%Context: {Previous studies have indicated that the 372.4 GHz ground transition of ortho-H$_2$D$^+$ might be a powerful probe of Proto-Planetary Disks. The line could be especially suited for study of the disk mid-plane, where the bulk of the mass resides and where planet formation takes place.} %Aims: {Provide detailed theoretical predictions for the line intensity, profile and maps expected for representative disk models.} %Methods: {We determine the physical and chemical structure of the disks from the model developed by Ceccarelli & Dominik (2005). The line emission is computed with the new radiative transfer method developed recently by Elitzur & Asensio Ramos (2006).} %Results: {We present intensity maps convolved with the expected ALMA resolution, which delineate the origin of the H$_2$D$^+$ 372.4 GHz line. In the disk inner regions, the line probes the conditions in the mid-plane out to radial distances of a few tens of AU, where Solar-like planetary systems might form. In the disk outermost regions, the line originates from slightly above the mid-plane. When the disk is spatially resolved, the variation of line profile across the image provides important information about the velocity field. Spectral profiles of the entire disk flux show a double peak shape at most inclination angles.} %Conclusions: {Our study confirms that the 372.4 GHz H$_2$D$^+$ line provides powerful diagnostics of the mid-plane of Proto-Planetary Disks. Current submillimeter telescopes are capable of observing this line, though with some difficulties. The future ALMA interferometer will have the sensitivity to observe and even spatially resolve the H$_2$D$^+$ line emission.}


We present the results of a VLA and OVRO-MMA follow-up to our single-dish surveys of the neutral atomic and molecular gas in a sample of nearby Luminous Compact Blue Galaxies (LCBGs). These luminous, blue, high surface brightness, starbursting galaxies were selected using criteria similar to that used to define LCBGs at higher redshifts. The surveys were undertaken to study the nature and evolutionary possibilities of LCBGs, using dynamical masses and gas depletion time scales as constraints. Here we present nearly resolved VLA H I maps of four LCBGs, as well as results from the literature for a fifth LCBG. In addition, we present OVRO-MMA maps of CO(J=1-0) in two of these LCBGs. We have used the resolved H I maps to separate the H I emission from target galaxies and their companions to improve the accuracy of our gas and dynamical mass estimates. For this sub-sample of LCBGs, we find that the dynamical masses measured with the single-dish telescope and interferometer are in agreement. However, we find that we have overestimated the mass of H I in two galaxies by a significant amount, possibly as much as 75%, when compared to the single-dish estimates. These two galaxies have companions within a few arc minutes; we find that our single-dish and interferometric measurements of H I masses are in reasonable agreement for galaxies with more distant companions. The H I velocity fields indicate that all five galaxies are clearly rotating yet distorted, likely due to recent interactions. Our measurements of the gas and dynamical masses of LCBGs point towards evolution into low mass galaxies such as dwarf ellipticals, irregulars, and low mass spirals, consistent with studies of LCBGs at higher redshifts.


) After-school programs reduce teen risky behavior by involving teens in activities that provide alternatives to sex. Teenage girls who play sports, for instance, are more likely to delay sex and have fewer partners and less likely to become pregnant. (10) After-school programs help prevent teen pregnancy by advancing good decision-making skills and providing teens health education and positive role models in a supervised setting. (11) 8 in 10 girls and 6 in 10 boys report that they wish they had waited until they were older to have sex. SEC. 3. EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR PREVENTING TEEN PREGNANCIES. (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') may make grants to local educational agencies, State and local public health agencies, and nonprofit private entities for the purpose of carrying out projects to provide education on preventing teen pregnancies. (b) Preference in Making Grants.--In making grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give preference to applicants that will carry out the projects under such subsection in communities for which the rate of teen pregnancy is significantly above the average rate in the United States of such pregnancies. (c) Certain Requirements.--A grant may be made under subsection (a) only if the applicant for the grant meets the following conditions with respect to the project involved: (1) The applicant agrees that information provided by the project on pregnancy prevention will be age-appropriate, factually and medically accurate and complete, and scientifically-based. (2) The applicant agrees that the project will give priority to preventing teen pregnancies by-- (A) encouraging teens to delay sexual activity; (B) providing educational services and referrals for sexually active teens or teens at risk of becoming sexually active; (C) educating both young men and women about the responsibilities and pressures that come along with parenting; (D) helping parents communicate with teens about sexuality; or (E) teaching young people responsible decision- making. (d) Matching Funds.-- (1) In general.--With respect to the costs of the project to be carried out under subsection (a) by an applicant, a grant may be made under such subsection only if the applicant agrees to make available (directly or through donations from public or private entities) non-Federal contributions toward such costs in an amount that is not less than 25 percent of such costs ($1 for each $3 of Federal funds provided in the grant). (2)


In this article we develop quantum algorithms for learning and testing juntas, i.e. Boolean functions which depend only on an unknown set of k out of n input variables. Our aim is to develop efficient algorithms: - whose sample complexity has no dependence on n, the dimension of the domain the Boolean functions are defined over; - with no access to any classical or quantum membership ("black-box") queries. Instead, our algorithms use only classical examples generated uniformly at random and fixed quantum superpositions of such classical examples; - which require only a few quantum examples but possibly many classical random examples (which are considered quite "cheap" relative to quantum examples). Our quantum algorithms are based on a subroutine FS which enables sampling according to the Fourier spectrum of f; the FS subroutine was used in earlier work of Bshouty and Jackson on quantum learning. Our results are as follows: - We give an algorithm for testing k-juntas to accuracy $\epsilon$ that uses $O(k/\epsilon)$ quantum examples. This improves on the number of examples used by the best known classical algorithm. - We establish the following lower bound: any FS-based k-junta testing algorithm requires $\Omega(\sqrt{k})$ queries. - We give an algorithm for learning $k$-juntas to accuracy $\epsilon$ that uses $O(\epsilon^{-1} k\log k)$ quantum examples and $O(2^k \log(1/\epsilon))$ random examples. We show that this learning algorithms is close to optimal by giving a related lower bound.


New HI images from the VLA Galactic Plane Survey (VGPS) show clear absorption features associated with the supernova remnant (SNR) G18.8+0.3. High-resolution $^{13}$CO images reveal that molecular clouds overlap the radio filaments of G18.8+0.3. The $^{13}$CO emission spectrum over the full velocity range in the direction of G18.8+0.3 shows two molecular components with high brightness-temperatureand three molecular components with low brightness-temperature, all with respective HI absorption. This implies that these clouds are in front of G18.8+0.3. In the HI images, the highest velocity absorption feature seen against the continuum image of G18.8+0.3 is at 129 km s$^{-1}$, which corresponds to the tangent point in this direction. This yields a lower distance limit of 6.9 kpc for G18.8+0.3. Absence of absorption at negative velocities gives an upper distance limit of 15 kpc. The broadened profile at 20$\pm$5 km s$^{-1}$ in the $^{13}$CO emission spectra is a strong indicator of a possible SNR/CO cloud interaction. Thus, G18.8+0.3 is likely to be at the distance of about 12 kpc. The upper mass limit and mean density of the giant CO cloud at 20$\pm$5 km s$^{-1}$ are \sim 6 \times 10^{5} M_{\odot} and \sim 2 \times 10^{2} cm^{-3}. We find an atomic hydrogen column density in front of G18.8+0.3 of $N_{HI}$ \sim 2 \times 10^{22} cm^{-2}. The ROSAT PSPC observations show a diffuse X-ray enhancement apparently associated with part of the radio shell of G18.8+0.3. Assuming an association, the unabsorbed flux is 2.2 \times10^{-12} erg cm^{-2} s^{-1}, suggesting an intrinsic luminosity of 3.6 \times 10^{34} erg s^{-1} for G18.8+0.3.


SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds that-- (1) increased demands on firefighting personnel have made it difficult for local governments to adequately fund necessary fire safety precautions; (2) the Federal Government has an obligation to protect the health and safety of the firefighting personnel of the United States and to help ensure that the personnel have the financial resources to protect the public; (3) the United States has serious fire losses, including a fire death rate that is one of the highest per capita in the industrialized world; (4) in the United States, fire kills more than 4,000 people and injures more than 25,000 people each year; (5) in any single day in the United States, on the average-- (A) 11 people will die because of fire; (B) 2 of those people are likely to be children under the age of 5; (C) 68 people will be injured because of fire; and (D) over $9,000,000,000 in property losses will occur from fire; and (6) those statistics demonstrate a critical need for Federal investment in support of firefighting personnel. SEC. 3. REDESIGNATION OF FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY. (a) In General.--The Federal Emergency Management Agency is redesignated as the ``Federal Fire and Emergency Management Agency''. (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall be deemed to be a reference to the Federal Fire and Emergency Management Agency. (c) Conforming Amendments to Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974.--Sections 4(4), 17, and 31(a)(5)(B) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2203(4), 2216, and 2227(a)(5)(B)) are amended by striking ``Federal Emergency Management Agency'' each place it appears and inserting ``Federal Fire and Emergency Management Agency''. SEC. 4. FIREFIGHTER INVESTMENT AND RESPONSE ENHANCEMENT. The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2201 et seq.) is amended by


