Monthly Archives: July 2012

Spain's long reign set to roll on

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United with old suspicions laid to rest, Sergio Ramos can happily partner Gerard Pique (below). Photo: AFP

AFTER decades of being the great underachievers of world football, Spain are not only on the cusp of history in Kiev tonight; they have reached the brink of immortality.

Such is the insatiable global desire for success in football that prolonged reigns are almost impossible as champions are deposed with haste as the game evolves.

Occasionally, however, a team comes along that is so far ahead of the curve that it takes a small eternity to catch up. Perhaps the last time of such domination was Brazil's reign between 1958 and 1970, when they won three of four World Cups.

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Spanish defender Gerard Pique. Photo: AFP

Yet even they were not immune from being outclassed by their local rivals. After winning the South American Championships (the precursor to today's knockout incarnation, the Copa America) in 1949, they wouldn't win another continental title for almost 40 years. Being at the top, even when you're the greatest, is tough.

Plenty have come close but no team has won three consecutive knockout major tournaments. At 4.45am tomorrow, Spain will chase that slice of history to call their own: Euro 2008, World Cup 2010, Euro 2012. Perhaps this squad is even young enough to have a crack at Brazil 2014.

They enter as favourites and rightfully so. Spain remain unbeaten in competitive football since the first match of the World Cup in South Africa, a shock 1-0 defeat against Switzerland. They bounced back to not only win that tournament but every match in qualifying for this tournament.

Other than a semi-final exit from the Confederations Cup in 2009, their last competitive international defeat was in a Euro 2008 qualifier against Northern Ireland, a 3-2 defeat in Belfast in October 2006. It was a seminal moment. Days afterwards, Raul, Spain's all-time leading scorer and most capped outfielder, was dumped, aged just 29.

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Spain's long reign set to roll on

Gene therapy for smoking kills pleasure of nicotine

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By Jon Bardin, Los Angeles Times / For the Booster Shots blog 7:01 p.m. EST, June 29, 2012

A new vaccine may help prevent the brain stimulation that keeps smokers from being able to quit. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times / Jun 29, 2012)

Cant kick cigarettes? A vaccine may one day help by preventing nicotine from reaching its target in the brain, according to research published this week.

Most smoking therapies do a poor job of stopping the habit 70% to 80% of smokers who use an approved drug therapy to quit relapse. Scientists say this is because the targets of existing therapies are imperfect, only slightly weakening nicotines ability to find its target in the brain.

So some scientists have been trying a different approach creation of a vaccine. It would work like this: People would inject the vaccine like a shot, and the vaccine would create nicotine antibodies, molecules that can snatch up nicotine from the bloodstream before it reaches the brain. The vaccine could be used by smokers who want to quit or people who are worried about getting addicted to cigarettes in the future.

Researchers have tried to create vaccines in the past, but the ones theyve come up with have not been particularly effective. The authors of the new study say this may be because previous vaccines just didnt create enough antibodies to get rid of all the nicotine.

The new report, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, attempts to solve this problem via gene therapy, in which a new gene is inserted into the body to do a particular job.

First the scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City put a gene that produces a nicotine antibody into mice. The gene was taken into the mices livers, and the liver started producing the antibody. Once produced, the antibody connected with nicotine, trapping it and preventing it from making its way to the brain, where it would otherwise have caused the pleasurable, addictive effects it is so known for.

Because of this trick, the researchers say that the new vaccine should only have to be injected once, and it will work for life, continuing to produce new antibodies in the liver.

The vaccine was effective: When mice were given nicotine intravenously, ones with the vaccine had a 47-fold drop in levels of nicotine in the blood compared with ones that hadnt received the vaccine. The antibody had successfully captured the nicotine in the bloodstream before it could reach the brain.

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Gene therapy for smoking kills pleasure of nicotine

FOXO1 gene may play important role in Parkinson's disease

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ScienceDaily (June 29, 2012) A recent study led by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) revealed that the FOXO1 gene may play an important role in the pathological mechanisms of Parkinson's disease.

These findings are published online in PLoS Genetics, a peer-reviewed open-access journal published by the Public Library of Science.

