Monthly Archives: July 2012

'White stork' delivers new research and technology investigations to International Space Station

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ScienceDaily (July 25, 2012) A "white stork" is soon to deliver supplies to the International Space Station. But it's not the typical stork you associate with baby deliveries. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kounotori3 H-II Transfer Vehicle, or HTV-3, is a 16.5-ton cargo ship. Kounotori is Japanese for "white stork."

Following a weeklong journey since its launch July 20, the HTV-3 is scheduled to dock to the station July 27 packed with nearly four tons of supplies, including a mix of NASA and international partner research ranging from biology to education to technology demonstration.

A Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency investigation will study new sampling techniques and environmental microbiological methods for environmental analysis. Microbial Dynamics in the International Space Station -- III (Microbe-III) will monitor the abundance and diversity of fungi and bacteria in Kibo, the Japanese Experiment module on the station. The results will be used to produce a microbiologically safe environment which is essential for a long-duration stay in space.

Another Japanese investigation, In-situ Observation of Growth Mechanisms of Protein Crystals and Their Perfection Under Microgravity (NanoStep), aims to clarify the relationship between crystal growth mechanism and the perfection of crystals. Crystallization of proteins in microgravity yields crystals with better perfection than crystallization on Earth. This study will look at the reason for this phenomenon, which has not been explained from a viewpoint of crystal growth mechanism.

NASA's ISS SERVIR Environmental Research and Visualization System (ISERV) is an automated system designed to acquire images of Earth's surface from the space station. It is primarily a means to gain experience and expertise in automated data acquisition from the station, although it is expected to provide useful images for use in disaster monitoring and assessment, and environmental decision making.

Five small mission payloads that perform science and technological demonstrations also are among the newest investigations arriving at the station. The Multi-mission Consolidated Equipment (MCE) includes two atmospheric observations that study lightning and resonant scattering from plasma and airglow. The other technology demonstrations include inflatable structure deployment, robotic tether movement and testing a high-definition television camera in the space environment.

Several educational activities are scheduled to begin after the supplies arrive at the station, including the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Education Payload Observation 5 (JAXA EPO5). These activities demonstrate artistic activities aboard the station to enlighten the public about microgravity research and human spaceflight.

Through an agreement with NASA, Space Adventures is sponsoring the YouTube Space Lab world-wide contest for students 14-to-18 years old. Over the past year, students submitted entries in the areas of physics or biology via a two-minute YouTube video. The top two experiments were selected in March 2012 through online voting and by an international panel of experts, including William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for NASA's Human Exploration Mission Directorate, and Leland Melvin, NASA's associate administrator for the Office of Education. The winning experiments -- from Egypt and Michigan -- are being flown to the station to be conducted later this year. One experiment will study how bacteria grow in space to see if different nutrients can block the growth. The other winning entry looks at how a Zebra spider -- which jumps on its prey instead of catching them in a web on Earth -- will hunt its prey in microgravity.

Several human research activities will arrive with the cargo ship, including Sonographic Astronaut Vertebral Examination (Spinal Ultrasound). This investigation aims to use ground- and space-based studies to fully characterize and assign a mission health risk to microgravity-associated spinal changes for back pain and potential injury. This research will determine the accuracy of the ultrasound in characterizing the anatomy and composition of the vertebral unit and help to develop new training methods.

In the area of physical sciences, the Binary Colloidal Alloy Test -- C1 (BCAT-C1) experiment will study nano-scale particles dispersed in liquid, known as a colloidal suspension, commonly found in such commercial commodities as paint, electronic polishing compounds and food products. These suspensions will have the unique property that the particles will separate -- like oil and water -- and the particles will self-assemble into crystals that interact strongly with light, like opal. Photographing these samples in microgravity will allow the measurement of these processes while avoiding the effects of particle sinking due to gravity. This study will allow the development of new insights into this important materials process.

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'White stork' delivers new research and technology investigations to International Space Station

Space Station Solstice | Bad Astronomy

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This is pretty neat: on June 6, a couple of weeks before the summer solstice, astronauts on the International Space Station pointed a camera to the north and took pictures as they orbited the Earth. Taken over the course of about an hour 2/3 of a full orbit this was made into a video where you can see the Sun setting and rising again. Whats cool, though, is the Sun never completely sets. It dips toward the edge of the Earth, then pulls away again:

I love how the Sun shines through the gaps in the solar array.

The geometry of this is fun! Normally, as it orbits the Earth, the ISS passes behind the Earth relative to the Sun, going into the Earths shadow. The Earth itself blocks the Sun, so its nighttime for the astronauts. Mind you, their orbit is roughly 90 minutes, so this happens on average 18 times per day and lasts for about 45 minutes.

