination among the forms of discrimination for which members of the Armed Forces and their families may seek assistance. (b) Regulation of Conduct.--The Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy, shall ensure that regulations governing the personal conduct of members of the Armed Forces shall be written and enforced without regard to sexual orientation. (c) Definition.--In this section, the term ``sexual orientation'' has the meaning.


We present measurements of the triaxial dark matter halo shapes and alignment correlation functions in the Millennium and Millennium-2 dark matter N-body simulations. These two simulations allow us to measure the distributions of halo shapes down to 10% of the virial radius over a halo mass range of 6E9 - 2E14 M_sun/h. We largely confirm previous results on the distributions of halo axis ratios as a function of halo mass, but we find that the median angle between halo major axes at different halo radii can vary by a factor of 2 between the Millennium-1 and 2 simulations because of the different mass resolution. Thus, error in the shape determinations from limited resolution is potentially degenerate with the misalignment of halo inner and outer shapes used to constrain Brightest Cluster Galaxy alignments in previous works. We also present simplifying parameterizations for the 3-D halo-mass alignment correlation functions that are necessary ingredients for triaxial halo models of large-scale structure and models of galaxy intrinsic alignments as contaminants for cosmic shear surveys. We measure strong alignments between halos of all masses and the surrounding dark matter overdensities out to several tens of Mpc/h, in agreement with observed shear-galaxy and cluster shape correlations. We use these measurements to forecast the contribution to the weak lensing signal around galaxy clusters from correlated mass along the line-of-sight. For prolate clusters with major axes aligned with the line-of-sight the fraction of the weak lensing signal from mass external to the cluster can be twice that predicted.


” there’s good news: Carleton University in Ottawa has conjured a position just for you. The university is hiring someone to establish a research and teaching program in the “conjuring arts” for graduates and undergraduates. “It is a very opportune time to have somebody like this because we’re experiencing people doing all kinds of things that are deceptive, you know,” said the school’s interim president Alastair Summerlee. “They persuade lots of people and we really don’t understand how people can be drawn into those things, so this creates an opportunity to look at that.” Whoever fills the role will have to dig in and find out what it is about our nature that makes people both good at deceiving and at being deceived. In other words, what makes deception work like magic? “Whether it’s fake news or whether it’s politicians convincing people,” Summerlee said a major theme will be “understanding something about the illusion that they created, how do they work?” So far, the Faculty of Arts and Social Science has received about 80 applicants from a variety of backgrounds, Summerlee said. The announcement is expected this summer. The chair position is named after Allan Slaight, who in addition to being one Canada’s richest people, has been an avid magic buff, even editing and helping to write a tome on the work of Stewart James, one of Canada’s most productive magicians. The job description asks Carleton’s resident sorcerer to game-plan aspects of the history of magic, the history of perception and, of course, to investigate perception and deception. Carleton is matching a $2 million grant from The Slaight Family Foundation for the new post. The money will cover everything from the chair’s salary and hiring graduates to travel to investigate magic archives around the world. Summerlee said a major task will be for the resident sorcerer to link the “enormous amount of information” that has been gathered and printed worldwide about magic, which he or she would do through a digital archive, he said. The chair position is for a five-year renewable term with the possibility of tenure. Summerlee said he wants people to explore, “what is it about our psyches that make us so gullible?” In an effort to figure out what magic can reveal about our beliefs, researchers at the University of London asked people to explain a magic trick where the solution is


The current paper answers an open question of abs/1007.2426 We say that a countable model M characterizes an infinite cardinal kappa, if the Scott sentence of M has a model in cardinality kappa, but no models in cardinality kappa plus. If M is linearly ordered by <, we will say that the linear ordering (M,<) characterizes kappa. It is known that if kappa is characterizable, then kappa plus is characterizable by a linear ordering. Also, if kappa is characterizable by a dense linear ordering with an increasing sequence of size kappa, then 2^kappa is characterizable. We show that if kappa is homogeneously characterizable, then kappa is characterizable by a dense linear ordering, while the converse fails. The main theorems are: 1) If kappa>2^lambda is a characterizable cardinal, lambda is characterizable by a dense linear ordering and lambda is the least cardinal such that kappa^lambda>kappa, then kappa^lambda is also characterizable, 2) if aleph_alpha and kappa^(aleph_alpha) are characterizable cardinals, then the same is true for kappa^(aleph_(alpha+beta)), for all countable beta. Combining these two theorems we get that if kappa>2^(aleph_alpha) is a characterizable cardinal, aleph_alpha is characterizable by a dense linear ordering and aleph_alpha is the least cardinal such that kappa^(aleph_alpha)>kappa, then for all beta<alpha+omega_1, kappa^(aleph_beta) is characterizable. Also.


