2019 marks sixth consecutive year of the company's partnership with Richard Childress Racing

Grammy Winners, Nominees, Performers and other stars Celebrated at the Hottest Event of Grammy Weekend at GBK's Annual Pre-Grammy Luxury Lounge

Robert Simons, Harvard Business School professor, says companies still struggle to choose the right customer.

1. Hearing on Expanding the Family and Medical Leave Act

On Tuesday, February 11, 2020, the Workforce Protections Subcommittee held a hearing to discuss the issue of paid family leave. This hearing examined the different ways that the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) could be updated to best benefit employees, employers, and the American economy. Among suggested updates are expanding eligibilty under the FMLA, reducing exclusions, promoting tax cuts to businesses that provide paid leave, and increasing employee access to additional paid leave options.

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA will continue to monitor this issue as different solutions to paid family and medical leave are presented, working with legislators to reduce the impact on the electrical construction industry. 

2. President Trump Releases Budget Proposal to Congress 

On March 11, 2019, President Donald Trump released his budget proposal to Congress, “A Budget for America’s Future”. The budget and detailed summaries are found here. 

NECA’s Look Ahead: The President’s budget in its current form will not be passed by Congress to become law. The budget is largely seen as a political document. Regarding government funding, the House is expected to introduce the twelve appropriations bills in Subcommittee by the end of April, with the full committee hearings expected in May. The goal is to pass the twelve bills through the House by July. The Senate is expected to pass their version in June.

3. Your Vote Counts!

The 2020 state primary elections are coming up, so be sure to make your vote count! NECA contractors are uniquely positioned to play an important part in our nation's electoral process. NECA is a diverse organization comprised of many voices and election day is your opportunity to make your voice heard.  

NECA’s Look Ahead: Be sure you are registered to vote in your state before election day and research the candidates on your ballot to see where they stand on issues important to you.

Matt Freitas, nurse practitioner, treats people with mental illness, including his daughter, who has schizophrenia. The number of patients seeking treatment for mental illness has tripled over the past three years, Freitas says. Photography, audio and production by Lauren M. Whaley, CHCF Center for Health Reporting.

VOTE411 provides voters with information about the candidates on the ballot in the June 2 primary election. The League of Women Voters created the election-related website as a one-stop location for nonpartisan information for the public.

Each candidate was invited to respond to a set of questions. You can see their responses online at VOTE411.org. If you don’t see responses from every candidate running in your house or senate district, please contact them asking that they participate in VOTE411.

For this primary election, we are asked to vote absentee if possible. Input your address in the VOTE411.org website and get information about how to get your absentee ballot, register to vote, and who will be on your ballot.

The League of Women Voters of Iowa wants you to educate yourself and then vote in the June 2, 2020 Primary Election.

Cathy Eisenhofer

LWV Johnson County

How we read pie charts is still an open question: is it angle? Is it area? Is it arc length? In a study I'm presenting as a short paper at the IEEE VIS conference in Vancouver next week, I tried to tease the visual cues apart – using modeling and 3D pie charts. The big […]

This paper considers the distributed nonconvex optimization problem of minimizing a global cost function formed by a sum of local cost functions by using local information exchange. We first propose a distributed first-order primal-dual algorithm. We show that it converges sublinearly to the stationary point if each local cost function is smooth and linearly to the global optimum under an additional condition that the global cost function satisfies the Polyak-{L}ojasiewicz condition. This condition is weaker than strong convexity, which is a standard condition for proving the linear convergence of distributed optimization algorithms, and the global minimizer is not necessarily unique or finite. Motivated by the situations where the gradients are unavailable, we then propose a distributed zeroth-order algorithm, derived from the proposed distributed first-order algorithm by using a deterministic gradient estimator, and show that it has the same convergence properties as the proposed first-order algorithm under the same conditions. The theoretical results are illustrated by numerical simulations.

