Monthly Archives: April 2012

Anatomy of a draft day trade

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For every blockbuster draft day trade like the 2011 deal between the Falcons and Browns that resulted in Atlantas acquisition of wide receiver Julio Jones in exchange for five draft picks, there are countless other transactions that fly below the radar.

Take for example the 2010 trade in which the Patriots sent the 44th and 190th selections to the Raiders for Oaklands pick at No. 42. This move drew very little interest because at its core, it really only involved a sixth-round pick in exchange for the right to move up two spots. Small potatoes, right?

If not for some quick thinking on the part of New England, Gronkowski could be a member of the Ravens right now.

Wrong.

That trade allowed the Patriots to leapfrog the Baltimore Ravenswho were sitting at No. 43 and in the market for a tight endand draft a guy from the University of Arizona named Rob Gronkowski.

With an allotment of only ten minutes to make their selections during the first round, seven minutes for the second round and five minutes for rounds three through seven, NFL front offices need to be overly prepared and ready to act fast. Thats because those with the ability to operate well under pressure can end up turning a relatively insignificant transaction into an investment that pays off big dividends.

To gain a better understanding of the draft day trade process, I spoke with NFL front office veteran Tim Ruskellwho has been involved in 25 NFL draftson Tuesday for a crash course in the art of the draft day trade. Ruskell spent five years as the general manager of the Seattle Seahawks (2005-2009) before serving as the director of player personnel for the Chicago Bears from 2010-2012.

THE DRAFT ROOM

Each team has its own specific game plan for how to approach the three-day draft, but for the most part, the key players seated at the head table who are involved in the decision making process remain the same.

In most instances its your general manager, head coach, salary cap guy and whoever is running your personnel department, said Ruskell. But its different on every team. Sometimes the owner is in the room if hes the one driving the train. But theres one decision maker on every team who is in charge of running the draft and making the final decision. That guy is going to have the final say. But he may want to hear what the others think and typically, he would.

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Anatomy of a draft day trade

Study Compares Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair Methods

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(HealthDay News) -- A less-invasive method of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair reduces the short-term risk of death, according to a new U.S. study.

The interim findings are from a nine-year multicenter trial comparing patient outcomes after endovascular and open surgical repair of AAA. The report included postoperative outcomes of up to two years (average 1.8 years of follow-up) for 881 patients, aged 49 or older, who had endovascular repair (444) or open repair (437).

Endovascular repair is performed through a catheter inserted into an artery. Open repair involves an abdominal incision. Of the 45,000 patients in the United States who undergo elective repair of an unruptured AAA each year, more than 1,400 die in the perioperative period -- the first 30 days after surgery or inpatient status. There's limited data available about whether short-term survival is better after endovascular repair compared to open repair. Read more...




Ayurtox for Body Detoxification

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Cholesterol Measurements May Be Made Easier

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(HealthDay News) -- Methods to gauge blood cholesterol to determine vascular disease risk can be simplified, researchers in England say.

Their method measures levels of either total or high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good" cholesterol) in the blood or apolipoproteins (proteins that help transport cholesterol), without the need to have patients fast and without regard to another form of blood fat called triglycerides.

"Expert opinion is divided" on which combination of measurements is ideal in gauging cardiovascular risk, explained John Danesh, of the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration Coordinating Centre at the University of Cambridge, and colleagues.

In order to examine the association between major blood fats and apolipoproteins and coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke, the researchers analyzed data on more than 300,000 people without initial vascular disease who took part in 68 long-term studies.

During the follow-up periods of the studies, there were almost 8,900 nonfatal heart attacks, more than 3,900 coronary heart disease deaths, over 2,500 ischemic strokes, 513 hemorrhagic strokes and more than 2,500 unclassified strokes, the study authors noted. Read more...


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UNC Team Takes Proteomic Approach to Study Drug Resistance in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

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Fluidigm has tapped Dan Clutter as North American sales director for its eastern sales region. He will be responsible for sales growth in the eastern US and Canada and will be a member of Fluidigm's North American commercial leadership team, according to a spokesperson. Clutter joins Fluidigm from Gentel Biosciences, where he had served as vice president of commercial development since 2009. Before that, he was vice president of sales at NimbleGen Systems, now Roche NimbleGen.

Knome has added some new faces to its executive team, naming Jay Therrien as senior VP and head of global sales, Charles Abdalian as chief financial officer, and Adam Rosenberg as senior VP and head of corporate development.