You’re probably excited (and owe somebody a big thank you). But if this is your first interchangeable lens camera (ILC), you may also be unsure where things go from here. Such a camera is the centerpiece of an ecosystem of lenses and other accessories that can be as confusing as they are desirable. But before you begin adding to your kit, it’s important to know what you really want. It’s equally important to understand your current gear and what it can and can’t do. We’ve compiled a short list of next steps for the first-time DSLR or mirrorless camera owner. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it may help point you in the right direction toward a rewarding journey into the world of photography. Study and practice Bill Roberson/Digital Trends Regardless of your camera, you will get more out of it by improving your skill rather than trying to buy better gear. Today’s cameras are like supercomputers with a lens attached, and they can do much more than simply point and take a picture. Reading the manual – yes, we know it’s boring – is probably the best way to get acquainted with your particular camera’s features and controls, but it’s also worth looking elsewhere for general knowledge on photography and how cameras work. An ILC lets you control the various exposure settings. If you’re looking for a quick guide, we have one. We also recommend Bryan Peterson’s book, Understanding Exposure, which has been the go-to guide for beginning photographers for the past two-and-a-half decades. In it, you’ll learn how to take control over your camera – rather than relying on its autoexposure mode – and create better pictures as a result. Related: Get pro-quality photos with your pop-up flash by using a white balloon If book learning isn’t your thing, there are ample online video courses for studying anything from the basics of exposure to how to run a photography business. CreativeLive and Lynda.com offer a wealth of knowledge on these topics. There is also plenty of free educational content on YouTube, with channels like the Cooperative of Photography (COOPH) offering creative tips and tricks and The Camera Store TV providing more gear-centric knowledge. But nothing is more helpful than simply getting out there and shooting. Take photos of your dog, bring you camera on a hike, or ask your significant other to (begrudgingly) pose for you.


We propose a simple model for dark energy useful for comparison with observations. It is based on the idea that dark energy and inflation should be caused by the same physical process. As motivation, we note that Linde's simple chaotic inflation $V=(1/2)m^{2}\phi^{2}$ produces values of $n_{s}=0.967$ and $r=0.13$, which are consistent with the WMAP 1-sigma error bars. We therefore propose $V=(1/2)m_{2}^{2}\phi_{2}^{2}+(1/2)m_{1}^{2}\phi_{1}^{2}$ with $m_{1}\sim10^{-5}$ and $m_{2}\leq10^{-60}$, where $c=1=\hbar$ and the reduced Planck mass is set to unity. The field $\phi_{1}$ drives inflation and has damped by now ($\phi_{1,0}=0$), while $\phi_{2}$ is currently rolling down its potential to produce dark energy. Using this model, we derive the formula $\delta w(z)\equiv w(z)+1=\delta w_{0}(H_0/H(z))^2$ via the slow-roll approximation. Our numerical results from exact and self-consistent solution of the equations of motion for $\phi_2$ and the Friedmann equations support this formula, and it should hold for any slow-roll dark energy. Our potential can be easily realized in N-flation models with many fields, and is easily falsifiable by upcoming experiments -- for example, if Linde's chaotic inflation is ruled out. But.


An EMT revealed a poignant detail Friday in the police shooting death of emotionally disturbed Bronx woman Deborah Danner — testifying that he’d been about to move her to safety moments before shots rang out. Danner had calmed down and was seated on her bed as EMT Patrick Moore left the bedroom to get a chair in which to transport her out of her castle Hill apartment, he testified. Suddenly, a half-dozen cops rushed past him into the bedroom, he testified. “I heard a lot of commotion,” Moore said. “I heard yelling, ‘Get down!’ I heard the word ‘bat,’ he added. Defendant Sgt. Hugh Barry has contended through his lawyer that he shot the schizophrenic Danner, 66, as she swung a bat at him. “Then I heard gunshots,” Moore said. He heard Danner let out one scream, he said. Inside the bedroom, the dying woman was “Lying on the bed … unconscious,” he said. “There was blood spewing out of her left chest and her left arm was mangled,” he said. “The patient was taking her last agonal respirations,” he said, using the medical terms for her deep, dying breaths. There was no pulse, he said — and instead of the chair he’d intended to transport her in, Moore and his fellow EMTs carried the near-dead woman from the apartment in a stretcher. Prosecution testimony is slated to continue Monday before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Robert Neary, who is presiding over the non-jury trial. Barry faces up to life in prison.


