Monthly Archives: June 2012

World-class Leader Joins a Start-up: Juho Malmberg Appointed CEO of ZenRobotics Ltd.

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HELSINKI, Finland, June 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

The board of ZenRobotics Ltd., the Finnish high-tech company specializing in recycling robotics and artificial intelligence, has appointed Mr Juho Malmberg as the company's new CEO. Juho Malmberg will join ZenRobotics on 1 July 2012.

Mr Malmberg's previous positions include e.g. Managing director of Accenture Finland and Executive VP of Customer Experience and Member of the Executive Board, KONE Corporation.

Jorma Eloranta, ZenRobotics's Chairman of the Board: "Juho Malmberg has a strong record in international business at KONE Corporation. Mr Malmberg is known for his analytical but in the same time pragmatic leadership style. In my view, he's a splendid addition to the ZenRobotics dream team."

Juho Malmberg comments: "I take up this position with great enthusiasm. Most successful businesses are driven by a global megatrend. For ZenRobotics, there are actually two: the huge growth of waste around the world and the starting revolution of intelligent robotics. The company's main product, ZenRobotics Recycler, is a revolutionary solution which intensifies recycling globally. The system utilizes robots to reclaim valuable raw materials from a waste stream, for sale. Each kilo of raw materials picked out of the stream also reduces the landfilling costs of the customer", describes Malmberg, with obvious excitement.

The interim CEO of ZenRobotics, Rainer Rehn, resumes his duties as the officer in charge of commercialization.

"I enjoyed my time as the CEO, but I've always felt my true strengths are in the organization of international sales operations. Now I'm back at doing the job that is my true passion", grins a happy Rainer Rehn.

ZenRobotics Ltd. is a Finnish high-end cleantech company, based in Helsinki. In the 24-strong company one in three employee holds a PhD. The company's main product is ZenRobotics Recycler, an AI-controlled robotic recycling system, which reclaims valuable raw materials from waste streams. The system is marketed globally, through a reseller network in place in 49 countries.

Read more: http://www.zenrobotics.com

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World-class Leader Joins a Start-up: Juho Malmberg Appointed CEO of ZenRobotics Ltd.

Aerospace park: State gets Rs 10,000-cr worth investments

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Bangalore, June 4:

Karnataka has already attracted Rs 10,000 crore worth investments for its proposed Bangalore Aerospace Park.

According to Mr M.N. Vidya Shankar, Secretary for Commence and Industry, the aerospace park will come up near the Bangalore international airport near Devanahalli on 968 acres.

For developing Bangalore Aero Park, the State government's High Level Clearance Committee, headed by the Chief Minister, Mr D.V. Sadananda Gowda, recently cleared the proposal of Sun Forest City Ventures Ltd.

Sun Forest City is planning to build Bangalore Aerospace Park (named Project Vayu) with a complete ecosystem for aerospace industries. The total project cost is Rs 9,394 crore.

The project is expected to be taken up in three phases, spread over 12 years and is likely to offer employment to 2.42 lakh people.

Mr Vidya Shankar said The project developer has already lined up major aerospace investments to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore for its phase I and has already given us time lines for executing phase II and III.

The Government of Karnataka will be unveiling at the Global Investors Meet (GIM) to be held in Bangalore from June 6 to 8.

The portal will display all the developments of project proposals made at the GIM.

Mr Vidya Shankar said The portal will be monitoring mechanism and display all projects details for which MoUs were signed during GIM 2010 and the ones to which we will be signing in GIM 2012.

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Aerospace park: State gets Rs 10,000-cr worth investments

Research and Markets: Turkey Neurology Devices Investment Opportunities, Analysis and Forecasts to 2018

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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Dublin - Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/kht27k/turkey_neurology_d) has announced the addition of Global Markets Direct's new report "Turkey Neurology Devices Investment Opportunities, Analysis and Forecasts to 2018" to their offering.

Turkey Neurology Devices Investment Opportunities, Analysis and Forecasts to 2018, a new report by Global Markets Direct, provides key market data on the Turkey Neurology Devices market. The report provides value (USD million), volume (units) and average price (USD) data for each segment and sub-segment within six market categories - CSF Management, Interventional Neurology, Neurological Diagnostic Equipment, Neurostimulation Devices, Neurosurgical Products and Radiosurgery. The report also provides company shares and distribution shares data for each of the aforementioned market categories. The report is supplemented with global corporate-level profiles of the key market participants with information on key recent developments.

This report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research and in-house analysis by Global Markets Direct's team of industry experts.

Scope

- Market size and company share data for Neurology Devices market categories.

- Annualized market revenues (USD million), volume (units) and average price (USD) data for each of the segments and sub-segments within six market categories. Data from 2004 to 2011, forecast forward for 7 years to 2018.

- 2011 company shares and distribution shares data for each of the six market categories.

- Global corporate-level profiles of key companies operating within the Turkey Neurology Devices market.

Reasons to buy

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Research and Markets: Turkey Neurology Devices Investment Opportunities, Analysis and Forecasts to 2018

Industrial Nanotech, Inc. Reports Significant Progress with India Sales Office

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NAPLES, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Industrial Nanotech, Inc. (Pink Sheets:INTK), an emerging global leader in nanotechnology based energy saving and sustainable solutions announced today that the Companys plan to open a Corporate sales office in India is making significant positive progress. The company has already begun filling sales orders from new India manufacturing customers and has forged an alliance with an established equipment manufacturer in Bangalore who will act as a sales representative and applicator. The Company is also reviewing locations for warehousing and office space in Bangalore.