We present multi-frequency, radio-continuum and HI observations of NGC4438, the highly-disturbed, active galaxy in the Virgo cluster, with the VLA and the GMRT. High-resolution observations with the VLA at 4860 and 8460 MHz show the presence of an inverted-spectrum radio nucleus located between the highly asymmetric lobes of radio emission. This demonstrates that these lobes arise due to an AGN rather than a compact nuclear starburst. The low-frequency radio continuum observations made with the GMRT detect the extended emission on the western side of the galaxy whose spectral index is flatter at higher frequencies and suggests that it is a mixture of thermal and non-thermal emission. The HI observations show an elongated structure which is displaced by ~4.1 kpc on the western side of NGC4438 and has a size of ~9.8 kpc and a mass of 1.8*10^8 M_sun. The velocity field suggests systematic rotation. We also detect HI emission from the disk of the galaxy with a mass of 1.2*10^8 M_sun. We detect a faint HI tail towards the north of NGC4438 close to a stellar tail seen in deep optical observations. This HI tail has a total extent of ~50 kpc and a mass of 1.4*10^8 M_sun if it is at the distance of NGC4438. The velocity of the HI tail is ~-10 km/s similar to that of HI emission from IC 3355, but the possibility that the tail could be foreground Galactic emission cannot be ruled out. We discuss the different structures in the light of different models.


are likely to include, any course in the areas of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. ``(e) STEM Teacher Training Expenses.--The term `STEM teacher training expenses' means any amount paid or incurred by a taxpayer engaged in a trade or business within an area of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics which is attributable to the participation of any eligible STEM teacher in a regular training program provided to employees of the taxpayer which is determined by such teacher's school as enhancing such teacher's teaching skills in the areas of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. ``(f) Denial of Double Benefit.--No deduction shall be allowed under this chapter for any amount allowed as a credit under this section.''. (b) Conforming Amendments.-- (1) Section 38(b) of such Code is amended by striking ``plus'' at the end of paragraph (18), by striking the period at the end of paragraph (19), and inserting ``, plus'', and by adding at the end the following new paragraph: ``(20) the elementary and secondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) contributions credit determined under section 45J.''. (2) The table of sections for subpart D of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following new item: ``Sec. 45J. Contributions benefiting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education at the elementary and secondary school level.''. (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act. SEC. 5. ASSURANCE OF CONTINUED LOCAL CONTROL. Nothing in this Act may be construed to authorize any department, agency, officer, or employee of the United States to exercise any direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum, program of instruction, administration, or personnel of any educational institution or school system.


PLANT CITY, Fla. (AP) — A Florida teen who doctors say is dying from a rare form of cancer has been granted one of his final wishes, to be married to his high school sweetheart. The Tampa Bay Times reports 19-year-old Dustin Snyder and 21-year-old Sierra Siverio were wed Sunday in Plant City, near Tampa. "After her being there with me through this cancer, always supporting me and loving me, that's when I knew she was the one," Snyder said. "I wanted to give her something back before my time was up." Doctors say Snyder has weeks or maybe a month to live. Wasting no time, Snyder proposed to Siverio on Thursday. The newspaper reports the community quickly came together to make sure the wedding took place, donating everything from the rings to the wedding gown and the venue. The two say they've been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from strangers. Snyder's sister, Brittany Hails, posted her brother's story on Facebook and started a GoFundMe page, which had raised nearly $13,000 by Friday. An update said they had met their goal and leftover donations would help the family with other expenses. "I didn't think it would go this far, but God was on our side," Hails said. "Dustin's really excited, and all we wanted is for him to be happy. And he's happy right now." The teens met in middle school, but had lost touch before reuniting in high school. Snyder has battled synovial sarcoma much of that time. On June 27, 2016, the day before his 18th birthday, Snyder went to the hospital with chest pains, which his mother thought were brought on by asthma. But doctors quickly diagnosed the teen with synovial sarcoma, which targets soft tissue and is more common among adolescents and young adults than other age groups who contract it. "When I first found out I was devastated, but then he told me I needed to be strong for him," Siverio said. "Ever since he said that I've been by his side." ___ Information from: Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Fla.), http://www.tampabay.com.


The formation of subdwarf B (sdB) stars is not well understood within the current framework of stellar single and binary evolution. In this study, we focus on the formation and evolution of the pulsating sdB star in the very short-period eclipsing binary PG1336-018. We aim at refining the formation scenario of this unique system, so that it can be confronted with observations. We probe the stellar structure of the progenitors of sdB stars in short-period binaries using detailed stellar evolution calculations. Applying this to PG1336-018 we reconstruct the common-envelope phase during which the sdB star was formed. The results are interpreted in terms of the standard common-envelope formalism (the alpha-formalism) based on the energy equation, and an alternative description (the gamma-formalism) using the angular momentum equation. We find that if the common-envelope evolution is described by the alpha-formalism, the sdB progenitor most likely experienced a helium flash. We then expect the sdB mass to be between 0.39 and 0.48 Msun, and the sdB progenitor initial mass to be below ~2 Msun. However, the results for the gamma-formalism are less restrictive, and a broader sdB mass range (0.3 - 0.8 Msun) is possible in this case. Future seismic mass determination will give strong constraints on the formation of PG1336-018 and, in particular, on the CE phase.


The multiverse is a hierarchy in the number of universes, increasing stepwise towards infinity. It is an evolutionary system, in which universes survive only near critical mass. That mass is actually a factor of 1.94 less than the critical mass, and this is found to be consistent with the baryon density inferred from nucleosynthesis in our universe; it is also precisely verified as a cosmological effect. That factor seems to have originated in the multiverse for causing intersecting expansions of its universes, such that mixing occurs of debris from aging galaxies (over proton-decaying time scales). It follows that there is an inter-universal medium (IUM), probably having the demand of new universes in balance with the supply of dark radiation and sub-atomic particles from the decaying galaxies. The mixing causes the universes to have the same quantum, relativity, gravity, and particle physics as our universe. The making of a universe from the radiation and sub-atomic particles occurs through re-vitalizing the protons, and other particles as well, by gravitational energy obtained in accretion of the IUM. This process therefore begins wherever the IUM space density reaches proton density, near 10 E18 kg m E-3. The process continues quietly as the sweeping-up and gravitational accretion proceeds, until the near-critical mass is reached. Some of the IUM debris must also be pervading our present universe, steadily or in partially accreted lumps. The model therefore predicts that the IUM sub-atomic particles appear as our dark matter, and its radiation component as our dark energy, both near 0 K temperatures. The dark energy may cause expansion phenomena, in addition to the above non-flatness expansion, from an accretion lump that arrived at our universe at age near 9 x 10 E9 y.


We present the first results of a large spectroscopic survey of candidate globular clusters located in the extreme outskirts of the nearby M31 galaxy. We obtained low resolution spectra of 48 targets selected from the XSC of 2MASS, as in Galleti et al. (2005). The observed candidates have been robustly classified according to their radial velocity and by verifying their extended/point-source nature from ground-based optical images. Among the 48 observed candidates clusters we found 5 genuine remote globular clusters. One of them has been already identified independently by Mackey et al. (2007), their GC1; the other four are completely new discoveries: B516, B517, B518, B519. The newly discovered clusters lie at projected distance 40 kpc<~R_p<~100 kpc from the center of M31, and have absolute integrated magnitude -9.5<M_V<-7.5. For all the observed clusters we have measured the strongest Lick indices and we have obtained spectroscopic metallicity estimates. Mackey-GC1, Martin-GC1, B517 and B518 have spectra typical of old and metal poor globular clusters ([Fe/H]<~ -1.3); B519 appears old but quite metal-rich ([Fe/H]~-0.5); B516 presents very strong Balmer absorption lines: if this is indeed a cluster it should have a relatively young age (likely <2 Gyr). The present analysis nearly doubles the number of M31 globulars at R_p> 40 kpc. At odds with the Milky Way, M31 appears to have a significant population of very bright globular clusters in its extreme outskirts.


The aim of this paper is to identify the young protostellar counterparts associated to dust millimeter cores of the Vela Molecular Ridge Cloud D through new IR observations (H_2 narrow-band at 2.12 micron and N broad band at 10.4 micron) along with an investigation performed on the existing IR catalogues. The association of mm continuum emission with infrared sources from catalogues (IRAS, MSX, 2MASS), JHK data from the literature and new observations, has been established according to spatial coincidence, infrared colours and spectral energy distributions. Only 7 out of 29 resolved mm cores (and 16 out of the 26 unresolved ones) do not exhibit signposts of star formation activity. The other ones are clearly associated with: far-IR sources, H_2 jets or near-IR objects showing a high intrinsic colour excess. The distribution of the spectral indices pertaining to the associated sources is peaked at values typical of Class I objects, while three objects are signalled as candidates Class 0 sources. We remark the high detection rate (30%) of H_2 jets driven by sources located inside the mm-cores. They appear not driven by the most luminous objects in the field, but rather by less luminous objects in young clusters, testifying the co-existence of both low- and intermediate-mass star formation. The presented results reliably describe the young population of VMR-D. However, the statistical evaluation of activity vs inactivity of the investigated cores, even in good agreement with results found for other star forming regions, seems to reflect the limiting sensitivity of the available facilities rather than any property intrinsic to the mm-condensations.


We present high spatial resolution maps, obtained with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer, of the blue lobe of the L1157 outflow. We observed four lines at 3 mm, namely CH3OH (2_K-1_K), HC3N (11-10), HCN (1-0) and OCS (7-6). Moreover, the bright B1 clump has also been observed at better spatial resolution in CS (2-1), CH3OH (2_1-1_1)A-, and 34SO (3_2-2_1). These high spatial resolution observations show a very rich structure in all the tracers, revealing a clumpy structure of the gas superimposed to an extended emission. In fact, the three clumps detected by previous IRAM-30m single dish observations have been resolved into several sub-clumps and new clumps have been detected in the outflow. The clumps are associated with the two cavities created by two shock episodes driven by the precessing jet. In particular, the clumps nearest the protostar are located at the walls of the younger cavity with a clear arch-shape form while the farthest clumps have slightly different observational characteristics indicating that they are associated to the older shock episode. The emission of the observed species peaks in different part of the lobe: the east clumps are brighter in HC3N (11-10), HCN (1-0) and CS (2-1) while the west clumps are brighter in CH3OH(2_K-1_K), OCS (7-6) and 34SO (3_2-2_1). This peak displacement in the line emission suggests a variation of the physical conditions and/or the chemical composition along the lobe of the outflow at small scale, likely related to the shock activity and the precession of the outflow. In particular, we observe the decoupling of the silicon monoxide and methanol emission, common shock tracers, in the B1 clump located at the apex of the bow shock produced by the second shock episode.


