For years policymakers have attempted to replace Medicare's fee-for- service payment system with approaches that pay one price for an aggregation of services. The intent has been to reward providers for offering needed care in the most appropriate and cost-effective manner. But many of these programs have known pitfalls, says Stuart Altman, an economist and the Sol C. Chaikin Professor of National Health Policy at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University. On Friday, Sept. 7, Altman and his Heller school colleague Robert Mechanic, will ...

NASA's Aqua satellite shows that tiny Tropical Storm Michael had some strong thunderstorms wrapped around its center and in a band of thunderstorms in its northeastern "arm" or quadrant. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured in infrared image of Tropical Storm Michael on Sept. 5 at 0611 UTC (2:11 a.m. EDT) and noticed the strongest thunderstorms and coldest cloud top temperatures around the center of circulation and in a band of thunderstorms to the northeast of Michael's center. Those cloud top temperatures ...

Be warned, popularity may cause lung cancer, heart disease, and emphysema. New research from the University of Southern California (USC) and University of Texas finds that popular students in seven Southern California high schools are more likely to smoke cigarettes than their less popular counterparts. The study, which appears online this week in the Journal of Adolescent Health, confirms trends observed in previous USC-led studies of students in the sixth through 12th grades across the United States and in Mexico. "That we're still seeing this association more ...

Sinking through the inky ocean, it would seem that there is little light at depth: but you'd be wrong. 'In the mesopelagic realm [200 m] bioluminescence [light produced by animals] is very common', says Sönke Johnsen from Duke University, USA, explaining that many creatures are capable of producing light, yet rarely do so. But how much light do the inhabitants of the ocean floor (benthos) generate? Explaining that some bioluminescence is generated when organisms collide, Johnsen says, 'In the benthos you have a current moving over complicated ground with all the things ...

DURHAM, N.C. -- Crabs living half-a-mile down in the ocean, beyond the reach of sunlight, have a sort of color vision combining sensitivity to blue and ultraviolet light. Their detection of shorter wavelengths may give the crabs a way to ensure they grab food, not poison. "Call it color-coding your food," said Duke biologist Sönke Johnsen. He explained that the animals might be using their ultraviolet and blue-light sensitivity to "sort out the likely toxic corals they're sitting on, which glow, or bioluminesce, blue-green and green, from the plankton they eat, which ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- A minimally invasive procedure known as endovascular repair used for abdominal aortic aneurysms has a low rate of complications, even in high-risk patients such as those with kidney, heart or lung problems, a Mayo Clinic study shows. Researchers found that even when aneurysms ruptured, endovascular repair had lower mortality rates than open-abdominal surgery, the other treatment option. The findings are being presented at the Midwestern Vascular Surgical Society Annual Meeting, Sept. 6-8, in Milwaukee, Wis. An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a weakened ...

BALTIMORE, MD (September 6, 2012)—A new study shows that when enough bacteria get together in one place, they can make a collective decision to grow an appendage and swim away. This type of behavior has been seen for the first time in marine sponges, and could lead to an understanding of how to break up harmful bacterial biofilms, such as plaque on teeth or those found on internal medical devices like artificial heart valves. Bacteria have ways of communicating with each other, and scientists have now identified a new signaling system that, when there is a critical mass ...

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues at the University of South Florida and Wayne State University have discovered that tumor cell survival relies on adaptation to acidic conditions in the tumor microenvironment. Their research investigating the effects of acidity on breast and pancreatic cancer cell lines revealed the importance of autophagy in acidic microenvironments and suggests that a successful treatment strategy might be based on this autophagic dependence. The study appears as the cover story for the Aug. 15 issue of Cancer Research, a publication ...

Positive American Youth, Inc. (P.A.Y. USA), chaired by Atlanta radio personality Maurice "Reec" Swiney announces the 2012 5th Annual PAY USA "PAY DAY". The yearly event which benefits metro Atlanta children & their families will be held, Saturday Sept. 29th @ Atlanta Metro College. The fun begins at 11 am and lasts until 4 pm. The purpose of the "PAY DAY" event is to promote the importance of education, healthcare, community involvement, and perseverance to urban children. "We are proud to say last years' event was very successful," ...

