Monthly Archives: August 2012

Libertarian Party plans campaign HQ in Canterbury

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The Libertarian Party of Connecticut is planning on opening a campaign headquarters in Canterbury this month, something state Chairman Dan Reale called a first.

A location has been selected but the address is being withheld pending completion of a lease agreement, Reale said in an email to party activists. Reale, who lives in Plainfield and is running for Congress, said details for a grand opening will follow after the lease is signed.

This location will provide office space for the Libertarian Party of Connecticut, my own congressional campaign, and the Gary Johnson (presidential) campaign, the chairman wrote.

The party, known for its small-government positions, is also planning on establishing a headquarters in western Connecticut, Reale said. The western office will direct efforts for U.S. Senate candidate Paul Passarelli and 5th District Congressional candidate Robert Lombardo, according to Reale.

The Eastern Connecticut office will be staffed fulltime, he said. The party will be getting an official phone number, something it hasnt had since 2005. A phone bank is expected to fully operational by October, Reale said. Acquisition of a campaign bus is being considered, he said.

Its been a great year, Reale said by telephone. Were getting ambitious. Were looking to buy a bus.

The Connecticut branch of the party has broken its annual fundraising record by collecting more than $40,000 this year, Reale said. The party is looking to hire additional fundraisers, he said.

The presidential campaign of Johnson, a former New Mexico governor that visited Norwich in March, has collected at least 10,000 Connecticut signatures with a goal of hitting 12,500 by Tuesday. Reale, who ran as a write-in in 2008 and 2010 because of difficulty with gathering and validating signatures, has collected about 4,303. Both amounts, if validated by Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, will be more than enough to place both men on the November ballot. Reale said both campaigns plan to submit all signatures by Wednesday.

The Aug. 5 email states that Reale expects to raise $500,000 for his congressional campaign.

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Libertarian Party plans campaign HQ in Canterbury

Berkeley Research Group Announces Health Care Special Advisory Board

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EMERYVILLE, CA--(Marketwire -08/06/12)- Berkeley Research Group, a leading global expert services and consulting firm, has established a Health Care Special Advisory Board comprising expert physician leaders nationally renowned for clinical excellence and change management in health care. The role of each advisory board member is to counsel BRG and its health care provider clients on clinical redesign and industry best practices to improve health care value (i.e., quality, safety, and cost) in the special advisor's specialty area.

The first appointment to the board is David V. Feliciano, MD, FACS, one of the foremost leaders in general surgery and trauma care in the United States. Dr. Feliciano is on the medical staff at the Atlanta Medical Center, professor of surgery at the Mercer University School of Medicine, and associate director of Critical Care at the Medical Center of Central Georgia. He is on the editorial boards of the Journal of Trauma, the American Surgeon, and the American Journal of Surgery. He is president of the Panamerican Trauma Society and the Atlanta Surgical Association, and has been president of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, the Southwestern Surgical Congress, the Western Trauma Association, and the Georgia Surgical Society. He has held leadership positions with major national organizations in surgery, including director of the American Board of Surgery and chair of the Advisory Council for General Surgery of the American College of Surgeons.

"The creation of BRG's Health Care Special Advisory Board reflects our commitment to providing clients with unsurpassed expertise in addressing their most complex issues," said BRG Chairman and Principal Executive Officer David J. Teece.

Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, a leader of BRG's Hospital Performance Improvement practice, board-certified pediatrician, and former CEO of Grady Health System in Atlanta and other hospital systems, said the advisory board will give health providers the benefit of unique experience from some of the top physicians in their respective specialties. "Our clients will have an invaluable advantage in applying best practices to improve patient care, optimize health care value, and achieve a new level of performance improvement," said Dr. Agwunobi, previously named among the "50 Most Powerful Physician Executives" by Modern Healthcare and Modern Physician.

About Berkeley Research Group, LLCBerkeley Research Group, LLC (www.brg-expert.com) is a leading global expert services and consulting firm that provides independent expert testimony, authoritative studies, strategic advice, data analytics, and regulatory and dispute support to Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, major law firms, and regulatory bodies around the world. BRG experts and consultants combine intellectual rigor with practical, real-world experience, and an in-depth understanding of industries and markets. Their expertise spans economics and finance, data analytics and statistics, and public policy in many of the major sectors of our economy including health care, finance, banking, information technology, energy, construction, and real estate. BRG is headquartered in Emeryville, California, with 20 offices in the United States and London, UK.

