Monthly Archives: May 2012

Smoking Gene May Reveal Why Some People Smoke More

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Gene Findings in African-Americans May Pave Way Toward Better Quit-Smoking Treatments

By Denise Mann WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

May 22, 2012 -- A "smoking gun" gene may play a role in how many cigarettes certain smokers puff each day.

Researchers from 50 medical institutions across the country analyzed genetic material of more than 32,000 African-American smokers and non-smokers to see if certain genes predicted when they began smoking, how many cigarettes they smoked, and how easily they were able to quit.

According to the new study, a variant in a nicotine receptor gene predicts about one extra cigarette smoked per day. This same general location has been implicated in smoking behavior among white Europeans. Among African-Americans, the new genetic marker appears on a different spot on the same gene.

The findings appear in the May 22 issue of Translational Psychiatry. They are part of the Study of Tobacco in Minority Populations (STOMP) Genetics Consortium.

"This region is really important for addiction biology, regardless of race or ethnicity," says researcher Helena Furberg, PhD, an assistant attending epidemiologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

This is somewhat surprising, she says. "Smoking behaviors differ among ethnic groups." For example, African-Americans typically start smoking at later ages than their counterparts of European descent and smoke fewer cigarettes each day. But they have a higher risk for lung cancer and are less likely to quit smoking.

The findings hold potential for tailoring smoking cessation treatments down the road, Furberg says. "The next research step would be to see if currently available smoking cessation medications would work better or differently among people who carry these variants."

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Smoking Gene May Reveal Why Some People Smoke More

Three African-Americans Earn Doctorates in Chemistry, Set UM Record for Single Year

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Editor's note: The information in this release concerning numbers of graduates has been checked against a National Science Foundation report on "Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities." In 2008, African-American students earned 50 doctorates in chemistry, and in 2010, the number was 54.

Newswise OXFORD, Miss. Less than a year after launching an aggressive initiative to increase the number of graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, the University of Mississippi has recorded an impressive national achievement by graduating three African-American students with doctorates in chemistry, an exceptional number for any university.

"On average, about 50 African-American students receive Ph.D.s in chemistry nationwide each year, so UM produced 6 percent of the national total," said Maurice Eftink, associate provost and professor of chemistry and biochemistry.

The history-making candidates who received their degrees Friday were Kari Copeland of Coldwater, Margo Montgomery of New Orleans and Jeffrey Veals of Gloster. And a fourth African-American student, Shanna Stoddard of Louisville, Ky., is on track to earn her doctorate in chemistry in December.

"This is a significant achievement for these three graduates and their families, and it is also significant for the university," Chancellor Dan Jones said. "UM 2020, our new strategic plan, calls on us as the flagship university of our state to lead our state and region in preparing professionals in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, especially from underrepresented groups."

It is the second time in recent years that UM has set a benchmark in STEM fields. The university produced four African-American Ph.D.s in mathematics in 2006.

"That was an even more outstanding achievement given that there are only 15-to-30 African-American Ph.D.s in math granted each year. But the current achievement is still pretty noteworthy," Eftink said.

Charles Hussey, UM chair of chemistry and biochemistry, lauded his faculty for their support.

"Our three students represent a significant proportion of the national graduates," he said. "This department and its faculty are absolutely devoted to the success of minority students, regardless of whether they are undergraduate or graduate students."

Besides the three African-Americans, four more UM students were awarded doctoral degrees in chemistry and biochemistry this commencement: Rajesh Kota of India, Debra Jo Scardino of Moss Point, Lei Wang of China and Ashley Wright of Texarkana, Texas.

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Three African-Americans Earn Doctorates in Chemistry, Set UM Record for Single Year

Research and Markets: 2012 Encyclopedia of Radicals in Chemistry, Biology and Materials Highlights the Growing …

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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/wdl5r8/encyclopedia_of_ra) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "Encyclopedia of Radicals in Chemistry, Biology and Materials" to their offering.

Over the last two decades the application of free radicals in organic synthesis, materials science and life science has steadily increased, this Encyclopedia presents methodologies and mechanisms involving free radicals of chemical and biological research, including applications in materials science and medicine.

The aim of this Encyclopedia is to offer for the first time a description of free radicals within an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary context, connecting structural characteristics and chemical properties to their applications in different areas of chemistry and related disciplines.

