Travel with Val: Thimble Islands

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Danzig

A few tour boats provide a rare glimpse at the Thimble Islands, the most exclusive and little-known islands in Connecticut. YNN's Valarie D'Elia filed the following report.

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Named for the once-abundant thimbleberry, Connecticuts Thimble Islands in the Stony Creek section of Branford on Long Island Sound was discovered by Adrian Block, the same Dutch sailor Rhode Islands Block island is named for.

Made up of mostly pink granite bedrock carved by glaciers, the Thimble Islands are comprised of 25 inhabited islands with 95 summer homes housing 100 families.

Nine of the islands have electrical power, but other amenities found on the toniest islands include decks, swimming pools and jacuzzis.

A one-time resident was Tom Thumb of P.T. Barnum fame, who lived on Cut In Two Island East with his reputed collection of valuable circus posters.

Another spot, Governor Island, has 14 homes and 25 varieties of trees.

While a few tour boats offer a quick glimpse of these private islands, Outer Island, used for ecological studies, accepts visitors.

At one point though, there were hotels. The largest one, the Thimble Island House, held clam bakes and lobster bakes every weekend for travelers coming by steamship from New Haven. Nowadays, the hotel is now a private home with only 11 bedrooms.

Many of these homes have sold for millions of dollars, but there is a gazebo on the market for $285,000.

See original here:

Travel with Val: Thimble Islands

At Work: Health-care act could allow people the freedom to change jobs

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Danzig

You probably know someone who stays at a job he or she dislikes just for the health care. I even know of a guy who worked for free to get health insurance that he couldn't otherwise obtain. His company was laying off workers, and he begged his employer to keep him on -- to work for nothing -- if he could keep his health care.

Take Feds’ Medicaid Funds

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Danzig

When the recent Supreme Court ruling upheld the constitutionality of the health care reform law, it also opened up new questions about Medicaid that were explored at length by Winthrop Quigleys UpFront piece Medicaid Expansion the Next N.M. Debate.

Although Gov. Susana Martinez has publicly questioned whether its in New Mexicos best interest to comply with expanding Medicaid starting in 2014 as part of the Affordable Care Act, opting out wouldnt just be a burden to my hospital and the patients I treat it would be turning down the deal of the decade.

The law expands health care coverage in two ways.

The first is by creating health insurance exchanges for individuals and small businesses to shop for comprehensive insurance plans at a subsidized rate. To her credit, the governor has moved New Mexico forward, and our state exchange is finally in the works.

The second is by extending eligibility for Medicaid. Medicaid, which currently only covers low-income citizens who meet certain conditions, will be expanded to cover all single adults making a little less than $15,000 per year and a family of four making about $30,000 a year. Expanding Medicaid alone would give coverage to an additional 170,000 New Mexico children and adults. But the Supreme Courts ruling gives states the option of rejecting this expansion and the federal dollars that come with it, as Quigley pointed out.

Rejecting this funding would be a disaster for New Mexico.

I saw the patients who would benefit from this expansion while I was training as a resident physician at University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center in Albuquerque. Most of them come from hardworking families. They play by the rules, pay their taxes and want whats best for their children.

But the astronomical cost of health insurance places it out of reach for their family budgets. As a result, too many of them cut back on the care I prescribe for their conditions and far too many of them skimp on preventative care that keeps them healthy in the first place all because they cant afford it. But even if I were unmoved by the precariousness of my patients financial stability, I would find the effect of the Medicaid expansion on my state and my countys fiscal well-being to be equally compelling.

Right now, hospitals and providers are treating the 24.7 percent of New Mexicans who are uninsured, and too often that treatment remains uncompensated care because the patient is simply unable to pay. In fiscal 2011, UNM alone reported providing $198 million in charity care and care for the uninsured.

Who pays for this uncompensated care? We all do.

Link:

Take Feds’ Medicaid Funds

Employers work on health mandate

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Danzig

Now that the Supreme Court has upheld most of President Obamas health care law, U.S. businesses by and large appear skeptical about Republican attempts to repeal the law and are rushing to comply with it, surveys show.

While the political drama over the law is far from over, businesses face significant penalties if they fail to comply with its mandates, including providing health care coverage to all full-time employees starting in 2014.

A survey by Mercer, a human resources consulting agency, immediately after the Supreme Courts June 28 ruling found that the majority of businesses had been waiting until the court acted before complying with the law.

After the high courts affirmation, the majority of businesses surveyed said they would start setting up systems for carrying out the mandate and other health reforms, with only 16 percent saying they will wait until after the November elections to see whether Republicans make any headway with their drive to repeal the law, Mercer said.

Mercer and other health care groups are advising businesses not to wait.

"Although the law still faces a contentious political outlook, employers should stay on track in their efforts to comply with the law as enacted or else they may face penalties," said David Rahill, head of Mercers health benefits division.

