Monthly Archives: August 2012

Biotechnology Industry Continues to Show Investors Strong Gains in 2012 — Complete Genomics Soars on Strong Results

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NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire -08/13/12)- The Biotechnology Industry has been soaring in 2012 as companies -- both large and small -- have shown impressive growth. The SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) and the First Trust NYSE Arca Biotech Index ETF (FBT) are up roughly 30 percent for the year, outperforming the broader market by a wide margin. The Paragon Report examines investing opportunities in the Biotechnology Industry and provides equity research on Complete Genomics, Inc. (GNOM) and ImmunoGen, Inc. (IMGN).

Access to the full company reports can be found at:

http://www.ParagonReport.com/GNOM

http://www.ParagonReport.com/IMGN

Despite having to negotiate a more challenging regulation process biotech companies have continued to show investors strong gains in 2012. The FDA Amendments Act of 2007 forced regulators to increase standards for approvals of new drugs, introducing mandatory risk evaluation and mitigation strategies. According to a Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology report from IMAP, several pharmaceutical firms have altered their drug portfolios from primary care driven blockbusters towards specialties such as oncology, immunology and inflammation, where the medical need is "so high that prices are more easily accepted by the regulators."

Paragon Report releases regular market updates on the Biotechnology Industry so investors can stay ahead of the crowd and make the best investment decisions to maximize their returns. Take a few minutes to register with us free at http://www.ParagonReport.com and get exclusive access to our numerous stock reports and industry newsletters.

Complete Genomics shares soared over 15 percent last Thursday after reporting strong second quarter 2012 results. The company's backlog as of June 30, 2012 was approximately 4,600 revenue generating genomes, including approximately 1,000 genomes booked in the second quarter, representing an aggregate revenue potential of approximately $22 million.

ImmunoGen develops targeted anticancer therapeutics using the Company's expertise in tumor biology, monoclonal antibodies, potent cancer-cell killing agents and engineered linkers. The Company's Targeted Antibody Payload (TAP) technology uses monoclonal antibodies to deliver one of ImmunoGen's proprietary cancer-cell killing agents specifically to tumor cells.

The Paragon Report has not been compensated by any of the above-mentioned publicly traded companies. Paragon Report is compensated by other third party organizations for advertising services. We act as an independent research portal and are aware that all investment entails inherent risks. Please view the full disclaimer at: http://www.paragonreport.com/disclaimer

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Biotechnology Industry Continues to Show Investors Strong Gains in 2012 -- Complete Genomics Soars on Strong Results

Protective bacteria in the infant gut have resourceful way of helping babies break down breast milk

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Public release date: 13-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Angela Hopp ahopp@asbmb.org 240-283-6614 American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

A research team at the University of California, Davis, has found that important and resourceful bacteria in the baby microbiome can ferret out nourishment from a previously unknown source, possibly helping at-risk infants break down components of breast milk.

Breast milk is amazingly intricate, providing all of the nutrients necessary to sustain and strengthen infants in the first months of life. Moreover, this natural source of nutrition provides protection from infections, allergies and many other illnesses.

Breast milk also promotes the growth of protective bacteria in an infant's intestine. Because breast milk contains glycans (complex sugars) that infants cannot breakdown, it promotes the growth a specific type of bacteria, called bifidobacteria, that can process these glycans. While it is known that bifidobacteria avail themselves of the free glycans in breast milk, it was not known whether these bacteria could also obtain glycans that were linked to proteins. Such proteins are called glycoproteins, and they are abundant in breast milk.

The research team led by David A. Mills at the UC-Davis investigated the ability of bifidobacteria to remove glycans from milk glycoproteins. Their work was recently published in the journal Molecular & Cellular Proteomics.

Mills' group found that specific strains of bifidobacteria possessed enzymes capable of removing glycan groups from glycoproteins, enabling them to use these glycans as an additional food source. Surprisingly, one of the enzymes, EndoBI-1, was able to remove any type of N-linked glycan (glycans attached to proteins by the amino acid asparagine). This is unique among enzymes of this type and may provide a growth advantage for bifidobacteria in the infant intestine because the glycoproteins in breast milk have complex glycans attached.

Mills explains that the ability of EndBI-1 to remove a variety of complex N-linked glycans combined with its unusual heat stability make "this potentially a very useful tool in both food processing and proteomics/pharmaceutical research."

The team's work suggests that bifidobacteria do not primarily feed on the glycans from milk glycoproteins. However, the study did show that under the proper conditions bidfidobacteria can grow when protein-linked glycans are the only energy source.

"One obvious goal of this research is to find ways to translate the benefits provided by milk and bifidobacteria to at risk populations such as premature infants, malnourished children, among many others," Mills says.

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Protective bacteria in the infant gut have resourceful way of helping babies break down breast milk

Caltech Chemist Wins ASBMB Young Investigator Award

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The American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) named Caltech chemistry professor Shu-ou Shan a recipient of the 2013 Young Investigator Award. The award will be presented at the ASBMB annual meeting in Boston next April.

Shan was recognized for her research that addresses how "a novel class of nucleotide hydrolases drives the efficient and accurate delivery of newly synthesized proteins to their correct destinations."

"This award would not have been possible without the support from my subgroup and division and all the wonderful Caltech students and postdocs who work so hard," says Shan.

