Monthly Archives: June 2012

MO BIO Laboratories, Inc. Launches the PowerMag™ Soil and Microbial DNA Isolation Kits

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CARLSBAD, Calif., June 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MO BIO Laboratories, Inc., the leader in soil, water and microbial nucleic acid purification, announces the launch of the PowerMag Soil and Microbial DNA Isolation Kits, for automated purification of DNA from soil, stool, microbial and food cultures using the epMotion and KingFisher automated processing systems.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120606/LA19375)

MO BIO's novel MagnaClear technology, included in the PowerMag Soil DNA Isolation Kit, enables automated purification of DNA from soil, stool and environmental samples without surface binding to the beads, eliminating the adsorption of organic inhibitors that is typical of other magnetic bead technologies, and facilitating isolation of pure DNA. The PowerMag Microbial DNA Isolation Kit contains unique MagnaSwift technology, developed for rapid, automated purification of inhibitor-free DNA from pure microbial cultures, food cultures and swabs. The PowerMag Soil and Microbial DNA Kits are the first magnetic bead-based purification kits to incorporate patented Inhibitor Removal Technology, which removes PCR-inhibiting compounds associated with soil, stool and food cultures, including humic substances, phenolics, lipids and polysaccharides.

The PowerMag Soil and Microbial DNA Isolation Kits are available now. For more information, visit the MO BIO website (www.mobio.com/powermag) or call 800-606-6246.

MO BIO Laboratories, Inc. (www.mobio.com) has developed innovative tools for researchers in molecular biology since 1993. A global leader in solutions for soil and microbial nucleic acid purification, MO BIO's Power kits contain patented Inhibitor Removal Technology for removal of PCR inhibiting substances during the nucleic acid purification procedure. For samples that do not require inhibitor removal, MO BIO's UltraClean line includes optimized products for DNA and RNA isolation from a variety of sample types. For clinical samples, the BiOstic kits provide solutions for higher yields and purity of nucleic acids. At MO BIO Laboratories, Inc., our focus is quality products that work, save time and function for all sample types, not just the easy ones. It is MO BIO's aim to make researchers' working lives more productive and efficient, creating time to focus on what is critical, not just in work, but in life.

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MO BIO Laboratories, Inc. Launches the PowerMag™ Soil and Microbial DNA Isolation Kits

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Clemens expert claims DNA could have been contaminated

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CBSSports.com wire reports

WASHINGTON -- Wearing a blue floral print dress, Eileen McNamee presented herself as a soft-spoken first-grade schoolteacher who never nagged her now-estranged husband about Roger Clemens. She went on to contradict the government's key witness many times -- and even came up with a different brand of beer to associate with the crucial evidence in the perjury trial of the former pitcher.

On a day in which the judge lost his temper twice with Clemens' lawyers, the defense turned Wednesday to the soon-to-be-ex-wife of Brian McNamee. This was the woman who McNamee testified harangued him with the words "You're going to go down! You're going to go down! You're going to go down!" -- pestering him until he saved medical waste from an alleged steroids injection of Clemens so that he wouldn't be the fall guy in any sort of drugs investigation.

She says she never said anything of the sort. She said McNamee didn't tell her back then that he was injecting Clemens, and that she wasn't especially bothered by the extended time her husband spent away from home working with the seven-time Cy Young Award winner. Brian McNamee said the days apart had become a source of friction in the marriage.

"I probably complained once in a while," Eileen McNamee said. "But I did not fuss about it."

Clemens is charged with lying when he told Congress in 2008 that he never used steroids or human growth hormone. Brian McNamee is the only witness to claim firsthand knowledge of Clemens using those substances. He testified last month that he injected Clemens in 1998, 2000 and 2001 and saved the needle and other waste from a 2001 injection. He said he put some of it in a Miller Lite can to bring home because his wife was giving him a "hard time every single day."

In testimony that sometimes sounded more like divorce court than criminal court -- the couple are undergoing contentious divorce proceedings in New York -- Eileen McNamee spun a narrative that could give the jury more pause when evaluating Brian McNamee's credibility.

Among the other differences in their stories:

Brian McNamee testified that he showed his wife the needles and other waste from the injection as soon as he got home that night, and that she played a role in putting them -- along with the beer can -- in a FedEx box. Eileen McNamee said she wasn't even aware the box was in the house until shortly afterward, when she discovered it on a shelf in the basement during a time of flooding in the neighborhood.

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Clemens expert claims DNA could have been contaminated

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Decoding an Unborn Baby's DNA: A Cause for Alarm?

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Researchers at the University of Washington have sequenced the entire genome of a fetus. The scientific advance could help detect certain diseases in the womb, but some experts worry that the trove of genetic information may prove more scary and overwhelming than useful.

Suspended in the blood of a pregnant woman along with some added information from a dad-to-bes saliva lurks enough fetal DNA to map out an unborn babys entire genetic blueprint.