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Berkeley Research Group Announces Health Care Special Advisory Board

New VA Medical Center with State-of-the-Art Mental Health Unit to Open in Las Vegas

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WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

In response to the growing health care needs of Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs is opening a new Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Las Vegas, with the dedication ceremony scheduled for today.

This is, importantly, a promise kept with the 164,000 Veterans who live in Clark, Nye, and Lincoln counties, and all 234,000 Veterans who call Nevada home, as well as Veterans from surrounding states who will find here the care and compassion they seek, said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, who provided keynote remarks at the dedication ceremony. As President Obama recently told the Veterans of Foreign Wars: We keep our promises.

The Las Vegas VAMC underscores VAs commitment to provide the best care anywhere to Americas Veterans, particularly in the critical area of mental health," said Dr. Robert Petzel, VAs Under Secretary for Health. "The opening of this world-class facility is another milestone, and ensures VA provides the care and services our Veterans have earned through their service.

The brand-new $600 million facility will have 90 inpatient beds, a 120-bed community living center (skilled nursing home care facility), and an ambulatory care center. The 90 inpatient beds include a state-of-the-art 22-bed mental health unit, 48 medical/surgical beds, and 20 intensive care unit beds.

As early as this month, the outpatient mental health clinic will be operational. The clinic will provide specialized treatment programs for general mental health, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, gambling addiction, and other unique services such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for the treatment of traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and other conditions. The mental health section has ample patient parking and is located next to the main facility. The inpatient unit is directly above the outpatient mental health clinic, and is in close proximity to the main facility.

Beyond the mental health services, the new VAMC will provide 23 dental exam chairs; 13 surgical, 14 radiology, and 6 audiometric sound suites; as well as a 268 seat food court. A phased opening is planned for August through December 2012.

The Las Vegas VAMC will possess a telehealth unit, with bidirectional just-in-time communication capability with its outlying clinics. This allows doctors to deliver specialized mental health and other services to these clinics. The VAMC and its outlying clinics are also equipped with smart boards, to enhance continuing education for staff and patients.

VA operates the nations largest integrated health care system. With a health care budget of more than $50 billion, VA expects to provide care to 6.1 million patients during 920,000 hospitalizations and nearly 80 million outpatient visits this year. VAs health care network includes 152 major medical centers and more than 800 community-based outpatient clinics.

The new facility meets the latest environmental standards. Portions of the parking areas will have overhead solar panels to provide additional energy to the campus.

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New VA Medical Center with State-of-the-Art Mental Health Unit to Open in Las Vegas

Patrick Signs Health Care Cost Containment Bill

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Governor Patrick signs the health care cost containment bill, Monday, Aug. 6, 2012. (Photo: Eric Haynes / Governors Office)

BOSTON (AP) Gov. Deval Patrick on Monday signed into law a bill he said should provide a model for a nation trying to stem the spiraling cost of health care.

The Democrat was joined by lawmakers, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley and health care advocates as he signed the bill at a Statehouse ceremony.

Patrick praised the states recent efforts to expand access to health coverage, adding that the new law will build off of the 2006 landmark health care law signed by then-Gov. Mitt Romney that became the model for the federal law signed in 2010 by President Barack Obama.

Patrick said the new law will mark the next big step forward in the states health care system and represents the link between improved care and lower costs. Massachusetts already has the highest percent of insured residents of any state in the country at about 98 percent, according to the administration.

Massachusetts has been a model for the nation for access to health care, Patrick said before signing the bill. Today we become the first to crack the code on costs.

The legislation aims to control health care costs that have continued to grow following the 2006 law, which requires nearly all residents to have health insurance coverage.

The bill is intended to save Massachusetts up to $200 billion in health care costs over the next 15 years by encouraging the creation of accountable care organizations that take a more coordinated approach to medicine. Its also designed to give residents better access to their medical records and cut down on unnecessary testing.