"We are extremely happy that ASBMB has selected Shu-ou Shan for the Young Investigators Award," said Jacqueline Barton, Arthur and Marian Hanisch Memorial Professor, professor of chemistry, and chair of the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Caltech. "It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of Shan and her team here at Caltech."

Shan's research interfaces between chemistry and biology to understand fundamental cellular processes at the level of chemical and physical principles. More information about Shan's research group at Caltech can be found at http://shangroup.caltech.edu.

The ASBMB Young Investigator Award recognizes outstanding research contributions to biochemistry and molecular biology. The recipient must have no more than 15 years postdoctoral experience. Nominations for these awards are made by ASBMB members, but nominees need not be members. The award consists of a plaque, $5,000, transportation, and expenses to present a lecture at the 2013 ASBMB annual meeting.

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Caltech Chemist Wins ASBMB Young Investigator Award

Anatomy Of Running Focuses On Biomechanics Of The Body

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August 13, 2012

Lawrence LeBlond for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

When it comes to modern era distance running, experts have mixed opinions: some say humans are born to run while others say our bodies need careful cross training to stay healthy. Jay Dicharry, author of the new book Anatomy for Runners, believes running alone cannot make you a better runner.

Running is typically a one-dimensional sport, said Dicharry, a physical therapist and the director of Biomechanics at Rebound Physical Therapy in Bend, Oregon. Youre basically just moving forward. Youre not really developing as a true athlete.

Because many people do not take training into mind when running, nearly a third get hurt every single year. When they read fitness magazines, they say I can do that. So they go out and do it, and then they get hurt and wonder why, said Dicharry. If we prepare ourselves well do a better job.

In his book, Dicharry focuses on identifying weaknesses, offers detailed tools for gait analysis, offers tips on preventing injuries, and explains how to exercise in a correct manner that aids the running body.

While many books focus on the cardiovascular system (engine) in regards to the runner, Dicharrys book focuses on the biomechanical body (chassis).

Coaches get lots of information on how to train the heart and lungs. But we dont get enough on how to keep the body healthy, he said. The more stable the chassis, the more efficient you can be. The book focuses on whats wrong and how to fix it.

Robert Forster, an expert in sports physical therapy in Santa Monica, California, said the human body has evolved to run.

Our tree-dwelling ancestors had shorter legs, longer arms and shorter feet. The body actually changed to be effective at running. But we lost our ability to co-opt that economy of motion, Forster, told Reuters by telephone from London, where he had been working with the US Olympic Track and Field team.

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Anatomy Of Running Focuses On Biomechanics Of The Body

Quake-hit refugees without help: study

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Refugee communities in Christchurch have received little support after the city's earthquakes, but coped thanks to spirituality, a study has found. 13 August 2012

Former refugees living in Christchurch coped well throughout the city's earthquakes despite most of them having no help from authorities and struggling to get information, a study has found.

Former refugees from Afghanistan, Kurdistan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Bhutan living in Christchurch at the time of the September 4, 2010, earthquake took part in the University of Canterbury study, headed by health science graduate Mohamud Osman - a Somali refugee.

The study found more than 80 per cent of the 105 participants received no help or support from the Christchurch City Council or Earthquake Commission following the earthquakes.

More than two-thirds said they had difficulty accessing help and information.

None of the participants had ever experienced a major earthquake before, yet three-quarters of participants said they had coped well, with spirituality and religious practice an important support for many of them.

Mr Osman said more support and engagement from local services is needed to build trust and co-operation between refugees and local communities.

Older participants, women and married couples with children were more likely to worry about the earthquakes and their impact than single individuals, while those who completed the study questionnaire after the February 22 earthquake last year were more worried overall than those interviewed beforehand.

More than 85 per cent of Kurdish, Bhutanese, Ethiopian and Somali refugees were very worried after experiencing constant aftershocks, whereas only 33 per cent of Afghans - who often experience earthquakes back home - were very worried.

Mr Osman said a lack of support from mainstream relief agencies could be an added factor influencing the level of anxiety among refugees, while some were also not confident enough to seek help due to the language barrier.

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Quake-hit refugees without help: study

NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of July 30, 2012

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(Highlights: Week of July 30, 2012) -- Two biology experiments arrived at the station aboard the HTV-3. They were winners in the YouTube Space Lab global science contest. This contest challenges students to design an experiment to be conducted onboard the station. One winning experiment examines the antifungal properties of Bacillus subtilis. Another examines the predatory behavior of jumping spiders. So far, the spiders are responding well to the space environment. One has molted, which is normal. The spider experiment's designer -- a young man from Alexandria, Egypt -- has given both female spiders names. Nefertiti is the redback jumping spider and Cleopatra is the zebra jumping spider.

Four tests were successfully completed for the Burning And Suppression of Solids (BASS) investigation. BASS examines the burning and extinction characteristics of a wide variety of fuel samples in microgravity. A crew member conducted flame tests at various air and gaseous nitrogen flows. These tests were run to determine if the flames would blow out at high flow rates. The BASS investigation will guide strategies for extinguishing accidental fires in microgravity. BASS results contribute to combustion computational models used in the design of fire detection and suppression systems in microgravity and on Earth.

