Monthly Archives: October 2012

Court ruling takes teeth out of health care amendment

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By MARY SHEDDEN | The Tampa Tribune Published: October 03, 2012 Updated: October 03, 2012 - 12:00 AM

It's been surprisingly quiet around the state regarding Amendment 1, a constitutional proposal to block the controversial insurance mandate in the federal health care law.

From the presidential race on down, politicians have been predictably strident about this hot-button issue. But it's hard to find yard signs, advertisements or campaign literature about this amendment, which, as conceived, would prevent Florid-ians or their employers from being required to get health insurance.

Both proponents and critics have decided to put their campaign money and energy elsewhere, since a U.S. Supreme Court decision in June renders the Florida amendment moot.

Instead, groups are quietly urging a yes or no vote in election guides and with a handful of guest columns in Florida media.

"It basically will be on the books, and that's it," Rachel Morgan, senior policy specialist for the national Conference of State Legislatures, said of the Amendment 1 vote.

But the quiet debate doesn't mean the amendment has lost its political urgency, said Laura Goodhue, executive director of Florida CHAIN, a health care advocacy group that is against Amendment 1.

A "yes" vote could be used politically by legislative leaders, Goodhue said. Those vying to repeal the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or file new lawsuits could use it as ammunition, she said.

"We're concerned because the state has really tried everything they can do in their power to see that residents don't see the benefits of the Affordable Care Act," Goodhue said of the ballot issue, which needs a 60 percent "yes" vote to be added to the Florida Constitution.

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Court ruling takes teeth out of health care amendment

Study: Romney health care plan to leave 72M uninsured

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A new study released by the private foundation, The Commonwealth Fund, has revealed that 72 million Americans would be uninsured by 2022 if Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney wins the election and has his health care plan enacted. That compares to 27 million uninsured by the same time if President Barack Obama's Affordable Health Care Act (ACA) was kept in place with his reelection.

"There are stark differences between what each candidate has proposed for our health care system, and this report shines a light on how Americans might be affected, based on their age, their income, and where they live," the report's lead author Sara Collins, vice president for affordable health insurance at the Commonwealth Fund said to CNN. "The report finds that repealing the ACA would significantly increase the number of Americans without health insurance, limiting their ability to get the health care they need and exposing them to burdensome medical bills and debt."

The analysis was conducted by economist Jonathan Gruber, who advised the policymakers who wrote the ACA.

Currently, the government says there are more than 48 million Americans -- about 16 percent of the population -- without health insurance.

The percentage of uninsured people with President Barack Obama's Affordable Health Care Act by 2022.

While some of President Barack Obama's ACA has already been implemented -- such as free preventive women's health care, allowing children 26 and younger to be covered by their parent's plans and not allowing insurance companies to deny people with pre-existing conditions -- many of the proposed changes will not be enforced until 2014. These include implementing near-universal health care coverage, with steps like expanding Medicaid health insurance plans to cover more low income people and organizing state-regulated plans that people can choose from.

State plans would all have to fit regulations set by the federal government, which has also set goals of including free annual wellness exams and getting rid of the prescription drug benefit's "donut hole" -- or gap between the initial coverage limit and the upper limit set by the federal government. In general, they are high-deductible insurance plans, which means low premiums but higher deductibles in case of an accident.

The Commonwealth Fund, which has supported the ACA, said that if all the intended changes were made, 23 million more Americans would get insurance.

However, in comparison, The Commonwealth Fund's analysis showed that 12 million fewer Americans would receive health insurance under Romney's plan compared with current rates. Romney has pledged to repeal the ACA and implement his own changes, which he believes will encourage more private insurance incentives (instead of state-decided plans) and give the individual more say in choosing a plan that is right for them. For example, those who wouldn't seek preventive women's health care wouldn't pay for those services under his plan.

The study also found that Romney's plan would cost Americans more money. People who choose to buy health insurance on their own would pay 14 percent of their income, compared to only 9 percent under the ACA, The Commonwealth Fund stated. The Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation added that repealing the ACA would cost a federal budget deficit of $109 billion between 2013 and 2022.

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Study: Romney health care plan to leave 72M uninsured

Panel Obamacare won8217t improve costs nor quality

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CONCORD The Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, will increase access to health care and reduce the number of uninsured, but will do little if anything to control costs or improve quality.

That was the underlying theme from both the keynote speaker and panelists Tuesday at the fourth annual New Hampshire Business Review Health Care Forum, which attracted nearly 300 business leaders, human resources executives and health care professionals to the Grappone Conference Center, all looking for insight into the complex legislation.

The Supreme Court is not going to take away the ACA, nor is November (election) going to take away ACA, said panelist Lucy Hodder, chair of the Health Care Practice Group at the law firm of Rath, Young & Pignatelli. The ACA is here to stay. It may be tinkered with, but if you do away with it, you still have to deal with costs.

Keynote speaker Aaron Carroll, a pediatrician and director of the Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research, based at Indiana University, told the crowd that the impact of the ACA may be overstated when it comes to the scope of changes needed in the health care system.

We have made some strides in terms of access, he said, but cost is a real issue, and we havent even touched on quality.

Carroll said the new health care law is primarily targeted at the uninsured. He said individuals who now get insurance through their employers, Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Administration or other government programs are not likely to notice much change as major provisions of the law take effect.