Crime Victims First (www.crimevictimsfirst.org) proclaims October 21, 2012 a "No Violence Day," and announces our 3rd Annual Jam for Justice Music Festival (www.jam4justice.org). This is our annual event to increase awareness and to offer a family event to celebrate all that our community does on behalf of crime victims. The event is free. The Keynote Speaker is Meg Garvin, Executive Director at the National Crime Victim Law Institute. Meg is also our 2012 Outstanding Community Service Award Winner. The music festival features Quenby and the West of Wayland Band ...

Lingoo, the latest tech startup to launch in the Silicon Hills (a.k.a. Austin and San Antonio, TX), is offering a free Spanish lesson to anyone willing to give their product a try. Their model is simple: one-on-one Spanish lessons from your very own private tutor over videochat. Because your tutor is in a foreign country, you not only learn the local dialect, culture, and pronunciation, but also save heaps of money as compared to an at-home private tutor. Spanish lessons can be on a recurring basis, or can be purchased as a package, and lessons can be rescheduled or ...

DreamQuest Gamesis offering a discount on their best-selling game, Championship Spades, for a limited time. The discount will be cumulative and depend on the number of Facebook likes the game receives. In other words, when the game reaches 14 likes, the game will be 14% off. When the game reaches 86 likes, the game will be 86% off. If the game reaches 100 or more likes, the game will be free until the end of the promotion. To take advantage of this promotion, shoppers must enter the coupon code 'like_spades' at checkout. While they don't have to 'like'Championship Spades ...

In a joint announcement today, Internet Telephony Service Provider (ITSP) Callcentric has completed certification testing of IP Phones, IP Multimedia Phones, DECT Cordless IP Phones and ATAs (analog telephone adapters) from Grandstream Networks, the leading manufacturer of IP voice/video telephony and IP video surveillance solutions. Business and residential customers worldwide using VoIP services from Callcentric can easily install and confidently use any of Grandstream's GXP Enterprise IP Phones, HandyTone ATAs, IP DECT Cordless Phones and GXV IP Multimedia Phones for ...

Come out and meet our CVTV team: http://tinyurl.com/cvtv-meetup. The CastroValleyTV.com team is excited to be a part of this year's Castro Valley Fall Festival! Much of our news team works Online and we relish any chance we can to jump off the Net and into reality. This latest event is the second in our real-world gatherings. We encourage all our Neighbors to join our MeetUp Group for future events, discussions and social fun. CastroValleyTV.com is a video news offering that prides itself in bringing local news to you where ever you are. We offer information through ...

According to Milton Collier the VAMBOA ensure the development, growth and prosperity of Veteran Business Owners, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses (SDVOB) and Military Business Owners of all sizes worldwide. They do so by connecting members with private corporations and government agencies. VAMBOA is your non-profit veteran business trade association that promotes and assists Veteran Business Owners, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses (SDVOB) and Military Business Owners. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and responsible for job generation. Military ...

Gale Rosenberg, president of the music marketing company Web 'n Retail, was interviewed on the Bay Area's KDOW "The Wall Street Business Network," for the live radio show "PUNCH: Media and Marketing Made Easy" with host Erika Taylor-Montgomery. As an expert in online music marketing, a subject that Rosenberg lectures about at UCLA and Loyola Marymount University, she answered the host's questions about elements of online marketing, blog postings and press postings. The interview primarily focused on the most important key to "Online Marketing ...

In response to high demand, Capriotti's Sandwich Shop's Paradise Road restaurant is now catering to Vegas night owls. With over 29 shops in the area, this will be the first twenty-four hour Capriotti's in the country. Tourists and locals alike can now order their favorite, award-winning sandwiches whenever their cravings strike. All of the original Capriotti's favorites such as the Capastrami and the ever-famous Bobbie, made with freshly roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing and mayo will be available around the clock for hungry sandwich lovers out on the strip. ...

