Monthly Archives: June 2012

Dr. Bruce Katz Named Top Doctor By Castle Connolly

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NEW YORK, June 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Bruce E. Katz, M.D., Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Director of the Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Clinic at Mount Sinai Medical Center and Director of JUVA Skin & Laser Center in New York has just been named one of the Top Doctors by Castle Connolly and featured in New York Magazine's Best Doctors list.

Dr. Katz is a leading innovator of advanced laser technology and skin rejuvenation techniques. As a pioneer of the latest breakthrough in long-term cellulite treatment, Cellulaze, along with his work with anti-aging treatments such as the Madonna Lift (fractional eyelift) and body contouring breakthroughs like SmartLipo, Dr. Katz has earned this prestigious distinction for the seventh time.

At the JUVA Skin & Laser Center Dr. Katz oversees a team of skilled clinicians who treat all dermatological diseases, conditions and cosmetic imperfections with the latest laser technology. The Body Contouring Center at JUVA is a full-service retreat offering the latest technological advances in non-invasive and minimally invasive body contouring techniques treating a wide variety of body issues from unwanted body fat, skin tightening and breast enlargement. In addition to its extensive laser surgery capabilities, the JUVA Skin & Laser Center is AAAHC accredited and offers medical spa services and anti-aging skin care products designed for home use.

Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. is a New York City research and information company that publishes an annual guidebook titled Top Doctors: New York Metro Area, which lists those whom Castle Connolly has determined to be in the top 10 percent of the region's physiciansmore than 5,600 in all. For the past fifteen years, Castle Connolly has been providing New York Magazine with a shorter version of this list for the magazine's Best Doctors issue.

To request an interview with Dr. Katz please contact Alexis Tedesco of Lexamedia at 347.830.4004 / alexis@lexamediapr.com

For more information about JUVA Skin & Laser Center or the Body Contouring Center at JUVA please visit http://www.juvaskin.comor call 212.688.5882. Please visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/juvanyc to learn more about our recent media appearances and updates.

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Dr. Bruce Katz Named Top Doctor By Castle Connolly

Double the pain: RUB biologists find the cause of pain in the treatment of fair skin cancer

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Public release date: 20-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Dr. Ben Novak Ben.Novak@rub.de 49-234-322-4331 Ruhr-University Bochum

Apply the ointment, light on, light off that's how easy it is to cure various forms of non-melanoma skin cancer. However, the majority of patients suffer severe pain during the so-termed photodynamic therapy. Why the treatment with ointment and red light can be so painful has now been uncovered by researchers from the RUB. They identified the ion channels involved and signalling molecules secreted by the cancer cells. "The results may provide a starting point for suppressing the pain", says Dr. Ben Novak of the Department of Animal Physiology.

How the photodynamic therapy works

In contrast to normal cells, cancer cells are equipped with different enzymes and have a much higher metabolism. If you apply a molecule called aminolevulinic acid to the skin in the form of a gel, cancer cells take up considerably more of this substance than healthy cells. If aminolevulinic acid accumulates in the cells, the mitochondria the power plants of the cells form the molecule protoporphyrin IX. When irradiated with red light, protoporphyrin IX reacts with oxygen. This produces highly reactive oxygen species, free radicals, which destroy the cancer cells. Approximately ten minutes of red light irradiation is sufficient to successfully treat superficial forms of non-melanoma skin cancers such as actinic keratosis. Doctors also remove warts in this way.

Painful therapy

"The catch is: it's terribly painful", says Ben Novak. Forty percent of those treated experience pain during the light irradiation, which they assess on a scale of 0 to 10 (whereby 10 corresponds to an excruciating pain like a heart attack) as 7 to 8. Using injections, like at the dentist, it is possible to numb the nerves involved. "But that also always involves a risk", says the Bochum biologist. The scientists led by the RUB professor Dr. Hermann Lbbert have now solved the mystery as to why the treatment hurts at all.

Pain-sensitive cells in the skin are stimulated

The pain is generated by two mechanisms. In a cell culture experiment, the team showed that not only cancer cells but also pain-sensitive nerve cells in the skin take up aminolevulinic acid and its derivative methyl aminolevulinic acid from the ointment. Using calcium imaging, the animal physiologists followed the activity of nerve cells which they had treated with aminolevulinic acid and cells that were not exposed to the substance. Treated nerve cells fired when the researchers exposed them to light. In a living organism, this would mean that the cells would send a pain stimulus to the brain. Without the aminolevulinic acid, the pain-sensitive cells remained inactive under red light. In further experiments, the scientists showed that the activity of the nerve cells is caused by sodium channels and voltage-gated calcium channels in the cell membrane. "A drug that targets these channels would, conceivably, be able to suppress the pain but that's still in the future", says Ben Novak.

