Monthly Archives: March 2012

Angel Biotechnology – Notice of EGM and Proposed Placing

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19 March 2012

Angel Biotechnology Holdings plc

("Angel" or "the Company")

Notice of EGM

Proposed Placing

The Board of Angel Biotechnology Holdings plc announces that today it has posted a Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting of the Company ("EGM") and a Form of Proxy to Shareholders convening an EGM, to be held at 50 Broadway (SES: E1:B69.SI - news) , London SW1H 0BL on 13 April 2012 at 10am. A copy of the Circular is available from the Company's website, http://www.angelbio.com.

The purpose of the EGM is to consider and, if thought fit, pass a special resolution on the terms set out in the Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting. If passed, it would enable the Board to allot equity securities on a non pre-emptive basis by an aggregate nominal amount of 370,000, which would be in addition to the original nominal amount of 750,000 (the "Authority") granted to the Board at the last Annual General Meeting of the Company ("AGM") held on 8 June 2012. The additional Authority would run until the conclusion of the next AGM at which time Shareholders will be asked to approve new authorities for the following 12 months.

The Company is seeking to raise up to a further 1m through a placing of shares at the same price as the Placing that was announced on 22 December 2011. Following the Placing in December, 175,000 of the original Authority (or 175,000,000 ordinary shares) was left unutilised, which, at the price of the December 2011 Placing, would enable the Company to raise a further 350,000.

However, one of the institutional investors who was not in a position to invest at the time of the December Placing has agreed to invest 360,000, while other institutional investors who supported the December 2011 Placing have asked to provide follow-on investments. These additional investments would be in excess of the remaining original Authority.

On behalf of the Board, Dr. Paul Harper, Executive Chairman, said: "The Placing would further strengthen Angel's shareholder base and provide additional working capital that will enable the Company to respond quickly to new business development opportunities recently available to it. The Directors also believe that in the light of the current uncertain financial markets, it is prudent to raise funds when they become available."

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Angel Biotechnology - Notice of EGM and Proposed Placing

Plandai Biotechnology, Inc. Launches New Investor-Friendly Website

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SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire -03/19/12)- Planda Biotechnology, Inc. (OTC.BB: PLPL.OB - News), a producer of highly bioavailable plant extracts, today announced the launch of a new, investor friendly website designed to educate the public about the company's proprietary CRS processing system and the importance of bioavailability in nutrition.

The website is easy to navigate and provides investors with quick access to historical SEC filings and press releases. The website also has several excellent photos of the Senteeko tea estate located in South Africa, along with discussions on the nature of tea production, ongoing research, and the importance of bioavailability. Company contact information and newsletter sign up is also provided.

The benefits of delivering high concentrate bioavailable phytonutrients allow the body to more efficiently absorb the active and stable nutrients and antioxidants. For example, green tea, which is rich in antioxidants critical for protecting white and red blood cells and boosting the body's immune system, is not readily absorbed in its natural state. According to published research, the average person needs to consume 8-10 cups of green tea in order to receive a clinical dose of the necessary gallate catechins. Planda's CRS hydrodynamic process is able to alter the isomeric properties of plant material so that they are more in line with that found in human tissues, thus increasing the absorbability by up to eight times that of other extracts.

Roger Duffield, Chief Executive Officer of Planda, commented, "As a management team, we value the importance of educating the public about bioavailability. Billions of dollars are spent annually on supplements and vitamin-enhanced products, but these are wasted dollars if what is being consumed is not in a form that the body can absorb and process. Our new website will be a useful tool for getting timely information to shareholders and concerned consumers while also providing updates as new research is completed and we draw nearer to full production."

About Plandai Biotechnology, Inc.

Planda Biotechnology, Inc., through its recent acquisition of Global Energy Solutions, Ltd. and its subsidiaries, focuses on the farming of whole fruits, vegetables and live plant material and the production of proprietary functional foods and botanical extracts for the health and wellness industry. Its principal holdings consist of land, farms and infrastructure in South Africa.

Safe Harbor Statement

The information provided may contain forward-looking statements and involve risks and uncertainties. Results, events and performances could vary from those contemplated. These statements involve risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results, expressed or implied, to differ from predicted outcomes. Risks and uncertainties include product demand, market competition, and Planda's ability to meet current or future plans. Investors should study and understand all risks before making an investment decision. Readers are recommended not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Planda is not obliged to publicly release revisions to any forward-looking statement, to reflect events or circumstances afterward, or to disclose unanticipated occurrences, except as required under applicable laws.

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Plandai Biotechnology, Inc. Launches New Investor-Friendly Website

Study finds how bacteria resist a 'Trojan horse' antibiotic

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The study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Bacteria often engage in chemical warfare with one another, and many antibiotics used in medicine are modeled on the weapons they produce. But microbes also must protect themselves from their own toxins. The defenses they employ for protection can be acquired by other species, leading to antibiotic resistance.

The researchers focused on an enzyme, known as MccF, that they knew could disable a potent "Trojan horse" antibiotic that sneaks into cells disguised as a tasty protein meal. The bacterial antibiotic, called microcin C7 (McC7) is similar to a class of drugs used to treat bacterial infections of the skin.

"How Trojan horse antibiotics work is that the antibiotic portion is coupled to something that's fairly innocuous in this case it's a peptide," said University of Illinois biochemistry professor Satish Nair, who led the study. "So susceptible bacteria see this peptide, think of it as food and internalize it."

The meal comes at a price, however: Once the bacterial enzymes chew up the amino acid disguise, the liberated antibiotic is free to attack a key component of protein synthesis in the bacterium, Nair said.

"That is why the organisms that make this thing have to protect themselves," he said.

In previous studies, researchers had found the genes that protect some bacteria from this class of antibiotic toxins, but they didn't know how they worked. These genes code for peptidases, which normally chew up proteins (polypeptides) and lack the ability to recognize anything else.

