New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) The global aerospace and defence industry performance in 2011 was sluggish, posting a revenue gain of just 2.3 percent compared to 2.5 percent in 2010, an industry study has found.
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Monthly Archives: July 2012
Magellan Aerospace Secures a £370 Million Contract Extension with Airbus
TORONTO , July 10, 2012 /CNW/ - Magellan Aerospace announced today an agreement between Magellan Aerospace (UK) Limited and Airbus for a contract extension to deliver aluminum and titanium, structural wing components from Magellan UK divisions located in Wrexham and Bournemouth. This contract is comprised of components for use on the A320, A330 and A380 aircraft programs and is projected to generate revenues in excess of 370 million through to December 2019 .
The scope of work of this contract complements the new A350 work packages that Magellan has previously been awarded and are currently developing, thereby, securing the company as a supplier on every Airbus civil program. To maintain Magellan's competitive position and support this long-term commitment to Airbus, Magellan will invest up to 15M in capital equipment over the term of contract extension.
Mr. James S. Butyniec , President and CEO of Magellan Aerospace Corporation said, "This long-term contract with Airbus demonstrates our commitment to developing enduring relationships with our customers and investing the resources required to support their current and future requirements. Magellan has a culture committed to achieving operational excellence and we are very pleased that Airbus has confidence in our ability to provide globally competitive products for their family of commercial aircraft."
Business Secretary, Vince Gable said, "This multi million contract is great news for Magellan Aerospace, Airbus, and the UK aerospace industry suppliers. It's a further demonstration of the breadth of the UK's supply chain."
About Magellan Aerospace:
Magellan Aerospace is one of the world's most integrated aerospace industry suppliers. Magellan designs, engineers, and manufactures aeroengine and aerostructure assemblies and components for aerospace markets, advanced products for military and space markets, and complementary specialty products. Magellan is a public company whose shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (MAL.TO), with operating units throughout Canada , the United States , the United Kingdom , and India .
Forward Looking Statement:
This press release contains information and statements of a forward-looking nature and is based on assumptions and uncertainties as well as on management's reasonable evaluation of future events related to the provision of structural components for Airbus programs. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, and/or are beyond the Corporation's control. A number of important factors could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements.
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Magellan Aerospace Secures a £370 Million Contract Extension with Airbus
TECT Aerospace Operations at New Facility in Everett, WA
FARNBOROUGH, England, July 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- TECT Aerospace, a global leader in aerospace component manufacturing, is pleased to announce that its new 157,000-square-foot facility located at 1515 75th Street SW in Everett, Washington is ramping up production ahead of schedule.
"This new facility, which was announced at the Paris Air Show in 2011, is well ahead of the planned startup schedule, thanks, in large part, to the dedicated TECT Aerospace team in the Seattle area led by Tom Winkelmann, VP & GM of TECT Aerospace's greater Seattle area operations," commented Pete Knapper, president of TECT Aerospace. Knapper went on to comment that the startup schedule has also been helped a great deal by the decision to replace many of the older machine tools that were located at TECT's Paine Field and Woodinville operations, which are being consolidated at the 75th Street location, with new, state of the art machining centers. Knapper concluded by saying "This facility consolidation and investment in manufacturing technology reaffirms our commitment to manufacturing in the Seattle area and supporting our commercial aerospace customers in this unprecedented up cycle."
About TECT Aerospace TECT Aerospace is a member of the TECT family of businesses, a privately held group of companies that competes in the airframe and turbine engine manufacturing supply chains. More information on TECT Aerospace and TECT can be found at http://www.TECTaero.com and http://www.TECTcorp.com respectively, or you can call Colin Strain, vice president of sales and marketing for TECT Aerospace at +1-316-529-5000 or David Nolletti, vice president of marketing, strategy, and business development for TECT at +1-828-210-8127.
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Researchers use nanotech to make cancer 3M times more detectable
Scientists at Princeton University say they have used nanotechnology to make tests to detect diseases, like cancer and Alzheimer's disease, 3 million times more sensitive.
That means what researchers are calling a breakthrough in nanotechnology and medicine could enable doctors to detect these illnesses at much earlier stages, when they are more treatable.
"This advance opens many new and exciting opportunities ... in disease early detection and treatment," said Stephen Chou, a Princeton engineering professor, who led the research team. "You can have very early detection with our approach."
