Monthly Archives: June 2012

Obamacare & Health Care ETFs: What You Need To Know

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After a slew of announcements early Monday prompted speculation that a decision on health care legislation was imminent, we learned that Thursday will be the day for one of the most heavily anticipated rulings in the last several years. The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling on the health care legislation that was passed in 2010, bringing a conclusion to years of legal wrangling and politicking behind the scenes. The justices are expected to issue a split opinion, and analysts have been divided over how they will rule. Given the far-reaching impact of the decision, the health care sector figures to see increased scrutiny and trading volumes throughout the week.

Analysts see a wide range of possible outcomes in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling, with potential positives and negatives for the health care industry. In a recent research note, S&P Capital IQ ETF Analyst Todd Rosenbluth outlined three possible scenarios for Thursdays announcement and gave some thoughts on what each would mean for the health care sector [sign up for the free ETFdb newsletter]:

Under this scenario, which is deemed to be the most positive for the health care industry, the Supreme Court would essentially side with the Obama administration and rule that the mandate for individual insurance is constitutional and can be implemented as scheduled. This could represent a win for the health care sector since it would lead directly to an inflow of more than 30 million additional insured customers over the next several years (beginning in 2014).

In the current political environment, however, this scenario could lead to additional uncertainty for the health care industry. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has vowed to repeal the health care package if elected, which could lead to additional doubt over the long term prospects for the law if the November election is close as expected. The implementation and subsequent repeal of the entire law would translate into major expenditures for the health care sector, potentially creating a short term drag on efficiency and profit margins.

This is the best case scenario for health care ETFs

Another possibility is that the Supreme Court determines the individual mandate to be unconstitutional, and further rules that the mandate is a primary component of the legislation. That would mean that the individual mandate cant be stripped out from the rest of the law, and the Court would effectively invalidate the entire law. This would lead to healthcare reform eventually being rolled back entirely, which would likely be a complex process.

S&P sees this as a neutral outcome for the health care sector in general; while the loss of millions of new insured individuals would dramatically reduce growth potential, the elimination of the various fees, taxes, and regulations that are part of the overhaul would disappear as well.

This scenario would likely be neutral to health care ETFs

This hybrid scenario could be the worst possible outcome for the health care industry. Its very possible that the Court rules the individual mandate unconstitutional but allows the rest of the law to be implemented as planned. That could be the worst of both worlds for health care providers; the pipeline of 30 million new insured Americans would essentially be emptied, while the various taxes and regulatory burdens would remain in place. According to the Congressional Budget Office, striking down the individual mandate would result in about 16 million additional Americans obtaining health insurance. Many of those would come through the expansion of Medicaid, which would weigh on profit margins of health care companies.

This is the worst case scenario for health care ETFs

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Obamacare & Health Care ETFs: What You Need To Know

Health-care ruling won't stop the headaches

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WASHINGTON Saving its biggest case for last, the Supreme Court is expected to announce its verdict today on President Barack Obamas health care law.

The outcome is likely to be a factor in the presidential campaign and help define John Roberts legacy as chief justice.

But the courts ruling almost certainly will not be the last word on Americas tangled efforts to address health care woes. The problems of high medical costs, widespread waste and tens of millions of people without insurance will require Congress and the president to keep looking for answers, whether or not the Affordable Care Act passes the test of constitutionality.

A look at potential outcomes:

Q: What if the Supreme Court upholds the law and finds Congress was within its authority to require most people to have health insurance or pay a penalty?

A: That would settle the legal argument, but not the political battle.

The clear winners if the law is upheld and allowed to take full effect would be uninsured people in the United States, estimated at more than 50 million.

Starting in 2014, most could get coverage through a mix of private insurance and Medicaid.

Republicans would keep trying to block the law. They will try to elect likely presidential candidate Mitt Romney, backed by a GOP House and Senate, and repeal the law, although their chances of repeal would seem to be diminished by the courts endorsement.

Obama would feel the glow of vindication for his hard-fought health overhaul, but it might not last long even if hes re-elected.

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Health-care ruling won't stop the headaches

Health care ruling: Five scenarios

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The Supreme Court is set to rule on the constitutionality of the controversial health care law passed in 2010.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court is set to release its much-anticipated rulings on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, the comprehensive health care law enacted two years ago.