The study was led by Alexandra Dumitriu, PhD, a postdoctoral associate in the department of neurology at BUSM. Richard Myers, PhD, professor of neurology at BUSM, is the study's senior author.

According to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease each year and approximately one million Americans are currently living with the disease.

Parkinson's disease is a complex neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a buildup of proteins in nerve cells that lead to their inability to communicate with one another, causing motor function issues, including tremors and slowness in movement, as well as dementia. The substantia nigra is an area of the midbrain that helps control movement, and previous research has shown that this area of the brain loses neurons as Parkinson's disease progresses.

The researchers analyzed gene expression differences in brain tissue between 27 samples with known Parkinson's disease and 26 samples from neurologically healthy controls. This data set represents the largest number of brain samples used in a whole-genome expression study of Parkinson's disease to date. The novel aspect of this study is represented by the researchers' emphasis on removing possible sources of variation by minimizing the differences among samples. They used only male brain tissue samples that showed no significant marks of Alzheimer's disease pathology, one of the frequently co-occurring neurological diseases in Parkinson's disease patients. The samples also had similar tissue quality and were from the brain's prefrontal cortex, one of the less studied areas for the disease. The prefrontal cortex does not show neuronal death to the same extent as the substantia nigra, although it displays molecular and pathological modifications during the disease process, while also being responsible for the dementia present in a large proportion of Parkinson's disease patients.

Results of the expression experiment showed that the gene FOXO1 had increased expression in the brain tissue samples with known Parkinson's disease. FOXO1 is a transcriptional regulator that can modify the expression of other genes. Further examination of the FOXO1 gene showed that two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), or DNA sequence variations, were significantly associated with age at onset of Parkinson's disease.

"Our hypothesis is that FOXO1 acts in a protective manner by activating genes and pathways that fight the neurodegeneration processes," said Dumitriu. "If this is correct, there could be potential to explore FOXO1 as a therapeutic drug target for Parkinson's disease."

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Malaysia's Chemistry Department Is World Standard – Ongkili

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You are here : Bernama News

July 01, 2012 16:24 PM

Malaysia's Chemistry Department Is World Standard - Ongkili

ALOR SETAR, July 1 (Bernama) -- The expertise and high-tech procedures applied by Malaysia's chemistry department is on par with international standards, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said.

"Our chemistry department does not use second class equipment...the ministry will constantly ensure that," he told reporters in conjunction with the fifth anniversary celebrations of the department's Kedah branch here today.

He said the department's analysis techniques have also progressed from conventional analysis to instrumentation analysis which can provide speedier, accurate and quality results.

Earlier in his speech, he said the department needs to enhance its analysis competitiveness given the presence of private laboratories which are also providing similar services.

He said the department also plays an important role as a reference centre for scientific findings.

In this regard it serves as an Asean reference laboratory for analysis of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and halal products, and a DNA forensic reference centre.

"There is no end to efficiency, there is always room for improvement. Innovations do not necessarily require more power and additional funds; laboratory operating procedures need to be regularly upgraded," he said, adding that the department needed to find and initiate an approach that would shorten the analysis period.

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Malaysia's Chemistry Department Is World Standard - Ongkili

Malaysia’s chemistry dept is world standard, says Ongkili

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ALOR SETAR, July 1 The expertise and high-tech procedures applied by Malaysia's chemistry department is on par with international standards, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said.

"Our chemistry department does not use second class equipment...the ministry will constantly ensure that," he told reporters in conjunction with the fifth anniversary celebrations of the department's Kedah branch here today.

He said the department's analysis techniques have also progressed from conventional analysis to instrumentation analysis which can provide speedier, accurate and quality results.

Earlier in his speech, he said the department needs to enhance its analysis competitiveness given the presence of private laboratories which are also providing similar services.

He said the department also plays an important role as a reference centre for scientific findings.

In this regard it serves as an Asean reference laboratory for analysis of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and halal products, and a DNA forensic reference centre.

"There is no end to efficiency, there is always room for improvement. Innovations do not necessarily require more power and additional funds; laboratory operating procedures need to be regularly upgraded," he said, adding that the department needed to find and initiate an approach that would shorten the analysis period. Bernama

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Malaysia’s chemistry dept is world standard, says Ongkili

Our Chemistry Dept is 1st class – Maximus Ongkili

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The expertise and high-tech procedures applied by Malaysia's chemistry department is on par with international standards, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said.