It covers not only basic concepts and chemical synthesis, but also touches on various aspects concerning the role of free radicals in materials and life sciences. The reader will find a balanced contribution of topics related to free radicals covering for example, their role in proteomics, genomics and lipidomics as well as their enormous potential in synthesis and technology.

Covers topical areas such as:

- Alzheimer's disease and antioxidants in food within medicine and life sciences

- Synthesis and catalysis, combustion and atmospheric chemistry within chemistry

- Ageing and signalling in biological processes

Of interest to anybody working in the field of free radicals in the broadest sense. It will address scientists who want to enter the interdisciplinary field of free radicals. In particular, it is aimed primarily at chemists and life science researchers who want to gain a wider and deeper understanding of free radicals which will allow them to apply free radicals in their own scientific field.

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Research and Markets: 2012 Encyclopedia of Radicals in Chemistry, Biology and Materials Highlights the Growing ...

194 Chemistry to be renamed Peter A. Rock Hall

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Building named in honor of dean of Division of Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Written by LILIANA NAVA OCHOA News Writer Published on May 24, 2012 Filed under Campus News, Front page story, Top Stories

In Fall 2012, 194 Chemistry building will no longer be Chem 194. Instead, the building has been renamed Peter A. Rock Hall.

Beginning Fall 2012, Peter A. Rock Hall, or Rock Hall for short, will be the new name for 194 Chemistry, named after Peter Rock, the founding dean of the Division of Mathematical and Physical Sciences for eight years before retiring in 2003. Rock had worked at UC Davis since 1964. Three years later, on June 14, 2006 he passed away and now, six years later, 194 Chemistry will be renamed in his honor.

Hes my predecessor and he [was] very passionate about the quality of teaching and as you know, Chemistry 2 is really fundamental to many and the quality affects the campus as a whole. And not only that, he felt passionate about it. He also taught a lot himself and his textbook in general chemistry, which he wrote with Professor McQuarrie, is a pretty well-known textbook, so we thought that we should honor him, said current Dean of Mathematical and Physical Sciences Winston Ko.

The Division of Mathematical and Physical Sciences is under the College of Letters and Science which is celebrating its 60-year anniversary this year. Ko feels that renaming 194 Chemistry in Rocks memory is very fitting during the 60-year anniversary of the College of Letters and Science.

In order to have a building named after someone, it is a requisite that the person have been deceased for at least two years and the chancellor makes the renaming proposal to the president that comes from the department dean, according to Ko.

Ko said the chemistry chair made the case to rename the building and then he proposed it to the naming committee.

Neurobiology, physiology and behavior junior transfer student Lillian Ghaly said she didnt see any problem with the name change.

I dont think it makes a difference. I mean maybe at first itll be like Oh, its not Chem 194 anymore, but I mean theres no meaning for the name Chem 194 to me, said Ghaly.

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194 Chemistry to be renamed Peter A. Rock Hall

UGA chemistry professor wins top international award

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Gregory H. Robinson, Franklin Professor and Distinguished Research Professor of Chemistry at the University of Georgia, is one of a select group of international academics awarded a 2012 Humboldt Research Award from Germanys Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

Gregory Robinson

The award is valued at 60,000 euro (approximately $80,000), and Robinson is the second UGA chemist to receive the award in as many years.

I have known for many years that UGA is home to some of the best faculty in the world, said UGA President Michael F. Adams. The fact that Dr. Henry Schaefer won the Humboldt Award last year and now Professor Robinson is this years recipient demonstrates that fact to the world. I am very proud of both of them and wish Dr. Robinson well in his research with colleagues in Germany.

Robinson has been invited to undertake prolonged periods of collaboration with colleagues in Germany, and he plans to work with chemists at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg and the Technical University of Berlin.

The award, which is presented to up to 100 scientists worldwide annually, is granted in recognition of a researchers entire achievements to date and is presented to academics whose fundamental discoveries, new theories or insights have had a significant impact on their own discipline and who are expected to continue producing cutting-edge achievements in the future.

Robinson is internationally known for his work synthesizing chemical compounds that other scientists had dismissed as impossible. In a landmark 1995 paper, he demonstrated that metals can display electronic behavior that was previously only thought possible with carbon-based ring systems such as benzene. These chemical compounds, known as aromatics, are particularly stable, and Robinsons innovations have the potential to improve the performance of semiconductors and electronics. His research team subsequently installed a triple bond between two gallium atoms and later prepared a compound containing an iron-gallium triple bond. In another landmark paper published in 2008, Robinsons team stabilized a new form, or allotrope, of silicon and developed a technique to stabilize highly reactive molecules that otherwise would be fleeting.