Many economists hoped the high courts decision would remove one of the major uncertainties that they believe have caused businesses to hesitate about hiring people this year. Providing health insurance to a typical employee costs an average of more than $10,000 a year, so it is a significant expense, especially for companies that employ mostly low-wage workers.

"The ruling eliminates one source of uncertainty," said Nigel Gault, an economist at IHS Global Insight. But, he said, Republican attempts to repeal the law and obstruct its implementation are inserting a new element of uncertainty into business planning.

The House passed a repeal bill by a mostly party-line vote last week, but the bill is not expected to advance in the Senate this year. For Congress to enact a repeal bill next year, Republicans would not only have to maintain control of the House, they would have to gain control of the Senate and the White House -- a scenario that is not given high odds by most political analysts.

Mercer said businesses will have to act quickly to implement new requirements that go into effect this year and next to provide benefit summaries to their employees, limit the size of flexible health-care accounts and increase withholding of Medicare taxes from high-income earners.

See original here:

Employers work on health mandate

Assemblyman Bill Monning: Affordable Care Act monumental step forward in health promotion

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Danzig

Assemblyman Bill Monning

What does the historic U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding federal health care reform, the Affordable Care Act, portend for California and Californians?

Since being signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010, portions of federal health care reform have been enacted and more than 350,000 young adult Californians under the age of 26 have qualified for health care coverage under a parent's existing plan. Almost 11,000 individuals who were denied coverage by established plans because of a pre-existing medical condition have been enrolled in the Preexisting Condition Insurance Program. And, since 2010, young people under the age of 18 cannot be denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition; more than 350,000 Medicare enrollees have received up to $600 a year in assistance to buy prescription drugs [the doughnut hole]; more than 30,000 small business owners have used tax credits to help offset the costs of employer-sponsored health care coverage; and there are no lifetime caps or maximum limits on what health insurance will cover during the entire time you are enrolled in the plan. All of these benefits are already in effect in California.

It is interesting to note that when polled, many opponents of federal health care reform overwhelmingly approve of the rights and protections embodied in the law. Strident opponents do not believe the government should offer any support to individuals seeking health care services. Yet,

With the Supreme Court's decision, the ACA will extend health care access and eligibility to millions of Californians. The court held that Congress can mandate the implementation of a more comprehensive and cost effective health care delivery system.

While there is more work to do for California to fully implement the ACA by 2014, the California Legislature has been a pioneer in laying the groundwork and has already established the Health Benefit Exchange. The exchange will make it easier for people to buy health insurance products in an open and transparent marketplace.

In addition, I am working with my colleagues to develop policies that will assist consumers and advance health promotion and wellness in our state. I believe one of the strongest features of federal health care reform is its commitment to community-based medicine, including the promotion of health and wellness through the funding of prevention, wellness, immunization, and community-based health promotion. While there is no quick fix to control preventable diseases and illnesses, the ACA offers some of the critical tools and resources necessary to expand access to health care services and to direct more resources to disease prevention and health promotion.

There are those who will argue that federal health care reform falls short of a comprehensive and universal national health plan. Yet, amid the current polarized political dynamic in our nation, the Obama administration's achievement, affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court, represents a monumental step forward in the promotion of health and health care access for all. For those families who have already received treatment for a loved one who would have otherwise been denied health treatment coverage, the ACA has indeed been transformative and for some, life-saving.

Assemblyman Bill Monning is chair of the Assembly Health Committee and represents the 27th Assembly District, which includes portions of Monterey, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. Prior to his election to the Assembly, he was a professor at the Monterey College of Law and a professor of International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

Assemblyman Bill Monning: Affordable Care Act monumental step forward in health promotion

Jansky Very Large Array Achieves First Light

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Danzig

July 22, 2012

Image Caption: The Jansky Very Large Array radio astronomy telescope array consists of twenty-seven, 230-ton, 25-meter diameter dish antennas that together comprise a single radio telescope system. Credit: National Radio Astronomy Observatory

redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports Your Universe Online

Researchers with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in New Mexico announced Friday that they had successfully achieved first light at low frequencies using the Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA) radio astronomy telescope.

Using five of the JVLAs 27 230-ton, 25-meter diameter very high-frequency (VHF) dish antennas, NRAO astronomer Dr. Frazer Owen was able to map the radio sky at 337 MHz on May 1, the NRL announced in a July 20 statement. The first light image comes as a new, wide-band receiver system developed by scientists and engineers from both organizations was being deployed on board the JVLA to extend its frequency range.

This initial demonstration of the telescopes interferometric imaging capabilities was called a key milestone by NRL officials, who added that it was strong verification that the new receivers have the sensitivity, stability, and coherence critical to the needs of the international radio and space science communities, with key benefits for both astronomical and ionospheric science applications.

