Monthly Archives: March 2014

Forget drugs: You can beat psoriasis by TALKING about it

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Toby Hadoke, 40, from London has suffered with psoriasis since childhood Has recently found a surprising treatment - cognitive behavioural therapy

By Grace Mccann

PUBLISHED: 20:12 EST, 24 March 2014 | UPDATED: 20:14 EST, 24 March 2014

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Toby Hadoke has suffered with psoriasis since childhood. The condition, which causes red, scaly patches of skin, is distressing and can be painful.

'At its worst, I felt like I'd been stung by a thousand bees,' says Toby, a 40-year-old comedian and writer from north London.

But recently he's found a surprising treatment that has transformed his symptoms. Much of his skin used to be covered in flaky patches. Today, these areas are merely slightly pink and dry.

Toby Hadoke, 40, from London has suffered with psoriasis since childhood and has recently found a treatment

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Forget drugs: You can beat psoriasis by TALKING about it

BSU professor headed to International Space Station Tuesday

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by Jamie Grey

KTVB.COM

Posted on March 25, 2014 at 6:25 AM

Updated today at 7:03 AM

BOISE -- The countdown is on for Boise State University's Professor of the Practice and NASA astronaut Steve Swanson to launch into space.

Swanson will leave earth with two Russian cosmonauts on Tuesday around 3:15 p.m. MT. He is scheduled to arrive at the International Space Station (ISS) just after 9 p.m.

The students Swanson is working with, called the "Space Broncos," are eagerly awaiting his mission. They plan to use the project they've dubbed "Team Swanson" to make science accessible to everyone, by engaging students and the rest of the community.

Boise State University freshman mechanical engineering major Camille Eddy is one of the Space Broncos and hopes one day she'll be doing science in space.

"I've found that my passion is definitely research, like space science, anything like that, even going to space, I'm up for that," Eddy said.

Eddy and students from each of BSU's colleges will be working on a variety of projects that will incorporate Swanson's mission. Swanson will help the Space Broncos create two educational videos for college students and will participate in a live Q&A during a student-planned "Space Symposium" set for May 6.

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BSU professor headed to International Space Station Tuesday

Soyuz rocket ready to launch joint U.S.-Russian space crew

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A veteran Russian space station commander, a rookie cosmonaut and a NASA shuttle flier are set for launch aboard a Russian Soyuz ferry craft Tuesday, kicking off a four-orbit rendezvous with the International Space Station to boost the lab's crew back to six.

Steve Swanson, Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev will launch aboard the Soyuz TMA-12M spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA/Victor Zelentsov Despite Russia's annexation of Crimea and escalating superpower tit-for-tat sanctions, U.S. and Russian space engineers are continuing to cooperate on the high frontier, jointly operating the most complex spacecraft ever built.

Three fresh crew members - Soyuz TMA-12M commander Alexander Skvortsov, flight engineer Oleg Artemyev and NASA astronaut Steven Swanson -- are scheduled to blast off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Tuesday at 5:17:23 p.m. EDT (GMT-4; 3:17 a.m. Wednesday local time).

If all goes well, Skvortsov will oversee an automated docking at the station's upper Poisk module around 11:04 p.m. Tuesday. Standing by to welcome the trio aboard will be Expedition 39 commander Koichi Wakata, cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin and NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio.

Wakata and his two crewmates have had the station to themselves since March 11 when Soyuz TMA-10M commander Oleg Kotov, Sergey Ryazanskiy and Mike Hopkins returned to Earth. Wakata and his crewmates are scheduled to follow suit in their Soyuz TMA-11M ferry craft on May 13.

That will clear the way for launch of Soyuz TMA-13M commander Maxim Suraev, a Russian space veteran, and two rookies: European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst and NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman.

In a March 18 interview in Houston, Suraev said escalating tension over Russia's actions in Ukraine, and the response of the United States and its allies, "is something for big bananas and some politician guys, not for us."

