Monthly Archives: January 2014

Obama administration approves space station extension, NASA says

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The Obama administration has given NASA the go-ahead to operate the International Space Station through at least 2024, the agency announcedWednesday, allowing government and private-sector researchers to count on at least another decade of operations, officials said.

Bill Gerstenmaier, chief of space operations at NASA Headquarters, said the expanded lifetime will encourage increased commercial use of the lab complex, solidify the commercial launch market and provide critical insights into technology development and human physiology needed for eventual flights to deep space targets like Mars.

"This is a tremendous announcement for us here in the space station world and really for all of human spaceflight and the international partnership aboard the space station," he told reporters. "It's allowing us to have a planning horizon that is really 10 years long, it extends from 2014 now to at least 2024. That really changes the way folks see their investment, especially the commercial side."

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A three-man crew successfully brought the Olympic torch to the International Space Station. For safety reasons, the torch will not be lit.

The Obama administration canceled the Constellation moon program and ordered a dramatic change of course. NASA was told to develop commercial manned spacecraft to ferry crews to and from the station and to build a new heavy-lift rocket to propel Constellation program Orion capsules on deep space missions to nearby asteroids and, eventually, Mars.

At roughly the same time, the administration announced that it planned to extend the life of the International Space Station by at least five years, from 2015 to 2020.

Late last year, NASA, its prime contractor Boeing and the agency's international partners completed a detailed engineering analysis that showed the lab complex could be safely operated through 2020 and, with a bit of luck and continued funding, through 2028, the 30th anniversary of the start of station assembly.

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Obama administration approves space station extension, NASA says

Commercial Spaceflight Federation Welcomes New Executive and Associate Members

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Washington D.C. - The Commercial Spaceflight Federation is pleased to announce the addition of seven new member organizations. The Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority joins as the 18th Executive Member. New Associate Members include Ares Corporation, Colorado Space Coalition, Penn State Applied Research Laboratory, QinetiQ North America, Satwest, and Space Coast Spaceflight Alliance.

"The unprecedented expansion in our membership mirrors the growth of the commercial spaceflight industry, and an increasing interest in private spaceflight," said CSF President Michael Lopez-Alegria. "The industry celebrated many successes last year, and we see 2014 as a vital year in which our members will continue to demonstrate the tremendous promise of commercial spaceflight to engage and educate people around the world."

"We are happy to be a part of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation," said VCSFA Executive Director and new CSF Board member Dale Nash. "We look forward to adding our experience and expertise to those of the CSF membership to promote the development of the commercial spaceflight sector."

The new CSF Members are as follows:

Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (http://www.marsspaceport.com/): VCSFA is an independent authority of the State of Virginia with a charter to support within the Commonwealth space-related business, economic development, and STEM education. In that, its current focus is on development and operation of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) to support both Federal and Commercial Space Launch. MARS is launching cargo resupply missions to the ISS, in support of the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract Orbital Sciences Corporation has with NASA. VCSFA is launching cargo resupply missions to the ISS from MARS Pad 0A, in support of the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract Orbital Sciences Corporation has with NASA, and launching missions to orbit from MARS Pad 0B for the Department of Defense and NASA.

ARES Corporation (http://www.arescorporation.com/): ARES Corporation is one of the foremost engineering, project management, safety and mission assurance, and information technology solutions companies in the United States. ARES has supported the commercial space industry since 2006, leveraging its extensive knowledge of the first destination of Government procured commercial space services, the International Space Station, and its intimate knowledge of NASA's safety approval process to provide key insights to providers of commercial spaceflight services.

Colorado Space Coalition (http://www.spacecolorado.org/): The CSC is a group of industry stakeholders working to make Colorado a center of excellence for commercial, civil, and military space activity. The CSC focuses its efforts in two key areas: Marketing and promoting Colorado's significant space assets; and advancing legislation vital to the industry's growth and success by providing a platform for legislative advocacy is Colorado's congressional delegation. The CSC actively supports key Colorado programs such as SNC's Dreamchaser and ULA Launch Services, plus other commercial interests such as the FAA's Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation through marketing efforts and legislative advocacy.

Penn State University Applied Research Laboratory (http://arl.psu.edu/): Space Systems Initiative is a new organization within Penn State that serves the space industry through research and education. SSI Penn State is pursuing the Google Lunar X PRIZE as its first mission, demonstrating that low-cost system development and mission execution is possible through a new business model, named uSpace. The uSpace model combines university resources, philanthropy, corporate sponsorship, industry partnership, and strategic government corporations.

