Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/rss/health_medicine/genes.xml
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Friday, November 30, 2012
ScienceDaily: Gene News
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Interpretation
In the world of residential construction these rules are known as building codes. Building codes themselves date back thousands of years. The Greeks and Romans created and used building codes. Archaeological records of a building being constructed by the Greek philosopher Socrates in part state:
"He shall set the joints against each other, fitting, and before inserting the dowels he shall show the architect all the stones to be fitting, and shall set them true and sound and dowel them with iron dowels, two dowels to each stone?"
The process used today in many parts of this country, not all, but many, is the permitting and inspection of construction. Basically permits are taken out with the local building department. Then at some point the new construction is inspected by the local building official. When the project meets his or her approval, the permit is closed.
Let me repeat, the permit is closed.
As a home inspector I am inform often that permits were pulled for _____. My response is always the same, "are they closed?" This can at times receive a quizzical look on the face of the one who made the statement.
Recently I inspected a permitted deck. I really have come to despise decks. There is almost always something wrong.
The first glaring defect was the ladder like guard rails and lack of handrails. Stooping to look under the deck at the support structure, I was dumbfounded by what I saw. The main support beam was very noticeably bowing. The reason was very clear, this beam by my estimate is well over 20 feet in length and devoid of an center support. A 4 x 4 post was stationed at each end, nothing any where in between. But wait, it gets better.
Going around to one post of interest, I saw the pier was not squarely on the footing. Looking at the attachment to the beam, I saw four nails. Same on the back side. The support beam was actually two separate boards face nailed to the two posts. The center of this large deck in essence is supported solely on a total of 16 nails.
There were several other issues with this permitted deck, which goes to show, permissible is open to interpretation, especially when circumventing the rules.
?
James Quarello
Connecticut Home Inspector
Former SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC
To find out more about our other high tech services we offer in Connecticut click on the links below:
Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.
?
Source: http://activerain.com/blogsview/3533409/interpretation
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Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Breast cancer risk estimates increased with repeated prior ct and nuclear imaging
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Public release date: 27-Nov-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Linda Brooks
lbrooks@rsna.org
630-590-7762
Radiological Society of North America
CHICAGO Researchers reviewing the records of approximately 250,000 women enrolled in an integrated healthcare delivery system found that increased CT utilization between 2000 and 2010 could result in an increase in the risk of breast cancer for certain women, including younger patients and those who received repeat exams. According to the study, which was presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), nuclear medicine examinations may also contribute to increased breast cancer risk.
CT uses ionizing radiation in the form of X-rays to produce cross-sectional images of the body. In nuclear medicine imaging, a radiopharmaceuticala compound that includes a small amount of a radioactive materialis delivered inside the body to help visualize internal organs.
"When a woman undergoes CT or nuclear medicine imaging of her chest, abdomen or spine, her breast tissue will absorb some radiation," said senior author Rebecca Smith-Bindman, M.D., professor of radiology and biomedical imaging at the University of California, San Francisco. "Breast tissue is one of the tissues in the body known to be sensitive to developing cancer as a result of radiation exposure."
The study, led by Ginger Merry, M.D., M.P.H., breast imaging fellow at Prentice Women's Hospital Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, found that among the system's female enrollees, CT utilization increased from 99.8 CT scans per 1,000 women in 2000 to 192.4 CT scans per 1,000 women in 2010 (an annual increase of 6.8 percent). In 2010, 46 percent of those CT examinations exposed the breast to radiation. Nuclear medicine imaging decreased from 39.3 scans per 1,000 women in 2000 to 27.5 scans per 1,000 women in 2010 (a 3.5 percent annual decline); however, in 2010, 84 percent of nuclear medicine studies exposed the breast to radiation.
"Until now, the impact of this increased use of imaging on radiation exposure to breast tissue and the subsequent risk of breast cancer has not been known," Dr. Smith-Bindman said. "Our goal was to quantify imaging utilization and radiation exposure to the breast among women enrolled in an integrated healthcare delivery system and to use these data to determine the imaging-related risk of breast cancer from those studies."