Tumour cells alert nerve cells

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Double the pain: RUB biologists find the cause of pain in the treatment of fair skin cancer

NeoFax® Neonatology Drug and Enteral Nutrition Reference Book Discontinued in Print Format as of June 2012; Now …

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GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Truven Health Analytics, formerly the healthcare business of Thomson Reuters, today announced the discontinuation of the print format of the NeoFax drug and enteral nutrition reference handbook. Previously distributed through online and retail book sellers by Physician Desk Reference Inc (PDR), the printed version of the manual available now is the Updated Twenty-Fourth Edition, NeoFax 2011. The book was last published in June 2011. As of June 2012, the print format of the manual will not be updated, reprinted or further distributed in book form. Instead, the company will focus solely on the continued enhancement and distribution of its Web-based installed and online solution, available through a subscription to individuals, and to institutions through enterprise licensing subscriptions. The Micromedex NeoFax Online and Premier subscriber-solutions include many enhancements which were not available in the printed book. For a limited time, NeoFax Online will be available to new subscribers at introductory pricing. Please visit http://www.neofax.com for more information.

NeoFax has been the trusted source of neonatal drug information for more than 20 years, covering more than 180 drugs commonly used to treat neonates. Many of these drugs and their indications for use in the neonatal population are considered off-label, making this resource invaluable for clinicians caring for this vulnerable population. The NeoFax Solution addresses the essential needs of neonatal medical professionals to appropriately prescribe, calculate dosing, formulate and administer critical drug therapy and parenteral nutrition for neonates. As a result, NeoFax is the established source of clinical decision support in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) around the world. As the foremost drug and nutrition support solution, NeoFax aids in the treatment of neonates and helps to improve patient safety. By eliminating the need to do manual calculations and providing warning messages for dosing or nutrition orders that fall outside of guidelines, NeoFax helps to reduce errors. NeoFax also improves efficiencies by decreasing the time spent calculating and ordering medication and parenteral nutrition.

The NeoFax Web-based Solution, first made available in September 2006, is currently used by more than 1,100 hospitals and health systems in the United States and internationally. This solution provides hospitals and neonatal clinicians with additional tools and more regularly updated content than the printed NeoFax manual.

NeoFax Premier is intuitive, reliable, and easily customizable to your institutions concentrations and dosing. Unlike using a printed reference book, NeoFax provides us with powerful calculator warning messages for any abnormal ranges, to help our clinicians avoid costly errors and make confident decisions. These tools provide the peace of mind we need when caring for our most vulnerable patients, said Jennifer Spiegel RNC, BSN, MAS, NICU Nurse Manager, Saint Barnabas Medical Center.

NeoFax Online and Premier Solutions provide clinicians with the tools to make accurate and informed treatment decisions, while minimizing errors in this vulnerable patient population. Using the NeoFax Solutions, clinicians can safely and accurately provide patient- and indication-specific drug dosing, perform parenteral nutrition calculations, and access trusted, evidence-based, neonatal-specific drug information.

Features Available in the Web-based NeoFax Online and NeoFax Premier Include:

In addition to our NeoFax Solutions, Micromedex Pediatrics Solution is also now available. Pediatrics leverages the NeoFax application, but is for infants and children ages 29 days to 18 years. Both the NeoFax and Pediatrics Solutions can be added to an existing Micromedex subscription. For information on NeoFax or Pediatrics Online or Premier, please call 1-888-612-2964 or visit http://www.neofax.com.

About Truven Health Analytics:

Truven Health Analytics delivers unbiased information, analytic tools, benchmarks and services to the healthcare industry. Hospitals, government agencies, employers, health plans, clinicians, and pharmaceutical companies have relied on its solutions for over 30 years. Truven Health Analytics combines deep clinical, financial and healthcare management expertise with innovative technology platforms and information assets to make healthcare better, collaborating with customers to uncover and realize opportunities for improving quality, efficiency, and outcomes. Truven Health Analytics employs approximately 2,200 people worldwide and has its principal offices in Ann Arbor, Chicago and Denver.

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NeoFax® Neonatology Drug and Enteral Nutrition Reference Book Discontinued in Print Format as of June 2012; Now ...

Author and Dietitian Tina Ruggiero Debuts Nutrition Column in Tampa Tribune

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TAMPA, Fla., June 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Registered Dietitian, best-selling author and spokesperson Tina Ruggiero, M.S., R.D., L.D., has been appointed by the Tampa Tribune as a special correspondent, debuting a new column in the award-winning newspaper's lifestyle supplement entitled "4 You."

Ruggiero's column, The Gourmet Nutritionist, aims to empower and educate readers about ways to improve the quality of their lives through healthy eating, good nutrition and progressive science.

"I'm a scientist by trade," says Ruggiero, "but my passion is reporting about nutrition and health. I have a wealth of experience in the field of nutrition science, and my column will motivate readers with fresh insight, accurate reporting and information they can use to make confident decisions about their health."