Dr. Robinsons research continues to receive international acclaim, and his accomplishments underscore how research in the basic sciences creates new knowledge with far-reaching applications, said Hugh Ruppersburg, interim dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. The fact that Dr. Henry Schaefer earned a Humboldt Research Award last year is further indication of the esteem with which our faculty members are held.

Robinson earned his bachelors degree in chemistry from Jacksonville State University and his doctorate from the University of Alabama. Before joining the UGA faculty in 1995, he was a professor of chemistry at Clemson University in South Carolina.

The Humboldt Foundation dates back to 1860 and is named for the researcher and explorer who helped lay the foundation for fields such as physical geography, climatology, ecology and oceanography while also sponsoring other scholars and talents. The Humboldt Foundation enables more than 2,000 researchers from all over the world to spend time researching in Germany and maintains a network of more than 25,000 Humboldtians from all disciplines in over 130 countries worldwideincluding 48 Nobel Laureates.

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UGA chemistry professor wins top international award

Award for ocean chemistry team

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Members of the Niwa-University of Otago Centre for Chemical and Physical Oceanography (from left) Dr Evelyn Armstrong, Dr Sylvia Sander, Associate Prof Russell Frew, Prof Philip Boyd, Prof Keith Hunter and Dr Kim Currie. Photo supplied.

The award goes to the collaborative Niwa-University of Otago Centre for Chemical and Physical Oceanography, which last year also won the $500,000 top award in the Prime Minister's science prizes.

Last year's award was for the group's cutting edge research in evaluating ways to reduce greenhouse gases.

The new award recognises outstanding research performance at a high international level by a research group led from the university.

Based in the Otago chemistry department, the centre is a recognised world leader in the field of understanding the chemistry of the oceans' interactions with carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The group's internationally influential contributions include undertaking large-scale ocean fertilisation experiments in which iron triggered vast phytoplankton blooms that take up carbon dioxide from the air.

Findings from the centre's ground-breaking investigations have been published in several international journals and have featured in international conferences on geo-engineering.

Deputy vice-chancellor, research and enterprise, Prof Richard Blaikie said the award helped recognise that achieving such "sustained research excellence", often resulted from sustained "good teamwork".

Centre co-director Prof Keith Hunter, who is also the Otago pro-vice-chancellor, sciences, said the Otago award was "the ultimate pat on the back" from peers.

He was "really pleased" about the recognition given to his centre colleagues, and postgraduate and postdoctoral students.

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Award for ocean chemistry team

Research and Markets: Chemistry and Biology of Artificial Nucleic Acids

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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/qw3xhx/chemistry_and_biol) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "Chemistry and Biology of Artificial Nucleic Acids" to their offering.

This is the first book to provide a comprehensive overview of the field of artificial nucleic acids. Covering a tremendous amount of literature on the chemistry, biology, and structure of artificial nucleic acids, it will constitute an invaluable source of information for the specialist and for young researchers interested in starting a career in this fascinating field of research alike.

This book combines the contributions of many of the major players in this research field, and covers the synthesis of sugar-, base- and backbone-modified nucleic acids, their structural characteristics studied by X-ray crystallography, and NMR in solution as well as their chemical and biological properties.

Key Topics Covered:

- Nucleic Acids with a Six-membered Carbohydrate Mimic in the backbone

- Oligonucleotide N3 P5 Phosphoramidates and Thio-Phoshoramidates as Potential Therapeutic Agents

- From Anionic to Cationic a-Anomeric Oligodeoxynucleotides

- The Resurgence of Acyclic Nucleic Acids

- Exotic DNAs Made of Nonnatural Bases and Natural Phosphodiester Bonds

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Research and Markets: Chemistry and Biology of Artificial Nucleic Acids

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ actor Kevin McKidd channels his Scottish roots for charity album — VIDEO

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Actor Kevin McKidd may sport a growly American accent as Dr. Owen Hunt on Greys Anatomy, but the Scotland-natives true roots shine through on his upcoming album, The Speyside Sessions, a collection of traditional Scottish songs.