An 18-day run ended with the DEvice for the study of Critical LIquids and Crystallization Alice Like Insert (DECLIC-ALI). These runs were dedicated to the observation of the boiling process when increasing the temperature. DECLIC-ALI studies liquids at the verge of boiling. The flow of heat during boiling events is different in microgravity than it is on Earth. Understanding how heat flows in fluids at the verge of boiling will help scientists develop cooling systems for use in microgravity. On Earth, the readily variable properties of near-critical fluids makes them appealing candidates for studying numerous interesting phenomena valid for all fluids, which will ultimately lead to the development of improved solvents for chemistry and the environment. The next sequence of tests is planned for September.

The final series of 14 runs were completed for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency-sponsored Chaos, Turbulence and its Transition Process in Marangoni Convection (Marangoni) experiment. This is one of two physics experiments analyzing the behavior of a surface-tension-driven flow in microgravity. The next set of runs is planned for Expedition 34.

Human research investigations continued for various crew members including, SPRINT, Journals, Vessel Imaging, Treadmill Kinematics, Integrated Cardiovascular, Pro K, Nutrition and Reaction Self Test .

John Love, Lead Increment Scientist Expedition 31/32

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NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of July 30, 2012

NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of May 21, 2012

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(Highlights: Week of May 21, 2012) -- May 24 marked a 50-year milestone of capillarity fluid physics experiments in space. These investigations study how fluids move up surfaces in microgravity. The results aim to improve current computer models that are used by designers of low gravity fluid systems and may improve fluid transfer systems for water on future spacecraft.

More tests were completed for the Flame Extinguishment Experiment-2 (FLEX-2). This is the second experiment on the space station which uses small droplets of fuel to study the special burning characteristics of fire in space. The FLEX-2 experiment studies the rate and manner in which fuel is burned, the conditions that are necessary for soot to form, and the way in which a mixture of fuels evaporate before burning. The results from these experiments will give scientists a better understanding how fires behave in space and will provide important information that will be useful in increasing the fuel efficiency of engines using liquid fuels.

Operations continued for the Burning And Suppression of Solids (BASS) investigation. BASS examines the burning and extinction characteristics of a wide variety of fuel samples in microgravity. The BASS investigation will guide strategies for extinguishing accidental fires in microgravity. BASS results contribute to the combustion computational models used in the design of fire detection and suppression systems in microgravity and on Earth.

The Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HREP-HICO) Experiment Payload has taken 5675 images to-date. The most recent HICO images include the coast of Italy, the English Channel, part of Hawaii, the coast of France and Munich, Germany. The experiment analyzes the water clarity, chlorophyll content, water depth and ocean or sea floor composition for naval purposes.

Human research investigations continued for various crew members including, Space Headaches, Vascular, Reaction Self Test, Treadmill Kinematics, Integrated Cardiovascular, and Journals.

John Love, Lead Increment Scientist Expedition 30/31

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NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of May 21, 2012

NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of July 6, 2012

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(Highlights: June 18 - July 06, 2012) -- The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer - 02 (AMS-02) has collected its 19 billionth cosmic ray event. The AMS-02 uses the unique environment of space to advance knowledge of the universe and lead to the understanding of the universe's origin by searching for antimatter, dark matter and measuring cosmic rays.

A successful checkout of the vision recognition software for Robonaut 2 was performed. Robonaut also worked with switches and buttons, collecting images of the machine vision cameras for use with future vision recognition tasks. Robonaut not only looks like a human, but it also is designed to work like one. With human-like hands and arms, Robonaut is able to use the same tools station crew members use. In the future, the greatest benefits of humanoid robots in space may be as assistants for astronauts during spacewalks.

Four tests were successfully completed for the Burning And Suppression of Solids (BASS) investigation. BASS examines the burning and extinction characteristics of a wide variety of fuel samples in microgravity. A crew member conducted tests at various air flow speeds and sample widths. For these tests, sample spheres were allowed to burn for several minutes, allowing the flame to spread and cover the entire sphere before turning the flow off to extinguish it. The BASS investigation will guide strategies for extinguishing accidental fires in microgravity. BASS results contribute to the combustion computational models used in the design of fire detection and suppression systems in microgravity and on Earth.

Quiescent test points using 100 percent decane fuel were performed for the Flame Extinguishment Experiment -2 (FLEX-2). FLEX-2 encompasses five distinct investigation classes using pure and bi-component mixed fuels. Quiescent test points investigate diffusive flame behavior, extinction mechanisms, and sooting phenomena in a wide range of combustion chamber atmospheres. Sixteen tests were performed at four different chamber atmospheres all at reduced pressure. The results from FLEX-2 will lead to greater fuel efficiency of liquid-fuel engines and will minimize pollutant emissions. On Earth, FLEX-2 will help in the understanding of combustion generated pollution, and address fire hazards associated with using liquid combustibles.

The first run for Expedition 32 was conducted of the DEvice for the study of Critical LIquids and Crystallization Alice Like Insert (DECLIC-ALI). DECLIC-ALI studies liquids at the verge of boiling. The flow of heat during boiling events is different in microgravity than it is on Earth. Understanding how heat flows in fluids at the verge of boiling will help scientists develop cooling systems for use in microgravity. On Earth, the readily variable properties of near-critical fluids makes them appealing candidates for studying numerous interesting phenomena valid for all fluids, which will ultimately lead to the development of improved solvents for chemistry and the environment.