QinetiQ North America (https://www.qinetiq-na.com/): QinetiQ North America's offerings range from software development to systems engineering, from mission-level engineering to enterprise-wide IT support, and from cyber security to cyber mission assurance. In aerospace, services include systems engineering, integration and fielding for aerospace, software safety engineering, independent verification and validation for evolved expendable launch vehicles, engineering and verification services to various spaceflight companies, and engineering services for NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

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Commercial Spaceflight Federation Welcomes New Executive and Associate Members

Indian Human Spaceflight Programme Just Starting: ISRO

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Indian human space flight programme is at the "beginning stage" and space scientists were studying the critical technologies required for the project, ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan said today.

"As far as human space flight is concerned, we are just at the beginning- at the moment we are studying the critical technologies required for that like- crew escape system, crew module. These are the things we have not done in the past," Radhakrishnan said.

Speaking to reporters in the presence of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment and Forest that reviewed ISRO programmes here, he said, "As and when we take up a programme of human space flight- this will help us."

Illustrating the requirements for the human space flight, he said, "We need a reliable launch vehicle with a reliability of 0.99, today we can say GSLV has gone well- but we need to improve the reliability of that."

"We also need to have a capacity for taking crew module with two or three crew members and the required space for them; so we have the choice of GSLV or GSLV Mark III- that is the decision we need to take."

Stating that certainly space robotics and human presence in space together are going to be the requirements for the future, Radhakrishnan said, "At a right moment -that decision- the country will have to take."

"What we are doing at the moment is getting ready for critical technology and government has given us funds nearly Rs 145 crore."

He said, "In the GSLV Mark III- the experimental mission is going to happen in April 2014."

Speaking to reporters after the review, Parliamentary Standing Committee Chairman T Subbarami Reddy commended the recent achievements of ISRO for the successful launch of Mars Orbit Mission and GSLV-D5 with indigenous cryogenic engine.

Stating that adequate funds are being allocated for the scientific sector in the country, he said, "We must focus more towards developing good scientists."

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Indian Human Spaceflight Programme Just Starting: ISRO

State may face contempt of court

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SHILLONG: The Megh-alaya Chief Ministers disregard for restricting the use of red beacons in Government vehicles comes in conflict with the Supreme Court order limiting the use of red beacons and sirens only to the constitutional heads. When a question was asked on the Governments action on the misuse of red beacons in Government vehicles on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma remained non-committal. However, the stand of the Chief Minister may invoke contempt of court if the State does not follow the instructions of the Supreme Court. Different from the views of the Chief Minister, a political department official said that the police and the transport department had been asked to act on the Supreme Court order and also make a list of those who can use the read beacons and sirens. The law department has also been consulted to define constitutional heads. However, many ministers and officers still continue to use red beacons. Strangely, though police had been asked to take action as per the Supreme Court order on red beacons, DGP PJP Hanaman has been seen moving with red beacons and sirens accompanied by escort . While some lower level officials had removed red beacons from their vehicles, Senior officials including the Chief Secretary WMS Parait are yet to remove the red beacons from their official vehicles. When contacted, the Transport Minister HDR Lyngdoh said that he is yet to get the copy of the order of the Supreme Court on the matter.

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State may face contempt of court

NASA: International space station operation extended by Obama until at least 2024

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The international space station received a significant boost Wednesday when the Obama administration vowed to keep the laboratory in orbit at least until 2024, a four-year extension, NASA officials said Wednesday.

The decision is not a shocker, because the alternative would involve putting the ISS through a controlled de-orbit just six years from now. The $100billion, nearly 1million-pound laboratory which took 13 years, more than 100 rocket and shuttle launches, and 160 spacewalks to construct would crash into the vast open space of the South Pacific.

But the extension is a relief for NASA, which spends about $3billion a year on the space station. It shores up the marketability of the ISS as a platform for scientific research and commercial operations, which can require many years of planning.

This is also good news for the private launch companies SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corp., which have contracts to supply cargo to the station and could compete for future contracts. SpaceX, Boeing and Sierra Nevada are interested in launching crews to the station by 2017, and the extension makes the competition for a contract look like a better investment of time and energy.

What a tremendous gift the administration has given us, said William H. Gerstenmaier, the head of NASAs human spaceflight program. That really changes the way folks see their investment, especially the commercial side. It also changes the research side.

There is unlikely to be much resistance to the decision in Congress, where the station has bipartisan support.

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) said the move will bolster the labor force on Floridas Space Coast, which has been suffering since the decision to retire the space shuttle.

This means more jobs at the Kennedy Space Center as we rebuild our entire space program, Nelson said in a recorded statement. Now, with 10-year extended life on the station, we process those payloads at KSC, we have the commercial rockets take both humans and cargo to the station.