It may sound like something conjured by Jules Verne, but it happened at the University of Washington: a professor and his graduate student used DNA samples from the parents of a baby boy who was still in utero and reconstructed his entire genetic makeup from A to Z.

The account, published Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine, takes prenatal testing to new heights, promising a motherlode of genetic information about a child who had not even been born along with a corresponding trove of data that even experts dont yet know how to interpret.

Jacob Kitzman, lead author and a graduate student in the department of genome sciences at the University of Washington (UW), was excited but cautious about his teams achievement. There have been a lot of steps toward this, but this is the first time capturing the whole genome, says Kitzman. The fact that this technology is now on the path to becoming clinically feasible is a good opportunity for a broader discussion of the implications.

Figuring out how to communicate the vast cache of information uncovered by genome sequencing remains controversial, since much of it still isnt clinically useful. But although researchers dont understand the significance of the entirety of the information revealed through whole-genome sequencing, they do know that certain genes are responsible for Mendelian, or more simple, single-gene disorders that includes more than 3,000 conditions such as cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease and some muscular dystrophies that affect 1% of pregnancies. Prenatal sequencing would allow parents to learn before delivery if their child has one of these diseases, many of which are debilitating or fatal. While genetic screening of parents before pregnancy can also identify carriers, and an increasing number of prenatal DNA-based tests can determine early in pregnancy whether developing babies have specific conditions such as Down syndrome, whole-genome sequencing is the most sophisticated way to examine a persons entire genetic code.

(MORE:Down Syndrome: With Breakthroughs in Testing, a Choice Becomes Tougher)

Prenatal genome sequencing could potentially replace more invasive procedures such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling to detect recessive Mendelian disorders on average, we all carry 20 to 30 recessive genes but it is not yet precise enough to take the place of these tests when looking for other chromosomal conditions. Nor is it a foolproof gauge of risk for many other complex diseases a category that includes most cancers and common conditions such as diabetes and heart disease because theyre influenced by multiple genes and environmental factors. Great, says Thomas Murray, president of the Hastings Center bioethics institute, we can sequence the genome of a fetus. What the hell does it tell us? Much less than most people probably believe.

Kitzman concurs. Its a really big challenge for the field, figuring out how to communicate to clinicians not only the results but the uncertainty that goes along with those results, he says. Theres no easy answer.

In this particular situation, Kitzman and Jay Shendure, an associate professor of genome sciences at UW, sidestepped the thorny issue of assessing disease risk and sharing that information with parents because the expectant couple was anonymous. Kitzman doesnt know their identity, only that they consented to have their biological samples used for genome sequencing. Their son was born healthy and full-term.

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Decoding an Unborn Baby's DNA: A Cause for Alarm?

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The American Society for Microbiology honors LaJoyce Debro

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Public release date: 6-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Garth Hogan ghogan@asmusa.org American Society for Microbiology

Washington, DCJune 6, 2012 LaJoyce Debro, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, Jacksonville State University, Alabama, is the 2012 William A. Hinton Research Training Award laureate. "For more than 45 years, Debro has been an outstanding educator," says her nominator, Ellen Neidle from the University of Georgia. This award, given in memory of William A. Hintona physician-research scientist and one of the first African-Americans to join the ASMhonors outstanding contributions toward fostering the research training of underrepresented minorities in microbiology. "She has had an impact on hundreds of students," says Benjie Blair, Jacksonville State University. "She is highly respected for her depth of knowledge and dedication in teaching and research."

Debro grew up in Clarksdale, Mississippi and received her B.A. in Biology from Spelman College. She went on to receive her M.S. from Atlanta University (now Clark-Atlanta), and her Ph.D. degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Purdue University. Before working at Jacksonville State University, she instructed at Coahoma Community College in Clarksdale, Mississippi, Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi, and Miles College in Birmingham, Alabamaall historical black colleges. Debro's current instructional responsibilities at Jacksonville State University are in general biology, microbiology, genetics, and molecular biology. She is committed to the instruction of biology as a process, and engages her students in undergraduate research both through scheduled class laboratories and independent study projects. Recently, Debro joined the Science Education Alliance of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and is engaging classes of beginning students in investigations on mycobacteriophage diversity that involve the purification, characterization, and genome analyses of environmental isolates.

Debro views her motivation and dedication to her students as the natural outcome of the special interest her teachers and professors showed in her as a student. It was these teachers and professors who encouraged her to pursue a doctorate in biology. As a result, Debro strives to enhance the educational experiences of her students by showing a personal interest in each student and ensuring that they recognize that they have the power to excel beyond their own expectations. She spends countless hours mentoring, motivating, and providing individualized instruction to her students who then become increasingly independent and responsible for their own learning. "Debro lives in Birmingham and is the first to admit that she chooses to live near her family and drive an hour each way to JSU in order to work with rural students (including many minorities). She has shown more dedication than anyone I can imagine in pursuit of this goal," says Blair. Debro holds to the tenet that "A child can't be what a child can't see," and works to broaden the vision of her students by extending their campus experiences to include summer research positions at research intensive institutions. She also encourages her students to participate in research conferences, including ASM's Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS).