"We are just doing our job," he said, speaking in heavily accented English. "We are flying, we are studying, we are training, we are cosmonauts." Then, with a laugh, he added "for me personally, I'm not ready to answer this question, especially before my flight! Especially when I'm here in the U.S., especially when I'm interviewing U.S. media! Ask this of our politician guys."

Wiseman, a former Navy F-14 carrier pilot, was less reticent, saying "the politics starts to fall by the wayside" when working with Russian space engineers, flight controllers and cosmonauts on a daily basis.

"Working with my commander and all the Russian trainers over there, these people are not just my colleagues, they're all my friends," he said. "And so sure, we don't want to see political turmoil, and it could ultimately get in the way of our spaceflight.

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Soyuz rocket ready to launch joint U.S.-Russian space crew

Pioneer Award recipients Marina Cavazzana and Adrian Thrasher recognized for advancing gene therapy to the clinic for …

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

24-Mar-2014

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

New Rochelle, NY, March 24, 2014Marina Cavazzana, MD, PhD, Paris Descartes University, France and Adrian J. Thrasher, MD, PhD, University College London Institute of Child Health, UK, have been honored with the Pioneer Award for basic and clinical gene therapy for immunodeficiency disorders. Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers, is commemorating its 25th anniversary by bestowing this honor on the leading 12 Pioneers in the field of cell and gene therapy selected by a blue ribbon panel* and publishing a Pioneer Perspective by the award recipients

Dr. Cavazzana has been at the forefront of advances in treating life-threatening inherited diseases of the immune system with gene therapy, using a patient's own modified stem cells. She describes the translation of this work to the clinic and its ongoing advances and novel applications in the article "Hematopoetic Stem Cell Gene Therapy: Progress on the Clinical Front." The article by Dr. Cavazzana is available free on the Human Gene Therapy website at http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/hum.2014.2504.

A pioneer of gene therapy in the UK, Dr. Thrasher has been at the leading edge of basic science research on the function of therapeutic genes for inherited disorders and the development of viral vectors to deliver them to affected patients. He has collaborated on gene therapy clinical trials targeting immunodeficiency disorders with groups in Europe and the USA.

"Cell therapy and gene therapy are advancing together to improve patient care," says Dr. Cavazzana. "We can expect to be able to rebuild a new immune system not only in primary immunodeficiencies but also in severe acquired clinical conditions (such as those in HIV-1-infected patients)."

"I've seen some very exciting times in the field, from the first evidence that biochemical defects can be corrected in vitro, to some remarkable clinical successes in patients with devastating diseases. I look forward with huge enthusiasm to the exciting developments on the horizon, which are likely to impact on more patients with an even wider range of disorders," says Dr. Thrasher.

"These pioneers contributed to the first real clinical successes of gene therapy through their work in inherited immune deficiency disorders," says James M. Wilson, MD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Human Gene Therapy, and Director of the Gene Therapy Program, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia.

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Pioneer Award recipients Marina Cavazzana and Adrian Thrasher recognized for advancing gene therapy to the clinic for ...

Launch Alert! Three People Set For Space Station Flight Today Heres How To Watch Live

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Want to stay on top of all the space news? Follow @universetoday on Twitter

Despite tensions on the ground between the United States and Russia, officials say that its business as usual on the International Space Station. The three people launching to space today, in fact, are from both countries:Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), andSteve Swanson from NASA.

As has been the habit lately, the Expedition 39/40 crew will take a faster route to the International Space Station that see launch and docking happen in the same day, should all go to plan. It all begins with the launch at 5:17 p.m. EDT (9:17 p.m. UTC) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, with docking scheduled to happen at 11:04 p.m. EDT (3:04 a.m. UTC).

Bear in mind that schedules are subject to change, so its a good idea to watch NASA TV (see video above) well before each milestone to see if things are happening on time. Once the crew arrives at station, one big question is if theyll do spacewalks when they get there.