"Our chemistry department does not use second class equipment...the ministry will constantly ensure that," he told reporters in conjunction with the fifth anniversary celebrations of the department's Kedah branch here today.

He said the department's analysis techniques have also progressed from conventional analysis to instrumentation analysis which can provide speedier, accurate and quality results.

Earlier in his speech, he said the department needs to enhance its analysis competitiveness given the presence of private laboratories which are also providing similar services.

He said the department also plays an important role as a reference centre for scientific findings.

In this regard it serves as an Asean reference laboratory for analysis of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and halal products, and a DNA forensic reference centre.

"There is no end to efficiency, there is always room for improvement. Innovations do not necessarily require more power and additional funds; laboratory operating procedures need to be regularly upgraded," he said, adding that the department needed to find and initiate an approach that would shorten the analysis period. Bernama

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Our Chemistry Dept is 1st class - Maximus Ongkili

Physicians Answer Questions About Food Biotechnology in IFIC Foundation Videos

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Newswise (Washington, D.C., June 29, 2012) In an effort to improve public understanding of modern food production, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation has released five videos featuring leading physicians in the fields of pediatrics, food allergy and obstetrics who answer frequently asked questions about food biotechnology. To view the videos, click here.

Technology, including food biotechnology, has for many years been an important part of producing safe and affordable food for a growing world population, yet questions about certain aspects of safety and benefits remain, said IFIC Foundation President and CEO David Schmidt. For that reason, we asked leading physicians to respond to a number of common concerns and explain why they are confident in the safety of food produced using biotechnology.

Physicians featured in the videos include:

Wesley Burks, MD, Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina Medical School and Physician in Chief of the North Carolina Childrens Hospital. Dr. Burks currently serves as the president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

Laurie Green, MD, founding partner of the Pacific Womens OB/GYN Medical Group in San Francisco, California. Dr. Green is past president of the California Academy of Medicine and past president of the San Francisco Gynecological Society. She is a member of the Susan G. Komen Foundation Board of Directors.

Ronald Kleinman, MD, Physician in Chief of the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Chief of the Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Kleinman also teaches Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

Suzanne S. Teuber, MD, professor at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine, specializes in allergy and clinical immunology with a particular interest in food allergies of all types. She is the training program director for the Allergy and Immunology Fellowship Program at UC Davis.

Earlier this month, the American Medical Associations (AMA) House of Delegates reaffirmed its support for the continued use of biotechnology in the production of safe, nutritious food. The AMA recognized the continuing validity of the foundational principles of federal regulation that in all aspects, foods produced though biotechnology present no unique hazards or risks than foods produced by other methods. The AMA also stated that there is no scientific justification for special labeling of bioengineered foods, as a class, and that voluntary labeling is without value unless it is accompanied by focused consumer education. The AMA urged government, industry, consumer advocacy groups, and the scientific and medical communities to educate the public and improve the availability of unbiased information and research activities on bioengineered foods. These IFIC Foundation videos are consistent with that goal.

Results of IFICs latest survey on US consumer attitudes toward food biotechnology and additional resources can be found at the links below.

Additional Resources on Food Biotechnology:

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Physicians Answer Questions About Food Biotechnology in IFIC Foundation Videos

Nutrition data on front label effective

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LAS VEGAS, June 30 (UPI) -- In-store promotion and nutrition information on the front label of food packaging helps shoppers make healthier choices, U.S. researchers say.

Dennis Milne, director of business relations at the American Heart Association, presented research showing that when a tag was put on the grocery store shelf showing that a product had the Heart Check mark indicating a heart-healthy food, sales increased 1.5 percent to 6.7 percent, depending on the group of shoppers.

The sales increase was highest in the group considered "struggling dieters," who have a high interest in nutrition but tend to struggle with weight loss and their ability to eat healthy -- while it was lowest in those who already follow a strict heart-healthy diet.

"Consumers aren't necessarily looking for the Heart Check mark, but it does influence them when they see it," Milne said said in a statement.