The use of over 100 megahertz of bandwidth in the first image is a dramatic illustration of the breakthrough to instantaneous wideband systems at frequencies below one gigahertz, said Dr. Namir Kassim, section head of the NRL Radio Astrophysics Section. This represents a poorly explored part of the electromagnetic spectrum that is important for ionospheric and astrophysical research and to the Navys mission for navigation and communications.

The telescope is not currently at full strength, according to the Navy. A 2011 upgrade to the receivers made it so the JVLA was unable to operate at VHF capabilities between 30 MHz and 300 MHz, and only five of the observatorys telescopes have been outfitted with the new receivers. All 27 should be fully equipped by next summer, however, and the first light image has been called a critical step in that direction.

The loss of low-frequency capability to the worlds most powerful radio telescope was a set-back not only to the radio research community, but to continued astrophysics and ionospheric work critical to the needs of Navy communications and navigation, NRL radio astronomer Dr. Tracy Clarke said.

With the new greatly improved receivers and the demonstration that they work well with the JVLA, scientists are once again able to explore with greater veracity the low-frequency radio bands for high sensitivity astrophysics and high accuracy ionospheric research, Clarke added.

See the original post:

Jansky Very Large Array Achieves First Light

Video from the Genetics of Aging and Longevity Conference

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Fredricko

The Science for Life Extension Foundation helped organize the 2nd International conference on the Genetics of Aging and Longevity, held back in April in Moscow. Thanks to the Foundation staff, video from the conference is starting to make its way to a YouTube channel. Here are a couple of the videos already posted; you might want to keep an open eye for others as they arrive.

Dr. Bartke reported the first evidence that mutation of a single gene can significantly extend lifespan in a mammal, and [has] extensively characterized the phenotype of long-lived Ames dwarf mice, identifying several mechanisms that are likely to explain or contribute to their delayed aging and greatly prolonged longevity.

[The] research of Dr. Reis focuses on the molecular genetics of longevity and age-associated diseases, using both previously defined mutations and gene mapping. He managed to extend the lifespan of a nematode worm, C.elegans, 10-fold by only one mutation in the age-1 gene.

Source:
http://www.longevitymeme.org/newsletter/latest_rss_feed.cfm

Adding More Data to the Role of Nuclear DNA Damage in Aging

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Fredricko

We accumulate random nuclear DNA damage - mutations - as we age. This is understood to increase the risk of cancer, as the more mutations that occur the greater the chance that one will be of the rare type that can spawn a cancer, but there is some debate over the degree to which nuclear DNA damage contributes to aging itself. Here researchers add some more data to the picture: "Hundreds of mutations exist in leukemia cells at the time of diagnosis, but nearly all occur randomly as a part of normal aging and are not related to cancer, new research shows. [Researchers] have found that even in healthy people, stem cells in the blood routinely accumulate new mutations over the course of a person's lifetime. And their research shows that in many cases only two or three additional genetic changes are required to transform a normal blood cell already dotted with mutations into acute myeloid leukemia (AML). ... The study is the first to investigate how often mutations typically develop in healthy stem cells in the blood. ... In recent years, [researchers] have sequenced the genomes of 200 patients with AML to try to understand the mutations at the root of the disease. Without fail, each patient's leukemia cells held hundreds of mutations, posing a conundrum for scientists, who have long believed that all the mutations in a cancer cell are likely to be important for the disease to progress. ... But we knew all of these mutations couldn't be important. It didn't make any sense to us that so many mutations were present in all the cells in the tumor. ... Every person has about 10,000 blood stem cells in their bone marrow, and the researchers found that each stem cell acquires about 10 mutations over the course of a year. By age 50, a person has accumulated nearly 500 mutations in every blood stem cell. ... Mutations are known to develop in cells as we age, but no one had any idea how many mutations occur in blood stem cells and how frequently they develop. These random, background mutations occur during cell division and are unrelated to cancer. Our DNA can tolerate a huge number of these hits without any negative consequences. But if a cancer-initiating event occurs in one of these stem cells, it captures the genetic history of that cell, including the earlier mutations, and drives leukemia to develop. ... scientists were surprised to see that the total number of mutations varied by age, not by whether a patient had leukemia. Thus, a healthy person in his 40s had just about the same number of mutations in his blood stem cells as a leukemia patient of the same age had in his cancer cells."