The election-year rulings will not only guide how every American receives medical care but will also establish precedent-setting boundaries for how government regulation can affect a range of social areas. Your health and your finances could be on the line.

The outcome's possibilities are myriad: a narrow or sweeping decision? A road map to congressional authority in coming decades? Which bloc of justices, which legal argument will win the day?

Here are five scenarios -- strategic markers of a sort -- to watch as the high court weighs in on health care.

Wait another day?

The first question the high court tackled in its seven-hour marathon argument in March was something few observers had expected: It boiled down to whether the law's individual mandate is a "tax" that could prevent the court from considering the broader constitutional questions.

A little-known federal law -- the Anti-Injunction Act, dating back to 1867-- bars claimants from asking for a refund on a tax until it has been paid.

This "gateway" issue could render moot all the other pending health care questions if the justices think the minimum coverage requirement amounts to a tax.

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Health care ruling: Five scenarios

My Life. My Medicine. – Luke’s Story – Video

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28-06-2012 02:51 Luke is an eighteen-year-old medical marijuana patient in California. He has been suffering from a rare genetic skin disorder his whole life that causes his skin can to blister and tear with just slight contact. He is required to have hand and throat surgery every few years in order to live more comfortably. At age sixteen, Luke first tried medical marijuana to help aid his symptoms. These symptoms include pain, night terrors, loss of appetite, insomnia, and isolation. Since then, Luke has seen improvements in all areas. Because of their higher potency, Luke has found that medical marijuana concentrates help him sleep better. He discovered the G-Pen personal vaporizer for it's ease of use compared to traditional methods of ingestion. Luke has now taken his crusade for the legalization of medical marijuana to new heights as he visits with the WeedMaps team to get the message out. Please take a moment and listen to Luke tell you his story of bravery and achievement over all odds. His story will inspire you. The G Pen - Vaporizer Pen

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My Life. My Medicine. - Luke's Story - Video

Fetal tests spur legal battle

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Several tests are now available that can analyse fetal DNA present in a pregnant woman's blood.

BSIP/PHOTOTAKE

Genetic tests that analyse fetal DNA from a pregnant woman's blood are arriving in a rush, giving parents powerful tools for gleaning information about their unborn offspring. Three companies have launched versions of such tests in the past 12 months, and a fourth plans to do so later this year.

But the commercialization of these tests has brought a legal battle that could not only affect corporate profits, but also limit which patients will be able to access the tests and under what terms. The tangle of lawsuits may also offer a taste of future conflicts in the rapidly growing medical-genomics industry.

If a single company has a monopoly on the market, it will essentially be able to dictate the standard of care and the quality of care, says Mildred Cho, a bioethicist at the Stanford University School of Medicine in California.

The four firms are all based in California Sequenom in San Diego, Ariosa Diagnostics in San Jose, and Verinata Health and Natera, both in Redwood City and use similar techniques to identify fetal DNA in maternal blood samples. The tests can spot genetic abnormalities, such as those that cause Down's syndrome, as early as ten weeks after conception several weeks sooner than tests already in use. In studies of women at high risk of carrying offspring with Down's syndrome, the tests also produced fewer false positives.

Patents are at the core of the conflict (see 'Blood feuds'). Sequenom licensed the method for detection of cell-free fetal DNA in a mother's bloodstream in 2005, and it now says that other companies are infringing this patent.

A spate of prenatal DNA tests has brought with it a host of legal disputes.

14 OCTOBER 2005

Sequenom licenses a patent for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis.

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Fetal tests spur legal battle

LIFE's Ion Suite Thrives on Tie-Ups

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Life Technologies Corporation (LIFE) has entered into several collaborations to expand the scope of sequencing. The latest in a line of alliances is with Boston Children's Hospital. The tie-up is meant to develop an end-to-end genetic sequencing lab workflow based on the companys Ion Proton sequencer. This collaboration will facilitate treatment decisions for patients with complicated conditions.