Before the new study, "it wasn't clear how a peptidase could destroy an antibiotic," Nair said.

To get a fuller picture of the structure of the peptidase, Illinois graduate student Vinayak Agarwal crystallized MccF while it was bound to other molecules, including the antibiotic. An analysis of the structure and its interaction with the antibiotic revealed that MccF looked a lot like other enzymes in its family, but with a twist or, rather, a loop. Somehow MccF has picked up an additional loop of amino acids that it uses to recognize the antibiotic, rendering it ineffective.

"Now we know that specific amino acid residues in this loop are responsible for making this from a normal housekeeping gene into something that's capable of degrading this class of antibiotics," Nair said.

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Study finds how bacteria resist a 'Trojan horse' antibiotic

Anatomy of Success: Genetic Research Develops Tools for Studying Diseases, Improving Regenerative Treatment

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Newswise MANHATTAN, KAN. -- Research from a Kansas State University professor may make it easier to recover after spinal cord injury or to study neurological disorders.

Mark Weiss, professor of anatomy and physiology, is researching genetic models for spinal cord injury or diseases such as Parkinson's disease. He is developing technology that can advance cellular therapy and regenerative medicine -- a type of research that can greatly improve animal and human health.

"We're trying to build tools, trying to build models that will have broad applications," Weiss said. "So if you're interested in neural differentiation or if you're interested in response after an injury, we're trying to come up with cell lines that will teach us, help us to solve a medical mystery."

Weiss' research team has perfected a technique to use stem cells to study targeted genetic modifications. They are among a handful of laboratories in the world using these types of models for disease. The research is an important step in the field of functional genomics, which focuses on understanding the functions and roles of these genes in disease.

The researchers are creating several tools to study functional genomics. One such tool involves developing new ways to use fluorescent transporters, which make it easier to study proteins and their functions. These fluorescent transporters can be especially helpful when studying neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, stroke and spinal cord injury.

"People who have spinal cord injury do not experience a lot of regeneration," Weiss said. "It is one of the problems of the nervous system -- it is not great at regenerating itself like other tissues."

The researchers want to discover a way to help this regenerative process kick in. By studying signals from fluorescing cells, they can understand how neural stem cells are reactivated.

"We want to try and make these genetic markers, and then we can test different kinds of treatment to see how they assist in the regenerative process," Weiss said.

Weiss' stem cell research has appeared in two recent journals: Stem Cells and Development and the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and university funds, including the Johnson Cancer Research Center.

Weiss' seven-member research team includes a visiting professor, two full-time researchers, a graduate student and three undergraduates. He has also been collaborating with researchers from the University of Kansas Medical Center.

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Anatomy of Success: Genetic Research Develops Tools for Studying Diseases, Improving Regenerative Treatment

Preminger's 'Anatomy of a Murder' still a killer study of the justice system

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Otto Preminger's 1959 "Anatomy of a Murder," just released on DVD (Criterion Collection, Blu-ray $39.95, DVD $29.95, not rated), becomes one of the great courtroom dramas by systematically undermining most of the pleasures and reassurances that the genre provides.

Though Preminger, the son of a prosperous Viennese lawyer who had been a public prosecutor during the waning days of the Austro-Hungarian empire, portrays the workings of the legal system with respect and even reverence, the film does not perform the genre's usual function of returning a sense of order and security to a community that has been thrown into chaos by a violent, anti-social act.

Instead, Preminger deftly and undemonstratively evokes the shortcomings of the system, its failure to account for aspects of human behavior that defy rationality, that contradict self-interest and confound tidy chains of cause and effect.

Rather than bringing the truth to light, expunging evil and making the world sensible and readable again, the trial in "Anatomy of a Murder" leads to a verdict but not to a resolution. The fundamental mysteries - who did what to whom and why - remain open.

This worldview belongs less to Perry Mason than to Michelangelo Antonioni, whose more aggressively open-ended "L'Avventura" would scandalize the movie world a year later.

Based on a best-selling novel by Robert Traver (the pseudonym of John D. Voelker, a justice on the Michigan Supreme Court ) and set and largely

Paul Biegler (James Stewart), a district attorney who was turned out of office after a decade, is hired by the cocksure lieutenant to mount an insanity defense, based on Manion's claim that was in the grip of an "irresistible impulse" when he methodically shot the man who attacked his wife.

But even as Biegler argues his case, sparring with a hotshot state's attorney (George C. Scott), slips and discrepancies emerge, suggesting that Manion is not all that impulsive, his wife not all that pure and the victim not all that nefarious.

The courtroom sequences alone take up the length of an average movie in "Anatomy of a Murder," which luxuriates in its 160-minute running time, accumulating a dense welter of novelistic details: the supremely self-controlled Biegler's taste for the spontaneity of jazz (the score was composed by Duke Ellington, who also makes a cameo appearance); Manion's dandyish ivory-barreled cigarette holder; Laura's taste in lacy undergarments.

The film is full of scenes of smart people sizing up one another and verbal exchanges that suggest chess games more than conversations, including a turn on the witness stand by Kathryn Grant. Throughout, Preminger maintains a studiously neutral perspective, framing most scenes as balanced two-shots and allowing dialogue sequences to play out uninflected by confrontational cross-cutting.

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Preminger's 'Anatomy of a Murder' still a killer study of the justice system

'Grey's Anatomy' Cast Makes Music for Actors Fund

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The cast and creator of ABC's Grey's Anatomy went from the fictional hospital of Seattle Grace to the stage at UCLA's Royce Hall on Sunday, staging a live benefit concert for the Actors Fund.

Featuring cast members Sara Ramirez, Chandra Wilson, Kevin McKidd, Justin Chambers, Jessica Capshaw, James Pickens Jr., Sarah Drew, Kim Raver, Sandra Oh and Eric Dane, the two-hour, nearly sold-out event featured 11 songs, including tracks from its March 2011 musical episode "Song Beneath the Song."