Princeton researchers used nanotechnology to improve a biological test called an immunoassay, which measures the concentration of a substance in a body fluid sample, and is used to find markers for cancers and Alzheimer's, in patients. The test produces a fluorescent glow when the disease is detected. The stronger the presence of the disease, the brighter the test glows.
However, if only faint, early-stage, traces of the disease are present, the glow can't be detected and the disease could be missed.
The Princeton researchers used nanotechnology to amplify the fluorescence, which gave them a 3-million-fold improvement in detection. It means the test now can detect disease with 3 million times fewer disease biomarkers present.
The earlier a cancer can be detected, the sooner treatment can begin, and the better chance a patient has of survival.
The key to the breakthrough, according to Princeton's researchers, lies in a new nanomaterial they call D2PA. The nanomaterial, which was developed in Chou's lab, consists of a thin layer of gold nanostructures surrounded by glass pillars that are 60 nanometers in diameter. About 1,000 of the pillars can be laid side-by-side and still only be as wide as a human hair.
Each pillar, spaced 200 nanometers apart, is capped with a gold disk. Each pillar also is speckled with even smaller gold dots. The pillars boost the collection and transmission of light by a billion-fold, Princeton said.
The university noted that Chou is focused on using the new technology to detect early-stage breast and prostate cancers. He also is working with researchers at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York to develop tests to detect proteins associated with early stage Alzheimer's disease.
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Researchers use nanotech to make cancer 3M times more detectable
Researchers Use Nanotech to Make Cancer 3 Million Times More Detectable
Scientists at Princeton University say they have used nanotechnology to make tests to detect diseases, like cancer and Alzheimer's disease, 3 million times more sensitive.
That means what researchers are calling a breakthrough in nanotechnology and medicine could enable doctors to detect these illnesses at much earlier stages, when they are more treatable.
"This advance opens many new and exciting opportunities ... in disease early detection and treatment," said Stephen Chou, a Princeton engineering professor, who led the research team. "You can have very early detection with our approach."
Princeton researchers used nanotechnology to improve a biological test called an immunoassay, which measures the concentration of a substance in a body fluid sample, and is used to find markers for cancers and Alzheimer's, in patients. The test produces a fluorescent glow when the disease is detected. The stronger the presence of the disease, the brighter the test glows.
However, if only faint, early-stage, traces of the disease are present, the glow can't be detected and the disease could be missed.
The Princeton researchers used nanotechnology to amplify the fluorescence, which gave them a 3-million-fold improvement in detection. It means the test now can detect disease with 3 million times fewer disease biomarkers present.
The earlier a cancer can be detected, the sooner treatment can begin, and the better chance a patient has of survival.
The key to the breakthrough, according to Princeton's researchers, lies in a new nanomaterial they call D2PA. The nanomaterial, which was developed in Chou's lab, consists of a thin layer of gold nanostructures surrounded by glass pillars that are 60 nanometers in diameter. About 1,000 of the pillars can be laid side-by-side and still only be as wide as a human hair.
Each pillar, spaced 200 nanometers apart, is capped with a gold disk. Each pillar also is speckled with even smaller gold dots. The pillars boost the collection and transmission of light by a billion-fold, Princeton said.
The university noted that Chou is focused on using the new technology to detect early-stage breast and prostate cancers. He also is working with researchers at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York to develop tests to detect proteins associated with early stage Alzheimer's disease.
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Researchers Use Nanotech to Make Cancer 3 Million Times More Detectable
Cedrus Investments' Nanotechnology Indices Outperform Most Major Indices
Nanotechnology impacts most industries, including electronics, natural resources, energy, clean technology and life sciences.
HONG KONG, July 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Cedrus Investments( http://www.cedrusinvestments.com/index.html ), a global leader in the nanotechnology investment arena( http://www.cedrusinvestments.com/our_business/nanotechnology.html ), announced today the first half 2012 performance of its two global nanotechnology indices, both launched in October 2009 -- Cedrus Nanotechnology Index - Diversified (CNID)( http://www.cedrusinvestments.com/about/index.html ) and Cedrus Nanotechnology Index - Pure (CNIP)( http://www.cedrusinvestments.com/about/index.html ). Both CNID and CNIP outperformed many of the major global indices including S&P 500, MSCI World Index, Russell 3000, Hang Seng and Shanghai Composite in first half of 2012 with a respective return of 8.37% and 11.43%.