Attorney General Martha Coakley, who has focused on what she calls the dysfunction in the health care market brought on in part by the disparity in hospital costs, said she was pretty happy with this bill.

She said that there is still dysfunction in the health care market, but the new law provides her office with more oversight tools.

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Patrick Signs Health Care Cost Containment Bill

Feds building health care exchanges on schedule despite fight from GOP governors

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WASHINGTON -- Republican governors who've balked at creating new private insurance markets under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul may end up getting stuck with the very thing they're trying to avoid.

Unless Mitt Romney wins in November, states that haven't set up the required insurance could find Washington calling the shots on some insurance issues the states traditionally manage, from handling consumer complaints to regulating plans that will serve many citizens.

It could turn into a political debacle for those who dug in to fight what they decry as "Obamacare."

"You're kind of rolling the dice if you think (Obama's health care law) will go away," said Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger, a Republican. If Romney can't make good on his vow to repeal the overhaul, "you are just giving up a lot of authority."

The law envisioned that states would run the new markets, called exchanges, with federal control as a fallback only. But the fallback now looks as if it will become the standard option in about half the states - at least initially.

It would happen through something called the federal exchange, humming along largely under the radar on a tight development schedule overseen by the Health and Human Services Department in Washington.

Exchanges are new online markets in which individual consumers and small businesses will shop for health insurance among competing private plans. The Supreme Court's health care decision left both state exchanges and the federal option in place.

The exchanges are supposed to demystify the process of buying health insurance, allowing consumers to make apples-to-apples comparisons. Consumers will also be able to find out if they're eligible for new federal subsidies to help pay premiums, or if they qualify for expanded Medicaid.

It's all supposed to work in real time, or close to it, like online travel services. Open enrollment would start a little over a year from now, on Oct. 1, 2013, with coverage kicking in the following Jan. 1.

Eventually more than 25 million people are expected to get coverage through exchanges, including many who were previously uninsured. As exchanges get more customers, competition among insurance plans could help keep costs in check.

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Feds building health care exchanges on schedule despite fight from GOP governors

Press freedom leads to happiness, environmental quality, study finds

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Researchers at the University of Missouri have found that citizens of countries with press freedom tend to be much happier than citizens of countries without free presses.

Freedom of the press is viewed by many as a cornerstone of democracy. But can it actually help improve people's lives and make them happy? Researchers at the University of Missouri have found that citizens of countries with press freedom tend to be much happier than citizens of countries without free presses. Edson Tandoc, Jr., a doctoral student in the MU School of Journalism, says that press freedom directly predicts life satisfaction across the world.

"We already know that having reliable, objective news sources can benefit democracy, but in this study, we found that press freedom also benefits communities by helping improve the overall quality of life of citizens and, in the process, by also making them happier," Tandoc said. "People enjoy having an element of choice about where they get their news. Citizens of countries without a free press are forced to rely on the government for information, when what people really want is diversity in content where they are free to get the information they want from the source of their choosing."

Tandoc and his co-author, Bruno Takahashi from Michigan State University, analyzed data from 161 countries using a 2010 Gallup Poll evaluating happiness levels around the world. Tandoc and Takahashi compared those happiness levels with Freedom House's press freedom index which rates the level of each country's press freedom. They also examined human development statistics gathered by the United Nations as well as the Environmental Performance Index created by researchers at Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy. Tandoc found that the more press freedom a country enjoyed, the higher the levels of life satisfaction, or happiness, of its citizens tended to be.

"The road to happiness isn't direct; it is a complex path or web that includes many different influences and interrelationships," Tandoc said. "Things like improving the economy alone are insufficient for increasing happiness. Protecting press freedom is also an important component of the happiness web."

Tandoc also found that countries with higher levels of press freedom enjoyed better environmental quality and higher levels of human development, both of which also contribute to life satisfaction. He credits this to the watchdog function of the press, which helps expose corruption of all levels in a community.

"A country with a free press is expected to be more open about what is wrong in their societies and with their environments," Tandoc said. "A free press is likely to report about poor human conditions and environmental degradation, bringing problems to the attention of decision-makers. It should not come as a surprise, therefore, that press freedom is positively related to both environmental quality and human development."