During the light-hearted show, a spirited Oh (Cristina) acted as a de-facto emcee and introduced segments of the evening that served to shed light on how the medical drama came to feature a musical episode as well as how music serves as a character on the Shonda Rhimes show.

STORY: Shonda Rhimes Talks 'Grey's Anatomy's' Live Musical Benefit

"In the end, it was the iTunes revenue that pushed the ABC suits over the top," McKidd (Owen) joked, leading into a cover of "How We Operate," a track he performed in an audition of sorts pitching the musical episode's concept.

Highlights included Capshaw (Arizona) and Raver (Teddy) introducing a clip taking viewers back to Izzie and Denny's dramatic scene in the season two finale that played first without music, and later, as an example of what not to do, backed by Darth Vader's theme from Star Wars. Ultimately, that's where the drama opted to use Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars," which has become one of the series' signature moments.

Co-star Dane (Mark), meanwhile, provided a comedic injection, taking nearly every opportunity he could to make a play to sing during the fund-raiser. (Neither he nor Oh performed.)

STORY: 'Grey's Anatomy' Musical Episode: What the Critics Are Saying

Acknowledging that the musical endeavor wasn't exactly a critical (and sometimes fan) favorite, the cast took turns reading feedback about the episode that was both positive and negative in a playful round that culminated with Pickens (Richard) suggesting the series make a second attempt at a musical episode -- in season 13.

Grey's music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas, meanwhile, explained that music is treated as if it's another character on the series, noting she's tasked with combing clubs and the Internet for up-and-coming artists, sometimes reviewing as many as 500 CDs a week. (FIve-hundred and one if you count the one Dane pitched Sunday, she noted with a laugh.)

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'Grey's Anatomy' Cast Makes Music for Actors Fund

The Grey’s Anatomy Cast Gets Musical Again During Lighthearted Benefit

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Sara Ramirez

The doctors of Grey's Anatomy are not finished singing.

Many of the ABC drama's cast gathered Sunday night at UCLA's Royce Hall to belt out tunes that were featured in last year's musical episode, "Song Beneath the Song." Although the episode was quite serious a pregnant Callie (Sara Ramirez) flew through a car windshield and hallucinated her co-workers singing as they desperately tried to save her life Sunday's "The Songs Beneath the Show" event, benefitting the Actors Fund, was a lighthearted affair.

Anatomy of Shonda Rhimes, the busiest woman in Hollywood

Sandra Oh and Eric Dane acted as emcees for the night, though Dane desperately wanted to join in on the action. Apparently, he can't sing a lick, but that didn't stop him from trying to jam out on a guitar and even slipping Grey's music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas his demo, which she promptly tossed.

Ramirez, Kevin McKidd and Chandra Wilson opened the show with Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars," which was followed by renditions of Get Set Go's "Wait," Jesus Jackson's "Running on Sunshine" and The Fray's "How to Save a Life" sung by cast members Sarah Drew, Kim Raver, James Pickens Jr., Justin Chambers and a pregnant Jessica Capshaw. Chambers also brought out his three daughters to sing "Young Folks" from Peter, Bjorn & John, which was not featured in the musical episode.

Everything you need to know about the Grey's Anatomy musical episode

Following a special performance by Ingrid Michaelson, Oh then asked the crowd if Grey's should do another musical. Though the rowdy crowd begged for more, the cast decided to read fan comments that both praised and panned the show's previous effort. The cast decided it would be a while before they'd try it again. "Maybe Season 13," they joked.

Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.

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The Grey’s Anatomy Cast Gets Musical Again During Lighthearted Benefit

Huntington’s Disease – Stem Cell Therapy Potential

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Editor's Choice Academic Journal Main Category: Huntingtons Disease Also Included In: Stem Cell Research Article Date: 19 Mar 2012 - 10:00 PDT

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However, according to a study published March 15 in the journal Cell Stem Cell, a special type of brain cell created from stem cells could help restore the muscle coordination deficits that are responsible for uncontrollable spasms, a characteristic of the disease. The researchers demonstrated that movement in mice with a Huntington's-like condition could be restored.

Su-Chun Zhang, a University of Wisconsin-Madison neuroscientist and the senior author of the study, said:

In the study Zhang, who is an expert in creating various types of brain cells from human embryonic or induce pluripotent stem cells, and his team focused on GABA neurons. The degradation of GABA cells causes the breakdown of a vital neural circuit and loss of motor function in individuals suffering from Huntington's disease.

According to Zhang, GABA neurons generate a vital neurotransmitter, a chemical that helps support the communication network in the brain that coordinates movement.

Zhang and his team at the UW-Madison Waisman Center, discovered how to generate large quantities of GABA neurons from human embryonic stem cells. The team's goal was to determine whether these cells would safely integrate into the brain of a mouse model of Huntington's disease.

The researchers discovered that not only did the cells integrate, they were projected to the right target and were able to effectively restore the damaged communication network and restore motor function.

Zhang says that the results were astonishing, as GABA neurons reside in the basal ganglia, a part of the brain which plays a vital role in voluntary motor coordination. However, the GABA neurons exert their influence at a distance on cells in the midbrain via the circuit powered by the GABA neuron chemical neurotransmitter.