(Logo: http://www.prnasia.com/sa/2012/06/01/20120601160828584896-l.jpg )
Cedrus maintains two indices in order to meet the needs of diverse investors. These indices serve as performance benchmarks for nanotechnology investing. Cedrus' diversified index (CNID) includes equally-weighted companies spanning all five nano-markets, including electronics, manufacturing, energy, life sciences and clean technology and is inclusive of both diversified companies that have nanotechnology as only one of many growth drivers, and pure-play companies that have nanotechnology as their primary driver of growth. Cedrus' pure index (CNIP) is a concentrated index, comprised of equally-weighted pure-play companies spanning all five nano-markets and is best-suited for small-cap investors.
About Cedrus Investment Ltd.
Cedrus Investments Ltd( http://www.cedrusinvestments.com/index.html ). is a boutique global investment services firm, specializing in private wealth management( http://www.cedrusinvestments.com/our_business/private_wealth_management.html ), asset management( http://www.cedrusinvestments.com/our_business/asset_management.html ) and financial advisory services( http://www.cedrusinvestments.com/our_business/financial_advisory_services.html ) for institutional investors, corporations, family offices, high net worth individuals and other sophisticated investors, with offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Jakarta and Grand Cayman.
For further information about Cedrus Investments, please visit http://www.cedrusinvestments.com.
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Cedrus Investments' Nanotechnology Indices Outperform Most Major Indices
Premier Phoenix Weight Loss Clinic Now Offering the Modified HCG Diet Program for a Limited Time at Only $149
PHOENIX, Ariz., July 10, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - The premier weight loss Phoenix clinic, Phoenix Integrative Medicine, is now offering the Modified HCG Diet for only $149. Dr. Andrea O'Connor is the treating weight loss doctor at the clinic, and she maintains over a 90% success rate with the modified HCG Phoenix program. A B12 injection is also included along with the program.
The traditional HCG Scottsdale program restricts an individual's diet to 500 daily calories. With the modified calorie HCG program, patients are allowed over 1000 daily calories with a broader amount of foods being allowed. In addition, patients are permitted increased activity, whereas, the older HCG diet does not allow any exercise at all.
Along with including a higher amount of calories allowed, the program also includes a higher dose of HCG, with the overall weight loss seen comparable with the traditional program. The new program is tolerated better by patients than the initial type of HCG restrictive one.
"The modified program we offer works much better than the traditional HCG diet. Patients have no headaches, they have more energy, and it even has been helping reduce chronic pain if the patient has that. Our success rate is well over 90% with the program," said Medical Director Dr. Andrea O'Connor.
Also included with the program are two follow up visits along with a B12 injection, which helps with energy and jump starting weight loss. The average amount of weight loss seen with the HCG program is over 30 pounds, regardless of whether the program uses HCG injections or sublingual drops. Both types of HCG are utilized in the programs.
Those interested in the modified HCG program at this special rate should call (480) 252-3799 for more information and scheduling. Patients can also schedule directly on the website.
This article was originally distributed on PRWeb. For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.prweb.com/releases/hcgdietphoenixaz/hcgscottsdale/prweb9670627.htm
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Premier Phoenix Weight Loss Clinic Now Offering the Modified HCG Diet Program for a Limited Time at Only $149
Vaccine and antibiotics stabilized so refrigeration is not needed — NIH study
Public release date: 9-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Kate Egan NIBIBPress@mail.nih.gov 301-451-0161 NIH/National Institute of Biomedical Imaging & Bioengineering
Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed a new silk-based stabilizer that, in the laboratory, kept some vaccines and antibiotics stable up to temperatures of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This provides a new avenue toward eliminating the need to keep some vaccines and antibiotics refrigerated, which could save billions of dollars every year and increase accessibility to third world populations.
Vaccines and antibiotics often need to be refrigerated to prevent alteration of their chemical structures; such alteration can result in less potent or ineffective medications. By immobilizing their bioactive molecules using silk protein matrices, researchers were able to protect and stabilize both live vaccines and antibiotics when stored at higher than recommended temperatures for periods far longer than recommended.
The research was led by grantees of NIH's National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), David Kaplan, Ph.D., and Jeney Zhang, Ph.D. candidate, at Tufts University School of Engineering in Medford, Mass. The National Eye Institute and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research at NIH also contributed to this research. The researchers reported on their findings in the online issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on July 9, 2012.