We introduce primal and dual stochastic gradient oracle methods for decentralized convex optimization problems. Both for primal and dual oracles the proposed methods are optimal in terms of the number of communication steps. However, for all classes of the objective, the optimality in terms of the number of oracle calls per node in the class of methods with optimal number of communication steps takes place only up to a logarithmic factor and the notion of smoothness. By using mini-batching technique we show that all proposed methods with stochastic oracle can be additionally parallelized at each node.

A process has been developed for preparing 2-methoxymethyl-1,4-benzenediamine (IV-a), other compounds of formula (IV), and the salts thereof, all of which may be used as primary intermediates in compositions for dyeing keratin fibers.

Non-invasive electrical nerve stimulation devices and magnetic stimulation devices are disclosed, along with methods of treating medical disorders using energy that is delivered noninvasively by such devices. The disorders comprise migraine and other primary headaches such as cluster headaches, including sinus symptoms that resemble an immune-mediated response (“sinus” headaches), irrespective of whether those symptoms arise from an allergy that is co-morbid with the headache. The disclosed methods may also be used to treat other disorders that may be co-morbid with migraine headaches, such as anxiety disorders. In preferred embodiments of the disclosed methods, one or both of the patient's vagus nerves are stimulated non-invasively. In other embodiments, parts of the sympathetic nervous system and/or the adrenal glands are stimulated.

Disclosed are compositions and methods related to the isolation and identification of the primate T-lymphotropic viruses, HTLV-3 and HTLV-4. The diversity of HTLVs was investigated among central Africans reporting contact with NHP blood and body fluids through hunting, butchering, and keeping primate pets. Herein it is shown that this population is infected with a variety of HTLVs, including two retroviruses; HTLV-4 is the first member of a novel phylogenetic lineage that is distinct from all known HTLVs and STLVs; HTLV-3 falls within the genetic diversity of STLV-3, a group that has not previously been seen in humans. The present disclosure also relates to vectors and vaccines for use in humans against infection and disease. The disclosure further relates to a variety of bioassays and kits for the detection and diagnosis of infection with and diseases caused by HTLV-3 and HTLV-4 and related viruses.

A fixing structure of an optical component is composed of a device chassis; a holder holding an optical component; first and second plate parts for joint to the device chassis and a connecting part of both the plate parts are formed in the holder; a plurality of joint holes are formed in the second plate part; a U-groove into which the connecting part of the holder is fitted and a plurality of through-holes are formed in the device chassis; and an adhesive that is extended in a circular columnar shape and is made by inserting the holder into the U-groove of the device chassis, and applying a UV-curing adhesive in such a manner that the UV-curing adhesive is bonded to the first plate part of the holder and is continuous to the inside of the joint hole via the inside of the through-hole, and radiating UV light along the through-hole.

An alkaline primary battery includes: a positive electrode 2 containing manganese dioxide; an alkaline electrolyte containing zinc oxide; a gelled negative electrode 3 containing zinc alloy particles, the alkaline electrolyte, and a gelling agent; and a negative electrode current collector 6 inserted in the gelled negative electrode. The gelled negative electrode 3 has a predetermined malleability such that when 4.0 g of the gelled negative electrode 3 formed into a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 15 mm is extended with 200 g of a load through 10 g of a flat plate, and then an upper surface of the extended gelled negative electrode 3 is approximated to a circle, this circle has a diameter ranging from 24 mm to 36 mm, both inclusive.

A circuit and method for wirelessly coupling an electrical energy between an electrical energy source and at least one load is provided. The circuit comprises a primary unit and at least one secondary unit. The primary unit includes an input node for receiving an input voltage produced by the energy source; a transmitter circuit including a transmitter coil configured to generate an electromagnetic field; and a regulator. The regulator is configured to sense a current consumption of the primary unit, determine a gradient of the current consumption with respect to different input voltages, and determine an optimal input voltage based on the gradient. The at least one secondary unit comprises a receiver circuit and a load. The receiver unit includes a coil that wirelessly and inductively couples with the electromagnetic field of the primary unit to receive power therefrom. The receiver unit further includes a regulator circuit configured to provide a constant power to an output node.