Admittedly, he says, the album is not the thing youd expect, but ultimately, it was a chance for the actor to reconnect with his roots, honor his late grandfather (who first exposed him to Scottish music), and something good for the world. Recorded two years ago with old friends during a five-day jam session in his native land, the albums proceeds will benefit Save the Children, a charity for which McKidd is an ambassador.

It seemed like a good fit to bring all these people from my past and from my upbringing and all these songs that were important to me [together], he says. The record goes on sale June 15 and will be available on iTunes and via other retailers.

But one thing Greys fans shouldnt expect? Cameos from any of his co-stars. Well, not this time around, at least. They are some great singers but sadly they all had Christmas plans. It was hard to get any of them to come to the wild highlands of Scotland with me. I would have loved it if they did, he says. But theres always The Speyside Sessions 2.

Below, check out an exclusive look behind the scenes of the project, narrated by Ewan McGregor.

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‘Grey’s Anatomy’ actor Kevin McKidd channels his Scottish roots for charity album — VIDEO

Health Buzz: Panel Recommends Against Prostate Screening

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Panel Advises Against Routine Prostate Test

Men shouldn't be screened for prostate cancer with a common blood test, a federal advisory panel recommended Monday. In its new guidelines for prostate cancer screening, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force urged doctors not to use the popular PSA test to detect the disease. At best, it only helps about 1 in 1,000 men avoid death from prostate cancer, the panel said. And most of the cancers it detects are slow-growing, not life threatening, and will not cause a man any harm during his lifetime. Plus, testing often leads to treatment that leaves men incontinent, impotent, or both. The guideline isn't a mandate, however; men who want a PSA test can still get one, but only after their doctor explains the uncertainties, the Associated Press reports. In an editorial published with the guidelines in the Annals of Internal Medicine, some urologists argued that the panel underestimated PSA's value while overestimating its harms. "What PSA screening offers the men is a substantial opportunity to avoid dying a particularly unpleasant death from prostate cancer," said editorial co-author William Catalona of Northwestern University, who pioneered the testing.

Watch Out for Unproven Anti-Aging Treatments

The anti-aging industry is booming. Twenty years ago, there was no such thing as an "anti-aging" or "longevity" clinic. Today, many major cities house dozens.

Step inside one, and you'll likely encounter an assortment of remedies ranging from multivitamin cocktails to hormone injections to miracle pills that, if you believe the pitches, will guarantee you youthful entry into the triple digits.

There's just one wrinkle. Although often lucrative for physicians, evidence suggests that many of the treatments anti-aging doctors tout don't actually workand some may be downright dangerous. "You really have to be careful," says Loren Schechter, chairman of the patient safety committee for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. "There are a lot of extravagant claims out there that simply don't check out when you look at the science."

Consider vitamins and supplements, for example. Most are harmless and possibly helpful in moderate doses, but a growing body of evidence shows that in excess, they can cause problems. Getting too much vitamin A, for example, has been linked to osteoporosis, vitamin B to nerve damage, and vitamin E to cancer. [Read more: Watch Out for Unproven Anti-Aging Treatments]

Vitamins and Supplements: Do They Work?

Vitamins and dietary supplements are bigmore than 110 million Americans forked over a collective $28 billion in 2010 on little bottles of would-be health magic. Research is unclear, however, on whether shoring up your diet with extra vitamins, minerals, and other supplements helps or hurtsin the short run or in reaching for the century mark.

For more than a decade, for example, researchers followed more than 35,000 men enrolled in SELECT, a clinical trial designed to see whether taking selenium and vitamin E might help prevent prostate cancer. In 2008, study participants received phone calls and letters: Stop the pills. Not only was the answer "no," but vitamin E apparently increased the chance of prostate cancer, if very slightly, and selenium seemed to do the same to diabetes risk. Later the same year, researchers from the Physicians' Health Study-II reported that neither vitamin E nor vitamin C reduced the chances of major cardiovascular problems or cancer as hoped.

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Health Buzz: Panel Recommends Against Prostate Screening

Bogus Anti-Aging Treatments

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In the eternal search for the Fountain of Youth, many Boomers are falling prey to snake oil claims for magic bullets that will purportedly turn back the clock. An article published online in USNews noted that many cities boast so-called "anti-aging" or "longevity" clinics that offer "an assortment of remedies ranging from multivitamin cocktails to hormone injections to miracle pills that, if you believe the pitches, will guarantee you youthful entry into the triple digits."

