Author Archives: ev1

Roper Buys Sunquest

Posted on by

Roper Industries Buys Sunquest for $1.4B, Reports 8% Leap in 2Q Profit
 

After reporting stronger year-over-year quarterly earnings, Roper Industries (ROP: 99.45, -0.19, -0.19%) said it is buying privately-held diagnostic and laboratory software maker Sunquest Information Systems for $1.4 billion in cash.

The Sarasota, Fla.-based medical and scientific imaging software developer said the acquisition of Tucson, Okla.-based Sunquest, a leader in labs software, will help its medical software platforms benefit from an aging population and expansion of anatomic pathology.

"We continue to transform the enterprise with the addition of Sunquest," Roper CEO Brian Jellison said in a statement. “We expect Sunquest to benefit in all economic environments from very favorable market forces.”

Sunquest and its products will continue to operate under current brand names. The deal, subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close within 30 days.

Roper, meanwhile, reported on Monday net earnings of $115 million, or $1.15 a share, up 8% from a year ago. Revenue climbed 4% to $725 million, led by an 8% increase in orders to $763 million.

Analysts in a Thomson Reuters poll were looking for earnings of $1.15 a share on higher sales of $747 million.

"We achieved record second quarter revenue and earnings, as our businesses continued to execute well in the current uncertain economic environment,” Jellison said.

Shares of Roper ticked 7% higher Monday to a new all-time high

Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2012/07/30/roper-industries-buys-sunquest-for-14b-reports-8-leap-in-2q-profit/#ixzz22Ffklq6Z

 

Source:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/DigitalPathologyBlog

Lab Tech Charged in Hepatitis C Outbreak

Posted on by

(Reuters) Jul 23 - A former lab technician faces charges in connection with a hepatitis C outbreak that reportedly infected dozens of patients at a New Hampshire hospital, authorities said.

David Michael Kwiatkowski, 32, is charged with obtaining controlled substances by fraud and tampering with a consumer product, U.S. Attorney John P. Kacavas said this week.

The outbreak at the Exeter Hospital Cardiac Catheterization Unit is believed to have infected some 30 people with the disease, considered the most serious of hepatitis strains, authorities said. Hepatitis C can lead to liver cancer and cirrhosis, and kills more people each year than HIV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The evidence gathered to date points irrefutably to Kwiatkowski as the source of the hepatitis C outbreak at Exeter Hospital," Kacavas said. "With his arrest, we have eliminated the menace this 'serial infector' posed to public health and safety."

Kwiatkowski, who worked in the lab until the investigation launched in May, has hepatitis C and is accused of stealing syringes of the pain medication Fentanyl intended for patients. Authorities say he would then inject himself with the drug, then replace it in the tainted syringe with saline solution, which would then be injected into the patient, Kacavas said.

The investigation included testing some 1,100 patients from as far back as October 2010 before Kwiatkowski was identified as a suspect.

"It is deeply disturbing that the alleged callous acts of one individual can have such an impact on so many innocent lives. As a result of his alleged actions, people in our community, who in many cases are the friends and neighbors of the 2,300 people who work here, now face the challenge of a potentially chronic disease," said Kevin Callahan, President and CEO of Exeter Hospital.

Kwiatkowski worked at the hospital in Exeter, New Hampshire, since April 2011 and had been diagnosed with hepatitis C for a year before that, according to a statement by the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Hampshire.

Originally from Michigan, Kwiatkowski worked as a traveling contract medical technician in six other states, which has prompted CDC officials and the U.S. Attorney's office to check into potential public health threats in those states.

Kwiatkowski was arrested on Thursday at a hospital in Massachusetts, where he was being treated for an undisclosed illness. He was expected to be taken into federal custody in New Hampshire upon his discharge from the hospital, authorities said.

The tampering charge carries a 20-year prison sentence, and the controlled substance charge carries up to four years.

Hepatitis C afflicts more than 4 million Americans. Up to 85% will develop chronic infection. Of those, 75% will get chronic liver disease, according to the National Institutes of Health.

 

Source:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/DigitalPathologyBlog

Response to Survey on Digital Pathology Adoption

Posted on by

I received some feedback, e-mails, questions, comment and death threats about my recent posting entitled  "94% of Pathologists Agree Digital Pathology Will Become Common Practice"

One in particular I have extracted from a LinkedIn message board in response to my feed to the group. If you are a member of this particular group you may have seen this.  If not, to protect the innocent, I will leave the respondents name anonymous. His comments are in plain text with my opinion in italics and/or bold. 