The research team collected CT dose information from 1,656 patients who underwent CT examinations that exposed the breast to radiation and, using a new automated computational method, estimated the patients' effective radiation dose and the amount of radiation absorbed by the breast. The team also analyzed the radiopharmaceutical volume and associated radiation exposure used in 5,507 nuclear medicine exams that exposed the breast to radiation.
"We found that the estimated breast radiation doses from CT were highly variable across patients, with the highest doses coming from multiple-phase cardiac and chest CT examinations, where successive images of the organ being studied are captured," Dr. Smith-Bindman said.
The researchers then estimated the women's imaging-related risk of breast cancer and compared it to their underlying risk of developing breast cancer. Each woman's 10-year imaging-related risk of developing breast cancer, beginning 10 years after her exposure to imaging and based on her age at exposure, was estimated using the breast-specific radiation data and a statistical risk model. A women's underlying risk of developing breast cancer was estimated based on data collected by the National Cancer Institute-funded Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium.
"Young women receiving several chest and or cardiac CTs had the greatest increased risk of developing breast cancer at approximately 20 percent," said Diana Miglioretti, Ph.D., study coauthor and senior investigator at the Group Health Research Institute. "A 15-year-old girl with no risk factors for breast cancer would double her 10-year risk of developing breast cancer at 25."
To lower imaging-related risk of developing breast cancer, Dr. Smith-Bindman said imaging providers should analyze the radiation doses associated with each exam, reduce the use of multi-phase protocols and employ dose-reduction software wherever possible to minimize exposures.
"If imaging is truly indicated, then the risk of developing cancer is small and should not dissuade women from getting the test they need," she said. "On the other hand, a lot of patients are undergoing repeat chest and cardiac CT, many of which aren't necessary. Women, and particularly young women, should understand there is a small but real potential risk of breast cancer associated with cardiac and chest CT, and the risk increases with the number of scans."
###
Coauthors are Choonsik Lee, Ph.D., and Eric Johnson, M.S.
Note: Copies of RSNA 2012 news releases and electronic images will be available online at RSNA.org/press12 beginning Monday, Nov. 26.
RSNA is an association of more than 50,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists, promoting excellence in patient care and health care delivery through education, research and technologic innovation. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill.
Editor's note: The data in these releases may differ from those in the published abstract and those actually presented at the meeting, as researchers continue to update their data right up until the meeting. To ensure you are using the most up-to-date information, please call the RSNA Newsroom at 1-312-949-3233.
For patient-friendly information on MRI of the brain, visit RadiologyInfo.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 27-Nov-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Linda Brooks
lbrooks@rsna.org
630-590-7762
Radiological Society of North America
CHICAGO Researchers reviewing the records of approximately 250,000 women enrolled in an integrated healthcare delivery system found that increased CT utilization between 2000 and 2010 could result in an increase in the risk of breast cancer for certain women, including younger patients and those who received repeat exams. According to the study, which was presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), nuclear medicine examinations may also contribute to increased breast cancer risk.
CT uses ionizing radiation in the form of X-rays to produce cross-sectional images of the body. In nuclear medicine imaging, a radiopharmaceuticala compound that includes a small amount of a radioactive materialis delivered inside the body to help visualize internal organs.
"When a woman undergoes CT or nuclear medicine imaging of her chest, abdomen or spine, her breast tissue will absorb some radiation," said senior author Rebecca Smith-Bindman, M.D., professor of radiology and biomedical imaging at the University of California, San Francisco. "Breast tissue is one of the tissues in the body known to be sensitive to developing cancer as a result of radiation exposure."
The study, led by Ginger Merry, M.D., M.P.H., breast imaging fellow at Prentice Women's Hospital Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, found that among the system's female enrollees, CT utilization increased from 99.8 CT scans per 1,000 women in 2000 to 192.4 CT scans per 1,000 women in 2010 (an annual increase of 6.8 percent). In 2010, 46 percent of those CT examinations exposed the breast to radiation. Nuclear medicine imaging decreased from 39.3 scans per 1,000 women in 2000 to 27.5 scans per 1,000 women in 2010 (a 3.5 percent annual decline); however, in 2010, 84 percent of nuclear medicine studies exposed the breast to radiation.