Last July, Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano experienced a severe water leak in his NASA spacesuit that sent the crew scrambling back to the station. While Parmitano emerged physically all right, the agency opened an investigation and suspended all non-essential activities. A report was issued in February and the agency pledged to deal with all the urgent items quickly.

Spacewalks are planned for Expedition 40, but only if these urgent items are cleared in time for that. (That expedition begins in May and will include NASA astronauts Alex Gerst, Reid Wiseman andMaxim Suraev.)

Steve Swanson, commander of Expedition 40, during a spacewalk on 2007 shuttle mission STS-117. Credit: NASA

Elizabeth Howell is the senior writer at Universe Today. She also works for SPACE.com, Astronomers Without Borders, Space Exploration Network, the NASA Lunar Science Institute, NASA Astrobiology Magazine and LiveScience, among others. Career highlights include watching three shuttle launches, and going on a two-week simulated Mars expedition in rural Utah. You can follow her on Twitter @howellspace or contact her at her website.

Tagged as: alexander skvortsov, expedition 39, expedition 40, oleg artemyev, Roscosmos, steve swanson

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Launch Alert! Three People Set For Space Station Flight Today Heres How To Watch Live

Coloradan blasts off today for 6-month space job

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Colorado native Steve Swanson is scheduled to lift off for space on Tuesday.

Swanson, who grew up in Steamboat Springs and graduated from the University of Colorado, will launch on a Soyuz spacecraft with two Russian cosmonauts. He's expected to spend the next six month on the International Space Station.

Swanson has flown into space twice before on NASA Space Shuttles, before that program was retired.

"Each time I was up there with my shuttle flights, it was only two weeks long and I just wanted to stay," Swanson told 7NEWS.

To prepare for the upcoming six-month expedition, Swanson has spent years in training. Although he and his fellow cosmonauts will spend just a few days aboard the Soyuz, Swanson spent months traveling between the United States and Russia to train for the trip.

"It's like starting a roller coaster ride," said Swanson describing the launch he has trained for.

After the Soyuz carries the crew to the ISS, hundreds of miles above the Earth, Swanson will assume the role of flight engineer for Expedition 39. Every crew visiting the station overlaps and when Expedition 39's members depart a few weeks later, Swanson will become the commander of Expedition 40.

-- This trip begins long before takeoff

"I just always loved to explore," the graduate of Steamboat Springs High School said.

"I'd just go hike around, you know, the areas where we were camping, and I used to love doing that, I think that's kind of the same idea, I love to explore," he added.

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Coloradan blasts off today for 6-month space job

US Military's XS-1 Space Plane Project Seeks $27 Million in 2015 Funding

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WASHINGTON The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency expects to spend some $800 million on space programs from 2015 through 2018, an increase of $130 million over what was projected at this time last year, Defense Department budget documents show.

Nearly all of the targeted increase for DARPA's Space Programs and Technology Office is backloaded into the outyears, the documents show. For 2015, the office is seeking nearly $180 million, only $7.5 million more than this years funding level.

DARPA's budget books break out funding on a program-by-program basis for the upcoming fiscal year only; outyear projections are provided only at the department level. [NASA Space Tech, Science & Exploration Goals in 2015 (Gallery)]

DARPA's mission, generally speaking, is to pursue high-risk, high-payoff technology development projects that could someday benefit the military. These projects are taken on with the understanding that many, if not most, will fail. Defense Department officials often talk about "DARPA-hard" programs to describe their degree of difficulty.

For example, the 2015 request includes $27 million for XS-1, a concept for a reusable space planethat could ultimately fly 10 times in 10 days and boost payloads into low-Earth orbit for less than $5 million per launch. The program received $10 million in 2014.

"Technologies derived from the XS-1 program will enable routine space launch capabilities with aircraft-like cost, operability and reliability," a DARPA announcement from November 2013 reads. "The long-term intent is for XS-1 technologies to be transitioned to support not only next-generation launch for Government and commercial customers, but also global reach hypersonic and space access aircraft."