Yet these expensive treatments, which are not covered by insurance, often don't work and may even be dangerous for your health. For example, as the USNews article points out, too much vitamin A has been associated with osteoporosis, while an excess of vitamin B may cause to nerve damage. Worse yet, overdosing on vitamin E may lead to cancer.

Anti-aging skin creams may also be questionable. The USNews article cites a review of over-the-counter topical creams published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal

that concluded there was "little evidence that most anti-aging creams worked and that the evidence for products containing botanicalssuch as those based on tea, fruit, and cocoa extractswas particularly slim." AConsumer Reports investigation reached a similar conclusion in 2011.

The most controversial treatments of all, however, are the wildly pricey hormone injections. USNews quotes Nir Barzilai, director of the Institute for Aging Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York as saying: "What you have are a bunch of charlatans pushing treatments that not only don't work, but are actually harming people. These kinds of treatments don't slow aging, they accelerate it." So, buyer beware. In your quest for staying younger than your years, you're still best off sticking with those old reliable lifestyle changes: a healthy diet and regular exercise. They're affordable and effective. Who could ask for anything more?

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Bogus Anti-Aging Treatments

Research and Markets: Critical Care Management of the Obese Patient

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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/zjfbn4/critical_care_mana) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "Critical Care Management of the Obese Patient" to their offering.

This book provides health professionals with sound clinical advice on management of the obese patient admitted into hospital. It addresses all aspects of the patient's care, as well as serving as a resource to facilitate the management of services, use of clinical information, and negotiation of ethical issues that occur in intensive care. As the number of obese patients in intensive care continues to grow, this book will serve as a comprehensive clinical resource for everyday use by both obesity specialists and emergency medicine physicians.

Key Topics Covered:

Part I Physiology and Consequences of Obesity

- Cardiovascular Physiology in Obesity,

- Effects of Obesity on Respiratory Physiology,

- Gastrointestinal Physiology in Obesity,

- Metabolic and Endocrine Physiology in Obesity,

- Renal Physiology in the Critically Ill Obese Patient,

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Research and Markets: Critical Care Management of the Obese Patient

Cutting up in the classroom: dissections still hands-on, not virtual

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Senior Andrew Root, 18, prepares to dissect a cat in his anatomy/physiology class at Dartmouth High School.Peter Pereira

By JENNIFER LADE

May 22, 2012 12:00 AM

"It's cat dissection season!"

Only a science teacher could deliver that announcement with such excitement. Yet Peter Bangs, science chairman at Dartmouth High School, was genuinely eager for the high school's anatomy and physiology students to get going on one of the most anticipated projects of the semester.

Bangs is not alone in his enthusiasm. Science teachers and curriculum directors at local high schools said even in a high tech age of virtual everythings, dissection remains a part of the curriculum and is approached with seriousness by the students.

"I think the kids take it much more seriously and really get into it, and for us, motivation's everything," said Craig Berriault, a biology, zoology and anatomy and physiology teacher at Wareham High School.

Zoology students usually do a frog dissection, while anatomy and physiology students dissect cow eyes and hearts and culminate with a rat dissection at the end of the year, he said. Whether a dissection is undertaken in biology is up to the teacher.

Anne Oliveira, director of science and technology for New Bedford Public Schools, was a classroom science teacher until she took her current position six years ago. She said it was the hands-on learning that had the greatest impact on her students.

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Cutting up in the classroom: dissections still hands-on, not virtual

Chossat’s Effect in humans and other animals

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This post was originally published on April 09, 2006.

This April 09, 2006 post places another paper from my old lab (Reference #17) within a broader context of physiology, behavior, ecology and evolution. The paper was a result of a communal experiment in the lab, i.e., it was not included in anyones Thesis. My advisor designed it and started the experiment with the first couple of birds. When I joined the lab, I did the experiment in an additional number of animals. When Chris Steele joined the lab, he took over the project and did the rest of the lab work, including bringing in the idea for an additional experiment that was included, and some of the analysis. We all talked about it in our lab meetings for a long time. In the end, the boss did most of the analysis and all of the writing, so the order of authors faithfully reflects the relative contributions to the work.