Businesses with fewer than 50 employees are exempt from the mandate to provide health insurance or pay a fine, and most companies with more than 50 employees already provide some form of coverage that would be acceptable under the law.

Things arent going to change that dramatically for most businesses, said panelist Chara Stevens, director of the Human Resources Council of New Hampshire. For the most part, its going to be business as usual.

The individual mandate to have health insurance and the expansion of Medicaid will improve access, but the problems of high cost and poor results are not being addressed despite the huge investment, Carroll said in an interview after the event.

The ACA is all about expanding access, he said. It does that with about $1 trillion more in spending over a decade. That investment will do little to improve outcomes or contain costs, he said.

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Panel Obamacare won8217t improve costs nor quality

Experts discuss impact of health care on campaigns

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On the eve of the first presidential debate, some of the nations foremost experts on the contested subject of health care policy converged to discuss the nuances and complications of U.S. health care reform.

During Tuesday's event, panelists discussed the trials and tribulations of health care policy in the United States and analyzed the role it has played in the upcoming election. The discussion was the second of two forums hosted by the Ross Office of Tax Policy Research at the Ross School of Business, that are designed to raise awareness of prominent campaign issues.

David Leonhardt, the Washington bureau chief for The New York Times, said during the event that health care reform has been a critical and divisive topic of presidential debate for decades.

(Health care) is a hugely complicated problem, and thats why you see it in the subject of some of the most difficult, toughest political fights we have had in this country really for 80 years, Leonhardt said.

He noted that all former presidents who have tried to reform U.S. health care policy were unsuccessful.

FDR failed to get universal health care, Harry Truman failed, JFK failed, LBJ failed, Richard Nixon failed and Bill Clinton failed, Leonhardt said. Nearly everyone who has tried failed.

Leonhardt noted that the election is becoming increasingly polarized between voters who support the Affordable Care Act and those who believe it should be repealed, even though its legality was affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year.

Jonathan Gruber, a professor of economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said the country has two primary choices for the future of health care.

The fight in this country is stuck between two extremes: on the one hand we have the left, which says we should have a single health system like Canada on the right they say the system works fine, Gruber said.

Gruber said of the options, neither is possible or sustainable, and the government must build on the existing system in formulating effective reform policies.

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Experts discuss impact of health care on campaigns

Cellectis Publishes Results Paving the Way for New Therapeutic Approaches against Cancer and Genetic Diseases

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PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Regulatory News:

Cellectis (ALCLS.PA), the French genome engineering specialist, announces in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, one of the most respected scientific journals in the world, the publication of a new approach regarding the targeted modification of DNA2. The manuscript unmasks novel perspectives and broadens the scope of TALENsTM technology to new therapeutic approaches to fight against cancer and genetic diseases. Until now, TALENsTM, the molecular scissors created by Cellectis Group, were only able to target certain parts of the genome. A team of the Groups researchers, led by Julien Valton and Philippe Duchateau, was able to overcome this constraint, opening the way to a wider range of applications, especially in the therapeutic field.

This study, the first to be published on TALENsTM, was awarded by the selection committee of the JBC as Paper of the Week.

Since their identification in 2009, TALEs have quickly emerged as the new generation of DNA-binding domain with programmable specificity and have been successfully used to generate the molecular scissors known as TALENsTM. However, their sensitivity to methylation, a ubiquitous modification of DNA, represents a major bottleneck for their widespread utilization in the genome engineering and therapeutic fields. Using a combination of biochemical, structural and cellular approaches, the R&D department of Cellectis was able to identify the basis of such sensitivity and more importantly, to propose an efficient and universal method to overcome it.

These results are proof of the scientific creativity and quality of our research teams, as well as the power of our genome engineering tools. This new publication strengthens the relevance of our investment in TALEstechnology, and confirms our strategy within the therapeutic field, declared Andr Choulika, Chief Executive Officer of Cellectis Group.

2) Overcoming TALE DNA Binding Domain Sensitivity to Cytosine Methylation Julien Valton, Aurelie Dupuy, Fayza Daboussi, Severine Thomas, Alan Marechal, Rachel Macmaster, Kevin Melliand, Alexandre Juillerat and Philippe Duchateau J. Biol. Chem. jbc.C112.408864. First Published on September 26, 2012, doi:10.1074/jbc.C112.408864

About Cellectis

Founded in France in 1999, the Cellectis Group is based on a highly specific DNA engineering technology. Its application sectors are human health, agriculture and bio-energies. Co-created by Andr Choulika, its Chief Executive Officer, Cellectis is today one of the world leading companies in the field of genome engineering. The Group has a workforce of 230 employees working on 5 sites worldwide: Paris & Evry in France, Gothenburg in Sweden, St Paul (Minnesota) & Cambridge (Massachusetts) in the United States. Cellectis achieved in 2011 16M revenues and has signed more than 80 industrial agreements with pharmaceutical laboratories, agrochemical and biotechnology companies since its inception. AFM, Dupont, BASF, Bayer, Total, Limagrain, Novo Nordisk are some of the Groups clients and partners.

Since 2007, Cellectis has been listed on NYSE-Euronext Alternext market (ALCLS.PA) in Paris.