"Until now, the impact of this increased use of imaging on radiation exposure to breast tissue and the subsequent risk of breast cancer has not been known," Dr. Smith-Bindman said. "Our goal was to quantify imaging utilization and radiation exposure to the breast among women enrolled in an integrated healthcare delivery system and to use these data to determine the imaging-related risk of breast cancer from those studies."
The research team collected CT dose information from 1,656 patients who underwent CT examinations that exposed the breast to radiation and, using a new automated computational method, estimated the patients' effective radiation dose and the amount of radiation absorbed by the breast. The team also analyzed the radiopharmaceutical volume and associated radiation exposure used in 5,507 nuclear medicine exams that exposed the breast to radiation.
"We found that the estimated breast radiation doses from CT were highly variable across patients, with the highest doses coming from multiple-phase cardiac and chest CT examinations, where successive images of the organ being studied are captured," Dr. Smith-Bindman said.
The researchers then estimated the women's imaging-related risk of breast cancer and compared it to their underlying risk of developing breast cancer. Each woman's 10-year imaging-related risk of developing breast cancer, beginning 10 years after her exposure to imaging and based on her age at exposure, was estimated using the breast-specific radiation data and a statistical risk model. A women's underlying risk of developing breast cancer was estimated based on data collected by the National Cancer Institute-funded Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium.
"Young women receiving several chest and or cardiac CTs had the greatest increased risk of developing breast cancer at approximately 20 percent," said Diana Miglioretti, Ph.D., study coauthor and senior investigator at the Group Health Research Institute. "A 15-year-old girl with no risk factors for breast cancer would double her 10-year risk of developing breast cancer at 25."
To lower imaging-related risk of developing breast cancer, Dr. Smith-Bindman said imaging providers should analyze the radiation doses associated with each exam, reduce the use of multi-phase protocols and employ dose-reduction software wherever possible to minimize exposures.
"If imaging is truly indicated, then the risk of developing cancer is small and should not dissuade women from getting the test they need," she said. "On the other hand, a lot of patients are undergoing repeat chest and cardiac CT, many of which aren't necessary. Women, and particularly young women, should understand there is a small but real potential risk of breast cancer associated with cardiac and chest CT, and the risk increases with the number of scans."
###
Coauthors are Choonsik Lee, Ph.D., and Eric Johnson, M.S.
Note: Copies of RSNA 2012 news releases and electronic images will be available online at RSNA.org/press12 beginning Monday, Nov. 26.
RSNA is an association of more than 50,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists, promoting excellence in patient care and health care delivery through education, research and technologic innovation. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill.
Editor's note: The data in these releases may differ from those in the published abstract and those actually presented at the meeting, as researchers continue to update their data right up until the meeting. To ensure you are using the most up-to-date information, please call the RSNA Newsroom at 1-312-949-3233.
For patient-friendly information on MRI of the brain, visit RadiologyInfo.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-11/rson-bcr111612.php
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Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Experts exhume remains of Palestinian leader
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) ? The remains of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat were exhumed from his grave on Tuesday so international forensic experts could search for additional clues to his death, Palestinian officials said.
The remains were taken from the massive mausoleum in the West Bank city of Ramallah where Arafat was buried and moved to a nearby mosque so Palestinian doctors could take samples from his bones, the officials said. Under Islam, only Muslims can handle a Muslim's remains.
The samples will be handed over to French, Swiss and Russian experts who have flown in for the exhumation and who will examine them in their home countries, the officials said. Earlier, samples were also taken from Arafat's bedroom, office and personal belongings, they said.
The Palestinian officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter with the media.
The new investigation into Arafat's death was sparked earlier this year by the discovery of a lethal radioactive substance, polonium, on clothing said to be his.
Arafat died in November 2004 in a French military hospital, a month after suddenly falling ill. While the immediate cause of death was a stroke, the underlying source of an illness he suffered in his final weeks has never been clear, leading to persistent speculation in the Arab world that Israel poisoned him. Israel has denied such allegations.
