Monthly Archives: August 2012

43rd Pacific Islands Forum opens in the Cook Islands

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Latest Press Statement 29 August 2012

43rd Pacific Islands Forum opens in the Cook Islands

PRESS RELEASE (106/12) 28th August 2012

Cook Islands Prime Minister and new Forum Chair, Hon. Henry Puna (left) sings

to welcome Forum Leaders to the 43rd PIF

Rarotonga, Cook Islands, 28/08/12 The 43rd Pacific Islands Forum has officially opened in the Cook Islands capital Rarotonga with Forum Leaders being carried to the entrance of the National Auditorium, where the ceremony was held, on a Paata ( a traditional platform) accompanied by their adopted schools.

There were traditional challenges along the way to the Auditorium with the beating of drums and chants. There were more tamure dancing with the new Chair of the Forum and Cook Islands Prime Minister, Hon. Henry Puna singing a song to welcome his Pacific colleagues to his country. Forum Leaders and their delegations together with the local community then joined together in a large feast.

Included are parts of the address by the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Tuiloma Neroni Slade at the opening ceremony.

The Forum at 40 pressing forward

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43rd Pacific Islands Forum opens in the Cook Islands

2 islands off Conn. coast put up for sale – Boston.com

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NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) A woman who amassed a collection of small islands off the Connecticut coast is selling two of them.

Christine Svenningsen, a widow of a party-goods magnate, is selling Belden Island for $3.95 million and Jepson Island for nearly $2 million, her real estate agents said. They are part of the Thimble Islands off Branford, which have attracted celebrities and the wealthy for generations.

For anybody looking for privacy its got great appeal yet its very close to the mainland, said Clint Rodenberg, an agent at William Pitt Sothebys in Madison, where listing agents Margaret Muir and Tony Nuzzo are handling the sale.

Svenningsen, an artist who has restored many of the properties, spent around $33 million to buy about 10 islands in Long Island Sound.

Theyre like little pieces of art. I get to put my brush to them, Svenningsen said in 2006.

She does not plan to sell the other islands she owns, Rodenberg said.

Shes looking for someone who will respect them and enjoy them as much as she does, Rodenberg said. Shes simplifying her life somewhat.

The houses are seasonal and rely on gas lights and solar power, Rodenberg said.

Jepson Island is a little over one-quarter of an acre and has a 1,100-square-foot house with a wraparound deck. Belden is slightly over an acre and has a 1912 colonial with about 2,100 square feet and clam beds.

Of the hundreds of Thimble Islands, about 25 are considered habitable. Tour boats have taken sightseers among the islands for generations, while treasure hunters have combed them for Captain Kidds buried riches.

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2 islands off Conn. coast put up for sale - Boston.com

Much Ado About Romney Fundraising Yacht's Cayman Islands Flag

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The irony of the ABC News report that Mitt Romney's campaign held a Tampa fundraiser on a Cayman Islands-flagged yacht was absolutely delicious, but it couldn't be that simple. Shortly after ABC News showed a screenshot of the yacht with what looked like a Cayman flag in a Web report accompanying a broadcast by Brian Ross, the conservative Washington Free Beacon joined ABC's commenters in ...

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Much Ado About Romney Fundraising Yacht's Cayman Islands Flag

More Utahns are uninsured, despite increased efforts for access

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SALT LAKE CITY The number of Utah's uninsured continues to grow, despite state and national efforts to improve access to health care.

Of the 377,700 Utahns who went without insurance in 2011, 69,600 are children, according to Utah Department of Health data. Approximately 56,500 of those kids are eligible for the taxpayer-funded Children's Health Insurance Plan but continue to go without coverage.

"It is frustrating to know that there are that many kids who are sitting out there uninsured when they are eligible for a program that would provide them with an important service," said health department spokesman Tom Hudachko.

Lawmakers removed CHIP's enrollment caps during the 2008 Legislature, and the state was making progress on the number of uninsured children until now. Children eligible for the program must live in homes where the income is below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.

Hudachko said the latest numbers, however, aren't a good indicator of reality.

The method by which the 2011 data was gathered changed somewhat from previous years, including for the first time both land-line and cell phone respondent data, as well as a different way of tabulating results to more accurately represent Utah's population.