Therrien was VP of commercial operations and sequencing at Life Technologies, and also had spent five years in various sales leadership roles at Illumina. Abdalian recently was senior VP and CFO of Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, and he was senior VP of finance and CFO at Coley Pharmaceutical. Rosenberg previously was an adviser for emerging life sciences companies, co-founder of Clean Membranes, and CEO of Link Medicine.

The company also has appointed Hugh Reinhoff to serve on its scientific advisory board. Reinhoff is currently a managing director of Life Science Venture Partners, an adjunct scientist at the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, and CEO of FerroKin BioSciences.

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UNC Team Takes Proteomic Approach to Study Drug Resistance in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

People in the News: Mariana Vaschetto; William Hayes

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Fluidigm has tapped Dan Clutter as North American sales director for its eastern sales region. He will be responsible for sales growth in the eastern US and Canada and will be a member of Fluidigm's North American commercial leadership team, according to a spokesperson. Clutter joins Fluidigm from Gentel Biosciences, where he had served as vice president of commercial development since 2009. Before that, he was vice president of sales at NimbleGen Systems, now Roche NimbleGen.

Knome has added some new faces to its executive team, naming Jay Therrien as senior VP and head of global sales, Charles Abdalian as chief financial officer, and Adam Rosenberg as senior VP and head of corporate development.

Therrien was VP of commercial operations and sequencing at Life Technologies, and also had spent five years in various sales leadership roles at Illumina. Abdalian recently was senior VP and CFO of Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, and he was senior VP of finance and CFO at Coley Pharmaceutical. Rosenberg previously was an adviser for emerging life sciences companies, co-founder of Clean Membranes, and CEO of Link Medicine.

The company also has appointed Hugh Reinhoff to serve on its scientific advisory board. Reinhoff is currently a managing director of Life Science Venture Partners, an adjunct scientist at the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, and CEO of FerroKin BioSciences.

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People in the News: Mariana Vaschetto; William Hayes

Somalogic Publishes First Data on Use of Somascan in Tissue Samples, Considers Offering Reagents for IHC

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Fluidigm has tapped Dan Clutter as North American sales director for its eastern sales region. He will be responsible for sales growth in the eastern US and Canada and will be a member of Fluidigm's North American commercial leadership team, according to a spokesperson. Clutter joins Fluidigm from Gentel Biosciences, where he had served as vice president of commercial development since 2009. Before that, he was vice president of sales at NimbleGen Systems, now Roche NimbleGen.

Knome has added some new faces to its executive team, naming Jay Therrien as senior VP and head of global sales, Charles Abdalian as chief financial officer, and Adam Rosenberg as senior VP and head of corporate development.

Therrien was VP of commercial operations and sequencing at Life Technologies, and also had spent five years in various sales leadership roles at Illumina. Abdalian recently was senior VP and CFO of Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, and he was senior VP of finance and CFO at Coley Pharmaceutical. Rosenberg previously was an adviser for emerging life sciences companies, co-founder of Clean Membranes, and CEO of Link Medicine.

The company also has appointed Hugh Reinhoff to serve on its scientific advisory board. Reinhoff is currently a managing director of Life Science Venture Partners, an adjunct scientist at the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, and CEO of FerroKin BioSciences.

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Somalogic Publishes First Data on Use of Somascan in Tissue Samples, Considers Offering Reagents for IHC

Funding Update: NSF Bioinformatics Grants Awarded March 20 — April 18, 2012

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Fluidigm has tapped Dan Clutter as North American sales director for its eastern sales region. He will be responsible for sales growth in the eastern US and Canada and will be a member of Fluidigm's North American commercial leadership team, according to a spokesperson. Clutter joins Fluidigm from Gentel Biosciences, where he had served as vice president of commercial development since 2009. Before that, he was vice president of sales at NimbleGen Systems, now Roche NimbleGen.

Knome has added some new faces to its executive team, naming Jay Therrien as senior VP and head of global sales, Charles Abdalian as chief financial officer, and Adam Rosenberg as senior VP and head of corporate development.

Therrien was VP of commercial operations and sequencing at Life Technologies, and also had spent five years in various sales leadership roles at Illumina. Abdalian recently was senior VP and CFO of Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, and he was senior VP of finance and CFO at Coley Pharmaceutical. Rosenberg previously was an adviser for emerging life sciences companies, co-founder of Clean Membranes, and CEO of Link Medicine.