Debro's mentoring extends beyond the students under her direct tutelage to include protgs enrolled in Ph.D. programs as well as young professionals working to secure tenure. She had the opportunity to influence lives and careers from a different perspective by serving as a Program Director in Molecular and Cellular Biosciences at the National Science Foundation (NSF) while on a leave of absence from her faculty position (2007-2009). At NSF she was dedicated to promoting research careers and activities for faculty mentors and their students, and was honored with the Director's Equal Opportunity Achievement Award for her diligence in developing effective activities to enhance diversity in the reviewers and awardees within her cluster and in the biological sciences overall. Susanne von Bodman, a former colleague from NSF, stated: "I am grateful for her sound and insightful scientific judgment, her collegial and supportive nature, and her ongoing willingness to help with all aspects of the merit review process. Debro is a team player whose efforts to build an inclusive scientific community are impressive, successful, and contagious."

According to Debro, her proudest professional achievements are not her publications, presentations, awarded grants, or lab experiments. Instead she is proudest of her successes in promoting young maturing scientists whose lives and careers she has influenced. "For her many contributions, Debro richly deserves recognition," summarizes Neidle.

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To view Dr. Debro's biosketch, please visit: http://www.asm.org/index.php/awards-grants/current-william-a-hinton-research-training-award-laureate.html

The William A. Hinton Research Training Award will be presented during the 112th General Meeting of the ASM, June 16 - 19, 2012 in San Francisco, California. ASM is the world's oldest and largest life science organization and has more than 40,000 members worldwide. ASM's mission is to advance the microbiological sciences and promote the use of scientific knowledge for improved health and economic and environmental wellbeing.

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The American Society for Microbiology honors LaJoyce Debro

Re-engineering life: New Phytologist Workshop on Synthetic Biology

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Public release date: 6-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Helen Pinfield-Wells h.pinfield-wells@lancaster.ac.uk Wiley-Blackwell

Scientists from across the world will meet at the University of Bristol on 6 June 2012 for a New Phytologist Workshop on Synthetic Biology (http://www.newphytologist.org/synthetic). There, they will discuss recent advances in this rapidly evolving and controversial new field.

Synthetic biology made headlines in 2010 when researchers at the J Craig Venter Institute announced they had created the first 'synthetic cell'. Created by transferring an artificially constructed DNA sequence into an existing cell which had been stripped of its native DNA, the cell behaved like a member of the species dictated by the synthetic DNA. Since then, the ambition and scale of synthetic biology enterprises have increased even further.

One key principle in the field is the standardisation of 'biological parts' in order to construct synthetic genes, systems or even entire species from new. This is a concept more familiar to engineers than biologists and indeed, attendees at the meeting will have a range of backgrounds from engineering and medicine to plant biologists and industrial scientists.

The idea of breaking down genes, complex biological systems, into simplified building blocks which can be shared and altered freely before being applied to a vast range of tasks is an appealing one to both researchers and industrialists.

With a quickly expanding toolkit and unconstrained by the limits of traditional genetic modification techniques (where genes must already exist in nature to be utilised), synthetic biology offers the opportunity to synthesise completely 'custom' genomes for specific applications. Anne Osbourn, Associate Research Director at the prestigious John Innes Centre, Editor of the New Phytologist journal and an organiser of the workshop suggests that the range of applications of synthetic biology is huge.

'As just one example, synthetic biology has the potential to enable us to make fuels, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and novel biomaterials faster, better and cheaper,' Anne explains. 'It could provide new ways of improving life in developing countries, for example through the generation of biosensors that monitor water quality or allow early detection of disease outbreaks.'

Synthetic biology also offers huge potential benefits when applied in plants and scientists at the workshop will detail research topics ranging from ensuring food security through crop improvement to re-engineering plants for other uses such as producing superior polymers for industry or vaccines for medicine. One presentation at the workshop will focus on technology developed at the John Innes Centre that has already been used to produce a vaccine for the H5N1 avian flu virus.

However, as with genetic modification in the past there are groups with growing concerns about the use of synthetic biology. Drawing parallels with recent events at GM crop trials conducted at Rothamsted Research and attempts by scientists to engage with protestors there, speakers on the final day of the workshop will outline the need for scientists to take the opportunity to 'frame' the debate around synthetic biology at an early stage as was arguably failed to achieve by scientists working on GM in earlier decades.

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Re-engineering life: New Phytologist Workshop on Synthetic Biology

Enamine, MRC LMB and IOCB Announce Collaboration to Identify Novel Rhomboid Protease Inhibitors for Treatment of …

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KIEV, Ukraine--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Enamine Ltd, a leading provider of screening compounds, chemical building blocks and discovery services, today announced that it has signed a collaboration agreement with the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC LMB), Cambridge, UK, and the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (IOCB), Prague, Czech Republic.The new alliance is aimed at discovering novel Rhomboid Protease inhibitors as potential drugs to treat infectious, parasitic, oncological, immune and cardiovascular diseases.