John Abney Culberson (R-Tex.) said the extension of the station was a foregone conclusion, citing national security.

Its inevitable and Im delighted that NASA understands the value of ensuring that America continues to hold the high ground, said Culberson, a member of the House appropriations subcommittee that funds NASA. He said that abandoning the station would be like General Meade handing over Little Round Top voluntarily. He added, To the Chinese.

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NASA: International space station operation extended by Obama until at least 2024

NASA OIG: NASA’s Decision Process for Conducting Space Launch System Core Stage Testing at Stennis

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NASA Inspector General Paul Martin today released a report that examines NASA's decision to conduct core stage testing for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on the B-2 test stand at Stennis Space Center (Stennis). The SLS core stage consists of liquid hydrogen and oxygen fuel tanks, subsystem hardware and avionics, and four engines that will power the Agency's new heavy lift rocket.

In July 2008, the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) examined allegations that NASA's plan to build the A-3 test stand at Stennis to test its J-2X engine would duplicate capabilities of an Air Force testing facility in Tennessee. The OIG found NASA failed to follow both its own internal procedures and the process it had agreed to with the Department of Defense (DOD) to avoid costly duplication of test stands when making decisions where to test rocket engines.

Similar to the OIG's conclusions 5 years ago, the OIG found that NASA failed to follow its internal policies or its agreement with the DOD when it decided to spend approximately $352 million to refurbish and test the SLS core stage on the B-2 test stand at Stennis. Moreover, the OIG found that NASA did not adequately support its decision given that refurbishing the B-2 stand will be more costly and take longer than two other possible options: an Air Force test stand at Edwards Air Force Base in California and a test stand at the Marshall Space Flight Center. In addition, although SLS Program managers spent considerable time and money studying the B-2 option, they gave the joint NASA-DOD testing board minimal time to assess the cost, schedule, and risks of the other test stand options.

To improve NASA's ability to make sound rocket propulsion testing decisions, the OIG made several recommendations including that NASA implement a strategy for assuring timely coordination with DOD and adherence to agreed-upon policy. NASA concurred or partially concurred with recommendations and stated that it is "confident it made the right decision in choosing to conduct SLS core stage testing at B-2" when considering all risks to the core stage and SLS Program.

The full report can be found on the OIG's website at http://oig.nasa.gov/ under "Reading Room" or at the following link: http://oig.nasa.gov/audits/reports/FY14/IG-14-009.pdf

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NASA OIG: NASA's Decision Process for Conducting Space Launch System Core Stage Testing at Stennis

Better Condoms through Nanotechnology

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The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has proven of late to be a spur to developing nanotechnology-based solutions to some of the worlds problems, like a system for sterilizing medical equipment even in places where there is no electricity.

The foundation's latest Grand Challenge Exploration grants are aimed at improving the humble condom. The Gates Foundation granted $100 000 to the University of Manchester to develop a condom in November of last year, reportedly using graphene, that would lead to thinner yet stronger condoms.

With the University of Manchester becoming a hub for graphene research, it makes sense that any efforts to use graphene for the improvement of condoms would take place there. But the Gates Foundation apparently didnt want to limit the prospects of improving prophylactics to just graphene. Last week, it was announced that the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) have been awarded a $100 000 Grand Challenge grant to develop a better condom using nanotechnology.

"We are honored to be a recipient of a GCE grant project in order to examine this important public health issue," says Karen Buch MD, a third year radiology resident at BMC and Ducksoo Kim MD, professor of radiology at BUSM in a Boston Magazine article. "We look forward to using nanotechnology to create a condom that is both effective and does not diminish sensation, which could help convince more people to use condoms and potentially reduce the incidence of sexually transmitted infections."

The nanotechnology that the Boston doctors intend to use for their improved condoms will be superdhydrophillic nanoparticles that coat the condom and trap water to make them more resilient and easier to use.

"We believe that by altering the mechanical forces experienced by the condom, we may ultimately be able to make a thinner condom which reduces friction, thereby reducing discomfort associated with friction [and] increases pleasure, thereby increasing condom use and decreases rates of unwanted pregnancy and infection transmission," Kim says in a press release.

So it appears the race is now on. Will hydrophilic nanoparticles or graphene be the nanomaterial of the future for condoms? Maybe both.

Photo: iStockphoto

IEEE Spectrums nanotechnology blog, featuring news and analysis about the development, applications, and future of science and technology at the nanoscale.

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Better Condoms through Nanotechnology

Molecular engines star in new model of DNA repair

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

8-Jan-2014

Contact: Lisa Greiner Lisa.Greiner@nyumc.org 212-404-3532 NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine

Our health depends in large part upon the ability of specialized enzymes to find and repair the constant barrage of DNA damage brought on by ultraviolet light radiation and other sources. In a new study NYU School of Medicine researchers reveal how an enzyme called RNA polymerase patrols the genome for DNA damage and helps recruit partners to repair it. The result: fewer mutations and consequently less cancer and other kinds of disease.