$B\to\phi K^*$ ($\btos$) is three separate decays, one for each polarization of the final-state vector mesons (one longitudinal, two transverse). It is observed that the fraction of transverse decays, $\fT$, and the fraction of longitudinal decays, $\fL$, are roughly equal: $\fTfL \simeq 1$, in opposition to the naive expectation that $\fT \ll \fL$. If one requires a single explanation of all polarization puzzles, two possibilities remain within the standard model: penguin annihilation and rescattering. In this paper we examine the predictions of these two explanations for $\fTfL$ in $\btod$ decays. In $B \to \rho\rho$ decays, only $\bd \to \rho^0\rho^0$ can possibly exhibit a large $\fTfL$. In B decays related by U-spin, we find two promising possibilities: (i) $B^+ \to K^{*0} \rho^+$ ($\btos$) and $B^+ \to \Kbar^{*0} K^{*+}$ ($\btod$) and (ii) $\bs \to K^{*0} \Kbar^{*0}$ ($\btos$) and $\bd \to \Kbar^{*0} K^{*0}$ ($\btod$). The measurement of $\fTfL$ in these pairs of decays will allow us to test penguin annihilation and rescattering. Finally, it is possible to distinguish penguin annihilation from rescattering by performing a time-dependent angular analysis of $\bd \to \Kbar^{*0} K^{*0}$.


We study the two-photon process for the transitions ns --> 1s and nd --> 1s in hydrogen up to large n. For n<=20 we provide simple analytic fitting formulae to describe the non-resonant part of the two-photon emission profiles. Combining these with the analytic form of the cascade-term yields a simple and accurate description of the full two-photon decay spectrum, which only involves a sum over a few intermediate states. We demonstrate that the cascade term naturally leads to a nearly Lorentzian shape of the two-photon profiles in the vicinity of the resonances. However, due to quantum-electrodynamical corrections, the two-photon emission spectra deviate significantly from the Lorentzian shape in the very distant wings of the resonances. We investigate up to which distance the two-photon profiles are close to a Lorentzian and discuss the role of the interference term. We then analyze how the deviation of the two-photon profiles from the Lorentzian shape affects the dynamics of cosmological hydrogen recombination. Since in this context the escape of photons from the Lyman-alpha resonance plays a crucial role, we concentrate on the two-photon corrections in the vicinity of the Lyman-alpha line. Our computations show that the changes in the ionization history due to the additional two-photon process from high shell (n>2) likely do not reach the percent-level. For conservative assumptions we find a correction DN_e/N_e~-0.4% at redshift z~1160. This is numerically similar to the result of another recent study; however, the physics leading to this conclusion is rather different. In particular, our calculations of the effective two-photon decay rates yield significantly different values, where the destructive interference of the resonant and non-resonant terms plays a crucial role in this context (abridged)


ology, pharmacology, pharmacognosy, or nutrition at a university that is accredited by an organization recognized by the Department of Education of the United States; ``(B) you have never been employed by, and have never been contracted to do work for, the Food and Drug Administration or any other agency or office of the Department of Health and Human Services (except to review health claim petitions) or for the health claim petitioner; ``(C) you will evaluate any health claim petition submitted to you in strict accordance with the criteria specified in section 403D; ``(D) you will not discuss with any person the fact that you are reviewing the health claim petition or the substance of the petition or the substance of the evaluation before you submit a complete written evaluation of the health claim to the Secretary; ``(E) you will complete your review of the health claim petition and will supply your complete written evaluation of it along with all scientific evidence reviewed to the Secretary no later than 180 days after receipt of the health claim petition from the Secretary; and ``(F) you will exercise independent professional judgment, free of any external influence and any unscientific bias that might interfere with the objective evaluation of the health claim. ``(5) Failure to abide by the above rules will result in disbarment from the Independent Scientific Review program and disallowance of all compensation for any review undertaken. ``(b) Confirmation of Independent Scientific Reviewer Status.--No later than 30 days after the Secretary's receipt of a request, including the certifications required under subsection (a)(4), from a person who seeks to serve as an Independent Scientific Reviewer, the Secretary shall notify that person whether he or she satisfies the qualification criteria specified in such subsection and is, thereby, eligible to be selected to serve as an Independent Scientific Reviewer. ``(c) Random Selection of Independent Scientific Reviewer To Evaluate Health Claim.--No later than 15 days after a health claim petition is filed with the Secretary, the Secretary shall select an Independent Scientific Reviewer at random and shall provide that person with a complete copy of the health claim petition for evaluation. The Secretary shall not reveal the name of the Independent Scientific Reviewer to the public or to the health claim petitioner until after the Secretary receives from the Independent Scientific Reviewer all publicly available scientific evidence reviewed and a complete evaluation of the health claim. ``(d) All Publicly Available Scientific Evidence Shall Be Reviewed.--Upon receipt of a health claim petition, the Independent Scientific Reviewer shall acquire and evaluate all publicly


SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Heart Disease Education, Analysis, and Research, and Treatment for Women Act'' or the ``HEART for Women Act''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress makes the following findings: (1) Heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death among women. (2) Despite being the number 1 killer, only 13 percent of women are aware that cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke, are their greatest health risk. (3) Many minority women, including African American, Hispanic, and Native American women, are at a higher risk of death from heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases, but they are less likely to know of this risk. (4) There is a pervasive lack of awareness among health care providers that cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of women. (5) Women are less likely than men to receive certain treatments for cardiovascular diseases, perhaps due to lack of awareness and the presence of different symptoms in women than in men. (6) Women tend to experience later onset of heart disease than men, and therefore more often suffer from multiple conditions that mask symptoms of heart disease and complicate treatment. (7) Certain diagnostic tests for cardiovascular disease may be less accurate in women than men. (8) Drug effectiveness and metabolism differ in women and men, impacting successful treatment of cardiovascular disease. (9) In addition, stroke kills 2.3 times as many females as does breast cancer. Nearly 61 percent of stroke-related deaths occur in females. Studies have found gender differences in the effects, diagnosis, and treatment of stroke. For instance-- (A) stroke severity is greater in women than in men; (B) women often receive fewer diagnostic tests and intervention procedures than men; and (C) strokes present treatment issues unique to women. SEC. 3. REPORTING OF GENDER DATA IN APPLICATIONS FOR DRUGS, BIOLOGICS, AND DEVICES. (a) New Drug Applications.--Section 505(b) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 355(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(5)(A) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the applicant shall include in any submission to the Secretary pursuant to this subsection, to the extent appropriate, information stratified by gender, race and ethnicity, including any differences in safety and effectiveness.


ism has helped her accept her body One of the things that I find so moving about Catholicism is that it never forgets that to be a person is inherently and inescapably and necessarily to be in a body — a body that brings you pain, a body that brings you pleasure, a body that can be a barrier to thinking more completely about your life and your soul — but [that it] can also be a vehicle to delivering you into better communion with the world, with other people and to whatever divinity it is that you believe in. What Catholicism did for me, in part, is give me a framework in which to understand my body as not an accident or a punishment or a mistake, but as the body that I am meant to have and that is constitutive of so much of who I am and what I've done and what I hope I will do in the world. More and more... I've come to see my body as a place of pride and potential, and as something that gives me a unique outlook onto the world. And I'd rather that, I guess, than be infuriated by it. On her twin sister, who died shortly after birth She lived about 36 hours after we were born.... It's a phenomenon in my life that I have not a lot of rational explanation for,... but it is true that I miss my sister with a kind of intense specificity that has no rational explanation, and that I feel aware of her presence in this way that I can't exactly explain or articulate, but which feels undeniable to me.... I do think that that sort of gave me no other option than to believe in some kind of something beyond this current mortal life that we're living. Because what is the explanation otherwise for the fact that I feel like I miss and I know this person who only lived a matter of hours? And for the fact as much as I know that she is dead and is gone in a real way, she doesn't feel "disappeared" to me. On how her physical disability and her poetry are intertwined I think the easiest way I have of describing it is I have two [early] memories.... One of them is of sitting on a table in a hospital room in the children's hospital in St. Louis, choosing the flavor of the anesthetic gas I was going to breathe when they put me under to do my first major surgery. I was picking between cherry and butterscotch and grape


a teaching hospital, and may include-- (1) other clinical entities, including community hospitals and health centers or physician group practices; (2) schools of medicine or other health professions; and (3) other nonclinical entities, including community organizations. (c) Application.--An application for a grant under this section shall include-- (1) a description of the geographic region to be included in the HIZ established under section 4, including population and health care provider demographics, as well as an estimate of the number of people that could be cared for in the HIZ; (2) a demonstration that the grant applicant has the expertise to engage community and clinical care leaders in developing a design plan for the HIZ that will meet the requirements listed in subsection (e); and (3) a proposed budget setting forth the costs to be incurred in creating the HIZ design plan. (d) Criteria for Awarding Grants.--The Secretary shall give preference to grant applications in which the potential HIZ would care for large and diverse populations and that also demonstrate the commitment of clinical and community partners to participate in the planning process for creating and submitting the HIZ design plan as set forth in subsection (e). (e) HIZ Design Plan Requirements.--A recipient of a grant under this section must submit to the Secretary, within 1 year after receiving such grant funds, an HIZ design plan describing the HIZ to be created in the pilot program under section 4. Such HIZ design plan must contain-- (1) an estimate of the number of people to whom health care will be delivered by the providers in the HIZ using the models of care described in such plan; (2) a description of the legal and management structure of the HIZ Coordinating Entity under which the full spectrum of care would be provided through the HIZ, and that will receive and administer payments received under the pilot program; (3) a description of how the full spectrum of care will be provided and by whom; (4) a description, including supporting financial documentation, of how the HIZ will reduce the rate of increase in Medicare and other health care spending including the level of the reduction and over what time frame such reduction will be achieved; (5) a description of how physician, hospital, and other providers will be integrated and aligned, and how health care delivery processes will be changed to reduce the rate of growth of health care costs while improving quality of care for Medicare, Medicaid, and privately