But the ISS orbits the Earth at an angle: the orbit is tilted relative to the Equator by a little over 50. During the northern hemisphere summer, the Earths north pole itself is tilted toward the Sun by about 24. Combined, this means that for a time around the solstice the ISS can stay in daylight for an entire orbit. The Sun gets very nearly blocked by the Earth, but not quite. I drew a diagram that might help:

The circle represents the Earth. The Sun is off to the left, so the left side of the Earth is lit and the right side is dark. The north pole of the Earth is tipped toward the Sun as shown, and you can see the Equator marked as well. The "terminator" is the day/night line.

I added the rough angle of the ISS orbit this was done by eye, but shows you how this works. As you can see, the orbit is tilted only a bit from the terminator. Because the ISS is 400 km (240 miles) above the surface, the orbit "pokes over" the edge of the Earth in the diagram (which I exaggerated a bit for clarity). Because of this, the ISS can see the Sun even when its over the night side of the Earth: its up high enough that the Earth doesnt block the Sun.

And thats what the video shows. At the top of its orbit (as shown in the diagram) the Sun gets very close to but not completely blocked by the limb of the Earths horizon, and the ISS sees daylight for a full orbit!

Pretty nifty. And look: your tenth grade geometry teacher may have overstated it a bit when she said some day your life may depend on this stuff but it does make life a lot cooler when you do understand it.

Tip o the spacesuit visor to the ESA G+ page.

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Space Station Solstice | Bad Astronomy

NASA's Spitzer Finds Evidence for an Exoplanet Smaller Than Earth

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July 25, 2012 - Using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers have found evidence of planet two-thirds size of Earth, which leads experts to believe telescope can be used to help discover potentially habitable, terrestrial-sized worlds. Object is called UCF-1.01 and is 33 light years away. Finding is published in paper, "Identifying nearby small planets such as UCF-1.01 may one day lead to their characterization using future instruments," accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. NASA NASA Ames Reseach Center Moffett Field, CA, 94035 USA Press release date: July 18, 2012

WASHINGTON - Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have detected what they believe is a planet two-thirds the size of Earth. The exoplanet candidate, called UCF-1.01, is located a mere 33 light-years away, making it possibly the nearest world to our solar system that is smaller than our home planet.

Exoplanets circle stars beyond our sun. Only a handful smaller than Earth have been found so far. Spitzer has performed transit studies on known exoplanets, but UCF-1.01 is the first ever identified with the telescope, pointing to a possible role for Spitzer in helping discover potentially habitable, terrestrial-sized worlds.

"We have found strong evidence for a very small, very hot and very near planet with the help of the Spitzer Space Telescope," said Kevin Stevenson from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Stevenson is lead author of the paper, which has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. "Identifying nearby small planets such as UCF-1.01 may one day lead to their characterization using future instruments."

The hot new planet candidate was found unexpectedly in Spitzer observations. Stevenson and his colleagues were studying the Neptune-sized exoplanet GJ 436b, already known to exist around the red-dwarf star GJ 436. In the Spitzer data, the astronomers noticed slight dips in the amount of infrared light streaming from the star, separate from the dips caused by GJ 436b. A review of Spitzer archival data showed the dips were periodic, suggesting a second planet might be blocking out a small fraction of the star's light.

This technique, used by a number of observatories including NASA's Kepler space telescope, relies on transits to detect exoplanets. The duration of a transit and the small decrease in the amount of light registered reveals basic properties of an exoplanet, such as its size and distance from its star. In UCF-1.01's case, its diameter would be approximately 5,200 miles (8,400 kilometers), or two-thirds that of Earth. UCF-1.01 would revolve quite tightly around GJ 436, at about seven times the distance of the Earth from the moon, with its "year" lasting only 1.4 Earth days. Given this proximity to its star, far closer than the planet Mercury is to our sun, the exoplanet's surface temperature would be more than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (almost 600 degrees Celsius).

If the roasted, diminutive planet candidate ever had an atmosphere, it almost surely has evaporated. UCF-1.01 might therefore resemble a cratered, mostly geologically dead world like Mercury. Paper co-author Joseph Harrington, also of the University of Central Florida and principal investigator of the research, suggested another possibility; that the extreme heat of orbiting so close to GJ 436 has melted the exoplanet's surface.

"The planet could even be covered in magma," Harrington said.

In addition to UCF-1.01, Stevenson and his colleagues noticed hints of a third planet, dubbed UCF-1.02, orbiting GJ 436. Spitzer has observed evidence of the two new planets several times each. However, even the most sensitive instruments are unable to measure exoplanet masses as small as UCF-1.01 and UCF-1.02, which are perhaps only one-third the mass of the Earth. Because knowing the mass is required for confirming a discovery, the paper authors are cautiously calling both bodies exoplanet candidates for now.

