Monthly Archives: July 2012

Freedom Work Opportunities in Grand Blanc Township needs votes to win a new van

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GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, MI Freedom Work Opportunities of Grand Blanc Township is in need of a new van and residents votes can make that happen.

Freedom Work Opportunities, 5509 Fenton Road, is one of 500 nonprofit finalists in Toyotas 100 Cars for Good program, where the goal is to give away 100 vehicles to 100 organizations in 100 days.

On Saturday, Freedom Work Opportunities will be one of five organizations up for consideration. Every day since May 14 Cars for Good profiled five organizations for the program.

Freedom Work Opportunities is a nonprofit organization that helps empower adults with disabilities find employment and gain valuable skills.

The van being used now was donated used to the organization several years ago and have more than 200,000 miles on it, said Marie Tino, marketing and fundraising director of Freedom Work Opportunities.

The drivers seat is broke on it. There is a lot of rust on it. And its not going to make it much longer, Tino said. It was great to get that but weve definitely gotten our use out of it.

The van is being used to pick up residents from their home or group home take them to work or to a Freedom Work Opportunities facility.

Voting is open from 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday at http://www.100carsforgood.com. Freedom Work Opportunities headquarters are in Highland, so that is the city it will be listed under on the website. But the van, if the organization gets enough votes, will go to the Grand Blanc Township location.

Runner-up will also receive $1,000 from Toyota.

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Freedom Work Opportunities in Grand Blanc Township needs votes to win a new van

McDonald's claims employees didn't assault 'cyborg'

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16 hrs.

Avram Piltch , Laptop

In response to a storm of controversy surrounding its treatment of Human Cyborg Steve Mann, McDonald's has issued a statement, claiming that it has investigated the incident and determined that it "did not involve a physical altercation" when the University of Toronto Professor and father of wearable computing was ejected from one of its Paris restaurants.

Earlier this week, Mann made headlines when he published a blog post alleging that employees at the Champs-lyses McDonald's had tried to pull his EyeTap Glass off of his head and, when that failed, physically pushed him out the door and onto the street.

In anexclusive email interview, he told Laptop that the alleged assault took place after employees objected to the EyeTap's potential use as a camera the device captures images in real-time but does not save them by default and tore up a doctor's note that Mann showed them, explaining why he needs to wear the permanentlyattached device.

However, today, McDonald's is contradicting Mann's story, saying that its employees did not touch him or damage his equipment. In a statement, the fast food retailer said:

We share the concern regarding Dr. Mann's account of his July 1 visit to a McDonald's in Paris. McDonalds France was made aware of Dr. Manns complaints on July 16, and immediately launched a thorough investigation. The McDonalds France team has contacted Dr. Mann and is awaiting further information from him.

In addition, several staff members involved have been interviewed individually, and all independently and consistently expressed that their interaction with Dr. Mann was polite and did not involve a physical altercation. Our crew members and restaurant security staff have informed us that they did not damage any of Mr. Mann's personal possessions.

While we continue to learn more about the situation, we are hearing from customers who have questions about what happened. We urge everyone not to speculate or jump to conclusions before all the facts are known. Our goal is to provide a welcoming environment and stellar service to McDonald's customers around the world.

We reached out to Dr. Mann for further comment and are awaiting his response.

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McDonald's claims employees didn't assault 'cyborg'

High bacteria levels prompt advisories at five Pinellas beaches

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By Andy Thomason, Times Staff Writer Andy ThomasonTampa Bay Times In Print: Thursday, July 19, 2012

Tropical Storm Debby dissipated almost three weeks ago, but it may still be leaving a bad taste in the mouths of some Pinellas County beachgoers whether they know it or not.

The Pinellas County Health Department issued an advisory Wednesday declaring the water at five of Pinellas County's popular beaches a potential health risk due to high bacteria counts.

The culprit? Fecal matter that was washed from the land into the gulf by Debby's torrential rains.

Maggie Hall, public information director for the Health Department, said she doesn't recall a previous advisory involving so many local beaches. "Debby just drowned the state," she said.

The beaches named in the advisory are Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin, Sand Key Park in Clearwater, Indian Rocks Beach near the 1700 block of Gulf Boulevard, Archibald Park at Madeira Beach, and Redington Shores near 182nd Avenue W.

Hall didn't rule out the possibility of water at adjacent beaches also being contaminated.

While the beaches remain open, signs have been erected stating that swimming is not recommended because of "increased risk of illness."

Fecal contamination in the water can lead to infection or rashes, so children and people with compromised immune systems shouldn't get in the water. But the average person probably wouldn't get sick, Hall said.

"It's not going to kill you to be in water with a higher (bacteria) count, but it's just not very clean," she said.

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High bacteria levels prompt advisories at five Pinellas beaches

Scituate beaches: Seaweed issue prompts policy

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After considerable discussion on how to deal with the problem of seaweed on the beaches, the Scituate Board of Selectmen voted to adopt the Scituate Public Swim Beach Seaweed Removal Policy at their July 10 meeting.

The policy was developed by Scituate Department of Public Works (DPW) Director, Al Bangert; Scituate Conservation Agent Jim OConnell; Scituate Health Director, Jennifer Sullivan; and Scituate Recreation Director Jennifer Vitelli.

All were present at the July 10 meeting.

The purpose of this policy is to establish the protocol for removing seaweed and other debris from guarded public beaches during the summer swim season, Bangert explained. The policy must balance the desire of citizens to use the beaches for recreation purposes, with the environmental impact of modifying the natural processes of beach dynamics and foraging habitat for shorebirds and wildlife.