Mary Christ-Erwin, director of the food and nutrition practice at Porter Novelli, said shopping behaviors are driven by many factors, but it is hard to get something new in that grocery cart -- people don't change their eating habits that much.

"Front-of-package labels can play a role in breaking through these patterns because of their ease of use" Christ-Erwin said.

The findings were presented at the Institute of Food Technologists annual meeting.

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Lean pork: It’s genetic

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FORT WAYNE Its like copying the blueprint of a blue ribbon pig.

Whiteshire Hamroc is an Albion swine genetics company that grows its herd through artificial insemination. Put another way, its a process that takes DNA from the best pigs with the goal of producing the highest-quality meat. These days, that means leaner cuts of pork.

After enduring the recession, the 30-year-old company has seen business start to pick up. The company posted $15 million in revenue in 2011, up about 5 percent from the previous year. This fall, the company expects to break ground on a multimillion-dollar research and development farm in Noble County a joint venture with a company in China.

Mike Platt is executive director of the Indiana Pork Association.

Platt said consumer demand is the reason behind Whiteshires growth. The public demands better quality food and it cant be left up to chance, Platt said.

People want their pork to be leaner, he said. So, how can you ensure that without (genetic farming)? You cant. The truth is that as science has improved over the last 30 years, it only makes sense to take advantage of it.

And Whiteshire figures to do just that.

The research project venture involves Tangrenshen Co., an integrated pork and feed firm in China. Whiteshire has been teaming with its Asian counterpart since 2007. Terms of the latest deal, announced June 7, were not disclosed. The development will create 25 permanent jobs and more than 100 temporary construction positions for northeast Indiana.

Whiteshire, which employs more than 40 workers, has three buildings over a five-acre site at 4728 N. 200 W. Besides its headquarters and genetic evaluation building, the company has two farms with 1,500 sows. Its main customers include meat packing plants, other pork farms and medical companies that harvest tissue or organs. About 40,000 pigs are sold annually.

Other companies in the state involved at the research center are Gentryville-based Tempel Genetics Inc. and Albany-based Shaffer Superior Genetics Inc. Cedar Ridge Farms of Redbud, Ill., also is participating.

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Lean pork: It's genetic

View and Share Hottest Travel Videos with Friends and Win Fabulous Prizes from CyberLink’s “I Love Summer Travel”

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TAIPEI, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW), an innovative solution provider for the connected digital lifestyle, today launched I Love Summer Travel, a new campaign for travel fans to view videos of the hottest and most popular travel destinations and share with their friends to win fantastic prizes, including a Rimowa 26 multiwheel suitcase, Nikon D3100 DSLR, Pentax Optio WG-2 digital camera, Sony DPF-HD 800 digital photo frame and CyberLink premium software.

Now you can check out your dream travel destination videos before planning your summer travel. I Love Summer Travel features cool videos of more than 50 delightful cities around the world. The fantastic travel videos were created using PowerDirector, the worlds fastest and most intuitive video-creation software from CyberLink.

Starting June 29th through August 27th, participants can check out their favorite videos and share with their friends via email or Facebook to win amazing travel prizes including a Rimowa 26 multiwheel suitcase, Nikon D3100 DSLR, Pentax Optio WG-2 digital camera and Sony DPF-HD 800 digital photo frame. Whats more, CyberLink will give away premium software products on a bi-weekly basis. The more you share, the greater the chance to win.

I Love Summer Travel is a global campaign with one set of prizes for worldwide participants. Please visit http://www.cyberlink.com/event/summertravel/ENU for more information and complete rules. You are also invited to download a trial version of PowerDirector 10 to make your own travel videos and experience the worlds fastest video editing software. If you are already a PowerDirector user, you can easily create spectacular travel videos with the new Travel Pack 2, a stylish creative design pack including 9 travel-theme templates.

For more information, please visit CyberLink's website at http://www.cyberlink.com.

All companies and product names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and are the sole property of their respective owners. Copyright 2012 CyberLink Corp. All rights reserved.

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View and Share Hottest Travel Videos with Friends and Win Fabulous Prizes from CyberLink’s “I Love Summer Travel”

What's happening in the world of travel

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andBeyond is now offering yoga safaris. Picture: Supplied. Source: Supplied

An artist's impression of the SKYCITY development at Darwin. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

DARWIN's casino revamp will be unveiled next month, and an Australian company is offering novel "boatshare" opportunities.