What is not mentioned in the post below is an additional observation that return of the food after the fasting period induced a phase-shift of the circadian system, so we also generated a Phase-Response Curve, suggesting that food-entrainable pacemaker in quail is, unlike in mammals, not separate from the light-entrainable system.

Finally, at the end of the post, I show some unpublished data a rare event in science blogging.

If you know what Chossats Effect is, I guess you are a) a physiologist, b) expert in thermoregulation, and c) old. This is term that got expunged from the scientific lexicon a few decades ago, in an effort correct me if I am wrong on this spearheaded by the U.S. textbook companies, to replace scientific terminology named after the discoverers (and sometimes even Latin and Greek terms) with bland English neologisms.

But I love Schwanns Cells, Fallopian Tubes (or Mullerian Ducts), Purkinje Fibers, Broccas Area and the amazing Bundle of His! Those terms are memorable, make it easy to sneak in some historical context into teaching science, and have an emotional effect of bringing forth images of ancient scientists working under candlelight, sacrificing their eyesight and health, their social standing and sometimes even their lives, in the feverish hunger for knowledge.

So, what is Chossats Effect? It comes from a 19th century French scientist who was studying the physiology of starvation [1]. The modern term for this effect is fasting-induced nocturnal hypothermia (doesnt that sound like something that would prompt the students in the classroom to immediatelly stop paying attention to the teacher and instead pick-up their cell-phones and start text-messaging their friends?).

Actually, this is a very interesting area of research that is very tightly connected to circadian biology. This post is likely to be long, so feel free to skim and just focus on the first part if you are into birds, second part if you are interested in mammals, and the last part if you are into humans.

Birds

All warm-blooded animals (and yes, that includes at least some reptiles, not to mention a few heat-producing plants like stink-cabbage) exhibit a daily rhythm of body temperature. If an animal is active during the day (diurnal) and sleeps during the night, reducing the metabolic rate during the night is a good way to save energy.

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Chossat's Effect in humans and other animals

AMP Developing a CPT(r) Coding Proposal for Next Generation Sequencing

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Newswise Bethesda, MD, May 22, 2012: The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) today announced that it is close to finalizing a framework proposal for CPT coding of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) assays. These technologies make it possible to deliver large amounts of genomic information at reasonable cost on panels of genes up to whole exomes and genomes. Clinical testing using NGS has begun to be offered by early adopters and is being explored by many academic medical centers and reference laboratories given the rapidly expanding array of scientific and clinical studies. These developments emphasize the importance of incorporating NGS services into the CPT coding system to assist payers in understanding what testing has been performed and to make coverage decisions.

AMPs expertise in the technical aspects and clinical impact of molecular testing and the success it has had with previous molecular CPT coding proposals uniquely positions it to address CPT coding for Next Generation Sequencing, said Jeffrey Kant, MD, PhD, Chair of AMPs Economic Affairs Committee.

The Committee plans to complete its proposal by the end of June and release it for feedback from stakeholders in the laboratory and payer community before submitting a formal proposal to the AMA CPT Editorial Panel.

Iris Schrijver, MD, President of AMP stated, AMP members have been involved with the development and application of NGS technologies since their inception. We are proud to provide leadership in this area as well as to collaborate with other professional associations to bring these powerful tools to patient care.

CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.

ABOUT AMP: The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) is an international medical professional association dedicated to the advancement, practice, and science of clinical molecular laboratory medicine and translational research based on the applications of molecular biology, genetics, and genomics. For more information, please visit http://www.amp.org.

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AMP Developing a CPT(r) Coding Proposal for Next Generation Sequencing

Infant pathology department of Donetsk Regional Hospital receives unique equipment

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A set of unique modern equipment has been installed at the infant pathology department of Donetsk Regional Clinical Hospital. AFP Infant pathology department of Donetsk Regional Hospital receives unique equipment Today at 12:09 | Interfax-UkraineA set of unique modern equipment has been installed at the infant pathology department of Donetsk Regional Clinical Hospital, and no other hospital in the region and only a few clinics all over Ukraine have similar equipment, according to the press service of Oleksandr Yanukovych Foundation.

"Thanks to the capital re-equipment of the infant pathology department, we will significantly reduce infant mortality and have new capabilities for treating babies. We have [already] saved the first lives, and the department treats up to 700 children per year," reads the statement.