Sullivan said, All departments aired their concerns and limitations in developing this policy.

According to the policy, the recreation director and the director of public health will discuss the status of a beach with the conservation agent and together they will make the decision to activate a beach cleanup.

In terms of the method of seaweed removal, the DPW will obtain an Order of Conditions from the conservation commission for beach cleanup on public land.

The primary means of removal will entail using small machines with finger-like grabbles to minimize sand removal. A secondary means of removal will be using front-end loaders. A determination will be made of the approximate quantity of sand removed, and the beach will be re-nourished with an equal quantity of beach-compatible sand.

The removed material will be disposed of at the Bourne landfill, or other approved sites.

During the discussion on the issue at the July 10 selectmen meeting, Selectmen Chairman Joseph Norton said that the board is cognizant that Scituate is a beach community, so were very aware of the seaweed periodically building up on the beaches often takes care of itself.

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Scituate beaches: Seaweed issue prompts policy

Ahead of his time, Turing's pardon is now long overdue

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The Irish Times - Thursday, July 19, 2012

KARLIN LILLINGTON

THE GREAT British mathematician, second World War codebreaker and computer scientist Alan Turing has become one of the heroes of modern computing for his challenging intellect, his intriguing insights into computing problems and artificial intelligence, and of course, his critical role at Britains Bletchley Park in cracking the devilishly complicated Enigma Machine code, which the Nazis used to encrypt messages during the war.

Ultimately, he was treated atrociously by the very government he served so well despite the fact that the cracking of the Enigma code in particular is credited with shortening the length of the war and saving many millions of lives.

He was prosecuted in 1952 under Britains old anti-homosexuality laws, and given the choice of prison or the humility of chemical castration with female hormone injections, choosing if this could even be viewed as a choice the latter. Due to his sexual preference, he was stripped of his high-security clearances and could no longer do the high-level intelligence and mathematical work he loved.

He died in 1954 of cyanide poisoning officially ruled a suicide, although some, including his mother, believed his death was accidental.

This year marks the centenary of his birth, and has seen many global initiatives in his honour. One in Ireland, which provided a multilayered look at Turings legacy, was a well attended session at the Euroscience Open Forum last week at which four speakers weighed his ideas and influence.

UCD philosophy professor Dermot Moran considered whether his famous Turing Test of artificial intelligence could be accepted as a mark of true intelligence; Oxford mathematician (and frequent BBC science presenter) Prof Marcus du Sautoy looked at some mathematical influences behind Turings view of computation, UCD cognitive science professor Mark Keane examined how human activities might be viewed as different forms of computation; and IBM researcher Freddy Lecue delved into the development of artificial intelligence since Turing.

It was an exhilarating afternoon. I found it particularly interesting to hear a philosophers perspective on Turings ideas around artificial intelligence and the Turing Test, which Turing envisioned as a gauge of machine intelligence.

In the test, proposed in his paper Computing Machinery and Intelligence, a person would have a conversation at the same time with a human and a computer. They would not be able to see either, and hence would not know which was which. If the human could not distinguish between the other human and machine, Turing proposed that this would be a mark of whether a machine could think.

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Ahead of his time, Turing's pardon is now long overdue

Predictive Analytics Software supports aerospace and defense.

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AUSTIN, Texas -- Clockwork, a global leader of predictive analytic solutions for enterprise asset management (EAM), today announced their Aerospace and Defense product suite designed to improve availability, reduce repair parts inventory and drive down life cycle costs of critical air and ground platforms. The company has significant experience in the Aerospace and Defense sector and has built this product suite to fill the gap in predicting and forecasting parts and maintenance requirements for high these highly valued assets.

"The substantial costs to buy and maintain these platforms, along with tight budgets and increased military demand have put pressure on the Aerospace and Defense industry to develop new strategies to ensure fleet availability without increasing costs," stated Sean Connors, CEO. "Optimizing the life cycle of these expensive mission critical assets addresses these concerns and provides a new innovative approach to managing the bottom line."

The Aerospace and Defense industry is looking for solutions to better manage their operations under restricted budgets. The ability to predict an asset failure, the labor workload associated with fleet maintenance, and the optimized repair parts demand is essential to managing in the current environment. Repair parts and service for a single maintenance request can cost millions, but with Clockwork's products one can minimize cost, maximize uptime, and predict the best time to perform maintenance for these critical platforms:

DESIGN products are predictive analytic offerings that provide defense systems design firms and their military customers the ability to reduce life cycle costs during asset design phases.

DEMAND predictive analytic offerings provide defense logistics planners the ability to improve fleet readiness while reducing repair parts and maintenance costs.

COMMAND predictive analytic offerings are focused on the evaluation, implementation, and ongoing support of a predictive maintenance solution for individual platforms and fleets, assessing and managing the risk of possible component/part failure.

To learn more about Clockwork's experience and detailed product information in the Aerospace and Defense industry visit http://www.clockwork-solutions.com/ae... or email us at info@clockwork-solutions.com.

About Clockwork: Clockwork is a global leader of predictive analytic solutions for enterprise asset management (EAM) that improve availability and reduce repair parts inventory and maintenance costs of capital intensive assets. The company has years of experience serving the needs of the Aerospace and Defense, Energy, Heavy Machinery and Transportation industries by providing cutting edge solutions to help analyze their data, giving them visibility to each phase of an asset's life cycle, resulting in billions worth of savings. For more information visit http://www.clockwork-solutions.com.

