REDUCING WASTEFUL CHARGE-CARRIER INTERACTIONS THAT COMPETE WITH LIGHT PRODUCTION

FROM:  LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY 
Nanoscale Engineering Boosts Performance of Quantum Dot Light Emitting Diodes

Making the light at the end of the tunnel more efficient

LOS ALAMOS, N.M., October 25, 2013—Dramatic advances in the field of quantum dot light emitting diodes (QD-LEDs) could come from recent work by the Nanotechnology and Advanced Spectroscopy team at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Quantum dots are nano-sized semiconductor particles whose emission color can be tuned by simply changing their dimensions. They feature near-unity emission quantum yields and narrow emission bands, which result in excellent color purity. The new research aims to improve QD-LEDs by using a new generation of engineered quantum dots tailored specifically to have reduced wasteful charge-carrier interactions that compete with the production of light.

“QD-LEDs can potentially provide many advantages over standard lighting technologies, such as incandescent bulbs, especially in the areas of efficiency, operating lifetime and the color quality of the emitted light,” said Victor Klimov of Los Alamos.

Incandescent bulbs, known for converting only 10 percent of electrical energy into light and losing 90 percent of it to heat, are rapidly being replaced worldwide by less wasteful fluorescent light sources. However, the most efficient approach to lighting is direct conversion of electricity into light using electroluminescent devices such as LEDs.

Due to spectrally narrow, tunable emission, and ease of processing, colloidal QDs are attractive materials for LED technologies. In the last decade, vigorous research in QD-LEDs has led to dramatic improvements in their performance, to the point where it nearly meets the requirements for commercial products. One outstanding challenge in the field is the so-called efficiency roll-off (known also as “droop”), that is, the drop in efficiency at high currents.

“This ‘droop’ problem complicates achieving practical levels of brightness required especially for lighting applications,” said Wan Ki Bae, a postdoctoral researcher on the nanotech team.

By conducting spectroscopic studies on operational QD-LEDs, the Los Alamos researchers have established that the main factor responsible for the reduction in efficiency is an effect called Auger recombination. In this process, instead of being emitted as a photon, the energy from recombination of an excited electron and hole is transferred to the excess charge and subsequently dissipated as heat.

A paper, “Controlling the influence of Auger recombination on the performance of quantum-dot light-emitting diodes” is being published Oct. 25 in Nature Communications. In addition, an overview article on the field of quantum-dot light-emitting diodes and specifically the role of Auger effects appeared in the September Materials Research Society Bulletin, Volume 38, Issue 09, also authored by researchers of the Los Alamos nanotech team.

Not only has this work identified the mechanism for efficiency losses in QD-LEDs, Klimov said, but it has also demonstrated two different nano-engineering strategies for circumventing the problem in QD-LEDs based on bright quantum dots made of cadmium selenide cores overcoated with cadmium sulfide shells.

The first approach is to reduce the efficiency of Auger recombination itself, which can be done by incorporating a thin layer of cadmium selenide sulfide alloy at the core/shell interface of each quantum dot.

The other approach attacks the problem of charge imbalance by better controlling the flow of extra electrons into the dots themselves. This can be accomplished by coating each dot in a thin layer of zinc cadmium sulfide, which selectively impedes electron injection. According to Jeffrey Pietryga, a chemist in the nanotech team, “This fine tuning of electron and hole injection currents helps maintain the dots in a charge-neutral state and thus prevents activation of Auger recombination.”

$20.5 MILLION AWARDED FOR MAKE IT IN AMERICA CHALLENGE GRANTS

FROM:  U.S. LABOR DEPARTMENT 
Obama administration awards $20.5 million for Make it in America Challenge grants to spur business investment and job creation

U.S. Departments of Commerce and Labor, as well as Delta Regional Authority, to fund 10 projects for worker training, domestic and foreign business investment, and supply chain access

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny S. Pritzker, U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez and Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Christopher A. Masingill today announced the 10 winners of the Make it in America Challenge, an Obama administration initiative to accelerate job creation and encourage business investment in the United States. The grantees are receiving a total of $20,533,409 for projects supporting regional economic development, advanced skills training, greater supply chain access and other enhancements. The programs are designed to encourage U.S. companies to keep, expand or reshore their manufacturing operations — and jobs — in America, and to entice foreign companies to build facilities and make their products here.

The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration, the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration, and the Delta Regional Authority are funding the winning proposals. Additionally, Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership plans to make awards in early FY2014 in support of this initiative.

"Making smart investments in a skilled workforce are critical to continuing our recovery and unleashing the economy's full potential," said Secretary of Labor Perez. "In an increasingly sophisticated economy, equipping workers with the skills they need to succeed on the job isn't just a workforce development issue, but also an economic development issue and the partnerships funded through these Make it in America Challenge grants are helping to lead the way."
"Supporting innovative, regionally-based strategies that create an environment that encourages businesses to invest in the U.S. is vital to enhancing our nation's global competitiveness," said Secretary of Commerce Pritzker. "These Make It In America Challenge grants reward promising ideas that will advance the Obama administration's goals of improving our economy by strengthening our manufacturing sector and making our country a more attractive place to do business."