Since we began our plans to open a sales office in India, weve made significant progress, stated Francesca Crolley, VP of Business Development for Industrial Nanotech, Inc. Our marketing efforts have already produced over $18,000.00 US in sales to industrial manufacturers in India even before our office has officially opened. The companies there are truly progressive when it comes to energy savings, and have made it clear they are looking for the solutions that our patented Nansulate energy saving coatings provide. Additionally, after a meeting with a Bangalore based equipment manufacturer, we have forged a relationship where their company will not only promote the coating to their current clients, but also act as a sales representative and applicator for Nansulate in Southern India. This gives us a distinct advantage to grow sales and lead generation prior to our office opening, and should further accelerate our market penetration in this important country.

India's manufacturing sector kept up its steady expansion in May, with fast-rising output evened out by slowing growth of domestic order books. The HSBC manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), compiled by Markit, slipped marginally to 54.8 in May from 54.9 in April. It has stayed above the 50 mark, that separates growth from contraction, for a little over three years now. The PMI survey showed new export orders continued to grow at a strong pace in May, despite economic and political strife taking hold in Europe, one of India's main trading partners.

About Nansulate

Nansulate is the Company's patented product line of award winning, specialty coatings containing a nanotechnology based material and which are well-documented to provide the combined performance qualities of thermal insulation, corrosion prevention, resistance to mold growth, fire resistance, chemical resistance and lead encapsulation in an environmentally safe, water-based, coating formulation. The Nansulate Product Line includes industrial, residential, agricultural and solar thermal insulation coatings. Additional information about the Company and its products can be found at their websites, (www.inanotk.com) and (www.nansulate.com). Blog: http://www.nansulate.com/nanoblog, Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NanoPioneer, Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Nansulate.

About Industrial Nanotech Inc.

Industrial Nanotech Inc. is a global nanoscience solutions and research leader and member of the U.S. Green Building Council. The Company develops and commercializes new and innovative applications for sustainable nanotechnology which are sold worldwide.

Safe Harbor Statement

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release includes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the impact of competitive products, the ability to meet customer demand, the ability to manage growth, acquisitions of technology, equipment, or human resources, the effect of economic and business conditions, and the ability to attract and retain skilled personnel. The Company is not obligated to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.

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Industrial Nanotech, Inc. Reports Significant Progress with India Sales Office

11-year-old boy helps solve chemistry puzzle

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An 11-year-old Swedish boy is attracting media attention around the world after helping his father solve a chemistry problem that had stumped him and his colleagues for years and getting his name published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Sven Hovmller, a professor in the department of materials and environmental chemistry at Stockholm University, knew his son, Linus Hovmller Zou, was a whiz at Sudoku and other number- and geometry-based puzzles so he asked him to help him come up with the geometric structure of a series of quasi-crystals known as pseudo-decagonal approximants.

"The day before, we had done some Sudokus, and I couldn't keep up with him," Hovmller told Carol Off, host of CBC Radio's As It Happens. "I just asked him this one Saturday morning; 'Would you like to sit down and have a look at this?' and he said. 'OK.'"

Hovmller and his colleagues had spent eight years using X-ray crystallography and electron diffraction to try to identify the atomic structures of a family of eight of the crystal-like compounds, only two of whose structures had been solved up to that point.

After years of staring at countless images of the compounds, Hovmller figured he could use a fresh perspective, and since the problem was less one of chemistry than geometry, he thought it was one his son, who was 10 at the time, could tackle.

"You don't need, really, any chemistry background to start working on this problem," Hovmller told As It Happens. "He has a fresh brain. He didn't know anything when he started. He could learn just enough to concentrate on the next step."

So, Linus and Hovmller sat down at the kitchen table and started playing with the patterns of the quasi-crystals. After two long days of hard work, they had identified the structures of four more of the compounds.

"Maybe the most remarkable [thing] wasn't that he sat down in the first place but that he didn't stand up and say. 'OK that's enough' after an hour or two," Hovmller said.

The father and son team's findings are published in the June 28 issue of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A (Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences).

Listen to Carol Off's interview with Hovmller by clicking on the player above.

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Raiders' professor of defense

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It's a good thing that Jason Tarver mastered (as in degree) biochemistry and molecular biology. Because he is taking on much uglier, more complicated material now.

How are the Raiders going to stop the run?

And when he's done with that decade-old problem, Oakland's bright-eyed new defensive coordinator can tackle this brainteaser:

How are the Raiders going to stop the pass?

Oakland, which won eight games last season on the strength of its offense, became one of four teams to allow at least 30 TD passes and 5.0 yards per carry in a season. (Not to mention the entire squad's NFL-record 163 penalties for 1,358 yards.) The Raiders had a lot of high-priced players, but few, if any, playmakers on defense.

And then, in the offseason, Oakland cut leading pass-rusher Kamerion Wimbley for salary-cap reasons and also let go of its two starting cornerbacks, Stanford Routt and Chris Johnson.

The Raiders replaced them with several veterans signed to one-year contracts and rookies drafted after the second round, as they didn't have any early picks.

All of which explains why Tarver can't go into a lot of detail when asked what the Raiders' defense is going to look like. He doesn't know yet.