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Huntington's Disease - Stem Cell Therapy Potential

American Physiological Society’s 125th Anniversary Meeting Puts Additional Symposia in the Spotlight at Experimental …

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Newswise BETHESDA, Md. (March 19, 2012)At Experimental Biology 2012 (EB 2012), being held April 21-25 at the San Diego Convention Center, the American Physiological Society (APS) will mark its 125th anniversary and host more than 2,600 abstract presentations and a variety of symposia. Topics include:

Physiology in Medicine: Physiology of Obesity, Cardiometabolic Disease, and Therapeutic Weight Loss: Obesity and its consequences for cardiovascular and metabolic health are becoming one of the worlds most important health challenges. Therapeutic approaches to obesity remain limited. Four presentations at this symposium will address the pathophysiology of obesity-induced cardiometabolic diseases, the impact of maternal obesity on fetal programming, recent advances in central nervous system mechanisms that regulate energy balance, and the complex physiology of therapeutic weight loss. http://bit.ly/xOZqIm (Sun., 4/22)

A Complex Interplay Coming Together to Build the Heart: The heart is the first active organ during development. Researchers believe they can only fully understand how the heart is built by integrating the areas of genetics, electrophysiology, and molecular and cellular levels. This symposium will bring together critical areas of heart research that reflect the synergistic effects of these components in the formation and function of this essential organ. http://bit.ly/zU2Zd6 (Sun., 4/22)

Systems Biology of Cardiovascular Genomes and Proteomes: Within the last decade there has been a revolution in the technical ability to explore genomes and their products in the lab. These advances, including next-generation sequencing, proteomics and systems biology, are thus changing the manner in which we study complex human diseases. This symposium will focus the spotlight on advances made in the study of cardiac and vascular disease, with the emphasis on how new insights into genomes and proteomes have transformed basic and translational research. http://bit.ly/xzNhbx (Sun., 4/22)

Mechanobiology in the Lungs: Being a mechanically dynamic organ, the lung and its cells are subjected to varied types of physical forces. For example, lung endothelial cells endure shear stress due to fluid flow while epithelial cells lining the airways and air sacs (also called alveoli) are exposed to tensile and compressive forces during the respiratory cycle. It has become increasingly apparent that most cells throughout the body sense their mechanical environment and respond to changes. Although there are significant changes in lung mechanics during mechanical ventilation and airway diseases, little is known about how such changes affect cellular functions in the lung. This symposium will feature discussions that focus on recent findings on how lung cells sense mechanical forces and convert mechanical signals into biological signals. http://bit.ly/wlIe4O (Mon., 4/23)

Regulation of Intestinal Stem Cells During Development, Homeostasis, Adaptation, and Pathophysiology: Stem cells in intestinal development and the mechanisms leading to the malignant transformation of these cells will guide the discussions at this symposium. The agenda offers a perspective on four aspects of intestinal stem cells: (1) development; (2) isolation and characterization during adaptation and recovery from injury; (3) presence in colon cancer and during transformation; and (4) regulation and during aging in the Drosophila. http://bit.ly/wZKliz (Wed., 4/25)

Recent Advances in Physiology and Disease: The Role of the Circadian Clock in Neural, Cardiovascular, and Metabolic Function: The circadian clock, the molecular mechanism that regulates sleep and wake rhythms, also regulates multiple physiological functions through its action on peripheral tissues outside the central nervous system. Circadian rhythm disruptions have been linked to increased risk for cancer, metabolic disorders, and cardiovascular disease. Speakers will discuss significant research advances in the understanding of how our circadian clock impacts physiology and disease, using a cross-section of expertise in both basic and translational research. http://bit.ly/zGkGoO (Wed., 4/25)

EB 2012 is also co-sponsored by the American Association of Anatomists (AAA), American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP), American Society for Nutrition (ASN), and the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET).

Media Registration Free registration for the meeting is available to credentialed representatives of the press, who will also have access to an onsite newsroom. Detailed instructions for individuals who wish to request press passes are available on the website at http://bit.ly/xWob5G. Requests for additional information should be sent to Media@FASEB.org

The press room will be open Saturday, April 21 through Wednesday, April 25. Pre-registration for press passes is strongly encouraged and will be accepted through April 16. A press kit with highlights of scientific research will be available on an embargoed basis prior to the meeting. Follow the meeting on Twitter with hashtags #APS125 and #EB2012.

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American Physiological Society's 125th Anniversary Meeting Puts Additional Symposia in the Spotlight at Experimental ...

DNA leads to arrest of sexual assault suspect

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WHITEFISH - DNA evidence has led the Whitefish Police Department to arrest Timothy M. House, 27, and charge him with sexual assault.

Police Chief Bill Dial says that the arrest came about as the result of a DNA "hit" by the Montana State Crime Lab.

House was a suspect in a summer 2007 sexual assault, but Dial says in a news release that "there was insufficient evidence to arrest him."

House became a suspect in a sex crime in Conrad last year which resulted in a DNA sample being taken from House which was subsequently submitted to the Crime Lab and then entered into the National data base.

Whitefish detectives later secured a search warrant for a DNA sample from House which was submitted to the State Crime Lab for comparison and an arrest warrant was later issued for House's arrest.

Dial says House had recently returned to the Flathead Valley from Pondera County where he had been arrested for sexual intercourse without consent and unlawful restraint.

His release conditions, imposed by the court, was to submit to a breath test twice a day and when House reported for his breath test on Friday evening he was arrested.

Dial says House is also a suspect for similar charges in Flathead County and he's being held in the Flathead County jail on $100,000 bond.

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DNA leads to arrest of sexual assault suspect

Posted in DNA

Cuomo Signs Law to Expand New York's DNA Databank

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March 19, 2012 Updated Mar 19, 2012 at 2:25 PM EDT

Albany, N.Y. (WKBW release) -- New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo joined by Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver on Monday signed into law a historic bill that makes New York State the first "all crimes DNA" state in the nation, by requiring DNA samples be collected from anyone convicted of a felony or Penal Law misdemeanor.

According to a news release issued Monday:

In addition, the new law also significantly expands defendants' access to DNA testing and comparison both before and after conviction in appropriate circumstances, as well as to discovery after conviction where innocence is claimed.

Governor Cuomo introduced the DNA Databank expansion legislation as a centerpiece of his 2012 legislative agenda.