The present invention provides a method and a device for primary frequency regulation based on bang-bang control, the method comprises: obtaining in real-time a power grid frequency of a steam turbine generator set; performing a subtraction operation on a rated power grid frequency and said power grid frequency to generate a power grid frequency difference; performing a dead zone process on the power grid frequency difference according to a dead zone fixed value to generate a frequency difference; performing a frequency difference compensation operation on the frequency difference to generate a frequency difference compensation instruction; and combining an original primary frequency regulation output instruction with the frequency difference compensation instruction and outputting the result to a steam turbine speed regulation system when a selecting switch is 1.

A process for producing pig iron or liquid primary steel products is provided. Charge materials containing iron ore and, if appropriate, additions are reduced in at least one reduction unit by means of a reducing gas, and at least parts thereof are smelted in a smelting unit, with coal being added and with formation of the reducing gas. Reducing gas from the smelting unit and/or top gas from the reduction unit are/is subjected to cleaning. The process water obtained during the wet cleaning is degassed and in the process volatile organic compounds are removed from the process water.

The invention provides compositions and methods for treating leukemia, for example, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and B-cell acute lymphoid leukemia (B-ALL). The invention also relates to at least one chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) specific to CD123, vectors comprising the same, and recombinant T cells comprising the CD123 CAR. The invention also includes methods of administering a genetically modified T cell expressing a CAR that comprises a CD123 binding domain. The invention also includes methods of bone marrow ablation for use in treatments necessitating bone marrow reconditioning or transplant.

The present invention relates to a pocketbook system that allows to easily mix and match how many pocketbooks, other carriers, and/or straps will suffice for that day or evenings' use while this pocketbook system is easy to use and inexpensive to manufacture. More particularly, the pocketbook system has a primary pocketbook for carrying contents, one or more removably attached secondary carrier for carrying contents, a device(s) for removably attaching the secondary carrier(s) to the inside or outside of the primary pocketbook, or for attaching the primary pocketbook and secondary carrier together, and preferably has at least one removable flexible strap(s) and a device(s) for removably attaching the strap(s) to the primary pocketbook and/or secondary carrier. The user makes use of the pocketbook system by attaching, detaching, re-attaching, exchanging, and switching different parts and/or elements to form a suitable pocketbook structure for a particular use at a particular time.

A lead-free pyrotechnic and primary explosive compositions including metal iodates as an oxidizer in nanocomposite energetic compositions including metal powder fuel.

The present invention provides a patient positioning device, which enables the latest advances in Stereotactic Radiation Therapy. The geometry, which incorporates at least one window or lateral cut-out, is designed to allow clear treatment access to the patient during non-coplanar treatment regimes through the use of windows or lateral cut-outs. A laterally positionable diaphragm compression device allows the full use of the geometry. The development of a stand-alone device and a couch top insert device allows for a maximum number of protocol methods while minimizing the skin surface radiation dose to the patient.

A roll-up door seal that may be monolithically formed from a single material of uniform density. The seal is sized and adapted to assemble to a standard roll-up door frame without a separate or dedicated frame structure. The seal provides redundant sealing surfaces, positioned to cooperate with both the door and door frame, which ensure an effective and durable fluid tight seal between the cargo space enclosed by the roll-up door and the ambient environment. The seal may be produced by extrusion from a flexible, weather resistant material such as EPDM, thereby providing a low cost solution for sealing roll-up doors having industry standard door frame constructions. The seal is firmly engageable with the door frame, such that the seal may be installed with little or no secondary fixation.

Valentine Primary prepares for this year's Rock Challenge.

Wellow Primary prepares for this year's Rock Challenge.

Wordsworth Primary prepares for this year's Rock Challenge.

Colden Common Primary School prepares for this year's Rock Challenge.