The tie-up with Boston Children's Hospital comes on the heels of collaboration with the University of North Texas Health Science Centers Institute of Applied Genetics. Both parties would utilize the company's Ion Personal Genome Machine (PGM) system for implementation of best technologies in forensics DNA analyses. Training forensic analysts on the application of next generation sequencing will be a key output of the collaboration.

In another development, Life Technologies partnered with the Hospital for Sick Children to advance pediatric genomic research on the Ion Proton sequencer. Under the agreement, numerous clinical research samples will be mapped daily using the sequencing platform in the hospital's newly launched Centre for Genetic Medicine. The Ion Proton sequencer, which relies on semiconductor chips, is designed to sequence an entire human genome in a day for $1,000. This is much faster and less expensive than traditional next generation systems.

Life Technologies Genetic Analysis business received a strong boost from the Ion Torrent franchise. This franchise was inducted into the companys portfolio with the acquisition of Ion Torrent, a DNA sequencing company, in October 2010. The company realized robust growth from its Ion PGM in the last few quarters. Launched in December 2010, shipment placements of the Ion PGM numbered 700 at the end of 2011.

Maintaining the upbeat trend, sales of the PGM rose during the last reported quarter. The company is satisfied with the progress made so far with Ion Torrent technologies and expects the growth momentum to continue. This growth will be supported by more PGM placements and the scheduled launch of the Ion Proton Benchtop sequencer in the second half of 2012.

The sequencing market has become competitive with the presence of Illumina (ILMN). Moreover, another player, Qiagen (QGEN) is also entering the next generation sequencing market.

We have a Neutral recommendation on Life Technologies. The stock retains a Zacks #3 Rank (hold) in the short term.

Read the Full Research Report on ILMN

Read the Full Research Report on QGEN

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LIFE's Ion Suite Thrives on Tie-Ups

Researchers develop vaccine to treat nicotine addiction

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Researchers have developed a vaccine that successfully treated nicotine addiction in mice, according to a study published Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine.

With just a single dose, the vaccine protected mice against nicotine addiction for the rest of their lives, the researchers said. The vaccine works by prompting the animals liver to act as a factory that continually produces antibodies. The antibodies then absorb the nicotine as soon as it hits the bloodstream, preventing it from reaching the brain or the heart.

According to the studys lead investigator, Dr. Ronald Crystal, chairman and professor of Genetic Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, it normally takes nicotine about six to 10 seconds to cross the bloodstream, reach the brain and bind to receptors. This is what produces the calm or relaxed feelings that drive nicotine addiction. By blocking nicotine from reaching the brain, the antibodies prevent those pleasurable feelings from occurring.

"As far as we can see, the best way to treat chronic nicotine addiction from smoking is to have these Pacman-like antibodies on patrol, clearing the blood as needed before nicotine can have any biological effect," Crystal said in a released statement.

Importantly, the vaccine allows the body to build up its own immunity against nicotine, making it more effective and consistent than vaccines developed in the past.

Crystal said previous nicotine vaccines likely failed because they directly injected nicotine antibodies into the body, rather than prompting the body to build its own antibodies. This meant these passive vaccines had to be injected multiple times, because they only lasted for three to four weeks, and the dosage level required may have varied from person to personparticularly if the person started smoking again.

On the other hand, the researchers knew the second main type of vaccines, known as active vaccines, wouldnt protect against nicotine addiction either. Active vaccinesused to protect people against viruses such as polio or the mumpswork by introducing a piece of a virus into the body, which in turn prompts the body to develop a lifelong immune response against the invading agent. However, nicotine molecules are too small for the immune system to recognize.

As a result, the researchers had to develop a third kind of vaccine: a genetic vaccine, which works by binding the genetic sequence of a nicotine antibody to a non-harmful virus. The virus is directed to go to the liver cells, and the genetic sequence of the antibody then inserts itself into those cells, causing the cells to produce a stream of the antibodies along with the other molecules they make.

We can target almost any organ [with this type of vaccine], but the reason for using the liver is that it is a very good secretory organ, Crystal told FoxNews.com. The liver is very good at making and secreting many proteins, so we just genetically modified the liver cells to also make antibodies against nicotine.