CONTACT: Tracey Ellis, +1-952-237-2018, tellis@clockwork-solutions.com

Web Site: http://www.clockwork-solutions.com

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Predictive Analytics Software supports aerospace and defense.

Aerospace industry fears looming defense cut, lack of R&D

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WASHINGTON Sen. Maria Cantwell opened a Senate subcommittee hearing Wednesday afternoon to explore how Boeing and other American aerospace companies can fend off rising competition from China, Brazil, Europe and other global rivals.

But earlier in the day, on the other side of the Capitol, U.S. aerospace executives testified about a more immediate threat from home the looming $1.2 trillion in automatic federal spending cuts over 10 years that would eliminate scores of defense-related jobs.

The dueling House and Senate hearings offered a real-time view of the ways that Congress sometimes seems to work at cross-purposes.

At a morning hearing before the House Armed Services Committee, the heads of Lockheed Martin, EADS North America and two other defense contractors vented their frustration over the automatic spending cuts that will kick in Jan. 2 unless Congress can agree to an alternative.

One witness, Pratt & Whitney President David Hess, went as far as to suggest that Congress consider raising taxes to minimize budget reductions.

Democrats and Republicans have been deadlocked for a year on how to implement deep cuts that the GOP extracted last summer as part of the debate over raising the federal debt ceiling. The automatic cuts, split evenly between defense and nondefense programs, were intended as a poison pill to spur a bipartisan "supercommittee" co-led by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. to forge a more sensible alternative.

But the supercommittee collapsed last November and the two parties are no closer today on just how to avert the cuts. Republicans are intent on preventing what they call "a catastrophic" hit to the Pentagon's budget. Murray and other Democratic leaders are just as insistent the Pentagon shouldn't be protected without equal consideration for cuts slated for education, housing, environmental and other nondefense programs.

Rep. Adam Smith of Tacoma, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, couldn't resist pointing out that lawmakers who believed they could swiftly slash federal spending without economic consequences were wrongheaded.

"It's that attitude that led us to where we are sitting here today," Smith said. "Government spending matters."

A report commissioned by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) and released Tuesday concluded that the cuts would trigger the biggest one-year drop in the gross domestic product, about $215 billion, directly and indirectly. The report also projected that more than 2 million jobs would vanish.

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Aerospace industry fears looming defense cut, lack of R&D

Ball Aerospace's STPSat-3 to Fly Solar TIM Instrument for NOAA

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BOULDER, Colo., July 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. will integrate the Total Irradiance Monitor (TIM), to fly aboard the STPSat-3 spacecraft built for the US Air Force (USAF). A cooperative agreement between NASA, NOAA and the USAF will allow the TIM instrument to catch a ride on STPSat-3 to be launched in 2013.

This TIM instrument was originally intended to fly as a space shuttle Hitchhiker payload as part of the University of Colorado, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP's) SORCE program. The TIM Hitchhiker instrument will measure the Sun's net energy output or total solar irradiance (TSI), continuing a 35-year climate data record that is a key component in understanding the Earth climate system.

The 2013 flight provides a continuity of measurements between the currently flying NASA SORCE program launched in January 2003, and the Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS) mission that is now part of NOAA's JPSS program. Along with TSIS, the JPSS program incorporates a broad set of critical weather and climate measurements, and includes the nation's next state-of-the-art civil polar weather satellite, JPSS-1, also being built by Ball Aerospace in preparation for a 2017 launch.

"This cost effective solution and rapid schedule will help to mitigate the potential gap left by the loss of the Glory mission in this critically important climate data record," said David L. Taylor, President and CEO of Ball Aerospace. "The STPSat-3 was built in only 47 days, and demonstrated the outstanding flexibility of its standardized interface approach by accommodating additional payloads after the spacecraft was completed."

The TIM instrument will be one of five payloads on board the USAF STPSat-3 spacecraft when it launches aboard a Minotaur I in 2013. The launch will be part of the Operationally Responsive Space enabler launch mission (ORS-3).

The STP-SIV series of satellites built by Ball Aerospace successfully prove the concept of standard interface vehicles for the USAF Space and Missile Systems Center, Space Development & Test Directorate (SMC/SD). The first in the series, STPSat-2, launched on November 19, 2010. The STP-SIV standard interface supports a variety of experimental and risk reduction payloads at different low-Earth orbits, and is compatible with multiple launch vehicles.

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. supports critical missions for national agencies such as the Department of Defense, NASA, NOAA and other U.S. government and commercial entities. The company develops and manufactures spacecraft, advanced instruments and sensors, components, data exploitation systems and RF solutions for strategic, tactical and scientific applications. For more information visit http://www.ballaerospace.com.