No stranger to the media, Ruggiero is a nutrition and health correspondent for NBC's syndicated television show Daytime and has been a featured expert on CNN. Her articles have appeared in The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Men's Health, First for Women and Elegant Bride. Ruggiero has also been quoted in USA Today, iVillage, Kiwi, The New York Daily News, Details and many other traditional and new media outlets.

Ruggiero is also the author of the critically acclaimed new book The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet. When it comes to establishing a child's preference for healthy, nourishing foods, the must-have cookbook and nutrition guide has quickly become a trusted resource for everyone from working moms to celebrity parents.

Ruggiero is founder of her own private practice, Nutrition Dialog, where she works with both corporate and private clients.

The Gourmet Nutritionist column will appear bimonthly on Saturdays.

If you are an editor interested in acquiring Ruggiero's writing services to add editorial content to your publication or news service, please contact Amy Galvin at 847-204-4811 or amy.galvin@redjeweledmedia.com for details.

About Tina Ruggiero, M.S., R.D., L.D.

Tina Ruggiero, M.S., R.D., L.D., is a sought-after nutritionist, spokesperson and best-selling author of The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet. Fondly called The Gourmet Nutritionist, Ruggiero is heard on TV and radio and her writing and interviews have appeared in magazines such as Family, Men's Health and First for Women. Ruggiero is founder of her own nutrition-consulting firm where she helps both corporations and consumers achieve their wellness goals. She is a nutrition correspondent for NBC's syndicated television show Daytime and a contributor to FOX-TAMPA.

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Author and Dietitian Tina Ruggiero Debuts Nutrition Column in Tampa Tribune

Center for Productive Longevity Urges People to Shed Negative Stereotypes About Older Age

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BOULDER, CO--(Marketwire -06/20/12)- As people continue to live longer and retire earlier, the term "Third-Stage Adulthood" has more relevance than ever before. Referring to people 62-85 years old, this stage of life is chock-full of senior workers who are qualified and ready to continue working after the traditional retirement age of 65 or sooner. This means that there is a large and growing talent pool with experience, expertise, seasoned judgment, and proven performance (referred to by CPL as EESP), to meet the workforce needs of the 21st century.

The concept of "Third-Stage Adulthood" was first conceived in a paper, "The Evolution of Adulthood: A New Stage" co-authored in 2000 by Dr. Elliott Jaques, who conceived the mid-life crisis in 1965, and CPL Founder and CEO William Zinke. Zinke created CPL, which is based in Boulder, Colorado, to stimulate the substantially increased engagement of people 55 and older in productive activities, paid and volunteer, where they are qualified and ready to continue adding value.

Now in 2012, the concept of Third-Stage Adulthood is even more important than when the term was coined. CPL urges everyone to recalibrate their thinking for this new reality because the results could be dire if action isn't taken. If Baby Boomers are pushed to the sidelines, the nation's entitlement programs (e.g. Social Security and Medicare) will become unsustainable even sooner than projected. To prevent this crisis, the country should tap the talent pool of retired workers in Third-Stage Adulthood and put their knowledge, skills and abilities to use.

"Embracing 'Third-Stage Adulthood' can be a positive life-changer as people enter this next phase," says William Zinke, 85. "The concept urges society to recognize that older people can continue to add value for significantly longer periods of time and that they should be viewed as individuals, instead of all being lumped under the clichs of being 'over the hill' and 'out of the game.' The result will be that millions of older people with EESP can continue contributing to, instead of drawing from, the national economy and society."

CPL subscribes to a concept of adulthood that falls into three stages, described as follows:

First stage of early adulthood (18-40) - the time to build experience and expertise; to decide whether to work in the private, public, or non-profit sectors and perhaps even gain some cross-sector experience; to decide whether to develop a career in a company or to become an entrepreneur; to focus on the development of particular skills and abilities; to build a solid foundation for the next two adult stages.

Second stage of mid-adulthood (40-62) - the time when experience and expertise produce problem-solving capabilities and sound judgment (CPL likes the saying that good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment) and perhaps even the beginnings of wisdom. Any mid-life crises have been traversed and assurance and self-confidence have become more firmly established as a result of learning how to function more effectively. There is also continuing growth and development during this stage.

New-stage of mature adulthood (62-85) - the time when many individuals, although not all (e.g. people who have been engaged primarily in physical labor, who have not maintained a commitment to physical fitness, or who have debilities or disabilities), can continue to be significant contributors. They have had about 40 years to gain experience and expertise, to develop seasoned judgment and proven records of performance and to build their intellectual and social capital. While documented research indicates that cognitive capability may have plateaued for some, the intellectual growth curve continues to move upward for people who have continued to remain productively engaged.

CPL launched the Later-Life Story Contest on June 1 to solicit empowering stories from people 55 and older. The competition has two separate categories: Entrepreneur Success Stories and Inspirational Later-Life Stories. A panel of three independent judges will select one winner from each category who will receive $1,000 and a specially designed trophy. CPL will post the best stories on its website (ctrpl.org) throughout the contest under "Success Stories." The contest runs through August 31, and winners will be announced on October 1, 2012.