Provided by University of Missouri-Columbia

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Press freedom leads to happiness, environmental quality, study finds

Press freedom leads to happiness, environmental quality, MU study finds

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Public release date: 6-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Nathan Hurst hurstn@missouri.edu 573-882-6217 University of Missouri-Columbia

COLUMBIA, Mo. Freedom of the press is viewed by many as a cornerstone of democracy. But can it actually help improve people's lives and make them happy? Researchers at the University of Missouri have found that citizens of countries with press freedom tend to be much happier than citizens of countries without free presses. Edson Tandoc, Jr., a doctoral student in the MU School of Journalism, says that press freedom directly predicts life satisfaction across the world.

"We already know that having reliable, objective news sources can benefit democracy, but in this study, we found that press freedom also benefits communities by helping improve the overall quality of life of citizens and, in the process, by also making them happier," Tandoc said. "People enjoy having an element of choice about where they get their news. Citizens of countries without a free press are forced to rely on the government for information, when what people really want is diversity in content where they are free to get the information they want from the source of their choosing."

Tandoc and his co-author, Bruno Takahashi from Michigan State University, analyzed data from 161 countries using a 2010 Gallup Poll evaluating happiness levels around the world. Tandoc and Takahashi compared those happiness levels with Freedom House's press freedom index which rates the level of each country's press freedom. They also examined human development statistics gathered by the United Nations as well as the Environmental Performance Index created by researchers at Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy. Tandoc found that the more press freedom a country enjoyed, the higher the levels of life satisfaction, or happiness, of its citizens tended to be.

"The road to happiness isn't direct; it is a complex path or web that includes many different influences and interrelationships," Tandoc said. "Things like improving the economy alone are insufficient for increasing happiness. Protecting press freedom is also an important component of the happiness web."

Tandoc also found that countries with higher levels of press freedom enjoyed better environmental quality and higher levels of human development, both of which also contribute to life satisfaction. He credits this to the watchdog function of the press, which helps expose corruption of all levels in a community.

"A country with a free press is expected to be more open about what is wrong in their societies and with their environments," Tandoc said. "A free press is likely to report about poor human conditions and environmental degradation, bringing problems to the attention of decision-makers. It should not come as a surprise, therefore, that press freedom is positively related to both environmental quality and human development."

###

This study was published in the Social Indicators Research journal and presented at the International Communication Association 2012 conference in Phoenix.

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Press freedom leads to happiness, environmental quality, MU study finds

Sewer Leak Closes 2 Ocean City Beaches

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August 6, 2012: The 8th and 9th street beaches in Ocean City, NJ were closed to swimmers due to a sewage leak.

The 8th and 9th street beaches are closed to swimmers in Ocean City, Cape May County, New Jersey, because of a sewage leak.

The yuck got into the storm drain system because of a grease blockage in the sewer line, according to WMGM-TV.

The county health department has to collect water samples and deem the quality okay before they can open the beaches back up for bathing.

That's expected to happen on Tuesday.

The rest of Ocean City's beaches are open.

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Sewer Leak Closes 2 Ocean City Beaches

Nature could replenish beaches

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By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune Published: August 06, 2012 Updated: August 06, 2012 - 11:06 AM

The amount of sand that Tropical Storm Debby washed away from three Pinellas County beaches 630,000 cubic yards would fill more than 100,000 dump trucks or 3,316 backyard pools, beach-watchers say.

But, of course, it didn't really disappear. It just was repositioned in nearby offshore sand bars.

While some officials say it would cost $25 million to replenish the shoreline in St. Pete Beach, Sand Key and Treasure Island, others maintain Mother Nature will do the job for a lot cheaper. It just might take a little longer.

Visitors to the area appear unconcerned. There's still plenty of beach to go around, locals say, plenty of space to spread blankets and coolers. The sunset remains unobstructed.

Geologists at the University of South Florida made measurements before and after the tropical storm, which swept the Pinellas Coast for three days at the end of June, and determined that some parts of the shore lost more sand than others.