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120719132606.htm

Source:
http://www.longevitymeme.org/newsletter/latest_rss_feed.cfm

Possible Early Antibody Therapy for Alzheimer's Disease

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Fredricko

From the MIT Technology Review: "Alzheimer's patients given a drug that is already used to treat immune disorders saw their condition stabilize in a small study presented at a conference this week. Study participants were given the compound - known as intravenous Ig, or IVIg - for three years. During this period, they showed no signs of further cognitive decline or memory loss. ... All participants in the study had mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Only four received the optimal dose of IVIg over three years. These patients showed no decline from their baseline state in cognition, memory, daily functioning, or mood - all expected effects of the disease. Patients who initially received a placebo but were later switched to IVIg treatment declined more slowly while receiving the drug. IVIg [contains] a mixture of antibodies isolated from the pooled plasma of blood donated by healthy people. The assumption is that this blood by-product contains antibodies from the healthy donors that attack the damaged proteins in Alzheimer's patients. ... such results [should] inspire a large number of scientific studies aimed at identifying the functional ingredients in the immune mixture, so that others could potentially develop a synthetic form. ... I really do hope that it turns out to work, because then it gives a good platform to start finding out what components are in there, What is it in the IVIg - is it selective antibodies against beta-amyloid, against tau, or something else?"

Link: http://www.technologyreview.com/news/428546/study-suggests-alzheimers-disease-can-be/

Source:
http://www.longevitymeme.org/newsletter/latest_rss_feed.cfm

Possible Early Antibody Therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Fredricko

Link: http://www.technologyreview.com/news/428546/study-suggests-alzheimers-disease-can-be/

Source:
http://www.longevitymeme.org/newsletter/latest_rss_feed.cfm

More Press for the 2045 Initiative

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Fredricko

You'll no doubt recall the 2045 initiative backed by an enthusiastic high net worth Russian individual, which appears so far to be the opening stages of a serious long-term effort to convert a fraction of that net worth into the technologies needed for artificial, non-biological bodies capable of indefinitely supporting a human brain - and after that to move on to brain emulation and mind uploading.

I commented on this vision last year:

To my eyes, the most interesting aspect of this Russia 2045 initiative is that, unlike any other serious proposal I'm aware of, their focus is on getting out of biology and into machine bodies as rapidly as possible. ... In essence, this is a course to throw away as much of the body as possible as soon as possible - a path based on a different set of preconceptions about difficulty and efficiency on the road leading to an artificial brain hosting a once-biological human mind.

I'm of the opinion that this is not the most optimal path towards the defeat of aging, based on my understanding of the relative difficulty of building a full-featured neural interface and life support system for the brain versus realizing rejuvenation biotechnology that can repair the biological chassis we have now - even leaving aside the issue that an uploaded or emulated copy of your mind is just a copy of you, not you. In the long run we will all be wholly artificial, of course, but it seems premature to be aiming for that now versus after the advent of molecular nanotechnology and the capacity to build functional replacements for biological components (e.g. blood cells, brain cells, and so forth) that are better than the original. It is, however, very important for the general future of engineered longevity to have a diversity of approaches, disagreement, and enthusiastic people with resources and vision. At the very least, in a world in which artificial bodies are being developed with the stated goal of preventing people from aging to death, it becomes that much easier to gather support for work on the biotechnologies that can repair the damage of aging.

In any case, the 2045 Initiative is back in the press again, and here are a couple of items:

Russian Mogul to 'Forbes' Billionaires: Limitless Lifespans Can Be Yours

First up is the development of robots that can be controlled by the human mind. After that, and ideally within 10 years, Itskov wants to develop robots that can actually host a flesh-and-blood human brain, via surgical transplant. In twenty years time, things get even more interesting: Itskov anticipates "uploading" the contents of the human brain into a robot, yielding eternal life via artificial body. By 2045, he'd like to replace those 'bots entirely - with holograms. Since February, Itskov has stayed plenty busy working on his "Avatar" plan ... With a lab of scientists reportedly already working on the program in Russia, Itskov has now branched out to the U.S, with plans to open a San Francisco office this summer and host a futurity conference - called Global Future Congress - in New York later this year.

His next step: Itskov has published an open letter to the world's richest people, urging them to back the initiative - and consider volunteering themselves as potential avatars. "I urge you to take note of the vital importance of funding scientific development in the field of cybernetic immortality and the artificial body. Such research has the potential to free you, as well as the majority of all people on our planet, from disease, old age and even death."

Billionaires: Russian Mogul Wants to Upload Your Brains Into Immortality

Earlier this year, a Russian media mogul named Dmitry Itskov formally announced his intention to disembody our conscious minds and upload them to a hologram - an avatar - by 2045. In other words he outlined a plan to achieve immortality, removing the human mind from the physical constraints presented by the biological human body. He was serious. And now, in a letter to the members of the Forbes World's Billionaire's List, he's offering up that immortality to the world's 1,266 richest people.

...

"Currently you invest in business projects that will bring you yet another billion," Itskov writes. "You also have the ability to finance the extension of your own life up to immortality. Our civilization has come very close to the creation of such technologies: it's not a science fiction fantasy. It is in your power to make sure that this goal will be achieved in your lifetime."