"I am proud to sign this bill today because this modern law enforcement tool will not only help us solve and prevent crimes but also exonerate the innocent," said Governor Andrew Cuomo. "The bottom line is that this is a tool that works, and will make the state safer for all New Yorkers. I thank Majority Leader Skelos, Speaker Silver, Senators Saland and Golden, and Assemblyman Lentol for their leadership on this issue."

Senate Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos said: "Nothing is more important than ensuring the safety and security of our citizens. Today we are culminating our efforts to enact an all-crimes DNA databank expansion. Senate Republicans championed the creation of the DNA databank 18 years ago, and we successfully pushed to expand it four times, including legislation I sponsored in 2006 to include all felonies and 17 misdemeanors. With Governor Cuomos leadership, we are expanding it to include all crimes and enacting an historic criminal justice measure."

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said, "I am proud to be part of this agreement which positions New York as a leader once again. New York is the first state to enact an all crimes DNA database. When a person is wrongly convicted, the real perpetrator remains free to potentially commit other crimes while an innocent person is unjustly punished. Furthermore, victims are given a false sense of security that the actual perpetrator has been incarcerated. We must now move forward to enact additional reforms that will enhance public safety and ensure that the real perpetrator is caught and that innocent people are not going to prison."

Senator Steve Saland, who sponsored the legislation, said: "The DNA databank expansion is particularly critical when studies show that persons who commit serious crimes have also often committed other crimes including lower-level misdemeanors. This law provides a powerful tool to bring closure to unsolved crimes and prevent further crimes from taking place, while providing a means by which a wrongfully convicted person can be exonerated, or a suspect eliminated. Working together, Governor Cuomo, the Senate, and the Assembly have succeeded in making New York a safer state."

Senator Martin Golden, a co-sponsor of the legislation, said: "This law will significantly improve New York State's crime fighting abilities. Through the collection of DNA samples of all persons convicted of felony offenses, and certain misdemeanors, we will help to prevent and solve crimes. By signing this bill into law, Governor Cuomo will add a critical measure of security and safety for all New Yorkers."

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Cuomo Signs Law to Expand New York's DNA Databank

Posted in DNA

DNA Electronics Licenses NAT Technology to geneOnyx for Skincare Applications

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By a GenomeWeb staff reporter

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) DNA Electronics today announced a deal making its nucleic acid testing platform available to geneOnyx for cosmetic and skincare applications.

The commercial license and supply agreement provides geneOnyx access to DNA Electronics' Genanalysis platform, which geneOnyx will use to analyze a person's genetic makeup to determine how that person will react to certain product ingredients.

Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.

DNA Electronics said that the deal brings it into the non-in vitro diagnostic space. Pilot trials focused on the clinical diagnostics space for Genanalysis are set to begin later this year.

Genanalysis is a real-time, nucleic acid testing platform that delivers point-of-need results in about 30 minutes, using a sample processing kit and interchangeable test cartridges plugged into a USB stick or other electronic reader. Using a saliva sample from a mouth swab, purified, amplification-ready DNA is delivered to a complementary metal oxide semiconductor-based test cartridge, which amplifies and detects genetic signatures in the DNA.

Based in London, DNA Electronics develops electronic microchip-based tests for real-time nucleic acid detection. It has worldwide non-exclusive licensing deals with Roche's 454 Life Sciences and Life Technologies' Ion Torrent providing those firms access to parts of its technology for use in semiconductor sequencing.

geneOnyx provides cloud-based genetic analytics services and technology for cosmetic applications.

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DNA Electronics Licenses NAT Technology to geneOnyx for Skincare Applications

Posted in DNA

'Grey's Anatomy' Cast Makes Music for Actors Fund

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The cast and creator of ABC's Grey's Anatomy went from the fictional hospital of Seattle Grace to the stage at UCLA's Royce Hall on Sunday, staging a live benefit concert for the Actors Fund.

Featuring cast members Sara Ramirez, Chandra Wilson, Kevin McKidd, Justin Chambers, Jessica Capshaw, James Pickens Jr., Sarah Drew, Kim Raver, Sandra Oh and Eric Dane, the two-hour, nearly sold-out event featured 11 songs, including tracks from its March 2011 musical episode "Song Beneath the Song."

During the light-hearted show, a spirited Oh (Cristina) acted as a de-facto emcee and introduced segments of the evening that served to shed light on how the medical drama came to feature a musical episode as well as how music serves as a character on the Shonda Rhimes show.

STORY: Shonda Rhimes Talks 'Grey's Anatomy's' Live Musical Benefit

"In the end, it was the iTunes revenue that pushed the ABC suits over the top," McKidd (Owen) joked, leading into a cover of "How We Operate," a track he performed in an audition of sorts pitching the musical episode's concept.

Highlights included Capshaw (Arizona) and Raver (Teddy) introducing a clip taking viewers back to Izzie and Denny's dramatic scene in the season two finale that played first without music, and later, as an example of what not to do, backed by Darth Vader's theme from Star Wars. Ultimately, that's where the drama opted to use Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars," which has become one of the series' signature moments.

Co-star Dane (Mark), meanwhile, provided a comedic injection, taking nearly every opportunity he could to make a play to sing during the fund-raiser. (Neither he nor Oh performed.)

STORY: 'Grey's Anatomy' Musical Episode: What the Critics Are Saying

Acknowledging that the musical endeavor wasn't exactly a critical (and sometimes fan) favorite, the cast took turns reading feedback about the episode that was both positive and negative in a playful round that culminated with Pickens (Richard) suggesting the series make a second attempt at a musical episode -- in season 13.

Grey's music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas, meanwhile, explained that music is treated as if it's another character on the series, noting she's tasked with combing clubs and the Internet for up-and-coming artists, sometimes reviewing as many as 500 CDs a week. (FIve-hundred and one if you count the one Dane pitched Sunday, she noted with a laugh.)