Pinellas County officials are applying for emergency funds to restore the beaches. When the storm hit, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers already was working on widening the beach on Sand Key, which involved pumping 1.25 million cubic yards of sand from the bottom 12 miles out.

The cost of that project: $31.5 million.

Bill Smith of Indian Shores is a director with the Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association, based in Tallahassee. He said the erosion from Tropical Storm Debby was second only to the 1985 erosion caused by Hurricane Elena.

Elena sat out in the Gulf and voraciously swept the sand away from Pinellas beaches. "It ate away so much sand one timeshare building on Belleair Beach had its pool destroyed; the foundation just fell away," Smith said.

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Nature could replenish beaches

Ball Aerospace Demonstrates Prototype X-band SATCOM On-the-Move Phased Array Antenna

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BOULDER, Colo., Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has successfully demonstrated its Mobile Multifunction Low-Cost Array (MMLCA) system, a prototype X-band SATCOM On-the-Move (SOTM) phased array antenna, at the U.S. Army's Aberdeen Proving Ground facility, Aberdeen, MD. The MMLCA system was developed for the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to demonstrate high data rate communications with military and commercial satellite systems. The system was developed under ONR's FORCEnet Future Naval Capabilities program.

MMLCA is a self-contained low profile antenna system with no rotating parts for use by a variety of military combat vehicles and platforms.The system enables current and future military platforms to reduce the number of necessary antennas, provide better antenna coverage, and lower the overall silhouette of vehicles. Refinements identified during testing will be incorporated prior to fielding the system in an operational theater.

"MMLCA is significantly more rugged than competing conventional designs making it more impervious to weather and battlefield operations," said Jim Oschmann, Ball Aerospace Vice President and General Manager for Tactical Solutions. "Additionally, it incorporates the advantages found in advanced phased array antennas including a lower profile design for hemispherical coverage, high-reliability, and lower total ownership cost."

Ball Aerospace designs and develops low observable, conformal and phased array antenna technology for various military platforms including aircraft, missiles, land vehicles, ships, small craft and space applications.

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

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

Forward-Looking Statements

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

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Ball Aerospace Demonstrates Prototype X-band SATCOM On-the-Move Phased Array Antenna

Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Children

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Ministry of Health Media Release August 6th, 2012

Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Children and Young People

The new Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Children and Young People (Aged 2-18 years) were released today by the Ministry of Health.

These guidelines are a handbook for health practitioners who work with and for children and young people.

They provide evidence-based recommendations about food, nutrition and physical activity for this age group.

Two nutrition resources for the public have also been updated to reflect these recommendations.

The Ministry of Health Chief Advisor on Child and Youth Health, Dr Pat Tuohy, said today A concerning finding from recent research was that many children are eating treat foods most days. These are empty calories which fill children up but dont nourish them.

The guidelines provide advice about how to improve childrens nutrition and keep them healthy which includes keeping high fat, sugar or salt food for occasional use only, Dr Tuohy said.

Children and young people (aged 2-18 years) represent a quarter of our total population thats just over a million people.

It is known that good nutrition and physical activity during childhood and adolescence are essential for normal growth and development and will contribute to good health and reduced levels of chronic disease and disability in adulthood.

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Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Children

Nutrition Council targets 'zero malnutrition' in Central Visayas

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By: Philippine News Agency August 6, 2012 9:51 AM

InterAksyon.com The online news portal of TV5

CEBU CITY - An official of the National Nutrition Council 7 said it has zero malnutrition goal in Central Visayas, composed of the provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.

NNC 7 regional nutrition coordinator Dr. Parolita Mission urges all local government units (LGUs) to reduce the percentage of malnutrition in their localities.

There should be no increase in malnutrition incidents, Mission said.

She said NNC 7 is close to achieving its goal because of its increased efforts to implement the nutrition programs of LGUs in the region.

She hailed Talibon, Bohol for scoring 98 percent in the recent evaluation of the local level plan implementation of the Sustainable Programs for Progressive Municipality campaign.

This campaign provides Talibons 25 barangays with birthing clinics. It encourages gardening for food security and raises funds for the program.

Talibon won the Maintenance Award for exemplary performance for six consecutive years.

Outranking the other cities in the region, Toledo City was awarded this years Outstanding City in the Region with a score of 93 percent.