The team was back on the field for organized workouts Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and Tarver and new head coach Dennis Allen are still in discovery mode.

"Put all these guys out here and see who can play and who can learn and who can communicate and who can fit with your group," Tarver said.

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Raiders' professor of defense

Age Defy Dermatology And Wellness Now Offers Pelleve Wrinkle Reduction Treatment

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CAMPBELL, Calif., JUNE 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Rick Noodleman, M.D., announces that Age Defy Dermatology and Wellness, Inc. in Campbell, California, now has the Pelleve Wrinkle Reduction System, a revolutionary skin-tightening system for non-ablative facial rejuvenation.

Dr. Noodleman uses Pellevean advanced radiofrequency technologybecause the treatment delivers long-term skin benefits for his patients, producing noticeable results. "Pelleve is an effective anti-aging treatment that we are excited to offer our patients. It is virtually painless with no downtime, and it offers a high degree of noticeable results at an affordable price," says Dr. Noodleman.

Pelleve works by delivering heat into the deep layers of skin, facilitating the growth of new collagen and tightening skin. Patients report that the treatment is warm, relaxing and without any associated pain. "While we cannot reverse the aging process, we can do everything possible to minimize its effects and Pelleve is one treatment which helps my patient's age gracefully and gradually," adds Dr. Noodleman.

Pelleve is FDA-approved to treat mild to moderate facial wrinkles. Treatments are performed in Dr. Noodleman's office and take 30 60 minutes, depending on areas treated; minimal patient preparation is required prior to having a Pelleve treatment.

About F. Richard Noodleman, MD:

Dr. Rick Noodleman is the Medical Director of Cosmetic Dermatology and Surgery at Age Defy Dermatology and Wellness, Inc. He graduated from Harvard University and the University of Minnesota School of Medicine. He completed his residency in dermatology at Stanford University School of Medicine. Subsequently, he served a fellowship in dermatologic (Mohs) surgery at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Noodleman is a board-certified dermatologist and has been in private practice since l986. He is a nationally-recognized expert in minimally invasive, low-downtime procedures performed using local anesthesia.

Pelleve is now offered at Age Defy, located at 3803 South Bascom Ave., Suite 200, Campbell, CA 95008. For more information, visit http://www.agedefy.com.

About The Pelleve Treatment:

Available only through physicians, including dermatologists and plastic surgeons, the Pelleve Wrinkle Reduction System is a proven, effective, safe and virtually painless cosmetic treatment that reduces wrinkles on the face using advanced radiofrequency technology. To view a video of how Pelleve works, please visit: http://www.pelleve.com.

For Press Inquiries regarding Age Defy Dermatology and Wellness - contact Joy Norman joy@agedefy.com, 877-AGE-DEFY.

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Age Defy Dermatology And Wellness Now Offers Pelleve Wrinkle Reduction Treatment

Mead Johnson Nutrition Company (MJN): Zacks Rank Buy

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Estimates have been rising for Mead Johnson Nutrition Company (MJN) after the company delivered its 6th consecutive positive earnings surprise. It is a Zacks #2 Rank (Buy) stock.

Based on consensus estimates, analysts project strong double-digit earnings growth over the next couple years as the company continues to grow in the emerging markets.

On top of this growth, it pays a dividend that yields a solid 1.5%.

Company Description

Mead Johnson manufactures and distributes pediatric nutrition products primarily under its 'Enfa' family of brands. The Enfa brand, including Enfamil infant formula, is a global brand franchise in pediatric nutrition.

The company was founded in 1905 and is headquartered in Glenview, Illinois. It was spun-off from Bristol-Meyers Squibb (BMY) in 2009.

First Quarter Results

Mead Johnson Nutrition delivered strong first quarter results on April 26. Adjusted earnings per share came in at 82 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 78 cents. It was an 8% increase over the same quarter last year.

Net sales rose 9% to $986.6 million, ahead of the consensus of $980.0 million. This was driven by a 5% increase in volume and a 4% increase in prices. Growth was particularly strong in the Asia/Latin America segment, which offset weakness in the North America/Europe segment.

The gross margin did decline 230 basis points year-over-year. But operating income was up 12% over the same period to $222.6 million.

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Mead Johnson Nutrition Company (MJN): Zacks Rank Buy

DNA of thousands of innocent people still being collected by police

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Our research suggests that the overwhelming majority of police forces are unable to separate the records of people never charged from those found guilty in court."

Since 2004, police forces have been allowed to take the DNA or fingerprints of anyone aged over 10 who was arrested for a recordable offence, which means most crimes.

The national DNA database grew to include details of several million people over the next few years, and was credited with leading to convictions as samples taken from crime scenes were linked to people arrested for unrelated offences.

In 2008 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that keeping the records indefinitely was unlawful, prompting the Labour government to review the policy.

After the election, the Coalition promised to improve the system by making it more like that of Scotland, where only the DNA of those convicted of serious offences, such as violence or sex crimes, is held and for a maximum of five years.

But it then emerged that ministers only planned to anonymise the records rather than deleting them completely, and did not introduce a safeguard that would mean a judges approval was needed to keep the files.

The Protection of Freedoms Act passed last month also allows biometric material from innocent people to be kept for up if it is deemed to be in the interests of national security.

Big Brother Watch claims it is not clear how citizens can have their profiles removed from the database, and that in the absence of detailed plans or a timetable from the Home Office, police forces are continuing to add to it.