The study, led by Evgeny Nudler, PhD, a Howard Hughes Medical Investigator and the Julie Wilson Anderson Professor of Biochemistry at NYU Langone Medical Center, is being published online in the January 8 issue of Nature.

Scientists have long known that RNA polymerase slides along the telltale tracks of double-stranded DNA and uses that template to create a growing chain of RNA molecules. This RNA chain, in turn, contains all of the information needed to construct cellular proteins. The enzyme, however, can stall as it patrols the tracks and encounters significant DNA damage. Even worse, it can become lodged over the damaged site, preventing any repair specialists from reaching it.

In the new study, the NYU School of Medicine researchers reveal how another enzyme called UvrD helicase acts like a train engine to pull the RNA polymerase backwards and expose the broken DNA so a repair crew can get to work.

The finding has major implications for a patching mechanism that is widely shared by organisms ranging from bacteria to humans, says Dr. Nudler. "Better repair means fewer mutations, which also means slower aging, less cancer and many other pathologies," he says.

Although the research, conducted in Escherichia coli bacteria, focused on one type of DNA repair, Dr. Nudler says the evidence suggests that other cellular repair pathways might use the same mechanism to recognize and then resolve the damage. Failure to do so can lead to profound consequences: inherited defects in the gene that encodes the human analog of UvrD, a protein known as XPB, have been linked to a range of devastating disorders.

In a condition known as xeroderma pigmentosum, for example, the faulty DNA repair system cannot fix damage caused by ultraviolet radiation. Consequently, any exposure to sunlight can cause serious skin and eye damage and greatly elevate the risk of skin cancer Similarly, children born with Cockayne syndrome age prematurely and are often short in stature due to inadequate DNA repair. Those with a third related condition called trichothiodystrophy have brittle hair, recurrent infections and delayed development.

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Molecular engines star in new model of DNA repair

Penn Medicine Epidemiologists Find Bed Bug Hotspots in Philadelphia, Identify Seasonal Trends

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Newswise PHILADELPHIAA new study from Penn Medicine epidemiologists that looked at four years of bed bug reports to the city of Philadelphia found that infestations have been increasing and were at their highest in August and lowest in February. The findings, published ahead of print on January 8 in the Journal of Medical Entomology, point to two possible peak times to strike and eliminate the bugs.

There is surprisingly very little known about seasonal trends among bed bug populations, said Michael Z. Levy, PhD, assistant professor in the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CCEB), who mapped the bed bug hotspots in Philadelphia in an effort to find more effective and cost-prohibitive ways to control them. We found a steep and significant seasonal cycle in bed bug reporting, and suspect that bed bugs have different levels of mobility depending on the season, and that their population size may fluctuate throughout the year.

Warm weather could be a driver for migration to other homes and breeding, he said. We may be able to exploit this cycle: These seasonal trends could guide control programs to help reduce a citys growing bug population, he added.

To track the spatial and temporal patterns of the bugs, Levy and colleagues, including first author Tarub S. Mabud, analyzed calls to the Philadelphia Department of Public Healths Vector Control Services between 2008 and 2012. They then mapped the phone calls to get a clearer picture of the problemwhen and where it was happening.

Reports came from all across the city, though south Philadelphia was the most affected by the bugs.

Overall, bed bug reports in the city steadily increased by 4.5 percent per month from 2008 to 2011, an almost 70 percent increase year to year. Nearly half of all pest infestations reported to the city over that time period were for bed bugs, a total of 382. From September 2011 to June 2012, Philadelphia residents made 236 reports of bed bug infestations, according to the study.

Infestations peaked in August and reached a low in February, the team found.

They most likely move more frequently during warmer months, with increased development and reproduction happening as well, the team surmises.

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Penn Medicine Epidemiologists Find Bed Bug Hotspots in Philadelphia, Identify Seasonal Trends

Treating the Inner Animal in All of Us

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Newswise Discoveries about how diseases arise or are transmitted in animals can be useful in understanding the same sorts of afflictions in humans. Similarly, new therapies or techniques used in people may be effective in caring for animals as well.

The newly established Center for Veterinary Sciences and Comparative Medicine (CVSCM) at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine embodies this ideal a highly integrated and innovative consortium of universities, institutions, scientists, physicians and veterinarians seeking to improve the condition of all animals, human and otherwise.