Although Primal is essentially new skin on old bones, the mechanics at heart are probably better suited to this new style

As the Illinois primary election draws closer, college students are preparing to cast their votes. Some for the first time. As part of our series, "You're the Boss," we asked several NIU voters at campus voter registration events about their most important issues in the election, and what questions they would ask candidates and current officeholders directly if they had the chance. Here's what they had to say: Salvador Meza, electrical and computer engineering major, Chicago “Well, on a national level, there seems to be a lot of division within the country. It would be nice to have a candidate that can united on both sides, see both sides of the matter. That would be the primary thing. Definitely immigration. Right now immigration is a big thing for me at least. On the state level, definitely taxes. Taxes need to get a little bit sorted on what’s going on, but what’s new in Illinois, right?” “I’d definitely ask them what would be their plan for immigration for not only the DACA

Despite coronavirus-related shutdowns across Illinois, primary campaigns remain in full swing. The Illinois Primary election takes place Tuesday. Campaigners for democratic presidential frontrunners Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders say they’re still optimistic about turnout. Retired Senator John Kerry is a Biden campaign surrogate and praised Sunday night’s debate performance. “Joe really came out sounding like a president -- sounding like a guy who really had a plan for coronavirus as well as for other things. I think the key is just to stay steady and keep going straight ahead and not take anything for granted,” Kerry said. Ari Rabin-Havt is Deputy Campaign Manager for Bernie Sanders. He emphasized the importance of science and expertise, both in Sanders’ platform and on public health. “People and government officials should talk to public health experts in their state, speak to the CDC, and issue the guidance necessary for people to vote and not get sick," he said. Tulsi Gabbard will

Raw, heavy, and in your face, Germany's Primal Fear return with an album that kicks off 2016 with explosive force.

Primal Fear make a strong statement with Rulebreaker, showing yet again that their tried-and-true metallic formula works effortlessly.

On Tuesday, voters in New Hampshire cast their ballots in the Democratic Presidential primary. Following the debacle surrounding the Iowa caucuses, many Democrats hoped that the results from New Hampshire would bring clarity to the race. Bernie Sanders won, arguably making him the front-runner. But close behind him was Pete Buttigieg, who also narrowly won the Iowa caucuses, and Amy Klobuchar, whose third-place finish gave her campaign renewed energy. Benjamin Wallace-Wells joins Eric Lach to discuss the New Hampshire primaries and how a clear picture of the future of the Democratic contest remains elusive.

Monday on Political Rewind , we discussed the upcoming 2020 elections, and how campaigns are handling the shelter-in-place conditions found across the state and the country. Nearly 830,000 people have applied for absentee ballots for the 2020 combined primary so far. That represents a huge increase in applications over 2016’s primary, and reflects efforts by officials and the public to avoid the spread of coronavirus from in-person voting.

These five oldies but goodies from the On Second Thought archive cover topics from rocket science to recipe books. Check out these stories to start your week out with some good news. What are some of your favorite On Second Thought segments? Leave us a message on our Facebook group or our Twitter page . 1) “ From Ma Rainey To Otis Redding, The Musical Roots That Gave Georgia Its Sound ” Last September, we were joined by musical scholars, Joycelyn Wilson, Lance Ledbetter, and Jamie Weatherford to discuss the history of music in Georgia. From Outkast to James Brown, and from Brenda Lee to Jason Aldean, Georgia has produced some of the most respected minds in blues, country, soul, rock, and dozens of other genres. 2) “ Primatologist Frans De Waal Explores What Humans Can Learn From Animal Emotions ” April 2019 saw Atlanta-based author and primatologist Frans de Waal discuss his book Mama’s Last Hug: Animal Emotions . His work explores how primates and other animals experience emotions

Plastic cutlery, paper bags and plates overflowing in bins have become a thing of the past for a Melbourne primary school with a tough stance on waste.

A female teacher is in hospital with a shoulder injury after being stabbed at a Townsville primary school by an 11-year-old female student, Queensland police say. The student was tasered by police and detained.

U.S. Senate candidate Lorena Garcia must be placed on the June 30 primary ballot, a Denver District Court judge ruled Thursday.

The Colorado Supreme Court has all but cemented a two-way Democratic primary for Colorado’s U.S. Senate seat in June between John Hickenlooper and Andrew Romanoff after reversing another Denver District Court decision. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled that Democratic candidate Lorena Garcia shouldn’t be placed on the primary ballot because she didn’t collect enough […]