The exhumation might not resolve the mystery. Polonium-210 decomposes rapidly, and some experts say it is not clear whether any remaining samples will be sufficient for testing.
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The installed price of solar photovoltaic systems in the US continues to decline at a rapid pace
Public release date: 27-Nov-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Allan Chen
a_chen@lbl.gov
510-486-4210
DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Berkeley, CA The installed price of solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems in the United States fell substantially in 2011 and through the first half of 2012, according to the latest edition of Tracking the Sun, an annual PV cost-tracking report produced by the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).
The median installed price of residential and commercial PV systems completed in 2011 fell by roughly 11 to 14 percent from the year before, depending on system size, and, in California, prices fell by an additional 3 to 7 percent within the first six months of 2012. These recent installed price reductions are attributable, in large part, to dramatic reductions in PV module prices, which have been falling precipitously since 2008.
The report indicates that non-module costssuch as installation labor, marketing, overhead, inverters, and the balance of systemshave also fallen significantly over time. "The drop in non-module costs is especially important," notes report co-author Ryan Wiser of Berkeley Lab's Environmental Energy Technologies Division, "as these costs can be most readily influenced by local, state, and national policies aimed at accelerating deployment and removing market barriers." According to the report, average non-module costs for residential and commercial systems declined by roughly 30 percent from 1998 to 2011, but have not declined as rapidly as module prices in recent years. As a result, non-module costs now represent a sizable fraction of the installed price of PV systems, and continued deep reduction in the price of PV will require concerted emphasis on lowering the portion of non-module costs associated with so-called "business process" or "soft" costs.
The report indicates that the median installed price of PV systems installed in 2011 was $6.10 per watt (W) for residential and small commercial systems smaller than 10 kilowatts (kW) in size and was $4.90/W for larger commercial systems of 100 kW or more in size. Utility-sector PV systems larger than 2,000 kW in size averaged $3.40/W in 2011. Report co-author Galen Barbose, also of Berkeley Lab, stresses the importance of keeping these numbers in context, noting that "these data provide a reliable benchmark for systems installed in the recent past, but prices have continued to decline over time, and PV systems being sold today are being offered at lower prices."
Based on these data and on installed price data from other major international PV markets, the authors suggest that PV prices in the United States may be driven lower through large-scale deployment programs, but that other factors are also important in achieving installed price reductions.
The market for solar PV systems in the United States has grown rapidly over the past decade, as national, state and local governments offered various incentives to expand the solar market and accelerate cost reductions. This fifth edition in Berkeley Lab's Tracking the Sun report series describes historical trends in the installed price of PV in the United States, and examines more than 150,000 residential, commercial, and utility-sector PV systems installed between 1998 and 2011 across 27 states, representing roughly 76 percent of all grid-connected PV capacity installed in the United States. Nam Darghouth, also with Berkeley Lab, explains that "the study is intended to provide policy makers and industry observers with a reliable and detailed set of historical benchmarks for tracking and understanding past trends in the installed price of PV."
Prices Differ by Region and by Size and Type of System
The study also highlights the significant variability in PV system pricing, some of which is associated with differences in installed prices by region and by system size and installation type. Comparing across U.S. states, for example, the median installed price of PV systems less than 10 kW in size that were completed in 2011 and ranged from $4.90/W to $7.60/W, depending on the state.
It also shows that PV installed prices exhibit significant economies of scale. Among systems installed in 2011, the median price for systems smaller than 2 kW was $7.70/W, while the median price for large commercial systems greater than 1,000 kW in size was $4.50/W. Utility-scale systems installed in 2011 registered even lower prices, with most systems larger than 10,000 kW ranging from $2.80/W to $3.50/W.
The report also finds that the installed price of residential PV systems on new homes has generally been significantly lower than the price of similarly sized systems installed as retrofits to existing homes, that building integrated PV systems have generally been higher priced than rack-mounted systems, and that systems installed on tax-exempt customer sites have generally been priced higher than those installed at residential and for-profit commercial customer sites.