Of the approximately 1,800 stars identified by Kepler as candidates for having planetary systems, just three are verified to contain sub-Earth-sized exoplanets. Of these, only one exoplanet is thought to be smaller than the Spitzer candidates, with a radius similar to Mars, or 57 percent that of Earth.

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NASA's Spitzer Finds Evidence for an Exoplanet Smaller Than Earth

NASA Mars Odyssey Repositioned to Relay Mars Science Laboratory Landing Data

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NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft has successfully adjusted its orbital location to be in a better position to provide prompt confirmation of the August landing of the Curiosity rover.

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft carrying Curiosity can send limited information directly to Earth as it enters Mars' atmosphere. Before the landing, Earth will set below the Martian horizon from the descending spacecraft's perspective, ending that direct route of communication. Odyssey will help to speed up the indirect communication process.

NASA reported during a July 16 news conference that Odyssey, which originally was planned to provide a near-real-time communication link with Curiosity, had entered safe mode July 11. This situation would have affected communication operations, but not the rover's landing. Without a repositioning maneuver, Odyssey would have arrived over the landing area about two minutes after Curiosity landed.

A spacecraft thruster burn Tuesday lasting about six seconds has nudged Odyssey about six minutes ahead in its orbit. Odyssey now is operating normally, and confirmation of Curiosity's landing is expected to reach Earth at about 10:31 p.m. PDT Aug. 5, as originally planned.

"Information we are receiving indicates the maneuver has been completed as planned," said Gaylon McSmith, Mars Odyssey project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), in Pasadena, Calif. "Odyssey has been working at Mars longer than any other spacecraft, so it is appropriate that it has a special role in supporting the newest arrival."

Two other Mars orbiters, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and the European Space Agency's Mars Express, also will be in position to receive radio transmissions from MSL during its descent. However, they will be recording information for later playback. Only Odyssey can relay information immediately.

Odyssey arrived at Mars in 2001. In addition to its own scientific observations, it has served as a communications relay for NASA's Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers and the Phoenix lander. Spirit and Phoenix are no longer operational. Odyssey and MRO will provide communication relays for Curiosity during the rover's two-year prime mission.

Odyssey and MSL, with its Curiosity rover, are managed by JPL for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Curiosity was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The Odyssey spacecraft is operated by JPL and Lockheed Martin in Denver. Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver built Odyssey.

For more information about Mars Odyssey, visit: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/odyssey

For information about the Curiosity landing and other NASA Mars missions, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mars

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NASA Mars Odyssey Repositioned to Relay Mars Science Laboratory Landing Data

Mars rover's crazy-looking landing plan is technically sound, says NASA

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NASA scientists say that the Mars Curiosity rover's audacious August 5landing plan, which involves a hypersonic parachute, retrorockets, and a hovering 'sky crane' system is exactly what is needed for the $2.5 billion rover.

Many have been fretting about the seemingly implausible, risky landing strategy of the new Mars rover Curiosity set to arrive on the Red Planet next month, but engineers say the worry is overblown.

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Curiosity, the Mini Cooper-size centerpiece of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission, is due to be lowered onto the Martian surface by a hovering Sky Crane holding it up via tethers. Despite the audacity of the concept, many aerospace engineers say the plan is solid.

"I agree it looks scary, it looks risky, but it's technically sound," said Georgia Institute of Technology professor Bobby Braun, who served as NASA chief technologist from 2010-2011. Braun was not part of the engineering team, based at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., that designed the Curiosity landing system. "In my view, it's not risky, it's actually the right way to land the system they're trying to land."

The new $2.5 billion rover is designed to analyze samples of Mars rock for signs that our planetary neighbor is, or ever was, habitable to life. Weighing in at 1 ton, Curiosity is too heavy to land with the assistance of cushioning airbags, like NASA's previous two Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity.

Instead, parachutes will slow the MSL descent stage toward Mars at first. Then, the descent stage will use rocket engines to dampen its speed further. Finally, at about 115 feet (35 meters) above the surface, the Sky Crane system will lower Curiosity, wheels-down, toward the ground, attached to nylon tethers. The rover is designed to be gently settled on the surface, after which the Sky Crane will detach and fly off to land a distance away. [How Curiosity's Nail-Biting Landing Works (Pictures)]

The plan requires a large number of sophisticated parts to work impeccably, and is utterly different than any previous mechanism used to land a machine on another planet, prompting some to charge that it's a scheme Rube Goldberg would have approved.