Crystal said he first thought of the concept behind the vaccine a few years ago while passing by a newsstand. I saw a magazine cover that said something along the lines of Addiction: We Need Vaccines and got this idea to use gene therapy.

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Researchers develop vaccine to treat nicotine addiction

Vaccine stops nicotine from reaching the brain, may prevent addiction

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(CBS News) Trying to quit smoking? It's tough - studies suggest 70 to 80 percent of people who try to quit smoke within six months.

That's because nicotine is so addictive, says Dr. Ronald G. Crystal, chairman and professor of Genetic Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. Crystal's team has announced they've successfully tested a new vaccine that may treat nicotine addiction.

Crystal told HealthPop that many stop-smoking campaigns try to attack the source of smoking, cigarettes, but what his team wanted to do was find a way to block the sensation nicotine provides in the brain that makes smoking so addictive.

"Smoking is a terrible problem in society," Crystal told HealthPop. "It's enormously costly to our society, not only the pain and suffering, but the amount of health care costs. In that sense, it's important for us to develop strategies that in fact will be effective."

His team's vaccine is described in the June 27 issue of Science Translational Medicine. How does it work?

Much like vaccines for diseases that create antibodies to fight infection, the vaccine creates antibodies against nicotine. However, previous attempts at similar vaccines have failed because within a few weeks the antibodies are gone, which won't exactly help people stay smoke-free.

Crystal's team developed a vaccine that contains a virus consisting of a genetic sequence they engineered from a nicotine antibody, and injected it into the liver of mice. The injection genetically modifies the liver to churn out nicotine antibodies, along with other cells it typically makes, thus providing a nicotine antibody "factory" in the body. That suggests the effect won't diminish over time like that of other antibodies. The antibodies then work by targeting the nicotine cells within seconds of exposure and preventing them from reaching receptors in the brain that provide the "chill out" feeling, as Crystal called it.

"The antibodies are little Pac-men that like nicotine and just gobble it up," Crystal said.

When mice are given nicotine, they experience reduced blood pressure and heart activity and appear "chilled out," which suggests the nicotine reached their brains. But mice tested with the new vaccine appeared just as active as they were before, as measured by infrared beams in their cages.

"It's like giving them water - nothing happens," Crystal said. However he added that there was a caveat to his study: "Mice aren't small humans."

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Vaccine stops nicotine from reaching the brain, may prevent addiction

First Genetic Cure For Cancer Anchors Provocative New Thriller

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Author Steve Hadden returns with a riveting story of greed and redemption.Dallas, TX (PRWEB) June 27, 2012 What would happen if a groundbreaking advance in medicine fell into the hands of a desperate Wall Street executive, hell-bent on taking the company public and turning a huge profit… no matter the cost. In his newest novel, "Genetic Imperfections", author Steve Hadden deftly guides readers ...

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First Genetic Cure For Cancer Anchors Provocative New Thriller

Advances in genetic testing allow for more personalized medical treatments

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Close up of laboratory microscope (Matthew Jones)

"Without question, man's knowledge of man is undergoing the greatest revolution since Leonardo. In many ways personalized medicine is already here." - Dr. Francis Collins

That quote, from Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, was used at the beginning of a report on genetic testing by UnitedHealth Group's Center for Health Reform & Modernization.

The report, "Personalized Medicine: Trends and prospects for the new science of genetic testing and molecular diagnostics," was released in March.

For the paper, the organization surveyed the public on their familiarity with genetic testing. While 71 percent said they were familiar with the concept, only one in two indicated they were knowledgable about genetic science.

So the Los Angeles News Group spoke with doctors at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to shed light on this rapidly evolving field of health care.

Genetic testing analyzes a person's genetic material, including genes and biomarkers. While a person's complete DNA can be decoded, a process called whole genome sequencing, researchers don't know how to interpret all of the information quite yet. Currently, tests can be used to detect 2,500 conditions, according to UnitedHealth.

"The whole genetic testing story is linked to an entire paradigm in medicine that is evolving, and that is personalized medicine," says Dr. Mahul Amin, chairman of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at

Amin's research focuses on uncovering biomarkers for cancer - particularly of the prostate, bladder, kidney and testis - that will allow for personalized treatment of patients with these diseases.