Ask your PCP if you should take aspirin ever day to help lower your risk of a heart attack. Mammogram: If you are age 45 to 54, get a screening every 1 to 2 years. Talk with your PCP about your personal risk factors, together you can decide when you should start getting mammograms and how often. @ 50 years of age Colorectal Cancer: If you are age 50 to 75, get tested for colorectal cancer. You and your PCP can decide which test is best. If you have a family history of colorectal cancer, you may need to be tested before you turn 50. @ 60 years of age Vision Disorders: Starting at age 60 (age 40 if you are African American), have a full eye exam with dilated pupils at least every 2 years. This will check for glaucoma and other eye problems. If you have diabetes, you should have an eye exam each year no matter what age you are. Talk to your primary care provider (PCP) about how to prioritize preventive health screenings, and the frequency in which you should schedule them based on risk factors associated with your family history and age. About AmeriHealth Caritas AmeriHealth Caritas is part of the Independence Health Group in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. AmeriHealth Caritas is one of the nation’s leaders in health care solutions for those most in need. Operating in 16 states and the District of Columbia, AmeriHealth Caritas serves approximately 5.6 million Medicaid, Medicare and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) members through its integrated managed care products, pharmaceutical benefit management and specialty pharmacy services, behavioral health services, and other administrative services. Headquartered in Philadelphia, AmeriHealth Caritas is a mission-driven organization with more than 35 years of experience serving low-income and chronically ill populations. For more information, visit www.amerihealthcaritas.com. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530006422/en/ CONTACT: AmeriHealth Caritas Jawanza Keita, 267-298-5702 jkeita@amerihealthcaritas.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA PENNSYLVANIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: WOMEN HEALTH CONSUMER GENERAL HEALTH SOURCE: AmeriHealth Caritas Copyright


The year the percentage of such professionals employed by such agency to furnish primary care services who during such previous year completed 6 credits of continuing medical education courses relating to nutrition (as described in subsection (c)). (c) Continuing Medical Education Relating to Nutrition.--For purposes of subsections (a) and (b), continuing medical education courses relating to nutrition shall include at least courses on the role of nutrition in the prevention, management, and, as possible, reversal of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. (d) Definitions.--For purposes of this Act: (1) Primary care health professional.--The term ``primary care health professional'' means a physician or nurse practitioner who furnishes primary care services. (2) Nurse practitioner.--The term ``nurse practitioner'' has the meaning given such term in section 1861(aa)(5) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa)(5)). (3) Physician.--The term ``physician'' has the meaning given such term in section 1861(r)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(r)(1)). (4) Primary care services.--The term ``primary care services'' has the meaning given such term in section 1842(i)(4) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395u(i)(4)), but shall include such services furnished by a nurse practitioner as would otherwise be included.


AIMS: We present the optical classification and redshift of 348 X-ray selected sources from the XMM-Newton Bright Serendipitous Survey (XBS) which contains a total of 400 objects (identification level = 87%). About 240 are new identifications. In particular, we discuss in detail the classification criteria adopted for the Active Galactic Nuclei population. METHODS: By means of systematic spectroscopic campaigns and through the literature search we have collected an optical spectrum for the large majority of the sources in the XBS survey and applied a well-defined classification ``flow-chart''. RESULTS: We find that the AGN represent the most numerous population at the flux limit of the XBS survey (~10^-13 erg cm^-2 s^-1) constituting 80% of the XBS sources selected in the 0.5-4.5 keV energy band and 95% of the ``hard'' (4.5-7.5 keV) selected objects. Galactic sources populate significantly the 0.5-4.5 keV sample (17%) and only marginally (3%) the 4.5-7.5 keV sample. The remaining sources in both samples are clusters/groups of galaxies and normal galaxies (i.e. probably not powered by an AGN). Furthermore, the percentage of type2 AGN (i.e. optically absorbed AGNs with A_V>2mag) dramatically increases going from the 0.5-4.5 keV sample (f=N_AGN2/N_AGN=7%) to the 4.5-7.5 keV sample (f=32%). We finally propose two simple diagnostic plots that can be easily used to obtain the spectral classification for relatively low redshift AGNs even.


You might have come across Hangarswap.com, and its creator, pilot and aviation entrepreneur Rachel Payne. What she’s up to with her site, hangarswap.com, is cool, but it could be a lot more than that, too. Payne, a hot-pink haired ball of enthusiasm for aviation, got into the airplane business when she was just 15 years old by selling used plane parts on eBay. She has turned that part time high school job into a mini empire. Her salvage yard near Orlando, Florida, is a must-visit destination for those hard-to-find parts for our GA aircraft. But for the past couple of years, Payne has been promoting a whole new kind of online experience. After getting frustrated by eBay’s high commission (10 percent and a max of $750 per sale), Payne decided to start her own dedicated auction site, hangarswap.com, that’s just now getting a facelift. The site charges only five percent commission, it has a max fee of $300 per transaction, and when you search for “Beechcraft,” it doesn’t autocorrect it to “Beach House.” Payne also insists on opening the flow of conversation among hangarswap.com buyers and sellers, a practice that eBay controls for fear of losing commissions to direct sales between the buyers and sellers. This allows easy exchange of questions and answers between the parties, so there are fewer misunderstandings, says Payne. Being smaller, Rachel and her friendly staff can also help arbitrate disputes, though she says that because her crowd is friendlier and more knowledgeable than the typical eBayers, there’s usually not much to arbitrate. Unlike eBay, hangarswap.com is run by airplane nuts, including Payne, who currently flies a Cessna 210. She admits to being a bit of a packrat when it comes to things like plane parts, vintage motorcycles and funky art, though she denies she has a problem. Her motto, and that of hangarswap.com, says it all, “It’s not hoarding if your stuff is cool.” Amen.