"This truly exciting development is the culmination of years of creative exploration and research focused on a major problem in the delivery of health care. Dr. Kaplan and his team have done a masterful job at both understanding the key properties of silk, and applying these insights to a global medical challenge," said NIBIB Director Roderic I. Pettigrew, Ph.D., M.D. "This is also a wonderful validation of the type of team science we see in our Biotechnology Resource and Development Centers and their ability to combine cutting edge science in a number of fields to a variety of health needs."
Pettigrew also points out that the next step is to test it in the field.
Keeping medications cold from production until they are used in treatment is a costly process, accounting for as much as 80 percent of the price of vaccinations. The need for a cold chain has been a difficulty for health care providers, aid organizations, scientists and pharmaceutical companies for decades, especially in settings where electricity is limited. Failures in the chain result in the loss of nearly half of all global vaccines, according to researchers.
In an attempt to solve this problem, Kaplan and his lab have been working extensively with silk films that essentially wrap up the live bioactive molecules present in antibiotics and vaccines. This protects these essential bioactive elements, and so can greatly extend the shelf-life of the medication. Silk is used because it is a protein polymer with a chemistry, structure, and assembly that can generate a unique environment, making it an attractive candidate for the stabilization of bioactive molecules over extended periods of time.
To test their new silk stabilizers, Kaplan's team stored the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines for six months at the recommended 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as at 77, 98.6 , and 113 degrees Fahrenheit. The results show that encapsulation in the new silk films maintained the potency with minimal loss over time and enhanced stability, even at very high storage temperatures. Similarly, antibiotics entrapped in silk films maintained near optimal activity even at temperatures as high as 140 degrees. In addition, Kaplan's group found that these silk films had the added benefit of protecting one antibiotic against the detrimental effects of light exposure.
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Vaccine and antibiotics stabilized so refrigeration is not needed -- NIH study
Sara Ramirez of 'Grey's Anatomy' weds longtime boyfriend
Sara Ramirez, who plays Callie Torres on "Grey's Anatomy," married her longtime boyfriend Ryan Debolt, the actress' spokesperson confirmed to OnTheRedCarpet.com on July 9.
"On July 4th 2012, after a year long engagement, Sara Ramirez and Ryan Debolt were married in an intimate ceremony in New York," the actress' rep Nancy Seltzer told OnTheRedCarpet.com.
The private wedding was attended by close family and friends. This is the first marriage for the 36-year-old actress.
The actress' rep told OnTheRedCarpet.com of the couple's engagement last June. Ramirez and Debolt got engaged in Paris on June 17, 2011.
Ramirez's "Grey's Anatomy" character got married to her girlfriend Arizona Robbins on the hit show's seventh season.
Ramirez won a "Best Featured Actress in a Musical" Tony in 2005 for her portrayal of the original Lady of the Lake in the Broadway production of "Spamalot."
Ramirez, who has starred in "Grey's Anatomy" since 2006, has released two albums, "Silent Night" in 2009 and "Sara Ramirez" on iTunes in March 2011.
(Copyright 2012 OnTheRedCarpet.com. All Rights Reserved.)
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Sara Ramirez of 'Grey's Anatomy' weds longtime boyfriend
New Study Affirms Masimo rainbow® Pulse CO-Oximetry™ Accuracy for Noninvasive Carboxyhemoglobin and Methemoglobin …
IRVINE, Calif., July 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Masimo (MASI) announced today a new study in Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology shows that noninvasive carboxyhemoglobin (SpCO) and methemoglobin (SpMet) measurements with Masimo rainbow Pulse CO-Oximetry are accurate and conclude they can be used as an effective first screening test with emergency room patients suspected of suffering carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.(1)
CO poisoning is a major cause of morbidity and mortality(2) and is responsible for more than 50,000 emergency department visits per year in the United States.(3) Because symptoms of CO poisoning are nonspecific ranging from mild headache, nausea, confusion, and dizziness to end-organ injury, such as myocardial infarction, stroke, and death diagnosis is difficult and has historically relied on clinical suspicion and confirmation by measurement of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) via invasive blood-gas analysis. Unfortunately, it has been estimated that up to half of U.S. hospitals do not have invasive COHb testing ability increasing the potential that many victims of CO poisoning could be overlooked and misdiagnosed.(4)
The study was conducted on healthy subjects who inhaled a mixture that included carbon monoxide such that it raised the COHb to 10% to 14%. Investigators compared the mean bias and precision of SpCO and SpMet data obtained noninvasively with a Masimo Rad-57 Pulse CO-Oximeter and adult reusable SpCO rainbow sensor (DCI-dc3) with invasive venous blood samples analyzed on an arterial blood-gas analyzer (ABL80 FLEX CO-oximeter, Radiometer America).