This last note is absolutely true with regard to the SENS vision of rejuvenation biotechnologies as well: the wealthiest people in the world have it in their grasp to build a way out of aging for everyone, given that the baseline medical technologies would probably cost in the ballpark of a billion dollars and ten years to demonstrate in laboratory animals. Yet so far, they are not showing much interest - wealth doesn't grant vision, sadly, so we should all be pleased when a high net worth visionary does turn up, even if he's not working to our own favored plan of action.

Source:
http://www.longevitymeme.org/newsletter/latest_rss_feed.cfm

Rapamycin Versus Macular Degeneration

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Fredricko

A commentary on testing rapamycin as a therapy for age-related macular degeneration (AMD): "Although neovascular AMD only accounts for less than 15% of the overall age-related macular degeneration, it is responsible for over 80 percent of the severe vision loss cases. ... It was reported in 2004 that rapamycin (trade name sirolimus) treatment significantly reduced the extent of neovascularization [induced] in adult mice ... In an advance online publication this year [Kolosova et al] presented exciting results that rapamycin could actually prevent AMD-like retinopathy in an aging rat model that more closely resembles human AMD pathology. They investigated the effect of rapamycin on spontaneous retinopathy in senescence- accelerated OXYS rats. OXYS rats were treated orally with either 0.1 or 0.5 mg/kg rapamycin, which was given together with food. Rapamycin was found in a dose-dependent manner to reduce the incidence and severity of retinopathy, and attenuated AMD disease progression. Some histological abnormalities associated with retinopathy were notably reduced ... significantly, rapamycin prevented destruction of ganglionar neurons in the retina. Rapamycin did not exert any adverse effects on the retina in control disease-free Wistar rats, suggesting that it is safe."

Link: http://impactaging.com/papers/v4/n6/full/100469.html

Source:
http://www.longevitymeme.org/newsletter/latest_rss_feed.cfm

Companies selectively targeting cancer stem cells

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Fredricko

Today, I posted this to Twitter:

3 Innovative Cancer Treatments...But Which Is The Best Bet? seekingalpha.com/a/fjed $GSK $IMUC $VSTM #cancerSC via @seekingalpha — Jim Till (@jimtill) July 17, 2012

The article is about three companies that are working on treatments designed to target cancer stem cells (CSCs). The companies are OncoMed, Verastem and ImmunoCellular Therapeutics. The article is interesting.

Source:
http://cancerstemcellnews.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Royalty Rules at the California Stem Cell Agency: Business Friendly Changes Proposed

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Fredricko

If you are looking to follow the money
trail at the $3 billion California stem cell agency, next Thursday's meeting of its 29-member board of directors is a good place to start.

On the agenda are revisions in its
intellectual property rules, which are all about who gets paid and how much and when – should an agency-financed product generate
significant cash.
The key question about the proposed changes is whether they will generate an appropriate return for the state, given its $6 billion investment, including interest on the bonds that finance CIRM. The impact of the changes is not crystal clear. And the staff memo does not mention two important definition changes that appear to be quite business friendly.

During the 2004 ballot campaign that
created the stem cell agency, California voters were told that the
state would share as much as $1 billion or more in royalties. Eight
years later, no royalties have materialized since CIRM research has
not yet resulted in a commercial therapy.

At next week's meeting in Burlingame,
directors will be asked to modify CIRM rules for royalties that CIRM
staff said "could be a disincentive" for business. A staff memo said the proposals would alter provisions that create "administrative challenges and uncertainty." The memo asserted
the proposed changes would ensure "a comparable economic
return to California" equal to the existing provisions.
However, the memo provided no explanation or evidence for how that
result would come about. The proposed changes could also be applied
retroactively with the agreement of CIRM and the grantee.

Currently CIRM grantees and
collaborators must share as much as 25 percent of their licensing
revenue in excess of $500,000, depending on the proportion of agency
funding for the product. The IP rules also contain a provision for
payments in the event of development of a "blockbuster" therapy.
The staff memo described how that would work.

“It provides that grantees and
collaborators must share revenues resulting from CIRM funded research
as follows: after revenues exceed $500,000, three times the grant
award, paid at a rate of 3% per year, plus upon earning
$250M(million) in a single calendar year, a onetime payment of three
times the award, plus upon earning revenues of $500M in a single
calendar year, an additional onetime payment of three times the award
and, finally, in the instance where a patented CIRM funded invention
or CIRM funded technology contributed to the creation of net
commercial revenue greater than $500M in a single calendar year, and
where CIRM awarded $5 million or more, an additional 1% royalty on
revenues in excess of $500 million annually over the life of the
patents.”