To submit a story, visit http://www.ctrpl.org/laterlifestorycontest and complete a submission form. Entrants must be at least 55, have a compelling story to share, and be willing to have it posted on the CPL website for viewing and for possible publication. Stories may also be emailed to James Hooks, CPL's Director of Marketing and Technology, at jhooks@ctrpl.org.

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Center for Productive Longevity Urges People to Shed Negative Stereotypes About Older Age

Paper, Blog Heats Up GMO Discussion

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There's an interesting exchange on genetic engineering at the Food Politics blog, http://tinyurl.com/, featuring a review by industry critic Marion estle of an anti-GE paper, GMO Myths and Truths. I've skimmed the paper, which you can find at http://tinyurl.com/, and I confess to lacking the expertise to evaluate the claims. It would take more time than I have at the moment to dig into the claims, although I hope to do so in the future.

Nestle says the authors of the paper, who find nothing to like in genetic engineering, "have put a great deal of time and effort into reviewing the evidence for the claims. This is the best-researched and most comprehensive review I've seen of the criticisms of GM foods." She asks whether the pro camp can "produce something equally well researched, comprehensive, and compelling?" and concludes, "I doubt it but I'd like to see them try." She says there's enough evidence in the paper to justify labeling, at the very least.

It is, of course, the position you'd expect her to take, and several of the comments following her post challenge both her and the paper. One claims there are indeed well-researched, comprehensive and compelling pro papers. Others say the paper she cites cherry-picks evidence and relies on papers that have been debunked. An example cited in one of these critical comments asserts that it relies on a study of Bt found in human blood that used a test that couldn't detect blood at the levels the study's authors said they found.

My suspicion is most won't read these papers and will continue to think what they already think about the issue. An even worse fear is that reading the papers on both sides wouldn't convert anyone on either side. Still, I may give it a try at some point.

Follow me on Twitter: http://www.Twitter.comurbanize

Copyright 2012 DTN/The Progressive Farmer, A Telvent Brand. All rights reserved.

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Paper, Blog Heats Up GMO Discussion

DNA Evidence Ties Griffin to Murder Victim, Her Son

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With a rare possibility of exceptions, the DNA of Stanley Griffin was found under the fingernails of Jennifer Hailey, according to a DPS Crime Lab analyst.

Griffin is on trial for the September 2010 murder of Hailey in her College Station apartment. Griffin faces a capital murder charge, and the State of Texas is seeking the death penalty if they secure a conviction.

On Wednesday, the third day of testimony in the trial, analyst Allison Heard also told the jury a garden trowel found in an outdoor trash can near the Hailey home the morning of the murder was covered in the blood of Hailey's son. Heard could match any DNA on the handle.

- Click Here for Live Updates from the Courtroom from Steve Fullhart - Click Here for a Recap of Day 2 of the Trial - Click Here for a Recap of Day 1 of the Trial - Click Here for the Preview of the Trial

Authorities allege Griffin attacked the then-nine-year-old shortly after he saw his mother being strangled in her bedroom. Monday, the child testified that he saw Griffin on his mother's back choking her out, then ordered him to go back to his room. When he reemerged 15 minutes later, the boy said Griffin choked him and struck him in the head and neck with the trowel.

Again with a rare possibility of exceptions, the blood of the child was found on the shoes Griffin was wearing when he was arrested hours after the murder, this according to Emma Becker, a second crime lab analyst who testified Wednesday morning.

Prosecutors contend Hailey used her right hand to try and rip Griffin's left arm from around her neck. When authorities found Griffin later the day of the murder, he had fresh scratch marks on his left arm. He said they were caused two days earlier from riding his bike through brush.

A baseball cap found in the Pedernales Drive home of Hailey and her son was also tested for DNA. Hailey's DNA almost certainly was found on it, Heard testified. With other DNA found on the cap, Griffin could not be excluded as a possibility, but it was not as conclusive.

Shortly before the murder, Griffin was seen in surveillance video at a Navasota convenience store with a friend, who testified to dropping Griffin off near Hailey's home. He was wearing a similar hat.

Prosecutors elevated a murder charge against Griffin to capital because they allege he kidnapped Hailey's son. By the letter of the law, they claim the kidnapping was by virtue of Griffin's order to the boy to go back to his room as Griffin attack the boy's mother.

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DNA Evidence Ties Griffin to Murder Victim, Her Son

Posted in DNA

DNA Dynamics' The Naked Gun: I.C.U.P.® Hits #3 in iPad® Paid Entertainment Category and #45 in Overall iPad Paid Apps …

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LEAMINGTON SPA, United Kingdom, June 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --DNA Dynamics, Inc.(OTC Pink: DNAD), a global developer and publisher of mobile videogames, is pleased to report that its newest mobile point-and-click adventure game, THE NAKED GUN: I.C.U.P., was recently featured as the "App of the Day" on Appsfire and as "New and Noteworthy" in the Apple App Stores in the U.S., Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela.