By understanding the biology of disease, either in people or in animals, all benefit, said Peter Ernst, DVM, PhD, professor of pathology at UC San Diego School of Medicine and founding CVSCM director. We want to use the lessons learned and advances made in human healthcare to improve the lives of animals and vice versa.

The CVSCM features a faculty of 25 academic veterinarians from UC San Diego School of Medicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, The Scripps Research Institute, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Sea World and the San Diego Zoo.

It builds upon UC San Diegos long-standing post-doctoral training program in laboratory animal and comparative medicine and has close links to the UC Veterinary Medical Center-San Diego, a collaboration between UC San Diego Health Sciences and the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

Many CVSCM scientists are on the leading edge of their research disciplines, investigating mucosal infections and immune responses, gastrointestinal ailments such as inflammatory bowel disease or celiac disease, parasite transmission, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases involving prions and misfolded proteins the last affecting humans, cows, deer and other animals.

For example:

*Joseph Vinetz, MD, professor in the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, studies leptospirosis, a disease transmitted from infected wild and domestic mammals to humans. He is investigating the ecology of the disease, and why some patients develop mild cases, while others suffer severe infections. *Sheila Crowe, MD, professor in the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, studies epithelial cell biology related to celiac disease as well as Helicobacter pylori, the cause of gastroduodenal ulcers and gastric cancer. She is also investigating other infections that can be transmitted from animals to humans. *Nikos Gurfield, DVM, County Veterinarian for San Diego County, focuses upon West Nile virus, which affects birds, horses and humans. *Christina J. Sigurdson, DVM, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pathology at UC San Diego School of Medicine, and colleagues are studying the cause of a highly prevalent protein aggregation disease known as serum amyloid A amyloidosis in endangered Channel Island foxes. Amyloidosis also occurs in humans.

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Treating the Inner Animal in All of Us

Medicine protects against strokes

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

8-Jan-2014

Contact: Senior Research Consultant Sren Paaske Johnsen spj@dce.au.dk 45-30-22-84-69 Aarhus University

Heart palpitations. Shortness of breath. Tiredness. More and more people can recognise the symptoms of atrial fibrillation, which is one of the most common types of heart disease. More than 65,000 Danes live with the disease, leading to a greatly increased risk of strokes, which are also known as apoplexy.

New research shows that patients who take anticoagulant medicine against atrial fibrillation not only reduce the risk of a thrombosis in the brain:

"Our study shows that the anticoagulant medicine also appears to protect the patients who still suffer the misfortune of a stroke. The risk of suffering serious brain damage or death due to a thrombosis in the brain is significantly smaller for the patients with atrial fibrillation who received anticoagulant medicine, compared to those who did not receive the medicine," says senior research consultant in clinical epidemiology Sren Paaske Johnsen, Aarhus University.

He has carried out the study in collaboration with colleagues from Aarhus University, Aarhus University Hospital, Gentofte Hospital, and Odense University Hospital.

Largest study in the area

Via the Danish National Patient Registers the researchers have followed a total of 11,356 Danes with atrial fibrillation, who were admitted to hospital during the period 2003-2009 after suffering a stroke. The study is the largest of its kind.

"Only 22 percent of the patients were undergoing relevant treatment with anticoagulant medicine when they were admitted with a stroke. With the knowledge we have now about the protective effect of the medicine it is of course important to be particularly aware of the patients who could benefit from treatment with anticoagulant medicine," says Sren Paaske Johnsen.

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Medicine protects against strokes

ROJoson Educational Mission to Zamboanga Medical School Foundation – 1995 – Segment 2 – Video

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ROJoson Educational Mission to Zamboanga Medical School Foundation - 1995 - Segment 2
ROJoson Educational Mission to Zamboanga Medical School Foundation - 1995 - Segment 2 In 1994, I helped established the Zamboanga Medical School Foundation (...

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ROJoson Educational Mission to Zamboanga Medical School Foundation - 1995 - Segment 2 - Video

UMass Medical School faculty recognized as 1 of nation’s top young scientists

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

8-Jan-2014

Contact: Jim Fessenden james.fessenden@umassmed.edu 508-856-2000 University of Massachusetts Medical School

WORCESTER, MA University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) Assistant Professor Thomas G. Fazzio, PhD, was recognized as a rising scientific star by President Obama with a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

The Presidential Award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early phases of their research careers. The award embodies the high priority the Obama Administration places on producing the next generation of scientists and engineers to advance the nation's goals, tackle grand challenges, and contribute to the American economy. Dr. Fazzio was one of 102 scientists and engineers selected for this year's award.

"It's an honor to be chosen, among so many outstanding scientists, for this award by President Obama," said Dr. Fazzio of the Program in Gene Function and Expression at UMMS. "It means a lot to have our work recognized at the national level and to know the value that the President and his administration has for biomedical research and advancing scientific inquiry."