The new numbers, derived from the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey, provide little more than a baseline indicator for state health officials moving forward, Hudachko said.

The survey also provides better and more reliable data on a number of other health issues, he said, and that's important when state officials are vying for funding each year.

In addition to a growing number of uninsured children, the population of young adults continues to have the lowest rate of insurance coverage than any other group. Of those ages 19 to 26, 23.6 percent were uninsured in 2011, and 24.1 percent of Utahns in the 27 to 34 age group went without health care benefits, according to the health department data.

In addition to access, cost appears to be is a concern for Utahns, as more than 26 percent of part-time employed individuals claim to be uninsured. About half that are uninsured among full-time employees throughout the state. The rate for self-employed individuals is also high, as nearly 30 percent are without insurance, the data states.

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More Utahns are uninsured, despite increased efforts for access

Doctors outline what must be done

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In May 2012, the ontario government launched an attack on health care in our province.

Without consultation or negotiation, they reduced and clawed back previously agreed physician fees. They have decided that the global health care budget will be reduced significantly going forward, even as the population grows and ages. The reduced health care budget will bring the province of Ontario into crisis. It is, we believe, irresponsible for the government to act as they are. In fact, such sweeping changes will result in lives threatened and lives lost because the government is far more eager to point fingers rather than own responsibility and accept accountability.

Physicians have offered countless times, through the Ontario Medical Association, to work with the government to find solutions to global health cost issues.

As a group of physicians, we feel compelled to speak out, and attempt to have those who read this understand that the government is short sighted and acting dangerously.

We must do all we can to continue to offer quality health care to our patients.

We must do all we can to expose and oppose the government cuts to health care that will harm the health of our patients.

We must try and keep our staff employed. We have an obligation to treat them with respect and dignity. We recognize their continued contribution will allow us to go on providing quality health care to those we care for.

We must try to kep our office hours from being reduced because of government cuts.

We must try and keep family medicine alive. Having a relationship with a family physician is essential for good care and good health.

We must try to stay working in the same community that we are committed to. We recognize that under the suggested government cutbacks, it will be much easier to work in clinics, where we are less familiar to the patients and where they are less familiar to us.

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Doctors outline what must be done

Henry Schein Cares Disaster Relief Hotline is Active and Ready to Support Customers Affected by Hurricane Isaac

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MELVILLE, N.Y., Aug. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Henry Schein, Inc. (HSIC), the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, medical and animal health practitioners, announced today that the Henry Schein Cares disaster relief hotline is active and ready to support customers who may be affected by Hurricane Isaac. The toll-free number for all customers 800-999-9729 is operational from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST. The Henry Schein Cares disaster relief hotline is open year-round for dentists, physicians, and veterinarians who experience operational, logistical, or financial issues as a result of natural disasters. Henry Schein Cares is the corporate social responsibility program of Henry Schein, Inc.

"As Hurricane Isaac bears down on the Gulf Coast, we want to remind our customers in the affected region that the Henry Schein Cares disaster relief hotline is open and available to help with issues related to the severe weather," said James P. Breslawski, President and Chief Operating Officer, Henry Schein, Inc. "Our disaster relief hotline is part of our deep commitment to partner with our customers, and provide a source of assistance for helping to restore their affected practices as quickly as possible."

In addition to its disaster relief hotline, through the Henry Schein Cares global product donation program, health care supplies are provided to its non-governmental organization (NGO) partners in advance of disasters, so that the product is ready for use immediately. Henry Schein Cares will also stand ready to work with its NGO partners if additional supplies are needed.

About Henry Schein Cares and the Henry Schein Cares Foundation

Henry Schein Cares, Henry Schein's global corporate social responsibility program, stands on four pillars: engaging Team Schein Members to reach their potential, ensuring accountability by extending ethical business practices to all levels within Henry Schein, promoting environmental sustainability, and expanding access to health care for underserved and at-risk communities around the world.

Health care activities supported by Henry Schein Cares focus on three main areas: advancing wellness, building capacity in the delivery of health care services, and assisting in emergency preparedness and relief. Firmly rooted in a deep commitment to social responsibility and the concept of enlightened self-interest championed by Benjamin Franklin, the philosophy behind Henry Schein Cares is a vision of "doing well by doing good." Through the work of Henry Schein Cares to enhance access to care for those in need, the Company believes that it is furthering its long-term success.