The proposed changes would exempt "pre-commercial revenues" from the state's revenue sharing, the
memo said, in order to maximize the amount businesses can "re-invest
in product development." The proportionality payment provision
would be changed to require only 15 percent of licensing revenues if
CIRM's investment is less than 50 percent and 25 percent if it is
more than 50 percent. Revenue sharing would be extended to "commercializing entities." No definition of "commercializing entities" was provided in the board agenda material, but a June version of the changes defined them as "A For-Profit Grantee and its Collaborator or Licensee that sells, offers for sale or transfers a Drug, product(s) or services resulting in whole or in part from CIRM-Funded Research."

Not mentioned in the CIRM staff memo were two new provisions in the rules involving the definition of licensing revenue and the sale of a therapy. Both could be construed as quite favorable to businesses. According to the June version of the changes, licensing revenues are defined as a figure minus "a proportion of expenses reasonably incurred in prosecuting, defending and enforcing related patent rights equal to CIRM’s percentage of support for development." The sale provision says that royalties on "net commercial revenue" are not due until received from sales in the United States or Europe. That provision would appear to exclude California from receiving royalties on product sales in most of the world, where it is easier to receive regulatory approval for sale of new therapies and drugs. (See here -- page 2 -- for royalty provision and here for definition of "first commercial sale"-- page 3.)

The existing IP regulations are
enshrined in a 2011 state law. However, the law also provided that
they can be altered by the agency, the CIRM memo said, “if it
determined that it was necessary to do so either to ensure that
research and therapy development are not unreasonably hindered as a
result of CIRM’s regulations or to ensure that the State of
California has an opportunity to share in the revenues derived from
such research and therapy development.”

The memo continued,

"The proposed amendments re-strike
the balance both to ensure that industry will partner with CIRM and
to ensure that the State has the opportunity to benefit from
successful therapy development."

Board action next week will give the
go-ahead for posting the proposals as part of the official state
administrative rules process. They are subject to additional changes
in that process.

The agenda originally contained the full text of the changes. However, that material has been dropped from the board agenda. An earlier version can be found here and here. We have queried the agency about the reason for dropping the text in the board agenda.

(Editor's note: The agency has now reposted the version of the text of the changes that was on the agenda earlier, saying that it was having problems with its web site. For the definitions of terms, however, it is still necessary to refer to the June documents.)

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

California's $12.4 Million Stem Cell Recruitment Lure

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Fredricko

Directors of the California stem cell
agency next Thursday are likely to approve spending $12.4 million to
lure a couple of stem cell stars to the Golden State.

It is part of a $44 million recruitment
program that has brought three highly regarded scientists to three
California research institutions, all of which have representatives
on the CIRM board. (See here, here and here.)

As usual, the $3 billion stem cell agency does not
identify the potential recipients in advance of the meeting or the
institutions that are recruiting them. However, if you have a modicum
of knowledge about the specific fields involved, it is likely that
you can identify them based on the information in CIRM's review summaries and some Internet searching.

One of the proposed research grants–a
$5.7 million award--would go a scientist who won raves from CIRM's
reviewers. The researcher was described as an “exceptional
scientist and one of the leading young developmental biologists.”
Reviewers gave his proposal a score of 90 and, in summary, said,

“Major strengths include the
candidate's exceptional productivity and contributions to the fields
of mammalian embryology and kidney development, the significance and
potential of the research program, the PI's proven leadership
capabilities, and the outstanding institutional commitment.”

The other grant was larger–$6.7
million–but reviewers raised a number of questions about the
candidate although they recommended it for funding. The review summary ranked the application at 57 and said,

“In summary, this is an application
from an established leader in NSC biology to pursue research focused
on disease mechanisms in PD. Strengths of the proposal include the
quality of the PI, the focus of the project on an interesting
hypothesis, and the leadership in basic science that the candidate
would bring to the applicant institution. Weaknesses included
deficiencies in the research plan, the limited track-record of the PI
in PD research and an institutional environment lacking adequate
support for basic science investigations.“

Last January, in a rare move, CIRM
directors rejected a $6.3 million recruitment grant with a score of
76 sought by the Buck Institute, which is not represented on the
board.

The proposals are scheduled to be acted
on at a public CIRM board meeting in Burlingame, Ca.

(Editor's note: an earlier version of this item incorrectly said the total of both grants was $13.4 million.)

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

California’s $12.4 Million Stem Cell Recruitment Lure

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Fredricko

Directors of the California stem cell
agency next Thursday are likely to approve spending $12.4 million to
lure a couple of stem cell stars to the Golden State.

“Major strengths include the
candidate's exceptional productivity and contributions to the fields
of mammalian embryology and kidney development, the significance and
potential of the research program, the PI's proven leadership
capabilities, and the outstanding institutional commitment.”