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Nutrition Council targets 'zero malnutrition' in Central Visayas

Luminex Corporation and University Hospital of Wales Collaborate During Olympic Games

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AUSTIN, Texas, and CARDIFF, Wales, Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Luminex Corporation (LMNX) announced today that Public Health Wales is using Luminex's CE marked xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel (GPP) for outbreak investigation activities during Olympic and Paralympic training and events taking place in Wales. Results of a substantial diagnostic validation of the GPP test conducted by The Public Health Wales Microbiology laboratory team at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, are anticipated to be published in a peer reviewed journal.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100104/LUMINEXLOGO)

Luminex's xTAG GPP received CE mark in 2011 and is the most comprehensive test available to diagnose gastrointestinal infections. xTAG GPP simultaneously detects fifteen of the most common disease-causing pathogens, including viral, bacterial and parasitic infections, such as norovirus, C. difficile, toxigenic strains of E. coli, Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, and Salmonella, all within 5-6 hours. Innovations in diagnostic technology like xTAG GPP provide the potential for rapid identification of the cause of outbreaks of gastrointestinal infection and improved patient care.

"We are very pleased with the performance of the assay to date in our validations comparing it to our traditional methods," said Michael Perry, Clinical Scientist within the National Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Public Health Wales. "The ability to generate answers during a single work shift for a majority of the pathogens involved in gastroenteritis, compared to traditional methods which would have taken 2 days in some cases and much more work to return the same amount of information, is a significant advance."

"Seeing the contribution of our technology innovations and ability to make a positive impact in public health makes us very proud," said Patrick J. Balthrop, president and CEO of Luminex. "We are pleased to work with thought leaders like the Molecular Laboratory team at Public Health Wales, Cardiff, who continue to advance healthcare and public safety."

About xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel (GPP)

xTAG GPP is a qualitative molecular multiplex diarrhea test intended for the simultaneous detection and identification of multiple gastrointestinal pathogens including bacteria, viruses, and parasites. The assay uses the proprietary Luminex xTAG Technology and the xMAP Technology platform to detect multiple targets in a single sample. xTAG GPP can detect Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI) such as C. difficile or norovirus, foodborne illness agents like E. coli or Salmonella and common pediatric diarrhea causatives such as Rotavirus.

More information on Luminex and xTAG GPP can be found at http://www.luminexcorp.com/gpp, or Luminex's European office at, Krombraak 13-15, 4906 CR Oosterhout, The Netherlands, +31.16.240.8333.

About Public Health Wales, Microbiology, Cardiff

Public Health Wales provides expert public health resources as part of the NHS in Wales. Public Health Wales Microbiology, Cardiff, is a clinical diagnostic and public health laboratory serving hospital inpatients, GP surgeries and communicable disease professionals throughout Cardiff and Vale NHS trust and is based at the University Hospital of Wales Cardiff. The laboratory comprises large clinical bacteriology and virology sections and includes the National Molecular Diagnostic Unit for Wales which provides extensive molecular diagnostic services along with collaborations to further infectious disease diagnosis. The University Hospital of Wales, (UHW) opened in November 1971, is a major 1000-bed hospital situated in the inner city district of Heath in Cardiff, Wales. UHW is the third largest University Hospital in the UK and the largest hospital in Wales, providing 24-hour Accident & Emergency and various other specialist departments.

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Luminex Corporation and University Hospital of Wales Collaborate During Olympic Games

DNA Dynamics Announces New Head of Studio

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LEAMINGTON SPA, U.K., Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- DNA Dynamics, Inc. (OTC Pink: DNAD), a global developer and publisher of mobile video games and applications, today announced that it has employed industry executive Kevin Corti as Head of DNA Studios to drive the Company's future game and technology strategy.

Since late 2010, DNA Dynamics has largely concentrated its business development efforts on developing and publishing a portfolio of proprietary and licensed mobile gaming titles for delivery on the iOS and Android gaming platforms. However, according to Ed Blincoe, DNA's Chairman, President and CEO, "Expanding the reach of our mobile games to new audiences via online social networking venues, such as Facebook, has been a key long term growth objective for DNA since day one. Aided by Kevin's capable direction, we will now be proactively defining the tactical steps and strategies necessary to accelerate DNA's entry into this exciting and high growth gaming arena."