The Crew Earth Observation (CEO) team has received 124,021 images for review and cataloging. For this investigation, station crew members photograph natural and human-made changes on Earth. These images provide researchers with key data to better understand the planet.

Crew members made successful contact with Cirqiniq Summer Camp in Quebec, Canada, as part of the International Space Station HAM Radio experiment (ISS HAM Radio) By utilizing ham radios, this experiment gets students interested in space exploration by allowing them to talk directly with the crews living and working aboard the space station. To date, crew members have made 45 contacts in 2012 and 735 project events since ISS HAM inception.

Human research investigations continued for various crew members including, Space Headaches, ALTEA Shield, Treadmill Kinematics, Integrated Cardiovascular, and Integrated Immune.

John Love, Lead Increment Scientist Expedition 31/32

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NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of July 6, 2012

NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of April 23, 2012

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(Highlights: Week of April 23, 2012) --Several investigation samples were returned to Earth on April 27, aboard the 28S Soyuz, including:

* SOdium LOading in Microgravity (SOLO) investigation. Return of these samples completes those in-flight investigations. SOLO studies the mechanisms of fluid and salt retention in the body during spaceflight.

* Long Term Microgravity: A Model for Investigating Mechanisms of Heart Disease with New Portable Equipment (CARD) investigation. Return of those samples concludes the in-flight portion of the experiment. CARD studies blood pressure decreases in the human body exposed to microgravity on the station.

* Endocannabinoid System in human Lymphocytes Exposed to Microgravity (ROALD2). This European Space Agency study investigates the function of endocannabinoids -- substances produced within the body to activate cell membrane receptor -- in the regulation of the immune processes and cell cycle under microgravity conditions. ROALD2 identifies countermeasures against impairment of the immune system efficiency due to spaceflight.

* High Quality Protein Crystal Growth Experiment (JAXA PCG), returned more than 100 samples of 48 proteins for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency study aimed at the growth of crystals of biological macromolecules by the counter-diffusion technique. Typical objectives include: development for treatment products in the areas of infectious diseases such as malaria and influenza, as well as environment and energy solutions for biofuel and nylon resolution.

More than 1,600 children throughout Europe participated in the Spaceship Earth events on April 24, for the European Space Agency-Education Payload Operations (ESA-EPO). This activity records education demonstrations performed on the station by crew members. Each event site had scientific demonstrations and hands-on activities including ground kits that were accompanied by on-orbit videos. The children were exposed to many different physics principles.

Testing continued with the Flame Extinguishment-2 (FLEX-2) investigation. Overall, testing was successful allowing the ground team to obtain results for a wide range of droplet diameters. They were able to repeat some of the test points achieved on preceding test days allowing repeatability of the results. FLEX-2 is the second station investigation which uses small droplets of fuel to study the special burning characteristics of fire in space. The FLEX-2 experiment studies the rate and manner in which fuel is burned, the conditions that are necessary for soot to form, and the way in which a mixture of fuels evaporate before burning. The results from these experiments will give scientists a better understanding how fires behave in space and will provide important information that will be useful in increasing the fuel efficiency of engines on Earth that use liquid fuels.

Human research investigations continued for various crew members including, Treadmill Kinematics, Integrated Immune, Journals, Reaction Self Test, and VO2Max.

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NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of April 23, 2012

NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of June 04, 2012

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(Highlights: Week of June 04, 2012) -- Expedition 31 crew members were the first to capture the Transit of Venus from a spacecraft in low-Earth orbit. The Transit of Venus takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and Earth becoming visible against (obscuring a small portion of) the solar disk. The transit occurred June 5 and 6. The next transit alignment will not occur until 2117. These images were taken from the Docking Compartment 1, the Mini Research Module 2, and the Cupola windows. The astronauts were able to capture this historic event with the use of solar filters. The last transit occurred in 2004, but the space station crew did not have solar filters to acquire imagery. Prior to that, the last transit of Venus occurred in 1882.

The Flame Extinguishment Experiment-2 (FLEX-2) continued with surrogate fuel test points. This is the second investigation on the space station which uses small droplets of fuel to study the special burning characteristics of fire in space. FLEX-2 studies the rate and manner in which fuel is burned, the conditions that are necessary for soot to form, and the way in which a mixture of fuels evaporate before burning. The results from these experiments will give scientists a better understanding of how fires behave in space and will provide important information that will be useful in increasing the fuel efficiency of engines using liquid fuels.

Operations continued for the Burning And Suppression of Solids (BASS) investigation. BASS examines the burning and extinction characteristics of a wide variety of fuel samples in microgravity. The BASS investigation will guide strategies for extinguishing accidental fires in microgravity. BASS results contribute to the combustion computational models used in the design of fire detection and suppression systems in microgravity and on Earth.

Through June 4, 74,252 images have been received for reviewing and cataloging for the Crew Earth Observation (CEO). Recent images include Hurricane Bud off the Pacific coast of Mexico and Bigach Impact Crater, Kazakhstan. For this investigation, station crew members photograph natural and human-made changes on Earth. These images provide researchers with key data to better understand the planet.