you currently sell? Could you serve as a middleman that allows entry into an otherwise expensive product? Other companies have proven that unconventional business models can be successful, so at the very least thinking through how these could apply to your industry will prepare you for potential competitors. 3. Ask better questions As leaders, we often fall into a default state of assuming our job is to provide answers. We're the men and women that are supposed to make decisions, provide guidance, and answer tough questions. These are important leadership skills, but increasingly, so is asking the right questions. The rapid pace of change increasingly means we as leaders simply cannot have a functional knowledge of every discipline that's required to compete effectively in today's market. A junior designer on our team might have a bit of knowledge that can help push the collective thinking forward, but will only offer that knowledge if you as a leader create an environment where he or she feels like they can contribute. Try to gain a sense of the perspectives each person on your team brings to the table. This is useful for two reasons. First, it allows you to call on specific people when you need expertise in a particular area. Secondly, it can help identify areas where your team is lacking. You may have a dozen technologists, but no one that can think through how to make employees more effective. Or, you might have a room full of great thinkers on customer experience, but no one that knows the capabilities and limitations of the tools required to deliver those experiences. SEE: 10 books every small business entrepreneur should read (free PDF) (TechRepublic) 4. Get out of your comfort zone Focusing only on your industry can be comfortable. You speak the same language, have the same concerns, and often move at a similar pace to industry peers and competitors. As a leader, you may have grown up in the industry, and are well-regarded as an expert in the space. It can be uncomfortable to spend time with someone who has never heard of you, and regards some aspect of your company as significantly lagging or even irrelevant. However, just as sitting in an "echo chamber" of like-minded individuals can adversely affect our personal lives and perspective on our fellow human beings, so, too, can safely remaining in your professional echo chamber. For more business and leadership tips, subscribe to our Executive Briefing newsletter. Subscribe Also see:


A) The requirement of subsection (a)(1) to make an assessment available for public comment. ``(B) The requirement of subsection (a)(1) to have an assessment or summary thereof published in the Federal Register. ``(C) The requirements of subsection (b)(3). ``(d) Procedures for Gathering Comments.--When any rule is promulgated which may have a significant privacy impact on individuals, or a privacy impact on a substantial number of individuals, the head of the agency promulgating the rule or the official of the agency with statutory responsibility for the promulgation of the rule shall assure that individuals have been given an opportunity to participate in the rulemaking for the rule through techniques such as-- ``(1) the inclusion in an advance notice of proposed rulemaking, if issued, of a statement that the proposed rule may have a significant privacy impact on individuals, or a privacy impact on a substantial number of individuals; ``(2) the publication of a general notice of proposed rulemaking in publications of national circulation likely to be obtained by individuals; ``(3) the direct notification of interested individuals; ``(4) the conduct of open conferences or public hearings concerning the rule for individuals, including soliciting and receiving comments over computer networks; and ``(5) the adoption or modification of agency procedural rules to reduce the cost or complexity of participation in the rulemaking by individuals. ``(e) Periodic Review of Rules.-- ``(1) In general.--Each agency shall carry out a periodic review of the rules promulgated by the agency that have a significant privacy impact on individuals, or a privacy impact on a substantial number of individuals. Under such periodic review, the agency shall determine, for each such rule, whether the rule can be amended or rescinded in a manner that minimizes any such impact while remaining in accordance with applicable statutes. For each such determination, the agency shall consider the following factors: ``(A) The continued need for the rule. ``(B) The nature of complaints or comments received from the public concerning the rule. ``(C) The complexity of the rule. ``(D) The extent to which the rule overlaps, duplicates, or conflicts with other Federal rules, and, to the extent feasible, with State and local governmental rules. ``(E) The length of time since the rule was last reviewed under this subsection. ``(F) The degree to which technology, economic conditions, or other factors have changed in the area affected by the rule since the rule was last reviewed under


Gravitational waves (GWs) from the inspiral of a neutron star (NS) or stellar-mass black hole (BH) into an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) with mass between ~50 and ~350 solar masses may be detectable by the planned advanced generation of ground-based GW interferometers. Such intermediate mass ratio inspirals (IMRIs) are most likely to be found in globular clusters. We analyze four possible IMRI formation mechanisms: (1) hardening of an NS-IMBH or BH-IMBH binary via three-body interactions, (2) hardening via Kozai resonance in a hierarchical triple system, (3) direct capture, and (4) inspiral of a compact object from a tidally captured main-sequence star; we also discuss tidal effects when the inspiraling object is an NS. For each mechanism we predict the typical eccentricities of the resulting IMRIs. We find that IMRIs will have largely circularized by the time they enter the sensitivity band of ground-based detectors. Hardening of a binary via three-body interactions, which is likely to be the dominant mechanism for IMRI formation, yields eccentricities under 10^-4 when the GW frequency reaches 10 Hz. Even among IMRIs formed via direct captures, which can have the highest eccentricities, around 90% will circularize to eccentricities under 0.1 before the GW frequency reaches 10 Hz. We estimate the rate of IMRI coalescences in globular clusters and the sensitivity of a network of three Advanced LIGO detectors to the resulting GWs. We show that this detector network may see up to tens of IMRIs per year, although rates of one to a few per year may be more plausible. We also estimate the loss in signal-to-noise ratio that will result from using circular IMRI templates for data analysis and find that, for the eccentricities we expect, this loss is negligible.


Image via Getty. Prince’s unexpected death last summer was determined an accidental overdose on the opioid fentanyl. Six days preceding his death, Prince overdosed on a plane, and had to be revived at a hospital following an emergency landing. Search warrants issued for Paisley Park, Prince’s Minnesota residence, have just been unsealed, revealing what seems to have been a complicated system intended to funnel narcotics to the beloved icon. Advertisement KARE 11 reports that the documents, which were made public Monday morning, show that CVS prescription bottles found in Prince’s home had the name of his longtime bodyguard, Kirk Johnson, on the label. Investigators had been unable to find the source of fentanyl for Prince after examining his toxicology report, but did discover prescriptions of Oxycodone written for Johnson and prescribed by Dr. Michael Todd Schulenberg. The warrants also listed the pills discovered on the premises: -15 white capsules (Watson 853) discovered in a second floor dressing room -CVS pharmacy bottle under the name of Kirk Johnson/7 green capsules -8 orange oval pills inside suitcase in mirror room/second floor -Bayer bottle/64 white pills with Watson 853 -Aleve bottle with 20 ½ tablets labeled Watson 853 -Pamphlet for Recovery Without Walls (rehab center) Watson 853 is an acetaminophen/hydrocodone painkiller hybrid. Other bottles mislabeled as “Vitamin D” were also filled with acetaminophen/hydrocodone pills, and more was found throughout the house: Advertisement Detectives also discovered Prince’s suitcase — which was the one found with several narcotics inside (in prescription pill bottles under Johnson’s name) — had the name tag of “Peter Bravestrong” — an alias name authorities believe Prince used when he traveled in an attempt to maintain his privacy. Lyrics for the song, “U Got the Look,” were also found in that suitcase, written in Prince’s handwriting. The New York Daily News reports that Dr. Schulenberg told authorities that he wrote prescriptions under Johnson’s name to protect Prince’s privacy. Johnson, who had worked for Prince since the late eighties, told investigators that he had no idea that Prince had a pill addiction, though the day before the artist’s death he went to a Walgreens to pick up a prescription for him. Johnson said it was the first time he’d been sent on such an errand.


SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``High School Athletics Accountability Act of 2004''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. The Congress finds as follows: (1) Participation in sports teaches youth critical life skills and has a significant positive impact on all areas of their lives, especially for girls. (2) Participation in sports results in many long-term physical and psychological health benefits for girls. For instance-- (A) providing opportunities to play sports in school is one key way to combat the rising rates of childhood obesity, which is caused in large part by physical inactivity; (B) girls who participate in sports have lower rates of heart disease, breast cancer, and osteoporosis; and (C) girls who participate in sports have higher levels of confidence and self-esteem, lower levels of depression, are less likely to be suicidal, and are more likely to have a positive body image than female non-athletes. (3) Participation in sports promotes responsible social behaviors and greater academic success among girls. For instance-- (A) girls who participate in sports are more likely to refrain from sexual activity, are more likely to defer having sex until a later age and to have fewer sex partners, and are half as likely to experience an unintended pregnancy as compared to female non- athletes; (B) girls who participate in sports have higher graduation rates, receive better grades, and score higher on standardized tests than female students in general; (C) girls who participate in sports have more positive attitudes towards science, a field traditionally predominated by males; (D) girls who participate in sports are less likely to smoke or use illegal drugs; (E) girls who participate in sports often have strengthened family relationships, including with their fathers and other male family members; and (F) girls who participate in sports learn important professional lessons that have a lifelong influence (Eighty percent of women identified as key leaders in Fortune 500 companies participated in sports while growing up, and 82 percent of executive businesswomen played sports, with the majority saying lessons learned on the playing field contributed to their success in business.). (4) The opportunity to play sports in secondary school helps many middle- and low-income students--who might otherwise be unable to attend college--to gain access to higher education. (5) Physical inactivity is much more common among females than males. (6) Girls who are not involved in physical activity by age 10 have only a 10 percent


their father, Pierre, played for the University of North Dakota, and all four of their brothers played hockey in college, with Jacque a Hobey Baker finalist in 2009 with Air Force. The Lamoureux sisters played a year in college at Minnesota before switching to North Dakota for their final three seasons, the last in 2012-13. They have played internationally for the United States since 2006. Both play forward, though Monique also plays defense. Now 28, the sisters credit each other for their long success, which now includes a third Olympic berth. "That's part of the reason we've pushed ourselves to this level and been competing at this level for quite a long time is that built-in accountability day-in, day-out even if we're not with the team," Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson said. Monique Lamoureux-Davidson calls it the benefit of having grown up together playing every sport together on the same team, even though they haven't played together on the ice as much as people might think. Coaches have often spread the skill by playing them on separate lines. "It's just that thing when we're on the ice together, we have that undeniable chemistry," she said. And the American sisters definitely have an Olympic edge having won silver medals in both 2010 and 2014. Jocelyne has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 10 Olympic games, while Monique has 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in the same span. The U.S. women's team leaves Wednesday for South Korea chasing the gold medal that eluded the Americans in Sochi, where the United States blew a 2-0 lead to Canada in the final. For Monique, she's chasing simple fulfillment. "The last four years we've been kind of chasing down this dream of being Olympic champions, and nearly every single day your day is scheduled around being the best athlete you can be," she said, "and you change up your plans, you do everything you can to be the best athlete, best leader, best team you can be." Jocelyne can't wait for the opportunity to represent the United States once again in the Olympics with pride the emotion that bubbles up whenever she thinks of the Winter Games. It's what the sisters have been working for most of their lives. And there's one ultimate goal. "It's gold," Joc


SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Gateway Communities Cooperation Act of 2002''. SEC. 2. IMPROVED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FEDERAL LAND MANAGERS AND GATEWAY COMMUNITIES TO SUPPORT COMPATIBLE LAND MANAGEMENT OF BOTH FEDERAL AND ADJACENT LANDS. (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following: (1) Communities that are adjacent to or near Federal lands, including units of the National Park System, units of the National Wildlife Refuge System, units of the National Forest System, and lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, are vitally impacted by the management and public use of these Federal lands. (2) These communities, commonly known as gateway communities, fulfill an integral part in the mission of the Federal lands by providing necessary services, such as schools, roads, search and rescue, emergency, medical, provisioning, logistical support, living quarters, and drinking water and sanitary systems, for both visitors to the Federal lands and employees of Federal land management agencies. (3) Provision of these vital services by gateway communities is an essential ingredient for a meaningful and enjoyable experience by visitors to the Federal lands because Federal land management agencies are unable to provide, or are prevented from providing, these services. (4) Gateway communities serve as an entry point for persons who visit the Federal lands and are ideal for establishment of visitor services, including lodging, food service, fuel and auto repairs, emergency services, and visitor information. (5) Development in these gateway communities affect the management and protection of these Federal lands, depending on the extent to which advance planning for the local development is coordinated between the communities and Federal land managers. (6) The planning and management decisions of Federal land managers can have unintended consequences for gateway communities and the Federal lands, when the decisions are not adequately communicated to, or coordinated with, the elected officials and residents of gateway communities. (7) Experts in land management planning are available to Federal land managers, but persons with technical planning skills are often not readily available to gateway communities, particularly small gateway communities. (8) Gateway communities are often affected by the policies and actions of several Federal land agencies and both the communities and the agencies would benefit from greater interagency coordination of those policies and actions. (9) Persuading gateway communities to make decisions and undertake actions in their communities that would also be in the best interest of the Federal lands is most likely to occur when such


We investigate the environments and clustering properties of starburst galaxies selected from the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS) in order to determine which, if any, environmental factors play a role in triggering a starburst. We quantify the local environments, clustering properties and luminosity functions of our starburst galaxies and compare to random control samples. The starburst galaxies are also classified morphologically in terms of their broad Hubble type and evidence of tidal merger/interaction signatures. We find the starburst galaxies to be much less clustered on large (5-15 Mpc) scales compared to the overall 2dFGRS galaxy population. In terms of their environments, we find just over half of the starburst galaxies to reside in low to intermediate luminosity groups, and a further ~30 per cent residing in the outskirts and infall regions of rich clusters. Their luminosity functions also differ significantly from that of the overall 2dFGRS galaxy population, with the sense of the difference being critically dependent on the way their star formation rates are measured. In terms of pin-pointing what might trigger the starburst, it would appear that factors relating to their local environment are most germane. Specifically, we find clear evidence that the presence of a near neighbour of comparable luminosity/mass within 20 kpc is likely to be important in triggering a starburst. We also find that a significant fraction (20-30 per cent) of our starburst galaxies have morphologies indicative of either an ongoing or recent tidal interaction and/or merger. These findings notwithstanding, there remain a significant portion of starburst galaxies where local environmental influences are not in any obvious way playing a triggering role, leading us to conclude that starbursts can also be internally driven.


and a statement of any changes made in the proposed rule as a result of such issues. ``(C) A description of the steps the agency has taken to minimize the significant privacy impact on individuals consistent with the stated objectives of applicable statutes, including a statement of the factual, policy, and legal reasons for selecting the alternative adopted in the final rule and why each one of the other significant alternatives to the rule considered by the agency which affect the privacy interests of individuals was rejected. ``(3) Availability to public.--The agency shall make copies of the final privacy impact analysis available to members of the public and shall publish in the Federal Register such analysis or a summary thereof. ``(c) Procedure for Waiver or Delay of Completion.--An agency head may waive or delay the completion of some or all of the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) to the same extent as the agency head may, under section 608, waive or delay the completion of some or all of the requirements of sections 603 and 604, respectively. ``(d) Procedures for Gathering Comments.--When any rule is promulgated which may have a significant privacy impact on individuals, or a privacy impact on a substantial number of individuals, the head of the agency promulgating the rule or the official of the agency with statutory responsibility for the promulgation of the rule shall assure that individuals have been given an opportunity to participate in the rulemaking for the rule through techniques such as-- ``(1) the inclusion in an advance notice of proposed rulemaking, if issued, of a statement that the proposed rule may have a significant privacy impact on individuals, or a privacy impact on a substantial number of individuals; ``(2) the publication of a general notice of proposed rulemaking in publications of national circulation likely to be obtained by individuals; ``(3) the direct notification of interested individuals; ``(4) the conduct of open conferences or public hearings concerning the rule for individuals, including soliciting and receiving comments over computer networks; and ``(5) the adoption or modification of agency procedural rules to reduce the cost or complexity of participation in the rulemaking by individuals. ``(e) Periodic Review of Rules.-- ``(1) In general.--Each agency shall carry out a periodic review of the rules promulgated by the agency that have a significant privacy impact on individuals, or a privacy impact on a substantial number of individuals. Under such periodic review, the agency shall determine, for each such rule, whether the rule can be amended or


We investigate the evolution of the faint-end slope of the luminosity function, $\alpha$, using semi-analytical modeling of galaxy formation. In agreement with observations, we find that the slope can be fitted well by $\alpha (z) =a+b z$, with a=-1.13 and b=-0.1. The main driver for the evolution in $\alpha$ is the evolution in the underlying dark matter mass function. Sub-L_* galaxies reside in dark matter halos that occupy a different part of the mass function. At high redshifts, this part of the mass function is steeper than at low redshifts and hence $\alpha$ is steeper. Supernova feedback in general causes the same relative flattening with respect to the dark matter mass function. The faint-end slope at low redshifts is dominated by field galaxies and at high redshifts by cluster galaxies. The evolution of $\alpha(z)$ in each of these environments is different, with field galaxies having a slope b=-0.14 and cluster galaxies b=-0.05. The transition from cluster-dominated to field-dominated faint-end slope occurs roughly at a redshift $z_* \sim 2$, and suggests that a single linear fit to the overall evolution of $\alpha(z)$ might not be appropriate. Furthermore, this result indicates that tidal disruption of dwarf galaxies in clusters cannot play a significant role in explaining the evolution of $\alpha(z)$ at z< z_*. In addition we find that different star formation efficiencies a_* in the Schmidt-Kennicutt-law and supernovae-feedback efficiencies $\epsilon$ generally do not strongly influence the evolution of $\alpha(z)$.


We present a comprehensive multi-wavelength study of the star-forming region NGC 1893 to explore the effects of massive stars on low-mass star formation. Using near-infrared colours, slitless spectroscopy and narrow-band $H\alpha$ photometry in the cluster region we have identified candidate young stellar objects (YSOs) distributed in a pattern from the cluster to one of the nearby nebulae Sim 129. The $V, (V-I)$ colour-magnitude diagram of the YSOs indicates that majority of these objects have ages between 1 to 5 Myr. The spread in the ages of the YSOs may indicate a non-coeval star formation in the cluster. The slope of the KLF for the cluster is estimated to be $0.34\pm0.07$, which agrees well with the average value ($\sim 0.4$) reported for young clusters. For the entire observed mass range $0.6 < M/M_\odot \le 17.7$ the value of the slope of the initial mass function, $`\Gamma$', comes out to be $-1.27\pm0.08$, which is in agreement with the Salpeter value of -1.35 in the solar neighborhood. However, the value of $`\Gamma$' for PMS phase stars (mass range $0.6 < M/M_\odot \le 2.0$) is found to be $-0.88\pm0.09$ which is shallower than the value ($-1.71\pm0.20$) obtained for MS stars having mass range $2.5 < M/M_\odot \le 17.7$ indicating a break in the slope of the mass function at $\sim 2 M_\odot$. Estimated $`\Gamma$' values indicate an effect of mass segregation for main-sequence stars, in the sense that massive stars are preferentially located towards the cluster center. The estimated dynamical evolution time is found to be greater than the age of the cluster, therefore the observed mass segregation in the cluster may be the imprint of the star formation process. There is evidence for triggered star formation in the region, which seems to govern initial morphology of the cluster.