Figures show there are now some 6.4m profiles on the database.

Records obtained through Freedom of Information requests by Big Brother Watch suggest that 986,767 samples of DNA were gathered between January 2009 and December 2011.

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DNA of thousands of innocent people still being collected by police

Posted in DNA

Scientists create artificial DNA molecule

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Scientists havesuccessfullycreated a pair of DNA nucleobases, which, likeadenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine in natural DNA, can copy themselves nearly as well as the real thing.

The language of life is about to expand its vocabulary. An international team of researchers discovered that the body's copying machine for DNA works in the same way for manmade, artificial building blocks of DNA as it does for the natural kind.

If scientists find artificial DNA building blocks work well and are safe to use, the extra building materials could create DNA that codes for new molecules that the body can't make now. The artificial DNA could also form the basis of a partlysynthetic organism.

The DNA code in living things is made of four different molecules, called bases, that are nicknamed A, T, C and G. In a double row of DNA, the bases always link up to each other in a specific way, with A's matching with T's and C's matching with G's. In 2008, a team of researchers created a third, artificial pair of DNA molecules made to match with each other, named NaM and 5SICS. In this new study, some of the same researchers used a technique calledX-ray crystallographyto take pictures of A, T, C, G, NaM and 5SICS while they were getting copied in a test tube.

DNA is an important bodily process that happens often, so that cells can pass their genetic information on to new cells that are created all the time, such as skin or blood cells that develop to replace old, worn-out cells.

After NaM and 5SICS were made, several other groups of researchers found that a natural strand of DNA with NaM and 5SICS added to it will still copy itself nearly as well as all-natural DNA. Scientists didn't know why it worked so well. They worried they had somehow "tricked" the body's DNA copying machine, called DNA polymerase, said Floyd Romesberg, a chemist at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif. Romesberg was one of the principal inventors of NaM and 5SICS and was involved inthis new study, published online yesterday (June 3) in the journal Nature Chemical Biology.

The natural base pairs A, C, G and T have specific shapes and line up neatly with each other along their edges when they're inside a DNA helix. Scientists believe their shape and neat fit are important for DNA polymerase to work properly. On the other hand, NaM and 5SICS aren't shaped anything like the natural bases. They don't use the same chemical bonds as natural bases do and they don't line up edge-to-edge. [Move Over, DNA, and Meet the More Durable XNA]

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Scientists create artificial DNA molecule

Posted in DNA

First genome-wide assessment of secretion in human cells

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(Phys.org) -- An international collaboration between scientists in University College Dublin and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) has revealed for the first time that 15% of the proteins encoded by the human genome contribute to the process of secretion in cells. This finding has been made possible through the assessment of more than 8 million individual cells.

This study is the first genome-wide assessment of the secretory process in a human cell system, explains Professor Jeremy Simpson, UCD School of Biology & Environmental Science and UCD Conway Institute, co-author of the research paper published online today in Nature Cell Biology.

Science has long recognised that secretion is a fundamental process, essential to almost all cell types in the body. The process is used to deliver hormones into the blood stream, digestive enzymes into the gut, and signalling molecules between cells.

However, until now, technology did not permit scientists to catalogue the complex pathway that a protein or lipid takes from manufacture to packaging and transporting through the cell to being secreted from the cell.

Previous studies on the secretory process have either been carried out with a more narrow focus on specific subsets of genes or in more simplistic organisms such as the fruit fly (Drosophila) where many of the proteins identified have no human equivalent. Now, using high content screening, we have been able to systematically target each of the 22,000 human genes and track the journey of a specific, fluorescently-tagged protein as it travels through, and out of, over 8 million individual cells.

In order for us to understand the impact on the body when this fundamental process of secretion is disrupted, we must first decipher the functional network of membrane trafficking pathways within the cell.

The researchers analysed more than 700,000 microscopy images and found 554 proteins that influence secretion, with 143 of these either influencing the early stage of the secretory pathway or morphology of the Golgi, a cellular structure responsible for packaging and labelling proteins.

Membrane traffic pathways connect membrane bound organelles in a carefully ordered sequence that ensures the correct complement of proteins and lipids within the cell exist in order to maintain cellular balance or homeostasis.

Image caption: In cells where different genes are silenced (middle, bottom), the site where the secretory processes begins (green) changes compared to normal cells (top). Courtesy of Jeremy Simpson, UCD

Newly synthesized proteins and lipids in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are modified as they pass along the secretory pathway through the Golgi apparatus to the cell surface.

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First genome-wide assessment of secretion in human cells

Raiders’ professor of defense

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It's a good thing that Jason Tarver mastered (as in degree) biochemistry and molecular biology. Because he is taking on much uglier, more complicated material now.

How are the Raiders going to stop the run?

And when he's done with that decade-old problem, Oakland's bright-eyed new defensive coordinator can tackle this brainteaser:

How are the Raiders going to stop the pass?

Oakland, which won eight games last season on the strength of its offense, became one of four teams to allow at least 30 TD passes and 5.0 yards per carry in a season. (Not to mention the entire squad's NFL-record 163 penalties for 1,358 yards.) The Raiders had a lot of high-priced players, but few, if any, playmakers on defense.

And then, in the offseason, Oakland cut leading pass-rusher Kamerion Wimbley for salary-cap reasons and also let go of its two starting cornerbacks, Stanford Routt and Chris Johnson.