On Friday, June 15 the day after DNA launched its special five-day "Get NAKED for Under a Buck" promotional event, THE NAKED GUN: I.C.U.P quickly ascended the App Store ratings charts in the U.S., hitting #3 in the iPad Paid Entertainment category and #45 in overall iPad Paid Apps. Moreover, with 139 individual game reviews in the App Store has given THE NAKED GUN an overall 4.5 (out of 5) star rating.

About DNA Interactive Ltd

Established in 2010, DNA Interactive, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DNA Dynamics, is a publisher of games and apps for mobile and tablet devices including iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets. At the present time, DNA Interactive's IP portfolio is comprised of proprietary game titles which include Quest of Legends, Jigsawium, Legacy: Mystery Mansion, Chess Crusade and Sudokium. Its licensed titles include The Naked Gun: I.C.U.P. and Warheads: Medieval Tales. For more information, please visit http://www.dna-interactive.com.

About DNA Dynamics, Inc.

Headquartered in Leamington Spa in the United Kingdom, DNA Dynamics is a worldwide developer and publisher of graphically rich, highly experiential interactive entertainment currently delivered on iOS, Android, Nintendo DS and Sony PSP platforms. Through its operating subsidiaries, DNA Studios and DNA Interactive, the Company has created, acquired or licensed a portfolio of highly recognizable or emerging brands that broadly appeal to its consumer demographics, ranging from children to adults and casual gamers to serious enthusiasts. For more information, please go to http://www.dnadynamics.net. You can also follow the Company on Facebook and Twitter.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including information about management's view of DNA Dynamics, Inc.'s future expectations, plans and prospects. In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the words "believes," "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," or "may," and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any statements made in this news release other than those of historical fact, about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the results of DNA Dynamics, its subsidiaries and concepts to be materially different than those expressed or implied in such statements. Unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on DNA Dynamics' future results. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. DNA Dynamics cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Finally, DNA Dynamics undertakes no obligation to update these statements after the date of this release, except as required by law, and also takes no obligation to update or correct information prepared by third parties that are not paid for by DNA Dynamics.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:Elite Financial Communications Group, LLC Dodi Handy, President and CEO (Twitter:dodihandy) For Media: Kathy Addison, COO (Twitter:kathyaddison) (407) 585-1080 or via email at DNAD@efcg.net

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DNA Dynamics' The Naked Gun: I.C.U.P.® Hits #3 in iPad® Paid Entertainment Category and #45 in Overall iPad Paid Apps ...

Posted in DNA

Turtles fossilised in sex embrace

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19 June 2012 Last updated at 21:20 ET By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News

Turtles killed as they were having sex and then fossilised in position have been described by scientists.

The remains of the 47-million-year old animals were unearthed in the famous Messel Pit near Darmstadt, Germany.

They were found as male-female pairs. In two cases, the males even had their tails tucked under their partners' as would be expected from the coital position.

Details are carried in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

Researchers think the turtles had initiated sex in the surface waters of the lake that once existed on the site, and were then overcome as they sank through deeper layers made toxic by the release of volcanic gases.

The animals, still in embrace, were then buried in the lakebed sediments and locked away in geological time.

"We see this in some volcanic lakes in East African today," explained Dr Walter Joyce of the University of Tbingen.

"Every few hundred years, these lakes can have a sudden outburst of carbon dioxide, like the opening of a champagne bottle, and it will poison everything around them."

The turtles described in Biology Letters are of the extinct species Allaeochelys crassesculpta.

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A new tool for molecular architects

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Public release date: 20-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Stefan Matile stefan.matile@unige.ch 022-379-6523 Universit de Genve

Professor Stefan Matile does not mention whether, as a child, he was a big fan of Lego. However, as an adult, he is fascinated by the game of molecular construction. Using the rules of chemistry, it is possible to artificially assemble all kinds of molecules and even nanomachines.

However, chemists in this area feel their creativity constrained by the small number of bond types available for binding atoms and molecules. Such is the case for this UNIGE and NCCR Chemical Biology chemist who decided several years ago to flush out new kinds of bonds. "The literature murmured about the existence of a possible halogen bond, particularly in thyroid gland biology," explains the specialist. "It was said to be very similar to the hydrogen bond except for an important detail: while the hydrogen bond (hydrophilic) works only in water, the halogen bond (hydrophobic) feels at ease in fatty environments."

To highlight this bond and its potential usefulness, Stefan Matile's team sought to compose the smallest molecular system possible. They bonded a carbon atom and an iodine atom (member of the halogen family) to establish that in so doing they created an imbalance in the distribution of electrons orbiting the iodine nucleus. This results in an excess of negative charge on one side and a negative charge deficit on the other. This deficit acts as a positive charge, now capable of interacting with anions (negatively charged atoms).

The Geneva team's biggest contribution is to have demonstrated that this system can transport anions across a phospholipid bilayer membrane, similar to that found in our cells.