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Cellectis Publishes Results Paving the Way for New Therapeutic Approaches against Cancer and Genetic Diseases

Nuvilex Subsidiary Austrianova Singapore to Participate in AusBiotech 2012

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SILVER SPRING, Md. and SINGAPORE, Oct. 2, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nuvilex, Inc. (NVLX), an international biotechnology provider of cell and gene therapy solutions, announced today its wholly-owned subsidiary, Austrianova Singapore Pte Ltd (ASPL) will attend this year's AusBiotech event.

The annual AusBiotech event this year will be held from October 30 - November 2 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia. It has earned a reputation as the industry's premier biotechnology conference for the Asia Pacific region and has successfully expanded its relevance to the Australian and International Biotechnology industries by attracting more than 1100 participants from over 20 countries.

Dr Brian Salmons, CEO of ASPL said, "AusBiotech has grown in stature over the past several years. In prior years, we entered agreements with companies and found it to be one of the most valuable events for networking with new contacts. We anticipate meeting with companies with proprietary therapeutic cells, such as stem cells, that can leverage their technology with our Cell-in-a-Box(R) delivery system. We believe the new contacts we make will expand our customer base and increase the use of cell and gene therapy for making therapeutic products and treating diseases. We will also be promoting our Bac-in-a-Box(R) technology for the first time at this meeting and anticipate generating interest around its potential."

The Chief Executive of Nuvilex, Dr. Robert Ryan, stated "Attendance at this important biotech event in Australia and within easy reach of Southeast Asia will enable us to have increased exposure for our Cell-in-a-Box(R) and Bac-in-a-Box(R) live cell encapsulation technology and to showcase its immense versatility, thus providing our companies greater visibility at a time that such capabilities are becoming more important in the marketplace. It is our goal to bring more projects to fruition from this meeting as more companies today are looking to bring cellular-based therapy and product creation from the drawing board to reality and into regular use."

About Nuvilex

Nuvilex, Inc. (NVLX) is an international biotechnology provider of live therapeutically valuable, encapsulated cells and services for research and medicine. A great deal of work is ongoing to move Nuvilex and its Austrianova Singapore subsidiary forward. This was clearly apparent during Dr. Ryan's trip to Singapore and the advent of new developments in the company as a whole. Our company's own offerings will include cancer, diabetes, other treatments and capabilities using the company's cell and gene therapy expertise and live-cell encapsulation technology.

The Nuvilex, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=13494

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements described within the 1995 Private Securities Litigation Reform Act involving risks and uncertainties including product demand, market competition, and meeting current or future plans which may cause actual results, events, and performances, expressed or implied, to vary and/or differ from those contemplated or predicted. Investors should study and understand all risks before making an investment decision. Readers are recommended not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Nuvilex is not obliged to publicly release revisions to any forward-looking statement, reflect events or circumstances afterward, or disclose unanticipated occurrences, except as required under applicable laws.

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Nuvilex Subsidiary Austrianova Singapore to Participate in AusBiotech 2012

Gene therapy a possible option for obesity

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Newly published obesity research coming out of the University of Alberta has touched upon a possible avenue for obesity reduction.

Jason Dyck, a U of A medical researcher and professor, is the lead researcher for the study, which may be close to finding a new way to combat obesity.

In this study, mice are fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet the type of diet that generally leads to obesity. They then have adiponectin DNA injected into their leg muscles.

Adiponectin, secreted by fat cells, is known to have heart-protective and weight-regulating properties. If fat cells get too large, they no longer secrete normal amounts of the hormone-like substance.

What Dyck and his research team have found is the mice receiving this gene therapy start to produce adiponectin in higher levels, thus exhibiting weight loss.

Regardless of its high fat diet, the mouse is acting like a skinny mouse, Dyck said.

Treating obesity as an illness has raised some eyebrows in the Edmonton community, including radio show host Yukon Jack who said, if being fat is a disease, then playing bingo is a professional sport.

Dyck says this viewpoint probably reflects the majority of opinions about obesity. However, many doctors and medical professonals consider obesity a disease.

But this type of research has broader applications than just exercise-free weight loss. Obesity is closely linked with the loss of insulin sensitivity observed in Type 2 Diabetes.

What we are seeing with this gene therapy is a significant, but modest effect on weight gain. Despite only a slight reduction in weight gain, we are still seeing almost a complete restoration of insulin sensitivity, Dyck said.

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Gene therapy a possible option for obesity

Owner of Bank Freedom Considers Sale or Merger of Bank Freedom after Receiving Unsolicited Inquiries from Parties …

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HENDERSON, Nev., Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- PrepaYd, Inc. (OTC PINK: PPDC) , which owns 100% of Bank Freedom today announced it is considering selling or merging Bank Freedom. Recently PrepaYd, Inc. has received unsolicited inquiries from qualified parties looking to buy versus build a prepaid debit card company. As of today no letter of intent has been reached with any party however the company may actively seek other candidates if its current talks don't materialize into an agreement.

About PrepaYd, Inc.

PrepaYd, Inc. is a provider of financial services in the prepaid debit card industry. The company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, offers prepaid debit cards to America's estimated 60 million underbanked citizens. In addition to the underbanked consumer demographic, small and mid-size businesses have found a much-needed product with the company's Prepaid Business Expense Card Program. With the diminishing credit card markets, companies need a new way to fund employees' expenses other than through traditional credit cards or cash reimbursements.

