Monday is the deadline to sign up for health law

Monday is the deadline to sign up for private health insurance in the new online markets created by President Barack Obama's health care law. So far, about 4 out of every 5 people enrolling have qualified for tax credits to reduce the cost of their premiums.

Here's what you need to know:

— The deadline is Mar. 31 at midnight EDT for the states where the federal government is running the sign-up website; states running their own exchanges set their own deadlines.

— You can sign up online by going to HealthCare.gov or your state insurance exchange. If you don't know what your state marketplace is called, HealthCare.gov will direct you.

—You can call 1-800-318-2596 to sign up by phone or get help from an enrollment specialist.

—Check online for sign-up centers that may be open locally, offering in-person assistance.

—If you started an application by Monday but didn't finish, perhaps because of errors, missing information or website glitches, you can take advantage of a grace period. The government says it will accept paper applications until April 7 and take as much time as necessary to handle unfinished cases on HealthCare.gov.

—Be prepared for the possibility of long wait times.

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Iraq's West Qurna-2 oil field starts production

BAGHDAD — Iraq's oil minister says Russia's Lukoil-led group has begun pumping oil from the massive West Qurna-2 oil field in southern Iraq.

At a Saturday inauguration ceremony, Abdul-Karim Elaibi announced that production had started at 120,000 barrels per day increasing to 400,000 barrels per day by the end of this year.

The 14 billion barrel field is 490 kilometers (305 miles) southeast of Baghdad.

Since 2003, Iraq has awarded dozens of oil and gas deals to international energy companies — the first major investments in the country's energy industry in more than three decades.

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Indictment, charges over Cape Cod oyster thefts

BARNSTABLE, Mass. — A Yarmouth man has been indicted for stealing more than $40,000 worth of oysters and equipment from oyster-farming beds in Dennis and Barnstable last summer.

A Barnstable County grand jury on Friday indicted Michael Bryant on charges of larceny, shellfish violations, shellfishing in a contaminated area and commercial fishing license violation. The indictment occurred the day that restaurant owner Joseph Vaudo pleaded guilty to a charge of receiving stolen property from Bryant.

The Cape Cod Times (http://bit.ly/O7enAj ) reports that the 62-year-old Vaudo was ordered to pay $6,250 in fines and court costs. Barnstable police Lt. Sean Balcom says the businessman may have additional problems with his permits to buy shellfish and operate his wholesale and retail business.

No date has been set for the arraignment of 37-year-old Bryant.

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Information from: Cape Cod (Mass.) Times, http://www.capecodonline.com

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Greece's deputy minister resigns over milk reform

ATHENS, Greece — Greek's deputy agriculture minister has resigned over a proposal to lengthen the shelf life of milk but says he will vote for an omnibus reform bill to ensure more loans by Greece's creditors.

Minister Maximos Harakopoulos, who represents an agricultural constituency, has opposed the milk reform, one of several demanded by Greece's creditors — the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Cattle farmers fear the change will favor imports. Greek retail milk prices are among the highest in Europe.

The issue is one of several market reforms agreed upon with creditors that are in an omnibus bill which will be voted upon late Sunday. Harakopoulos said he would have voted against the milk reform if it had been in a separate article.

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Study backs nonsurgical way to fix heart valves

WASHINGTON — A new study gives a big boost to fixing a bad aortic valve, the heart's main gate, without open-heart surgery. Survival rates were better one year later for people who had a new valve placed through a tube into an artery instead.

The results were reported Saturday at an American College of Cardiology conference in Washington and prompted some doctors to predict that in the near future, far fewer people will be having the traditional operation.

"It's going to be very hard to tell a patient that if they need an aortic valve, surgery is going to be their best option," said one of the conference leaders, Dr. Prediman K. Shah of Cedars Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles.

Several hundred thousand Americans have a bad aortic valve, which can stiffen and narrow with age, keeping blood from passing through as it should. Until a few years ago, the only solution was a major operation to open the chest, cut out the bad valve and sew in a new one.

That changed in 2011, when Edwards Lifesciences Inc. won federal approval for an expandable valve that could fit in a catheter into a leg artery, guided to the heart and placed inside the old valve. Studies showed survival was comparable to or a little better with it than with surgery, but strokes were more common after the catheter approach, making some leery of it.