Presidential awardees are selected for their pursuit of innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology and their commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education, or community outreach. Granted to a select group each year, the awards are intended to showcase and nurture some of the finest scientists and engineers who, while early in their research careers, show exceptional potential for leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge.

"Dr. Fazzio is a truly outstanding young investigator. He brings a fresh new perspective to the field, studying the regulation of genes in stem cells from an exciting new angle," said Terence R. Flotte, MD, the Celia and Isaac Haidak Professor of Medical Education, executive deputy chancellor, provost, dean of the School of Medicine and professor of pediatrics. "We are fortunate and very proud to have him as a member of the UMMS scientific community."

A member of the UMass Medical School faculty since 2010, Fazzio's research focuses on understanding how DNA is packaged into tiny chromatin structures inside the nucleus of stem cells. Through his work, Fazzio has uncovered previously unknown processes governing how the chromatin structure of a cell's DNA influences gene expression in stem cells, conferring on these cells the unique ability to replicate and differentiate into many different types of cells.

"We're interested in understanding the biological processes that allow a stem cell to become a muscle cell, a blood cell, or any other kind of cell," said Fazzio. "The knowledge we gain from answering these questions can be used to identify potential new targets for drugs that attack cancer stem cells within tumors and pave the way for the development of stem cell-based therapies for degenerative diseases."

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UC Merced medical school a ways off, but still training doctors

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UC Merced, which held a preview day in October, above, hopes to get an early start on training doctors who will stay in the area<137,,> to establish From left, waving, Lee Logan, 21, Chris Chin, 22, and Steven Ramos, 21, of the UCM fraternity Sigma Chi, take children from Merced on a tour of the campus as part of a philanthropy event, as parents and prospective students check out the campus along Scholars Way during UC Merced Preview Day on Saturday (10-19-13)<137>.<252>

CHRISTOPHER WINTERFELDT cwinterfeldt@mercedsunstar.com Buy Photo

While a medical school at UC Merced is years away, the university is three years deep into a program training doctors with hopes that theyll stick around after they graduate.

UC Merceds San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical Education, also called PRIME, is a joint program among UC Merced; UC Davis School of Medicine; and the University of California, San Francisco, Fresno Medical Education Program. It enrolled its first UC Merced students in 2011.

Its a huge accomplishment, right now, that we can say we are training physicians in the San Joaquin Valley for the San Joaquin Valley, said Brandy Ramos Nikaido, director of external relations and special projects for UC Merced.

Nikaido said the plans to open a full-fledged medical school at UC Merced are progressing, but its too early to estimate an opening date. The process is a long and expensive one, she said. It does not help the public universitys cause that the state saw budget deficits year after year in the late 2000s.

In the meantime, the school moves forward on educating doctors.

Students admitted to the program spend their first two years at the UC Davis campus in Sacramento. The groups third and fourth years are spent treating patients under the supervision of doctors at San Joaquin Valley clinics and hospitals.

There are 17 students enrolled in the UC Merced medical program, with a new crop coming in the fall. One requirement for students before being admitted to the program is a knowledge of and connection to the Valley, Nikaido said.

The program kicked off after getting a $5 million grant from the United Health Foundation in 2006.

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UC Merced medical school a ways off, but still training doctors

Judge: Ohio cannot change minor party rules for 2014 ballot

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Ohio cannot change the rules on minor parties for the 2014 ballot in mid-game, a federal judge ruled today.

Republican-appointed U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Watson in Columbus issued a preliminary injunction barring enforcement of a new law and ordering Secretary of State Jon Husted to follow through with his original directive granting several small parties spots on the primary election ballot.

The ruling, however, applies only to 2014.

Attorney General Mike DeWines office said it had not decided whether to appeal the ruling.

The Libertarian and Green parties had objected to the retroactive application to the current election cycle of a law theyve dubbed the John Kasich Re-election Protection Act. Senate Bill 193, passed by Republicans and signed into law by Mr. Kasich in November, would have voided the Husted directive putting the Libertarian, Green, Constitution, and Socialist parties on the 2014 ballot.

The upshot of that provision, along with other provisions in the bill, is that minor parties must start from scratch to qualify for ballot access, wrote Judge Watson, a 2004 George W. Bush appointee. if S.B. 193 goes into effect, the nominating petitions already filed by minor party candidates to appear on the 2014 primary election ballot in reliance on [Mr. Husteds directive] would be nullified, and the time and resources expended on those petitions will have been wasted.