Price Declines for PV System Owners in 2011 Were Offset by Falling Incentives
State agencies and utilities in many regions offer rebates or other forms of cash incentives for residential and commercial PV systems. According to the report, the median pre-tax value of such cash incentives ranged from $0.90/W to $1.20/W for systems installed in 2011, depending on system size. These incentives have declined significantly over time, falling by roughly 80 percent over the past decade, and by 21 percent to 43 percent from just 2010 to 2011. Rather than a direct cash incentive, some states with renewables portfolio standards provide financial incentives for solar PV by creating a market for solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs), and SREC prices have also fallen dramatically in recent years. These declines in cash incentives and SREC prices have, to a significant degree, offset recent installed price reductions, dampening any overall improvement in the customer economics of solar PV.
###
The report Tracking the Sun V: An Historical Summary of the Installed Price of Photovoltaics in the United States from 1998 to 2011, by Galen Barbose, Nam Darghouth, and Ryan Wiser, may be downloaded from: http://emp.lbl.gov/sites/all/files/LBNL-5919e-REPORT.pdf.
In conjunction with this report, LBNL and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have also issued a jointly authored summary report that provides a high-level overview of historical, recent, and projected near-term PV pricing trends in the United States. That report summarizes findings on historical price trends from LBNL's Tracking the Sun V, along with several ongoing NREL research activities to benchmark recent and current PV prices and to track industry projections for near-term PV pricing trends. The summary report documents further installed price reductions for systems installed and quoted in 2012.
The joint NREL/LBNL report, Photovoltaic (PV) Pricing Trends: Historical, Recent, and Near-Term Projections, may be downloaded from: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy13osti/56776.pdf
The research was supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Program of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit www.lbl.gov.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 27-Nov-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Allan Chen
a_chen@lbl.gov
510-486-4210
DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Berkeley, CA The installed price of solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems in the United States fell substantially in 2011 and through the first half of 2012, according to the latest edition of Tracking the Sun, an annual PV cost-tracking report produced by the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).
The median installed price of residential and commercial PV systems completed in 2011 fell by roughly 11 to 14 percent from the year before, depending on system size, and, in California, prices fell by an additional 3 to 7 percent within the first six months of 2012. These recent installed price reductions are attributable, in large part, to dramatic reductions in PV module prices, which have been falling precipitously since 2008.
The report indicates that non-module costssuch as installation labor, marketing, overhead, inverters, and the balance of systemshave also fallen significantly over time. "The drop in non-module costs is especially important," notes report co-author Ryan Wiser of Berkeley Lab's Environmental Energy Technologies Division, "as these costs can be most readily influenced by local, state, and national policies aimed at accelerating deployment and removing market barriers." According to the report, average non-module costs for residential and commercial systems declined by roughly 30 percent from 1998 to 2011, but have not declined as rapidly as module prices in recent years. As a result, non-module costs now represent a sizable fraction of the installed price of PV systems, and continued deep reduction in the price of PV will require concerted emphasis on lowering the portion of non-module costs associated with so-called "business process" or "soft" costs.
The report indicates that the median installed price of PV systems installed in 2011 was $6.10 per watt (W) for residential and small commercial systems smaller than 10 kilowatts (kW) in size and was $4.90/W for larger commercial systems of 100 kW or more in size. Utility-sector PV systems larger than 2,000 kW in size averaged $3.40/W in 2011. Report co-author Galen Barbose, also of Berkeley Lab, stresses the importance of keeping these numbers in context, noting that "these data provide a reliable benchmark for systems installed in the recent past, but prices have continued to decline over time, and PV systems being sold today are being offered at lower prices."
Based on these data and on installed price data from other major international PV markets, the authors suggest that PV prices in the United States may be driven lower through large-scale deployment programs, but that other factors are also important in achieving installed price reductions.