“In summary, this is an application
from an established leader in NSC biology to pursue research focused
on disease mechanisms in PD. Strengths of the proposal include the
quality of the PI, the focus of the project on an interesting
hypothesis, and the leadership in basic science that the candidate
would bring to the applicant institution. Weaknesses included
deficiencies in the research plan, the limited track-record of the PI
in PD research and an institutional environment lacking adequate
support for basic science investigations.“

Last January, in a rare move, CIRM
directors rejected a $6.3 million recruitment grant with a score of
76 sought by the Buck Institute, which is not represented on the
board.

The proposals are scheduled to be acted
on at a public CIRM board meeting in Burlingame, Ca.

(Editor's note: an earlier version of this item incorrectly said the total of both grants was $13.4 million.)

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

UC Davis Researchers Score Big in $113 Million Stem Cell Award Round

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Fredricko

Scientists at the University of
California at Davis are set to win nearly half of $113 million
expected to be awarded next week by the California stem cell agency
as it pushes aggressively to turn research into marketplace cures.

Directors of the $3 billion agency are
virtually certain to approve awards to three researchers at UC Davis,
which operates its medical school and other research facilities in
nearby Sacramento. The other three expected winners are from UCLA,
Stanford and StemCells, Inc., of Newark, Ca., a publicly traded firm.

The $113 million round is the second largest research round in CIRM's history, surpassed only by an
another, earlier $211 million “disease team” round. The latest
effort is aimed at bringing proposed clinical trials to the FDA for approval or possibly starting trials within four years. That deadline
is close to the time when CIRM is scheduled to run out of cash unless
new funding sources are developed.

CIRM is currently exploring seeking
private financing. It could also ask voters to approve another state
bond issue. (Bonds currently provide the only real source of cash for
CIRM.) In either case, the agency needs strong, positive results from
its grantees to support a bid for continued funding.

The CIRM board is scheduled to approve
the latest awards one week from tomorrow at a public meeting in Burlingame in the San Francisco area. The agency's policy is to
withhold the identities of applicants and winners until after formal
board action. The California Stem Cell Report, however, has pieced
together their identities from public records.

Here are the winners and links to the
grant review summaries, listed in order of the CIRM scientific
scores:

Vicki Wheelock, UC Davis, $19 million,
for development of a genetically modified cell therapy for
Huntington's disease, an inherited neurodegenerative disorder.
Scientific score 87.
Antoni Ribas, UCLA, $20 million, for
genetic reprogramming of cells to fight cancer. Scientific score 84.
Nancy Lane, UC Davis, $20 million, for
development of a small molecule to promote bone growth for the
treatment of osteoporosis. Scientific score 80.
John Laird, UC Davis, $14.2 million,
for development of mesenchymal stem cells genetically modified for
treatment of critical limb ischemia, which restricts blood flow in
the lower leg and can lead to amputation. Scientific score 79.
StemCells, Inc., (principal
investigator not yet known), $20 million, for development of human
neural stem cells to treat chronic cervical spinal cord injury. The
company, founded by Stanford scientist Irv Weissman, who serves on
its board, said earlier this year that it had filed two applications
in this round, one of which dealt with cervical cord spinal injury.
No other applicants filed a proposal for such research. Scientific score 79.
Robert Robbins, Stanford, $20 million,
development of a human embryonic stem cell treatment for end-stage
heart failure. Scientific score 68.

In the case of businesses, the awards
come in the form of loans. Grants go to nonprofits. One of the
reasons behind the varying mechanisms is the difference in CIRM's
intellectual property rules for businesses and nonprofits.

CIRM's Grant Working Group earlier this
year approved the applications during closed door sessions. The full
CIRM board has ultimate authority on the applications, but it has
almost never rejected a positive action by the grant reviewers.

The board originally allotted $243 million for this round. Directors could reach into the 15
applications rejected by reviewers and approve any of them, which the
board has done in other rounds. In this round, three rejected
applications scored within seven points of the lowest rated
application approved by reviewers, which could lead some directors
to argue that the scores are not significantly different. One of the
three came from Alexandra Capela of StemCells, Inc., and was scored at 61. The other two and their scores are Clive Svendsen of
Cedars-Sinai, score 64, for ALS research, and Roberta Brinton of
USC, score 63, for an Alzheimer's project.

Rejected applicants also can appeal
reviewer decisions to the full CIRM board in writing and in public
appearances before directors.

Twenty-three researchers were eligible
to apply for funding, CIRM told the California Stem Cell Report.
Applicants qualified by either winning a related planning grant from
CIRM last year or by being granted an exception to that requirement
by CIRM staff. Of the 22 researchers who ultimately applied(one
nonprofit dropped out), six came from biotech businesses. Three of
those qualified through exceptions. Three other businesses won
planning grants last year out of the eight businesses that applied.

CIRM has come under fire for its
negligible funding of stem cell firms and is moving to embrace
industry more warmly.