Under the terms of the agreement, Enamine will provide the MRC LMB and IOCB with access to its integrated drug discovery capabilities, including Molecular Modeling, Compound Library, Screening Assays, Hit Finding and Characterization, Hit to Lead Chemistry and ADMET. The three parties will jointly own the Intellectual Property resulting from this programme and will seek to partner the small molecule inhibitors generated with pharmaceutical companies for onward clinical development. The collaboration agreement was negotiated by MRC Technology on behalf of MRC LMB.

Dr. Sergey Zozulya, Vice President, Biology at Enamine, said: "We are delighted to launch this collaboration with high calibre partners, demonstrating the interest of prominent academics in realising the translational potential of their scientific discoveries through an alliance with Enamine. This alliance reflects our strategy to apply our integrated discovery platform, cost effective solutions and state-of-the-art technologies to create valuable IP for our partners and clients. With our recently introduced High Throughput Screening and bioanalytical service components, we have added capability to boost productivity."

Dr. Matthew Freeman, Head of Cell Biology Division at MRC LMB, commented: "We anticipate a very successful relationship with Enamine. This project provides evidence of the ability of our respective research centers to recognize valuable drug discovery models.

Dr. Kvido Strisovsky, Group Leader at IOCB, said: "We are delighted to be part of this collaboration and we hope that the project will realise its full potential for the benefit of patients.

ENDS

About Enamine http://www.enamine.net

Established in Kiev in 1991, Enamine is a medicinal chemistry driven company, provider of innovative screening libraries, comprehensive chemistry support in hit development, and integrated drug discovery services.

About the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology http://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/about-lmb

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Enamine, MRC LMB and IOCB Announce Collaboration to Identify Novel Rhomboid Protease Inhibitors for Treatment of ...

Suneva Medical Introduces ReGenica™, the Next Generation of Growth Factor Skincare

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SAN DIEGO, June 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Suneva Medical, a privately-held aesthetics company, has launched ReGenica Skincare, a three-product breakthrough anti-aging rejuvenation system, developed by the inventor of the key ingredient in TNS. ReGenica contains a highly potent, unique variety of proteins and growth factors in a serum-free solution. It is clinically proven to help reverse the signs of aging and aid in scarless wound healing. The product is available only through physician offices.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/suneva-medical-introduces-regenica-the-next-generation-of-growth-factor-skincare-157356985.html

ReGenica's Multipotent CCM Complex represents the next generation of growth factor skincare. The technology was developed by Dr. Gail K. Naughton, a pioneer in the field of regenerative medicine. Suneva Medical licensed ReGenica from Histogen Inc. in March 2012, expanding its portfolio of unique aesthetic products.

"Dr. Naughton is a well renowned regenerative medicine scientist and her research has helped advance the skincare industry. ReGenica's groundbreaking technology is both a novel advance and an ideal fit for our growing portfolio of highly differentiated aesthetic products. Suneva continues to strive to move into the future by offering our customers unique aesthetic products proven to help manage the appearance of aging," commented Nicholas Teti, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Suneva Medical.

ReGenica is not simply another line of products with a promise of improved aesthetic results. Clinical studies have demonstrated ReGenica to deliver proven, measurable results in skin rejuvenation. In one study, ReGenica Advanced Rejuvenation Day Repair SPF 15 & Overnight Repair have been shown to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin tone and generate smoother skin over a ten (10) week period. In two published studies, ReGenica Facial Rejuvenation Complex Post Procedure has been found to improve healing and more rapid re-epithelialization as early as three (3) days post procedure.

Mr. Teti continued, "ReGenica is the next generation of regenerative medicine products and has the potential to change the topical aesthetics landscape."

To learn more about ReGenica visit http://www.ReGenica.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Suneva Medical Suneva Medical, Inc. is a privately-held aesthetics company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing novel, differentiated products for the dermatology, plastic and cosmetic surgery markets. The Company currently markets Artefill, Refissa and ReGenica Skincare in the U.S. and Bellafill in Canada. For more information visit http://www.sunevamedical.com.

Media Contacts:Kate Gilbert Vice President, Marketing Suneva Medical Phone: (858) 550-9999 x7844 or Kellie Walsh Phone: (914) 315-6072 kwalsh@kwmcommunications.com

Related LinksReGenica website Suneva Medical website

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Suneva Medical Introduces ReGenica™, the Next Generation of Growth Factor Skincare

Anatomy Of A Broadway Poster – The Story Behind The Art

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(credit: Thinkstock)

The ubiquitous Broadway poster is more than just eye candy for the busy New Yorker and tourist. These pretty pictures, which cover so much of the city, convey or at least suggest the experience a Broadway production holds for the potential audience member. What will you see, hear and (hopefully) feel once you plop down your hard-earned money for a seat in one of Broadways storied theatres? Its a shows calling card. It helps put people in seats.