The market for solar PV systems in the United States has grown rapidly over the past decade, as national, state and local governments offered various incentives to expand the solar market and accelerate cost reductions. This fifth edition in Berkeley Lab's Tracking the Sun report series describes historical trends in the installed price of PV in the United States, and examines more than 150,000 residential, commercial, and utility-sector PV systems installed between 1998 and 2011 across 27 states, representing roughly 76 percent of all grid-connected PV capacity installed in the United States. Nam Darghouth, also with Berkeley Lab, explains that "the study is intended to provide policy makers and industry observers with a reliable and detailed set of historical benchmarks for tracking and understanding past trends in the installed price of PV."
Prices Differ by Region and by Size and Type of System
The study also highlights the significant variability in PV system pricing, some of which is associated with differences in installed prices by region and by system size and installation type. Comparing across U.S. states, for example, the median installed price of PV systems less than 10 kW in size that were completed in 2011 and ranged from $4.90/W to $7.60/W, depending on the state.
It also shows that PV installed prices exhibit significant economies of scale. Among systems installed in 2011, the median price for systems smaller than 2 kW was $7.70/W, while the median price for large commercial systems greater than 1,000 kW in size was $4.50/W. Utility-scale systems installed in 2011 registered even lower prices, with most systems larger than 10,000 kW ranging from $2.80/W to $3.50/W.
The report also finds that the installed price of residential PV systems on new homes has generally been significantly lower than the price of similarly sized systems installed as retrofits to existing homes, that building integrated PV systems have generally been higher priced than rack-mounted systems, and that systems installed on tax-exempt customer sites have generally been priced higher than those installed at residential and for-profit commercial customer sites.
Price Declines for PV System Owners in 2011 Were Offset by Falling Incentives
State agencies and utilities in many regions offer rebates or other forms of cash incentives for residential and commercial PV systems. According to the report, the median pre-tax value of such cash incentives ranged from $0.90/W to $1.20/W for systems installed in 2011, depending on system size. These incentives have declined significantly over time, falling by roughly 80 percent over the past decade, and by 21 percent to 43 percent from just 2010 to 2011. Rather than a direct cash incentive, some states with renewables portfolio standards provide financial incentives for solar PV by creating a market for solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs), and SREC prices have also fallen dramatically in recent years. These declines in cash incentives and SREC prices have, to a significant degree, offset recent installed price reductions, dampening any overall improvement in the customer economics of solar PV.
###
The report Tracking the Sun V: An Historical Summary of the Installed Price of Photovoltaics in the United States from 1998 to 2011, by Galen Barbose, Nam Darghouth, and Ryan Wiser, may be downloaded from: http://emp.lbl.gov/sites/all/files/LBNL-5919e-REPORT.pdf.
In conjunction with this report, LBNL and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have also issued a jointly authored summary report that provides a high-level overview of historical, recent, and projected near-term PV pricing trends in the United States. That report summarizes findings on historical price trends from LBNL's Tracking the Sun V, along with several ongoing NREL research activities to benchmark recent and current PV prices and to track industry projections for near-term PV pricing trends. The summary report documents further installed price reductions for systems installed and quoted in 2012.
The joint NREL/LBNL report, Photovoltaic (PV) Pricing Trends: Historical, Recent, and Near-Term Projections, may be downloaded from: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy13osti/56776.pdf
The research was supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Program of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit www.lbl.gov.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-11/dbnl-tip112712.php
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We find the lack of Angry Birds Star Wars on the Droid DNA ... disturbing
What's a guy got to do to fling some birds in high-definition on the Verizon Droid DNA? As has been the case since its release on Nov. 16, Angry Birds Star Wars HD (see our review) continues to crash and burn on the DNA. No option to report an error, no asking if we'd like to wait or force close the app. Just tap the first level, and the whole game disappears quicker than you can say "Hey, wasn't Alderaan around here somewhere?"
User reviews are echoing what we've seen. Crashes on the first level on the Droid DNA. We've reached out to the developer through its support channels and will update if we ever hear back.
Help us, Rovio. You're our only hope.
 |  |
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/2tY_h7dbTf4/story01.htm
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Monday, November 26, 2012
McGraw-Hill sells education division to Apollo
NEW YORK (AP) ? McGraw-Hill said Monday that it reached a deal to sell its education arm to private equity firm Apollo Global Management LLC for $2.5 billion in cash and debt, as part of its plan to focus on its financial information businesses.