The SpMet results showed the mean bias was 0.0% and precision was 0.3%. The SpCO measurements showed a mean bias of 0.8% and precision of 2.5%.
Researchers noted the Rad-57 "provides coherent and reproducible day-to-day measurement" of SpCO and SpMet, and concluded the "Rad-57 should be used as a first screening to determine whether an invasive blood measurement of COHb should be performed to confirm the (CO) intoxication."
(1) Zaouter C, Zavorsky G. "The measurement of carboxyhemoglobin and methemoglobin using a noninvasive pulse CO-oximeter." Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology 2012 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.resp.2012.05.010)
(2)Suner S, Patridge R, Sucov A, et al. "Noninvasive pulse CO-oximetry screening in the emergency department identifies occult carbon monoxide toxicity." J Emerg Med. 2008; 34(4):441-50.
(3) Weaver LK. "Carbon monoxide poisoning." N Engl J Med. 2009; 360(12):1217-1225.
(4) Hampson NB, Scott KL, Zmaeff JL. Carboxyhemoglobin measurement by hospitals: Implications for the diagnosis of carbon monoxide poisoning. J Emerg Med 2006;31(1):13-6.
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New Study Affirms Masimo rainbow® Pulse CO-Oximetry™ Accuracy for Noninvasive Carboxyhemoglobin and Methemoglobin ...
American Society for Microbiology’s newest journal earns a high impact factor in latest rankings
Public release date: 9-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jim Sliwa jsliwa@asmusa.org 202-942-9297 American Society for Microbiology
Less than two years after publishing its first issue, the online open-access journal mBio is now ranked among the top 20 highest-impact microbiology journals according to Thomson Reuters, which has just released its Journal Citation Reports for 2011. Thomson Reuters tracks the number of times scholarly articles are cited by other authors and compiles the information into "impact factors", rough measures of the quality or standing of a journal within its field. Since the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) launched mBio in April 2010, it already boasts an impact factor of 5.311 and ranks 16th among all microbiology-centered journals.
mBio is ASM's first broad-scope open-access journal and is published solely online. Among the journal's other distinguishing features is its streamlined decision policy, a response to what many in science perceive to be overly onerous revision requirements by many study reviewers. Using a rigorous peer-review process with an eye to importance and impact, mBio offers authors an up or down decision on manuscripts and will request only minor revisions. The average time to first decision for all mBio manuscripts (excluding those editorially rejected) is 23 days.
In its short history, mBio has published a number of studies and opinion pieces that have garnered national and international attention, in such media outlets as the New York Times, MSNBC, and CNN. An article published in February 2011 by scientists at Northwestern University was the first to reveal the presence of human DNA in a bacterium, the pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a genetic entanglement that many thought was not possible and contributes to our understanding of how pathogens and hosts can evolve together. The news about gonorrhea was picked up by bloggers and writers for the national press.
mBio published another high-profile article in February 2012 which revealed that one type of MRSA, a bacterium that causes invasive skin infections, most likely acquired its resistance to antibiotics while it lived in livestock. The findings illustrated the best evidence to date linking antibiotic use on the farm and antibiotic resistance in an organism that can cause lethal infections in humans. The article added fuel to an already fiery debate about the wisdom and ethics of using antibiotics as growth promoters in livestock.
Editor-in-Chief, Arturo Casadevall, says that the goal for the next year is a continued focus on identifying highly important papers.
While the journal rankings by Thomson Reuters are not the final word on journal quality, they do offer authors guidance on which journals are more likely to garner attention from other scientists in their particular field. ASM expects that mBio's streamlined editorial process, rigorous review process, and high caliber research studies will continue to provide readers with a quality publication and will propel the journal even further up the impact factor rankings in 2012.
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mBio can be found online at http://mbio.asm.org.
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American Society for Microbiology's newest journal earns a high impact factor in latest rankings
Technique spots disease using immune cell DNA
ScienceDaily (July 9, 2012) By looking at signature chemical differences in the DNA of various immune cells called leukocytes, scientists have developed a way to determine their relative abundance in blood samples. The relative abundance turns out to correlate with specific cancers and other diseases, making the technique, described in two recent papers, potentially valuable not only for research but also for diagnostics and treatment monitoring.