A biomarker is a biochemical, genetic or molecular characteristic that acts as an indicator of a particular biological condition.

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Advances in genetic testing allow for more personalized medical treatments

PlantBricks

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The iGEM team that I helped advise a couple years ago recently published a short paper about their project in the Journal of Biological Engineering (open access!). We were inspired to think about plant engineering in the context of iGEM and standardized genetic parts, in part thanks to an interesting passage in Stewart Brands book Whole Earth Discipline. In his chapter on genetic engineering, Brand writes:

One can imagine organic crops biotically engineered as Rachel Carson might do it. They would be designed in detail to protect and improve the soil they grow in, to foil the specific pets and weeds that threaten them, to blend well with other organic crops and with beneficial insects, to increase carbon fixation in the soil and reduce the release of methane and nitrous oxide, to be as nutritious and delicious as science can make them, and to invite further refinement by the growers.

Along with genetic BioBricks, let there be AgriBricks to finesse crop genomes for local ecological and economic fitness. (If Monsanto throws a fit, tell them that if theyre polite, you might license back to them the locally attuned tweaks youve made to their patented gene array. Pretty soon theyor some company that replaces themwill be providing you with lab equipment.)

Our project and the final paper were obviously of much much smaller scope, but we hope that other iGEM teams will be inspired to work with plants and to use our BioBricks to build something great. Heres the abstract:

Background Plant biotechnology can be leveraged to produce food, fuel, medicine, and materials. Standardized methods advocated by the synthetic biology community can accelerate the plant design cycle, ultimately making plant engineering more widely accessible to bioengineers who can contribute diverse creative input to the design process.

Results This paper presents work done largely by undergraduate students participating in the 2010 International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition. Described here is a framework for engineering the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana with standardized, BioBrick compatible vectors and parts available through the Registry of Standard Biological Parts (www.partsregistry.org). This system was used to engineer a proof-of-concept plant that exogenously expresses the taste-inverting protein miraculin.

Conclusions Our work is intended to encourage future iGEM teams and other synthetic biologists to use plants as a genetic chassis. Our workflow simplifies the use of standardized parts in plant systems, allowing the construction and expression of heterologous genes in plants within the timeframe allotted for typical iGEM projects.

And you can download the paper (currently only a provisional PDF) from the Journal:

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PlantBricks

New Smoking Vaccine Using Gene Therapy Being Developed

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Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Smoking / Quit Smoking Also Included In: Immune System / Vaccines Article Date: 28 Jun 2012 - 2:00 PDT

Current ratings for: New Smoking Vaccine Using Gene Therapy Being Developed

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In a study reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine this week, Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City show how a single dose of the vaccine protected mice, over their lifetime, against nicotine addiction.

The addictive properties of the nicotine in tobacco smoke is a huge barrier to success with current smoking cessation approaches, say the authors in their paper.

Previous work using gene therapy vaccination in mice to treat certain eye disorders and tumors, gave them the idea a similar approach might work against nicotine.

The new anti-nicotine vaccine is based on an adeno-associated virus (AAV) engineered to be harmless. The virus carries two pieces of genetic information: one that causes anti-nicotine monoclonal antibodies to be created, and the other that targets its insertion into the nucleus of specific cells in the liver, the hepatocytes.

The result is the animal's liver becomes a factory continuously producing antibodies that gobble up the nicotine as soon as it enters the bloodstream, denying it the opportunity to enter the brain.

The researchers write:

"In mice treated with this vector, blood concentrations of the anti-nicotine antibody were dose-dependent, and the antibody showed high specificity and affinity for nicotine."

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New Smoking Vaccine Using Gene Therapy Being Developed

Gene therapy curbs nicotine addiction in mice

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Forget patches: gene therapy could suppress cigarette cravings by preventing the brain from receiving nicotine. The treatment is effective in mice, but with gene therapy still not fully tested in people, human trials and treatments are a long way off.

For drug users who really can't quit, vaccination might one day be an option, and several groups have attempted to develop such treatments.

But nicotine vaccines have mostly flopped. This is because nicotine is a very small molecule, so the immune system has difficulty recognising the drug and making antibodies that bind it. Physicians can inject antibodies directly into a patient, but this treatment quickly becomes expensive because the antibodies don't last long.