With more than 15 years of experience in online interactive media with emphasis in the consumer entertainment, marketing and education sectors, Corti has demonstrated proven expertise in overseeing the creation of social gaming applications, having built studio capacity on three separate occasions and delivering over 100 projects. Until recently, Corti served as CEO and Development Director of SoshiGames, a UK-based social games developer and publisher focused on music-themed games on Facebook and which partnered with numerous well known music industry companies to drive user acquisition. Prior to this, Corti founded and was Head of Serious Games at PIXELearning, where he led the acquisition and delivery of bespoke 'serious games' (B2B gaming applications designed to meet predetermined training and marketing objectives) for a slate of blue chip international clientele, which included KPMG, HP, Comcast, Raytheon and Coca-Cola, among many others.

CEO Ed Blincoe also stated that the Company "...has now begun a period of concerted effort to update its shareholders and the wider market with its plans and believes that shareholders will see great value in the announcement of new management team members, new game titles and new initiatives that the company is now engaged with..."

Blincoe also confirmed that a Operational Update will be released later this week.

About DNA Dynamics, Inc.Headquartered in Leamington Spa in the United Kingdom, DNA Dynamics is a worldwide developer and publisher of graphically rich, interactive entertainment currently delivered on iOS, Android, Apple Mac and PC. Through its operating subsidiaries, the Company has created, acquired or licensed a portfolio of highly recognizable or emerging brands that broadly appeal to its consumer demographics, ranging from children to adults and casual gamers to serious enthusiasts. For more information, please go to http://www.dnadynamics.net.You can also follow the Company on Facebook and Twitter.

For more information please email info@dnadynamics.net.

Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release may contain forward-looking statements, including information about management's view of DNA Dynamics, Inc.'s future expectations, plans and prospects. In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the words "believes," "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," or "may," and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any statements made in this news release other than those of historical fact, about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the results of DNA Dynamics, its subsidiaries and concepts to be materially different than those expressed or implied in such statements. Unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on DNA Dynamics' future results. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. DNA Dynamics cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Finally, DNA Dynamics undertakes no obligation to update these statements after the date of this release, except as required by law, and also takes no obligation to update or correct information prepared by third parties that are not paid for by DNA Dynamics.

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DNA Dynamics Announces New Head of Studio

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Fortune passes passion for biology on to her students

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Flora Fortune, a biology teacher at Columbus High School, poses on the first day of class today with the living ecosystem she keeps on display in a classroom sink. Fortune has taught biology for 19 years. Photo by: Carmen K. Sisson/Dispatch Staff

There's always something happening below the surface in Flora Fortune's Columbus High School biology class.

After 19 years in education, a teacher develops her own style, plying facts and fun in equal measure. It's a challenge, especially in state-tested subjects like biology, because pressure to cram massive quantities of information into the school day can amp the intensity and quell the enthusiasm.

But Fortune has loved science since she was knee-high to a tadpole, growing up in Lowndes County and absorbing her father's passion for the outdoor world. By the fifth grade, she knew she wanted to be a teacher, and by the time she graduated from Motley High School in 1979, she was certain she would pursue either education or nursing as a career path.

Instead, she joined the United States Army, where she spent nearly five years and became airborne-qualified, making her possibly one of only a handful of biology teachers in the nation who can dissect a frog or parachute from a plane with equal aplomb.

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Fortune passes passion for biology on to her students

Glencoe Software and 'The Journal of Cell Biology' Pioneer Publishing of Massive, Ultra-Resolution Images

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SEATTLE, Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --The Journal of Cell Biology (JCB), The Rockefeller University Press and Glencoe Software are pleased to announce their next enhancements to the JCB DataViewer, the world's first system for presentation, sharing and archiving published scientific image data. Starting today, the JCB DataViewer can accept and publish very large images, made up of many individual tiles, and make them viewable online. The first example of this type of image is like none other -- an image of a whole fish embryo, made up of more than 26,000 tiled images recorded on an electron microscope. The tiles have been stitched together with newly developed software that allows thousands of tiles to be aligned rapidly and accurately. The image comprises 281 Giga pixels; displaying it in a web browser allows scientists the unprecedented opportunity to view the constituents of an organism at very high resolution. To our knowledge, this is the first time such a comprehensive, high-resolution view of an organism has been published on-line, for anyone to view and examine. Tiled images are common in many different imaging applications, including light microscopy and digital pathology, so the new JCB DataViewer technology opens the doors to these new types of data as well.