"A lot of people seem skeptical of it. I'm not," said Stephen Gorevan, chairman of New York City robotics firm Honeybee Robotics, which built Curiosity's internal Sample Manipulation System, but wasn't involved with the landing strategy. "I just think, the thing has been so tested. I see the electromechanical elements, I'm an engineer, I see at least each individual element of the scheme seems very reliable to me. It's new, it's daring, but I see it working."

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Mars rover's crazy-looking landing plan is technically sound, says NASA

Tracing the nano-landscape

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Mumbai, July 25:

How big is small? Nano technologies are igniting innovations across the world. And tracing this nanoscape the complex pathways from nanoventing to the commercialisation of nanovations is the book Nanotechnology Intellectual Property Rights: Research, Design, and Commercialization.

The inclusive nature of nanotechnology gives it a very special status as it mothers innovations to deliver inventions in nanobiotechnology, nanostructures, nanocomposites, nanomedicine, nanotaggants for security systems, nanoelectronics, nanodevices etc, according to excerpts from the book written by intellectual property experts Dr Prabuddha Ganguli and Dr Siddharth Jabade. The book is slated for launch in Hyderabad this week.

Nanotechnology allows scientists to dabble at the small, building-block atomic or molecular level. And while the technology is not without its sceptics, a section of the scientific community believes that nanotechnology would help develop break-through newer applications in several fields.

Illustrating this nano-inclusiveness, the authors say, the protection of intellectual property is important to the nanotechnology industry because of its complex knowledge matrix.

Driving the nano to success will require cross-disciplinary expertise to contemplate, foresee and address as many social, legal including intellectual property rights, cultural, ethical, religious, philosophical and political implications of the nanoworld, tomorrow and the days after, the book says.

The book caters to a diverse readership that may not have an insight into the legal nuances of IP rights, and it seeks to articulate techno-legal aspects of nano-related innovations, illustrated with case-studies, to aid integration into businesses, says Dr Ganguli.

The book is published by the CRC Press (Taylor and Francis Group), USA, and priced in India at Rs 2,943.

jyothi@thehindu.co.in

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Tracing the nano-landscape

Government resists calls for nano-materials register

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The ABC's revelations that some sunscreen brands are inaccurately promoting themselves as nanotechnology-free have prompted calls for better regulation of nano-materials.

But the push for a mandatory register has suffered a blow, with a Federal Government report labelling it questionable.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is among those calling for a register, saying the potential risks posed by nano-particles are still unknown.

Nanotechnology is the science of reducing the size of particles to just billionths of a metre.

Nano-particles can be found in many products and materials such as sunscreen, cosmetics, food and clothing.

The Federal Government recently released a study it commissioned to look at the feasibility of a mandatory nanotechnology product register.

The study concluded: "It is clear that some nano-materials behave differently to bulk-form materials and there are associated health, safety and environmental risks."

"However the challenge presented by nanotechnology can be met through existing regulatory frameworks.

"It is therefore difficult to see a nano-products register delivering a net benefit to the community. The feasibility of a nano-product registry is questionable."

But groups pushing for a register disagree.

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Government resists calls for nano-materials register

Acclaimed Dentist from Suwanee, Georgia Addresses Barbados Dental Association on Latest Trends in Dental Sleep Medicine

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SUWANEE, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Suwanee, Georgia dentist, Robert A. Finkel, DDS, MAGD presented a seminar on Dental Sleep Medicine to Bajan dentists and staff in Bridgetown, Barbados on Tuesday, July 10, 2012. Dr. Finkel spoke to a group of approximately 25 general dentists, orthodontists, and staff on the topic of Oral Appliance Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Dr. Vidya Armogan, President of the Barbados Dental Association, arranged this opportunity for Dr. Finkel to present this innovative concept in dentistry that will enable healthcare providers to help patients who suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), snoring and other manifestations of Sleep Disordered Breathing. It was truly an honor to introduce the concepts of Dental Sleep Medicine to this group of dental professionals, said Dr. Bob Finkel. My hope is that these principles are utilized and will provide improved sleep and better rest for the people of Barbados in the coming years.

Dental Sleep Medicine incorporates the use of oral appliances to help open the airway, allowing normal sleep breathing in those patients suffering from OSA who are unable to tolerate CPAP therapy. This less intrusive therapy for OSA has proven to be more accepted than CPAP treatment and is the latest in dental technology designed to maximize patient convenience and comfort during sleep.