Human research investigations continued for various crew members including, Thermolab, Vessel Imaging, Pro K, Space Headaches, Vascular, Reaction Self Test, Treadmill Kinematics, Integrated Cardiovascular, VO2max, and Journals.

John Love, Lead Increment Scientist Expedition 30/31

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NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of June 04, 2012

NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of May 14, 2012

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(Highlights: Week of May 14, 2012) -- May 19 marked the one year anniversary of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer - 02 (AMS-02) continuously operating on the station. To date, AMS-02 has registered more than 17 billion cosmic ray events, operating smoothly in space under extreme thermal conditions. These events have been used to carefully calibrate the particle detectors in order to fully exploit their sensitivity to search for the rarest events. The AMS-02 uses the unique environment of space to advance knowledge of the universe and lead to the understanding of the universe's origin by searching for antimatter, dark matter and measuring cosmic rays.

Operations continued for the Burning And Suppression of Solids (BASS) investigation. BASS examines the burning and extinction characteristics of a wide variety of fuel samples in microgravity. A crew member conducted tests at various air flow speeds and sample widths. The BASS investigation will guide strategies for extinguishing accidental fires in microgravity. BASS results contribute to the combustion computational models used in the design of fire detection and suppression systems in microgravity and on Earth.

Through the end of Expedition 30, the Crew Earth Observation (CEO) team received 223,609 of the CEO frames for review and cataloging. For this investigation, station crew members photograph natural and human-made changes on Earth. These images provide researchers with key data to better understand the planet.

On May 15, the International Space Station Agricultural Camera (ISSAC) captured images of the Paraguay flood in South America upon request from the International Disaster Charter. The science team is currently processing the image data. ISSAC can be used to study dynamic Earth processes around the world, such as melting glaciers, ecosystem responses to seasonal changes, and human impacts, including rapid-response monitoring of natural disasters.

The Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HREP-HICO) Experiment Payload has taken 5,649 images as of May 18. The most recent HICO images include Mono Lake in California, part of the Gulf Coast of Florida, Midway Island, part of Italy's coastline, Lake Superior and the Columbia River Mouth. The experiment analyzes the water clarity, chlorophyll content, water depth and ocean or sea floor composition for naval purposes.

Investigations from NanoRacks Modules 16 and 18 have been packed and will return to Earth with the Expedition 31 crew later this summer. A bronze and gold electroplating experiment, a biological growth experiment, and a bacterial growth and antibiotic resistance experiment were among this set of investigations. These investigations are high school experiments which are plugged into a NanoRacks Platform aboard the station. The long-term goal of this project is to create a series of student projects that are sophisticated and economically efficient, allowing students to move beyond the classrooms and into low Earth orbit with their research.

Human research investigations continued for various crew members including, Sprint, Energy, Journals, Reaction Self Test.

John Love, Lead Increment Scientist Expedition 30/31

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NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of May 14, 2012

NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of May 07, 2012

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(Highlights: Week of May 07, 2012) -- Ground teams successfully performed vision characterization activities for Robonaut 2 by saving images of the machine vision cameras -- high-definition cameras in the head -- at various positions. Controllers also ran a script where Robonaut performed switch-throws and button presses on a taskboard. Robonaut not only looks like a human, but it also is designed to work like one. With human-like hands and arms, Robonaut is able to use the same tools station crew members use. In the future, the greatest benefits of humanoid robots in space may be as assistants for astronauts during spacewalks.

Operations continued for the Burning And Suppression of Solids (BASS) investigation. BASS examines the burning and extinction characteristics of a wide variety of fuel samples in microgravity. A crew member conducted three test points where each test obtained a flame, which led to useful observations and data gathering. The BASS investigation will guide strategies for extinguishing accidental fires in microgravity. BASS results contribute to the combustion computational models used in the design of fire detection and suppression systems in microgravity and on Earth.

Through the end of Expedition 30, the Crew Earth Observation (CEO) team received 223,609 of the CEO frames for review and cataloging. For this investigation, station crew members photograph natural and human-made changes on Earth. These images provide researchers with key data to better understand the planet.

The International Space Station Agricultural Camera (ISSAC) imaged three stretch targets within its primary science region, and one additional target near the coast of Greenland. The intent is to image an iceberg near the Greenland coast, and characterize the ability of ISSAC to analyze environmental change. ISSAC also imaged 40 strip targets for a total of 3,446 images that spanned 68,920 kilometers. These targets were primarily focused on the Northern Plains region of the United States, however two of these targets were taken off the coast of Newfoundland, in order to determine the camera's feasibility in studying coastal climate change.

Crew members made successful contact with the Mariner's Museum in Newport News, Va., and St. Paul, Minn., as part of the International Space Station HAM Radio (ISS HAM Radio) investigation. For the Newport News event, there were about 280 attendees who joined via video teleconference from four locations: Virginia, Minnesota, New York and Louisiana. By utilizing ham radios, this investigation gets students interested in space exploration by allowing them to talk directly with the crews living and working aboard the space station.