First released in December 2008, the JCB DataViewer (http://jcb-dataviewer.rupress.org) has been under continuous development to support new data types and to provide new functionality for its users. This new version of the JCB DataViewer allows authors to archive and share large tiled images and allows the scientific community to interactively browse the original data. Public availability of these datasets creates opportunities for further discovery by scientists beyond those that performed the original experiments.

The JCB DataViewer currently contains original image data associated with 261 manuscripts published in JCB, and the image data submission rate by authors is steadily increasing. Publication of tiled data will substantially increase the size of datasets hosted within the JCB DataViewer, but Glencoe Software, Inc., and JCB welcome and are prepared for the growth of this resource. Liz Williams, Executive Editor of JCB, said, "With the publication of very large tiled image arrays, JCB is very excited to be taking this next step in the development of new publishing tools to promote data sharing and discovery in the field of cell biology." Mike Rossner, Director of The Rockefeller University Press, added, "This update to the JCB DataViewer is part of our ongoing expansion of the image data formats that can be presented and shared by JCB authors."

The JCB DataViewer is based on open source software built by the Open Microscopy Environment (OME; http://openmicroscopy.org). Founded in 2000, OME builds and releases specifications and software tools for scientific image data, and its tools are used throughout the academic and commercial communities. Glencoe Software, Inc., has used OME's resources to build the JCB DataViewer and is a proud member of the OME Consortium.

Jason Swedlow, President of Glencoe Software, Inc. and co-founder of OME, said "OME and Glencoe Software are excited to be a part of this important development and milestone in scientific publishing. OME's infrastructure has many possible applications, and the whole OME team is proud of the work enabling access and sharing of very large tiled images in science."

Glencoe Software, Inc. is a member of the OME Consortium and provides commercial access to and customization of OME resources. With increasing proliferation and complexity of research image datasets and the need for secure sharing, analysis, and visualization, Glencoe Software is well placed to deliver secure, scalable solutions based on an open-source, community-driven foundation.

http://www.glencoesoftware.com

The JCB DataViewer hosts image data associated with articles published in The Journal of Cell Biology. JCB is published by The Rockefeller University Press, which also publishes The Journal of Experimental Medicine and The Journal of General Physiology. All editorial decisions on manuscripts submitted to the Press journals are made by active scientists in conjunction with in-house scientific editors. All published content is available for free six months after publication. Authors retain copyright to their publications, and third parties may reuse the content under a Creative Commons license.

http://www.rupress.org

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Glencoe Software and 'The Journal of Cell Biology' Pioneer Publishing of Massive, Ultra-Resolution Images

Lunch & Learn session Wednesday

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VAIL Vail Vitality Center's popular Lunch & Learn series continues Wednesday with a lecture from Dr. Heidi Archer on The Importance of the Thyroid Gland.

The thyroid gland is a two-inch long gland in the neck that has an important job: producing the thyroid hormones that regulate the body's metabolic function (the body's use of energy).

All of the hormones in your body work together, so levels of one hormone affect all of your other hormones, including thyroid hormone levels, Archer said. At Vail Vitality Center we can test your current hormone levels for any imbalances and help you bring your hormones back into harmony.

A sluggish thyroid, or hypothyroidism, is the most common type of thyroid imbalance. It occurs when the thyroid gland is under-active and may cause symptoms including:

General fatigue waking up exhausted no matter how much sleep you get.

Hair loss.

Weight gain (both fluid and fat) despite working out more and eating less.

Puffiness in the face and/or swelling of the ankles.

Low body temperature ice cold hands or feet.

Digestive problems (constipation, irritable bowel).

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Lunch & Learn session Wednesday