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'Grey's Anatomy' Cast Makes Music for Actors Fund

Biostem U.S., Corporation Continues Building Its Scientific and Medical Board of Advisors With Appointment of Leading …

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CLEARWATER, FL--(Marketwire -03/19/12)- Biostem U.S., Corporation (OTCQB: BOSM.PK - News) (Pinksheets: BOSM.PK - News) (Biostem, the Company), a fully reporting public company in the stem cell regenerative medicine sciences sector, announced today the addition of Perinatologist Sanford M. Lederman, MD to its Scientific and Medical Board of Advisors (SAMBA).

As Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, Dr. Lederman is consistently recognized by New Yorker Magazine's list of "Top Doctors" in New York. A specialist in high-risk pregnancy issues, Dr. Lederman has authored a number of scientific papers and is a highly regarded public speaker. He adds a very important dimension to the Biostem Scientific and Medical Board of Advisors by bringing specialized knowledge regarding the potential use of stem cell applications for the health of women and children.

Biostem President Dwight Brunoehler said, "Dr. Lederman is one of the most highly respected Obstetric and Gynecological physicians in the country. Sandy and I have worked together very actively on stem cell projects for over 18 years, including setting up a cord blood stem cell national donation system where all expectant moms have a chance to donate their baby's cord blood to benefit others."

Dr. Lederman stated, "Biostem's expansion plans mesh well with my personal interest in developing and advancing the use of non-controversial stem cells to improve the health of women and children. I have a particular interest in increasing the use of cord blood stem cells for in-utero transplant procedures, where stem cells are used to cure a potential life threatening disease such as sickle cell or thalassemia and other selective genetic disorders in a baby before it is even born."

Prior to accepting his current position with New York Methodist Hospital, Dr. Lederman was Residency Program Director and Vice Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and gynecology at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn. At various times, he has served as a partner at Brooklyn Women's Health Care, President at Genetics East and Clinical Associate Professor at the State University of New York. He has served on the medical advisory board of several companies. He previously was Medical Director of Women's Health USA and was a founding member of the Roger Freeman Perinatal Society.

A graduate of Hunter College in New York, he received his initial medical training at Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara School of Medicine. His initial internship was at New York Medical College in the Bronx. During the course of his career, Dr. Lederman has served and studied in various capacities at Long Island College Hospital in the Bronx, North Shore University Hospital in New York, Kings County Medical Center in Brooklyn, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center in California and the University of California at Irvine.

About Biostem U.S., CorporationBiostem U.S., Corporation (OTCQB: BOSM.PK - News) is a fully reporting Nevada corporation with offices in Clearwater, Florida. Biostem is a technology licensing company with proprietary technology centered around providing hair re-growth using human stem cells. The company also intends to train and license selected physicians to provide Regenerative Cellular Therapy treatments to assist the body's natural approach to healing tendons, ligaments, joints and muscle injuries by using the patient's own stem cells. Biostem U.S. is seeking to expand its operations worldwide through licensing of its proprietary technology and acquisition of existing stem cell related facilities. The company's goal is to operate in the international biotech market, focusing on the rapidly growing regenerative medicine field, using ethically sourced adult stem cells to improve the quality and longevity of life for all mankind.

More information on Biostem U.S., Corporation can be obtained through http://www.biostemus.com, or by calling Kerry D'Amato, Marketing Director at 727-446-5000.

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Biostem U.S., Corporation Continues Building Its Scientific and Medical Board of Advisors With Appointment of Leading ...

Breakthrough Beauty Procedure Using Your Own Stem Cells Offered in the Inland Empire

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-- Allure Image Enhancement Among First to Offer the Stem Cell Facelift and PRP Therapy in the Inland Empire --

UPLAND, CA (PRWEB) March 19, 2012

Stem Cell Facelift with PRP Therapy provides an amazing full facial restoration and can simulate the effects of a face lift, brow lift, and total facial rejuvenation in one sitting. In addition, the benefits of the PRP Therapy with growth factors enhance stem cell survival, giving long lasting and potentially permanent results, says John Grasso MD, Medical Director at Allure Image Enhancement. I find these procedures to be an exciting new approach to the world of dermal fillers. Rather than using lab derived products, patients can enjoy the benefits of volume and longevity from their own cells.

Stem Cells often thought of as controversial and futuristic, are the latest beauty secret now available. Although injectable wrinkle treatments are very popular, there are many who shy away from putting anything foreign into their face. The two most common requests my patients ask me when it comes to anti-aging rejuvenation are: 1. Is there something natural I can use? and 2. Is there anything that lasts longer? Autologous fat transfer enhanced with stem cells and platelet rich plasma is going to change the world of Anti-Aging skin care, says Mina Grasso NP, owner of Allure Image Enhancement. For those who do not have adequate fat deposits or choose not to have autologous fat transfer can still benefit from the healing and repair response of various growth factors and cytokines with PRP alone or combined with manufactured fillers.

Fat transfer has been around for many years and may yield inconsistent results: 50% of the transferred fat usually breaks down within 2 years. Fat is an abundant source of mesenchymal stem cells. The difficulty is that in obtaining fat using Liposuction, up to half of the natural stem cells may be damaged. By adding additional autologous stem cells to the suctioned fat, it closer approximates the original concentration of stem cells in fat in the body and may aid the transplanted fat cells in surviving longer. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), which contains growth factors and cytokines, stimulates a repair response in soft tissue when added to the stem cell enhanced fat cells. The grafted fat and stem cells as well as surrounding local cells are activated by these growth factors to generate new growth that plumps up sagging areas. The growth factors enhance the quality of skin on the surface and repair sun damage and skin color irregularities.