Ronald Crystal of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York and his team decided to bypass that problem by putting the gene for a nicotine antibody right into the body.

They selected the strongest antibody against nicotine from a mouse and isolated the gene that produced it. They then placed this gene into a carrier called adeno-associated virus (AAV), which is widely used for gene therapy.

When the researchers injected the virus and its cargo into nicotine-addicted mice, the rodents' livers took up the virus, began making antibodies and pumped them into the bloodstream. The researchers injected two cigarettes' worth of nicotine into AAV-infected mice. The antibodies were able to bind 83 per cent of the drug before it reached the brain.

Without their drug, the mice's behaviour changed. Nicotine usually causes mice to "chill out", Crystal says, but the researchers found that the treated mice stayed active and their heart rates stayed normal when they received nicotine.

Eighteen weeks later, the mice's livers were still making the antibody, suggesting that the therapy might render nicotine useless to smokers for long periods.

Jude Samulski at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who was part of the team that developed AAV as a gene therapy vector, says he's "ecstatic" that the vector has come so far. He calls the research "a gorgeous piece of work" that has "leapfrogged" the difficulties faced by vaccines.

But he has doubts about whether gene therapy is well-tested enough to be used to treat nicotine addiction. So far, AAV has been clinically tested in people with HIV or terminal cancer where potential benefits far outweigh the risks. "It's ahead of its time. In 10 years there may be enough safety data," he says. "Quitting smoking might be easier."

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Gene therapy curbs nicotine addiction in mice

Gene Therapy Against Nicotine May Someday Help Smokers Quit

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By Elizabeth Lopatto - 2012-06-27T18:00:00Z

An experimental vaccine againstnicotine, delivered using gene therapy, prevents the substance from reaching the brain and may make quitting easier for smokers, a study using mice indicates.

A single dose of vaccine allowed the liver to produce antibodies that stopped most of the nicotine from getting to the brain, according to a study in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The concentration of nicotine in the brains of treated mice was just 15 percent of that in untreated ones.

Of the more than 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke, it is nicotine that leads to addiction, the researchers wrote. Keeping the substance away from the brain might stymie nicotines addictive power by preventing smokers from enjoying their cigarettes, giving them no incentive to relapse, said Ronald Crystal, one of the studys researchers.

This looks really terrific if youre a mouse, but the caveat is that they arent small humans, said Crystal, the chairman of genetic medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, in a telephone interview.

The gene therapy delivers the vaccine to the liver using a virus engineered not to be harmful. The gene sequence for the antibodies is inserted into liver cells, which then begin to create antibodies to nicotine.

The antibody is floating around like Pac-Man in the blood, Crystal said. If you give the nicotine and the anti- nicotine gobbles it up, it doesnt reach the brain.

The idea of vaccines against nicotine has emerged before, in the form of injections used to trigger an immune response. Those methods proved ineffective, according to the researchers. They turned to gene therapy to trigger production of antibodies.

About 20 percent of U.S. adults are smokers, and most relapse shortly after quitting.

We dont have very effective therapies, Crystal said. The problem is even with the drugs we have now, 70 percent of people go back to smoking within 6 months of trying to quit.

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Gene Therapy Against Nicotine May Someday Help Smokers Quit

Futurist: Computers to Outsmart Humans by 2029

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Computers will soon be able to pass the Turing Test, convincing human judges that they too are humans, says Ray Kurzweil.

Photo courtesy Chris Devers

Kismet the robot at the MIT Museum.

Futurist and tech inventor Ray Kurzweil told an audience this week that by 2029, computers' reasoning will be on par with that of humans, the Wall Street Journal reports. Kurzweil made the declaration in an onstage interview at the Journal's CFO Network annual conference in Washington.

By 2029, Kurzweil predicts, computers will have the capacity to pass the Turing test--a criterion proposed in 1950 by English mathematician Alan Turing to determine whether a machine can "think." Passing the test would mean that a human judge could not distinguish between artificial intelligence and human thoughts.

Kurzweil based his argument in the rate of technological innovation, the Journal reports: As technology continues to grow at an exponential rate, things that seemed like science fiction years ago will soon become attainable, he said.