"I was related to medicine. I understand many problems and issues in medicine. Due to my business opportunities, I think, I will manage to deal with these problems effectively," the press service cited Yanukovych as saying.

As reported, Oleksandr Yanukovych, a son of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, in 2011 paid Hr 8,524,470 in taxes.

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Infant pathology department of Donetsk Regional Hospital receives unique equipment

Hospital chiefs announce pathology plans

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Hospital chiefs announce pathology plans

8:00am Sunday 20th May 2012 in News

Hospital chiefs announce pathology plans

Chief executives of four south-west London hospital trusts have announced plans to develop a single pathology service located at St George's Hospital.

In a joint statement, the chief executives of Croydon Health Services, Kingston Hospital, Epsom and St Helier's NHS Trusts and St George's Healthcare Trust, said the decision meant they could "develop and future proof our pathology services across south west London".

The decision to develop a new single pathology service was agreed at a Pathology Programme Board meeting on Thursday.

The recommendations will be presented to each of the Trust boards for approval in the coming weeks.

Patients should not experience a change in service and will continue to have their tests where they have them now- either at their local hospital or at their GP surgery, the board said.

However, the plans mean the behind the scenes laboratory aspects of the service will run from a single 'hub' for the majority of pathology work.

There will be labs at each acute hospital site to manage each Trust's very urgent work and to support services such as A&E.

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Hospital chiefs announce pathology plans

Abbott Nutrition: ‘Cognition research is one of our top global priorities’

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The first research projects to emerge from a tie-up between Abbott and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) will advance our understanding of the relationship between diet and cognition - and help Abbott create the next generation of brain foods targeting consumers at every life stage - claims the healthcare giant.

Abbott: Brain food collaboration could lead to 'innovative nutritional products across all of our categories including pediatric, adult and performance nutrition'

Speaking to NutraIngredients-USA after announcing 13 projects set to receive between $175,000 and $2.5m to probe the effects of diet on the brain, an Abbottspokesperson said:

Cognition research is one of Abbotts top global priorities."

The research collaboration is intended to help uncover relationships between nutrition and cognition, and carry those discoveries to innovative nutritional products across all of our categories including pediatric, adult and performance nutrition.

In the 2012 funding round, the partners received 46 initial proposals, which were then whittled down to 21 full proposals, 13 of which got the green light.

While nearly $10m in funding was granted during the first year, Abbott will continue to support research for the next four years at a level driven by the quality of proposals submitted."

Commercial potential

The commercial potential was clear, said Abbott:There is strong consumer interest in the connection between food/nutrition and learning, memory and brain health and thus Abbott began to pursue research in this area.

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Abbott Nutrition: ‘Cognition research is one of our top global priorities’

Mannatech Launches Website Focused on Real Food-Based Nutrition

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COPPELL, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Mannatech, Incorporated (NASDAQ: MTEX), the leading innovator and provider of naturally sourced supplements based on Real Food Technology solutions, recently launched a new website, ChooseReal.com, to serve as a helpful resource for anyone interested in the growing benefits of nutrition from real food sources. The site officially launched on May 1, 2012, in congruence with the launch of the companys newest product, NutriVerus powder.

There is a revolution taking place among us. More and more people want to return to the natural goodness that comes from real food, explains Mannatech Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing Al Bala. People dont just want to be healthy; they want to be authentically, genuinely healthy. They are choosing real. So weve created ChooseReal.com to celebrate that paradigm and create a community where like-minded people who are committed to real living can come together. As the creators of Real Food Technology solutions, it only makes sense for us to provide this resource to the public.

ChooseReal.com will present regularly updated content to help people explore living a healthier lifewhether its learning about organic food, discovering the benefits of exercise, exploring the mind-body connection, taking natural supplements, or even being part of a social entrepreneurial movement that fights global malnutrition. Recent posts focus on topics such as the 100-year anniversary of the discovery of the vitamin and the importance of educating yourself on what good health is for you.

Individuals interested in Mannatechs products or business are encouraged to learn more at Mannatech.com.

About Mannatech

Mannatech, Incorporated, develops high-quality health, weight and fitness, and skin care products that are based on the solid foundation of nutritional science and development standards. Mannatech is dedicated to its platform of Social Entrepreneurship based on the foundation of promoting, aiding and optimizing nutrition where it is needed most around the world. Mannatechs proprietary products are available through independent sales Associates around the globe including the United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Estonia, Finland, the Republic of Ireland, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Korea, Mexico and Namibia. For more information, visit Mannatech.com.