Using this revolutionary new method, stem cells show promise in regenerating collagenproducing fibroblasts, cartilage, muscle and even bone cells. Research trials are under way using stem cells to repair other damaged tissue such as lungs, knees, and hearts and reverse neurological degenerative diseases. Stem Cell Facelift with PRP results in long-lasting volume in the treated area, and patients can start to see improvement in skin texture a healthy glow as soon as three weeks following treatment, with dramatic results occurring over a period of two to four months and lasting for years..

About Allure Image Enhancement, Inc.

Founded by Mina Grasso, RN, MSN, FNP-C, and her husband John Grasso MD. Allure Image Enhancement, Inc., for 15 years has served the Inland Empire with the latest in medical esthetics, providing services such as Botox Cosmetic, Restylane, Dysport, Juvderm, Latisse, Laser Hair Removal, Tattoo Removal, Laser Skin Rejuvenation, Vein Treatment, Body Shaping, and many more services.

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Nicholas Rodgers, CAC

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Stem cell therapy banned in Kuwait

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(MENAFN - Arab Times) Ministry of Health (MoH) employees holding PhD degrees announced that they will participate in the sit-in demonstration carried out by the Labor Union of Health Ministry, reports Al-Seyassah daily.

In the press release, they said they are protesting against the fact that they are receiving the same salary scale and benefits as any other ministry employee with lower qualifications and if necessary, they are ready to even burn their PhD certificates at the sit-in to get the benefits they deserve according to their qualifications.

The sit-in will be carried out in front of Health Ministry headquarters in Sulaibikhat at 10 am on Tuesday, March 20, 2012.

The number of PhD holders has exceeded 100 considering the participation of PhD holders from other ministries as well.

Meanwhile, the MoH has banned stem cell therapy in the country until the committee tasked to set the standards for the treatment completes its work, reports Al-Anba daily quoting Director of Health License Department Dr Marzouq Al-Bader.

Al-Bader disclosed the ministry had earlier formed the committee to ensure the stem cell procedures are carried out in an appropriate manner to protect the patients. He added the ministry will also issue a decision soon to regulate the use of antibiotics in the private health sector.

Meanwhile, Al-Bader confirmed the ministry has endorsed around 51,000 female doctors in private hospitals and health centers. He said the ministry closely monitors the performance of female doctors and those found to have violated the law will be referred to the Medical Council for the necessary action.

On the issuance of licenses through the Internet, Al-Bader revealed his department has asked the ministry to activate the e-link system for this purpose.

He said the ministry has asked the Kuwait Municipality to issue permit for the construction of a building fit for the department's operations.

Meanwhile, the Medical Emergency Department at the Ministry of Health has affirmed its readiness to deal with emergency cases that may arise due to a series of dust storms engulfing the country.

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Stem cell therapy banned in Kuwait

Diagnostic BioSystems Launches the First Automated IHC Multiplex Platform for Anatomic Pathology

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PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Diagnostic Biosystems (DBS), a specialty Immunohistochemistry company, announces its debut as an automated IHC company, introducing the Mosaic 360 System with a product offering of novel Multiplex Immunohistochemistry kits and a complementary line of optimized IHC reagents.

Built on a history of developing distinctive chromogens to differentiate morphology on a single slide, Diagnostic BioSystems introduces a portfolio of five Mosaic Multiplex Lung Cancer Kits for use in tissue analysis of suspected Lung Cancer patients. Pathologists are challenged with scarce tissue availability in patients with cancer. DBS is addressing the tissue challenge with the Mosaic Multiplex kits enabling testing of multiple analytes on one slide with a complete kit optimized for the DBS Mosaic 360 System automated platform for lab to lab standardized results.

The Mosaic System also includes a new line of plug and play reagents optimized on the Mosaic 360 platform to provide convenience for the Histology Technologist in the Pathology laboratory.

Diagnostic Biosystems is focused on developing clinically relevant tools for pathologists. We believe it is important to provide the most information with the limited tissue available in cancer patients today. Our standardized Mosaic Multiplex lung cancer kits are focused on solving this problem, said Dr. Bipin Gupta, PhD, President & CEO of Diagnostic BioSystems.

During the USCAP, Diagnostic BioSystems will sponsor a Pathologist Roundtable event on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 in Vancouver BC to discuss advances in the use of Multiplex Kits in the analysis of suspected cancers. Two industry experts, Dr. Omar Hameed from Vanderbilt and Dr. Arundhati Rao from Scott & White Healthcare System, will join Marc Key Ph.D., DBS Scientific Advisor, in leading these discussions.

A new US distribution organization will support the launch of the Mosaic 360 System.

For additional information on product availability, contact customer care at 888-896-3350 or visit http://www.dbiosys.com.

About Diagnostic Biosystems: Diagnostic Biosystems, based in Pleasanton, California develops high quality Immunohistochemistry reagents for global distribution. Diagnostic BioSystems operates under FDA 21CFR Quality System Regulations, is a CDPH licensed Medical Device Manufacturing facility and is certified under ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System International standards, manufacturing CE marked products for use in the European market.

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Diagnostic BioSystems Launches the First Automated IHC Multiplex Platform for Anatomic Pathology

Psyche Systems Corporation and Aperio® Announce Availability of Their Fully Integrated Anatomic Pathology System

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MILFORD, Mass., and VISTA, Calif., March 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Psyche Systems Corporation and Aperio announced today that they have joined forces to offer the most advanced anatomic pathology information system available. With this seamless, integrated solution, pathologists can immediately access, manage, and evaluate their whole digital slide images, eSlides, within their WindoPath LIS via intuitive step-by-step workflows.

The integration of Aperio ePathology eSlide Manager and Psyche Systems WindoPath Anatomic Pathology Software enables single sign-on and automatic, bi-directional data transfer in support of the Pathologist's workflow--improving the efficiency and quality of laboratory pathology services.

