RIKEN and Fujitsu complete operational testing of the K computer

Public release date: 2-Jul-2012
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Contact: Advanced Institute for Computational Science
aics-koho@riken.jp
81-789-405-625
RIKEN

Tokyo, July 2, 2012 - RIKEN and Fujitsu today announced that operational testing of their jointly developed K computer has been completed as of June 29. The K computer will now be available for limited operations while it undergoes operational environment settings, adjustments, and user registration. It is due to go into full-scale operations for shared use at the end of September.

Background

Working together under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's (MEXT) high-performance computing infrastructure (HPCI) initiative, Fujitsu and RIKEN developed the K computer with the goal of completing operational testing by the end of June 2012. The K computer brings together leading-edge technologies, including ultrafast and energy-efficient CPUs and a network capable of an immense amount of interconnectivity for high-performance and exceptional reliability. Installation of the supercomputer began in September 2010, and by the end of August 2011 all 864 racks had been delivered and installed. In the TOP500 ranking of the world's fastest supercomputers, the K computer ranked first for two consecutive reporting periods, June 2011 and November 2011, also winning top honors in all four divisions of the HPC Challenge, and taking home the Gordon Bell award, as proof of its performance in real-world applications.

The K computer is a general-purpose supercomputer designed to offer high computing performance with support for a broad range of applications, making it useful to engineers and researchers in Japan and around the world. The process of installing and tuning the operating system, job manager, parallelization library, and other system software for the large-scale system environment was undertaken in autumn 2011. At the same time, part of the K computer was made available as a testing environment to researchers participating in Grand Challenge application software development project and HPCI strategic programs, intended to quickly produce groundbreaking results in fields designated by the Japanese government as having strategic importance.

With the installation of the K computer's system software to maximize the system's usability and hardware performance, the K computer has completed its final operational testing.

Uses of the K computer and the Future

The K computer represents a dramatic leap forward in terms of simulation precision and calculation speed. It can be applied to a variety of fields that use computational science, and holds the promise of contributing to world-class breakthroughs, such as:

• Early development of next-generation semiconductor materials-particularly nanowires and carbon nanotubes that are expected to lead to future fast-response, low-power devices-through simulations and analysis of the characteristics of nanomaterials used in electronic devices
• Pharmaceutical applications such as reduction of drug discovery-related times and costs by predicting which compounds, from among a massive number of drug candidate molecules, will prevent illnesses by binding with active regions on the proteins that cause illnesses.
• Simulating the actions of atoms and electrons in dye-sensitized solar cells to contribute to the development of solar cells with higher energy-conversion efficiency.
• Simulating seismic wave propagation, strong motion, and tsunamis to predict the effects they will have on human-made structures; predicting the extent of earthquake-impact zones for disaster prevention purposes; and contributing to the design of quake-resistant structures.
• Conducting high-resolution (800-m) simulations of atmospheric circulation models to provide detailed predictions of weather phenomena that elucidate localized effects, such as cloudbursts.

With the system being completed, its partial early use in the Grand Challenge application software development project and HPCI strategic programs will continue as the system is prepared for shared use that will commence at the end of September while it undergoes operational environment settings, adjustments, and registration of users who have been selected by the Research Organization for Information Science and Technology.

###

---

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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: 2-Jul-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Advanced Institute for Computational Science
aics-koho@riken.jp
81-789-405-625
RIKEN

Tokyo, July 2, 2012 - RIKEN and Fujitsu today announced that operational testing of their jointly developed K computer has been completed as of June 29. The K computer will now be available for limited operations while it undergoes operational environment settings, adjustments, and user registration. It is due to go into full-scale operations for shared use at the end of September.

Background

Working together under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's (MEXT) high-performance computing infrastructure (HPCI) initiative, Fujitsu and RIKEN developed the K computer with the goal of completing operational testing by the end of June 2012. The K computer brings together leading-edge technologies, including ultrafast and energy-efficient CPUs and a network capable of an immense amount of interconnectivity for high-performance and exceptional reliability. Installation of the supercomputer began in September 2010, and by the end of August 2011 all 864 racks had been delivered and installed. In the TOP500 ranking of the world's fastest supercomputers, the K computer ranked first for two consecutive reporting periods, June 2011 and November 2011, also winning top honors in all four divisions of the HPC Challenge, and taking home the Gordon Bell award, as proof of its performance in real-world applications.

The K computer is a general-purpose supercomputer designed to offer high computing performance with support for a broad range of applications, making it useful to engineers and researchers in Japan and around the world. The process of installing and tuning the operating system, job manager, parallelization library, and other system software for the large-scale system environment was undertaken in autumn 2011. At the same time, part of the K computer was made available as a testing environment to researchers participating in Grand Challenge application software development project and HPCI strategic programs, intended to quickly produce groundbreaking results in fields designated by the Japanese government as having strategic importance.