Ball Corporation (BLL) is a supplier of high quality packaging for beverage, food and household products customers, and of aerospace and other technologies and services, primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ more than 14,500 people worldwide and reported 2011 sales of more than $8.6 billion. For the latest Ball news and for other company information, please visit http://www.ball.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains "forward-looking" statements concerning future events and financial performance. Words such as "expects," "anticipates, " "estimates" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Key risks and uncertainties are summarized in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Exhibit 99.2 in our Form 10-K, which are available on our website and at http://www.sec.gov. Factors that might affect our packaging segments include fluctuation in product demand and preferences; availability and cost of raw materials; competitive packaging availability, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; crop yields; competitive activity; failure to achieve anticipated productivity improvements or production cost reductions; mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; changes in major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier; political instability and sanctions; and changes in foreign exchange rates or tax rates. Factors that might affect our aerospace segment include: funding, authorization, availability and returns of government and commercial contracts; and delays, extensions and technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts. Factors that might affect the company as a whole include those listed plus: accounting changes; changes in senior management; the recent global recession and its effects on liquidity, credit risk, asset values and the economy; successful or unsuccessful acquisitions; regulatory action or laws including tax, environmental, health and workplace safety, including U.S. FDA and other actions affecting products filled in our containers, or chemicals or substances used in raw materials or in the manufacturing process; governmental investigations; technological developments and innovations; goodwill impairment; antitrust, patent and other litigation; strikes; labor cost changes; rates of return projected and earned on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; pension changes; uncertainties surrounding the U.S. government budget and debt limit; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and changes to unaudited results due to statutory audits or other effects.

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Ball Aerospace's STPSat-3 to Fly Solar TIM Instrument for NOAA

DSM completes acquisition of Ocean Nutrition Canada and expands its Nutritional Lipids growth platform

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Royal DSM, the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company, announced today that it has successfully completed the acquisition of Ocean Nutrition Canada, the leading global provider of fish-oil derived nutritional products to the dietary supplement and food and beverage markets. The acquisition, announced on 18 May 2012, strengthens and complements DSM`s newly established, global Nutritional Lipids growth platform. The acquisition, for a total enterprise value of CAD 540 million, is expected to be EPS accretive from 2013 onwards.

Feike Sijbesma, CEO and Chairman of the DSM Managing Board, said: "With the completion of this transaction we have now completed 1.7 billion worth of growth enhancing acquisitions since we embarked on our current strategic plan less than two years ago, including nearly 1.3 billion in the Nutrition cluster, as we continue to further improve our attractive portfolio in health, nutrition and materials to deliver shareholder value with stronger, more stable growth and profitability. After our successful acquisition of Martek in 2011, the acquisition of Ocean Nutrition Canada is the logical next step in developing our Nutritional Lipids into a major growth platform for our Nutrition cluster."

Leendert Staal, President and CEO of DSM Nutritional Products, commented: "Having completed the acquisition in a timeframe of only two months, we are very pleased to welcome all employees of Ocean Nutrition Canada to DSM today and I look forward to developing this exciting opportunity together. Our attention is now fully focused on ensuring a smooth integration of the business in a timely and efficient manner. Business continuity and customer satisfaction will remain key priorities for us as we focus on future synergy generation between both businesses."

Strategic rationale With the acquisition of Ocean Nutrition Canada, DSM strengthens and complements its Nutritional Lipids growth platform, which was established after the acquisition of Martek in 2011. DSM can now uniquely offer a full range of products in the rapidly growing nutritional lipids category, offering both fish oil derived omega-3 fatty acids and microbially derived nutritional lipids.

The nutritional lipids category is at an early stage yet well established and is based on strong science, offering significant growth opportunities across a broad range of market segments and applications. Healthy nutritional lipids have been shown in a growing body of scientific evidence to provide significant health benefits and support brain, eye, and cardiovascular health throughout life, yet many consumers do not include enough in their daily diets because dietary sources are limited. In particular, leading experts have noted the important health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, a specific class of nutritional lipids.

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), is an omega-3 fatty acid abundant in the brain and retina and important to supporting brain health throughout life. EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) is also an omega-3 fatty acid important for human health. Together, EPA and DHA have been identified as important to supporting cardiovascular health throughout life.

Ocean Nutrition Canada is the leading provider of fish-derived DHA and EPA omega-3 with its MEG-3 product line. DSM is the leading provider of microbial DHA from algae with its life`sDHA(TM) product line. Also part of the DSM portfolio is life`sARA(TM), a microbially derived nutritional lipid called ARA (arachidonic acid). ARA is an omega-6 fatty acid and the principal omega-6 in the brain. Like DHA, ARA is important for proper brain development in infants.

Given the very different value proposition and pricing of fish oil derived omega-3s compared to microbial derived nutritional lipids, these products do not compete. In fact, Ocean Nutrition Canada`s fish derived omega-3 products are highly complementary to DSM`s existing microbially derived nutritional lipid products as they address different customer needs and reach different market segments.

The acquisition allows DSM to strengthen and complement its newly established, global Nutritional Lipids growth platform. It strengthens DSM`s position in the North American dietary supplement market by adding fish-oil derived omega-3 fatty acids to its portfolio and it allows DSM to further leverage its global infrastructure to expand Ocean Nutrition Canada`s sales in dietary supplement markets outside North America and in the food and beverage markets worldwide. In addition, by leveraging forms, encapsulation and emulsification technologies, the range of applications and products can be expanded.

DSM expects the transaction to be EPS accretive from 2013 onwards. The acquisition is expected to accelerate revenue growth through material revenue synergies with expanded distribution, marketing and product development. Customary operational efficiencies will also be realized in the integration process.

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DSM completes acquisition of Ocean Nutrition Canada and expands its Nutritional Lipids growth platform

DNA analysis of ancient remains to uncover origin mysteries

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Public release date: 17-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Deborah Marshall d.mashall@griffith.edu.au 61-040-872-7734 Griffith University

Griffith University researchers will analyse DNA sequences from ancient human remains, some dating back 45,000 years, to determine the origins of the peoples of South-east Asia and Australia.