Established in 2008, Henry Schein Cares Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, works to foster, support, and promote dental, medical, and animal health by helping to increase access to care for communities around the world. The Henry Schein Cares Foundation carries out its mission through financial and health care product donations that support health care professionals and community-based programs focused on prevention, wellness, and treatment; disaster preparedness and relief; and capacity building of health institutions that provide training and care. To learn more about the Henry Schein Cares Foundation, please visit: http://www.hscaresfoundation.org. The "Helping Health Happen Blog" is a platform for health care professionals to share their volunteer experiences delivering assistance to those in need globally. To read more about how Henry Schein Cares is making a difference, please visit our blog: http://helpinghealthhappen.org/.

About Henry Schein, Inc.

Henry Schein, Inc. (HSIC) is the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, medical and animal health practitioners. The Company also serves dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, and other alternate care sites. A Fortune 500 Company and a member of the NASDAQ 100 Index, Henry Schein employs nearly 15,000 Team Schein Members and serves approximately 775,000 customers.

The Company offers a comprehensive selection of products and services, including value-added solutions for operating efficient practices and delivering high-quality care. Henry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 90,000 national and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 100,000 additional products available as special-order items. The Company also offers its customers exclusive, innovative technology solutions, including practice management software and e-commerce solutions, as well as a broad range of financial services.

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Henry Schein Cares Disaster Relief Hotline is Active and Ready to Support Customers Affected by Hurricane Isaac

Biomass characterization technology research highlighted in Industrial Biotechnology journal

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Public release date: 29-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 x2156 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, August 29, 2012--Biomass recalcitrance--the problem of how to break down complex plant-based cellulosic feedstock into sugars that can be fermented to produce sustainable biofuels and other renewable biobased productscan be overcome through improved methods of biomass characterization. IB IN-DEPTH, a collection of articles from leading research laboratories describing advanced tools and techniques for analyzing the chemistry, structure, and interaction of biomass components, is published in Industrial Biotechnology, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The articles are available free online at the Industrial Biotechnology website.

The future capability to commercialize large-scale, economical, plant-based biofuels and bioproducts depends on the development of efficient and effective strategies to break down lignocellulosic biomass and to release the carbohydrates that can then be converted into these valuable end-products. Substantial progress is being made in solving the problems of biomass recalcitrance, and Guest Editor Brian Davison, PhD, Chief Scientist for Systems Biology and Biotechnology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, and Science Coordinator for the BioEnergy Science Center of the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research, and a member of the Editorial Board of Industrial Biotechnology, gathered leading researchers to share their work and perspectives.

The special research section includes two Reviews: "Biomass Characterization: Recent Progress in Understanding Biomass Recalcitrance" by Marcus Foston and Arthur Ragauskas, BioEnergy Science Center, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Institute of Paper Science and Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA; and "Neutron Technologies for Bioenergy Research" by Paul Langan and colleagues, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Georgia Institute of Technology. Also featured are Short Communications and Methods articles that present new or improved methods of biomass characterization, including strategies based on biomass accessibility to enzymes, glycomics, polysaccharide changes in plant cell walls, improvements to the Simon's stain technique, an updated method of mechanical stress testing, and a modification of atomic force microscopy.

"Much thanks to Dr. Brian Davison for pulling together this special issue of Industrial Biotechnology," says Larry Walker, PhD, Co-Editor-in-Chief and Professor, Biological & Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. "The development of methods and approaches for characterizing biomass materials is an important step in driving biotechnology development from plant engineering to subsequent conversion to biofuels and bioproducts."

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About the Journal

Industrial Biotechnology, led by Co-Editors-in-Chief Larry Walker, PhD, and Glenn Nedwin, PhD, MBA, is an authoritative journal focused on biobased industrial and environmental products and processes, published bimonthly in print and online. The Journal reports on the science, business, and policy developments of the emerging global bioeconomy, including biobased production of energy and fuels, chemicals, materials, and consumer goods. The articles published include critically reviewed original research in all related sciences (biology, biochemistry, chemical and process engineering, agriculture), in addition to expert commentary on current policy, funding, markets, business, legal issues, and science trends. Industrial Biotechnology offers the premier forum bridging basic research and R&D with later-stage commercialization for sustainable biobased industrial and environmental applications.