With the installation of the K computer's system software to maximize the system's usability and hardware performance, the K computer has completed its final operational testing.

Uses of the K computer and the Future

The K computer represents a dramatic leap forward in terms of simulation precision and calculation speed. It can be applied to a variety of fields that use computational science, and holds the promise of contributing to world-class breakthroughs, such as:

• Early development of next-generation semiconductor materials-particularly nanowires and carbon nanotubes that are expected to lead to future fast-response, low-power devices-through simulations and analysis of the characteristics of nanomaterials used in electronic devices
• Pharmaceutical applications such as reduction of drug discovery-related times and costs by predicting which compounds, from among a massive number of drug candidate molecules, will prevent illnesses by binding with active regions on the proteins that cause illnesses.
• Simulating the actions of atoms and electrons in dye-sensitized solar cells to contribute to the development of solar cells with higher energy-conversion efficiency.
• Simulating seismic wave propagation, strong motion, and tsunamis to predict the effects they will have on human-made structures; predicting the extent of earthquake-impact zones for disaster prevention purposes; and contributing to the design of quake-resistant structures.
• Conducting high-resolution (800-m) simulations of atmospheric circulation models to provide detailed predictions of weather phenomena that elucidate localized effects, such as cloudbursts.

With the system being completed, its partial early use in the Grand Challenge application software development project and HPCI strategic programs will continue as the system is prepared for shared use that will commence at the end of September while it undergoes operational environment settings, adjustments, and registration of users who have been selected by the Research Organization for Information Science and Technology.

###

---

[ | 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/2012-07/r-raf070212.php

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Houston tribute, obscenities highlight BET Awards

Mariah Carey speaks during the in memoriam to Whitney Houston at the BET Awards on Sunday, July 1, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

Mariah Carey speaks during the in memoriam to Whitney Houston at the BET Awards on Sunday, July 1, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

Cissy Houston pauses as she performs during the in memoriam to her daughter Whitney Houston at the BET Awards on Sunday, July 1, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

Brandy performs during the in memoriam for Whitney Houston at the BET Awards on Sunday, July 1, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

Chaka Khan performs during the in memoriam for Whitney Houston at the BET Awards on Sunday, July 1, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

Monica performs during the in memoriam for Whitney Houston at the BET Awards on Sunday, July 1, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

With all the star power at the BET Awards ? Kanye West, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Beyonce and Samuel L. Jackson, to name a few ? the most stirring moment came not from a superstar, but from the mother of one.

Whitney Houston's mother Cissy provided the emotional highlight of Sunday's ceremony as she sang "Bridge Over Troubled Water" in tribute to her late daughter, leaving audience members like Beyonce and Soulja Boy in tears.

Mariah Carey opened the tribute, and her voice wavered as she told stories about Houston. She recalled the last time she saw Houston last year, and how the two laughed and gossiped together.

"I miss my friend," Carey said. "I miss hearing her voice and laughter."

R&B singer Monica was vocally top-notch as she sang "I Love The Lord," a gospel song once sang by Houston; Brandy sang two upbeat Houston hits, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and "I'm Your Baby Tonight." Chaka Khan blazed the stage with "I'm Every Woman," which Houston remade. Gary Houston, Whitney's brother, also performed; and Houston's "Waiting to Exhale" cast mates ? Angela Bassett, Lela Rochon and Loretta Devine ? also honored the singer.

But it was Cissy Houston's soaring performance that brought the audience to their feet, and had many dabbing their eyes. The tribute came five months after Houston's death: She died the night before the Grammy Awards of an accidental drowning complicated by heart disease and cocaine use.

As compelling as that moment was, the show was also defined by its low points: Entire segments of performances, from Nicki Minaj to Rick Ross, were muted out due to foul language and obscenities, though several vulgarities were heard on air.

It started during the opening number by West's G.O.O.D. music group, which included Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz. There were long moments of censored silence when the rappers performed "Mercy," though not all the offending words were bleeped out. Moments later, Jackson, the show's host, was joined by Spike Lee as they did a comedic version of Jay-Z and West's hit song "... In Paris," to laughs.

"Two distinguished Morehouse men," Lee joked after the performance, referencing the alma mater of the two.

The censor police also worked overtime when Rick Ross performed with his Maybach Music Group and during Minaj's performance and acceptance speech for best female hip-hop artist. Minaj's win was her third consecutive time taking the prize.

"I really, really appreciate BET for keeping this category alive, and I appreciate all the female rappers doing their thing, past, present and future," she said, before uttering an obscenity.

Best gospel winner Yolanda Adams, who also performed, gently took some of her peers to task, urging them to act mature and use their fame wisely.