Upon first glance, a Broadway poster may seem deceptively simple a picture or graphic with a title and some credits. But a lot of very creative people put a lot of thought and effort into creating whats known in the industry as key art. Its this key art gets that gets spun off into the countless versions you see online, in the subways, outside theatres and above Times Square. The final product, in all its forms, depends on the show and the audience its producers wish to attract.

(credit: SpotCo)

For Once, the Off-Broadway transplant about an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant brought together by music, the challenge was to reinvent a personal story for a broader audience. As Darren Cox, Associate Creative Director at SpotCo, an advertising agency that handles many of the most successful Broadway shows, explained, Once was this little fantastic gem of a show downtown that just flowered into this huge success. The original art, which SpotCo also developed, had a very personal, slice-of-life kind of aesthetic, which was very intimate and really really good for downtown, but we found out that other needs arose when the show moved to Broadway. The bigger stage and the bigger potential audience required an updated look and feel to get noticed.

The art needed to pack more of a punch. According to Cox, there was a little bit of a fear that the intimacy of the show and the kind of quiet beauty of the show could be sort of swallowed up The solution was to hold on to certain artifacts from the original as inspiration and then dial everything up. They hired a photographer and shot the actors in real environments in the theatre, on the street, at a bar. And then we pulled back in some of the graphics and the logo treatment that had that downtown intimate feel, but then married it to the larger brand. Looking at the original and updated art you can really see there is sort of this relationship where they do feel theyre kinda like in the same voice but one has a much stronger, louder, much more splashy kind of voice.

See more Broadway posters.

(credit: SpotCo)

One Man, Two Guvnors, a comedy about an easily confused man who agrees to work for both a local gangster and a criminal in hiding, required a different approach. The play, starring the talented comedic actor James Corden, came to Broadway from Londons West End. As Cox explained, It was something that already has a lot of traction and success, and we wanted to communicate that. But we wanted to communicate that in a way that was fun, interesting and sort of off-kilter like the show. The show had received rave reviews from British audiences and press, a sort of stamp of approval. But it still needed to be introduced to American theatergoers.

We knew we had a star in James Corden, noted Cox. And the art very much reflects that by hitting pretty hard the cred that its gotten from England. In addition to the shows star in a pose that suggests the plays physical humor, the poster features glowing comments and five-star ratings from various London papers. The National Theatre in London has a great track record of doing really wonderful shows, according to Cox. So we thought that that would make it more comfortable for consumers. The goal, in this case, is to make the unfamiliar seem familiar by lending it some credibility. We really tried to build that into the artwork so that people knew this was an established brand.

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Anatomy Of A Broadway Poster – The Story Behind The Art

Anatomy of a Cell Tower Death

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The site of William "Bubba" Cotton's fatal accident.

Understanding the contracting chain on cell tower jobs can be complicated, but crucial when workers die.

William Bubba Cotton, 43, was the first of 11 cell site workers who died on AT&T projects from 2006 through 2008, years when the carrier merged its network with Cingular and ramped up its 3G network for the iPhone.

As ProPublica and PBS Frontline reported last month, tower climbing ranks among the most dangerous jobs in America, having a death rate roughly 10 times that of construction.

The project Cotton was on involved several layers of subcontractors, which is common in the tower industry. The accident was more unusual. Most of the 50 tower climbers killed on cell site jobs since 2003 have died in falls, but Cotton was crushed to death by an antenna.

A wrongful death lawsuit subsequently filed by Cottons survivors, as well as a personal injury suit filed by his cousin and co-worker, Charles Randy Wheeler, explored two questions at the heart of every tower fatality: Who controlled the tower site? And who was responsible for the safety of the subcontractors working on it?

Heres a breakdown of what happened in the Cotton case:

The Project: An upgrade of a cell site in Talladega, Ala., replacing the antennas on a 400-foot tower. AT&T had designated the upgrade a top priority because of an upcoming NASCAR race, a company manager said in court testimony.

The Subcontractors: To handle the tower work, AT&T (then known as Cingular) hired Nsoro, a large management firm (also known as a turf vendor.) Nsoro hired a subcontractor, WesTower Communications, a large North American tower company. WesTower subcontracted the on-site work to a Missouri-based tower company, ALT Inc.

AT&T also directly hired Florida-based subcontractor Betacom Inc. to work on a concrete equipment shelter at the base of the tower.

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Anatomy of a Cell Tower Death

Anatomy, war and 'Salomania' at the Aurora Theatre

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Aurora Theatre / Aurora Theatre

The original Maud Allen, subject of Aurora Theatre's "Salomania"

"The Cult of the Clitoris." That was the headline on a 1918 piece in the Vigilante, a political journal published by Noel Pemberton Billing, the rabid right-wing British member of Parliament, accusing the San Francisco-bred exotic dancer Maud Allan of being a lesbian, a sadist and a German sympathizer. To prove his point, Billing - who'd riled wartime England with his outrageous claim that the Germans were blackmailing "47,000 highly placed British perverts" - trumpeted the fact that Allan, who'd made her name in Europe in the early 1900s performing her version of Salome's "Dance of the Seven Veils," was appearing in private performances of Oscar Wilde's infamous play "Salom," which the British government had banned from public performance.