The company also has appointed Hugh Reinhoff to serve on its scientific advisory board. Reinhoff is currently a managing director of Life Science Venture Partners, an adjunct scientist at the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, and CEO of FerroKin BioSciences.

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Funding Update: NSF Bioinformatics Grants Awarded March 20 — April 18, 2012

New Products: A New Mass Spec Technique from AB Sciex and More

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Fluidigm has tapped Dan Clutter as North American sales director for its eastern sales region. He will be responsible for sales growth in the eastern US and Canada and will be a member of Fluidigm's North American commercial leadership team, according to a spokesperson. Clutter joins Fluidigm from Gentel Biosciences, where he had served as vice president of commercial development since 2009. Before that, he was vice president of sales at NimbleGen Systems, now Roche NimbleGen.

Knome has added some new faces to its executive team, naming Jay Therrien as senior VP and head of global sales, Charles Abdalian as chief financial officer, and Adam Rosenberg as senior VP and head of corporate development.

Therrien was VP of commercial operations and sequencing at Life Technologies, and also had spent five years in various sales leadership roles at Illumina. Abdalian recently was senior VP and CFO of Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, and he was senior VP of finance and CFO at Coley Pharmaceutical. Rosenberg previously was an adviser for emerging life sciences companies, co-founder of Clean Membranes, and CEO of Link Medicine.

The company also has appointed Hugh Reinhoff to serve on its scientific advisory board. Reinhoff is currently a managing director of Life Science Venture Partners, an adjunct scientist at the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, and CEO of FerroKin BioSciences.

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New Products: A New Mass Spec Technique from AB Sciex and More

Downloads & Upgrades: Roche's 454 Software, Omixon Simulation Service, OmicsOffice, and Others

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Fluidigm has tapped Dan Clutter as North American sales director for its eastern sales region. He will be responsible for sales growth in the eastern US and Canada and will be a member of Fluidigm's North American commercial leadership team, according to a spokesperson. Clutter joins Fluidigm from Gentel Biosciences, where he had served as vice president of commercial development since 2009. Before that, he was vice president of sales at NimbleGen Systems, now Roche NimbleGen.

Knome has added some new faces to its executive team, naming Jay Therrien as senior VP and head of global sales, Charles Abdalian as chief financial officer, and Adam Rosenberg as senior VP and head of corporate development.

Therrien was VP of commercial operations and sequencing at Life Technologies, and also had spent five years in various sales leadership roles at Illumina. Abdalian recently was senior VP and CFO of Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, and he was senior VP of finance and CFO at Coley Pharmaceutical. Rosenberg previously was an adviser for emerging life sciences companies, co-founder of Clean Membranes, and CEO of Link Medicine.

The company also has appointed Hugh Reinhoff to serve on its scientific advisory board. Reinhoff is currently a managing director of Life Science Venture Partners, an adjunct scientist at the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, and CEO of FerroKin BioSciences.

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Downloads & Upgrades: Roche's 454 Software, Omixon Simulation Service, OmicsOffice, and Others

Convey, CLC Bio to Provide Combined Software, Hardware NGS Data-Analysis Solution

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Fluidigm has tapped Dan Clutter as North American sales director for its eastern sales region. He will be responsible for sales growth in the eastern US and Canada and will be a member of Fluidigm's North American commercial leadership team, according to a spokesperson. Clutter joins Fluidigm from Gentel Biosciences, where he had served as vice president of commercial development since 2009. Before that, he was vice president of sales at NimbleGen Systems, now Roche NimbleGen.

Knome has added some new faces to its executive team, naming Jay Therrien as senior VP and head of global sales, Charles Abdalian as chief financial officer, and Adam Rosenberg as senior VP and head of corporate development.

Therrien was VP of commercial operations and sequencing at Life Technologies, and also had spent five years in various sales leadership roles at Illumina. Abdalian recently was senior VP and CFO of Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, and he was senior VP of finance and CFO at Coley Pharmaceutical. Rosenberg previously was an adviser for emerging life sciences companies, co-founder of Clean Membranes, and CEO of Link Medicine.

The company also has appointed Hugh Reinhoff to serve on its scientific advisory board. Reinhoff is currently a managing director of Life Science Venture Partners, an adjunct scientist at the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, and CEO of FerroKin BioSciences.