PrepaYd Inc. also owns PrepaYd Wireless, Inc. which provides the postpaid experience without the contract, and is a new leading provider for No Contract Wireless Service with Unlimited Plans starting at $35 per month. Since the company's official launch in December 2011, the company has expanded its distribution through independent retail locations and by offering service plans that include Nationwide Coverage in all 50 states and Puerto Rico and by including all sales, telecom and usage taxes. For more information about PrepaYd Wireless, Inc. visit http://www.PrepaYdWireless.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT: To the extent that this release discusses any expectations concerning future plans, financial results or performance, such statements are forward-looking within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof and reflect only management's belief and expectations based upon presently available information. These statements, and other forward-looking statements, are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and the company assumes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this release.

For more information about PrepaYd, Inc. visit http://www.PrepaYdInc.com.

Contact: Bruce Berman 702 430 4775

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Owner of Bank Freedom Considers Sale or Merger of Bank Freedom after Receiving Unsolicited Inquiries from Parties ...

In Egypt, freedom is up for debate

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CAIRO ?? Graffiti and artwork from last year denouncing former dictator Hosni Mubarak can be seen on walls and buildings, reminders of the freedom with which Egyptians expressed themselves during their revolt.

Yet nearly 20 months after the uprising that ousted Mubarak, who stifled free speech for decades, Egypt is deciding whether to embrace or restrict liberties cherished in the West.

The impending completion of a draft constitution will decide the question of whether Egypt creates a society that looks to the Western model of tolerance of dissenting views or the authoritarian example of criminalizing opinions that are repugnant to the majority of citizens.

One path for the future was brought into focus last month when hundreds of Egyptians denounced America for allowing a filmmaker to make a video critical of Islam. Several thousand Salafis who support a stringent Islamic state in Egypt stormed the U.S. Embassy compound with others and tore down the American flag.

"Those who insulted Prophet Mohammed [with] the film are hiding behind the Western laws of freedom of expression that we totally reject," said Abdel Shafi, head of the Islamic Lawyers Association. "What they did and the laws they take refuge behind are totally despicable."

Shafi said a constitution being drafted by lawmakers should clearly indicate that freedom of expression and opinion should be applied to everything but religion.

"Disdaining religion is a clearly defined crime within the Egyptian legal system," he said. "What we need now is to practically and strictly uphold those laws."

Dina Zakaria, a representative of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) that dominated parliamentary elections before the body was dissolved, said the Brotherhood believes in freedom of religion and speech. "If you don't allow for it you are encouraging extremism in society," she said.

There's one exception, she said.

"Humiliation of any religion, of any prophet, we are against that," Zakaria said. "This has nothing to do with freedom of speech. It means that you just give a chance for those who want to create chaos to do that."

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In Egypt, freedom is up for debate

Freedom survives league opener against Heritage

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by Michael Dixon Thepress.Net

Senior quarterback Dante Mayes fights off Heritage defensive back Dmaree Lewis during the Falcons 31-24 win Sept. 28. Photo by Angelo Garcia Jr.

Someone was hurt and came out, Mixon said. I needed to step up and make a play.

Mixon also contributed big-time on the other side of the ball, carrying the offense most of the first half after playmaker Darrell Daniels left with an injury. While the Falcons managed only a single field goal before halftime, Mixon kept the Falcons offense on the field long enough to ensure that Heritage wouldnt score more than a field goal of its own.

Freedom and Heritage got their offenses cranking in the second half. Daniels returned to score a 46-yard touchdown, and run for another. Not to be left out, Mayes scored on a 65-yard keeper himself. The Patriots offense, however, put up a good fight. Heritage scored on a three-yard run from junior Nick Zalec and a one-yarder from Julian Johnson to close a wild third quarter.

Freedom appeared to ice the game on a 53-yard TD sprint from Mixon, but Heritage responded with a 22-yard scoring strike from Carter to senior receiver Johnny Briseno.

We were off and on, but I felt that we stepped up when we needed to, Mayes said. We stuck to the short game and gave the ball to Joe.

Not only does the victory usher the Falcons into their bye week on an upbeat note; it gives some of their banged-up players more time to heal. Daniels played for most of the second half, but was clearly not 100 percent. Were on bye, baby, Freedom head coach Kevin Hartwig said. Thats the biggest adjustment right there. Now we have a week to get healthy.

The Falcons record now stands at 4-2 overall and 1-0 in Bay Valley Athletic League play. When they return to the field in two weeks, theyll face Pittsburg, which has earned an identical record after beating Liberty 29-8.

Heritage (0-6, 0-1 in the BVAL) will use its bye week to regroup. Despite being winless so far, the Patriots have lost by only a touchdown in three of their six games. The Patriots face an undefeated Antioch team Oct. 12.

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Soldiers in town freedom march

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3 October 2012 Last updated at 02:29 ET

Soldiers from 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh regiment are to exercise their right to march through Bridgend with colours flying and bayonets fixed.

The Freedom of Bridgend was conferred on The Royal Welsh in August 2008.

On Wednesday, the battalion's Fire Support Company will march through the town, joined by the Band of the Prince of Wales Division.

Around 130 troops are expected to take part in the event, led by Shenkin the Regimental Goat and the Goat Major.

Army cadets and ex-servicemen from the county are also to take part.

The battalion deployed as sub-units to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2011, although more recently it has provided training for troops deploying to Operation Herrick.

Fire Support Company is one of three units making up the battalion, which recruits from around Wales although it is based in Tidworth, Wiltshire.