The agency hopes to select a single vendor next year for the final design and development of the vehicle, which could make its initial test flight in 2018.

DARPA sees the program potentially transitioning to the Air Force, the Navy or a commercial operator, the budget documents said.

The budget request also includes $55 million for the Airborne Launch Assist Space Access (ALASA) program, which is intended to field a system to launch satellites weighing up to 100 lbs (45 kilograms) for $1 million each. The agency requested $42 million for the program in fiscal year 2014.

DARPA awarded ALASA system concept studies contracts last year to Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Virgin Galactic, and technology-development contracts to three other companies.

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US Military's XS-1 Space Plane Project Seeks $27 Million in 2015 Funding

Haryanvi Hot Songs – Desi Ka Nasa | Saniya Mirja Ki Kasam | Pawan Saini, Pany Grawal – Video

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Board of Trustees meets to discuss renovations

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Published:Monday, March 24, 2014

Updated:Monday, March 24, 2014 22:03

The University of Connecticut Board of Trustees will meet Wednesday to consider a number of project budgets that include renovations to South Campus, the Engineering Building and a revised budget for the third phase of UConns technology park.

The board will consider revising the budget for the Innovation Partnership Building to $162 million. The multi-story research facility will be approximately 112,000 square feet and contain labs and offices.

Construction would be funded by state general obligation bonds, which were approved by the state legislature for the purpose of building a research-oriented technology park on UConns campus. The total bond budget for the project is $172 million.

Plans to demolish the UConn Health Centers Dowling North and South buildings will also be considered by the board. That project would cost an estimated $1.07 million. Additionally, plans to spend $598,000 to relocate the Anechoic Chamber at the Health Center will be considered.

A $3 million plan to fix infiltration problems and undertake exterior repairs to South Campus will also be considered. Finally, the board will consider a $92.5 million plan to develop a state of the art laboratory for research in bio-nano engineering, which would be funded by the UConn 2000 capital bond allotment.

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Board of Trustees meets to discuss renovations

Wainuiomata River Swim-Spot Unsafe

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Wainuiomata River Swim-Spot Unsafe

Hutt City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council and Regional Public Health urge people to stay clear of the Wainuiomata River at Richard Prouse Park.

Regular water quality monitoring undertaken at the site has shown that counts of the indicator bacteria E. coli exceeded the national guideline for safe swimming on a number of occasions during the last month.

Health warning signs have been in place at the site since early March. Contact with this water could result in illnesses such as tummy upsets (diarrhoea and vomiting), and infections of skin, eyes, ear, nose or throat.

Hutt City Councils Manager for Environmental Inspections, John Pepper says, Additional specialist testing undertaken by Greater Wellington Regional Council indicates that the Wainuiomata Stream which drains the Moores Valley area is likely to be the main source of contamination at the swimming hole at Richard Prouse Park. The tests have shown that the pollution is a mixture of both human and animal faeces.

We are working with Greater Wellington Regional Council to investigate sources of the contamination in the Moores Valley area including septic tank discharges and stock access to streams. In the meantime, we advise people wanting to swim in the area to go further upstream to the swimming holes in the Wainuiomata Recreation Area. We will provide further information to the public regarding water quality and safety of swimming at this site.

ENDS

Scoop Media

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Wainuiomata River Swim-Spot Unsafe

Latin American Bioinformatics Market (Genomics, Proteomics & Drug Design) Worth $627 Million by 2017 – New Report by …

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(PRWEB) March 25, 2014

The Latin American Bioinformatics Market by Sector (Agriculture, Molecular Medicine, Research & Animal), Segment (Sequencing Platforms, Knowledge Management Tools & Data Analysis Services) & Application (Genomics, Proteomics & Drug Design) - Forecasts to 2017 analyzes and studies the major market drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges in Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Peru, and Rest of Latin America.