Earlier this year, a rival device — Medtronic Inc.'s CoreValve — was approved for treating people at too high risk to have surgery. The new study tested it in nearly 800 people less sick — eligible for the operation but still with elevated risks.

One year after treatment, 19 percent of the surgery patients but only 14 percent of those given a CoreValve had died.

Stroke rates also seemed lower, though this was not one of the main results researchers were tracking. After one year, 13 percent of surgery patients and 9 percent of the others had had a stroke.

Two-year follow-up is not complete, but "we are certainly encouraged" that trends appear to be continuing, said one of the study's leaders, Dr. David Adams of at New York's Mount Sinai Hospital.

There were drawbacks to the CoreValve, though — twice as many patients needed pacemakers afterward. Other complications were a tradeoff — more vascular problems with the CoreValve but more problems with a fluttering heartbeat called atrial fibrillation among those who had surgery.

Still, several independent experts praised the results.

"It's a great leap forward" for fixing valves through blood vessels, said Dr. David Kandzari of Piedmont Heart Institute in Atlanta.

The study was paid for by Medtronic, and many study leaders consult for Medtronic, Edwards or other heart device makers. Results also were published online by the New England Journal of Medicine.

Doctors say both companies' artificial valves need more long-term study to see if they hold up as well as the ones implanted surgically, which typically last 20 years. Other firms also are testing catheter-placed valves.

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Marilynn Marchione can be followed at http://twitter.com/MMarchioneAP

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Companies don’t want to be next Target

Increasing publicity and scrutiny of high profile data breaches is pushing companies to shore up the data they keep before they become the next victim.

"It's the No. 1 thing that enterprises are talking about when they move to the cloud," said Rob May, CEO of Cambridge-based Backupify.

May said the company, which offers a service for businesses to back up their data, will be rolling out features and updates this year in response to more demand for and attention on data security.

"It's one of the key questions we get asked," May said.

Companies are trying to prevent a breach that would be embarrassing at best, or crippling at worst, if secret or proprietary information is leaked.

"Since Christmas, there's been a big uptick in companies taking a more proactive view towards this," said Cynthia Larose, chairman of Mintz Levin's Privacy & Security Practice. "People are more than a little bit nervous about the atmosphere."

A series of high-profile data breaches have come to light in recent months, including the Target breach in which 70 million customer records were stolen. Earlier this week, Congress heard testimony from Target's CFO, and the Federal Trade Commission confirmed it is also investigating the breach.

"One of the things that came out of the Target situation was not just discussions about the breach but really this evolving notion of how the data's being used, not just who has access to it," said Adam Towvim, CEO of data security company TrustLayers.

Towvim said TrustLayers, which is an early stage startup that does not market itself, is being approached unsolicited by potential customers because of the high-profile breaches.

"It has clearly increased concerns," Towvim said. "They're saying 'I definitely need to prevent the next Target.'"

Sensitive data was also stolen from Neiman Marcus recently, and personal information, including Social Security numbers, of 70,000 Coca-Cola employees was exposed. Last year, hackers accessed credit card information from hundreds of convention-goers from the payment system of The Briar Group, owner of 10 local restaurants.

In February, the National Institute of Standards and Technology released guidelines for businesses to measure their security.

Companies also are starting to take steps to monitor and account for how the data is used and accessed. Businesses want to present themselves as secure and trustworthy, Towvim said.

"Being able to really account for the proper use of data, that's a big thing we hear," he said. "It's really about trust, making sure that regulators trust you, making sure that business partners and consumers trust you."

As companies collect more data, how to protect it and track access is going to become more of a priority, Towvim said.

Larose said companies that are seen as at risk of a data breach could take a hit from investors.

"It is a huge liability," she said.

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Pregnancy app extends into tracking

The maker of a pregnancy app is partnering with a fitness tracking app to better predict fertility and alert users to potential pregnancy complications.

Ovuline, the maker of the Ovia app, is joining forces with MyFitness Pal, the company said.

"We're looking for possible correlation between activities they're doing and their weight and their fertility," said Ovuline co-founder and vice president of product Gina Nebesar. "We're trying to take her weight data points from multiple fitness apps to help her stay on track for a healthy pregnancy."

Nebesar said tracking weight, activity level and other health information can help predict when a woman is most likely to get pregnant, but can also be used to warn of possible complications.