Having the freedom of the the town means the battalion is allowed to parade with colours flying, bayonets fixed, drums beating and bands playing.

The parade will march through Queen Street, Caroline Street, Adare Street and Wyndham Street before ending at Bridgend Recreation Centre.

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Malaysia slips in Internet freedom; same ranking as Libya

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KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 Malaysias Internet freedom has worsened this year as seen in the latest global survey of 47 countries, putting it on the same level as Libya after Putrajaya introduced new laws seen to curb electronic media use.

Internet freedom for Southeast Asias third-biggest economy was judged to be only partly free, after it scored 43 out of 100 points the same as Libya dropping two notches in the Freedom on the Net 2012: A Global Assessment of Internet and Digital Media report released last week by Freedom House, a US research organisation advocating democracy, political freedom and human rights.

The annual study evaluates each country based on barriers to access, limits on content, and violations of user rights, and traces trends from January 2011 to May 2012. The lower the numerical score, the better the ranking.

Each country is marked on a score from 0 (the most free) to 100 (the least free), which serves as the basis for an Internet freedom status designation of Free (0-30 points), Partly Free (31-60 points), or Not Free (61-100 points).

Malaysia took the 23rd spot, trailing behind the Philippines, South Korea, India and Indonesia among the Asian countries surveyed.

But Malaysia came out ahead of Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Pakistan, Vietnam, Myanmar and China. Singapore was not included in Freedom Houses global study.

The top five spots in descending order were occupied by Estonia, the United States, Germany, Australia and Hungary, which scored fewer than 20 points out of 100.

The report cited the recent amendments to the Evidence Act 1950, namely Section 114A of the law, which holds the computer or equipment owner liable for seditious content as a very troubling development.

It noted that bloggers and Internet users who were critical of the federal government and royalty have also been subject to arrests, legal harassment, fines and detention even as it noted such cases had dropped compared to last year.

It also noted the increase in the use of cybertroopers deployed by both government and opposition parties to produce either favourable content for themselves or harmful content towards opponents.

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Porn Again

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J.M. Giordano

Kevin slaughters literary interests include illustrated pornography, satanic texts, nietzsche. and eugenics.

A few years Ago, when the peep booths over at Sweden Books on the Block switched to DVD, Kevin I. Slaughter happened upon 3,000 Super 8 porn movies. It took him three trips to get them all home, where the boxes and boxes of antique smut and all of the projectors fill up the attic in the house he shares with his wife.

We had to have that awkward talk about masturbation, eroticism, objectification, Slaughter says. I tried to frame it in evolutionary biological termsthe different ways men and women work. And being the egotistical individualist that I tend to be, its like, this is who I am. The biggest tension now is that the attic is full of it. It is more an issue about hoarding than porn.

Slaughter is not just a porn freak. For him, its also about the cultural value of these objects. He wants to digitize the films and preserve them. He says that the blues have faded out of the film, meaning these blue movies are beginning to appear largely red. I might have the only image of some film, you know, that exists anywhere, he says. The Kinsey Institute does some preserving of old porn, but not too much, and so I cant just get rid of it.

This preservationist attitude is also behind Slaughters publishing venture, Underworld Amusements. Using print-on-demand technology, he can bring out public domain books that may only sell a dozen copies. As a result, he can afford to publish only those works which allow him to say what he wants to say. When people ask him why he doesnt write, Slaughter replies: When I stop finding other writers who have said what I want to say a hundred times better, then I will start writing.

Underworld Amusements catalog includes new editions of old, illustrated pornographic texts called dirty readers; H.L Menckens translation of German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsches The Anti-Christ; and a Satanic anthology in Spanish, to be released around December. Slaughter tends toward what he calls the fringes and neglected and intentionally pushed away. Of course, ideas like this dont pay the rent and, in addition to publishing, Slaughter does freelance graphic design and works at a gun shop on weekends.

With an antiquated, copper-colored mustache, a tall brow made taller by the grease in his hair, and retro clothes, Slaughter looks like he could have stepped out of a Coen brothers film. The walls of his living room are lined with his vast collection of booksan entire shelf of adult paperbacks, old educational manuals, Spengler, Nietzsche, Mencken, and he can quote from almost any of them in regard to any number of his obsessions, which include, in addition to porn, radical individualism, free-thinking, and eugenics (which he insists is not racist and has more scientific validity than cultural anthropology).

This may seem like a strange and somewhat unsavory combination of interests now, but porn and high-minded ideas have gone hand in handor something in somethingfor centuries. Works like James Joyces Ulysses and Henry Millers Tropic of Cancer were considered porn and were distributed by houses that dealt in smut. As Underworld Amusements web site puts it, it produces and disseminates objects celebrating [sic] both human accomplishment [and] human degeneracy.

Slaughters print-on-demand venture is the natural outgrowth of the zine culture he grew up around in Winston-Salem, N.C., in the 1980s. He started his first zine in middle school, and in his freshman year of high school, he published The Modern Anarchist, which printed the names and addresses of his teachers. Though he got into some trouble, Slaughter says that to some people it seemed the teachers behaved a little better for the rest of the year.

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Porn Again

Q&BA: How do we know some meteorites come from Mars? | Bad Astronomy

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This Q&BA videos a bit longer than usual, but what the heck. Its a fun topic!