When a person is sick, there is a tell-tale sign in their blood: a different mix of the various types of immune cells called leukocytes. A group of scientists at several institutions including Brown University has discovered a way to determine that mix from the DNA in archival or fresh blood samples, potentially providing a practical new technology not only for medical research but also for clinical diagnosis and treatment monitoring of ailments including some cancers.
The key to the new technique, described in two recent papers, is that scientists have identified in each kind of leukocyte a unique chemical alteration to its DNA, called methylation. By detecting these methylation signatures in a patient's blood sample and applying a mathematical analysis, the researchers are able to determine the relative levels of different leukocytes and correlate those with specific diseases.
"You can simply look at the DNA and discern from the methylation marks the relative abundance of different type of leukocytes," said Karl Kelsey, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine in the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and a senior author on both papers. "It's a way to more easily interrogate the immune system of a lot of people."
Other tests, using flow cytometry, can already sort through the abundance of different leukocytes in a blood sample, but they require the blood to be fresh and leukocyte cell membranes to be intact. Because the DNA in a blood sample remains even after cells have died and degraded, tests based on detecting methylation could help doctors or researchers analyze a patient's blood sample that has either aged or has simply not been kept fresh.
In a paper published in advance online June 19 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention, the researchers describe using their technique to distinguish accurately which blood samples came from patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, ovarian cancer, or bladder cancer. By using methylation to determine the leukocyte populations in each sample, they could predict that the same samples were as much as 10 times more likely to have come from a patient with ovarian cancer than a healthy control patient, six times more likely to be from a head and neck cancer patient than a healthy control, or twice as likely to be from a bladder cancer patient than a control.
"Our approach represents a simple, yet powerful and important new tool for medical research and may serve as a catalyst for future blood-based disease diagnostics," wrote the authors, who hail from Dartmouth, Oregon State University, the University of Minnesota, and the University of California-San Francisco, as well as Brown. Several authors worked with Kelsey at Brown during the research.
They describe the technique and its analytical methods in deep mathematical detail in another paper published in May in BMC Bioinformatics. They also report experiments that included analyses of the leukocyte mix of noncancer conditions such as Down syndrome and obesity.
The paper found many examples of differences between the immune cell mix of healthy controls and people with specific illnesses. For example, obese African Americans had an estimated increase in granulocyte leukocytes of about 12 percentage points. People with Down syndrome, had 4.8 percentage points fewer B cells. For head and neck cancer, they noted a 10.4 percentage point drop in CD4+ T-lymphocytes.
"Any disease that has an immune-cell mediated component to it would have applicability," Kelsey said.
Like humans bacteria remember (if only for 4 seconds), says MU researcher
Public release date: 6-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Timothy Wall walltj@missouri.edu 573-882-3346 University of Missouri-Columbia
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) has a rudimentary molecular "memory" that allows it to swim toward the richest sources of food. MU biochemistry professor Gerald Hazelbauer's continuing discoveries about how bacteria do this could shed light on human and animal sensory, memory and response systems.
"My doctoral work was with Julius Adler, the first scientist to study the molecules behind bacterial behavior. His work led to the discovery that bacteria have a molecular 'memory' system that allows them to 'remember' the past, compare it to the present and thus move toward the area that is most favorable," Hazelbauer said. "When I began my work as a researcher in the late 1960s, studying bacterial behavior was a curiosity and its significance unclear. Now, decades later, the research done by my group and others has grown into a body of knowledge about the fundamental processes used by all living things to recognize, remember and respond to changes in their environments."
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) recently recognized and rewarded Hazelbauer's scientific contributions by granting him a "Method to Extend Research in Time" (MERIT) Award. The award, which is worth at least $5.5 million over 10 years, will allow him to continue his research without re-applying for funding. Hazelbauer joins only 11 other MU researchers who have received the MERIT award, including his wife, Linda Randall, who is also a biochemistry professor.
MERIT awards are intended to foster creativity and allow researchers to take more time to develop new techniques. The awards are given only to scientists who have proven themselves by succeeding in at least 10 years of previous NIGMS-funded research and who seem likely to continue making valuable contributions to their field.
Hazelbauer is professor and chair/director of biochemistry, a department/division jointly administered by the University of Missouri's School of Medicine and College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. Linda Randall is the Wurdack Professor of Biological Chemistry in that unit.
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Like humans bacteria remember (if only for 4 seconds), says MU researcher
Like humans bacteria remember (if only for 4 seconds), says researcher
The bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) has a rudimentary molecular "memory" that allows it to swim toward the richest sources of food. MU biochemistry professor Gerald Hazelbauer's continuing discoveries about how bacteria do this could shed light on human and animal sensory, memory and response systems.