1. Darwin casino in major revamp

SKYCITY Darwin will reveal a multimillion-dollar extension next month, with a man-made lagoon with a swim-up bar, a new endota spa, new bar and restaurant.

Additions to the casino and hotel complex in the Northern Territory include 32 luxury rooms and two villas.

The existing 5-star development has also had a facelift, with the renovation of many guest rooms and refurbishment of two restaurants.

See skycitydarwin.com.au

2. Relax on safari

FANCY a morning yoga session with the Masai Mara?

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What's happening in the world of travel

Going beyond Yoga

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(Discovered by the west during the hippie era as a way to transcendence, yoga has in recent years become part of the search for the perfect physique. Thanks to new teachers, gadgets and practices, it could again become an entry point for deeper spiritual practice)

The first time I tried yogaI wont say when, but Carlos Santana was still calling himself Devadipit was in someones basement in the suburbs, with plastic mats on the floor. Some guy in sweatpants led us through the Sun Salutations and the obligatory guided relaxation in the Corpse pose. Afterward we all hung around drinking soy coffee.

A couple of months later, I was struggling to stay in the lotus posture in front of an intense, scary-looking Indian guy in orange robes. The scent of sandalwood incense hung in the air, blending with the sampaguita garlands draped around a framed portrait of the guru. After a couple of minutes he told me my mind wasnt pure enough, and that I should chant babanam kevalam some more before coming back.

I had flunked the initiation.

The first wave of interest in yoga came in the aftermath of the hippie era, but the focus was on transcendence. Their minds having been expanded with psychedelic drugs, people looking for enlightenment turned east. In the 70s, ex-hippies chanted Hare Krishna, tried Transcendental Meditation, joined Ananda Marga or devoted themselves to Bhagwan Shri Rajneesh or Satya Sai Baba.

Few people actually practiced the asanas-the yoga poses. Those who did did so perfunctorily, mainly to prepare themselves for meditation and-they hoped-eventual enlightenment.

Then toward the end of the decade, yoga took a turn for the weird. Chess grandmaster Viktor Korchnoi enlisted two monks from Ananda Marga to psych out Anatoli Karpov in their 1978 world championship match in Baguio City. Later that same year, a nun from the same sect set herself on fire in Luneta to protest the continued imprisonment of their guru in India.

Things went quiet in the 80s, but something interesting happened during the 90s. Somehow the practice of yoga merged with the cult of the perfect physique that had emerged during the Yuppie era. Western disciples had taken the teachings of their Indian gurus and democratized it, adding more than a bit of marketing spin. What in India were seen as age-old traditions emerged in the new global marketplace as brands: Iyengar, Ashtanga, Bikram, Jivamukti. The asanas became the focal point of yoga practice.

Today, yoga is a growth industry. Ten years ago, you could count the yoga teachers in Manila on the fingers of one hand (and still have a finger or two left over). Today there are literally dozens of yoga studios offering a plethora of classes in Metro Manila alone, and other metropolitan areas arent far behind.

Beyond Yoga, a studio that opened last October in the Tomas Morato area of Quezon City, exemplifies the modern, Westernized approach to yoga.

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Going beyond Yoga

Lily Dale One Tank Getaway

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June 30, 2012 Updated Jun 30, 2012 at 10:37 PM EDT

LILY DALE, N.Y. ( WKBW ) Have you ever visited the spiritual oasis in the Southern Tier at the Lily Dale Assembly?

Channel 7's "AM/Buffalo" took a One Tank Getaway there recently.

Check out the video.

Here is more from their website:

We welcome you to the Lily Dale Assembly, Worlds Largest Center for the Science Philosophy and Religion of Spiritualism, now celebrating its 133rd year. Each day of the season offers a series of events and experiences to bring information, enlightenment, hope and peace to those who open their hearts to receive.

Click the image to download the 2012 Workshop Catalog There are daily lectures on the wonders of mediumistic phenomena and the basic truths of God and Man, which Spiritualists adopt as their standard for living.