Allan sued Billing for libel. The sensational trial that followed - a front-page diversion from the horrific slaughter taking place in the fields and trenches of World War I France and Belgium - inspired "Salomania," a new play by the noted Bay Area writer-director Mark Jackson that premieres at Aurora Theatre on Friday night.

"Billing's contention was that only doctors or perverts would know what a clitoris was," says Jackson, who became fascinated by the trial, whose transcripts he acquired from a London antiquarian bookstore, while researching the "Salom" he directed at Aurora in 2006. "The lack of male understanding of the female anatomy provides a great deal of humor for the play," whose themes of media sensationalism, gay bashing and wartime hysteria are "entirely about our present moment."

Jackson's play juxtaposes the war and life on the home front (six actors double as soldiers and civilian characters), exploring the surreal world in which a British officer breakfasts in the deadly trenches and lunches hours later in his tony London club.

Allan, who lost the libel suit and her career - 20 years earlier, she'd changed her name from Durrant after her brother, Theodore, was convicted of murdering two Mission District girls and hanged at San Quentin - "was both a potential hero and a potential threat to society," Jackson says. "She was intentionally pushing boundaries."

Get more information at http://www.auroratheatre.org.

Some splendid musicians will be at the Castro Theatre July 12-15, accompanying the movies in the 17th annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival. One is Donald Sosin, a noted composer and keyboard improviser who's served as the resident pianist at New York's Museum of Modern Art, the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Museum of the Moving Image and performs at rep houses and festivals around the world.

Sosin, who has played the San Francisco festival for the past six years, will improvise on themes he composed to Von Sternberg's noirish 1928 classic, "The Docks of New York," Herbert Brenon's 1923 "Spanish Dancer" - he describes the music as a mix of Spanish Renaissance and Gypsy music - Chinese director Sun Yu's "Little Toys" (the music will include the synthesized sounds of Chinese instruments) and Felix the Cat cartoons.

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Anatomy, war and 'Salomania' at the Aurora Theatre

Transit of Venus viewed around the world

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(AP) HONOLULU - Filtering the sun's light to a minuscule fraction of its true power allowed sky-gazers around the world to watch a silhouetted Venus travel across Earth's closest star, an extremely rare spectacle that served as a reminder of how tiny our planet really is.

After all, the next transit is 105 years away - likely beyond all of our lifetimes but just another dinky speck in the timeline of the universe.

"I'm sad to see Venus go," electrical engineer Andrew Cooper of the W.M. Keck Observatory told viewers watching a webcast of the transit's final moments as seen from the nearly 14,000-foot summit of Mauna Kea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island.

From Maui to Mumbai, Mexico to Norway, much of the world watched the 6-hour, 40-minute celestial showcase through special telescopes, live streams on the Internet or with the naked eye through cheap cardboard glasses.

"If you can see the mole on Cindy Crawford's face, you can see Venus," Van Webster, a member of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, told those who stopped by his telescope for a peek on Mount Hollywood.

For astronomers, the transit wasn't just a rare planetary spectacle. It was also one of those events they hoped would spark curiosity about the universe and our place in it.

Sul Ah Chim, a researcher at the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute in South Korea, said he hoped people see life from a larger perspective and "not get caught up in their small, everyday problems."

"When you think about it from the context of the universe, 105 years is a very short period of time and the Earth is only a small, pale blue spot," he said.

The transit began just after 6 p.m. EDT in the United States. What observers could see and for how long depended on their region's exposure to the sun during that exact window of time, and the weather.

Those in most areas of North and Central America saw the start of the transit until sunset, while those in western Asia, the eastern half of Africa and most of Europe could catch the transit's end once the sun came up.

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Transit of Venus viewed around the world

Omega World Travel to Hold Luxury Travel and Cruise Tradeshow in Bethesda, MD

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FAIRFAX, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Omega World Travel, a fast-growing, award-winning leader in the travel management industry, will hold a luxury travel and cruise tradeshow at The Hyatt Regency in Bethesda, MD on Tuesday, June 19, 2012 from 4pm to 7pm.

WHAT:

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ADDITIONAL DETAILS: There is plenty of parking below the hotel. For additional information please visit Omega World Travels website at http://www.owt.net or contact Omega World Travels Bethesda Leisure Manager, Ellen Sisser, by phone at (301)215-7169 or via email at esisser@owt.net.