Browse more than 133 market data tables with 23 figures spread through 257 pages and in-depth TOC on "Latin American Bioinformatics Market" http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/latin-american-bioinformatics-market-2908323.html

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Latin American bioinformatics market was valued at $232 million in 2012 and is poised to grow at a CAGR of 22% from 2012 to 2017, to reach $627 million by 2017.

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Based on the use of bioinformatics, the various sectors covered in this report are medicine, agriculture, environment, animal, forensic, academics, and others (homeland security and defense, law-enforcement groups, bioweapon creation, antibiotic resistance, and evolutionary biotechnology).

The segments in the bioinformatics application market are genomics, proteomics, chemoinformatics, molecular phylogenetics, metabolomics, transcriptomics, and others (glycomics, cytomics, physiomics, and interactomics). Genomics contributed the highest share to the bioinformatics market in 2012.

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The Latin American bioinformatics market displays lucrative growth potential. It is propelled by the rising number of training and development programs on usage of bioinformatics tools, which leads to an increase in the use of bioinformatics tools by industrial and academic bioinformaticians in life sciences research. In addition, the market is further driven by the high concentration of bioinformatics research institutes in Latin America that aim to facilitate the use of bioinformatics in life sciences research. Increasing pharmaceutical innovations as well as increasing R&D spending are factors that unfold new opportunities for the application of bioinformatics in the drug discovery process in Latin America.

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Latin American Bioinformatics Market (Genomics, Proteomics & Drug Design) Worth $627 Million by 2017 - New Report by ...

What is Mind Uploading? – wiseGEEK

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Mind uploading, also known as whole brain emulation, mind transfer, or simply "uploading" (never "downloading") is the hypothetical act of simulating someone's brain in a computer so well that the simulation possesses all the same intelligence, memories, personality, identity, and consciousness of the original person. If successful, this could allow human beings to live for an extremely long time, as it would be much easier to heal health problems and the effects of aging if it required little more than changing a few lines of code. The ethical implications of mind uploading have been explored at some length in science fiction and in certain branches of philosophy.

Some people strongly object to the notion that mind uploading is even possible, as the qualities of human intelligence are often considered inseparable from their biological substrate. However, the concept of uploading is entirely compatible with causal functionalist philosophies of mind, popular among brain scientists, which assert that the brain is only defined by the causal interactions and functions of its components, rather than the material of which they are made. The popular opinion towards the concept of mind uploading is difficult to gauge, as few people have even heard of the concept, much less given it serious thought.

Mind uploading is beyond the capabilities of our present-day technology, but not by as much as many people think. Portions of a mouse brain have been simulated at very high resolution inside computers. The required equipment for a successful mind upload session would include:

1) High-resolution scanners, such as an electron microscope or nanomachines. 2) A computer with large amounts of memory storage and processing power, for storing the data as it comes in and implementing it as a program once the scanning is completed. 3) A virtual environment for the upload to live within once the uploading process is complete. This might resemble a much more advanced version of an MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game), such as SecondLife or World of Warcraft.

In destructive uploading, the subject's brain would be frozen in liquid nitrogen, then sliced into small segments, which would be scanned. The scan would then be built into a running program which would be implemented on an advanced computer. Estimates for the necessary processing power of such a computer range between about 1013 (10 trillion) to 1017 (100,000 trillion) operations per second. For comparison, the fastest computer in 2007, Blue Gene/L, operates at about 500 trillion operations per second.

Alternatives to destructive uploading include non-destructive uploading, where neurons are scanned using blood-borne nanomachines rather than destructive slicing, or cyborgization, where parts of the brain are progressively replaced with cybernetic components until the entire thing becomes a computer.

For now, mind uploading remains in science fiction, but it's only a matter of time until the technology becomes available, and people start attempting the procedure outlined above.

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What is Mind Uploading? - wiseGEEK