Dr. Robert Finkel has been practicing dentistry in the Atlanta area for more than 33 years. He was a charter member of The Sleep Disorders Dental Society 30 years ago and is known for treatment in the fields of Comprehensive Restorative Dentistry, Dental Sleep Medicine, and TMJ/Facial Pain. Dr. Finkel is a Master in the Academy of General Dentistry and the recipient of the Academys Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition Award. He is also the author of Mini-Bites for a Mega Smile, (A Patients Guide to Dental Treatment) and several white papers on the relationship between oral health and systemic health. Dr. Robert A. Finkels office is located in Suwanee, Georgia. For more information, please visit http://www.bobfinkelsmiles.com.

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Acclaimed Dentist from Suwanee, Georgia Addresses Barbados Dental Association on Latest Trends in Dental Sleep Medicine

New facility to boost medicine research

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Clinical trials of diabetes, arthritis and migraine treatments will be fasttracked and hit the market sooner with the opening of a new national research facility in Brisbane.

The nine million dollar Queensland Node of Therapeutic Innovation Australia will streamline the development of new medical products.

The facility is a collaboration between the University of Queensland and Griffith University and spread over five locations in the state.

It's the first time Australian researchers will have a single point to test medical inventions and have them approved for commercial sale.

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New facility to boost medicine research

Plastic surgery: 'Wild West' of medicine

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Hospitals typically vet their surgeons and allow them to practice only within their field of training and expertise.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Editor's note: Dr. Anthony Youn is a plastic surgeon in metro Detroit. He is the author of "In Stitches," a humorous memoir about growing up Asian-American and becoming a doctor.

(CNN) -- Martha* had decided to undergo a breast augmentation. She researched doctors and found one she thought was well-qualified; ads in magazines touted him as board-certified and a top plastic surgeon in the area.

Martha met with him for a consultation and underwent the procedure in his office several weeks later. But at home that night, she discovered a shocking sight:

Her breast implants were lodged in her armpits.

The next morning, she rushed back to her doctor's office. He inspected her chest and, with a quizzical look on his face, declared, "I have never seen this before."

Martha decided to seek another opinion. A new surgeon explained that the previous physician had botched the procedure. She would need extensive surgery to correct it.

As if this weren't bad enough, he also informed her that her doctor wasn't what he claimed to be. Sure, he was board-certified -- just not in plastic surgery.

Her "plastic surgeon" was actually an eye doctor.

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Plastic surgery: 'Wild West' of medicine

Research and Markets: Sports Medicine Market Report: 2012 Edition

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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ks463w/sports_medicine_ma) has announced the addition of the "Sports Medicine Market Report: 2012 Edition" report to their offering.

A major breakthrough achieved in the field of orthopedics with special application and usage in the sports medicine segment is the recent advancements in arthroscopy techniques i.e. the development of minimally invasive surgery techniques. Over the past couple of decades, the research and development in the arthroscopic procedures has proved to be the transforming milestone as it has critically reduced the healing time for the injuries.

Due to changing demographic trends and lifestyle mainly in younger population, a surge in the cases of sports injuries was seen. Arthroscopic repair is the fastest growing segment in treatment of sports related injuries. Since the technology has a major application in the cases related to sports injuries, the majority of procedures are performed to repair knee damage, most notably to the meniscus, treating sport related injuries such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) damage, as well as age related damage from rheumatoid arthritis. Devices like cartilage repair, rotator cuff repair, and shoulder labrum repair tend to sports related injuries.

Furthermore, the global ageing population is another segment which has benefitted from the advent of minimally invasive techniques in the field of arthroscopic surgery because it doesn't require long period of hospitalization. The maximum revenues come from knee and shoulder treatments.

Leading Players:

As of 2011, the global market leader in the field of sports medicine is Arthrex with Smith & Nephew standing at second place. Other leading players are DePuy Mitek, Stryker, Conmed, Tornier and ArthroCare. With a continuous threat posed by new entrants trying to develop novel procedures and advanced tools and machinery having crucial usage in the respective field has led to a higher degree of rivalry amongst the competitors, overhauling their R&D activities.

Publication Overview:

The report analyzes the global sports medicine market. It covers market size, factors influencing market growth, major trends like robot assisted arthroscopic procedures and advent of minimally invasive surgery procedures and growth drivers like increasing healthcare expenditure, and global ageing population. Furthermore, this study also analyzes the global orthopedics and arthroscopy market. The report provides the company profiles of the key players in the global sports medicine market along with a discussion of their business strategies.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ks463w/sports_medicine_ma

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Research and Markets: Sports Medicine Market Report: 2012 Edition

South Jersey celebrates grand opening of Cooper Medical School

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CAMDEN After nearly four decades of efforts, South Jersey politicians and community leaders celebrated the grand opening of a new medical school in Camden today.

"This is part of a beginning," a beaming George Norcross, chairman of the Cooper University Hospital board, told a standing-room-only crowd today.