"We need all of y'all," she said onstage. "I'm saying the world needs everyone in this room. Please make sure that you use your gift responsibly, 'cause we're watching. Our babies are watching, and they want to be like us."

West, the most nominated act of the night with seven, and Jay-Z won the ceremony's top prize, earning video of the year for "Otis." They also won best group.

Beyonce was the second most nominated act with six. She won video director of the year (along with Alan Ferguson) and best female R&B artist and thanked the genre and her female influences.

"I fell in love with music by listening to R&B. It's the core of who I am," she said, giving special thanks to Lauryn Hill, Mary J. Blige and "Whitney Houston, my angel."

When she lost video of the year to Jay-Z and West, she playfully hit her husband and laughed. The joking continued: Moments later, as West was giving his acceptance speech, Jay-Z interrupted him and said: "Excuse me Kanye, I'm gonna let you continue, but ...," and the audience erupted with laughter, recalling West's infamous interruption of Taylor Swift's MTV Video Music Awards speech a few years back.

Chris Brown was also a double winner, picking up his second consecutive win for best male R&B artist, and the "Fandemonium" award for a third time.

Brown also performed in his first televised appearance since the New York City nightclub brawl between his entourage and Drake's. Brown, his girlfriend, his bodyguard and NBA star Tony Parker were among those injured in the June 14 encounter, where bottles were thrown.

Drake didn't show, despite being nominated.

The tone of night fluctuated frequently, as the show shifted from hotly anticipated performances to solemn moments to irreverence. Usher performed his groove "Climax," and Minaj sported a blonde wig with pink tips as she performed the songs "Champion" and "Beez In the Trap," which featured 2 Chainz.

D'Angelo returned to the television spotlight with his first performance in years as he attempts a comeback.

The night also featured some tributes to deceased greats: Chante Moore performed a medley of Donna Summer's hits and Valerie Simpson sang a song in honor of her husband and writing partner Nick Ashford. Don Cornelius, Dick Clark and Hal Jackson were remembered. Even West offered tributes: after his performance, he name-dropped Rodney King and Whitney Houston in a verse that got cheers from the crowd, including his girlfriend, Kim Kardashian.

Presenters included Taraji P. Henson, Tyler Perry, Kerry Washington and Jamie Foxx, who wore a T-shirt that had a picture of Trayvon Martin, the Florida teen killed by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman.

Frankie Beverly featuring Maze were honored with the lifetime achievement award, and they were serenaded with performances by Tyrese, Faith Evans and Joe. Rev. Al Sharpton received the humanitarian award, and urged the crowd to vote this November.

"This election is not just about Obama, this is about your momma," he said.

___

Online:

http://www.bet.com/shows/bet-awards/2012.html

___

Follow Mesfin Fekadu on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/musicmesfin

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-07-02-BET%20Awards/id-18a9e9d1a5a64b11b14fc3d9f0b9f4da

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First Japan reactor goes online since crisis

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/1st-japan-reactor-goes-online-since-nuclear-crisis-040417432--finance.html

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Veterans respond to court overturning lying law

FILE - In this May 14, 1968 file photo, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson, right, poses at the White House with four winners of the nation's highest award, the Medal of Honor. Decorated for valor in Vietnam, they are, from left: Air Force Capt. Gerald O. Young, of Anacortes, Wash.; Navy Bosn"s Mate James E. Williams, of Rock Hill, S.C.; Marine Sgt. Richard A. Pittman, of Stockton, Calif., and Army Spc. 5 Charles C. Hagmeister, of Lincoln, Neb. Others are unidentified. Pittman and the other recipients can proudly and truthfully say they were awarded the Medal of Honor for their valor in Vietnam. After a recent Supreme Court ruling, anyone else is free under the First Amendment to make the same claim, whether it's true or not. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - In this May 14, 1968 file photo, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson, right, poses at the White House with four winners of the nation's highest award, the Medal of Honor. Decorated for valor in Vietnam, they are, from left: Air Force Capt. Gerald O. Young, of Anacortes, Wash.; Navy Bosn"s Mate James E. Williams, of Rock Hill, S.C.; Marine Sgt. Richard A. Pittman, of Stockton, Calif., and Army Spc. 5 Charles C. Hagmeister, of Lincoln, Neb. Others are unidentified. Pittman and the other recipients can proudly and truthfully say they were awarded the Medal of Honor for their valor in Vietnam. After a recent Supreme Court ruling, anyone else is free under the First Amendment to make the same claim, whether it's true or not. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - This undated file photo provided by Berkley Caliber Hardcover shows retired Col. Jack Jacobs, co author of "If Not Now, When." Jacobs can proudly, and truthfully, say he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his valor in Vietnam. After a recent Supreme Court ruling, anyone else is free under the First Amendment to make the same claim, whether it's true or not. (AP Photo/Berkley Caliber Hardcover, File)

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) ? Jack Jacobs can proudly ? and truthfully ? say he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his valor in Vietnam. After a recent Supreme Court ruling, anyone else is free under the First Amendment to make the same claim, whether it's true or not.