The Raiders replaced them with several veterans signed to one-year contracts and rookies drafted after the second round, as they didn't have any early picks.

All of which explains why Tarver can't go into a lot of detail when asked what the Raiders' defense is going to look like. He doesn't know yet.

The team was back on the field for organized workouts Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and Tarver and new head coach Dennis Allen are still in discovery mode.

"Put all these guys out here and see who can play and who can learn and who can communicate and who can fit with your group," Tarver said.

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Raiders' professor of defense

PTSD psychotherapy is enhanced with D-cycloserine

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Public release date: 4-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Rhiannon Bugno Biol.Psych@utsouthwestern.edu 214-648-0880 Elsevier

Philadelphia, PA, June 4, 2012 Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is among the most common, distressing, and disabling medical consequences of combat or other extremely stressful life events. The first-line treatment for PTSD is exposure therapy, a type of behavioral therapy where patients confront their fears in a safe environment. Although it is an effective treatment, many patients still experience symptoms after treatment and there is a relatively high drop-out rate.

In an effort to improve existing treatments, a new study appearing in Biological Psychiatry this week has tested a novel hypothesis about the treatment of PTSD derived from prior work in animal models and other anxiety disorders. They examined whether the impact of psychotherapy could be enhanced by administering D-cycloserine (DCS), a drug that does not directly treat the symptoms of PTSD, but rather promotes neuroplasticity, i.e., makes brain circuits better able to remodel themselves in the context of experience.

To test this, researchers recruited individuals with PTSD, all of whom received up to 10 weekly sessions of exposure therapy. They were randomized to receive doses of either DCS or placebo before each session, but did not know which they were receiving. The severity of their symptoms was assessed before and after treatment.

All patients experienced a reduction in symptoms due to the exposure therapy, regardless of whether they had received DCS augmentation or placebo. However, DCS did enhance the effects of exposure therapy in a specific subgroup of patients. Those who had more severe PTSD prior to treatment and needed longer treatment had a greater reduction in symptoms when they received DCS, compared to those who received placebo.

"Our study showed that some PTSD patients respond well and fast to exposure and for them, there seems no need to augment the therapy. In contrast, those patients with severe PTSD symptoms and who fail to respond to exposure sessions may benefit from augmentation with DCS," explained first author Dr. Rianne de Kleine. "It seems that DCS is beneficial for exactly those patients we aimed for: the more severe patients who do not respond to first-line treatment."

"This approach may have important implications for the treatment of PTSD. Two decades of brain research suggests that severe psychological stress causes atrophy of some of the fine connections in the brain and reductions in the volume of brain regions involved in emotion and memory. Thus, individuals with PTSD may have deficits in neuroplasticity that get in the way of effective treatment," commented Dr. John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry. "D-cycloserine may reduce this deficit in neuroplasticity and increase the response to psychotherapy, in this case a psychotherapy approach that involves exposing people to reminders and memories of the trauma."

The authors conclude that additional work is warranted to explore whether this combination can become an effective intervention to treat the symptoms of PTSD.

###

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Blake and Laura Do The World. Part Two – Laos

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03-06-2012 01:17 Laura and I took a year out to travel the world over 14 different countries. Follow us through our highs and lows over the stunning locations we saw. In part two we journey over Laos and Vietnam. Over the next parts we visit Cambodia,Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia and Peru. Our entire online travel blog can be found here -

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Blake and Laura Do The World. Part Two - Laos

ALTOUR 'Hires' Meetings Industry Veteran

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NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire -06/04/12)- Alexandre Chemla announces Paul Salvatore as Vice President of Sales, for their Meetings Management Division, effective June 4, 2012. Salvatore's 37 years as a veteran of the travel industry, will bring a heightened level of knowledge to our current team.

Salvatore served as CEO of Robustelli World Travel and Corporate Services until being acquired by HRG in Feb. of 2006. Most recently, Salvatore headed HRG's Events and Meetings Management Division as Global Coordinator for the past six years.

Salvatore comments: "I evaluated various opportunities over the past few months, with my choice to join ALTOUR; I feel my clients, both current and future, will receive the highest level of hands-on, high-touch service, bringing flexibility with enhancements to technology solutions in addition to new products."

Salvatore will focus on maintaining and further developing Strategic Meetings Management Programs for ALTOUR's current and expanding customer base. Salvatore comments, "With the broad range of services and resources ALTOUR has to offer, I will have the ability to introduce clients to end-to-end solutions providing them with the complete control of meeting, event and travel spend."

Alexandre Chemla states, "We are excited to welcome Paul to our team, to engage in his knowledge and experience to continue the relentless growth of our Meetings Division." Mary Sue Leathers, President of ALTOUR Meetings, comments: "As we welcome Paul to our team, we look forward to his depth of knowledge to continue the drive of our leading edge in the meeting industry."

ALTOUR Meetings Division has been recognized as one of the top CMI 25, an honor bestowed upon the largest and most influential full-service meeting and incentive travel management companies.

With a $1.3 billion turnover in 2011 and with a workforce of over 1,100 professionals in 57 offices on three continents, ALTOUR is recognized as an international industry leader providing essential travel and service solutions the world over. The company's core remains its renowned business travel management capabilities, though ALTOUR has divisions dedicated to such diverse fields as leisure travel, performance improvement, sports travel, entertainment travel, as well as meetings and event services. ALTOUR's principal divisions are complemented by flexible sister companies providing private air charter services and limousine services. For more information please visit http://www.ALTOUR.com.