A crew member began the Astronaut's Energy Requirements for Long-Term Space Flight (Energy) experiment by consuming a standardized breakfast, measuring water intake, performing several oxygen uptake measurements using the Pulmonary Function System and collecting urine. This European Space Agency physiology investigation is aimed at measuring changes in energy balance in crew members following long duration spaceflight. Energy also will measure adaptations in the components of the total energy expenditure of astronauts to derive an equation for the energy requirements of astronauts.

Human research investigations continued for various crew members including, Integrated Cardiovascular, Sprint, Treadmill Kinematics, Integrated Immune, Journals, Reaction Self Test, and VO2Max.

John Love, Lead Increment Scientist Expedition 30/31

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NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of May 07, 2012

NASA Mars Rover Curiosity Gets Software Update

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NASAs Mars rover Curiosity is spending its first weekend on Mars getting a software update to give it pointers on how to drive on the red planet.

NASA officials said the update prepares the rover for some of the tasks it must perform going forward, including driving and using its strong robotic arm.

NASA said Curiosity's "brain transplant" began Aug. 10 and will be completed Aug. 13. The upgrade will install a new version of software on both of the rover's redundant main computers. This software for Mars surface operations was uploaded to the rover's memory during the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft's flight from Earth, NASA said.

"We designed the mission from the start to be able to upgrade the software as needed for different phases of the mission," said Ben Cichy of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., chief software engineer for the Mars Science Laboratory mission, in a statement. "The flight software version Curiosity currently is using was really focused on landing the vehicle. It includes many capabilities we just don't need any more. It gives us basic capabilities for operating the rover on the surface, but we have planned all along to switch over after landing to a version of flight software that is really optimized for surface operations."

For instance, a key capability in the new software is image processing to check for obstacles. This allows for longer drives by giving the rover more autonomy to identify and avoid potential hazards and drive along a safe path the rover identifies for itself. Other new capabilities facilitate use of the tools at the end of the rover's robotic arm.

Meanwhile, as Curiosity completes its software transition, the mission's science team is continuing to analyze images that the rover has taken of its surroundings inside Gale Crater. Gale Crater is the landing site for Curiosity. Researchers are discussing which features in the scene to investigate after a few weeks of initial checkouts and observations to assess equipment on the rover and characteristics of the landing site.

The Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft delivered Curiosity to its target area on Mars at 10:31:45 p.m. PDT on Aug. 5 (1:31:45 a.m. EDT on Aug. 6), which includes the 13.8 minutes needed for confirmation of the touchdown to be radioed to Earth at the speed of light, NASA said.

Curiosity carries 10 science instruments with a total mass 15 times as large as the science payloads on NASA's Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, NASA said. Some of the tools, such as a laser-firing instrument for checking rocks' elemental composition from a distance, are the first of their kind on Mars. Curiosity will use a drill and scoop, which are located at the end of its robotic arm, to gather soil and powdered samples of rock interiors, then sift and parcel out these samples into the rover's analytical laboratory instruments.

Moreover, to handle this science toolkit, Curiosity is twice as long and five times as heavy as Spirit or Opportunity, NASA officials said. The Gale Crater landing site at 4.59 degrees south, 137.44 degrees east, places the rover within driving distance of layers of the crater's interior mountain. Observations from orbit have identified clay and sulfate minerals in the lower layers, indicating a wet history, NASA said.

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NASA Mars Rover Curiosity Gets Software Update

NASA Curiosity Mars Rover Installing Driving Software

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PRESS RELEASE Date Released: Friday, August 10, 2012 Source: Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA Curiosity Mars Rover Installing Driving Software

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity will spend its first weekend on Mars transitioning to software better suited for tasks ahead, such as driving and using its strong robotic arm.

The rover's "brain transplant," which will occur during a series of steps Aug. 10 through Aug. 13, will install a new version of software on both of the rover's redundant main computers. This software for Mars surface operations was uploaded to the rover's memory during the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft's flight from Earth.

"We designed the mission from the start to be able to upgrade the software as needed for different phases of the mission," said Ben Cichy of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., chief software engineer for the Mars Science Laboratory mission. "The flight software version Curiosity currently is using was really focused on landing the vehicle. It includes many capabilities we just don't need any more. It gives us basic capabilities for operating the rover on the surface, but we have planned all along to switch over after landing to a version of flight software that is really optimized for surface operations."

A key capability in the new version is image processing to check for obstacles. This allows for longer drives by giving the rover more autonomy to identify and avoid potential hazards and drive along a safe path the rover identifies for itself. Other new capabilities facilitate use of the tools at the end of the rover's robotic arm.

While Curiosity is completing the software transition, the mission's science team is continuing to analyze images that the rover has taken of its surroundings inside Gale Crater. Researchers are discussing which features in the scene to investigate after a few weeks of initial checkouts and observations to assess equipment on the rover and characteristics of the landing site.

The Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft delivered Curiosity to its target area on Mars at 10:31:45 p.m. PDT on Aug. 5 (1:31:45 a.m. EDT on Aug. 6), which includes the 13.8 minutes needed for confirmation of the touchdown to be radioed to Earth at the speed of light.

Curiosity carries 10 science instruments with a total mass 15 times as large as the science payloads on NASA's Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Some of the tools, such as a laser-firing instrument for checking rocks' elemental composition from a distance, are the first of their kind on Mars. Curiosity will use a drill and scoop, which are located at the end of its robotic arm, to gather soil and powdered samples of rock interiors, then sieve and parcel out these samples into the rover's analytical laboratory instruments.