Some military veterans say they consider the ruling a slap in the face. For Jacobs, though, it was the right decision. He said he wore the uniform to protect people's rights ? even if he doesn't agree with how they exercise those rights.

"There are lots of things people do that revolt me, but I'm happy that I fought for this country not to give them the right to do something stupid, but for the majority of the people to do the right thing," said Jacobs, 66, who earned the Medal of Honor in 1969 for carrying several of his buddies to safety from a shelled rice field despite the shrapnel wounds in his head, the streaming blood clouding his vision.

"I'm a free speech guy," he said.

The high court ruled 6-3 on Thursday to toss out the conviction of Xavier Alvarez, a former California politician who lied about being a decorated military veteran. He had been charged under the 2006 Stolen Valor Act, which made it a crime to lie about receiving the Medal of Honor and other prestigious military recognitions. The decision invalidated the law, as the justices ruled Alvarez's fabricated story was constitutionally protected speech.

For 87-year-old Murel Winans, lies about service can cause real harm and lead people to doubt the veracity of claims made by people who actually served during wartime. He said he didn't buy the free speech argument.

"You feel like you never earned it, because when you tell someone what you've done, they'll say, 'you're lying just like those other guys,'" said Winans, 87, who described himself as a "fresh young hillbilly from West Virginia" when he landed on Normandy's Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944 ? his 19th birthday.

The law was inspired by the 1998 book "Stolen Valor" by B.G. "Jug" Burkett, a Vietnam veteran. The government had argued the law was a needed tool to protect the integrity of military medals.

The ruling was issued the same day as the high court's landmark decision upholding President Barack Obama's signature health care overhaul. While much of the nation watched with rapt focus on what would become of the law that requires every American to have health insurance, many people in military communities were more focused on the ruling on the Stolen Valor Act.

Emotions ran high in Fayetteville, home to the 251-square-mile Fort Bragg. About 38 percent of North Carolina's population is either currently in the service, a veteran or a dependent of one, according to the N.C. Department of Administration. The state is also home to the sprawling Camp Lejeune, known for its training in amphibious assaults like the one at Normandy.

"My boys are out there giving their heart and soul," said Rose Moore, whose son is stationed in Afghanistan. "To have someone say they did it and they didn't do anything ? it's a lie, it's dishonest."

Army Capt. Albert Bryant acknowledged that he was disappointed, saying the lies can detract from people who earn something like the Medal of Honor. However, his disappointment was somewhat tempered.

"I know it's the First Amendment, but maybe you need to have an amendment to the amendment to protect our enlisted men and women," Bryant said. "Very few things in life are black and white so you have to take certain things in context, but there has to be some kind of common sense applied."

The decision doesn't give anyone carte blanche to lie about their service record in an effort to get free perks, however. Anyone who fabricates any honors can still face fraud charges, which is what happened to former Marine Sgt. David Budwah in 2009. He was demoted to private and dishonorably discharged after pretending to be a wounded war hero to get free seats at rock concerts and sports events.

Twenty-year Army veteran Raymond Hunt said the justices made the right move in protecting free speech. He said it's enough that Alvarez has been publicly shamed.

"For the rest of his life he has to walk around with that look on his face and know that he was the biggest liar in the country on something that is so sensitive to our country," Hunt said.

Retired Army Lt. Hal Fritz said the court treated those medals as something abstract. But for him, it's a memory.

Fritz was leading a seven-vehicle armored column down a Vietnam highway in 1969 when enemy combatants launched a surprise attack from all sides. Fritz was seriously wounded in the crossfire, but ran through the machine gun blasts to rally his troops. After his platoon survived the first wave, Fritz charged into a second enemy advancement armed with only a pistol and a bayonet. He was seriously wounded, but refused medical attention until all of his men had been cared for. He was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1971.

"We would disagree with the majority saying lying about receiving the medals doesn't devalue them," said Fritz, 68, who now lives in Illinois. "I would say go back with me to Vietnam dragging the dead and dying off the battlefield."

The Medal of Honor is among the rarest of honors: Only 81 of the 3,457 recipients since the Civil War are still living. Of those, only three are younger than 35, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

Of those interviewed, the Medal of Honor recipients agreed that Congress should try again to pass a similar law that would survive judicial scrutiny. That didn't ease the anger of people like Vietnam veteran Richard A. Pittman, who was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1968.