As part of the deal, McGraw-Hill will receive $250 million in Apollo debt with an annual interest rate of 8.5 percent. The acquisition includes the New York-based company's digital and traditional textbook business and other assets.
The sale is expected to close in late 2012 or early 2013. At that time, The New York-based McGraw-Hill Cos. will be renamed McGraw Hill Financial. Harold McGraw III, McGraw-Hill's current chairman, president and CEO, will head that company.
McGraw Hill Financial expects 2012 revenue of about $4.4 billion. It plans to provide 2013 financial guidance when it announces its 2012 fourth quarter and year-end financial results.
Harold McGraw said the sale will boost value for the company's shareholders, give the company added financial flexibility and allow it to focus on growing brands like Standard & Poor's, S&P Capital IQ, Platts and J.D. Power and Associates.
The company said it plans to use the proceeds from the sale, estimated at $1.9 billion, to fund its stock buyback program, make acquisitions and pay off debt.
Starting in the fourth quarter, McGraw-Hill will classify the education business as discontinued operations. It expects to take a non-cash impairment charge in the fourth quarter of about $450 million to $550 million related to the division.
McGraw-Hill first announced plans to split into two companies in September 2011 through either the sale or the spin-off of the education arm. Earlier this month, the company reported a 14 percent drop in third-quarter net income, partially as a result of the planned split.
McGraw-Hill shares rose 20 cents to close at $51.89 Monday, off its session high of $53.60. Shares of New York-based Apollo fell 6 cents to $15.27, regaining most of its earlier drop to $15.12.
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lijansharma: kudals: molina anvil: Reference and Education: Proper ...
Becoming an electrician starts with getting the right schooling. One can start quite early, even in High School. Many vocational programs in secondary schools have an electrical program. Following High School graduation, one can enter a program at a college to further their learning. Community colleges often have excellent trades program, including electrical. In addition to their typical general education courses like math and English, students will take practical courses where they learn both the science behind the trade and also get to apply and learn new skills in hands-on work. If one desires to learn more about the scientific end of things, they can attend a four year college that offers advanced programs like electrical engineering or similar majors. Community colleges are great because they offer students practical experience.
One can also do some extra work on their own to increase their skills and education. It is a great idea to find an experienced individual who works in the field and get close to them. An experienced worker can offer electrician training in the form of an apprenticeship or might be able to hire a student to work for them. They can also share the pros and cons of the industry, as well as stories from on the job. This will give the young student a better idea of what daily life is like as an electrical worker, and help them decide if this is really the field that they want to devote their life to. Working with a professional can help one meet others in the field and perhaps potential future customers. The pro may also have some suggestions for training programs or courses that the aspiring electrician can take advantage of. They can serve as a reference for the student's resume.
Before one can be successful in industry, they must have to proper education and training. Fortunately, budding electrical workers have many options to help them reach their goals and better themselves.
Source: http://iscussnisa.blogspot.com/2012/11/proper-electrician-training-and.html
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Laws don't curb pricey prostate cancer treatments -Prostate Cancer ...
? Prostate Cancer news ? Nov 25, 2012
Laws meant to prevent the overuse of expensive healthcare services don?t stop doctors from using pricey prostate cancer treatments, according to two new studies.
Researchers found doctors used robots and special radiation to treat prostate cancer regardless of whether their area had laws requiring government approval before money is spent on healthcare facilities and new equipment.
?Certificate of need laws were designed to align public need with use of different services,? said Dr. Bruce Jacobs, a lead author of one of the studies from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
The U.S. government required states to implement the laws in the 1970s and early 1980s, but stopped a few decades ago. Still, some states continue to use the laws in an effort to control costs.
In each study, the researchers looked at treatments for prostate cancer, which is the most common cancer in American men.
The American Cancer Society estimates that one in every six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, but most will not die from it. Past research found that many men?s prostate cancer is slow-growing, and most are candidates for active surveillance or ?watchful waiting.?