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NASA Curiosity Mars Rover Installing Driving Software

NASA Planetary Lander Project to Continue After Fiery Crash

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NASA engineers are forging ahead on work with an experimental planetary lander after a test vehicle's crash Thursday (Aug. 9), agency officials say.

The unmanned Morpheus lander exploded shortly after lifting off Thursday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, putting a premature end to its first-ever free-flight test. But the setback won't put an end to Project Morpheus, officials said.

"Unfortunately, that's part of development, especially lean development," said Brandi Dean, a spokeswoman at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, which is leading the Morpheus program. Morpheus has cost about $7 million over the last 2 1/2 years.

"We learned a lot from the tests we've done so far, including yesterday's," Dean told SPACE.com.

The experimental Morpheus lander, which is about the size of an SUV, is powered by liquid oxygen and methane propellants. These are safer and cheaper to operate than traditional rocket fuels and can be stored for longer stretches in space, NASA officials say.

The vehicle is also testing out automated hazard-detection technology, which would use lasers to spot dangerous boulders or craters on the surface of another world. Morpheus could eventually deliver about 1,100 pounds (500 kilograms) of payload to the moon, NASA officials say.

The hazard-detection system could also be modified to help spacecraft rendezvous with asteroids in deep space, a key priority for NASA. In 2010, President Barack Obama directed the space agency to work toward getting astronauts to a near-Earth asteroid by 2025.

The lander that crashed Thursday is apparently a lost cause. But JSC and its Morpheus partner, private spaceflight firm Armadillo Aerospace, have already begun work on another vehicle, which could be ready for its first tests by early 2013, Dean said.

The second lander will not pick up where the first left off, however. It would have to work up to a free-flight test, going through a series of tethered flights first, Dean said. The vehicle that crashed Thursday made 20 tethered flights before NASA cut the apron strings.

Follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwallor SPACE.com @Spacedotcom. We're also on FacebookandGoogle+.

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NASA Planetary Lander Project to Continue After Fiery Crash

NASA, Louisiana Officials Renew Partnership With National Center For Advanced Manufacturing

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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- NASA and Louisiana leaders Thursday committed to a five-year extension of their partnership in the National Center for Advanced Manufacturing (NCAM). NCAM is a principal NASA resource in Louisiana that supports aerospace manufacturing research, development and innovation critical to the goals of the nation's space program.

NCAM was formed in 1999 and includes NASA, NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, the state of Louisiana and the University of New Orleans. This new agreement will expand the NCAM partnership to include Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, which has engineering and research capabilities that can assist NCAM in fulfilling the nation's aerospace technology needs.

About 400 of the 2,600 employees at the multi-use, multi-tenant Michoud facility are associated with and benefit from NCAM. The partners strive to improve U.S. competitiveness in aerospace and commercial markets, and enable transfer of technology to industry partners and educational institutions within the partnership and across the nation. NCAM also has a strong education role, sponsoring a consortium of Louisiana research universities developing advanced materials and manufacturing technologies key to the production of aerospace hardware and structures.

"Advanced manufacturing is a matter of fundamental importance to the economic strength and national security of the United States," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "The President's manufacturing initiative is helping us forge partnerships like this that are closing the gap between research and development activities and the deployment of technological innovations in domestic production of goods. And at NASA, whether we're developing needed technologies for space exploration or advancing the nation's aeronautics capabilities, great ideas are benefiting our nation, creating jobs and making life better here on Earth."

NASA and the state of Louisiana enhanced the NCAM partnership beginning in 2004 with a joint investment of more than $62 million to date. Their key goals are to promote growth of Louisiana's trained aerospace workforce and sustain world-class manufacturing capabilities, such as those at Michoud, where work is under way on elements of NASA's Space Launch System, the heavy-lift vehicle that will usher in a new era of exploration and discovery beyond Earth orbit.

"This renewed agreement reflects and amplifies NASA's long commitment to sustaining a strong, technologically trained work force in New Orleans and across Louisiana," said Marshall Center Associate Director Robin Henderson. "The National Center for Advanced Manufacturing has proven itself vital to NASA's work at Michoud and to the agency's overall mission of exploration and discovery."

Under the newly restructured NCAM agreement, NASA and its academic and industry partners will continue to work jointly on research, development and test activities to meet future space systems needs. New goals for NCAM are intensive new education outreach across the greater New Orleans region through a partnership with the University of New Orleans and expansion of NCAM research and development activities on a national scale.

For more information about NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility, visit: http://mafspace.msfc.nasa.gov/

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NASA, Louisiana Officials Renew Partnership With National Center For Advanced Manufacturing

Brewer Science to Exhibit Technologies of the Future for America's Defense at Nanotechnology …

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Brewer Science, a global leader in developing and manufacturing specialty materials, integrated processes, and laboratory-scale wafer processing equipment, is exhibiting at the 10th Annual NanoTechnology for Defense (NT4D) Conference, 6-9 August 2012, at the Red Rock Resort in Summerlin, Nevada.

Initiated a decade ago by the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Army Research Laboratory, the Office of Naval Research, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the NT4D Conference remains the premier event addressing emerging and nano-scale technologies for defense.