About Omega World Travel

Omega World Travel is a woman-owned, diversity supplier, and the fourth largest travel management company in the U.S. Headquartered in Fairfax, Va., Omega World Travel services corporate, government, meeting, and leisure clients throughout the U.S., Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Omega World Travel also owns Cruise.com, one of the largest sellers of cruises on the Internet, and TravTech, a software development company. For additional information about Omega World Travel please visit: OmegaTravel.com

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Omega World Travel to Hold Luxury Travel and Cruise Tradeshow in Bethesda, MD

ChoiceCenter’s Garrett Tanner: 1 Year after Stem Cell Treatments 2012 – Video

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04-06-2012 21:49 In November 2007, gymnast Garrett Tanner had an accident while training that left him a quadriplegic. In 2010, he came to ChoiceCenter Leadership University (LV102) where he met fellow student Maynard Howe (LV100), Vice Chairman of Stemedica, a stem cell company. In May 2011, Garrett received his first stem cell treatment in Moscow. Stemedica donated the cells and ChoiceCenter students donated money for his rehabilitation therapy, transportation, food and housing. This video documents Garrett's progress as of May 2012. He will receive his second treatment later this summer.

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ChoiceCenter's Garrett Tanner: 1 Year after Stem Cell Treatments 2012 - Video

Treatment eases arthritis pain in dogs

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A local veterinary clinic recently added a cuttingedge treatment.

Dr. Tina Gemeinhardt, owner of Tsawwassen Animal Hospital, is excited to be offering stem cell therapy to animals suffering from arthritis and joint issues.

"I'm excited about trying to bring some relief to dogs that are living in pain," she said.

The therapy, which uses stem cells harvested from fat that is surgically removed from the dog, is, in most cases, able to offer relief from the pain and stiffness associated with

Gemeinhardt said once it's determined the therapy is the right course of treatment for an animal, body fat is surgically removed and sent to a lab in California where the stem cells are harvested. The harvested stem cells are then sent back to the vet clinic within 48 hours and injected into the joints in question.

Gemeinhardt, who added the treatment to the clinic's list of services earlier this year, said it's not quite clear exactly how the stem cells work.

"Stem cells seem to inherently know what needs to be done in that area," she said.

The treatment is not a cure-all - the arthritis is still there but the symptoms are lessened - and it does not work instantly. The vet said most animals start to notice a difference in a month or so, and some might require follow up injections.

She said about 85 per cent of animals receiving stem cell therapy have had a beneficial response, while 15 per cent saw no response.

Beatrice, a seven-yearold chow chow, has seen remarkable results. Owner Rose McClelland said Beatrice had been having problems with arthritis in her hips for years and medication wasn't working any more.

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Livermore students hook up with space station astronauts

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LIVERMORE -- One day before summer vacation, students at Junction Avenue K-8 School got to interact with four astronauts -- one in person and the other three via a live feed from the International Space Station.

The whole school had been preparing for Wednesday morning's event by incorporating NASA-related lessons. For instance, first grade students learned about local former astronauts such as Tammy Jernigan, who was the master of ceremonies at the event.

The three astronauts on the overhead projector were dressed casually as they bobbed up and down in zero gravity among a backdrop of gadgets. They each answered questions from the students, letting the mic glide slowly through the air when they passed it.

"For astronaut Joe: Are you conducting any experiments that will help us here on Earth relating to energy conservation, waste reduction, or other issues?" asked Jessica, a sixth grader.

"Well, that's a great question; just living on the space station, we're doing a little bit of both," said Joseph Acaba, the first astronaut of Puerto Rican heritage who answered questions in Spanish and English. "We have solar arrays to get power from the sun. For our water, we recycle. What we might be urinating today, we'll be drinking shortly."

Cue student laughter as Dutch Astronaut Andr Kuipers pulled out his water container and took a swig.

"I can assure you that the only people having more fun than the students during

Another student asked astronaut Don Pettit about his efforts to grow plants on the station.

"We're not using hydroponics; we're using aeroponics," said Pettit, referring to a method of growing plants using bags full of humid air that encompass the roots.

The moisture that is injected into the bag is enriched with space compost made from astronaut leftovers. Pettit described how he is growing broccoli, sunflower and zucchini.

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Livermore students hook up with space station astronauts

Venus in Transit – Impact on Space Science with Jim Spann – Video

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05-06-2012 14:46 One of the most uncommon celestial phenomena, a solar transit by the planet Venus, will occur Tuesday evening. The Marshall Center will help build excitement for the rare event with a Lunch & Learn at 11 am on Monday, June 4, in Morris Auditorium in Building 4200. Marshall scientist, Dr. Jim Spann will host the informative session. Participants will learn more about the phenomenon, which occurs in a pattern repeated every 243 years, with pairs of transits eight years apart. Similar to a solar eclipse, the planet Venus will visibly move across the face of the sun during the event, partially blocking light from the sun to Earth. The transit is expected to take approximately six and a half hours. There will not be another Venus transit until 2117. Historically, transits of Venus helped astronomers gain the first realistic estimates of the size of our solar system. It was noted researcher Johannes Kepler who, in 1627, first accurately predicted a transit of Venus, which occurred four years later

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Venus in Transit - Impact on Space Science with Jim Spann - Video

Space Shuttle Enterprise arrives in New York. Where will the other shuttles go?

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Like the Space Shuttle prototype Enterprise, which is now on theflight deck of the Intrepid Sea, Air &SpaceMuseum in New York City,NASA's three realspaceshuttles the ones that rocketed into orbit also will spend their retirement in museums.