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ALTOUR 'Hires' Meetings Industry Veteran

Travel Channel and Gaiam Release The Layover Season 1 on DVD

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NEW YORK, June 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Gaiam, Inc., a leading producer of lifestyle media, announced the release of The Layover Season 1 on DVD under its exclusive home video license agreement with Travel Channel.

The first season of this tourist's delight follows Anthony Bourdain through Europe, Asia, and the United States as he gives travelers some real food for thought: why waste your layover sitting in the airport when you've been given the opportunity to double your vacation fun? From Wheeler's historic seafood restaurant in London to the famous Tiong Bahru Market in Singapore, Bourdain utilizes every moment of his gritty, highly caffeinated journey. He soaks up as much culture as he can within 24 to 48 hours of layover time to provide viewers with the most unpredictable, unique stories of places, people, and their food. Bourdain also shares some top-of-the-line insider tips only the most experienced of travelers would know.

This DVD is comprised of ten episodes on two discs. It has a run time of 430 minutes and a suggested retail price of $19.98 Street date: June 5th, 2012

The Layover Season 1 will be available in stores and online wherever DVDs are sold.

TRAVEL CHANNEL (http://www.travelchannel.com) is a multiplatform travel lifestyle brand with the core mission of providing inspiring and compelling programming that takes viewers beyond their everyday destinations, making the unfamiliar familiar, whether it's around the world or around the block. A dual feed network that is also available in HD, Travel Channel is the world's leading travel media brand, and is available in over 94 million U.S. cable homes. Owned and operated by Scripps Networks Interactive (SNI), Travel Channel has offices in Chevy Chase, MD, and New York, NY. Scripps Networks Interactive (SNI) also owns and operates HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel and Great American Country.

About GAIAM Gaiam, Inc. (GAIA) is a leading producer and marketer of lifestyle media and fitness accessories. With a wide distribution network that consists of 62,000 retail doors, 14,400 store within stores, 5,600 media category management locations, a digital distribution platform and more than 10 million direct customers, Gaiam is dedicated to providing solutions for healthy and eco-conscious living. The company dominates the health and wellness category and releases non-theatrical programming focused on family entertainment and conscious media. In addition, Gaiam has an exclusive licensing agreement with Discovery Communications and other licensing partners. For more information about Gaiam, please visit http://www.gaiam.com or call 1.800.869.3603.

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Travel Channel and Gaiam Release The Layover Season 1 on DVD

Get ‘A Taste of Ireland’ With Friendly Planet Travel’s Facebook Sweepstakes Giveaway

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JENKINTOWN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Friendly Planet Travel, a leading group-tour operator offering tours to exotic destinations worldwide, announced Phase II of its ultimate Win the World Facebook sweepstakes. This month, Friendly Planet will be giving away a free, all-inclusive, 7-day A Taste of Ireland tour to one lucky winner.

The 7-day A Taste of Ireland tour takes one lucky winner and their guest to the emerald isle to visit Irelands most famous destinations: Dublin, Kerry, Cliffs of Moher, Kilkenny Castle, and Limerick. The tour includes round-trip airfare, including fuel surcharges, airfare taxes, and fees; all-ground transportation and transfers; deluxe and superior hotel accommodations; daily Irish breakfast and two dinners; comprehensive touring programs with entrance fees included; English-speaking tour guides; and more. The winner of the giveaway will be announced at the beginning of July on Facebook.

The tour visits Irelands capital city, Dublin, with a trip to County Kerry for a chance to kiss the Blarney Stone. Travelers also visit the Ring of Kerrys spectacular scenery; Dingle Bay; and the Muckross House in the heart of Killarney National Park. A stop at the majestic Cliffs of Moher and the medieval city of Kilkenny rounds out the tour of Ireland.

Ireland is a beautiful destination, with its stunning emerald green countryside, its friendly people, and lively pubs, says Peggy Goldman, President of Friendly Planet Travel. Including this giveaway, we have two more tours to give away over the next two months. Our fans still have a great chance to win.

By becoming a fan and entering the contact on Friendly Planet Travels Facebook page, travelers are entered to win one of the exotic getaways being given away in the Win the World Facebook Sweepstakes. To receive extra entries, fans can share the sweepstakes with their Facebook friends. For every friend a traveler refers to enter the giveaway, that travelers name will be added to the pool again, increasing their chances of winning.

Steven Phillips of New York is the luck winner of Mays giveaway, a getaway on Friendly Planet Travels 8-day Best of Turkey tour valued at more than $4,000!

After A Taste of Ireland, one giveaway remains: Taj Mahal Express: a nine-day tour, valued at more than $4,000, takes travelers to fascinating and exotic Delhi; Agra; the Taj Mahal, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the worlds most famous monuments; and the Pink City of Jaipur.

For more information about Friendly Planet Travel, please visit the companys website at http://www.FriendlyPlanet.com; the blog at blog.FriendlyPlanet.com; or contact Jackie Zima-Evans at 610-228-2138 (office), 215-534-2973 (mobile), or write to Jackie@GregoryFCA.com. To enter to win and for continual updates about the giveaways, check out Friendly Planet Travels Facebook page.

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Get ‘A Taste of Ireland’ With Friendly Planet Travel’s Facebook Sweepstakes Giveaway

What does the world think of Aussie travellers?