Some of Kurzweil's other seemingly sci-fi predictions included humans eventually being able to store knowledge outside of their brains, to access when needed, and the implantation of tiny computers into a person's body to help stave off disease and live longer, according to the report.

The idea of sentient computers matching wits with humans brings about obvious comparison to a litany of science fiction horror stories. But Kurzweil says he is not worried about deploying the sentinels.

"We're not creating these machines to displace us," he said in the interview. "We create these machines to make ourselves smarter."

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Futurist: Computers to Outsmart Humans by 2029

Freedom Days kicks holiday off on Friday in Farmington

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FARMINGTON Every year, the buzz surrounding Freedom Days can be heard early in summer. It's grown into an event that businesses, families and the entire community looks forward to all year.

"Freedom Days is a great family oriented event that not only attracts locals but draws interest region wide," said Tonya Stinson, interim Farmington Convention & Visitors Bureau manager. "With great community minded sponsors and committee members that work hard to keep it going, it offers high quality, fun and inexpensive activities for people of all ages to enjoy. It is a great way to honor and remember the freedoms we are so fortunate to have in this country and those that fight to protect our freedoms."

Celebrating its 26th year, Freedom Days has events spread throughout the five-day celebration that begins Friday.

The annual Gem and Mineral Show runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, at the Farmington Civic Center.

Rock collectors from all over venture to this show to bring the best of what they have or to find one-of-a-kind pieces to add to their collections.

A silent auction will take place as well as a raffle, with proceeds to be used toward funding a scholarship for a San Juan College geology student.

What has grown to become a staple during Freedom Days, the Sullivan Hill fireworks display will take place Tuesday night beginning around 9:25 p.m.

The best places for viewing are from Gateway Park or San

A Freedom Days favorite is the "Party in the Park" at Brookside Park from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Food vendors and live music will take over the park, offering families a great opportunity to kick back and enjoy the holiday with others. A skateboard competition will take place during the party at the skate park.

"The Farmington Convention & Visitors Bureau, the city of Farmington and the Freedom Days committee work very hard on this event from January till the start of Freedom Days," Stinson said. "We are always looking for ways to keep events fresh, fun and accessible to everyone. With so many events on the schedule, it takes a lot of dedicated people and sponsors to make all the logistics come together. But everyone is happy to help out with something so fun, rewarding and meaningful."

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Freedom Days kicks holiday off on Friday in Farmington

Freedom Energy gets one-year extension to start construction

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Although it was necessary to get an extension of a property agreement between Freedom Energy Diesel and Morristown, one of its principals said the company is wrapping up financial arrangements and should begin construction on its $405 million coal gasification plant there in August.

The Morristown City Council last week voted to give the company a one-year extension to start construction. Under the original agreement the 116 acres that Freedom Energy bought for its plant would have reverted back to the city if construction did not begin this month.

"If they did not in good faith begin construction by June 2012, the real estate reverts to the city," said Morristown Mayor Danny Thomas. Without the extension Freedom Energy would have forfeited the $448,000 it paid for the property.

The company, which plans to build a 570,000-square-foot plant in East Tennessee Progress Center industrial park near Interstate 81, bought the land from Morristown in June 2011. Freedom Energy intends to build a plant that would use a proprietary technique called plasma point technology to break down coal to the molecular level and process it into other fuels like diesel, naphtha and activated carbon.

The plant is expected to generate nearly 600 jobs.

The company originally expected to have the plant under construction before now, but so far only grading of the site has taken place. David A. Wild, president of Freedom Energy in Morristown, wrote Morristown's Industrial Development Board in May that the company needed additional time to complete financial transactions. This involves a trip overseas to negotiate with investors, he wrote.

Before it approached Morristown, Freedom Energy had approached the Industrial Development Board of Cumberland, Morgan and Roane counties about building the plant in Cumberland County. At that time, Bernie Rice, Freedom Energy CEO, told the board the $400 million in capital to build the plant had already been raised.

Asked Tuesday why financing was still needed, Christian Kotcher, one of the principals of Freedom Energy's parent company, D4 Capital Holdings LLC, said most of the capital had been raised but there were additional needs requiring financing.