He had left his platoon to help Marines under fire, exhausting several machine guns before hurling his final weapon at the enemy: a grenade. His actions halted the Vietnamese advancement and bought time that saved many of his wounded companions.

"I'm supportive of the Constitution, but in this case I just think they're wrong," said Pittman, 68, who now lives in California. "I wonder what the Supreme Court would think if part of my resume said I was a member of the Supreme Court or I answered my phone 'Justice Pittman.'"

___

AP Writer Chris Carola contributed from Albany.

___

Allen Reed can be reached on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/Allen_Reed

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-07-01-Stolen%20Valor/id-d746368397a949e5b207dd86f4f9faac

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Spending on children's health rising faster than adults over past 4 years, says report

Public release date: 1-Jul-2012
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Contact: Janet Firshein
jfirshein@burnesscommunicatons.com
301-280-5701
Burness Communications

Teens see highest rate of per capita spending growth; children over 9 see increases in prescription drug expenditures; use of mental health services grows

Aspen, CO and Washington, DC Spending on health care for children grew faster than spending for adults between 2007 and 2010 due to increasing prices for all categories of goods and services, finds a new report from the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI). This rise in spending occurred despite a decline in number of commercially insured children and a drop in the use of costly health care services, such as hospital stays and brand-name drugs, says the Children's Health Care Spending Report: 2007-2010. This is the first such analysis to track changes in spending, prices, and use of health care services by children covered by private employer-sponsored health insurance.

Price increases surpassed changes in the amount of health care children consumed and outstripped general inflation from 2007-2010, according to the report. Outpatient visit prices rose the fastest, increasing 34.4 percent over four years, nearly six times the rate of inflation, which grew 5.2 percent.

Per capita spending on children's health care rose to $2,123 in 2010, an 18.6 percent increase from 2007. Spending on health care for infants and toddlers was disproportionately high. Although children under 3 years comprised 17 percent of the covered child population, 31.4 percent of the total children's health care dollars was spent on them in 2010. Per capita spending for this age group reached $3,896 in 2010. At the same time, teenagers had the highest rate of per capita spending growth, rising 22.3 percent between 2007-2010, with more money going toward prescription drugs and outpatient care.

Utilization of mental health and substance abuse services by children rose nearly 24 percent over the four year period. Use of these services grew the most for children age 9-18. In addition, use of central nervous system drugs, such as antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and drugs used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, jumped more than 10 percent. Use of central nervous system drugs among teenagers was highest, with prescriptions exceeding 1 per insured child aged 14-18 in 2010.

"Children tend to use less expensive health care, so a bump in children's health care spending is troubling because it could indicate that kids are getting sicker or receiving unnecessary tests or excess procedures," says HCCI Governing Board Chairman Martin Gaynor, PhD, Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Carnegie-Mellon University. "The data on spending for mental health and substance abuse services is particularly worrying. We need to look further into why there is such a high use of prescription drugs for mental health problems among children and whether this expenditure is yielding valuable health outcomes."

"HCCI's Children's Health Care Spending Report 2007-2010 is based on one of the largest collections of private health insurance claims data ever assembled and provides unprecedented insight into health care spending trends of children who are covered by their parents' or guardians' employer-based health insurance. Employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) is the largest single source of coverage for children in the United States. According to the report, insurers and consumers spent nearly $88 billion on health care for children in 2010, up nearly 12 percent from 2007. Spending rose even though the number of children covered by ESI declined 5.7 percent from nearly 44 million in 2007 to 41.4 million in 2010.

Most Money Spent on Professional Services

In 2010, the bulk of children's health care dollars (40.3%) was spent on professional procedures such as primary care office visits, immunizations and preventive care, a trend that was consistent across the four-year period. On average, $855 was spent on professional services per child, a 16.5 percent increase from 2007.

High rates of use helped make professional procedures the largest area of health care spending for children but price increases pushed up how much money was spent. On average, children experienced over 10 professional procedures in 2010, a 6.7 percent increase from 2007. Still, price increases for office visits, preventive care, and other services outpaced this growth, rising 9.2 percent over the four-year period.

Consumers also paid more out-of-pocket for professional procedures, which accounted for almost half of all out-of-pocket spending. For professional procedures, co-pays, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs averaged $182 per child in 2010, an increase of 7.1 percent from 2009.

Exceptional Price Growth for Outpatient Care, ER Visits

Facility charges for outpatient visits increased, growing at more than twice the rate of inpatient admission facility charges. Emergency departments were an increasingly expensive place for care, with the average facility fee for an emergency room visit increasing 35 percent over 2007-2010 from $684 to $923.