"My doctoral work was with Julius Adler, the first scientist to study the molecules behind bacterial behavior. His work led to the discovery that bacteria have a molecular 'memory' system that allows them to 'remember' the past, compare it to the present and thus move toward the area that is most favorable," Hazelbauer said. "When I began my work as a researcher in the late 1960s, studying bacterial behavior was a curiosity and its significance unclear. Now, decades later, the research done by my group and others has grown into a body of knowledge about the fundamental processes used by all living things to recognize, remember and respond to changes in their environments."
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) recently recognized and rewarded Hazelbauer's scientific contributions by granting him a "Method to Extend Research in Time" (MERIT) Award. The award, which is worth at least $5.5 million over 10 years, will allow him to continue his research without re-applying for funding. Hazelbauer joins only 11 other MU researchers who have received the MERIT award, including his wife, Linda Randall, who is also a biochemistry professor.
MERIT awards are intended to foster creativity and allow researchers to take more time to develop new techniques. The awards are given only to scientists who have proven themselves by succeeding in at least 10 years of previous NIGMS-funded research and who seem likely to continue making valuable contributions to their field.
Hazelbauer is professor and chair/director of biochemistry, a department/division jointly administered by the University of Missouri's School of Medicine and College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. Linda Randall is the Wurdack Professor of Biological Chemistry in that unit.
Provided by University of Missouri-Columbia
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Like humans bacteria remember (if only for 4 seconds), says researcher
UNR biochemistry student receives global science award
RENO, Nev. (KRNV & MyNews4.com) -- University of Nevada, Reno senior Clarissa Martins always knew she wanted to be involved in the medical field. Receiving the 2012 Thomas J. Bardos Award for her research involving cancer and nutrition is a reflection on those childhood dreams. "Winning this award means so much to me, and shows that all my hard work is paying off," Martins said. "Out of the 16,000 people who applied worldwide, I was one of the 17 people chosen for this award. It's a huge honor."
The award is intended to inspire young science students to enter the field of cancer research and to help those students develop their careers in science by providing a unique educational opportunity. Martins' research is largely inspired by her mother, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
"When I was about nine years old, my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and as a child, I didn't really understand what that meant," Martins said. "So, I began researching cancer and in my freshmen year of college I found the Pardini research lab. I started out helping with a couple projects there and learned about various research techniques. My passion for cancer research exploded from there."
To be eligible for the award candidates must be a full-time, third-year undergraduate student majoring in science as well as a current American Association for Cancer Research member. Martins will receive $3,000 from the AACR, which grants the career-development award.
Martins said that she applied to the association upon the encouragement of her mentor Keith Kikawa, a postdoctoral scholar with the University's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
"My mentor initially told me about the award," Martins said. "The minute the application was open I was applying for it with his help."
The award is named after Thomas J. Bardos, a professor emeritus from the University at Buffalo, who participated in cancer research for more than 50 years.
Martins, scheduled to graduate in 2013, plans to be a clinical researcher in the oncology field.
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UNR biochemistry student receives global science award
Sara Ramirez, 'Grey's Anatomy' Star, Is Married! (EXCLUSIVE)
"Grey's Anatomy" star Sara Ramirez is married!
A rep for the 36-year-old Mexican actress confirms that Sara tied the knot on July 4th.
"On July 4th 2012, after a year-long engagement, Sara Ramirez and Ryan Debolt were married in an intimate ceremony in New York. The private event was attended by close family and friends," the rep wrote in an email to The Huffington Post.
Last June, Ryan got down on one knee and popped the question to Sara in Paris, France.
At the time, witnesses described the romantic exchange that took place when Ryan proposed. "Her boyfriend came next to her and kneeled," a witness said. "He opened a case, and we just heard her saying, 'Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God,' and seconds later, a really big 'Yes!'"
Then Sara gave Ryan a big hug. "She looked several times at her ring," the onlooker added.
Congratulations to Sara and Ryan!!!!
LATINO CELEBS ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME
Cuban born actor, Andy Garcia earned his star in The Hollywood Walk fo Fame in 1995. Garcia earned an Oscar nomination for his role in "The Godfather Part III" and a Grammy as producer of "Ahora Si" by Israel "Cachao" Lopez. More recently he played the role of Terry Benedict, the casino mogul, in "Ocean's Eleven" and it's following sequels. Garcia will appear in the movie "Hemingway and Fuentes", which will be released in 2012, in the role of Gregorio Fuentes.