Norcross was instrumental in convincing then-Gov. Jon Corzine to authorize a medical school in Camden, but he wasnt the first in his family to have a role. His father, who was director of the local AFL-CIO, began banging the drum for the Camden school about four decades ago.

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, along with the recent realignment of higher education in the state, will bring more than $1 billion of much needed development to Camden over the next decade, boost public safety, enhance education and transform the neglected city, Norcross said.

The new medical school will eventually enroll 400 students. But the first class, which begins next month, is limited to 50 students who were chosen from among 2,900 applicants willing to take a chance on a new school.

Gov. Chris Christie said politicians often overemphasize the importance of events, but that the opening of the medical school was not one of those occasions. He called it a "big deal" and said jokingly that his praise has "the added bonus of being true."

More than 300 people crammed into a 250-seat auditorium in the state-of-the-art facility for the opening, which marked the states first new medical school in more than 35 years.

The 200,000 square-foot-building took 17 months to complete at a cost of $139 million.

Many of the speakers at the hour-long dedication also praised the Legislatures recent approval of a higher education restructuring plan that dismantled the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, sending its School of Osteopathic Medicine to Rowan and giving the rest to Rutgers University.

"We will teach the rest of the world" how to embrace and impose change in higher education, Ali Houshmand, the president of Rowan, said in an impassioned speech that echoed the excitement of the day.

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South Jersey celebrates grand opening of Cooper Medical School

W&M, Eastern Virginia Medical School may join forces

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10:10 a.m. EDT, July 25, 2012

The College of William and Mary and Eastern Virginia Medical School announced on Wednesday they are looking into joining forces to become the William and Mary School of Medicine.

The institutions noted any such action would require the approval of the William and Mary board of visitors, the General Assembly and the governor.

In a letter to the William and Mary community, President Taylor Reveley said he will ask a group led by the provost to begin the exploration effort.

"In my view, the EVMS possibility is worth careful consideration," Reveley said in the letter. "EVMS is an institution we know and respect. Many W&M graduates have gone to medical school there. And there has been productive research collaboration between the two schools."

The two schools said they must "carefully investigate the implications of such a combination."

If EVMS becomes part of William and Mary, the public university will join three others in Virginia with medical schools. The others are Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Virginia and Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.

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W&M, Eastern Virginia Medical School may join forces

EVMS may become W&M School of Medicine

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WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (WAVY) - The Eastern Virginia Medical School is exploring the option of becoming the William & Mary School of Medicine, according to the college.

In a statement issued by both the College of William & Mary and the Easter Virginia Medical School, the possible change must be carefully investigated before a decision is made. The length of the process is unknown.

William & Mary President Taylor Reveley sent the following message Tuesday:

Later today we will issue a joint statement with Eastern Virginia Medical School saying that both institutions will take a long, hard look at whether EVMS should become the William & Mary School of Medicine.

There are miles to go and much information to be developed and studied before either W&M or EVMS will be ready to make a decision, one way or the other. Any such combination would require approval by the College's Board of Visitors as well as the Governor and General Assembly.

It will be important to engage the W&M community in consideration of this possibility. To that end,I will ask a group, led by the Provost, to pull the laboring oar on our due diligence.

In my view, the EVMS possibility is worth careful consideration. EVMS is an institution we know and respect. Many W&M graduates have gone to medical school there. And there has been productive research collaboration between the two schools.

Whether asking for state approval of this combination will ultimately prove to be in our best interests, all factors considered, is what we must now carefully determine. The same, obviously, is true of EVMS from its perspective.

If the choice is made to proceed, the General Assembly and Governor will have to approve.

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EVMS may become W&M School of Medicine

Cooper Medical School opening brings hopes of education opportunities, economic boost

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CAMDEN The Cooper Medical School of Rowan University has been touted as a state-wide win for New Jersey students.

But with the schools opening Tuesday, the Camden-based $139 million project is expected to have the most impact on Gloucester County the home of Rowan University and the city, which is anticipated to get a much-needed economic boost.

Gloucester County is one of the biggest winners in this mix, said Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-3, of West Deptford).

His home county claims Glassboros Rowan University, which is now the second college in the country to offer doctors of medicine (MD) and osteopathic medicine (DO) programs, according to Sweeney.

The Cooper Health System partnership adds an MD program to the universitys already existing affiliation with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and DO program.

This is Rowans medical school ... we are going to be known as the center of excellence for education, Sweeney said. This is an amazing day. Im extremely proud of what we accomplished this last year ... and what weve done in Camden.