In collaboration with the Universities of Auckland, Copenhagen and New South Wales, the researchers will analyse human remains from continental and oceanic Asia and Australia using more powerful newly developed ancient DNA sequencing methods.

Chief Investigator Professor David Lambert from the School of Environment says understanding where the earliest people of Asia and continental Australia came from is critical to understanding modern human evolution.

"The recent sequencing of the Australian Aboriginal genome has identified two waves of human migration through Asia,'' he said.

"Aboriginal Australians descended from an early human dispersal into eastern Asia, possibly 62,000 to 75,000 years ago.

"This dispersal is separate from the one that gave rise to modern Asians 25,000 to 38,000 years ago, although there is evidence for hybridisation between them."

The researchers aim to identify descendent individuals from both lineages and detect historic patterns of interbreeding among these early people.

Professor Paul Tacon from Griffith University's Place, Evolution & Rock Art Heritage Unit said the research was a world-first study to attempt to recover human DNA sequences from more than 80 ancient human remains collected from a range of time points.

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DNA experts testify at Main Street shooting trial

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Jurors at the attempted-murder trial of Robert Zlahn got a heavy dose of DNA on Wednesday as scientific experts offered different conclusions about whether another man touched the pistol used in the crime.

The third day of Zlahns trial for the shooting on Main Street on July 1, 2011, was dominated by lengthy testimony from two DNA experts. A state crime lab expert who tested for gunshot residue and the first police officer to interview Zlahn also testified Wednesday.

Zlahn, 26, is accused of shooting a .45-caliber pistol three times at Ryan Grosulak at the intersection of Main Street and Pemberton Lane. The shooting happened after Grosulak, a former star football player and a bodybuilder, tried to confront the men who had allegedly harassed his girlfriend outside the couples apartment.

Zlahn is charged with attempted deliberate homicide, criminal endangerment and tampering. His trial before Judge Mary Jane Knisely began Monday with jury selection and opening statements. Court officials said Wednesday that the trial will continue into next week.

Testimony on Tuesday included the accounts of Grosulak and his girlfriend, Alanna Vincent. She said she was terrified by two black men in a maroon minivan who confronted her outside her apartment and made sexually offensive remarks.

Grosulak told jurors he went looking for the men and found them in the minivan at the busy Heights intersection at about 3 p.m. After exchanging words, the driver of the van whom Grosulak described as a black man with short hair shot at him three times, Grosulak said.

Sean Bowers also testified Tuesday, telling jurors he had stepped out of the van during the verbal exchange with Grosulak and saw his friend, Zlahn, fire the pistol during the confrontation.

Former police officer Joseph Dickerson was the first witness to testify Wednesday, describing how he was called to the shooting scene and interviewed Zlahn after another officer stopped Zlahn, Bowers and a third man, Samuel Bettie, as they were walking on Bench Boulevard shortly after the shooting.

Zlahn denied being involved in a shooting, Dickerson said, and encouraged officers to go try to find the people responsible.

Bahne Klietz, a forensic chemist at the Montana State Crime Lab, also testified Wednesday. She said swabs taken from Zlahn, Bowers and Bettie showed all three men had some amount of gunshot residue on their hands or faces.

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DNA experts testify at Main Street shooting trial

Posted in DNA

Supreme Court stays DNA ruling

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The U.S. Supreme Court has put on hold at least for a week a ruling by Marylands highest court that prohibits DNA collection from suspects charged but not yet convicted in violent crimes.

Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler had asked the nations highest court to intervene in the case of Alonzo Jay King Jr. v. State of Maryland after his bid failed to have the Maryland Court of Appeals reverse its own decision. The order grants a stay until at least July 25.

In a statement, Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler said he was encouraged by the order which may indeed result in identifying perpetrators in some of Marylands most horrific unsolved cases where DNA was left at the scene of the crime. David Paulson, a Gansler spokesman, said police agencies certainly may resume DNA collection, though lawyers in the attorney generals office were still weighing how they would advise those agencies on how to proceed.

Stephen Mercer, the chief attorney for the Office of the Maryland Public Defenders Forensics Division, said the public defenders office, which opposes the pre-conviction DNA testing, was preparing to respond immediately.

The case centers on Maryland legislation, which, starting in 2009, allowed police to collect DNA from suspects after they were charged with violent crimes or burglaries. Before then, police had been able to collect DNA only from convicted criminals.

Alonzo Jay King Jr. challenged the law after he was arrested in Wicomico County in April 2009 on first- and second-degree assault charges. Prosecutors used a DNA swab stemming from that case to connect him to a 2003 rape. He was eventually convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the rape.

But in a 5 to 2 ruling, the Maryland Court of Appeals sent Kings case back to the Wicomico County Circuit Court and threw out the DNA evidence against him, saying investigators violated his Fourth Amendment rights in taking his genetic material and comparing it with old crime scene samples. The ruling was condemned by prosecutors and police chiefs, who said it would hamper detectives ability to solve cold cases and jeopardize the convictions of 34 robbers, burglars and rapists whose genetic samples were taken after they were charged in separate cases.

Police across the state had stopped collecting DNA from charged suspects in the wake of the Court of Appeals ruling. It remains unclear how they will proceed as the case continues to make its way through the nations court system.

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Supreme Court stays DNA ruling

Posted in DNA

CU-Boulder accepting bids to relocate 3 Grandview Terrace houses

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The University of Colorado announced today that it will be accepting proposals from qualified house movers and contractors to relocate three university-owned houses in Grandview Terrace.