The same judge in November put on hold another law passed last year by majority Republicans that raised the bar for proposed constitutional amendments, referenda, and other initiatives to quality for the 2014 ballot.

Once again, the courts stand with us and with the First Amendment rights of all Ohioans to political freedom and suffrage in Ohio, said Kevin Knedler, chairman of the Libertarian executive committee. The foundation of a democratic society is the right to vote and to have real choices on the ballot.

A lot of voters, especially young voters, refuse to be put in either the Republican or Democrat boxes, and the Libertarian Party offers a true alternative for voters who want individual freedom in every area of life, he said.

Under Senate Bill 193, a minor party faced a deadline of 125 days before the November general election to file signatures qualifying its label for the ballot alongside the two major parties. Minor parties would have had to submit enough signatures of registered voters to equal at least 0.5 percent of the vote from the last presidential or gubernatorial election, about 28,000 based on the 2012 election. Of those, 500 would have to come from each of eight of Ohios 16 congressional districts.

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Judge: Ohio cannot change minor party rules for 2014 ballot

Future Islands Jump to 4AD for ‘Bold’ New Album ‘Singles’

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Future Islands Photo by Tim Saccenti

Future Islands have officially announced their fourth album. The record is calledSinglesand it's set to be released on March 25 by way of 4AD, the band's new label after parting ways with Thrill Jockey. According to a press release, the follow-up to 2011'sOn the Wateris Future Islands' "boldest and most immediate work to date," due in part to a new partnership with producer Chris Coady, whose previous credits include Beach House, Grizzly Bear, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Fans of the synth-savvy swooners can expect a more polished, hi-fi sound for their 4AD debut.

The Baltimore trio made up of frontman Samuel T. Harring, bassist/guitarist William Cashion, and keyboardist/guitarist/programmer Gerrit Welmers is also plotting a hefty tour schedule in support of Singles. Find details of the forthcoming trek (which includes a few dates with Wye Oak, who are also planning a new record for later this year) below, along with the cover art for Singles. And for more info on Future Islands' next effort, check out SPIN'slist of 50 Albums You Gotta Hear in 2014.

Future Islands tour dates:

February 3 - Los Angeles, CA @ Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock February 6 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom February 8 - Baltimore, MD @ Floristree February 11 - London, U.K. @ Hoxton Bar & Kitchen February 13 - Paris, France @ La Maroquinerie February 14 - Brussels, Belgium @ Beurschouwburg February 16 - Hamburg, Germany @ Ubel & Gefhrlich February 17 - Berlin, Germany @ C-Club March 3 - Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern * March 4 - Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel * March 5 - Saxapahaw, NC @ The Haw River Ballroom * March 7 - Chattanooga, TN @ JJ's Bohemia * March 8 - Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry's * March 9 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon * March 16 - Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone Cafe * March 24 - Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop March 25 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme March 26 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall March 27 - Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon March 28 - Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club March 29 - Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium March 31 - Billings, MT - The Railyard April 1 - Bozeman, MT @ The Filling Station April 2 - Spokane, WA - The Bartlett April 3 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile April 4 - Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre April 5 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge April 6 - Eugene, OR @ Cozmic Pizza April 7 - Arcata, CA @ Humboldt Brews April 8 - Reno, NV @ The Holland Project April 9 - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst April 10 - San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel April 21 - El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace April 22 - Marfa, TX @ Padre's April 23 - Austin, TX @ The Mohawk April 24 - Dallas, TX @ Three Links April 25 - Little Rock, AR @ Stickyz Rock'n'Roll Chicken Shack April 26 - Birmingham, AL @ The Bottletree April 29 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church April 30 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall May 1 - Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club

* = with Wye Oak

50 Albums You Gotta Hear in 2014

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Future Islands Jump to 4AD for 'Bold' New Album 'Singles'

Vietnam’s islands: an escape route to peace

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The Con Dao islands have an utterly unhurried ambience. "There are two traffic lights, but no work," the bike rental guy said apologetically as he gave me the island rundown. "One gas station, but close for lunch. Only one road, so you no lost. Right to airport or left to prisons and port."

Moped key in hand, I was relishing the chance to get out and explore some empty roads in search of a perfect beach for the day. I'd spent the previous week embracing Vietnamese city culture and its furious energy and commerce, but was now in need of some serious hammock time.

A cluster of 16 islets in the South China Sea, the Con Dao islands are 155 miles from Ho Chi Minh City. Only the main island, Con Son, is inhabited (its population is just 6,000), though the other islands can be visited.

Once hell on earth to thousands of prisoners incarcerated by French colonists and the American military, today the Con Daos are blissfully tranquil. With their ravishing sandy bays, rainforests and healthy coral reefs, their tropical appeal is easy to grasp. Flight connections used to be atrocious, but Vietnam Airlines now offers three daily flights from Ho Chi Minh City (52 one way).