The 10 winners of the Make it in America Challenge will pursue projects in nine states. Descriptions of each project, including grant amount breakdowns by agency are available at http://www.eda.gov/challenges/MakeItInAmerica/winners.htm.

The Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority of Brunswick, Maine ($2,050,000)

The Center for Automotive Research of Ann Arbor, Mich. ($1,471,800)

The Mississippi State University of Starkville, Miss. ($1,931,935)

The Board of Curators at the University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo. ($1,842,977)
N.E.O. Foundation of Cleveland, Ohio ($1,796,867)

The Buckeye Hills-Hocking Valley Regional Development District of Reno, Ohio ($1,700,844)

The Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments of Salem, Ore. ($1,714,376)

The SEDA Council of Governments of Lewisburg, Pa. ($1,800,000)
Clemson University of Clemson, S.C.: 2 projects (construction and non-construction) ($3,549,610)

The Innovate Washington of Spokane, Wash. ($2,675,000)

The Make it in America Challenge was issued on March 18, 2013. Under President Obama's leadership, federal agencies are collaborating more effectively to make smart investments that provide stakeholders with a seamless process for applying for federal resources. To that end, the Make it in America Challenge allowed applicants to submit one application to fund projects that: help distressed regions build on existing assets, promote a competitive environment for foreign-owned and domestic firms to establish and grow their U.S. operations, create jobs and develop a skilled workforce for specific industries.

A forthcoming announcement will be made regarding additional funding from the National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which will focus on developing greater connectivity of regional supply chains in addition to assisting small- and medium-sized enterprises.
The Make it in America Challenge builds on the United States' significant competitive advantages — from a strong business climate, to a highly-skilled and productive workforce — that make it a profitable place for businesses to invest. Investing in businesses and production here can help put more Americans back to work. Some of the ways in which the administration has already helped American workers and businesses thrive include: enhancing the general business climate, securing access to markets for U.S. exports, providing financial and technical support for companies to grow and expand, providing funding to improve education and training opportunities to develop a skilled workforce, and enforcing global trade rules to ensure that American businesses and workers are competing on a level playing field.

SAN FRANCISCO FROM SPACE

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=82198&src=eoa-iotd

COURT STOPS COLLECTION OF ALLEGEDLY PHANTOM PAYDAY LOANS FROM CONSUMERS

FROM:  FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 
At the FTC's Request, Court Halts Collection of Allegedly Fake Payday Debts

Defendants' Robocalls and Collectors Threatened Legal Action and Arrest, FTC Alleges

At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a U.S. district court has halted an operation based in Atlanta and Cleveland that allegedly used deceptive and threatening tactics to collect phantom payday loan “debts” that consumers either did not owe, or did not owe to the defendants.  The court order freezes the defendants’ assets to preserve the possibility of providing redress to consumers, and appoints a receiver.

According to the FTC, the defendants operated under a host of fictitious business names that implied an affiliation with a law firm or a law enforcement agency, such as Global Legal Services, Allied Litigation Group, United Judgment & Appeals, Dockets Liens & Seizures, and United Judgment Center.  Using robocalls and voice messages that threatened legal action and arrest unless consumers responded within a few days, the defendants have collected and processed millions of dollars in payment for phantom debts, according to the complaint.  Their practices have generated almost 3,000 complaints to the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel.

According to documents filed with the court, a typical message stated:  “[T]his is the Civil Investigations Unit.  We are contacting you in regards to a complaint being filed against you, pursuant to claim and affidavit number D00D-2932, where you have been named a respondent in a court action and must appear.  There is a contact number on file which you must call, 757-301-4745.  Please forward this information to your attorney in that the order to show cause contains a restraining order.  You or your attorney will have 24 to 48 hours to oppose this matter.”

Working out of offices in Cleveland and Atlanta, the defendants threatened consumers that if they did not pay, their bank accounts would be closed, their wages would be garnished, they would face felony fraud charges, they would have to appear in court thousands of miles from their homes, or they would be arrested at their workplace, according to documents filed with the court.  Many consumers ended up paying the defendants for debts they did not owe because they feared the threatened repercussions of failing to pay, believed the defendants were legitimate and collecting real debts, or simply wanted to stop the harassment, according to the complaint.

The FTC’s complaint names Lisa J. Jeter, Nichole C. Anderson, Hope V. Wilson, Angela J. Triplett, DeMarra J. Massey, and their companies Pinnacle Payment Services, LLC, Velocity Payment Solutions, LLC, Heritage Capital Services, LLC, Performance Payment Processing, LLC, Credit Source Plus, LLC (Ohio), Credit Source Plus, LLC (Georgia), Reliable Resolution, LLC, Premium Express Processing, LLC (Ohio), and Premium Express Processing, LLC (Atlanta).

This is the FTC’s fifth recent case involving allegedly fraudulent, online payday-loan-related operations.  Other cases include American Credit Crunchers, LLC, Broadway Global Master Inc., Pro Credit, and Vantage Funding.