Swift triggered on a precursor to the main burst of GRB 061121 (z=1.314), allowing observations to be made from the optical to gamma-ray bands. Many other telescopes, including Konus-Wind, XMM-Newton, ROTSE and the Faulkes Telescope North, also observed the burst. The gamma-ray, X-ray and UV/optical emission all showed a peak ~75s after the trigger, although the optical and X-ray afterglow components also appear early on - before, or during, the main peak. Spectral evolution was seen throughout the burst, with the prompt emission showing a clear positive correlation between brightness and hardness. The Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) of the prompt emission, stretching from 1eV up to 1MeV, is very flat, with a peak in the flux density at ~1keV. The optical-to-X-ray spectra at this time are better fitted by a broken, rather than single, power-law, similar to previous results for X-ray flares. The SED shows spectral hardening as the afterglow evolves with time. This behaviour might be a symptom of self-Comptonisation, although circumstellar densities similar to those found in the cores of molecular clouds would be required. The afterglow also decays too slowly to be accounted for by the standard models. Although the precursor and main emission show different spectral lags, both are consistent with the lag-luminosity correlation for long bursts. GRB 061121 is the instantaneously brightest long burst yet detected by Swift. Using a combination of Swift and Konus-Wind data, we estimate an isotropic energy of 2.8x10^53 erg over 1keV - 10MeV in the GRB rest frame. A probable jet break is detected at ~2x10^5s, leading to an estimate of ~10^51 erg for the beaming-corrected gamma-ray energy.


the cash transactions of government entities and depository institutions are likely of little or no use to law enforcement efforts and that cash transaction reports related to these entities are unnecessary. (8) The Comptroller General finds that, although the amendments made to chapter 53 of title 31, United States Code, by the Money Laundering Suppression Act of 1994 required the Secretary of the Treasury to exempt depository institutions from filing cash transaction reports on the transactions of government entities and depository institutions and did not explicitly require the filing of exemption forms or annual review of such information with respect to the exempt entities to effectuate any such exemption, the regulations prescribed by the Secretary nonetheless require depository institutions to file such exemption forms and annual reviews. (9) The Comptroller General finds that the requirement that depository institutions file forms to exempt government entities and depository institutions, and conduct annual reviews of related information, discourages the use of such exemptions and creates cash transaction reports that are of little or no value to law enforcement efforts. (10) The Comptroller General recommends eliminating the requirement that depository institutions file exemption forms and annually review the supporting information for government entities and depository institutions. (11) The Comptroller General finds that requiring depository institutions to wait 12 months before exempting certain customers with large numbers of cash transactions may needlessly create cash transaction reports that are not highly useful to law enforcement efforts. (12) The Comptroller General finds that allowing depository institutions to exempt clients with frequent cash transactions within a time period of less than a year could avoid the filing of unnecessary cash transaction reports. (13) The Comptroller General recommends considering a change in requirements to allow depository institutions to exempt otherwise-eligible customers with frequent large cash transactions within a period of time shorter than 12 months. SEC. 3. EXCEPTION FROM CURRENCY TRANSACTION REPORTS FOR SEASONED CUSTOMERS. Section 5313(e) of title 31, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: ``(e) Qualified Customer Exemption.-- ``(1) In general.--Before the end of the 270-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of the Seasoned Customer CTR Exemption Act of 2008, the Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe regulations that exempt any depository institution from filing a report pursuant to this section after the effective date of such regulations in connection with a transaction for the payment, receipt, or transfer of United States


Gas in the million degree range occurs in a variety of astronomical environments, and it may be the main component of the elusive missing baryons at low redshift. The NVII ion is found in this material and it has a hyperfine spin-flip transition with a rest frequency of 53.042 GHz, which can be observed for z > 0.1, when it is shifted into a suitably transparent radio band. We used the 42-48 GHz spectrometer on the Green Bank Telescope to search for both emission and absorption from this NVII transmission. For absorption studies, 3C273, 3C 279, 3C 345, and 4C+39.25 were observed but no feature were seen above the 5 sigma level. For emission line studies, we observed Abell 1835, Abell 2390 and the star-forming galaxy PKS 1345+12, but no features were seen exceeding 5 sigma. We examine whether the strongest emission feature, in Abell 2390 (3.7 sigma), and the strongest absorption feature, toward 4C+39.25 (3.8 sigma), might be expected from theoretical models. The emission feature would require ~1E10 Msolar of 1E6 K gas, which is inconsistent with X-ray limits for the O VII Kalpha line, so it is unlikely to be real. The NVII absorption feature requires a NVII column of 6E16 cm^-2, higher than model predictions by at least an order of magnitude, which makes it inconsistent with model expectations. The individual observations were less than 1 hr in length, so for lengthy observations, we show that NVII absorption line observations can begin to be useful in in the search for hot intergalactic gas.


of it, is now there's a proliferation of SaaS vendors out there, when in the early days it was the big boys like the Workdays, and Salesforce and the likes. There's not a SaaS application for everything, for every business function, for every industry, no matter how large or small, and so as a result there's really this thirst or appetite for the business to get in and self-serve, even if IT's not willing to be a part of that journey. Patterson: Can you give us a profile of some of the IT and business technology decision makers who are now involved in the process of adopting SaaS solutions for the enterprise? SEE: Vendor Relationship Policy (Tech Pro Research) Duguid: Certainly, it's the typical players, so it's everything from the CIO down to the VP's and directors of IT within an organization, but more importantly now what we're starting to see is a lot of decisions being made by what we call line of business IT. Essentially, very smart technology-focused individuals within a particular department. So, for example, in the sales department, you'll typically find a Salesforce administrator whose responsible for the deployment, the management, the feeding and nurturing of their Salesforce CRM, and so you're starting to see a lot more of that type of role turn up within an organization, whether they're responsible for Salesforce's CRM, your human capital management systems or the likes, but it's more of a de-centralized type of IT and larger organizations. Patterson: Ryan, I wonder if you could leave us with a forecast, perhaps the next 6, 12, 18, months in the growth of not just SaaS, but the cloud, the multi-cloud and post-GDPR? Duguid: Ha ha, post-GDPR. You know, I guess GDPR and other associated compliance requirements are sort of the stick that people wave to try and slow this down, but at the end of the day, the prediction I'd give is there's no stopping this, right? This is how technology is delivered to the business now. It meets the needs of the business, the pace, it helps people tackle digital transformation, get ahead of disruptive competitors in the marketplace, and so I think you're just going to see more and more, and from our perspective at Nintex what we're really fascinated by is the concept of IT and the business working together, where IT is empowering the business to get


The proposed training, which would have been provided by volunteers at no cost to the state, would occur during orientation for legislators at the beginning of each session. The bill was not prompted by the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, but several who testified in support of the training said better cultural understanding could have prevented some of the conflicts that arose during the protests. The Senate Government and Veterans Affairs Committee amended the bill to a legislative management study to consider the need for cultural competency training for legislators, other elected and appointed officials and state employees. Sen. Shawn Vedaa, R-Velva, a member of the committee, said Tuesday, Feb. 14, the bill was amended to a study because several committee members felt requiring the training "was overstepping legislation." Sen. Dick Dever, R-Bismarck, spoke in favor of the bill as a way to repair relationships that have been strained during the pipeline protests. "I think there have been damages done to the relationships between our general population and the population south of here through recent events," Dever said. The Senate voted to amend the bill to a study, but ultimately the bill failed in a 20-26 vote on Tuesday. Sen. Richard Marcellais, D-Belcourt, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and one of the bill's sponsors, said he is disappointed with the vote. "It's not going to improve the communications or relations between the state and tribes," he said. Marcellais sponsored similar legislation in 2009 that also failed in the Senate with a similar vote.