Additional Report Highlights:

West Spends Less Than Northeast: The growth in per capita spending on children varied considerably across the country but the gap was most notable between the West and Northeast. Between 2007 and 2010 spending grew over 25 percent in the Northeast, compared to just 14.8 percent in the West. In 2007, per capita spending for children in the West was $105 less than in the Northeast. By 2010 that difference had increased to $311.

Cost-Sharing Rises: Consumers shouldered slightly more of the cost of children's health care in 2010. Consumers picked up 17.5 percent of all health care costs in 2010higher than the cost-sharing rate for the overall population (16.2%). Out-of-pocket costs rose by 6.8 percent, to an average of $371 per child from 2009-2010. Out-of-pocket spending was highest for children under 4 years ($491 in 2010), yet grew fastest for teens, increasing 8.8 percent from 2009 to 2010 to $433.

Increase in Prescription Drugs: While prescription drug use declined 1.6 percent overall compared to 2007, the fastest growing prescription drugs used by children were cardiovascular drugs, which grew 24.8 percent; hormones, which grew 20.8 percent; and central nervous system drugs, which grew 10.4 percent. The rate of use of central nervous system drugs among teens ages 14-18 was nearly double that of children overall ( 1,191 per 1,000 insured children versus 692 per 1,000 insured children).

"We hope this report gives researchers and others a much clearer picture about why health care spending for children has risen so quickly," says HCCI Executive Director David Newman. "While we now know prices are the underlying cause, further research on services with high expenditures and high growth in prices is needed for us to understand what is driving these price increases."

About the Data

Findings are based on de-identified Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant data sets from three billion health insurance claims provided by Aetna, Humana, and UnitedHealthcare, three of the nation's largest health plans. Future reports from HCCI will include data from Kaiser Permanente. It does not report on premiums or their determinants.

###

The Children's Health Care Spending Report: 2007-2010 as well as two issue briefs will be available on the HCCI website on July 1, 2012, at: http://www.healthcostinstitute.org/report

HCCI's national health spending report Health Care Cost and Utilization Report: 2010, released in May 2012, is also available at: http://www.healthcostinstitute.org/2010report

The Health Care Cost Institute was created in September 2011 to provide comprehensive data on health care costs and promote independent, nonpartisan research and analysis on the causes of the rise in U.S. health spending. A better understanding of the forces driving health care cost growth will help policy makers, researchers, and the public make decisions that lead to more accessible and affordable care. The Institute is governed by a board that includes distinguished economists, actuaries and health care experts. For more information, visit www.healthcostinstitute.org.

---

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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: 1-Jul-2012
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Contact: Janet Firshein
jfirshein@burnesscommunicatons.com
301-280-5701
Burness Communications

Teens see highest rate of per capita spending growth; children over 9 see increases in prescription drug expenditures; use of mental health services grows

Aspen, CO and Washington, DC Spending on health care for children grew faster than spending for adults between 2007 and 2010 due to increasing prices for all categories of goods and services, finds a new report from the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI). This rise in spending occurred despite a decline in number of commercially insured children and a drop in the use of costly health care services, such as hospital stays and brand-name drugs, says the Children's Health Care Spending Report: 2007-2010. This is the first such analysis to track changes in spending, prices, and use of health care services by children covered by private employer-sponsored health insurance.

Price increases surpassed changes in the amount of health care children consumed and outstripped general inflation from 2007-2010, according to the report. Outpatient visit prices rose the fastest, increasing 34.4 percent over four years, nearly six times the rate of inflation, which grew 5.2 percent.

Per capita spending on children's health care rose to $2,123 in 2010, an 18.6 percent increase from 2007. Spending on health care for infants and toddlers was disproportionately high. Although children under 3 years comprised 17 percent of the covered child population, 31.4 percent of the total children's health care dollars was spent on them in 2010. Per capita spending for this age group reached $3,896 in 2010. At the same time, teenagers had the highest rate of per capita spending growth, rising 22.3 percent between 2007-2010, with more money going toward prescription drugs and outpatient care.

Utilization of mental health and substance abuse services by children rose nearly 24 percent over the four year period. Use of these services grew the most for children age 9-18. In addition, use of central nervous system drugs, such as antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and drugs used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, jumped more than 10 percent. Use of central nervous system drugs among teenagers was highest, with prescriptions exceeding 1 per insured child aged 14-18 in 2010.

"Children tend to use less expensive health care, so a bump in children's health care spending is troubling because it could indicate that kids are getting sicker or receiving unnecessary tests or excess procedures," says HCCI Governing Board Chairman Martin Gaynor, PhD, Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Carnegie-Mellon University. "The data on spending for mental health and substance abuse services is particularly worrying. We need to look further into why there is such a high use of prescription drugs for mental health problems among children and whether this expenditure is yielding valuable health outcomes."