First: every now again when I have time I do an interactive live video chat on Google+ where people can ask me questions about space and astronomy. I call it Q&BA, and its always fun to hear what questions are on peoples minds.

In this episode of Q&BA, I was asked about Mars meteorites: how do they get to Earth? I talk about their transport mechanism, as well as how they get blasted of the surface of Mars, and how we know they come from the Red Planet at all. Its a pretty common question, and a pretty cool little slice of science.

[Note: I was having software issues when I recorded this on a Google+ Hangout in January 2012, and the aspect ratio is a bit wonky.]

So there you go. Ive seen a few Mars meteorites, and theyre pretty nifty. One of these days Ill have to see about getting one to add to my collection of iron and stony meteorites, too. Its be nice to have a chunk of actual planet thats not Earth sitting on my display shelf.

I have an archive of Q&BA links and videos. Take a look and see if there are other ones that tickle your imagination.

Related Posts:

- Q&BA: Can we build a space habitat? - Q&BA: The Science of Science Fiction - Q&BA: Which moon has the best chance for life? - Q&BA: Why spend money on NASA? - Q&BA: What happens if you are exposed to the vacuum of space?

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Q&BA: How do we know some meteorites come from Mars? | Bad Astronomy

Canada’s shrinking aerospace horizon

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Gilles Labb had a dream to create a diversified aerospace powerhouse.

The head of Hroux-Devtek Inc. spent decades building the Montreal company into a thriving maker of aircraft landing gear, airframes and industrial turbines with an ambitious growth strategy.

But in a strategic about-face in July, the company announced a plan to focus on its landing-gear business and sell most assets in its other divisions. Mr. Labb said the board, fed up with the companys languishing stock price, decided to sell non-core assets in a bid to boost shareholder value as a pure play.

The decision has had the desired effect. Hroux-Devtek shares have soared more than 50 per cent since the news.

But the move also highlights growing concern about Canadas aerospace sector.

After more than two decades of solid progress, Canadas aerospace industry today is under threat from an increasingly competitive global aerospace market and eager new rivals intent on dominating the sector.

The loss of a promising aero structures research and development hub at Hroux-Devtek weakens Canadas aerospace sector and makes it more vulnerable to hungrier emerging economies, said Mehran Ebrahimi, a professor and director of a group studying aerospace-company management at the University of Quebec at Montreal.

A part of our expertise has just been sold, he said. This is worrying and were seeing more and more of it.

Canadian aerospace manufacturing owes much of its world-class status to Bombardier Inc.s game-changing family of regional jets. Where it once had only one rival Brazils Embraer SA in the regional-jet market, Bombardier now faces competition from new entrants in China, Russia and Japan.

In its business-jet division, Bombardier used to be up against four big rivals. Then, Brazils Embraer got into the game and now companies in China and Japan are also planning to join the fray.

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Canada’s shrinking aerospace horizon

B/E Aerospace Schedules 2012 Third Quarter Earnings Release and Conference Call for October 23, 2012

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WELLINGTON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

B/E Aerospace (BEAV) will issue its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2012 prior to the opening of the NASDAQ Stock Market on Tuesday, October 23, 2012, and will hold a conference call to discuss the results at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, October 23, 2012. A live audio broadcast of the conference call, along with a supplemental presentation, will be available on the investor relations page of the companys website at http://www.beaerospace.com.

About B/E Aerospace

B/E Aerospace is the worlds leading manufacturer of aircraft cabin interior products and the worlds leading distributor of aerospace fasteners and consumables. B/E Aerospace designs, develops and manufactures a broad range of products for both commercial aircraft and business jets. B/E Aerospace manufactured products include aircraft cabin seating, lighting, oxygen, and food and beverage preparation and storage equipment. The company also provides cabin interior design, reconfiguration and passenger-to-freighter conversion services. B/E Aerospace sells and supports its products through its own global direct sales and product support organization. For more information, visit the B/E Aerospace website at http://www.beaerospace.com.

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B/E Aerospace Schedules 2012 Third Quarter Earnings Release and Conference Call for October 23, 2012

Third Rock Ventures Appoints Personalized Medicine Expert Felix W. Frueh, Ph.D., as Entrepreneur-in-Residence

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BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Third Rock Ventures, LLC, a venture capital firm focused on building life sciences companies, today announced that Felix W. Frueh, Ph.D., has joined Third Rock as an entrepreneur-in-residence (EIR). As an EIR, Dr. Frueh will provide strategic input on new and existing portfolio companies with a particular focus on personalized medicine.

We are pleased to welcome Felix to our growing team of industry leaders, said Alexis Borisy, partner of Third Rock Ventures. Since the founding of Third Rock, we have been dedicated to launching companies focused on personalized medicine, and Felix is the ideal person to help us continue to grow and develop those companies in our portfolio and discover new opportunities to invest in the space.

Dr. Frueh is a thought leader in personalized medicine with 15 years of R&D, management and policy experience. Most recently, Dr. Frueh served as president of the Medco Research Institute, leading Medcos real-world, outcomes-oriented research initiatives and collaborations after having formed Medcos personalized medicine research and development organization. Prior to joining Medco, Dr. Frueh was associate director for genomics at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where he built and led the core genomics review team in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and chaired the first FDA-wide, interdisciplinary pharmacogenomics review group (IPRG). Before joining the FDA, he held senior positions at several biotechnology companies. Dr. Frueh has been a member of various working groups on genetics and genomics at the FDA and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). He serves on the board of the Personalized Medicine Coalition and is also a board member at Enterome Biosciences. He is an adjunct faculty member at the Institute for Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy (IPIT) at the University of North Carolina (UNC) and held faculty appointments in the Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University and the University of Basel, Switzerland, where he also received his Ph.D. in biochemistry.

Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to see new technologies and innovative approaches in personalized medicine make an impact on the lives of patients, said Dr. Frueh. I believe that Third Rocks approach to investing in cutting edge science has the potential to make a tremendous difference, and I look forward to being a part of that effort.

About Third Rock Ventures

Third Rock Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2007 with the mission to launch transformative life sciences companies. With more than $800 million and two funds under management, the firm is focused on working with passionate entrepreneurs to build exceptional companies working in areas of disruptive science that will make a difference in the lives of patients. The firm has assembled a team with deep expertise and a proven track record of building respected and successful life sciences companies. With decades of complementary, cross-functional operational and leadership experience, the Third Rock team actively engages with its portfolio companies to provide hands-on strategy and experience to successfully launch companies with the best vision, science, operations, people and culture. With offices in Boston, MA and San Francisco, CA, Third Rock is well positioned geographically to closely collaborate with its portfolio companies to achieve their goals. To learn more about Third Rock and its portfolio companies, please visit http://www.thirdrockventures.com.

Current Third Rock Portfolio Companies

Ablexis, Afferent Pharmaceuticals, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Alcresta, Allena Pharmaceuticals, Alnara Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Eli Lilly & Co. in 2010), bluebird bio, Blueprint Medicines, Constellation Pharmaceuticals, CytomX Therapeutics, DC Devices, Edimer Pharmaceuticals, Eleven Biotherapeutics, Ember Therapeutics, Foundation Medicine, Global Blood Therapeutics, Igenica, Kala Pharmaceuticals, Lotus Tissue Repair, MyoKardia, Nine Point Medical, PanOptica Pharmaceuticals, Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, SAGE Therapeutics, Seventh Sense Biosystems, Taris Biomedical, Topica Pharmaceuticals, Warp Drive Bio and Zafgen.

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Third Rock Ventures Appoints Personalized Medicine Expert Felix W. Frueh, Ph.D., as Entrepreneur-in-Residence

Mainz University Medical Center searches for treatment for posttraumatic pain syndrome

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02.10.2012 - (idw) Universittsmedizin der Johannes Gutenberg-Universitt Mainz

German Research Foundation funds a three-year joint project of the Mainz University Medical Center and the University of Mnster to the tune of about EUR 460,000

The work group "Pain Autonomic Nervous System" headed by Professor Dr. Frank Birklein of the Department of Neurology at the Mainz University Medical Center and the collaborating research team of bioanalyst Professor Dr. Simone Knig of the University of Mnster have been granted funding of approximately EUR 460,000 by the German Research Foundation (DFG) to conduct research into the complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). This syndrome is a posttraumatic pain disorder that some 5 percent of patients develop after an injury, such as a bone fracture. These patients exhibit exacerbated inflammatory reactions in the affected limbs, the symptoms of which include hyperthermia, edema, excessive sweating, and pain on movement. The aim of this three-year joint research project is to study the inflammatory processes in the tissue and thus develop a rapid, targeted, and individually tailored treatment for CRPS.

If, several weeks after suffering an injury or an accident or undergoing surgery to arms or legs, the patient continues to have severe and persistent pain coupled with vegetative symptoms in the affected extremities for which there is no apparent cause, it is often the case that this individual is suffering from what is known as the complex regional pain syndrome (CPRS, also called Sudeck's atrophy). In such cases, the pain does not subside as expected after a relatively minor injury such as bruising or a sprained ankle or following surgery. Instead, the pain becomes more severe and other symptoms develop, such as swelling, temperature changes of the skin, increased hair and nail growth, and restriction of movement and functions. If there are nerves that were damaged by the original injury, the condition is called complex regional pain syndrome type II (CRPS II). It is estimated that about 5,000 to 10,000 patients in Germany are affected annually, among them significantly more women than men. Most patients are in the age range of 40 to 60 years. The mechanisms underlying this disorder are still not understood so treatment is fairly non-specific. The diagnosis can often only be made by the process of elimination. On the other hand, if CRPS is detected at an early stage it can be cured. The earlier treatment begins, the better the chances of recovery. The illness is currently treated by a multimodal treatment approach, which usually involves a combination of drug treatment, physiotherapy, and psychotherapy. During the research project, the researchers at the Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz will be studying how and why the inflammatory processes occur in the tissue in CRPS and in particular why they do not disappear when the wound has physically healed. The researchers of Birklein's work group in the Department of Neurology at the Mainz University Medical Center along with their national and international cooperation partners around the world have published most of the medical articles on the topic of CRPS so far and have already made important progress towards describing and detecting the inflammation associated with CRPS. "If we want to be able to develop targeted individual treatments, we first need to find the answer to the question of 'Why?'. We hope that we will obtain the necessary information in this research project," said Professor Dr. Frank Birklein.