About the Publisher

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Biomass characterization technology research highlighted in Industrial Biotechnology journal

Mesa residents can help shape future of city

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by Gary Nelson - Aug. 28, 2012 10:32 PM The Republic | azcentral.com

The last time Mesa embarked on a large-scale civic-planning effort, light rail was just a glimmer in some futurist's eye. The Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport was a struggling former air base. And the city's northwest corner was a vast swath of farm fields.

Now it's time to make another run at a long-term plan for the state's third-largest city, and Mesa wants to give every resident a chance to buy into the vision.

City officials hope that much of the input will happen via the online infrastructure the city already established for its iMesa community-visioning program, which helped shape the $70 million park bond issue that city voters will consider in November.

John Wesley, Mesa's planning director, told the City Council this week that state law requires a General Plan update every 10 years. That was pushed back a couple of years when the Legislature, in a bow to the financial problems that cities faced during the recession, extended the deadline.

So Mesa is just cranking up a process that in normal times would be nearly finished. The upside is that the ideas for what Mesa will look like in the future will extend to 2040.

That quarter-century-plus is likely to bring vast changes, just as in 2002 when few could foresee the transformation that light rail would bring to Mesa's downtown or the emergence of Gateway as a booming passenger hub or the ongoing makeover of Mesa's northwest corner into a shopping and sports mecca.

Those occurrences have required some legal tweaking of what Mesa laid out in its 2002 General Plan, and whatever is crafted in the next go-around also will have to change over time.

But the goal is for the citizens of 2012 to lay out some ideas that today's newborns will inherit by the time they're starting families of their own.

Wesley said the idea this time is to update what was done in 2002, rather than write a whole new plan from scratch.

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Mesa residents can help shape future of city

Agricultural Futurist Jack Uldrich to Keynote Four Events in the Coming Months

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Noted keynote speaker, global futurist and best-selling author, Jack Uldrich, has been selected to deliver keynote addresses on future trends in agriculture to the following organizations in the coming months: Land O'Lakes Cooperatives, The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario, Ag Spectrum and Mushroom Canada.Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) August 29, 2012 Noted keynote speaker, global futurist and ...

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Agricultural Futurist Jack Uldrich to Keynote Four Events in the Coming Months

Madonna Tells Fans Appreciate Freedom

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As she kicked off the U.S. leg of her "MDNA Tour" in Philadelphia, Madonna said she was happy to party in the USA after touring Europe for three months.

The pop icon told the crowd Tuesday night they should "never forget how lucky you are to live where you live and to have the freedom that you have." She made the comments after talking about the arrest of three members of the punk-rock female band Pussy Riot. The women were sentenced to two years in prison after performing a "punk prayer" at Moscow's Christ the Savior cathedral in which they called on the Virgin Mary to deliver Russia from its leader, Vladimir Putin.

"In my travels around the world the one thing I truly witnessed is we in America have freedom of speech, freedom of expression," the singer said.

Madonna, who toured most of Europe from June to August, has called for the Pussy Riot members to be freed. Paul McCartney and Peter Gabriel also have spoken in the women's favor.

"I don't think that it's a coincidence that I'm in the city where the Declaration of Independence was signed," Madonna said at the Wells Fargo Center to nearly 20,000 fans. "We are in the land of democracy."

Russian activists recently sued Madonna for millions of dollars, claiming they were offended by her support for gay rights during her show in St. Petersburg. A law passed in February makes it illegal to promote homosexuality to minors, and the author of that law has pointed to the presence of children as young as 12 at Madonna's concert on Aug. 9. (Minors also attended Madonna's U.S. show.)

When speaking about Pussy Riot, Madonna said that about 80 gay men were jailed in St. Petersburg because of their sexual orientation. She told the crowd that the arrests were unfair, and they booed in her support.

Then the 53-year-old told the U.S. audience: "Don't get fat and lazy and take that freedom for granted."

Madonna kicked off her concert late on Tuesday, apologizing to the crowd, who began to boo before she hit the stage around 10:30 p.m. EST.