Digital design agency Cuker Interactive has been named a two-time finalist in Web Site Excellence at the 2012 OMMA Awards. Both DunlopMotorcycle.com and LittleGiraffe.com were recognized by OMMA, the prestigious Online Media, Marketing, and Advertising awards that celebrate the year's most innovative and brilliant online advertising creative, campaigns and websites. For Dunlop Tires (a Goodyear company), Cuker completed a website overhaul for Dunlop's motorcycle tire division with a dynamic new site that visually conveys the sophistication of their tire technology. ...

Trendy. Cute. Unique. That's the Punkie Munkie motto. The new online clothing store specializes in dresses and accessories, and strives to bring customers great deals for the most unique and potentially trend-setting fashions--some punk and some not. The creative duo behind Punkie Munkie is comprised of a software engineer and an out-of-work teacher. Together, with their combined skill sets, they provide customers with a sleek and sophisticated site design that facilitates easy navigation while showcasing an amazing array of clothing. Don't be surprised to find lighthearted ...

Community, Separate or Commingled? California Property Division Divorcing spouses in California must go through many important financial considerations. Divorce proceedings often include financial decisions involving child support payments. A spouse also might be ordered to pay the other spousal support, also known as alimony. In many cases, spouses claim interests in a business. Finally, there is the task of allocating who gets what out of the divorcing couple's property. Community Property California stands among a minority of states that follow "community ...

Premises Liability in New Jersey Under New Jersey law, property owners have a responsibility to keep their property free from hazards so that it is reasonably safe for others to enter. The legal term for this responsibility is premises liability. How much of a duty property owners owe to others depends on the type of visitor coming onto the property. Those who fail to meet their duty could be liable for injuries people suffer while on their property. Types of Visitors New Jersey maintains a distinction among types of visitors that determines what a property owner ...

Operation Hang Up Seeks to Improve New York Road Safety According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 3,092 people were killed in distracted driving accidents in 2010, and approximately 416,000 more people were injured. New York police officers have attempted to reduce this statistic and the danger presented by distracted drivers with "Operation Hang Up." Operation Hang Up increases enforcement of the state's ban on texting while driving by putting additional officers on the road to ticket drivers who are violating the law. Increased Funding for Increased ...

Divorce Can Be Difficult But Co-Parenting Can Be Even Harder If you are a parent who just went through a divorce, you may find that the hard work is just beginning. Divorce means you are no longer married; it does not mean you are no longer a parent. Co-parenting can be more challenging than the marriage because it forces you to interact with your ex despite the negative feelings you may have for one another. Co-parenting can be hard on your kids and hard on you, but you and your ex must attempt get along until your children grow up and can manage their own affairs. ...

Artlightenment is an annual event that was created by Robyn Morshead in 2009. It is held at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre Nashville in the old Fall School building. Corinne Sullivan, President of the Nashville Church says, "It is part of our mission to assist the artists in society, as they are the ones who uplift the culture. So this art show ties right in with our purpose." Artlightenment introduced its Film Festival in 2011 to help promote filmmakers. Morshead explained, "The idea is to have a festival of visual artists, filmmakers, photographers ...

A trio of local authors will be appearing at Apple Hill's annual Art in the Orchard (Sep 8-9) event at Rainbow Orchards this year. The authors will be Cindy Sample, author of Dying for a Date and Dying for a Dance; Margie Yee Webb, author/photographer of Cat Mulan's Mindful Musings; and Jennifer Walker, author of The Riders of the Green Meadow series, including Bubba Goes National and Bubba to the Rescue. DYING FOR A DATE and DYING FOR A DANCE are Cindy Sample's witty, romantic, and exciting mysteries. These are classic mysteries with a funny and romantic twist. The ...