Used to be that Roger Federer simply could not win a match, let alone a championship, at major tournaments. That might be hard to imagine now that Federer owns 20 Grand Slam trophies. But you can look it up: He lost in the first round on three of his first four trips to Wimbledon, and three of his first five appearances at the French Open. So let's recall what Federer said at the All England Club on the day he collected his very first Grand Slam title, all the way back in July 2003. "I hope," Federer said, "it's not going to be my last." Seems silly nowadays, doesn't it? Because there he was, nearly 15 full years later, tears dotting his cheeks as he spoke to an adoring Australian Open crowd after beating 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in Sunday's final in Melbourne. Holding his most recent prize, Federer declared, "The fairy tale continues." It's hard to decide what is most remarkable about Federer's career. Cilic's take? "The passion to compete, season after season, especially at this high level," said the man who has lost two of the last three Grand Slam finals to the Swiss maestro. "Also, being able to challenge himself, first physically and then mentally, as well, to be at the top almost every single week." The sheer volume of it all does stand out. Federer has won exactly 10 percent of the 200 major tournaments contested in the professional era. Before Federer started collecting his 20, the most any man managed to accumulate was the 14 for Pete Sampras; he now stands No. 3, behind Federer and Rafael Nadal with 16. There's also that constant work to evolve and improve, most notably during his recent renaissance by adding versatility to his backhand side with a flatter, more powerful shot than his long-preferred slice. And there's the longevity, which is particularly impressive in light of the recent injury woes for the younger members of tennis' elite: Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka. At 36½, Federer is now the second-oldest man to win a Grand Slam title in the Open era — Ken Roswell won


We re-discuss the evolutionary state of upper main sequence magnetic stars using a sample of Ap and Bp stars with accurate Hipparcos parallaxes and definitely determined longitudinal magnetic fields. We confirm our previous results obtained from the study of Ap and Bp stars with accurate measurements of the mean magnetic field modulus and mean quadratic magnetic fields that magnetic stars of mass M < 3 M_sun are concentrated towards the centre of the main-sequence band. In contrast, stars with masses M > 3 M_sun seem to be concentrated closer to the ZAMS. The study of a few known members of nearby open clusters with accurate Hipparcos parallaxes confirms these conclusions. Stronger magnetic fields tend to be found in hotter, younger and more massive stars, as well as in stars with shorter rotation periods. No evidence is found for any loss of angular momentum during the main-sequence life. The magnetic flux remains constant over the stellar life time on the main sequence. An excess of stars with large obliquities beta is detected in both higher and lower mass stars. The obliquity angle distribution as inferred from the distribution of r-values appears random at the time magnetic stars become observable on the H-R diagram. After quite a short time spent on the main sequence, the obliquity angle beta tends to reach values close to either 90 deg or 0 deg for M < 3 M_sun. The evolution of the obliquity angle beta seems to be somewhat different for low and high mass stars. While we find a strong hint for an increase of beta with the elapsed time on the main sequence for stars with M > 3 M_sun, no similar trend is found for stars with M < 3 M_sun. However, the predominance of high values of beta at advanced ages in these stars is notable.


resumes. Around 10% of respondents said they felt happy when learning in a traditional university setting, the report said. Overall, only 5% of respondents said they were anxious in such a setting, but women were 2.5x more likely to say they were anxious. Online courses may offer women and minorities a chance to learn tech skills without feeling intimidated by typically male-dominated university computer science programs. The report found that, while women may feel more empowered in online courses, men are more likely to see a pay raise or promotion due to learning how to code. Men are almost 55% more likely than women to say they made more money due to their new coding skills. Men are 1.5x more likely than women to receive a promotion due to the skills, the survey found. "Dozens of programs have sprung up to help women move into careers in tech, but it seems that even when women take all the right steps, they're not seeing the reward," the report said of the findings. Despite women-targeted programs and adjusted entry-level computer science courses, more may need to be done to fight gender disparity in the tech industry. Want to use these statistics in your next presentation? Feel free to copy and paste these takeaways: 55% of Codecademy users hold a college degree, but are still learning how to code via the online course platform. -Codecademy, 2017. 40% said they were learning new coding skills to move into a software development job or similar position. -Codecademy, 2017. Men are 55% more likely than women to make more money due to learning how to code. -Codecademy, 2017. Stay informed, click here to subscribe to the TechRepublic Tech News You Can Use newsletter. Subscribe Also see


We present optical and near-infrared light curves of SN 2001el from 310 to 445 days past maximum light, obtained with the Very Large Telescope. The late-time optical (UBVRI) light curves decay in a nearly linear fashion with decay time scales of 1.43\pm0.14, 1.43\pm0.06, 1.48\pm0.06, 1.45\pm0.07, and 1.03\pm0.07 magnitudes (per hundred days) in the U, B, V, R and I bands, respectively. In contrast, in the near-infrared (JHKs) bands the time evolution of the flux appears to be nearly constant at these epochs. We measure decline rates (per hundred days) of 0.19\pm0.10 and 0.17\pm0.11 magnitudes in the J and H bands, respectively. We construct a UVOIR light curve, and find that the late-time luminosity has a decay time scale nearly consistent with complete depostion of positron kinetic energy. The late-time light curves of the normal type Ia SN 2001el demonstrate the increased importance of the near-infrared contribution. This was previously observed in the peculiar SN 2000cx, and the results for SN 2001el thus ensure that the conclusions previously based on a single peculiar event are applicable to normal type Ia supernovae. The measured late-time UVOIR decline rate suggests that a majority of the positrons are trapped within the ejecta. This results does not favor the predictions of a weak and/or radially combed magnetic field configuration.


, and modern infrastructure that our economy needs and our people deserve. Tonight I'm calling on Congress to produce a bill that generates at least $1.5 trillion for the new infrastructure investment that our country so desperately needs. Every federal dollar should be leveraged by partnering with state and local governments and, where appropriate, tapping into private sector investment to permanently fix the infrastructure deficit. And we can do it. Any bill must also streamline the permitting and approval process, getting it down to no more than two years, and perhaps even one. Together, we can reclaim our great building heritage. We will build gleaming new roads, bridges, highways, railways, and waterways all across our land. And we will do it with American heart, American hands, and American grit. We want every American to know the dignity of a hard day's work. We want every child to be safe in their home at night. And we want every citizen to be proud of this land that we all love so much. We can lift our citizens from welfare to work, from dependence to independence, and from poverty to prosperity. As... as tax cuts create new jobs, let's invest in workforce development and let's invest in job training, which we need so badly. Let's open great vocational schools so our future workers can learn a craft and realize their full potential. And let's support working families by supporting paid family leave. As America regains its strength, opportunity must be extended to all citizens. That is why this year we will embark on reforming our prisons to help former inmates who have served their time get a second chance at life. Struggling communities, especially immigrant communities, will also be helped by immigration policies that focus on the best interests of American workers and American families. For decades, open borders have allowed drugs and gangs to pour into our most vulnerable communities. They've allowed millions of low-wage workers to compete for jobs and wages against the poorest Americans. Most tragically, they have caused the loss of many innocent lives. Here tonight are two fathers and two mothers: Evelyn Rodriguez, Freddy Cuevas, Elizabeth Alvarado, and Robert Mickens. Their two teenage daughters — Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens — were close friends on Long Island. But in September 2016, on the eve of Nisa's 16th birthday, such a happy time it should have been, neither of them came home. These two precious girls were brutally murdered while walking together in their


in strict accordance with the criteria specified in section 403D; ``(5) signs an oath pledging not to discuss with any person the fact that he or she is reviewing the health claim petition or the substance of the petition or the substance of the evaluation before the results of the scientific review are supplied in a complete written evaluation to the Secretary; ``(6) signs an oath pledging to supply complete copies of all publicly available scientific evidence reviewed along with a complete written evaluation of the health claim to the Secretary no later than 180 days after receipt of the health claim petition from the Secretary; and ``(7) signs an oath pledging to exercise independent professional judgment, free of any external influence and any unscientific bias that might interfere with the objective evaluation of the health claim.''. SEC. 4. HEALTH CLAIMS. Section 403(r) (21 U.S.C. 343(r)) is amended-- (1) in subparagraph (1)-- (A) in the matter preceding clause (A)-- (i) by striking ``food intended'' and inserting ``food or dietary supplement intended''; and (ii) by striking ``food which'' and inserting ``food or dietary supplement which''; and (B) in clause (B)-- (i) by inserting after ``health-related condition'' the following: ``(including any statement that the nutrient prevents, treats, or cures a disease)''; and (ii) by striking ``or (5)(D)''; (2) in subparagraph (3), by amending clause (B) to read as follows: ``(B)(i) The Secretary shall promulgate no later than 30 days after receiving an evaluation from an Independent Scientific Reviewer regulations that authorize use on labels and in labeling of all claims of the type described in subparagraph (1)(B) recommended for approval by the Independent Scientific Reviewer together with such disclaimer or disclaimers as the Independent Scientific Reviewer may also recommend. ``(ii) The duties of the Secretary described in subclause (i) are nondelegable and may be discharged only by the Secretary.''; (3) by striking subparagraph (4) and redesignating subparagraph (5) as subparagraph (4); and (4) in subparagraph (4) (as so redesignated), by striking clause (D). SEC. 5. INDEPENDENT SCIENTIFIC REVIEW. Chapter IV (21 U.S.C. 341 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section


SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2003''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress makes the following findings: (1) Research shows that caring adults can make a difference in children's lives. Forty-five percent of mentored teens are less likely to use drugs. Fifty-nine percent of mentored teens have better academic performance. Seventy-three percent of mentored teens achieve higher goals generally. (2) Children that have mentors have better relationships with adults, fewer disciplinary referrals, and more confidence to achieve their goals. (3) In 2001, over 163,000 children in the foster care system were under the age of 5 years. (4) In 2001, over 124,000 children were under the age of 10 when they were removed from their parents or caretakers. (5) The International Day of the Child, sponsored by Children United Nations, has served as a great tool to recruit mentors and partner them with needy foster care children. (6) On November 10, 2002, as many as 3,000 children will be matched with mentors as a result of the International Day of the Child. (7) States should be encouraged to incorporate mentor programs into the delivery of their foster care services. The State of California serves as a great example, matching close to half a million mentors with needy children. (8) Mentor programs that serve foster children are unique and require additional considerations including specialized training and support necessary to provide for consistent, long term relationships for children in care. (9) Mentor programs are cost-effective approaches to decreasing the occurrence of so many social ills such as teen pregnancy, substance abuse, incarceration and violence. SEC. 3. PROGRAMS FOR MENTORING CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE. Subpart 2 of part B of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 629 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``SEC. 440. PROGRAMS FOR MENTORING CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE. ``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to authorize the Secretary to make grants to eligible applicants to support the establishment or expansion and operation of programs using a network of public and private community entities to provide mentoring for children in foster care. ``(b) Definitions.--In this section: ``(1) Children in foster care