The rental guy had lied about the one road. Easily sidetracked, my Honda and I had chanced upon a rough track close to the airport, and our inquisitiveness had rewarded us royally in the form of Dam Trau beach, a sublime half-moon crescent of pale sand, bookended by forest-topped rocky promontories.

After an hour's snorkelling, exploring the kaleidoscopic coral teeming with macro life and spending five minutes swimming eye-to-eye with a hawksbill turtle, I retreated to the plastic chairs in the bay's seafood shack, picked a victim from the live fish tank and gorged on crab with tamarind and chilli. The only other diners were a group from Hanoi, employees of a state-owned bank on a corporate jolly-with-a-purpose.

Vietnam is a country steeped in revolutionary rhetoric, and Vo Thi Sau, a teenage resistance fighter executed in Con Dao during the French occupation, fits the bill perfectly. (She killed a captain in a grenade attack at the age of 14, and wasn't captured until years later.) The bank staff were here to pay their respects to this national heroine, and to the thousands of others who lost their lives in Con Dao's 11 prisons.

Ghosts are everywhere in Con Dao, nowhere more so than at Phu Hai jail. Built in 1862, it once housed 20,000 prisoners political and criminal inmates chained together naked in rows. The really troublesome individuals were kept in "tiger cages", with six to 10 men crammed into a tiny open-roofed enclosure, beaten with sticks from above and dusted with lime and water (which burns the skin). Unbeknown to the world, the Americans continued operating these tiger cages until 1970 when a Life magazine report broke news of their existence, provoking an international outcry.

It had been a chastening day, the brutality of prison conditions contrasting acutely with the overwhelming beauty of my surroundings. As I strolled along the seafront promenade in Con Son town, it was easy to marvel at the sheer gentility of this pocket-sized island capital, its litter-free streets, French-era villas, well-kept municipal buildings and air of calm and prosperity.

Con Son town has a dozen or so hotels and guesthouses but the Six Senses resort (sixsenses.com; from 441), a short ride away to the north, really is in a class of its own. Occupying the island's best beach, it comprises 50 or so ocean-front, timber-clad beach villas, each fusing contemporary style with rustic chic.

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Vietnam's islands: an escape route to peace

Island Lizards Are Tamer Than Mainland Counterparts

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Galapagos Marine Iguana:: A recent study reveals closely related lizard species have different escape behaviours depending on where they live, and that their evolutionary relationships were mostly irrelevant. Image: Blinking Idiot/Flickr

When Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands, he noted that many of its animal inhabitants were so unafraid of people that a gun is here almost superfluous. He swatted birds with his hat, pulled the tails of iguanas and sat on giant tortoises.

These antics fuelled his famous idea that animals become tame when they live on remote, predator-free islands. Now, William Cooper Jr of Indiana UniversityPurdue University in Fort Wayne has tested Darwin's hypothesis on 66 species of lizards from around the world and found that island dwellers tended to be more docile than their continental relatives the strongest evidence yet for this classic idea. The results are published this week in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Several studies and unpublished reports have shown that particular species are more approachable on islands where there are fewer predators, or quicker to flee on islands that contain introduced hunters such as feral cats. But despite this largely anecdotal evidence for island tameness, no one has ever established that its a general phenomenon in any group, says Cooper. We showed that for a large prey group lizards there really is a significant decline in wariness on islands.

Taming of the few Island tameness is an old idea, but there have been few tests of it, says Dan Blumstein, a behavioral biologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. This is a needed paper that convincingly shows some of the drivers of island tameness in lizards.

Cooper and his colleagues scoured past studies and collated data on the distance at which lizards start to flee when approached by a researcher. They took a conservative approach, discarding studies in which researchers had pointed at the lizards, walked towards the animals faster or slower than a particular fixed speed, or studied populations that were habituated to humans.

Cooper and his team ended up with data for 66 species, from the Eurasian common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) to the Galapagos marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus). The results clearly showed that humans can get closer to island-dwelling lizards than to mainland ones, and that lizards become more approachable on islands that are farther from the mainland.

Island ecology is so important that it overrides any effect of evolutionary history, Cooper and his co-authors say. They also showed that even closely related lizard species have different escape behaviors depending on where they live, and that their evolutionary relationships were mostly irrelevant.

The results do not explain why island lizards are tamer than those on the mainland, although the relative lack of island predators is the most likely reason. Animals with skittish dispositions can needlessly abandon valuable resources, and natural selection would be expected to weed out such responses if predators are rare or absent.

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Island Lizards Are Tamer Than Mainland Counterparts