"This halogen bond acts somewhat like a buoy and allows anions to swim across the fatty interior of the membrane," adds Stefan Matile. "This is obviously a very interesting function for NCCR Chemical Biology, one of whose goals is to discover new ways to penetrate cells without damaging them."

This discovery is currently situated in the field of fundamental science, but could very quickly find applications, especially in the medical field. Some diseases are in fact linked to the inability of some organs to allow vital ions across cell membranes.

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A new tool for molecular architects

NCKU-Fujitsu MOU to Build Platform for Genomics Research

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TAINAN, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), southern Taiwan, and Fujitsu Taiwan LTD. signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Monday for building a platform of genomics and bioinformatics research to jointly promote computational biology, cultivate personnel training for bioinformatics, and develop biology analysis software.

Dr. Hwung-Hweng Hwung, president of NCKU, and Ikegami Ichirou, general manager of Fujitsu Taiwan, signed the MOU on behalf of their respective organizations.

With a solid engineering research of NCKU, which helps promote the application of genetics study, the input from Fujitsu, a leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, and the prospective NCKU genomics and bioinformatics research platform are expected to enlarge NCKUs role in global genetics research.

With the MOU, the cooperation between NCKU and Fujitsu will be escalated to another level as their partnership will strengthen the collaboration among academia, industry, and government in Taiwan and Japan.

In his welcoming speech, President Hwung of NCKU said that NCKUs partnership with Fujitsu is based upon shared benefits and strong collaborations. Under the MOU, both parties will establish a platform to help develop genomics research.

Ikegami Ichiro pointed out that NCKU is the first university in Taiwan Fujitsu has looked forward to cooperating with.

NCKU has many distinguished researchers in the biological field and well-rounded research environment, he said. NCKUs research on genomics and the original species of Taiwan has shown great achievement and its extensive relations with world-renowned scientific institutes are fruitful in collaborated results.

The initial cooperation between NCKU and Fujitsu will focus on nurturing talents, followed by data collecting of Taiwan original species and the personnel training for biology data analysis, according to Chi-Chuan Hwang, chair professor of NCKU Engineering Science.

Fujitsu and NCKU will jointly build a research platform of genomics and bioinformatics, explore the important genomics research issues, and share R&D results.

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NCKU-Fujitsu MOU to Build Platform for Genomics Research

Nadine the Bamberger’s Girl back with her 1967 Selection. – Video

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19-06-2012 12:23 Charis Waters, Nadine, Bamberger's Girl, Bamberger's Department Store, Bamberger's Showroom, Newark, New Jersey, Italian Opera-gloves, Nadine's showroom selecting, World Travel, Christian Dior, Burgundy Evening Gown, Bamberger's Fur Department, Bamberger's Mink Hat, Mink Strollers, Mink fur, Diamond Necklace, Kaiser Porcelain, Nipper the Dog, RCA Console, Made in America, ROYAL HAEGER POTTERY, Royal Haeger Pottery,

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Nadine the Bamberger's Girl back with her 1967 Selection. - Video

Queen City prepares for first World Choir Games

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Volunteers prepare for World Choir Games

About 15,000 participants from 64 countries and 22 U.S. states will travel to Cincinnati July 4-14 for the 7th World Choir Games.

More than 200 public events are highlighted by a performance from Grammy-winning gospel star Marvin Winans and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra during the Closing Ceremony at U.S. Bank Arena.

The Games will kick off with an opening ceremony July 4 at Great American Ballpark.

This event will be the first World Choir Games held in the United States. The games are held every other year, and will be in Riga, Latvia, in 2014.

The Parade of Nations co-Grand Marshals are Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Bootsy Collins and Mayor Mark Mallory.

To get the final touches right, 1,200 volunteers got the scoop Tuesday night on how to greet and care for the thousands of visitors from overseas.

"I think everyone realizes they're going to be the face of the games. They're going to be the ones to interact with the visitors and some of the choirs. They're going to make a great experience for all the people coming here," said Michael Perry, a promotions worker for the 2012 World Choir Games.

The badges to get into the performances are ready to be passed out and many Cincinnati residents said they're excited for the event.

"Cincinnati is growing in entertainment and excitement and it felt like the right thing to do," West Side resident Ron Willingham said.

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Queen City prepares for first World Choir Games

Four Seasons Announces New Resort on Dubai's World-Renowned Jumeirah Beach Road

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, June 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, in collaboration with UAE-based holding company Bright Start L.L.C., formally announced today their plans for a resort property in the heart of Jumeirah Beach.

With a prime beach-front location and convenient access to the main commercial district on Sheikh Zayed Road, Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach is the most highly anticipated addition to Dubai's luxury hotel scene. Bright Start is developing the new resort property and has appointed H&H Investment and Development as the development manager.

The property will be situated on a 11-acre (4.45 hectare) natural waterfront site along the Arabian Gulf. Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach has been designed by world renowned architect WATG, with interior design by San Fransisco based BAMO.