The three houses -- 1220, 1243 and 1244 Grandview Avenue -- were all built in the 1920s and cannot be remodeled due to the cost, an estimated $2 million for all three properties. The buildings were vacated when faculty and staff with CU's Institute of Behavioral Science moved into a new building in 2010.

We don't want these buildings to become a neighborhood nuisance, and we want to give the public and members of the community an opportunity to relocate them if that is feasible and people are interested, said CU Interim Vice Chancellor for Administration Jeff Lipton in a statement.

CU originally notified the city in March that it planned to raze five buildings in Grandview Terrace unless someone from the city or residents stepped in to move the structures.

City spokeswoman Jody Jacobson said the city would not be putting in a bid, but is helping to find potential bidders.

"We would like to see these buildings preserved, but the city is not putting in a bid," she said.

The university is not accepting bids on the other two properties in that original memo and are not scheduled to demolish either building. The house at 1232 Grandview Ave. is currently being rented out and CU entered into an agreement with the city to take another look at alternative uses for the property at 1446 Broadway.

CU has no immediate plans to build on the properties, officials say, but instead will use the land for parking in the short term.

The five buildings are all located outside of the "Grandview Preserve," an area defined in a 2001 memorandum of agreement between the city and the university to protect historic buildings.

The university will accept proposals for relocation through Oct. 17. A proposal evaluation and selection period will then be conducted from Oct. 18 through Oct. 25, with contract award notifications going out on Oct. 29.

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CU-Boulder accepting bids to relocate 3 Grandview Terrace houses

AAN: New Guideline on How to Best Treat Involuntary Movements in Huntington's Disease

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Newswise MINNEAPOLIS A new guideline released by the American Academy of Neurology recommends several treatments for people with Huntingtons disease who experience choreajerky, random, uncontrollable movements that can make everyday activities challenging. The guideline is published in the July 18, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Chorea can be disabling, worsen weight loss and increase the risk of falling, said guideline lead author Melissa Armstrong, MD, MSc, with the University of Maryland School of Medicine Department of Neurology and a member of the American Academy of Neurology.

Huntingtons disease is a complex disease with physical, cognitive and behavioral symptoms. The new guideline addresses only one aspect of the disease that may require treatment.

The guideline found that the drugs tetrabenazine (TBZ), riluzole and amantadine can be helpful and the drug nabilone may also be considered to treat chorea. The medications riluzole, amantadine and nabilone are not often prescribed for Huntingtons disease.

People with Huntingtons disease who have chorea should discuss with their doctors whether treating chorea is a priority. Huntingtons disease is complex with a wide range of sometimes severe symptoms and treating other symptoms may be a higher priority than treating chorea, said Armstrong.

Armstrong adds that it is important for patients to understand that their doctors may try drugs not recommended in this guideline to treat chorea. More research is needed to know if drugs such as those used for psychosis are effective; however, doctors may prescribe them on the basis of past clinical experience.

Learn more about the guideline at http://www.aan.com/guidelines or Huntingtons disease at http://www.aan.com/patients.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 25,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimers disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, Parkinsons disease and epilepsy.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit http://www.aan.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.

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AAN: New Guideline on How to Best Treat Involuntary Movements in Huntington's Disease

Zyvex Marine launches LRV-17 Long Range Vessel as the first nano-composite manned boat

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SEATTLE,COLUMBUS, Ohioand DUBAI, July 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Zyvex Marine, a division of Zyvex Technologies, the world's first molecular nanotechnology company, today announced the global launch of the LRV-17. The advanced Long Range Vessel is designed for fuel efficiency and rough sea stabilization with a sprint speed over 40 knots and a range of over 1,500 nautical miles, more than three times the range of comparatively sized vessels.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120718/CG42070)

Global Maritime Security Solutions (GMSS), a leading maritime security company based in Dubai, will deploy the vessels for maritime security, including piracy protection, off the coast of Africa and surrounding areas.

The LRV-17 is built from Arovex, a carbon fiber nano-composite system (carbon fiber reinforced plastic enhanced with carbon nanotubes or CFRP-CNT) that reduces structural weight, allowing for more efficient fuel usage and increased range. This is the first time nano-composites have been used as the primary material for a manned vessel.

The LRV-17 is modeled after the Piranha Unmanned Surface Vessel, which debuted in 2010. The Piranha received global attention and established Zyvex as a pioneer of nano-composite marine manufacturing. The vessel now joins several technology applications using Arovex.

"As the first molecular nanotechnology engineering company in the marine industry, we are proud to launch a manned vessel platform after successfully proving the unmanned platform and then introducing the industry's lightest and most durable doors, hatches, and other marine closures. These applications of nano-composites are advancing commercial and defense partners' capabilities when it comes to safety and efficiency," said Byron Nutley, Vice President of Zyvex Technologies and General Manager of Zyvex Marine.

The 17-meter (57-foot) vessel's deep-V hull is designed for fuel efficiency and uses an active gyroscope stabilizer for improved sea handling and decreased human fatigue factors. It is fully deployable with only two operators and can be equipped with an additional four shock-mitigating seats for support personnel, allowing six crew to remain at sea for over five days. Zyvex Marine performed primary design and engineering, with secondary engineering, installation, and test analysis being performed by partners Pacific Coast Marine, S3 Maritime, Eltech Electric, Seakeeper, and Donald L. Blount and Associates.