The complaint charges the defendants with violating the FTC Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act by falsely telling consumers that:

they were delinquent on a payday loan or other debt that the defendants had the authority to collect;
they had the legal obligation to pay the defendants;
they would be arrested or imprisoned if they did not pay; and
the defendants had taken or would take legal action.
The complaint also charges that the defendants illegally called consumers at inconvenient
times or places, including at their workplaces, despite being asked to stop; disclosed supposed debts to family members, employers, and other third parties; harassed consumers with repeated calls; failed to disclose their identity as debt collectors; and failed to provide a required written notice telling consumers how to dispute the alleged debts.

For more consumer information on this topic, see Dealing with Debt.

The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the complaint was 4-0.  The complaint and request for a temporary restraining order were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division.  On October 24, 2013, the court granted the FTC’s request.

NOTE:  The Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest.  The case will be decided by the court

FDIC AND PEOPE'S BANK OF CHINA SIGN MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

FROM:  FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION 

Beijing, China -- The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the agency and the People's Bank of China (PBOC) designed to extend their effective international working relationship in the areas of deposit insurance and resolution. The purpose of the MOU is to develop and expand the interaction between the FDIC and the PBOC and to demonstrate a shared commitment to cooperation among banking agencies. The MOU also seeks to enhance cooperation in analyzing of cross-border financial institution recovery and resolution issues, and planning for potential recovery and resolution scenarios, including appropriate simulations, contingency planning and other work designed to improve preparations to manage troubled institutions with operations in the United States and the PBOC. The agreement was signed by FDIC Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg and Governor Zhou Xiaochuan of the PBOC and updates an existing MOU that was signed on August 2nd, 2007.

FDIC Chairman Gruenberg said, "There is a long history of close collaboration and cooperation between the PBOC and the FDIC, and I am honored to have the opportunity to build on this strong foundation through this MOU. China and the U.S. have a shared interest in maintaining and expanding our interaction on economic and financial issues, particularly in the areas of deposit insurance and cross-border resolution issues. Among U.S. financial regulators, the FDIC is uniquely positioned to engage and offer our experience with deposit insurance and resolution issues internationally. I welcome this expanded agreement with the PBOC and would like to thank our Chinese hosts, particularly Governor Zhou and the officials at the PBOC, for accommodating the delegation from the FDIC."

TWO SENTENCED FOR ROLES IN $74 MILLION HOME HEALTH MEDICARE FRAUD

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Administrator and Employee of Two Miami Home Health Companies Sentenced for Role in $74 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme
The administrator and employee of two Miami health care companies was sentenced today to serve 60 months in prison for her participation in a $74 million home health Medicare fraud scheme.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Steinbach of the FBI’s Miami Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dennis of the HHS Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Office of Investigations Miami Office made the announcement.

Myriam Acevedo, 63, of Miami, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Marcia G. Cooke in the Southern District of Florida.  In May 2013, Acevedo pleaded guilty, without a plea agreement, to one count of conspiracy to pay health care kickbacks and two counts of payment of health care kickbacks.

According to court documents, Acevedo was an administrator of LTC Professional Consultants Inc. (LTC) and an employee of Professional Home Care Solutions Inc. (Professional), Miami home health care agencies that purported to provide home health and therapy services to Medicare beneficiaries.  Acevedo and her co-conspirators agreed to and actually did operate LTC and Professional for the purpose of billing the Medicare program for, among other things, expensive physical therapy and home health care services that were not medically necessary and/or were not provided.

Acevedo’s primary role in the scheme was to pay kickbacks and bribes to patient recruiters of LTC and Professional.  As part of this role, Acevedo and others would distribute cash to patient recruiters in exchange for providing patients to LTC and Professional, as well as prescriptions, plans of care (POCs) and certifications for medically unnecessary therapy and home health services for Medicare beneficiaries.  Acevedo and her co-conspirators would use these prescriptions, POCs and medical certifications to fraudulently bill the Medicare program for home health care services, which Acevedo knew was in violation of federal criminal laws.

From approximately September 2007 through June 2012, LTC and Professional submitted approximately $41 million in claims for home health services that were not medically necessary and/or not provided.  Medicare actually paid approximately $27 million for these fraudulent claims.  Acevedo was part of an overall scheme that fraudulently billed Medicare more than $74 million.

This case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief Joseph S. Beemsterboer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.

Since their inception in March 2007, Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in nine locations have charged more than 1,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for more than $5 billion.  In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

President Obama Speaks on Education and the Economy | The White House

President Obama Speaks on Education and the Economy | The White House

CDC SAYS 1 IN 6 BETWEEN THE AGES OF 2 AND 19 ARE OBESE

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

One in 6 obese

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds some signs that the weight gains of America’s young people are tapering off. The researchers saw this in data from 2008 to 2011 on almost 12 million low-income youngsters in 40 states.

But it doesn’t mean the weights are all healthy. The CDC says 1 in 6 people between the ages of 2 and 19 is obese. And researcher Ashleigh May says the excess weight produces a health burden:

“During childhood, things like high cholesterol, high blood sugar, asthma, and even mental health problems can occur. And children who are overweight or obese are more likely to become overweight or obese adults.’’

The study is in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Learn more at healthfinder.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: October 24, 2013