The Resort which is expected to open by mid 2014 will welcome individual leisure and business guests as well as meetings and incentives groups, capitalizing on its prime location in one of the city's most elite residential districts and located just two kilometres (1.2 miles) from Dubai's central commercial district and key tourism landmarks along Sheikh Zayed Road.

"Being the Middle East's biggest tourism hub with a highly mature hospitality industry, it was important for us to be in Dubai with a strong product that can serve as one of the company flagships in this region," said Kathleen Taylor, president and CEO, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. "As with all markets across the globe in which Four Seasons operates, it was important for us to take the time to find our niche here as well as identify a partner that first and foremost shares our service and business values. We are confident that we not only have an unparalleled location, but also an excellent development partner two key factors that will allow us to offer what guests travelling to Dubai on business or pleasure desire and have come to expect from Four Seasons."

Talha Al Hashimi, CEO of Bright Start stated: "In line with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai's vision for Dubai, we believe our investment in the hospitality sector will further open up opportunities for continued growth and contribute to Dubai's status as a major luxury tourist destination."

"Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has set the benchmark in luxury hospitality over the past 50 years and we are proud to introduce the brand to the Dubai market. With a key strategic location on Jumeirah's beachfront and a renowned brand name that is synonymous with luxurious travel, we are confident its presence will be a successful addition to the luxury hospitality sector in Dubai, which is one of the world's top destinations, with 8.8 million visitors expected in 2012," he added.

Shahab Lutfi, CEO of H&H Investment and Development, said: "Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach is a prestigious project and we are delighted to have been appointed by Bright Start to bring to life this Four Seasons resort."

He added: "We have selected some of the world's leading consultants and contractors to ensure that Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach delivers an unprecedented sense of luxury to Dubai. From the architectural beauty of the exterior and innovative interior design to the practical aspects such as its location and amenities, the Resort is set to raise the bar for luxury resorts in the region even higher."

Located at the northern end of Jumeirah Beach Road, away from the city's other resorts clustered in the Palm Jumeirah area, guests at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach will enjoy exclusive access to 270 metres (886 metres) of beach fronting the warm blue waters of the Arabian Gulf. Easy access to Dubai's airports and an excellent public transport system will ensure guests enjoy seamless connectivity to the entire city.

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Four Seasons Announces New Resort on Dubai's World-Renowned Jumeirah Beach Road

Mesoblast Announces New Dental Pulp Stem Cell Treatment Initiatives

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Mesoblast Announces New Dental Pulp Stem Cell Treatment Initiatives(PRWEB) June 20, 2012 Mesoblast, one of the leading stem cell therapy development companies in the world today, noted in a presentation at the Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference in New York that the company will open a new treatment front based on the unique properties of dental pulp stem cells [DPSC]. ...

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Mesoblast Announces New Dental Pulp Stem Cell Treatment Initiatives

Animal Stem Cell Therapy

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BYRON, MN--It's a dream for many in the medical field, to use a person's own stem cells to help them heal. And it's a reality already happening in our area.

But it's not humans who are being treated. In this case, dogs are the ones being treated.

Animal Stem Cell Regenerative Therapy has been performed a few thousand times now across the U.S. Doctors harvest stem cells and re-enter them where the animal is having problems.

Both Marley and Vinnie have bad ligaments in their legs, and like many dogs suffering from arthritis, they are subject to monthly doses of expensive drugs.

That is until today.

Dr. Garren Kelly, D.V.M. at Meadow View Veterinary Clinic just outside Rochester says, "If you'd of asked me 5 years ago if I would be doing anything like this, I would have said no. But then as soon as I saw it i'm like 'Yeah that's for me'. I kind of like staying on the cutting edge of technology and surgeries".

The two are undergoing a first of its kind surgery in minnesota, using regenerative stem cells.

Blood is taken from the dogs, as well as fat tissue.

Then stem cells are separated out from the fat, activated with an led light, and injected back into the affected area. All in the same day.

MediVet America trainer Jordan Smith says, "It's a better quality of life, we're not promising to give them 10 years or 5 years but we are promising that the years that they do have remaining are a lot more enjoyable".

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Animal Stem Cell Therapy

Public Recruited For New Space Experiment Ideas In South Bay

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In this artists impression supplied by the ESO (European Southern Observatory) on April 25, 2007, the planetary system around the red dwarf, Gliese 581, is pictured showing what astronomers believe is the most earth like planet found outside our solar system to date. (Photo by ESO via Getty Images)

MENLO PARK (CBS 5) Citizens in Space, a non-profit group that hopes to use the new wave of private sub-orbital space flight to make scientific breakthroughs, has an informational meeting planned for this Thursday, where citizen scientists will be encouraged to develop experiments to be carried into space.

According to the organization, Citizens in Space has booked 10 flight on the Lynx Rocketplane being developed by XCOR Aerospace. The group has said it plans to train 10 citizen astronauts to fly aboard the missions, which will carry about 100 science experiments into space.