The study of the broad-band emission of GHz-Peaked-Spectrum (GPS) radio galaxies is a powerful tool to investigate the physical processes taking place in the central, kpc-sized region of their active hosts, where the jets propagate and the lobes expand, interacting with the surrounding interstellar medium (ISM). We recently developed a new dynamical-radiative model to describe the evolution of the GPS phenomenon (Stawarz et al. 2008): as the relativistic jets propagate through the ISM, gradually engulfing narrow-line emitting gas clouds along their way, the electron population of the expanding lobes evolves, emitting synchrotron light, as well as inverse-Compton radiation via up-scattering of the photon fields from the host galaxy and its active nucleus. The model, which successfully reproduces the key features of the GPS radio sources as a class, provides a description of the evolution of their spectral energy distribution (SED) with the lobes' expansion, predicting significant and complex X-ray to gamma-ray emission. We apply here the model to the broad-band SED's of a sample of known, X-ray emitting GPS galaxies, and show that: (i) the free-free absorption mechanism enables us to reproduce the radio continuum at frequencies below the turnover; (ii) the lobes' non-thermal, inverse-Compton emission can account for the observed X-ray spectra, providing a viable alternative to the thermal, accretion-dominated scenario. We also show that, in our sample, the relationship between the X-ray and radio hydrogen column densitities, N_H and N_HI, is suggestive of a positive correlation, which.


We consider the Casimir effect of the electromagnetic field in a higher dimensional spacetime of the form $M\times \mathcal{N}$, where $M$ is the 4-dimensional Minkowski spacetime and $\mathcal{N}$ is an $n$-dimensional compact manifold. The Casimir force acting on a planar piston that can move freely inside a closed cylinder with the same cross section is investigated. Different combinations of perfectly conducting boundary conditions and infinitely permeable boundary conditions are imposed on the cylinder and the piston. It is verified that if the piston and the cylinder have the same boundary conditions, the piston is always going to be pulled towards the closer end of the cylinder. However, if the piston and the cylinder have different boundary conditions, the piston is always going to be pushed to the middle of the cylinder. By taking the limit where one end of the cylinder tends to infinity, one obtains the Casimir force acting between two parallel plates inside an infinitely long cylinder. The asymptotic behavior of this Casimir force in the high temperature regime and the low temperature regime are investigated for the case where the cross section of the cylinder in $M$ is large. It is found that if the separation between the plates is much smaller than the size of $\mathcal{N}$, the leading term of the Casimir force is the same as the Casimir force on a pair of large parallel plates in the $(4+n)$-dimensional Minkowski spacetime. However, if the size of $\mathcal{N}$ is much smaller than the separation between the plates, the leading term of the Casimir force is $1+h/2$ times the Casimir force on a pair of large parallel plates in the 4-dimensional Minkowski spacetime, where $h$ is the first Betti number of $\mathcal{N}$. In the limit the manifold $\mathcal{N}$ vanishes, one does not obtain the Casimir force in the 4-dimensional Minkowski spacetime.


We present new B, V and I CCD time-series photometry for 177 variable stars in a 13'X 13' field centered on the globular cluster M54 (lying at the center of the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy), 94 of which are newly identified variables. The total sample is composed of 2 anomalous Cepheids, 144 RR Lyrae stars (108 RR0 and 36 RR1), 3 SX Phoenicis, 7 eclipsing binaries (5 W UMA and 2 Algol binaries), 3 variables of uncertain classification and 18 long-period variables. The large majority of the RR Lyrae variables likely belong to M54. Ephemerides are provided for all the observed short-period variables. The pulsational properties of the M54 RR Lyrae variables are close to those of Oosterhoff I clusters, but a significant number of long-period ab type RR Lyrae are present. We use the observed properties of the RR Lyrae to estimate the reddening and the distance modulus of M54, E(B-V)=0.16 +/- 0.02 and (m-M)_0=17.13 +/- 0.11, respectively, in excellent agreement with the most recent estimates. The metallicity has been estimated for a subset of 47 RR Lyrae stars, with especially good quality light curves, from the Fourier parameters of the V light curve. The derived metallicity distribution has a symmetric bell shape, with a mean of <[Fe/H]>=-1.65 and a standard deviation sigma=0.16 dex. Seven stars have been identified as likely belonging to the Sagittarius galaxy, based on their too high or too low metallicity. This evidence.