Press Office Barbara Reinke Press and Public Relations University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Langenbeckstr. 1 D 55131 Mainz, GERMANY phone +49 6131 17-7428 fax +49 6131 17-3496 e-mail: pr@unimedizin-mainz.de http://www.unimedizin-mainz.de

About the University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz The University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz is the only facility of its kind in Rhineland-Palatinate. It consists of more than 60 clinics, institutes, and departments. Research and teaching are inextricably linked with medical treatment. Approximately 3,500 students of medicine and dentistry are trained in Mainz on a continuous basis. More information can be found at http://www.unimedizin-mainz.de/index.php?L=1 function fbs_click() {u=location.href;t=document.title;window.open('http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u='+encodeURIComponent(u)+'&t='+encodeURIComponent(t),'sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=626,height=436');return false;} html .fb_share_link { padding:2px 0 0 20px; height:16px; background:url(http://static.ak.facebook.com/images/share/facebook_share_icon.gif?6:26981) no-repeat top left; } Share on Facebook

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Mainz University Medical Center searches for treatment for posttraumatic pain syndrome

Infertility treatments may significantly increase multiple sclerosis activity

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Public release date: 3-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Dawn Peters sciencenewsroom@wiley.com 781-388-8408 Wiley

Researchers in Argentina report that women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who undergo assisted reproduction technology (ART) infertility treatment are at risk for increased disease activity. Study findings published in Annals of Neurology, a journal of the American Neurological Association and Child Neurology Society, suggest reproductive hormones contribute to regulation of immune responses in autoimmune diseases such as MS.

According to a 2006 report from the World Health Organization (WHO), MS affects 2.5 million individuals worldwide and is more common among women than men. While previous research found that up to 20% of couples in Western countries experience infertility, women with MS typically do not have diminished fertility except in those treated with cyclophosphamide or high-dose corticosteroids. Medical evidence shows sex hormones and those involved in ovulation (gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH)) play an important role in the development of autoimmune disorders.

"When MS and infertility coincide, patients seek ART to achieve pregnancy," explains Dr. Jorge Correale with the Ral Carrea Institute for Neurological Research in Buenos Aires. "Given the role of some reproductive hormones in autoimmune diseases, those with MS receiving infertility treatments are at particular risk of exacerbating their disease."

To further understand the impact of infertility treatment on MS disease activity, researchers analyzed clinical, radiological, and immune response data in 16 MS patients who were subject to 26 ART cycles. The team recruited 15 healthy volunteers and 15 MS patients in remission not receiving ART to serve as controls.

Results show that 75% of MS patients experienced disease exacerbation following infertility treatment. MS relapses were reported in 58% of the cycles during the three month period following ART treatment. Furthermore, ART was associated with a seven-fold increase in risk of MS exacerbation and a nine-fold increase of greater MS disease activity on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The authors noted that 73% of exacerbations were new symptoms and 27% were attributed to a worsening of pre-existing symptoms.

Worsening was associated with three different mechanisms: 1) increase in the production of certain pro-inflammatory molecules known as cytokines (IL-8, IL-12, IFN-, and TGF- by CD4+ T a GnRH-mediated effect); 2) increase in the production of antibodies against de myelin protein MOG, as well as B cell survival factor BAFF and antiapoptotic molecule Bcl-2 levels from purified B cells, these effects were a consequences of the rise of 17- estradiol production induced by ART; and 3) authors demonstrated using an in vitro model of the blood-brain-barrier that ART facilitated the penetration of deleterious peripheral blood cells into the central nervous system, an effect mediated by the induction of the molecules IL-8, VEGF and CXCL-12.

"Our findings indicate a significant increase in MS disease activity following infertility treatment," concludes Dr. Correale. "Neurologists should be aware of possible disease exacerbation so they may discuss the benefits and risks of ART with MS patients."

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Infertility treatments may significantly increase multiple sclerosis activity

Francisco Castro Joins Holland & Hart’s Intellectual Property Practice

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Dr. Castros practice is focused on patent prosecution and counseling for clients across a variety of industries, including telecommunications, imaging, photonics, semiconductors and nanotechnology.

Washington, DC (PRWEB) October 02, 2012

"In addition to his vast understanding of the practice of patent law, Francisco brings a wealth of knowledge with respect to cutting edge technology fields, including nanotechnology and next-generation wireless communications, said Don Degnan, the firms Intellectual Property practice group leader. His drive and perspective will be an incredible asset to the firm as we continue to expand our practice nationally and internationally."

Dr. Castros practice is focused on patent prosecution and counseling for clients across a variety of industries, including telecommunications, imaging, photonics, semiconductors and nanotechnology.

Dr. Castro brings significant industrial experience on behalf of clients having worked as a Principal Staff Research Engineer at Motorola and also as a Member of the Technical Staff at Lucent Technologies.

He is a frequent speaker and has authored numerous articles on legal aspects of nanotechnology such as the impact of the America Invents Act on nanotechnology development, among other topics.

Dr. Castro earned a J.D. with honors from the Chicago-Kent College of Law and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Drexel University. He is licensed to practice law in Virginia and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

About Holland & Hart

With its firm-wide resources, local presence and coordinated efforts, Holland & Hart LLP delivers integrated legal solutions to regional, national and international clients of all sizes.

Since its inception in 1947, Holland & Harts more than 400 lawyers have consistently been recognized by leading national and international peer and industry review organizations for innovation and dedication to the practice of law.

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Francisco Castro Joins Holland & Hart’s Intellectual Property Practice