GMSS plans to launch a Merchant Vessel Convoy Escort Program by deploying security teams to operatetwo LRV-17s to protect ships en route. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, there were 439 worldwide piracy attacks in 2011. One report estimated the piracy impact on the global economy to be $7 billion for 2011, the most detailed estimate to date. (1)

"The new LRV-17 boats are game changers in maritime security missions because they are the only vessels capable of long range escort and high speeds to deal with multiple pirate threats. They need only small security teams to effectively operate," said Rhynhardt Berrange, Managing Director of GMSS. "These attributes create a cost-effective platform to ensure maritime security. The visible presence of the new vessels is expected to deter and help prevent piracy attempts and attacks."

(1) One Earth Future's Ocean Beyond Piracy Initiative - http://www.cfr.org/france/combating-maritime-piracy/p18376

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Zyvex Marine launches LRV-17 Long Range Vessel as the first nano-composite manned boat

Mevion Medical Systems Delivers the MEVION S250 Superconducting Synchrocyclotron to Robert Wood Johnson University …

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LITTLETON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Mevion Medical Systems announced today that it has delivered the superconducting synchrocyclotron for the MEVION S250 Proton Therapy System currently under installation at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ, the flagship cancer hospital of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey and the principal teaching hospital of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. This is the second MEVION S250 proton therapy system delivered in the past 6 months, both installed at NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers.

Powered by a TriNiobium Core, the MEVION S250 is a modern and first-of-its-kind proton therapy system that provides the same precise, non-invasive treatment capabilities and advantages of complex, large, and costly proton therapy systems but with a significantly reduced footprint, improved reliability, more advanced clinical systems, and lower implementation and operational costs. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital has a proud history of clinical innovation and a commitment to provide the highest quality and value of services to its patients and community, says Stephen K. Jones, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson Health System. We are excited to be the first in the northeast to receive this revolutionary technology and add this innovative proton therapy service to our comprehensive list of cancer services.

In addition to offering proton beam therapy and Gamma Knife Perfexion for the treatment of brain tumors, The Cancer Hospital at RWJUH is the flagship hospital of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ), the states only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and the hospitals cancer program has been accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. The partnership between RWJUH, UMDNJ-RWJMS and CINJ offers patients a unique opportunity to benefit from clinical research performed at CINJ while receiving expert care from faculty and community physicians in a state-of-the-art environment at RWJUH. RWJUHs cancer program was recently ranked among the top 50 programs in the United States by U.S.News & World Report as part of its 2012 ranking of Americas Best Hospitals.

Manufactured in Massachusetts, it took only one day for the MEVION S250 accelerator to travel to New Jersey and only a few hours to be brought inside the proton center. The proton therapy modernization and size reduction that we deliver today has redefined the economics and accessibility of proton therapy, says Joseph K. Jachinowski, Chief Executive Officer of Mevion Medical Systems. We are delighted to be entering this final installation phase of the MEVION S250 proton therapy system at another leading cancer hospital.

The MEVION S250 has recently received United States Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance and CE Certification enabling Mevion customers to treat patients. With four centers under installation or construction and more than a dozen under planning, Mevion has quickly established itself as a leading proton therapy supplier worldwide.

ABOUT MEVION MEDICAL SYSTEMS Mevion Medical Systems, Inc. is a radiation therapy company dedicated to advancing the treatment of cancer. As the pioneering developer of modern proton therapy systems, Mevion provides innovative, safe, and effective solutions by transforming advances in medical technology and science into practical clinical reality.

Mevions flagship product, the MEVION S250 Proton Therapy System, is designed to preserve all of the treatment benefits of traditional proton therapy systems while removing the obstacles of size, cost, and complexity. Realizing this vision, Mevion has forever changed the economics and accessibility of proton therapy worldwide.

Founded in 2004, Mevion is a privately held company headquartered in the Boston metropolitan area with international offices in the United Kingdom and Japan.

Visit us at: http://www.mevion.com

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Oregon school for osteopathy has strong start

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Three days a week, Dr. Robin Richardson practices urgent care for Providence Health, while the other two days he spends on a passion far less profitable: primary care for more than 2,000 people.

I have one family where I take care of four generations. Its just a good feeling, he said of his family practice in Southeast Portland.

Richardson is one of dozens of Oregon osteopathic physicians who rallied to help a new medical school get its footing in Lebanon. Called the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest, the new school has completed its first year.

Its the states second mainstream medical school after Oregon Health & Science University, and could help fill a wave of demand for primary care physicians caused by federal health reform.

The college has helped revitalize the former lumber town of 15,000 by leasing a 54,000-square-foot brick building from Samaritan Health Services, just across from Lebanon Community Hospital. COMPs main branch, in Pomona, Calif., has sent graduates for residencies at the hospital for years.

Now Richardson and other local doctors give occasional lectures, oversee students during their residencies and interview prospective new students once a month.

The school has energized Oregons osteopathic physicians who lacked a place to connect after Portlands Eastmoreland Hospital, with its focus on osteopathic medicine, shut down nearly a decade ago, says John Pham, an osteopathic physician from Portland who serves on the colleges faculty. Its like any small culture. We all help each other and we want to see each other succeed. I think its different from the MDs there are so many of them.

Osteopathic medicine started as a holistic offshoot of traditional medicine, but gained acceptance by the U.S. medical establishment long ago. Yet doctors of osteopathy, or DOs, remain a minority about 625 in Oregon versus 10,000 MDs.