"We had many changes to make from Europe to America, and I wanted the show to be perfect for you because my fans deserve it and quite frankly I deserve it," she said.

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Madonna Tells Fans Appreciate Freedom

Freedom of Speech ‘More Important’ for Russians than Rallies

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Freedom of speech is more important for Russians than rallies, a poll conducted by the Levada Center pollster showed.

Eighty-three percent of Russians need freedom of speech, 62 percent freedom of rallies and demonstrations, and 76 percent would like to go abroad unhindered, according to the poll whose results were published on Wednesday.

Seventy percent of those polled said individual freedom and personal interests are above all, and the state should guarantee that these are observed. Thirty percent said the interests of the state are above all other things.

A total of 42 percent of respondents - 5 percent more than 11 years ago - said they believe Russia should be a country closed to others to be successfully developing. Fifty-eight percent said Russia should become integrated in the international community not to lag behind other nations.

Seventy-eight percent said they want to see Russia as a country which is comfortable to live in, and which prioritizes its nationals needs, while 22 percent said they need their country to have military power and be respected worldwide.

The poll was conducted on August 17-21, 2012, among 1,601 urban and rural residents aged 18 and above in 130 localities of 45 Russian regions.

The statistical margin of error does not exceed 3.4 percent.

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Freedom of Speech ‘More Important’ for Russians than Rallies

GOP adopts Internet freedom plank #thecircuit

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GOP adopts Internet freedom plank: Part of the platform the Republican party adopted Tuesday night included language to protect Internet freedom, something that lawmakers and interest groups on both sides of the aisle have been calling for in recent months.

Several groups that lobbied against the online piracy bills known as the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP (Intellectual Property) Act have petitioned Republicans and Democrats to affirm a commitment to the open Internet as planks in their party platforms, and lawmakers such as Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) have made similar cases to party leadership.

The Republican plank is focused on removing regulation around technology businesses, as well as language that would protect personal data online from the government. The platform language also says that the party will resist any effort to move Internet governance away from its current multistakeholder model in favor of international or intergovernmental organizations.

The GOP also specifically criticized the Federal Communications Commission, saying that the agencys net neutrality rule and other regulations show the Obama administration is frozen in the past. The platform proposes that the federal government inventory its spectrum to discover how much of it could be auctioned to the public.

Cybersecurity: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has asked that President Obama put out an executive order of take other appropriate action to pass measures to enhance the cybersecurity of the countys critical infrastructure, the Hill reported.

On Tuesday, Feinstein sent a letter to the president asking him to take action because she believes that Congress will not be able to pass a strong cybersecurity law by the end of this session.

A broad cybersecurity bill failed in the Senate this month.

LulzSec arrest: The FBI has arrested a second man suspected of being a member of the hacking group LulzSec, which claimed responsibility for cyber attacks against Sony in late spring 2011.

According to Reuters, Raynaldo Rivera of Tempe, Ariz., faces up to 15 years in prison on charges that he aided hackers in posting personal information taken from Sony online.

Challenge to FTC, Google settlement: Consumer Watchdog has won the right to oppose the Federal Trade Commissions $22.5 billion challenge to a settlement with Google on privacy matters, the group said Wednesday.

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Freedom's Tanner embraces role

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By JARRETT GUTHRIE | Special correspondent Published: August 29, 2012 Updated: August 29, 2012 - 12:00 AM

Freedom High football player Isaac Tanner talked about the first time he stepped up as a leader. It was halftime in a basketball game, trailing by double-digits and Tanner felt compelled to step up and take control. He scored 15 second-half points and helped his team earn the win.

That was when he was eight years old. Tanner has readily stepped up to the challenge again and again and the now 17-year-old will be called upon again as the captain and starting middle linebacker for the Patriots.

No problem for the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Tanner.

"I've been a captain since my sophomore year and I've never thought you have to be a senior to be a leader," Tanner said. "It's all about the type of presence you bring and what type of leadership you have and I've gladly accepted that role."

However, the task for Tanner and first-year Patriots coach Todd Donohoe is far more than just stepping in and filling a role it's about building a tradition at a school that has yet to find one. Donohoe enters as the seventh head coach in 11 seasons and the third coach Tanner and his fellow seniors have known.