The six-story high medical school building has replaced the abandoned houses and buildings that lined Broadway between Benson and Washington Streets just two years ago. The East side view to abandoned houses, windows broken out or boarded, is a reminder of what the 200,000-square-foot building replaced.

Not only will this wonderful facility be a boost to our economy, Redd said the scholars and physicians that emerge from the school and the services provided here will impact the delivery of health care in the city.

We are very grateful that Cooper Medical School of Rowan University has chosen Camden as its home, as its classroom, the mayor added. It exemplifies Camdens long-awaited, long-talked about resurgence.

The opening of the medical school marks Camdens time to come back, she said.

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Cooper Medical School opening brings hopes of education opportunities, economic boost

New Cooper-Rowan medical school ready to open

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CAMDEN Revitalization of a depressed city was on many minds Tuesday morning at a formal celebration for the new Cooper Medical School of Rowan University.

Scheduled to open to its first 50 students Aug. 13, an open house brought together more than 300 medical, academic, political and community leaders, including present and past governors.

The establishment of a four-year medical school in Camden is long overdue, said Gov. Chris Christie. Children throughout New Jersey who dream of one day becoming a doctor now have another medical school option, right in their own state.

Former Gov. Jim Florio also was in attendance to see the projects completion.

Camden Mayor Dana Redd said the new institution is expected to boost the local economy and its level of health care, while creating a population of medical scholars and physicians.

I believe it is an indicator and a catalyst for future development to come, she said. Im really overjoyed. Im really overwhelmed at what has transpired in this city. Its Camdens time.

State Sen. Donald Norcross, D-5 of Camden, whose father George, a Cooper Hospital trustee, was instrumental in moving the project toward fruition, said the new six-story structure replaced abandoned buildings and a methadone clinic that previously sat on the Broadway site.

Construction on the school began in October 2010. On Tuesday, a time-lapse video showed the audience the evolution of the building as the U2 song Beautiful Day played. The project, Norcross said, relied on a variety of building trades that created apprentice opportunities for young people to learn skills.

Changing communities and changing lives. Thats what this great facility will do, he said.

According to medical school officials, about half of the institutions inaugural class has chosen to reside in the city while pursuing their educations. Since the school does not offer dormitory housing, those students are finding accommodations in nearby neighborhoods.

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New Cooper-Rowan medical school ready to open

Liberty Ross, Rupert Sanders' Wife: Pictures and Information

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Spotted by Mario Testino as a teenager, Liberty quickly became one of the most influential British fashion icons of her generation.

Her work has appeared on publications such as Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, I:D, Dazed & Confused, POP, Vs, Zoo, Visionnaire, Numero, Dansk and Citizen K, amongst others. Shes been featured in numerous campaigns for Sonia Rykiel, Burberry, Dior, Etro, Jimmy Choo, Ungaro, Jil Sander, H&M, Levis and Solange Azagurys jewelry to name a few.

Throughout the years, Liberty has worked alongside some of the most influential names in the fashion industry such as Kate Moss, Katie Grand, Solve Sundsbo, Terry Richardson, Mario Sorenti, Steven Meisel and Mert & Marcus. Her famous collaborations with photographer Nick Knight have seen the duo editing an issue of British Vogue, creating unique videos for Showstudio.com and shooting for Pirellis notorious calendar.

Most recently, Liberty has starred in Sam Taylor Woods "Daydream", Warren Du Preez and Nick Jones performance piece for Unkle "Follow Me Down" and Madonnas directorial debut "W.E." She is also performing in Universal Studios upcoming epic feature "Snow White And The Huntsman" directed by Rupert Sanders.

Liberty currently resides in Malibu, CA where shes developing a series of projects while contributing with a personal blog on Vogue.com

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Liberty Ross, Rupert Sanders' Wife: Pictures and Information

Liberty Property Reports In Line – Analyst Blog

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Referenced Stocks: DRE, LRY

Liberty Property Trust ( LRY ), a real estate investment trust (REIT), reported second quarter 2012 FFO (funds from operations) of 63 cents per share compared with 69 cents in the year-earlier quarter. Reported FFO in the quarter was in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Funds from operations, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs, are obtained after adding depreciation and amortization and other non-cash expenses to net income.

Total revenue for second quarter 2012 stood at $169.2 million compared with $164.4 million in the year-ago quarter. Total revenue for the reported quarter exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $168 million.

At the end of the reported quarter, the in-service portfolio of Liberty Property, spanning 77.0 million square feet, had occupancy of 90.7% compared with 90.5% in the previous quarter. Liberty Property witnessed strong leasing activities in the quarter with about 5.5 million square feet of leased space. Operating income from same-store properties slipped 0.6% on a cash basis and 1.0% on a straight line basis year over year.