Thespaceshuttleprototype Enterprise moved to its new home Wednesday, the flight deck of the Intrepid Sea, Air &SpaceMuseum on the Hudson River in New York.

NASA's three realspaceshuttles the ones that rocketed into orbit also will spend their retirement in museums.

One is already on display. The other two will follow by year's end.

A quick look at each ship:

Discovery: Flown in April to Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia, taking the place of Enterprise. Fleet leader with 39 missions. Oldest survivor of the realshuttles. First flight in 1984, 39th and last in February-March 2011. Spent 365 days inspace, traveled 148 million miles.

Endeavour: Still at KennedySpaceCenter. Will be flown in September to California Science Center in Los Angeles. Youngestshuttle, built as replacement for the destroyed Challenger. First flight in 1992, 25th and last in May-June 2011. Spent 299 days inspace, traveled 123 million miles.

Atlantis: Still at KennedySpaceCenter. Will be transported down the road to the KennedySpaceCenter Visitor Complex in November. First flight in 1985, 33rd and last in July 2011. Spent 307 days inspace, traveled 126 million miles.

Enterprise: Flown in April from Smithsonian to New York. Prototypeshuttleused in five approach-and-landing tests at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., in 1977; dropped off back of modified jumbo jets with two-man astronaut crews and guided to landings. Never flew inspacenor was it designed to do so. Used in NASA tests and traveling exhibits, then given to Smithsonian in 1985.

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Space Shuttle Enterprise arrives in New York. Where will the other shuttles go?

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Announces Time Warner Cable as its Newest Official Sponsor and of Space Shuttle …

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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum today announced that Time Warner Cable has been named an official sponsor of Space Shuttle Enterprises 2012 arrival into New York City and of its Space Shuttle Pavilion home currently being built on top of the museums flight deck. Todays sponsorship announcement coincides with the Enterprises current voyage via a pulled barge from JFK International Airport to the Intrepid. The Enterprise is being hoisted onto the flight deck today and will be open to the public within the Space Shuttle Pavilion beginning July 19.

Additionally, Time Warner Cable becomes a sponsor of the Intrepid Museum, which in return has been named a signature partner in New York City for Time Warner Cables Connect a Million Minds (CAMM) program. CAMM is an initiative that inspires students to acquire skills in science, technology, engineering and math to become the problem solvers of tomorrow and help America successfully compete in a global economy. Similarly, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museums own education program reaches thousands of New York school children each year, including through its fully developed STEM program.

"We welcome Time Warner Cable to the Intrepid Museum's family," said Susan Marenoff-Zausner, President of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. "They are joining us at an incredibly exciting time in our history. We are especially pleased to work with them on the 'Connect a Million Minds' STEM initiative, since education is a vital part of our mission - as it is theirs."

Glenn Britt, Chairman and CEO of Time Warner Cable, commented, Time Warner Cable is honored to sponsor the historical journey of the Enterprise to its new home on the USS Intrepid. The American space program has led to some of the most exciting innovations of our time. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to show our continued commitment to inspiring the next generation of problem solvers by connecting young people to the wonders of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). It is our hope that exposing todays youth to a great example of STEM in actionin this case, the Enterprisewill serve as a catalyst for great innovations to come from our future leaders.

The sponsorship will bring a significant number of benefits to both Time Warner Cable and the Intrepid Museum. Time Warner Cable will be included on the Intrepids marketing and advertising materials that promote the Space Shuttle Enterprise exhibit, while Time Warner Cable will promote the shuttle on television advertising, direct mail and social media. Beginning in early July, Time Warner Cable customers will have access to exclusive footage of the Enterprises journey to the Intrepid by tuning to Local On Demand (Channel 1110).

Customers also will be provided with free and discounted access to the Intrepid through customer appreciation events, which will be announced this fall and in 2013. The company also plans to utilize the Intrepid as a venue to host premiers of upcoming cable television series for its customers.

The Intrepid also serves as a location for community volunteer activities of Time Warner Cables VetNet program, which is comprised of employees who are military veterans or active reservists.

We are very proud to sponsor the Enterprises arrival and home aboard the Intrepid, which makes this terrific museum an even better place to visit and learn about the importance of science and technology, said John Quigley, Regional Vice President of Operations for Time Warner Cable in NYC. Our valued customers, through our Enjoy Better campaign, will reap the benefits of this sponsorship through customer appreciation days and access to exclusive screening events. We also look forward to the Intrepid being the location for many of our employee volunteer and community relations programs, such as CAMM activities and events run by our VetNet group.

Time Warner Cables New York City footprint serves over 1.3 million customers in four New York City boroughs (Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island and western Brooklyn), Mt. Vernon, Hudson Valley (Orange, Sullivan, Ulster Counties and parts of Dutchess, Greene and Delaware Counties), and Bergen and Hudson Counties in New Jersey.

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Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Announces Time Warner Cable as its Newest Official Sponsor and of Space Shuttle ...