"The Culture at Freedom hasn't been built yet," Tanner said. "We are trying to establish that whole school unity of being behind the team, the whole community to behind us. With so many coaches we just haven't had any of that going for the team."

For Donohoe, the former head coach at Strawberry Crest and an assistant at Armwood, Tanner is the kind of player who makes trying to build a tradition at a school a little bit easier.

"He's a leader in and out," Donohoe said. "He's a program player who never misses a practice, is always on time and doing the right thing on top of being big as a house and one of the top linebackers in the area."

Tanner, who has offers from Elon, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Middle Tennessee State, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Ohio and Western Kentucky, will anchor what should be the Patriots strength this season with a solid defense.

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Freedom's Tanner embraces role

Harvard creates cyborg flesh that’s half man, half machine

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Bioengineers at Harvard University have created the first examples of cyborg tissue: Neurons, heart cells, muscle, and blood vessels that are interwoven by nanowires and transistors.

These cyborg tissues are half living cells, half electronics. As far as the cells are concerned, theyre just normal cells that behave normally but the electronic side actually acts as a sensor network, allowing a computer to interface directly with the cells. In the case of cyborg heart tissue, the researchers have already used the embedded nanowires to measure the contractions (heart rate) of the cells.

To create cyborg flesh, you start with a three-dimensional scaffold that encourages cells to grow around them. These scaffolds are generally made of collagen, which makes up the connective tissue in almost every animal. The Harvard engineers basically took normal collagen, and wove nanowires and transistors into the matrix to create nanoelectric scaffolds (nanoES). The neurons, heart cells, muscle, and blood vessels were then grown as normal, creating cyborg tissue with a built-in sensor network.

Cardiac cells, with a nanoelectroic electrode highlighted

So far the Havard team has mostly grown rat tissues, but they have also succeeded in growing a 1.5-centimeter (0.6in) cyborg human blood vessel. Theyve also only used the nanoelectric scaffolds to read data from the cells but according to lead researcher Charles Lieber, the next step is to find a way of talking to the individual cells, to wire up tissue and communicate with it in the same way a biological system does.

A computer chip, containing a sample of nanoES tissue

Suffice it to say, if you can use a digital computer to read and write data to your bodys cells, there are some awesome applications. If you need a quick jolt of adrenaline, you would simply tap a button on your smartphone, which is directly connected to your sympathetic nervous system. You could augment your existing physiology with patches a patch of nanoelectric heart cells, for example, that integrates with your heart and reports back if you experience any problems. When we eventually put nanobots into our bloodstream, small pulses of electricity emitted by the cells could be used as guidance to damaged areas. In the case of blood vessels and other organs, the nanoelectric sensor network could detect if theres inflammation, blockage, or tumors.

Realistically, though, were a long way away from such applications. In the short term, though, these cyborg tissues could be used to create very accurate organs-on-a-chip lab-grown human organs that are encased within computer chips and then used to test drugs or substance toxicity, without harming a single bunny or bonobo.

Read: Nanotech: will it kill us all?, and Stanfords wireless, implantable Innerspace medical device

Research paper: doi:10.1038/nmat3404 (paywalled)

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Harvard creates cyborg flesh that’s half man, half machine

Harvard Creates Cyborg Tissues

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36893187 story Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday August 29, @08:21PM from the getting-wired dept. MrSeb writes "Bioengineers at Harvard University have created the first examples of cyborg tissue: Neurons, heart cells, muscle, and blood vessels that are interwoven by nanowires and transistors. These cyborg tissues are half living cells, half electronics. As far as the cells are concerned, they're just normal cells that behave normally but the electronic side actually acts as a sensor network, allowing a computer to interface directly with the cells. In the case of cyborg heart tissue, the researchers have already used the embedded nanowires to measure the contractions (heart rate) of the cells. So far, the researchers have only used the nanoelectric scaffolds to read data from the cells but according to lead researcher Charles Lieber, the next step is to find a way of talking to the individual cells, to 'wire up tissue and communicate with it in the same way a biological system does.' Suffice it to say, if you can use a digital computer to read and write data to your body's cells, there are some awesome applications." You may like to read: Post

Nasrudin walked into a teahouse and declaimed, "The moon is more useful than the sun." "Why?", he was asked. "Because at night we need the light more."