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Do the rest of the world think Australians are dumb, drunk and racist? Source: The Courier-Mail

THE good news is that, courtesy of the still sprightly though now falling Australian dollar, more of us than any time in our history have the ability to travel overseas, and in considerably more style than ever before.

The bad news is that with more and more Australians unleashed on the world the chances of the drongos, drunks and racists among us disgracing ourselves abroad must have, statistically, increased.

Paul Theroux infamously wrote in The Great Railway Bazaar, the classic travel book from the 1970s on his train journey from London to Hong Kong and back again, that whenever he was at his lowest ebb on his travels he always seemed to meet an Australian (and, no, he didn't mean he was glad to see us).

Recently Tim Hunter, boss of Canterbury & Christchurch Tourism, effectively accused normally bravura-driven Aussies of being wimps in shying away from a visit to New Zealand's quake-struck second biggest city.

Now there's a forthcoming ABC television series, provocatively-entitled Dumb, Drunk & Racist.

It tests the theory that Indians, based on call-centre training sessions, consider Australians to be "fat, lazy, drunk, low-class, dumb and racist".

This habit of Australians worrying what other nationalities think of us if they have a view of us at all - used to be known as "the cultural cringe".

In an increasing competitive world reputations do count, and it's fair to say that each and every one of us are ambassadors whenever and wherever we set foot abroad.

Here are some thoughts on how were perceived overseas.

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What does the world think of Aussie travellers?

Supermicro® Hadoop Solutions Accelerate Innovation with Launch of EMC® …

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1,000 Node High-Performance, Scalable, Compute and Storage Clusters Support Open Test Platform for Apache Hadoop Development Community

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Super Micro Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMCI), a global leader in high-performance, high-efficiency server technology and green computing, announces its 1,000 node Apache Hadoop cluster is now live with the launch of EMC's Greenplum Analytics Workbench this week at EMC World in Las Vegas, Nevada. Supermicro joins EMC and their industry leading partners in a collaborative effort to create the world's largest open lab environment for Apache Hadoop testing and development. This open platform offers Hadoop developers access to a large scale infrastructure for testing, refining and enhancing their Big Data analytics applications.

"Supermicro appreciates the opportunity to collaborate with our technology and solution partners on this landmark Hadoop project," said Wally Liaw, Vice President Sales, International at Supermicro. "The launch of Greenplum Analytics Workbench is the result of EMC's creative vision and a tribute to the value of working together to inspire and accelerate innovation in a rapidly developing technology. Supermicro's contribution supports the Hadoop development community with our most application optimized server and storage solutions for EMC's Greenplum Analytics Workbench and we look forward to the resulting insights and knowledge sharing so we can further improve our products to deliver the best solutions for this emerging analytics platform."

Supermicro's enterprise-class compute and storage systems offer the ideal platform for organizations looking to quickly implement or transition to Hadoop analytics and a flexible, cost-effective path to scalability as business needs evolve. Supermicro offers world-class integration (build & test) and support capabilities. Supermicro's contribution to the Greenplum Analytics Workbench consists of 1,000 dual-processor nodes with 12,000/24,000 Cores/Threads, 48 Terabytes of memory and 24 Petabytes of storage. System configurations optimized for this installation's requirements are based on Supermicro 2U SuperServer Solutions supporting:

- Dual Intel Xeon processors - Up to 192GB RAM with 12 DDR3 RDIMMs - 5 PCI-E 2.0 expansion slots - Onboard LSI 2008 6.0Gbps disk controller - Dual LAN with Intel 82576 Gigabit Ethernet Controller - Dedicated IPMI remote management port - 12 hot-swap 3.5" HDDs - Redundant 500 Watt Platinum Level high-efficiency (94%+) power supplies

"EMC Greenplum is pleased to have Supermicro contributing their systems and integration expertise along with our other technology partners Intel, Mellanox Technologies, Micron, Seagate, Switch and VMware to this development project," said Jim Totte, Director of Business Development at EMC Greenplum. "We worked closely with Supermicro's design teams to fine-tune system specifications for the optimum balance between performance and efficiency during peak power-draw on typical Greenplum Analytics Workbench workloads. We are excited to go live with this test platform to help the global Hadoop developer community and foster innovation in the Big Data analytics field."

For complete information on Supermicro's high performance, high-efficiency server and storage solutions optimized for Apache Hadoop, visit http://www.supermicro.com/Hadoop. For more information on Greenplum Analytics Workbench, visit http://www.greenplum.com/solutions/analytics-workbench.

About Super Micro Computer, Inc. Supermicro (NASDAQ: SMCI), the leading innovator in high-performance, high-efficiency server technology is a premier provider of advanced server Building Block Solutions for Data Center, Cloud Computing, Enterprise IT, HPC and Embedded Systems worldwide. Supermicro is committed to protecting the environment through its "We Keep IT Green" initiative and provides customers with the most energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly solutions available on the market.

Supermicro, SuperServer, Building Block Solutions and We Keep IT Green are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Super Micro Computer, Inc.