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Convey, CLC Bio to Provide Combined Software, Hardware NGS Data-Analysis Solution

People in the News: Josh LaBaer in as New President of US HUPO and More

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Fluidigm has tapped Dan Clutter as North American sales director for its eastern sales region. He will be responsible for sales growth in the eastern US and Canada and will be a member of Fluidigm's North American commercial leadership team, according to a spokesperson. Clutter joins Fluidigm from Gentel Biosciences, where he had served as vice president of commercial development since 2009. Before that, he was vice president of sales at NimbleGen Systems, now Roche NimbleGen.

Knome has added some new faces to its executive team, naming Jay Therrien as senior VP and head of global sales, Charles Abdalian as chief financial officer, and Adam Rosenberg as senior VP and head of corporate development.

Therrien was VP of commercial operations and sequencing at Life Technologies, and also had spent five years in various sales leadership roles at Illumina. Abdalian recently was senior VP and CFO of Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, and he was senior VP of finance and CFO at Coley Pharmaceutical. Rosenberg previously was an adviser for emerging life sciences companies, co-founder of Clean Membranes, and CEO of Link Medicine.

The company also has appointed Hugh Reinhoff to serve on its scientific advisory board. Reinhoff is currently a managing director of Life Science Venture Partners, an adjunct scientist at the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, and CEO of FerroKin BioSciences.

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People in the News: Josh LaBaer in as New President of US HUPO and More

Clinical Trial at Evergreen Healthcare Shows Intestinal Gel Reduces Symptoms of Advanced Parkinson's Disease

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KIRKLAND, Wash., April 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent clinical trial conducted at Evergreen Healthcare shows that a new form of a common drug used to treat Parkinson's Disease greatly improves the quality of life for patients and reduces the affects of symptoms such as tremors, slowness, stiffness and difficulty walking.

Evergreen was the only site in the Pacific Northwest to hold the trial, which was led by Dr. C. Warren Olanow, a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

The trial tested standard oral dosages of a Parkinson's drug against the newer levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) and found that the intestinal treatments gave patients an average of two extra hours per day of reduced symptoms and improved movement.

"We have been involved in the trials since 2008," said Dr. Alida Griffith, principal investigator for the trial at Evergreen's Booth Gardner Parkinson's Care Center. "Levodopa is the 'gold standard' treatment for Parkinson's disease."

The intestinal gel contains levodopa and carbidopa, two drugs commonly prescribed for Parkinson's, and is infused through a portable pump connected to a tube implanted in the intestine.

In the three-month, double-blind trial, 71 participants were randomized to receive either the continuous infusion of LCIG and dummy pills or a dummy intestinal gel and pills that contained levodopa and carbidopa. At the start of the study, the average person had Parkinson's disease for about 11 years and experienced 6.6 hours of symptomatic behavior per day. A total of 93 percent of participants completed the study.

The results of the study are set to be presented as part of the Emerging Science program (formerly known as Late-Breaking Science) at the American Academy of Neurology's 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans from April 21 to April 28, 2012.

The study was supported by Abbott.

Learn more about Parkinson's disease at http://www.aan.com/patients.

To learn more about the Evergreen Neuroscience Institute, visit http://www.evergreenhealthcare.org/parkinsons or call the Evergreen Healthline 425.899.3000.

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Clinical Trial at Evergreen Healthcare Shows Intestinal Gel Reduces Symptoms of Advanced Parkinson's Disease

Early Use of High Drug Dosage Might Slow MS

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Early use of the multiple sclerosis drug interferon beta-1a might slow and even stop progression of the disease, according to new research from the American Academy of Neurology.

Patients who received interferon soon after their first disease symptoms were less likely to see the disease progress into "clinically definite" multiple sclerosis, which is categorized as having had two separate attacks along with two separate lesions.

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. The disease attacks the myelin sheath, a protective covering that surrounds nerve cells.

The disease is degenerative, and symptoms can vary. Patients suffer attacks that can last days, weeks or months. Symptoms affect the muscles, bowel function, vision, numbness, sexual function and personality.

"While we've known it's beneficial to start MS drugs as soon as possible, this is the first trial to show a benefit of early injections of interferon beta-1a treatment at three years," Dr. Mark Freedman of the University of Ottawa in Ontario and a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology said in a statement.

The three-year trial involved 517 people who had experienced their first MS symptoms, which includes tingling, numbness, muscle weakness or balance problems. The participants also showed at least two lesions on their brain that were detected through MRI scans.