Edward Wright, project manager for Citizens in Space, will discuss an open call for citizen-science experiments at a Menlo Park routable at the TechShop from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Suborbital vehicles like the Lynx will open up spaceflight to private citizens the same way microcomputers opened up computing, Wright said in the press release. The combination of low-cost spaceflight and modern technologywill enable citizen scientists to perform amazing space-science experiments.

Other speakers will include members of James Camerons DeepSea Challenge project, and the SETI Institute.

Tickets for the event are still available. Admission is $30 for the general public, $20 for Roundtable members, and $10 for students.

Citizens in space said their flight may begin by the end of 2013.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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Public Recruited For New Space Experiment Ideas In South Bay

City Leaders Cracked Heads at the County Line

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Around noon on March 31, 1912, a crier waved a red banner down Fifth Street. The public is invited to Seventh and B Streets at 2:30, the banner announced, to attend the funeral of Michael Hoey, who died in the cause of Free Speech.

A large man chased the crier down, hooked him around the neck, and slammed him to the pavement. Then the man loaded his mouth with saliva and spit on the emblem of anarchy.

At 2:30, the doors opened at Johnson, Connell, & Saums Mortuary. Harry Daggett emerged first. He wore a frayed, three-piece suit and hoisted a red flag. Behind him came 20 IWW Wobblies. As six men carried Hoeys casket two blocks from the mortuary to the vacant lot at Seventh and B, angry onlookers assembled on the sidewalks.

Thats how contemptible they are, said a sailor from the USS Maryland, using the sanctity of death to protect them.

Too cowardly otherwise, added another.

When the cortege reached the vacant lot, free-speech supporters awaited them. Daggett stepped to the side.

Get the fellow with the red flag, someone shouted. Thats too much!

Detective Harvey Shepherd raised a hand: Dont interrupt the service, he said. Ill get him.

At the station, Daggett told police he didnt know what the flag meant. Hed become the color bearer because Mike Hoey was his friend and a good man. Asked if he was a Wobbly, Daggett said no, but he believed in most of their principles and would let better minds than his plan solutions. When Daggett left the station, wrote the Union, he had to run a gauntlet of hisses, hoots, and jeers from the crowd outside.

Gray-haired Michael Hoey was an IWW veteran of free-speech fights in Spokane and Fresno. Arrested during the first week of protests in San Diego, Hoey spent 40 days in city jail. Although they denied it, Hoey swore that three officers rookie patrolman Irwin, in particular clubbed and kicked him repeatedly in the groin. Cramped with over 100 prisoners in a cell built for 60, Hoey had to sleep on a cement floor and eat inedible food. When I asked Dr. Claude Magee [the police surgeon] for a laxative, he gave me an emetic, which caused such violent vomiting that I became seriously ill.

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City Leaders Cracked Heads at the County Line

NASA's Pleiades supercomputer gets a little more oomph

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NASA's flagship Pleiades supercomputer just received a boost to help keep pace with the intensive number-crunching requirements of scientists and engineers working on some of the agency's most challenging missions.

Pleiades is critical for the modeling, simulation and analysis of a diverse set of agency projects in aeronautics research, Earth and space sciences and the design and operation of future space exploration vehicles. The supercomputer is located at the NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) facility at Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.

An expansion completed earlier this month has increased Pleiades' sustained performance rate by 14 percent to 1.24 petaflops -- or a quadrillion calculations per second. To put this enormous number into perspective, if everyone in the world did one calculation per second for eight hours a day, it would take about 370 days to complete what this supercomputer can calculate in 60 seconds.

"As we move toward NASA's next phase in advanced computing, Pleiades must be able to handle the increasing requirements of more than 1,200 users across the country who rely on the system to perform their large, complex calculations," said Rupak Biswas, chief of the NAS division at Ames. "Right now, for example, the system is being used to improve our understanding of how solar flares and other space weather events can affect critical technologies on Earth. Pleiades also plays a key role in producing high-fidelity simulations used for possible vehicle designs such as NASA's upcoming Space Launch System."

Since Pleiades' installation in 2008, NAS has performed eight major upgrades to the system. The latest expansion adds 24 of the newest generation systems containing advanced processors. More than 65 miles of cabling interconnects Pleiades nodes with data storage systems and the hyperwall-2 visualization system.

Recently, scientists have counted on Pleiades for generating the "Bolshoi" cosmological simulation -- the largest simulation of its kind to date -- to help explain how galaxies and the large-scale structure of the universe have evolved over billions of years. The system also has proven essential for processing massive amounts of star data gathered from NASA's Kepler spacecraft, leading to the discovery of new Earth-sized planets in the Milky Way galaxy. The upgraded capability of Pleiades will enable NASA scientists to solve challenging problems like these more quickly, using even larger datasets.

Provided by NASA

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NASA's Pleiades supercomputer gets a little more oomph