Kotcher said this process is proceeding well and the project is on track to start construction by the end of August and the plant should be operational by late 2014.

"We have invested over $1,500,000 in grading and site preparation which should indicate our commitment to this project and to Morristown-Hamblen County," Wild wrote the Morristown industrial board.

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Freedom Energy gets one-year extension to start construction

Freedom Bus Tour to educate seniors on healthcare

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WEST CHESTER, OH (FOX19) -

The Healthcare Freedom Bus Tour stops in the Tri-State on Thursday to educate seniors on the health care reform bill.

The "Healthcare Freedom" Tour will visit with seniors to discuss their reaction to the controversial health reform care bill passed in 2010.

Events surrounding the tour will include rallies, health care briefings, meet & greets, and townhall meetings. It will also feature health care experts and advocates, as well as the 60 Plus leadership team, including legendary entertainer Pat Boone at some stops.

The tour is stopping by the Ronald Reagan Lodge, 7850 VOA Park Drive in West Chester on Thursday from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Copyright 2012 WXIX. All rights reserved.

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Freedom Bus Tour to educate seniors on healthcare

Let (Work) Freedom Ring; 86% of Micro Service Entrepreneurs Want to Declare Job Independence, Global Fiverr Survey …

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TEL AVIV, ISRAEL--(Marketwire -06/28/12)- Millions of workers around the world are seeking additional income, freedom and fun by embracing alternative career paths and starting their own businesses, according to new research. In the spirit of Independence Day, Fiverr, the leading global marketplace for micro services, today announced the results of its international "Road to Job Independence" survey. More than 1,100 Fiverr sellers revealed their motivations to start a business on the world's largest marketplace for the freelance service industry, providing new insights into the flourishing economy of micro-entrepreneurs.

The freedom of the Internet now allows people to work where they want, when they want, how they want. Around the world new types of entrepreneurs are channeling their talents, passions, interests and skills to replace or supplement traditional 9-to-5 jobs. Fiverr makes it easier for anyone to make money doing what he or she loves.

According to the Road to Job Independence survey, most Fiverr sellers are successfully able to increase their income by offering unique services (Gigs) not available anywhere else:

Fiverr's survey discovered 6 out of 10 (57%) of all sellers have joined in the last 6 months as they seek the site's freedom to work at their own time, pace and place. These new sellers are already making money, with 40% reporting they've earned over $100 through Fiverr. And they're making money through a large variety of gigs, including graphic design, writing, personalized greetings, voice-overs, video production, expert advice, software and web development, advertising and marketing, music and much more.

Fiverr opens a world of possibilities for global commerce, removing the need for office space, set commerce hours and a business payment structure. Fiverr provides liquidity to the global network of service providers, connecting sellers directly with interested buyers. It gives burgeoning entrepreneurs all the tools they need to get started and be successful.

A vast majority (86%) of Fiverr sellers seek job independence, and 1 in 5 report their goal with Fiverr is to quit and work for themselves. Frustration with traditional 9-to-5 jobs is high, at more than 80%. The top 6 frustrations respondents have with their current job situation include:

"Creativity and freedom are the core drivers of today's new entrepreneurial economy. Anyone, anywhere can use Fiverr to quickly and easily start their own businesses -- we give people the platform and the tools to harness their skills, resources and creativity to make money on their own terms," said Micha Kaufman, co-founder and CEO of Fiverr. "Our goal is to offer people an alternative from the traditional work structure and become their own boss. As sellers gain experience and a positive business reputation, they can charge more for their services. Now 1 in 3 gigs sell for more than the base price, and 34% of sellers report they're getting an average of 5 or more gigs per week."

So why do people turn to Fiverr?

Since launching in early 2010, Fiverr has grown rapidly and now lists close to 1,000,000 gigs priced between $5 and $150. Sales on the site have increased 600% since January 2011, and continue to rise rapidly.

An infographic of the results can be found here: http://fiverr.com/financial-freedom.

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Let (Work) Freedom Ring; 86% of Micro Service Entrepreneurs Want to Declare Job Independence, Global Fiverr Survey ...