Aguilera, who's father is originally from Ecuador, was awarded a star in The Hollywood Walk fo Fame in 2010. In 1999 she had three number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100--"Genie in a Bottle", "What a Girl Wants", and "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)."
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Sara Ramirez, 'Grey's Anatomy' Star, Is Married! (EXCLUSIVE)
Space Worms Live Long and Prosper
A microscopic worm used in experiments on the space station not only seems to enjoy living in a microgravity environment, it also appears to get a lifespan boost.
This intriguing discovery was made by University of Nottingham scientists who have flown experiments carrying thousands of tiny Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) to low-Earth orbit over the years. But why are these little worms so special?
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C. elegans may be microscopic, but they were the first multi-cellular organism to have their genetic structure completely mapped. These little guys possess 20,000 genes that perform similar functions as equivalent genes in humans. Of particular interest are the 2,000 genes that have a role in promoting muscle function. As any long-duration astronaut can attest, one of the biggest challenges facing mankind's future in space is muscle atrophy.
Understanding how C. elegans function in space is therefore of huge scientific value not only for tiny worm enthusiasts, but for the manned exploration -- and colonization -- of space.
In 2011, Discovery News reported on some results to come from the C. elegans experiments. Nathaniel Szewczyk, of the Division of Clinical Physiology at the University of Nottingham, discussed the worms' microgravity reproduction habits and, as it turns out, C. elegans prospered just fine. Over three months, Szewczyk's team were able to observe the space worms flourish over twelve generations.
ANALYSIS: Legacy Space Worms Flying on Shuttle
And now, in results published on July 5 in the online journal Scientific Reports, it appears that C. elegans not only adapted to microgravity conditions, their lifespans also received a boost when compared with their terrestrial counterparts.
"We identified seven genes, which were down-regulated in space and whose inactivation extended lifespan under laboratory conditions," Szewczyk said in a press release. This basically means that seven C. elegans genes usually associated with muscle aging were suppressed when the worms were exposed to a microgravity environment. Also, it appears spaceflight suppresses the accumulation of toxic proteins that normally gets stored inside aging muscle.
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Marshall Space Flight Center Director Retiring
Posted on: 10:46 am, July 9, 2012, by Ty Watwood, updated on: 11:36am, July 9, 2012
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center director, Arthur E. Gene Goldman, is retiring. His departure makes the top spot at Marshall open for the second time since March.
Goldman, a 22 year NASA veteran, took over at MSFC when Robert Lightfoot was promoted to acting associate administrator at NASA headquarters.
Gene Goldman, Marshall Space Flight Center Director, is retiring effective August 3. (Photo Courtesy NASA)
Genes technical expertise and management skills will be missed, not only at Marshall, but across the entire agency, said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden in a news release. We are grateful for his service to NASA and wish him the best in his next endeavor.
Goldman has accepted a management position at Aerojet in Huntsville. Robin Henderson, Marshalls associate director, will serve as acting center director effective August 3.
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Marshall Space Flight Center director to retire
HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) -
Arthur E. "Gene" Goldman, director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, is retiring from the agency.
He is retiring to accept amanagement position at Aerojet in Huntsville, effective August 3rd.
His departure ends a 22-year career with NASA that began in 1990 as a project engineer in the Marshall space shuttle project integration office.
Goldman has been the acting center director at Marshall since March 5th when Robert Lightfoot began his assignment as NASA acting associate administrator at NASA Headquarters. Previously, beginning March 2010, Goldman served as the center's deputy director.
Robin Henderson, Marshall's associate director, will serve as acting center director following his departure.
Copyright 2012 WAFF. All rights reserved.
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Marshall Space Flight Center director leaving NASA
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) Officials say Arthur E. "Gene" Goldman, director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, is retiring from the agency.
The center said in a statement that Goldman will accept a management position at Aerojet in Huntsville, effective Aug. 3.
Robin Henderson, Marshall's associate director, will serve as acting center director following Goldman's departure.
Goldman has had a 22-year career with NASA that began in 1990 as a project engineer in the Marshall space shuttle project integration office. He has been the acting center director at Marshall since March 5 when Robert Lightfoot began his assignment as NASA acting associate administrator at NASA Headquarters. Previously, beginning March 2010, Goldman served as the center's deputy director.
2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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