Liberty Property continues to reposition its portfolio by selling suburban office and high-finish flex properties.The company also intends to enhance its cash reserves through significant divestiture of commodity office space. During the reported quarter, Liberty Property sold 54 properties (82.3% leased), spanning 2.7 million square feet in Wisconsin, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and New Jersey, for approximately $208.6 million.Additionally, Liberty Property acquired four properties (58% leased) spanning 603,000 square feet of leasable space for $29.3 million.

During second quarter 2012, Liberty Property began development of three properties, spanning 246,000 square feet, for an estimated investment of $23.5 million. Also, the company brought into service one development property spanning 128,000 square feet for $6.6 million.

During the reported quarter, Liberty property redeemed $100 million worth of its outstanding 7.40% Series F Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Units at par. Also the company issued $400 million of 4.125% senior unsecured notes to increase its liquidity. At the end of second quarter 2012, the company had $154.1 million in cash and cash equivalents.

Liberty Property currently retains a Zacks #2 Rank, which translates into a short-term Buy rating. We are also maintaining our long-term Neutral recommendation on the stock. One of its competitors, Duke Realty Corp. ( DRE ) carries a Zacks #3 Rank, which translates into a short-term Hold rating.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.

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Liberty Property Reports In Line - Analyst Blog

Liberty Mutual Insurance Reports Second Quarter 2012 Results

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BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Liberty Mutual Holding Company Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively LMHC or the Company) today reported net income of $139 million and $598 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2012, increases of $318 million and $413 million over the same periods in 2011.

Second quarter premium growth of 8% was driven by continued momentum in U.S. personal lines, rate increases in U.S. commercial lines, and robust international results despite significant strengthening of the dollar, said David H. Long, President and CEO of Liberty Mutual Insurance. Additionally our profitability improved significantly in the quarter despite catastrophe losses continuing to run at an elevated level. The quarter was a busy one, including a significant debt restructuring, the sale of our Argentina workers compensation company, assimilation of KIT in Russia, and gaining approval to begin writing business in India.

Second Quarter Highlights

Year-to-Date Highlights

Financial Condition as of June 30, 2012

Consolidated Results of Operations for the Three and Six Months Ended June 30, 2012 and 2011:

PTOI before catastrophes, net incurred losses attributable to prior years, current accident year re-estimation and LP and LLC income

Net incurred losses attributable to prior years:

Pre-tax operating income (loss) before LP and LLC income

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Liberty Mutual Insurance Reports Second Quarter 2012 Results

Liberty Property Reports In Line

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Liberty Property Trust (LRY), a real estate investment trust (:REIT), reported second quarter 2012 FFO (funds from operations) of 63 cents per share compared with 69 cents in the year-earlier quarter. Reported FFO in the quarter was in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Funds from operations, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs, are obtained after adding depreciation and amortization and other non-cash expenses to net income.

Total revenue for second quarter 2012 stood at $169.2 million compared with $164.4 million in the year-ago quarter. Total revenue for the reported quarter exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $168 million.

At the end of the reported quarter, the in-service portfolio of Liberty Property, spanning 77.0 million square feet, had occupancy of 90.7% compared with 90.5% in the previous quarter. Liberty Property witnessed strong leasing activities in the quarter with about 5.5 million square feet of leased space. Operating income from same-store properties slipped 0.6% on a cash basis and 1.0% on a straight line basis year over year.

Liberty Property continues to reposition its portfolio by selling suburban office and high-finish flex properties.The company also intends to enhance its cash reserves through significant divestiture of commodity office space. During the reported quarter, Liberty Property sold 54 properties (82.3% leased), spanning 2.7 million square feet in Wisconsin, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and New Jersey, for approximately $208.6 million.Additionally, Liberty Property acquired four properties (58% leased) spanning 603,000 square feet of leasable space for $29.3 million.

During second quarter 2012, Liberty Property began development of three properties, spanning 246,000 square feet, for an estimated investment of $23.5 million. Also, the company brought into service one development property spanning 128,000 square feet for $6.6 million.

During the reported quarter, Liberty property redeemed $100 million worth of its outstanding 7.40% Series F Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Units at par. Also the company issued $400 million of 4.125% senior unsecured notes to increase its liquidity. At the end of second quarter 2012, the company had $154.1 million in cash and cash equivalents.

Liberty Property currently retains a Zacks #2 Rank, which translates into a short-term Buy rating. We are also maintaining our long-term Neutral recommendation on the stock. One of its competitors, Duke Realty Corp. (DRE) carries a Zacks #3 Rank, which translates into a short-term Hold rating.

Read the Full Research Report on LRY

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Liberty Property Reports In Line