"We see ourselves as a health platform," Ovuline CEO Paris Wallace said.

If a woman's activity level drops suddenly, or she is not gaining enough weight during pregnancy, Ovia can warn users.

"We'd alert her that it might actually be a symptom of a pregnancy complication," Nebesar said.

Some of the conditions Ovuline's algorithms are on the lookout for are anemia and preeclampsia.

Ovuline is one of a number of fast growing e-health companies in the Boston area, including everything from a onesie to track babies to a health-focused wearable device.

"You've seen an explosion in this space of applications dealing with all sorts of health needs and medical conditions," Wallace said.

The app is helping a woman get pregnant every three minutes, the company said, and is adding 70 new users every hour and by 20 percent every month.

As more health apps and devices hit the market, regulators are taking notice. The FDA issued regulations on mobile medical apps last year, but a group of congressmen criticized the rules, saying they were too vague and the FDA has not been responsive enough. Wallace said Ovuline has spent a considerable amount of time studying the rules to see if Ovia is included. Wallace said it is not, but he is keeping his eye on regulators.

"It will be really interesting to see the regulatory response to all these amazing innovations," he said.

The company, a TechStars Boston graduate, moved with the accelerator to Boston earlier this year and is still operating out of TechStars' space. Nebesar said the company looked at alternatives, but decided to stay with TechStars and help mentor new companies.

Still, Ovuline is growing, and Nebesar said it will likely try to find its own office soon. The company now has 15 employees, up from 5 at the beginning of last year. The company has raised $2.5 million so far.

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Driver who doesn’t wear seatbelt asking for trouble

I have an '07 Sierra 1500 with 80,000 miles. The other day my radio went off for no reason and I also noticed that my seatbelt warning light was not on as well (I don't wear my seatbelt). Yesterday I shut off the truck and the radio and the door alarm ping stayed on after I shut the door. Any suggestions here?

Absolutely — wear your seatbelt! It is beyond my understanding how any rational human being can choose not to utilize the fundamental component of automotive safety — the seatbelt. Failure to utilize this critical safety system by not buckling up disables virtually all of the extensive passive and active safety systems engineered into a modern automobile.

There are only four primary causes of injury or death in an automobile crash; the human body impacting the interior of the cabin, the cabin being crushed, an outside object penetrating the cabin and fire. Car makers spend millions of dollars engineering and building crash management systems into today's vehicles that absolutely minimize these possibilities — all predicated on use of the seatbelt. But of course, if the driver or occupants don't buckle up these safety systems are severely compromised.

If you don't care enough to protect yourself and others in case of a crash, I don't care to answer your question.

I purchased a 2011 Subaru Forester last July. It got 22 to 23 mpg in driving, half highway and half city. I drove from North Carolina to Minnesota last September and got 27.5 to 28.9 mpg on the highway. Throughout the very cold winter here I have been getting 14.8 to 16.8 mpg. The car is garaged, half my driving is highway and the car is warmed up frequently. I'm not happy about this and wonder if it is to be expected and I should stop complaining.

Welcome to the frozen north! You should probably stop complaining. Compare the 22-23 mpg mileage in warmer weather to the 15-17 mpg in this extremely cold winter. When temperatures are low, more fuel is burned in starting and bringing the engine and drivetrain up to normal operating temperatures.

I would expect your mileage to return to 22 to 23 mpg as warm weather returns.

I have a 2001 Olds Aurora purchased in 1999. I replaced the battery for the second time since new at a GM shop in January. I purchased a Delco battery but four weeks later, after 88 miles, the battery was dead again. After putting the charger on for a half-hour it started. The shop said the alternator was good, no drainage of juice, battery was good and that I wasn't driving it enough. In years past when a battery was new it would start a car after months of sitting without starting it every day. What gives?

I would be more suspicious of the battery's state-of-charge when you purchased it. I don't know how long that battery sat on the dealer's parts shelf or whether the dealership charged it before installing it in your vehicle, but if it wasn't fully charged at the time of installation and you only drove 88 miles over the next month, I'm not surprised it needed to be recharged to start your vehicle. In fact, I would have preferred you charge it with an automatic battery charger for 24 hours to make sure it is fully charged.

I'm sure this battery is still covered by its original warranty so if there's any further issue with its performance, ask the dealer to replace it under warranty.