One-third of the patients received injections of the drug three times each week, one-third received the injections once a week, and one-third received a placebo. After two years, the patients who received the placebo were then given a three-times-per-week dose of the drug for another year.

Researchers found that those who received the once-a-week dosage or three-times-per-week dosage were less likely to experience a second demyelinating attack three years after the study's start.

Experts said the preliminary study results reinforce the benefits of diagnosing and beginning treatment early for patients with MS.

"Early on, there are few MS lesions, little brain damage, and much better ability of the brain to repair the damage remyelination," said Dr. Anthony Reder, a neurologist and multiple sclerosis expert at the University of Chicago. "The repair process is helped by MS therapies."

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Early Use of High Drug Dosage Might Slow MS

Neurology Now Magazine

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For example, in their current April/May 2012 issue, I found information about neuropathy and Neuropathy Awareness Week that was relevant to me. One of their feature articles this month, Too Rare for Research? , highlighted the problems that most of us with neuromuscular disease experience in receiving an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. A companion article provided links useful links regarding rare disease.

The Neurology Now website (see Resources below for web address) offers the ability to search for articles of interest from past issues. A search of their archives found articles on many other neuromuscular diseases, including muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, motor neuron disease, myasthenia gravis, and Freidreichs ataxia. I also found useful articles on other topics of interest to those with neuromuscular disease such as coping with pain, living well with neurological disease, alternative and complementary medicine, and caregiver burnout.

Subscription to Neurology Now can be obtained on their website (see Resources below for address). This magazine offers free print subscriptions to individuals in the U.S. coping with neurological disease, including patients and their families, friends, and caregivers. The Neurology Now website also offers other services, including subscriptions to podcasts and the ability to view the website on internet-enabled mobile devices.

Give Neurology Now a try for reliable, accurate, and easy to understand articles about a variety of neurological disorders including neuromuscular disease. Both the print magazine and the resources available on line provide valuable information from a trustworthy source at no cost to the neuromuscular disease community.

Resources:

Neurology Now website, (2012). Home Page. http://journals.lww.com/neurologynow/pages/default.aspx . Retrieved 4/20/12.

Neurology Now website, (2012). Subscription Services. http://journals.lww.com/neurologynow/Pages/subscriptionservices.aspx . Retrieved 4/20/12.

FTC Disclosure Statement: The magazine reviewed in this article was received by the author as a free subscription. Free subscriptions are available to any individual with a neurological disease residing in the U.S.

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Neurology Now Magazine

FDA issues draft guidance on nanotechnology

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FDA NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: April 20, 2012 Media Inquires: Curtis Allen, 301-796-0393, curtis.allen@fda.hhs.gov Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

FDA issues draft guidance on nanotechnologyDocuments address use of nanotechnology by food and cosmetics industries

Two draft guidance documents that address the use of nanotechnology by the food and cosmetics industries were issued today by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Nanotechnology is an evolving technology that allows scientists to create, explore, and manipulate materials on a scale measured in nanometers particles so small that they can not be seen with a regular microscope. The technology has a broad range of potential applications, such as the packaging of food or altering the look and feel of cosmetics.

The two draft guidance documents are: Guidance for Industry: Assessing the Effects of Significant Manufacturing Process Changes, including Emerging Technologies, on the Safety and Regulatory Status of Food Ingredients and Food Contact Substances, Including Food Ingredients that are Color Additives and Guidance for Industry: Safety of Nanomaterials in Cosmetic Products.

The food draft guidance describes the factors manufacturers should consider when determining whether changes in manufacturing processes, including those involving nanotechnology, create a significant change that may:

The cosmetic product draft guidance discusses the FDAs current thinking on the safety assessment of nanomaterials when used in cosmetic products.Key points include:

Both guidances encourage manufacturers to consult with the agency before taking their products to market. Such consultation can help FDA experts address questions related to the safety or other attributes of nanotechnology products, or answer questions about their regulatory status.

Strong science is critical to FDAs ongoing review of the products it regulates. FDA is investing in an FDA-wide nanotechnology regulatory science program to further enhance FDAs scientific capabilities, including developing necessary data and tools to identify properties of nanomaterials and assess the impact they may have on products.

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FDA issues draft guidance on nanotechnology

FDA outlines rules for nanotechnology in food

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WASHINGTON (AP) Regulators are proposing that food companies that want to use tiny engineered particles in their packaging may have to provide extra testing data to show the products are safe.