To highlight its advances in carbon nanotube technology to produce flexible electronics, Brewer Science will present "Design, prototying, and characterization of combustible passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensors on flexible substrates" during the conference poster session in the Red Rock Ballroom.

Visit Brewer Science at Booth No. 313 to learn about the advanced materials we offer for applications in U.S. Government energy and defense sectors.

Visit http://www.usasymposium.com/nano/exhibitors.htm for more information about the NT4D Conference.

About Brewer Science Brewer Science is a global technology leader in developing and manufacturing specialty materials, integrated processes, and laboratory-scale wafer processing equipment for applications in semiconductors, compound semiconductors, advanced packaging/3-D integrated circuits, MEMS, sensors, displays, LEDs, and printed electronics. The company continuously introduces high-technology solutions that enable reliable fabrication of cutting-edge, high-performance integrated microdevices used in the most advanced and elegant electronics such as tablet computers, smart phones, digital cameras, flat-panel monitors and TVs, and LED lighting. Since 1981, when its ARC material technology revolutionized lithography processes, Brewer Science has expanded its spectrum of technology to include products currently used in advanced lithography, chemical and mechanical device protection, thin layer handling, and 3-D integration, as well as products based on carbon nanotubes and nanotechnology. For more information on Brewer Science, please visit http://www.brewerscience.com

Brewer Science was recently named one of the top places to work by Missouri's largest daily newspaper, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

For additional information, contact: Patti Shaw, Marketing Communications Manager +1 573 364-0444, ext. 1183 pshaw@brewerscience.com

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Brewer Science to Exhibit Technologies of the Future for America's Defense at Nanotechnology ...

Standards of Healthcare in Your Medicine Cabinet

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What's inside your medicine cabinet? | Photo by trec_lit, CC. Click on image for license and information.

What story would your medicine cabinet tell about you?

Medicine cabinets are amazing spaces. They can contain a multitude of pills, pastes, syrups, and wrappings that we know we can reach for to manage many types of pain, ailments, and illnesses ourselves. They can provide a window into a persons well-beingreally? youve never peeked after washing your hands?and tell us what works for them. Such forays can give us a basis for making decisions about similar conditions. After all, medicine cabinets house a collection of expertiseall packaged in a way to make them identifiable and trustworthy so that in the absence of a physician, were confident of receiving treatment within the promised parameters of healing.

Between 24-hour pharmacies (1) and Web MD, at any given moment we have access to patented non-prescription, or over-the-counter (OTC), medications, and medical information that we are free to weigh and use at our own discretion. We might take this for granted as we reach for that bottle of antacids or pain relievers or cough syrup, but the establishment of non-prescription patented medication represents a significant movement toward access to standardized health remedies. And as discussions about access to health care rage around us in the United States, OTC medication has become for many a primary means of treating ailments. The standard of care in our medicine cabinets is increasingly for many a measure of health

Packaging a Cure

In the video game Assassins Creed when youre in need of medical attention you have the option of visiting a medical stand and purchasing medicine vials meant to completely cure your ailments, whatever they might be. While no such miracle cure really exists, the medical experience in the game isnt all that far from the reality of health care for much of history. While medical professionals were required to have training, the standard of practice variedparticularly in the 17th-, 18th-, and early 19th-centuries when medical care was dispensed by physicians, doctors, barber-surgeons, and apothecaries.

The advent of the Scientific Revolution and the following Age of Enlightenment saw an explosion of cross pollination between the sciences that allowed doctors to treat illnesses and injuries with greater success. However, during this period and up to the early 19th-century, the odds of a single patient receiving successful treatment from a physician were 50-50 (2). Methods of treatments varied in accordance to superstition, astrology, and religion. For example, the doctrine of signatures maintained that God had provided a natural cure for every illnessas was evidenced by the resemblance some herbs bear to various parts of the body (i.e., liverwort could cure ailments relating to the liver). And ideas about balance were rampant; the prevalence of the theory of humoursthat there were four fluids in the body (black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood) that needed to be in balance for good healthencouraged the practice of bloodletting.

In this context, physicians sought to distinguish themselves by patenting their cures, which meant serving them in specific bottles and with particular labels. The more famous of these include Godfreys Cordial, Dalbys Carminative, Batemans Drops, Turlingtons Balsam of Life, Steers Opodeldoc, British Oil, Daffys Elixir, and Balsam of Honey (2). But patents werent enough to cement these cures as trustworthy in the minds of the purchasing public. But the longstanding success of these medications was also in part due to their reproducibility. They were easily counterfeited, right down to their packagingbut they were chosen to be counterfeited because they worked. So in a sense, they became public property. You wouldnt be too far off in thinking of these early counterfeits as generic brand medications. The public trust in the formulas allowed drove the market for patented (and counterfeited) cures in more rural areas where obtaining medical care was a challenge. These formulas in their tell-tale bottles and wrappings placed medical treatment conveniently within reach of many people.

The Essence of Peppermint: A Case Study

The Essence of Peppermint [pdf] provides a useful case study in considering the factors of success, trust, and counterfeiting in creating a standard of care via patented medication.

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Standards of Healthcare in Your Medicine Cabinet