iding over a meeting of his closest security advisers, their biggest Vietnam concern the struggle to avoid the loss of the U.S. Marine combat base of Khe Sanh that over the weeks had been threatened by a growing number of North Vietnamese troops. Nearly half of all American combat troops in Vietnam were being moved to the northern provinces to support Khe Sanh and other border bases. It was during the meeting that President Johnson first heard the alarming news from Saigon. His special assistant for national security affairs, Walt Rostow, returned after taking a call from the National Military Command Center. It was 2:35 p.m. Rostow, a hawk on Vietnam who late in 1967 had used the phrase "light at the end of the tunnel" to describe the war policy's successes, announced, "We have just been informed that we are being heavily mortared in Saigon. The presidential palace, our bachelor officers' quarters, the embassy and the city itself have been hit." The minutes of the meeting record President Johnson as responding, "This could be very bad. What can we do to shake them from this?... What comes to mind in the way of retaliation?" Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, the primary architect of early war policy whose growing doubts about the morality of the American effort had led to his announced replacement, gave little weight to the initial information, suggesting it should be handled as "a 'public relations' issue." Around the same time, William Colby, the CIA's chief of the Far East Division, at work at the agency's Langley, Virginia, headquarters, received a flash message from Saigon station reporting that "a violent attack against the American Embassy is in progress with the attackers possibly within the embassy itself." Colby advised them in a flash return message that the Communications Center should button up its steel doors. Colby was a former CIA station chief in Saigon, a confidant of the slain President Ngo Dinh Diem, and a proponent of a counter insurgency strategy that relied less on American combat troops. Within days, he would be on his way to South Vietnam to help pick up the pieces of a crumbling policy. As the 3 million people of Saigon became abruptly aware of the brutal enemy intrusion in their Tet holiday celebrations, there was confusion within the South Vietnamese security ranks. Many of the military police primarily responsible for city protection were at home celebrating with their families. President Nguyen Van Thieu, who


An unusual Android bug found by a Reddit user is causing a lot of people to scratch their heads: When typing "the1975..com" (note the extra dot) the poster found all of his recent text messages displayed through Google instead of the content he was searching for. Other Reddit users chimed in saying that they were getting the same results, with some even experiencing it when they performed a search for "Vizela viagens" (a travel agency in one Reddit user's home town), and the glitch also appeared with variant spellings too. Reddit users with a wide variety of Android devices said they were affected as well. Particularly interesting is one comment stating that if you type "my text messages" into the search bar you receive the same result. What this means for how Google may be caching text messages is unknown. Is it a security risk? Google has yet to issue a statement regarding the bug, and without some acknowledgement of the issue and its scope it's difficult to know if there is any real risk of data exposure. More likely is the possibility that the bug is connected to Google Assistant, as pointed out by an article on MSPoweruser: "upon testing, I found out that any Android device with Google Assistant has this issue. It isn't certain if this is a deliberate action by Google or just a weird glitch that [lets] Google access the messages stored on the device." SEE: Mobile device computing policy (Tech Pro Research) Google Assistant has been able to read text messages aloud for some time, raising the distinct possibility that Google simply overlooked a few precise search terms that would generate the same result. Those concerned about the privacy and security of their text messages can protect themselves, and the process is easy. Open the Settings app, tap on the Apps option, and then revoke SMS permissions from the Google app. There's a good chance this isn't anything more than a simple bug, but taking precautions to protect your personal messages is good to do just in case. The big takeaways for tech leaders: Android users are reportedly finding their text messages in Google Search results when typing specific things like "the1975..com" or "Vizela viagens." It's not known at this point if there is a security risk inherent in this glitch. It's more likely that this is a bug tied to Google Assistant's ability to read text messages aloud. If you're still concerned about device security you can disable Google's SMS permissions in the Android Settings app.


We report on the serendipitous discovery of a 442-Hz pulsar during a Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) observation of the globular cluster NGC 6440. The oscillation is detected following a burst-like event which was decaying at the beginning of the observation. The time scale of the decay suggests we may have seen the tail-end of a long-duration burst. Low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) are known to emit thermonuclear X-ray bursts that are sometimes modulated by the spin frequency of the star, the so called burst oscillations. The pulsations reported here are peculiar if interpreted as canonical burst oscillations. In particular, the pulse train lasted for ~500 s, much longer than in standard burst oscillations. The signal was highly coherent and drifted down by ~2x10^-3 Hz, much smaller than the ~Hz drifts typically observed during normal bursts. The pulsations are reminiscent of those observed during the much more energetic ``superbursts'', however, the temporal profile and the energetics of the burst suggest that it was not the tail end nor the precursor feature of a superburst. It is possible that we caught the tail end of an outburst from a new `intermittent'' accreting X-ray millisecond pulsar, a phenomenon which until now has only been seen in HETE J1900.1$-$2455 (Galloway et al. 2007). We note that (Kaaret et al. 2003) reported the discovery of a 409.7 Hz burst oscillation from SAX J1748.9-2021, also located in NGC 6440. However, Chandra X-ray Observatory imaging indicates it contains several point-like X-ray sources, thus the 442 Hz object is likely a different source.


the pulse of his team. He relates to everyone very well and I've been able to see that and look at that through a different lens. When we need a push, he pushes us. When we need love, he loves us. When we need a pat on the back, he does that. When we need to run hills, we run hills," McDaniels said. "He just has a tremendous ability to understand when to do what as a head coach. And he serves us in so many ways to make us better coaches, to make the players better players. He's there to help us, he doesn't take it away from us. Believe me, I make tons of mistakes in my role and he's there to help." McDaniels didn't think it was possible, but he now holds Belichick in even higher regard than he did during his first stint from 2006-08, because he now realizes all the juggling head coaches have to do. "Before you leave and you do that, it's hard to say that you know what he's going through because you really don't," McDaniels said. "I'm very happy for the experiences that I've gone through. A lot of the failings in my career have been some of the best teachers that I've had. I've really learned a lot from them, I think I'm a better person, a better coach, a better communicator, a lot of things because of the things that I haven't done well." One thing he's done exceptionally well is working with Brady, who's going for his sixth Super Bowl ring Sunday when the Patriots play the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles. McDaniels has long held that working with Brady made him a better coach, because he always had to be prepared to answer the quarterback's incessant questions, to justify the smallest of his decisions, to explain what everyone's role was on every single play. "We haven't treated each other any differently. He treats me with the respect of a coach and I treat him like I need to make him a better player," McDaniels said. "And I think that's the only way to do it. I know his experience and his understanding is above all others as a player. But I don't really focus a whole lot on that. I focus on the next team, the next week, the next practice, our scheme, what we're trying to do and he's very respectful of that.


Ryan Duguid, SVP of technology strategy at Nintex, spoke with TechRepublic's Dan Patterson about the role of non-IT employees in cloud transitions. Watch the video or read the transcript of their conversation below: Patterson: The cloud has had an undeniably transformative effect on the enterprise and SaaS, of course, is at the heart of cloud growth. Now, the growth of SaaS might be up to non-IT workers. Ryan, thank you very much for your time today. I wonder if we could first define how SaaS has grown historically to this point, and then we'll talk a little bit about why it's up to non-IT employees to help the growth of the cloud, and cloud-based applications. Duguid: Certainly, so at the end of the day, the massive upswing in SaaS is driven for obvious reasons, right? There's cost savings associated with it, a lack of requirement for as many IT administrators to keep the lights on, but fundamentally, I think it's about speed of delivery of technology to the business, and that's always been a problem in the IT sector, and SaaS really makes the promise to solve that problem. Patterson: So what is it about SaaS that has either reached an apex, or what is it that is now demanding non-IT employees to buy in as well? Duguid: I think there's two parts to this, right? The first part is that at the end of the day, SaaS has largely been driven by demand from the business. IT historically has struggled to keep up with the requirements of the business, and so the business is constantly pushing for the latest and greatest technology. I think the other side of it, is now there's a proliferation of SaaS vendors out there, when in the early days it was the big boys like the Workdays, and Salesforce and the likes. There's not a SaaS application for everything, for every business function, for every industry, no matter how large or small, and so as a result there's really this thirst or appetite for the business to get in and self-serve, even if IT's not willing to be a part of that journey. Patterson: Can you give us a profile of some of the IT and business technology decision makers who are now involved in the process of adopting SaaS solutions for the enterprise? SEE: Vendor Relationship Policy (Tech Pro Research) Duguid: Certainly,


The Critical Pomeron solution of high-energy unitarity leads to a unique underlying massless field theory that might be the origin of the Standard Model. A color sextet quark sector - producing both electroweak symmetry breaking and dark matter - is added to QCD to saturate asymptotic freedom. The sextet sector is then embedded uniquely in ``QUD'' - an anomaly free, just asymptotically free, massless SU(5) theory with elementary lepton and triplet quark sectors very close to the Standard Model. A multi-regge bound-state S-Matrix is constructed using infra-red divergent scaling reggeon interactions that couple via massless fermion chiral anomalies. Within the QCD sub-sector there is an ``anomalous wee gluon'' critical phenomenon that produces a spectrum with confinement and chiral symmetry breaking. The exponentiation of left-handed gauge boson divergences implies that the full set of composite interactions and the low-mass spectrum of QUD could be just those of the Standard Model. All particles, including neutrinos, appear as massive, Goldstone boson related, bound-states and there is no Higgs field. The different coupling strengths, multiple mass scales, and multigenerational structure should also appear. The Critical Pomeron may be the S-Matrix manifestation of the underlying fixed-point field theory. If QUD underlies the Standard Model as described, the sextet sector should produce new, unmistakeable, large cross-sections at the LHC, for which the pomeron could be the main diagnostic!