Demonstrations of clairvoyance are given at services held every day for the visitors by mediums devoted to their service. The Healing Temple is available for meditation on the renewing and uplifting of spiritual and physical energies. Spiritual healers are present to work with those who desire individual healing energies.

Classes on a broad range of subjects related to the development of Mans potential as a spiritual being are offered throughout the season. Thought Exchange evenings are designed to give free exchange of information as well as to answer the many questions of the seeker.

We are dedicated to the service of God, Spirit and Mankind. This, to the members of the Lily Dale Assembly, is the foundation upon which all else is built. We open our community to you that you may experience that which is for your highest and best. We encourage you to participate in the activities and to open your minds and your hearts to receive.

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Lily Dale One Tank Getaway

Huge crowd greets giant Super Guppy & it's cargo, Space Shuttle trainer crew compartment at Museum of Flight

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Astronauts Gregory Johnson, a West Seattle High School grad, and Bonnie Dunbar, pictured left, were greeted by a thrilled Gov. Gregoire after they piloted, then landed, the NASA Super Guppy cargo plane Saturday, June 30. It brought the Space Shuttle crew compartment portion of the full-fuselage trainer in its "belly" which separated. It can be seen at the museum's Charles Simonyi Space Gallery. We will update with a slideshow shortly.

Thousands of onlookers seemed thrilled as the NASA Super Guppy cargo plane, which appears to be about nine months pregnant, did a "fly-by" over Boeing Field by the Museum of Flight Saturday, June 30, heading north toward downtown Seattle before returning to land. Inside its giant belly sat the 24-foot-long Space Shuttle crew compartment portion of the full-fuselage trainer, or FFT, awaiting its public, and a permanent place in the museum's Charles Simonyi Space Gallery.

It will join other components and will then look like an entire Space Shuttle. It arrived from Travis AFB, Fairfield, Ca., landing at Boeing at about 12:15 p.m. after circling the city and Everett's Paine Field. Speeches were given following its landing. Then the Guppy's cargo body divided, exposing, then liberating, the trainer compartment. It was shuttled across East Marginal Way to the gallery.

The museum signed a Space Act Agreement during a brief January ceremony at the Houston Space Center, which transferred ownership of the trainer to the Seattle Museum of Flight. The Space Shuttle trainer was used to educate astronauts for the past three decades.

Giving speeches were Museum of Flight President and CEO Doug King, Board President Mike Hallman, Governor Christine Gregoire, Congressman Jim McDermott, Space Shuttle astronauts Gregory Johnson of West Seattle, Bonnie Dunbar of Sunnyside, Wa., and Dr. Janet Kavandi of Carthage, Missouri, who earned her doctorate at the University of Washington, and other dignitaries. The astronauts were the Super Guppy's pilots on Saturday's flight.

Steve Pool

KOMO weather forecaster Steve Pool, a museum board of trustee member for 20 years, emceed. On the podium, Pool took a bit of credit for the weather cooperating, then leaped up from his seat with good humor to apologize to the public when it began to lightly rain.

"It's a very big deal," Pool told the West Seattle Herald, referring to the museum's latest acquisition. "I go back to when we just had the great gallery and we've made such huge progress. I'm just thrilled."

Gov. Gregoire

"I have not seen it before," Gov. Gregoire told the West Seattle Herald, referring to the Super Guppy, looking amazed. "It is one of a kind. Look at the enthusiasm in the crowd."

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Huge crowd greets giant Super Guppy & it's cargo, Space Shuttle trainer crew compartment at Museum of Flight

Museum of Flight welcomes space shuttle trainer

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A space shuttle trainer landed at Boeing Field's Museum of Flight on Saturday.

The Space Shuttle Trainer Crew Compartment, aboard NASAs Super Guppy aircraft, arrived in Seattle just before 12:30 p.m.

The trainer is a simulator that every space shuttle astronaut has used in training.

Museum of Flight President and CEO Doug King was joined by Governor Christine Gregoire, Congressman Jim McDermott, astronauts Bonnie Dunbar, Greg Johnson, Janet Kavandi and pilots from the Super Guppy in welcoming the trainer, according to a museum spokesperson.

The trainer made its way from Sacramento, California to Boeing Feild.

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Museum of Flight welcomes space shuttle trainer