In Jacobs?s study, the researchers looked at whether states with strict laws - those that require approval for even low-cost equipment - used robotic surgery to remove fewer prostates than states with less strict or no laws.
Jacobs and his colleagues write in The Journal of Urology that the price of such robots, and the questions surrounding whether or not robotic surgery to remove a prostate is better than the old-fashioned way should make it an ?ideal target? for review under the laws.
In September, for example, one of the studies that have questioned the usefulness of robotic surgery found that men who had robotic surgery ended up having fewer short-term complications, but questioned its long-term benefits and whether the hefty price tag of $1.5 million in startup costs is worth it. (see Reuters Health article of Sep. 12, 2012:)
But another recent study found robotic surgery led to fewer complications, fewer readmissions to the hospital, and fewer deaths due to surgery than traditional methods, according to Intuitive Surgical, the maker of the da Vinci Surgical System.
?That is significant for the patient and for reducing overall costs to the system,? wrote Angela Wonson, a spokesperson for Intuitive Surgical, in an email to Reuters Health.
Overall, in the new study, the use of robotic surgery to remove prostates in Medicare patients increased regardless of whether there were strict, less strict or no laws in place. Also, the chance a surgeon used robots had nothing to do with the laws.
RADIATION AND COSTS
A second study by another group of researchers looked at whether the laws limited the use of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) or slowed the growth of healthcare costs related to prostate cancer.
IMRT allows doctors to focus radiation beams onto the cancer without harming healthy tissue.
However, the researchers write that IMRT is costly and - to their knowledge - has not been compared to other prostate cancer treatments in a randomized controlled trial, which is considered the ?gold standard? of medical research.
In a group of Medicare patients, Dr. Ganesh Palapattu, the chief of urologic oncology at the University of Michigan and the study?s senior researcher, found that areas with the laws actually saw greater growth in IMRT use.
Palapattu and his colleagues found that IMRT use increased from about 2 percent of all prostate cancer treatments in 2002 to almost half in 2009 in areas with the laws.
In areas without the laws, IMRT use increased from about 11 percent of all prostate cancer treatments to about 42 percent over the same time span.
The laws also didn?t seem to help control prostate cancer treatment costs when the researchers compared the price to treat one person with prostate cancer in states with laws, compared to states without laws.
Palapattu told Reuters Health that it may be time to reevaluate the regulations.
?If the goal is to limit the overutilization of more expensive therapies and to improve efficacy or health, then we have to reexamine how we?re doing this,? he said.
Jacobs told Reuters Health that there is more research to be done, because his group?s study did not look at how many applications for equipment may have been turned down by the states? approval board.
?I think if we really want to get to the bottom of how effective these (laws) are, the next step is to really look closely at each state?s process of review,? he said.
Palapattu said he?d also like to see if the findings are the same for non-Medicare patients. But, for now, he said men with prostate cancer should talk to their doctors about which treatment is right for them.
?Newer isn?t always better, and it?s important to have a meaningful conversation with your physician on treatment options and which one might be best for you and why,? he said.
SOURCE: The Journal of Urology, online November 19, 2012.
###
Certificate of Need Programs, Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy Use and the Cost of Prostate Cancer Care
Results
In propensity score adjusted analyses, intensity modulated radiation therapy use increased from 2.3% to 46.4% of prostate cancer definitive therapies in CON Yes regions vs 11.3% to 41.7% in CON No regions from 2002 to 2009. Furthermore, we observed greater intensity modulated radiation therapy use with time in CON Yes vs No regions (p Conclusions
Certificate of need programs were not effective in limiting intensity modulated radiation therapy use or attenuating prostate cancer health care costs. There remains an unmet need to control the rapid adoption of new, more expensive therapies for prostate cancer that have limited cost and comparative effectiveness data.
###
Abhinav Khanna, Jim C. Hu, Xiangmei Gu, Paul L. Nguyen, Stuart Lipsitz, Ganesh S. Palapattu
The Journal of Urology - 19 November 2012 (10.1016/j.juro.2012.08.181)
Provided by ArmMed Media
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Source: http://www.health.am/cr/more/pricey-prostate-cancer-treatments/
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