"HCCI's Children's Health Care Spending Report 2007-2010 is based on one of the largest collections of private health insurance claims data ever assembled and provides unprecedented insight into health care spending trends of children who are covered by their parents' or guardians' employer-based health insurance. Employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) is the largest single source of coverage for children in the United States. According to the report, insurers and consumers spent nearly $88 billion on health care for children in 2010, up nearly 12 percent from 2007. Spending rose even though the number of children covered by ESI declined 5.7 percent from nearly 44 million in 2007 to 41.4 million in 2010.

Most Money Spent on Professional Services

In 2010, the bulk of children's health care dollars (40.3%) was spent on professional procedures such as primary care office visits, immunizations and preventive care, a trend that was consistent across the four-year period. On average, $855 was spent on professional services per child, a 16.5 percent increase from 2007.

High rates of use helped make professional procedures the largest area of health care spending for children but price increases pushed up how much money was spent. On average, children experienced over 10 professional procedures in 2010, a 6.7 percent increase from 2007. Still, price increases for office visits, preventive care, and other services outpaced this growth, rising 9.2 percent over the four-year period.

Consumers also paid more out-of-pocket for professional procedures, which accounted for almost half of all out-of-pocket spending. For professional procedures, co-pays, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs averaged $182 per child in 2010, an increase of 7.1 percent from 2009.

Exceptional Price Growth for Outpatient Care, ER Visits

Facility charges for outpatient visits increased, growing at more than twice the rate of inpatient admission facility charges. Emergency departments were an increasingly expensive place for care, with the average facility fee for an emergency room visit increasing 35 percent over 2007-2010 from $684 to $923.

Additional Report Highlights:

West Spends Less Than Northeast: The growth in per capita spending on children varied considerably across the country but the gap was most notable between the West and Northeast. Between 2007 and 2010 spending grew over 25 percent in the Northeast, compared to just 14.8 percent in the West. In 2007, per capita spending for children in the West was $105 less than in the Northeast. By 2010 that difference had increased to $311.

Cost-Sharing Rises: Consumers shouldered slightly more of the cost of children's health care in 2010. Consumers picked up 17.5 percent of all health care costs in 2010higher than the cost-sharing rate for the overall population (16.2%). Out-of-pocket costs rose by 6.8 percent, to an average of $371 per child from 2009-2010. Out-of-pocket spending was highest for children under 4 years ($491 in 2010), yet grew fastest for teens, increasing 8.8 percent from 2009 to 2010 to $433.

Increase in Prescription Drugs: While prescription drug use declined 1.6 percent overall compared to 2007, the fastest growing prescription drugs used by children were cardiovascular drugs, which grew 24.8 percent; hormones, which grew 20.8 percent; and central nervous system drugs, which grew 10.4 percent. The rate of use of central nervous system drugs among teens ages 14-18 was nearly double that of children overall ( 1,191 per 1,000 insured children versus 692 per 1,000 insured children).

"We hope this report gives researchers and others a much clearer picture about why health care spending for children has risen so quickly," says HCCI Executive Director David Newman. "While we now know prices are the underlying cause, further research on services with high expenditures and high growth in prices is needed for us to understand what is driving these price increases."

About the Data

Findings are based on de-identified Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant data sets from three billion health insurance claims provided by Aetna, Humana, and UnitedHealthcare, three of the nation's largest health plans. Future reports from HCCI will include data from Kaiser Permanente. It does not report on premiums or their determinants.

###

The Children's Health Care Spending Report: 2007-2010 as well as two issue briefs will be available on the HCCI website on July 1, 2012, at: http://www.healthcostinstitute.org/report

HCCI's national health spending report Health Care Cost and Utilization Report: 2010, released in May 2012, is also available at: http://www.healthcostinstitute.org/2010report

The Health Care Cost Institute was created in September 2011 to provide comprehensive data on health care costs and promote independent, nonpartisan research and analysis on the causes of the rise in U.S. health spending. A better understanding of the forces driving health care cost growth will help policy makers, researchers, and the public make decisions that lead to more accessible and affordable care. The Institute is governed by a board that includes distinguished economists, actuaries and health care experts. For more information, visit www.healthcostinstitute.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/2012-07/bc-soc062912.php

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Qaeda mines in Yemen kill more than 70

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/qaeda-mines-yemen-kill-more-70-104958207.html

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100 degrees plus as millions suffer power outages

As temperatures again reached triple digits Saturday, millions of people in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest were without power after violent storms toppled trees, cut power lines and killed at least 13 people, 6 of them in Virginia.

Ohio also saw up to 1 million homes and businesses without power due to overnight storms, and at least one person died there.