The college hopes to start changing that and, along the way, provide new doctors where theyre most needed. My goal is 80 percent of our grads going into primary care, Richardson said.

About 107 students, 56 of them male, signed up for the schools inaugural class. Only two students took a leave of absence and didnt finish the year. It was due to personal reasons, not performance, says Paula Crone, the schools associate executive dean. Theyve already selected the class that starts in August.

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Richard Hyatt: A medical school comes to Columbus

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Columbus Regional and St. Francis have wasted a lot of time fussing when they should have been caring for the sick, but this week the dueling hospitals embarked on a project that has inspired them to put down their scalpels.

The presence of a medical school in Columbus is something the two facilities can celebrate, and over the past five months, they've joined forces to prepare for the arrival of 14 third-year students from the Mercer University School of Medicine.

For years the hospitals have engaged in turf wars that never made sense to anyone outside the upper echelons of the medical community. Proponents of the medical school somehow crossed bridges that no one thought were there.

Dr. David Mathis, an assistant dean and 1986 Mercer Medical School graduate, said leaders of the hospitals have openly acknowledged that they haven't always worked together and that the alliances formed by this project are a positive step.

Though progress has been made, students are spending this week filling out mounds of repetitive paperwork required to do business at the two facilities. "If there are duplications, we've advised the students to be patient," Mathis said.

Since 1982, Mercer has prepared physicians to practice medicine in underserved areas of Georgia on their traditional campus in Macon. Four years ago, an auxiliary campus opened in Savannah and plans to expand into Columbus were announced in February.

For now, the school is housed at the Bradley Center. A student coordinator will be hired and distant-learning facilities are being installed. Mathis will be based in Macon but will spend a lot of time here.

"The hospitals and the doctors in Columbus have been so welcoming," Mathis said. "Each hospital appointed a lead physician, and they've been extremely helpful."

Dr. John Bucholtz, a family-practice physician, represents the Medical Center. Dr. Luther Wolff III, an orthopedic surgeon, is the St. Francis appointee. A team of local doctors will serve as mentors.

Mercer's mission is unique. It accepts only students from Georgia and encourages graduates to practice in the state. After 30 years, two out of every three graduates are practicing in Georgia. This is crucial around Columbus, where 25 percent of the physicians are age 55 or older.

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Richard Hyatt: A medical school comes to Columbus

Russian research project offers 'immortality' to billionaires – by transplanting their brains into robot bodies

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Contacted list of world's richest to offer immortality Will personally oversee brain transplant into robot body Entrepreneur claims to have 30 scientists working on project Aims to 'transplant' human mind into robot body in 10 years Claims 'next stage' of science is to create a 'new human body' 'This project is leading to immortality,' says Dmitry Itskov

By Rob Waugh UPDATED: 07:42 EST, 18 July 2012

A Russian entrepreneur who heads a hi-tech research project called 'Avatar' has contacted billionaires to offer them immortality.

Itskov claims he will personally oversee their immortality process, in exchange for an undisclosed fee.

Itskov, a media entrepreneur, claims to have hired 30 scientists to reach this goal - and aims to transplant a human brain into a robot body within 10 years.

'You 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,' says Itskov in a letter delivered to billionaires listed in Forbes magazine.

Eternal life? Iskov, a media entrepreneur, claims to have hired 30 scientists to reach this goal - and aims to transplant a human brain into a robot body within 10 years

He has contacted a list of billionaires with a proposal for funding his quest for immortality - which Itskov refers to as 'cybernetic immortality' and the 'artificial body'.

The initiative is opening its San Francisco office this summer, and will be launching a social media project connecting scientists around the world.

'The 2045 team is working towards creating an international research center where leading scientists will be engaged in research and development in the fields of anthropomorphic robotics, living systems modeling and brain and consciousness modeling with the goal of transferring ones individual consciousness to an artificial carrier and achieving cybernetic immortality,' says Itskov's official site.

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Russian research project offers 'immortality' to billionaires - by transplanting their brains into robot bodies

Robert Pattinson talks 'chemistry' with Kristen Stewart

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Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart may be one of Hollywood's most private couples, but Rob just couldn't help spilling the beans on falling for Kristen in a recent interview, revealing he knew they would have amazing chemistry before they even met.

ROB AND KRISTEN: ROMANCE IN PICS

Speaking to E!'s etalk Canada, Robert Pattinson told how he knew before he met Kristen Stewart that they would instantly hit it off, after watching one of her old movies.

'I knew before I met her [that we had chemistry],' Rob laughed, to which Kristen giggled, 'Yeah, me too.'

Referring to seeing 14 year-old Kristen star in an adventure movie, he continued: 'I was watching Zathura one day when she was frozen.'

Far from keeping quiet, usually shy Kristenpiped up: 'When you meet people that you want to embark on a creative endeavour with, it's like so intense and exciting it's palpable.' Looking to R-Patzbeside her, she added: "You're like, 'It's him!"'

Now that's love.

At Comic-Con last week Robert Pattinson opened up on his Twilight beauty secret, revealing he was asked to don a ginger wig to re-shoot some key scenes for the upcoming final instalment of the Breaking Dawn movie.

Rob said: 'We had to do the re-shoots on [Breaking Dawn - Part 2] a few weeks ago, and it was the first time I had to wear a wig.

His advice? 'Don't succumb to peer pressure and start wearing a wig like everybody else in this cast.'

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Robert Pattinson talks 'chemistry' with Kristen Stewart