Working...

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Harvard Creates Cyborg Tissues

Scientists Develop Cyborg Tissue, Bring The Borg Closer to Reality

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Old hat cybernetics: Locutus as featured in 'Star Trek: First Contact.' [Credit: Paramount Pictures]Weve just gotten to grafting an anatomically correct robotic arm on to a human, but clearly that wasn't enough: Harvard University researchers have already created a real piece of cyborg tissue. The researchers developed the first truly cybernetic piece of living tissue by combining nanowires with lab-grown flesh into indistinguishable mesh.

The researchers say that this is the first time they have been able to completely integrate electronics into a biological system. According to New Scientist, the Harvard scientists want to improve the technology so that it becomes impossible to determine where the organic tissue ends and the electronics begin.

Are you creeped out yet?

The team of Harvard scientists first developed a biology-sensing network of nanoscale electrodes and nanowires held together by a mesh of organic polymers. Once assembled, the scientists dissolved the organic components, leaving a porous and flexible network of electronics.

From there, the scientists seeded several of their nanoscale meshes with cells from neurons, the heart, muscles, and blood vessels, creating different pieces of cyborg tissue.

The greatest obstacle to developing cyborg tissue involves incorporating electrodes to monitor cell activity without interrupting or damaging them. Harvards new process, however, uses a built-in nano-sized sensor network that monitors the cells without interfering with their normal functions.

With their cybernetic tissues, the researchers were able to measure the changes in heart and nerve cells when using cardio- or neuro-stimulating drugs, along with blood vessels change in PH levels in response to inflammation.

One of the near term uses of this technology could be in pharmaceutical industry, where chemists could more closely monitor the effects of drugs on certain organs. Potentially, though, this research could one day lead to the development of synthetic organs that we can control at will.

Are you ready for cybernetics? Leave a comment.

[Check out GeekTech for more news on hacks, gadgets, and all things geek. And follow along on Twitter and Facebook.]

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Scientists Develop Cyborg Tissue, Bring The Borg Closer to Reality

EPA Grant Helps Restore Lake Michigan Beaches

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Baileys Harbor -

In the next three years,a $2.6 million grant from the EPA will help make beaches along Lake Michigan cleaner and safer.

As part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative,a little less than half of that moneywill fund the work of UW-Oshkosh Biology students.

A group of UW-Oshosh biologystudents has spent the summer in Door County studying and grooming beaches that show signs of high bacteria levels.

The beach at Anclam Park in Baileys Harbor is one of eight beaches that students will redesign with the help of the $2.6 million grant.

The students' goal is to improve the state of the beaches and the water quality of Lake Michigan.

"To have people and their kids to come here and have fun and play, it's good to know that I had a part in them being safe," Tony Klebs, UW-Oshkosh biology student.

Right now, students are testing the sand and water at the lake. They say they'll be able to know the lake's E. coli levels in about 24 hoursafter takinga smalljar sample.

Professor Greg Kleinheinz says contamination atthe Door County beach comes from stormwater runoff.

"The mitigation plans that are being developed right now will help solve those stormwater problems, keep beaches open, and make the beaches more aesthetically pleasing and a place that people want to bring their families to the beaches. More people at the beach has been equated to $45 per person per day," said Kleinheinz.

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EPA Grant Helps Restore Lake Michigan Beaches

Chatham Beaches Closed After Shark Sightings

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(Photo Credit: George Breen CapeCodSharkHunter.com)

CHATHAM (AP) Officials in Chatham have closed all eastern, open ocean-facing beaches because of increased reports from fishermen of sharks nearby.

The closings Wednesday affect beaches from the Orleans-Chatham town line south along Nauset Beach to Monomy. They are in effect until further notice.

Other public beaches remain open in the town.

Swimmers are warned to keep aware of their surroundings, and stay at least 300 feet from seals.

Sightings of sharks, including great whites, have increased off Cape Cod in recent years along with an increase in the population of seals, which sharks feed on.

In July, a man was bitten on his legs by a great white shark while swimming off Ballston Beach in Truro, north of Chatham.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

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Chatham Beaches Closed After Shark Sightings