The Food and Drug Administration issued tentative guidelines Friday for food and cosmetic companies interested in using nanoparticles, which are measured in billionths of a meter. Nanoscale materials are generally less than 100 nanometers in diameter. A sheet of paper, in comparison, is 100,000 nanometers thick. A human hair is 80,000 nanometers thick.

The submicroscopic particles are increasingly showing up in FDA-regulated products like sunscreens, skin lotions and glare-reducing eyeglass coatings. Some scientists believe the technology will one day be used in medicine, but the FDA's announcement did not address that use.

The draft guidance suggests the FDA may require food companies to provide data establishing the safety of any packaging using nanotechnology.

Under longstanding regulations, companies aren't required to seek regulatory approval before launching products containing established ingredients and materials, such as caffeine, spices and various preservatives.

But FDA officials said Friday that foods and packaging containing nanoparticles may require more scrutiny.

"At this point, in terms of the science, we think it's likely the exemption does not apply and we would encourage folks to come in and talk to us," said Dennis Keefe, director of FDA's office of food additive safety.

Keefe said companies are studying whether nanoparticles can reduce the risk of bacterial contamination in certain foods. He said the agency is aware of just one food package currently on the market that uses nanoparticles but did not identify it. He said more are expected in coming years.

The FDA has previously stated its position that nanotechnology is not inherently unsafe; however, materials at the nano scale can pose different safety issues than do things that are far larger.

"This is an emerging, evolving technology and we're trying to get ahead of the curb to ensure the ingredients and substances are safe," Keefe said.

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FDA outlines rules for nanotechnology in food

FDA proposes rules for nanotechnology in food

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WASHINGTON (AP) -- Regulators are proposing that food companies that want to use tiny engineered particles in their packaging may have to provide extra testing data to show the products are safe.

The Food and Drug Administration issued tentative guidelines Friday for food and cosmetic companies interested in using nanoparticles, which are measured in billionths of a meter. Nanoscale materials are generally less than 100 nanometers in diameter. A sheet of paper, in comparison, is 100,000 nanometers thick. A human hair is 80,000 nanometers thick.

The submicroscopic particles are increasingly showing up in FDA-regulated products like sunscreens, skin lotions and glare-reducing eyeglass coatings. Some scientists believe the technology will one day be used in medicine, but the FDA's announcement did not address that use.

The draft guidance suggests the FDA may require food companies to provide data establishing the safety of any packaging using nanotechnology.

Under longstanding regulations, companies aren't required to seek regulatory approval before launching products containing established ingredients and materials, such as caffeine, spices and various preservatives.

But FDA officials said Friday that foods and packaging containing nanoparticles may require more scrutiny.

"At this point, in terms of the science, we think it's likely the exemption does not apply and we would encourage folks to come in and talk to us," said Dennis Keefe, director of FDA's office of food additive safety.

Keefe said companies are studying whether nanoparticles can reduce the risk of bacterial contamination in certain foods. He said the agency is aware of just one food package currently on the market that uses nanoparticles but did not identify it. He said more are expected in coming years.

The FDA has previously stated its position that nanotechnology is not inherently unsafe; however, materials at the nano scale can pose different safety issues than do things that are far larger.

"This is an emerging, evolving technology and we're trying to get ahead of the curb to ensure the ingredients and substances are safe," Keefe said.

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FDA proposes rules for nanotechnology in food

Step One: A Medical School Pivot Point

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The morning of my Board exams, my mother packed me a lunch comprising of seedless grapes, two Greek yogurts, a cheese sandwich, a bag of pistachio nuts, two cappuccinos, a diet coke, chocolate-covered coffee beans and a pouch of pretzels.

Mum, this isnt the Hunger Games, I joked.

Well no duh. You have absolutely zero hand-eye coordination, she said.

I gave her a sour look.

But if there was ever a nerd equivalent, this would be it, I said, compensating. Someone needed to deliver a pep talk, after all, and clearly mum wasnt stepping up. Today, I do battle.

Mum ignored my inquiries about whether we had any war paint lying around the house. But this was hardly overkill. The USMLE Step 1 exam, otherwise known as the Boards, is an eight-hour test, designed to test medical students of the completeness and depth of their preclinical learning. Commonly taken right at the end of the second year of medical school, before students transition from classrooms onto the hospital wards, the exams represent a months-long effort on our part to frantically cram mountains of information, from the basics of mitosis to the specifics of anti-diarrheals, in hopefully a systematic and organized way. The three-digit score that one receives four weeks later plays a part in determining a students competitiveness for certain residencies and such. To what extent no one can really say. And therefore no one wants to chance it.