Paul Brand, author of "How to Repair Your Car," is an automotive troubleshooter, driving instructor and former race-car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn., 55488 or via email at paulbrand@startribune.com. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number. Because of the volume of mail, we cannot provide personal replies.

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Rhode Island workers, retirees mull pension deal

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Government workers and retirees in Rhode Island are casting ballots to determine the fate of a proposed settlement in their legal challenge to the state's landmark pension overhaul.

If approved, the settlement would roll back some of the pension cuts approved by lawmakers in 2011. Retirees would get modest pension increases sooner than expected, but the state and its municipalities would get to keep most of the billions they will save under the law.

Workers and retirees interviewed by The Associated Press express a mix of opinions. Retired state worker Matt DiMaio says he was hoping for a better deal and wants the lawsuit to proceed. But University of Rhode Island employee Michael McDonald says he supports the settlement because it brings certainty.

State lawmakers must also approve the settlement.

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Another Apple-Samsung skirmish heads to court

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The fiercest rivalry in the world of smartphones is heading back to court this week in the heart of the Silicon Valley, with Apple and Samsung accusing each other, once again, of ripping off designs and features.

The trial will mark the latest round in a long-running series of lawsuits between the two tech giants that underscore a much larger concern about what is allowed to be patented.

"There's a widespread suspicion that lots of the kinds of software patents at issue are written in ways that cover more ground than what Apple or any other tech firm actually invented," Notre Dame law professor Mark McKenna said. "Overly broad patents allow companies to block competition."

The latest Apple-Samsung case will be tried less than two years after a federal jury found Samsung was infringing on Apple patents. Samsung was ordered to pay about $900 million but is appealing and has been allowed to continue selling products using the technology.

Now, jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday in another round of litigation, with Apple Inc. accusing Samsung of infringing on five patents on newer devices, including Galaxy smartphones and tablets. In a counterclaim, Samsung says Apple stole two of its ideas to use on iPhones and iPads.

"Apple revolutionized the market in personal computing devices," Apple attorneys wrote in court filings. "Samsung, in contrast, has systematically copied Apple's innovative technology and products, features and designs, and has deluged markets with infringing devices."

Samsung countered that it has broken technological barriers with its own ultra-slim, lightweight phones.

"Samsung has been a pioneer in the mobile device business sector since the inception of the mobile device industry," Samsung attorneys wrote. "Apple has copied many of Samsung's innovations in its Apple iPhone, iPod, and iPad products."

In the upcoming case, Apple claims Samsung stole a tap-from-search technology that allows someone searching for a telephone number or address on the web to tap on the results to call the number or put the address into a map. In addition, Apple says Samsung copied "Slide to Unlock," which allows users to swipe the face of their smartphone to use it.

Samsung countered that Apple is stealing a wireless technology system that speeds up sending and receiving data.

The most attention grabbing claim in the case is Apple's demand that Samsung pay a $40 royalty for each Samsung device running software allegedly conceived by Apple, more than five times more than the amount sought in the previous trial and well above other precedents between smartphone companies. If Apple prevails, the costs to Samsung could reach $2 billion. Apple's costs, if it lost, are expected to be about $6 million.

"You rarely get from the jury what you ask for, so companies aim high," said German patent analyst Florian Mueller. "But in my opinion this is so far above a reasonable level the judge should not have allowed it."

The problem, he said, is that each smartphone has thousands of patented ideas in it; Apple is challenging just five.

Throughout the three years of litigation, Samsung's market share has grown. One of every three smartphones sold last year was a Samsung, now the market leader. Apple, with a typically higher price, was second, with about 15 percent of the global market.

Apple claims the following Samsung products now infringe on Apple patents: Admire, Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy SII, Galaxy SII Epic 4G Touch, Galaxy SII Skyrocket, Galaxy SIII, Galaxy Tab II 10.1, and Stratosphere.

Samsung claims the following Apple products infringe on Samsung patents: iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad mini, iPod touch (5th generation), iPod touch (4th generation), and MacBook Pro.

With the San Jose federal courtroom just a 15-minute drive from Apple's Cupertino headquarters, even jury selection can be difficult. In the previous case, several prospective jurors were dismissed because of their ties to the company.

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Follow Martha Mendoza at https://twitter.com/mendozamartha

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