The companies are launching the integrated solution at the USCAP Conference, March 17 23, 2012. Attendees of the conference are invited to visit both companies on the exhibit floor to learn more about how laboratories can optimize their operations with this new level of streamlined integration. Psyche Systems is in booth #808; Aperio is in booth #910.

About Psyche Systems Corporation Since 1976, Psyche Systems has delivered products that help laboratories of all sizes run more efficiently and cost-effectively. Psyche's WindoPath AP system, Clinical LIS, e.Outreach, EMR Internet Interface, MicroPath, and SBB blood bank software deliver a completely integrated solution for all areas and types of laboratories. Psyche's products are fully integrated or stand-alone and support full automation, integration with instruments, clinical and back-office systems, Outreach and Meaningful Use initiatives. For more information, visit http://www.psychesystems.com.

About AperioFor over a decade, Aperio has advanced the technology that enables glass slides to be digitized and securely shared with others. Aperio products are transforming the practice of pathology in hospitals, reference labs and pharmaceutical and research institutions around the world. From the moment glass slides are digitized to eSlides, Aperio ePathology Solutions equip pathologists with the power to evaluate, engage and excel like never before. The NETWORK enables remote, simultaneous, real-time viewing and easy distribution for consults and collaboration. PRECISION tools empower pathologists with advanced analytic capabilities. An interoperable, scalable and secure web-based software platform facilitates integration with existing systems. With Aperio ePathology Solutions, organizations can optimize their pathology operations for transparency, consistency and efficiency to support patient care, personalized medicine and research. Aperio's products are FDA cleared for specific clinical applications, and are intended for research and education use for other applications. For clearance updates, specific product indications and more information please visit http://www.aperio.com.

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Psyche Systems Corporation and Aperio® Announce Availability of Their Fully Integrated Anatomic Pathology System

New Innovators

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The Irish Times - Monday, March 19, 2012

Dragon Nutrition: Bottling new products with a twist

FAMILY-OWNED independent drinks company J Donohoe Beverages has been manufacturing, bottling and distributing drinks in the southeast for more than 200 years.

Three years ago, the firm pushed itself into the 21st century with the launch of a new subsidiary, Dragon Nutrition, to take advantage of the growing market for added-value drinks with a nutritional twist.

Dragon has developed a range of drinks aimed at those involved in sport, leading active lives or interested in physical wellbeing. The first Dragon products, a line-up of five shots including a protein drink and a pre-gym supplement were launched in 2011. They are sold through pharmacies and online.

Donohoe Beverages, which has a turnover of 20 million, invested 650,000 over three years setting up its nutrition subsidiary between the cost of product RD and pilot production facilities.

New to market is Little Dragon Intense Energy, a full-sized carbonated energy drink containing B vitamins that will be sold through the mainstream retail network.

Intense Energy was developed to serve the portion of the market with a need for that blast of energy provided by the shot but delivered in a larger, long-lasting form and without the associated sugar crash, as the drink is sugar free, says Siobhn Donnelly, who is responsible for Dragons marketing.

J Donohoe is a long- established company but very forward-looking at the same time, with its own RD department, and we were looking at ways to take our expertise in the drinks business into new areas, Donnelly adds.

Functional drinks, for use in sports and other activities, were identified as a potential growth area for us. When we started researching the idea, they were still a new concept and people assumed we were talking about producing something like a Complan.

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Nutrition & Children

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March as National Nutrition Month is being used to raise awareness about healthier eating. In our KERA Health Checkup,Sam Baker talked with Meridan Zerner, a registered dietitian with Cooper Aerobics, about nutrition and children. She said many kids dont always get the nutrients they need despite their parents efforts.

Meridan Zerner: Keep in mind that a lot of us really didnt have a great education in solid nutrition when we were young, and certainly we have to take into account the economy. They may not have what they perceive to be a budget for a healthier diet. Theres an idea that healthy food has to be incredibly expensive, which is not necessarily the case. When parents are working that much longer, and it is what it is, you have to rely on these outside sources to fuel your children. And so theyre getting their lunch, perhaps even their breakfast, from school. So we need to look for a better quality meal there.

Sam Baker: Its not easier, though, with all the processed food targeted at children.

Zerner: No. And more and more theyre giving schools and other programs discounts on processed food which makes it more appealing budget-wise. But the big picture is being lost. These kids are not healthy, with one in three being overweight or obese. Theyre unhappy, there are higher levels of depression in children who are that unhealthy. Theyre bullied. It goes on. The benefits of taking the time to make a few healthier choices, to support that, both at home and in the school, is incredibly worthwhile.

Baker: So what nutrients should children be getting, and does that depend on the age?

Zerner: It does depend on the age but as a concept we like to look at the plate model, so the government has a new plate model, which is wonderful. Its something you can start to teach your children now. Half of the plateis color. Youre looking to fill half the plate with some fruit or vegetable. Now thats a concept, that lunch has some color in it. I think we do a better job at dinner ensuring that theres a vegetable for children. To make sure that the human body needs that, for vitamins, for minerals, as an anti-inflammatory. You need it. Health starts quite young. Ive seen six and seven year-olds on cholesterol medication and thats obviously quite concerning to me.

Baker: Six or seven?

Zerner: Six or seven year-olds with Type 2 diabetes, which is the kind of diabetes we used to call adult onset diabetes that comes from weight and diet and lack of exercise. Were seeing this in young, young children.

Baker: When I was young the emphasis always seemed to be on Vitamin C, for starters; calcium. Are kids even getting enough of that these days?

Zerner: No they really arent. If you compare the 1950s to now, as an example, kids then would have three cupsof milk to one glass of soda. Now its absolutely the reverse. Children today are having three cups of soda to one glass of milk. And its not necessarily about the milk, but its how are we going to get in calcium for their bones, along with vitamin D, which were finding is integral in cancer prevention, in allergies and asthma, in attention deficit there are many things where Vitamin D can be meaningful. And its hard to get.

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Nutrition & Children