Did I mention that its an eight-hour test?

Much this year has been about such numbers. The number of hours you can study a day. The number of practice questions. Percentages. Percentiles. Five-hour energy drinks. The number of times you looked over the glycolysis pathway and still forgot an enzyme. The number of simulated tests. The number of days you overslept and missed classes out of sheer exhaustion.

In late September, I met with an academic advisor at school for help in planning a study schedule. She pulled out a college-ruled notebook and drew a long horizontal line intersected with many little strokes. In neat print, she outlined the various books and web resources I might find helpful and the goals I needed to be reaching by various dates on the timeline. She had relationships with many a successful student in the past, she said. I nodded fervently. Surrounded on all sides by what I could do, I just wanted someone to tell me what I should.

I would advise you that as you move closer to test, to limit how much time you spend on other activities, she said.

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Step One: A Medical School Pivot Point

University of Colorado medical school heals diversity gap

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Over the past six years, the University of Colorado has more than tripled the number of racially and ethnically diverse students enrolled in its medical school on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.

Just 11 percent of the 144 students in the class of 2005 were minorities, compared with 33 percent of the 160 students in last year's graduating class.

The university has made a concerted effort to improve diversity among its students since its accrediting body the Liaison Committee on Medical Education cited the school for "noncompliance" in 2010, when just 106 of 614 students were minorities. The medical school is not scheduled for another visit until 2016-17.

"It was abysmal," said Dr. Rob Winn, associate dean for admissions at the medical school. "Part of the problem here had been the traditional approach that Colorado has mountains, and mountains attract people. That may be true, but it may not attract kids from inner-city Philadelphia."

While grades are important, Winn looks at much more, including standardized tests, life experiences, research activity, clinical participation and especially community service.

"We don't seek diversity, we seek excellence," Winn said. "They need to have the ability to articulate their passion for helping others. That's what taking the job of a doctor is."

Winn and his staff approached the job as a relationship-building exercise. They reached out to student advisers and faculty nationwide to make sure they were aware of CU's program.

The strategy has worked. Over the past decade, the number of applicants to the medical school has increased from 2,148 in 2001 to 5,425 so far this year for just 160 spots. The admissions department interviews 700 students to cull the number.

"If we could expand the class to 400, we'd get 400 amazing students," Winn said.

It's not just ethnic and racial diversity that's important to the university. The admissions department also is seeking geographic diversity. About a third of the school's students were from out of state last year, compared with just 10 percent a few years ago.

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University of Colorado medical school heals diversity gap

Pitcher Perfect!

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SEATTLE (MCT) For only a few seconds Saturday, Philip Humbers perfect game bid was out of his hands.

Go get it, Humber said as catcher A.J. Pierzynski chased down an errant slider that pinch-hitter Brendan Ryan was ruled to have swung at. Throw him out.

As soon as Pierzynski retreated and completed his throw to first base to complete the 27th consecutive out, the latest chapter in Humbers amazing ascent was completed.

Just 15 months after Humber had to earn his way onto the Soxs 2011 opening-day roster, Humber threw the 21st perfect game in major league history with an efficient 4-0 victory over the Mariners.

Despite protests by Ryan over home plate umpire Brian Runges call, the Soxs players poured onto the field to mob Humber, 29, who pitched better than his 2004 first-round distinction with the Mets.

I dont know what Philip Humber is doing in this list, Humber said of the list of pitchers who have thrown perfect games, including former teammate Mark Buehrle. I have no idea what my name is doing there. But Im thankful its there.

So are the Sox, who claimed Humber on waivers from Oakland in January 2011 and saw him pitch so well that they went to a six-man rotation last summer because of his success.

As recently as April 10, the Sox skipped Humbers scheduled start after a rainout in Cleveland so they could keep their remaining four starters on schedule.

In his second start of the season, Humber pitched like a bona fide ace. Relying on a sharp slider, Humber tied his career high with nine strikeouts and needed exceptional defensive help only three times, capped by Pierzynskis throw to first.

Humber didnt throw three balls to any batter until he ran up a 3-0 count to Michael Saunders to start the ninth, then came back to strike him out on a 3-2 slider.

Continued here:
Pitcher Perfect!