Only one of the grants approved by
reviewers involves research with human embryonic stem cells, which
was the critical key to creation of the California stem cell agency.
California voters established the agency in 2004 on the basis that it
was needed because the Bush Administration had restricted federal
funding of human embryonic stem cell research.

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

What EMRs will be expected to do in stage 2, year 2014

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Danzig

Physicians would need to use their EMRs to meet 20 functionality objectives at minimum levels to earn bonuses and avoid penalties.

Core set (must meet all objectives listed below)

Use computerized physician order entry for medication, lab and radiology orders
Prescribe electronically
Record patient demographics
Record and chart vital signs
Record smoking status
Use clinical decision support
Incorporate clinical lab results into EMR
Generate lists of patients by specific condition
Set patient reminders for preventive and follow-up care
Provide patient portal access
Provide clinical summaries for patients
Identify education resources for patients
Use secure messaging with patients
Use medication reconciliation
Send summary of care records for referrals and care transitions
Send electronic data to immunization registries
Ensure EMR privacy and security

Menu set (must select and meet 3 objectives from the list below)

Access imaging results
Record patient family histories as structured data
Send electronic syndromic surveillance data to public health agencies
Have ability to report cancer cases to state registries
Have ability to report noncancer cases to state registries

Electronic medical record (EMR) - review of pros and cons in the Cleveland Clinic medical journal

Some negatives regarding the use of EMR:

- So far, electronic systems are not interconnectable
- Do electronic records improve or worsen the quality of care?
- Accuracy vs copying and pasting
- A third party in the examination room
- Devoid of real medical thought

A contrasting view:

- Connectivity will improve
- Staying focused on the patient, even with a computer in the room
- Doctor-doctor communication is enhanced

References:

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Electronic Health Record Incentive Program -- Stage 2, Feb. 23, 2012.
First look at the next stage of meaningful use - amednews.com

The electronic medical record: Diving into a shallow pool? CCJM.
The electronic medical record: Learning to swim. CCJM.
"The iPatient is getting wonderful care across America. The real patient wonders, "Where is everybody?" NYTimes, 2011.

Posted at Clinical Cases and Images. Stay updated and subscribe, follow us on Twitter and connect on Facebook.

Source:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/CasesBlog

Jon Lord (71), legendary Deep Purple keyboard player, "passes from Darkness to Light"

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Danzig

Performed in front of a live TV audience, Deep Purple storm through 'Child In Time', featuring the classic Mark II line up of Gillan/Glover/Lord/Paice/Blackmore:

From Jon Lord's official website:

Jon Lord has sadly passed away, July 16, 2012

It is with deep sadness we announce the passing of Jon Lord, who suffered a fatal pulmonary embolism today, Monday 16th July at the London Clinic, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Jon was surrounded by his loving family.

Jon Lord, the legendary keyboard player with Deep Purple co-wrote many of the bands legendary songs including Smoke On The Water and played with many bands and musicians throughout his career.

Best known for his Orchestral work Concerto for Group & Orchestra first performed at Royal Albert Hall with Deep Purple and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1969 and conducted by the renowned Malcolm Arnold, a feat repeated in 1999 when it was again performed at the Royal Albert Hall by the London Symphony Orchestra and Deep Purple.

Jon’s solo work was universally acclaimed when he eventually retired from Deep Purple in 2002.

Jon passes from Darkness to Light.

Jon Lord 9 June 1941 – 16 July 2012.

Here is a short clip of Jon Lord receiving and responding to the presentation of the Honorary Degree (Doctor of Music) from the University of Leicester, 2011:

I had the chance to see Jon Lord at a Deep Purple concert in 2001, and he was truly amazing.

Futurist Transhuman News Blog

Monthly Archives: July 2012

Travel with Val: Thimble Islands

At Work: Health-care act could allow people the freedom to change jobs

Take Feds’ Medicaid Funds

Employers work on health mandate

Assemblyman Bill Monning: Affordable Care Act monumental step forward in health promotion

Jansky Very Large Array Achieves First Light

Video from the Genetics of Aging and Longevity Conference

Adding More Data to the Role of Nuclear DNA Damage in Aging

Possible Early Antibody Therapy for Alzheimer's Disease

Possible Early Antibody Therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease

More Press for the 2045 Initiative

Rapamycin Versus Macular Degeneration

Companies selectively targeting cancer stem cells

Royalty Rules at the California Stem Cell Agency: Business Friendly Changes Proposed

California's $12.4 Million Stem Cell Recruitment Lure

California’s $12.4 Million Stem Cell Recruitment Lure

UC Davis Researchers Score Big in $113 Million Stem Cell Award Round

Top medicine articles for July 2012

What EMRs will be expected to do in stage 2, year 2014

Jon Lord (71), legendary Deep Purple keyboard player, "passes from Darkness to Light"