Please note: This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by use of phrases or terminology such as believe, intend or other similar words or the negative of such terminology. Similarly, descriptions of Mannatechs objectives, strategies, plans, goals or targets contained herein are also considered forward-looking statements. Mannatech believes this release should be read in conjunction with all of its filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and cautions its readers that these forward-looking statements are subject to certain events, risks, uncertainties and other factors. Some of these factors include, among others, Mannatechs inability to attract and retain Associates and Members, increases in competition, litigation, regulatory changes and its planned growth into new international markets. Although Mannatech believes that the expectations, statements and assumptions reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cautions readers to always consider all of the risk factors and any other cautionary statements carefully in evaluating each forward-looking statement in this release, as well as those set forth in its latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and other filings filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including its current reports on Form 8-K. All of the forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date of this release.

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Mannatech Launches Website Focused on Real Food-Based Nutrition

Nutrition a great investment | National news | The Phnom Penh Post – Cambodia's Newspaper of Record

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Women and children wait to see a doctor at the Preyvihear Health Centre, in Kampong Speus Chamkah Dong village. Photograph: WHO CAMBODIA

These gains have flowed from focused interventions that have resulted in maternal, infant and under-five mortality falling by more than 50 per cent during the decade from 2000 to 2010.

These are fine achievements, but more needs to be done to improve the nutritional status of children and women.

This has been the focus for government officials, national and international experts, development partners and civil-society representatives who have gathered yesterday and today for the fourth National Seminar on Food Security and Nutrition, with a particular emphasis on maternal and child nutrition.

As UN country representatives, we were encouraged to see this issue prioritised and led by the highest level of government, with Prime Minister Hun Sen opening the seminar.

As Cambodia moves to become a middle-income country in the region, it is important to be aware that economic growth and increased agricultural production will not on their own improve nutritional status.

The Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey (CDHS) shows that 28 per cent of children are underweight.

This is a clear indication that, after impressive gains in child nutrition during the 1990s and early 2000s, the improvement in the nutritional status of children is slowing down.

International evidence tells us that, over time, nutritional shortfalls can have an impact on a countrys human capital the ability of children to learn and the ability of adults to lead productive lives and can reduce GDP by two to three per cent.

Investment in nutrition is an internationally recognised Best Buy to create a productive society that is growing with economic vigour.

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Nutrition a great investment | National news | The Phnom Penh Post - Cambodia's Newspaper of Record

Adia Nutrition, Inc. (ADIA.PK) Begins Airing Commercials Nationwide

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NEWPORT BEACH, CA--(Marketwire -05/23/12)- Adia Nutrition, Inc. (ADIA.PK) started airing thousands of 30 and 60 second commercials across the country in more than 100 regions on networks including CNN, ESPN, FOX News Channel, TBS, The Learning Channel, TNT and USA Network.

"This ad campaign is designed to raise awareness of our product, and support local marketing as we finalize our distribution and retail relationships in the Midwest and East Coast," said Adia CEO Wen Peng. "As we stated a month ago, soon you won't be able to turn on your television without seeing Adia. Well it has started and millions of people are now hearing about Adia Nutrition and our convenient and shelf-stable 'On the Go' probiotics."

If you have not seen the Adia Nutrition ad spots, here is a link to our 60 second commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9tkcRm2o2Y

About Adia Nutrition, Inc.

Adia Nutrition, Inc. (ADIA.PK) is a company specializing in shelf-stable probiotics. Currently, Adia offers four flavors of probiotic powder and two flavors of probiotic chews. Adia sells their products across the country in independent pharmacies, health food stores, fitness centers and grocery store chains. In states and countries where Adia does not yet have retail distribution partners you can find Adia online. According to a market research report titled 'Probiotics Market,' published by Markets and Markets (www.marketsandmarkets.com), the global probiotics market is expected to be worth US $32.6 billion by 2014. Moreover, the global market is expected to record a CAGR of 12.6%.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "expect," "should," "intend," "estimate," and "projects," variations of such words and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not a forward-looking statement. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Company's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements are risks that are detailed in the Company's filings, which are on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

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Adia Nutrition, Inc. (ADIA.PK) Begins Airing Commercials Nationwide