EMC and Greenplum are registered trademarks of EMC Corporation. All other brands, names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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Supermicro® Exhibits its Latest X9 Server and Storage Innovations at Computex, Taiwan

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TAIPEI, Taiwan, June 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Super Micro Computer, Inc. (SMCI), a global leader in high-performance, high-efficiency server technology and green computing, displays its full range of computing solutions optimized for large scale IT deployments at Computex, Taiwan June 5-9. Exhibits will include a vast selection of X9 Server Solutions, Serverboards, SuperBlade, SuperWorkstations and SuperStorage systems with the latest Intel Xeon E5-2600/4600/2400 and E3-1200 v2 series processors optimized for a wide range of applications across Data Center, Cloud Computing, HPC and Embedded environments. Rounding out their exhibit, Supermicro will demo complete integrated solutions in a SuperRack with their 10GbE top-of-rack network switch and their Server Management Software optimizing the power and performance of the interconnected systems.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120604/AQ17773-a)

"At Computex, we highlight our X9 generation solutions, the largest development endeavor in Supermicro's history," said Charles Liang, President and CEO of Supermicro. "Our latest products deliver highly scalable computing and storage solutions to our customers with 30-40% performance and efficiency gains across the board when compared to prior generation products. Our innovations in free-air cooling system designs that withstand extreme 47 degrees C operating conditions, high-efficiency (95%+) digital switching power supplies and battery backup power modules, data center server management software and integration of the industry's latest processor technologies combine to drive energy costs down and provide the fastest ROI without compromise in performance."

As the company enters into the second half of 2012, Supermicro is bringing even more innovative technologies to market that will further offset costs of future computing demands. For example, the company's next generation Twin architecture, called FatTwin is scheduled to be shown in Computex to partners, while the general public can expect to have access to the platform within the next few weeks.

At the show Supermicro will demo its latest energy efficient green server solutions designed to reduce air conditioning costs by operating at extended temperature ranges of 0 degrees C to 47 degrees C. The 1U SYS-6017R-TDAF supports 4x hot-swap 3.5" SATA HDDs and the 2U SYS-6027R-TDARF supports 8x hot-swap 3.5" SATA HDDs. Both servers, based on Supermicro's MBD-X9DRD-iF serverboard, are designed specifically for free-air cooled operation to help Data Centers achieve the lowest possible power usage effectiveness (PUE < 1.1). These servers will be interconnected through Supermicro's new 52-port SSE-G2252P 1G, Layer 2 Top-of-Rack Ethernet switch which operates at up to 50 degrees C and features Energy Efficient Ethernet along with Power over Ethernet (PoE) support. This integrated demo will be housed in Supermicro's 42U SuperRack and managed via Supermicro Data Center Management software which provides configuration and monitoring for efficient energy management down to individual nodes within a large scale deployment. Supermicro will also showcase battery backup power (BBP) modules that can potentially reduce data center electricity expenses up to 10% and can eliminate/reduce the footprint of UPS in data centers.

On the Data Center, HPC and Cloud computing front Supermicro will showcase its MicroCloud (SYS-5037MR-H8TRF) supporting 8x modular hot-swap UP (uni-processor) nodes in 3U, a high-density 2U Twin(2)(SYS-6027TR-H70FRF) with 4x hot-swap DP (dual-processor) nodes in 2U. Supermicro's flexible WIO (wide I/O) SuperServers in 1U UP (SYS-5017R-WRF) and 2U DP (SYS-6027R-N3RFT+) configurations offering maximum I/O and networking expandability. Storage solutions will also be exhibited including the 2U SuperStorage server (SSG-6027R-E1R12N) supporting 768GB of memory and 12x hot-swap 3.5" SAS2/SATA3 HDDs as well as an early look at Super SBB High Availability Storage server SSG-2027R-DE2R24L featuring 24x 2.5" HDD bays shared between both server nodes.

For HPC applications Supermicro will display its high-compute density SuperBlade featuring the TwinBlade (SBI-7227R-T2) with two processors per node for up to 40 CPUs (320 cores) in 7U and X9 GPU Blade (SBI-7127RG) offering two CPUs and two GPUs per blade, a whopping 20 GPUs and 20 CPUs in 7U enclosure. X9 GPU supercomputing is further promoted with the 1U 4 GPU Server (SYS-027GR-TQFT) and 2U 6/4 GPU server (SYS-2027GR-TRF). In addition, Supermicro will show its 5U 8-Way (SYS-5086B-TRF), 1U/4U/Tower 4-way (SYS-8017R-TF+/ SYS-8047R-7RFT+) configurations.

Additional exhibits include the recently announced SYS-7047GR-TRF SuperWorkstation with NVIDIA Maximus Certification offering engineers, researchers and designers unrivaled supercomputing performance to simultaneously design, render and simulate on a single machine with Supermicro's industry leading 5x GPU (4x Tesla, 1x Quadro) configuration. A high-end X9 SuperWorkstation (SYS-5037A-i) with up to 256GB of memory, ideal for a variety of business and professional applications will be on display along with the new Tower SuperServer SYS-7047R-TXRF offering 11x PCI-E slots for ultimate expandability.

Supermicro will also have a variety of AMD Opteron 6000 series processor based systems in Tower DP (AS-4022G-6F) and MP 4-Way (AS-4042G-TRF), 2U Twin(2) DP (AS-2122TG-HIBQRF) and 2U DP UIO (AS-2022G-URF4+) systems on display at the show.

Visit Supermicro at Computex, Taipei 2012 in booth #M0633a or browse Supermicro's total line of high performance, high-efficiency server and storage solutions at http://www.supermicro.com.

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Supermicro® Exhibits its Latest X9 Server and Storage Innovations at Computex, Taiwan