Two cousins, ages 2 and 7, were killed by a falling tree at a campsite in New Jersey's Parvin State Park. Two people were also killed in Maryland, one in Kentucky and one in Washington.

Five other deaths in recent days are thought to have been tied to the heat wave hanging over much of the nation.

100-degree plus temperatures were expected in areas across 25 states, a heat scenario impacting 47 million people, the Weather Channel's Julie Martin said on NBC's TODAY show.

By early Saturday afternoon, cities across the Southeast -- from Tennessee to the Carolinas -- saw triple digits, while Washington, D.C. was in the 90s and Baltimore at 100.

Atlanta saw 106 degrees, breaking its all-time record of 105 degrees, set in 1980.

How are you faring? Tell us on Facebook

The storms cut power more than 2 million homes and businesses across the Mid-Atlantic area -- including 1.5 million in the Washington, D.C., area, NBCWashington.com reported.

"We have more than half our system down," said Myra Oppel, a spokeswoman for Pepco, a utility serving the D.C. area that had 400,000 customers without power after 80 mph gusts knocked down trees and power lines.

"This is definitely going to be a multi-day outage," Oppel added -- not good news for those relying on air-conditioning to deal with the muggy, triple-digit temperatures this weekend.

Repairing damage "is a monumental task," added Ed McDonough, a spokesman for the Maryland Department of Emergency Management. "This is something that is going to take days, not hours."

Water restrictions were? ordered in Montgomery and Prince George's counties because the storms had knocked out power to its filtration plants and other facilities.

And the high heat prompted the AT&T National golf tournament at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., to close the competition to spectators and volunteers on Saturday. Play was delayed for hours as crews cleaned up fallen trees.

In suburban Washington, residents were told to call non-emergency phone numbers or go to fire and police stations if they needed help because even 911 emergency call centers were without electricity.

Trees were blamed for two deaths in Springfield, Va. ? a 90-year-old woman in her home and a man driving a car.

Gov. Bob McDonnell in a statement said four others were killed by falling trees in Virginia, which saw its largest non-hurricane power outage in history. Some 250 roads in Virginia were blocked by trees, the state said.

In addition, a park police officer was injured by an uprooted tree in northern Virginia, and an 18-year-old man was struck by a power line. He was in stable condition after receiving CPR.

Damage in the D.C. area included a rooftop blown off a 7-story apartment building, and dozens of damaged homes.

Widespread power outages were reported from Indiana to New Jersey.

On Friday, the nation's capital reached 104 degrees ? its hottest June day on record.

'Everything good is down': Storm knocks out Netflix, Instagram

The heat is also suspected to have been the cause of the deaths of two young brothers in eastern Tennessee, Reuters reported. The boys, aged 3 and 5, had been playing outside Thursday. The younger boy died Thursday, and the older boy on Friday afternoon, according to Eric Blach, administrator for the Bradley County Medical Examiner's Office.

Video: Record Heat and Big Storms Possible (on this page)

In Kansas City, Mo., city health officials said Friday they were investigating the deaths of three area residents, including a baby boy, to determine if they were heat-related, according to Reuters.

Early Saturday, the National Weather Service issued excessive heat warnings for parts of Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee and Arizona.

It said the temperatures could get "dangerously hot."

Video: Drought hits cattle ranchers' wallets (on this page)

Weather.com published a map of the U.S. showing areas at risk of severe thunderstorms Saturday, with an area from Iowa to the Mid-Atlantic at risk.

"A powerful derecho developed Friday over Indiana and marched eastward across Ohio, the Virginias and into Maryland and Delaware, causing widespread wind damage with gusts over 90 miles per hour in some cases," it added.

"Another round of widespread damaging winds may materialize in these hard-hit areas," it warned. "A second area of severe weather is possible for the central and northern Plains, but those storms may be more isolated in nature."

Slideshow: Summertime living (on this page)

West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin declared a state of emergency after more than 500,000 customers in 27 counties were left without electricity because of the storm.

More than 20 elderly residents at an apartment home in Indianapolis were displaced when the facility lost power due to a downed tree.

In Ohio, the storms damaged property and toppled three tractor trailers on Interstate 75 near Findlay.

"I'm in Columbus, Ohio," Brittney Mettke posted on msnbc.com's Facebook page. "I haven't had power since 6 pm yesterday and it's about 100 degrees now. It's pretty tough with a toddler. More storms tonight, and temps in the high nineties all week. They are saying about to week to restore power."

"We were hit with 80+mph winds and rain last evening," added Suzanne Peterson Helt, who said she was from Ohio, too. "They say there weren't any toronados near us but when the rain travels horizontally down the street and the roof is missing from the local Subway ... I have to wonder. So many fallen trees at power poles that the State Route I live on was closed for hours while they cleaned up the mess."

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48024138/ns/weather/

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