"This is a very interesting, yet misleading headline.
This is not one-size-fits all.
I think that when one reads this headline, it is our impression that digital pathology will replace the standard microscope and H&E slides. Not a chance, in my opinion, in the next few years. I have replied on this topic many times before. This is NOT, however, stating that digital pathology will not be adopted."

-- Of course the title is misleading.  And interesting. Not as misleading as "Dewey Defeats Truman", "Mission Accomplished" or "New Coke Better Than Old Coke" but I appreciate you calling my little blog post title a "Headline" nonetheless.  Trying to promote content here so I used this title as opposed to "6% of those surveyed say chances of digital pathology adoption equal to Cubs chances of winning the World Series (NEVER)".  After Steve Bartman I may lose some friends on da North Side. Anyways, you read the piece and commented so the headline had some attraction which is what a blogger needs - catch those 2 or 3 minutes out of your day to read what I write among all the other things you want and have to do including reading legitimate news sources.

If the headline read "Digital Pathology to Replace Microscope in 10 years" that might be misleading and completely inaccurate, in my opinion.  I actually think it will become part of common practice but not replace common practice.  Perhaps 20 or 40% of work will integrate or involve digital pathology but not selling my stock in wax, glass or microscope companies just yet so I think we can agree on this.

"One has to look at the APPLICATION of digital pathology. Let's look first at routine pathology. Digital is a LONG way off. Why?....here are some thoughts.
1. It can't compete with routine H&E for in expense. Digitizing slides just adds expense.
2. Digital can't replace the routine H&E. The slide still has to be produced. (unlike radiology which eliminated the need for film)
3. The "look and feel" of a slide still has not been replicated by digital.
4. It's still more reliable to store a physical glass slide for 10 years than a digital file.
5. I still can look at an H&E slide with a microscope that uses a mirror for illumination, and it won't take any power to run a computer (the ULTIMATE green solution)."

-- I agree with many points made here.  Scanning adds costs.  A nickel H&E may result in a 90 cent image that has to be acquired, labelled, archived, stored, backed up and eventually perhaps disposed of.  Have made this argument before - unlike radiology which starts with digital CT and MR images that initially were printed on pieces of plastic for viewing on light boxes and "hot lamps" analagous to those used by Roentgen himself, pathology, tissue, histology is well founded in physical analogs as mentioned above in terms of wax, glass and stain after the tissue have been collected, heated, cooled, baked, fried and stained.  The cost issue I think does go out the window a bit if we speak to the points you make below about looking at something 1000 miles away.  This helps costs:benefit ratio business case argument.  More below on this.

-- "Look and feel" best used by interior decorators, not physicians.  As far as imaging is concerned, Kodak use to make film, lots of film and now they don't and they are still bankrupt.  I still try to shoot some hobby photos with film.  Takes weeks to get it ordered and longer to get it developed.  Have to send to Atlanta.  Nearest place from Charlotte to send film to be developed.  Doesn't anyone use 110 or 35 mm anymore? Anyways, look and feel overrated and this will be improved.  I like the grainy nature too of good old black and white film and a long f/stop but I can do some much more with digital.

-- And this is the analogy (no pun intended), like radiology, we are going to see so many more deliverables with digital, just as radiology has with 3D imaging and the like that we can do with 2-dimensional pink and blue stained images (or bichrome IHCs).  

-- "Slide storage" and "reliable" are not usually words I put in the same sentence.  Take the case from last week the patient wants sent to a medical school pathology department and the slides "are not in file".  Or the slides are in the file room, but misfiled.  Or the slides are not filed.  Granted, most of the time it works.  Digital would be no less reliable, perhaps more secure and perhaps most importantly, not only stored, but sharable, to your points below.  Rent and expense of slide file room versus 100 TB of server space in terms of costs over 3 or 5 years?  With wind and solar energy running the factories and powering our homes and businesses, costs of either would be very low.

"Now....for specialty uses....Digital beats glass...

1. Send an image a 1000 miles away for a consultation.
2. Send an image of an IHC or FISH for analysis from a 1000 miles away.
3. any permutation of the above."

 --  Could not agree more. One of the two most tangible ROIs for digital pathology, today, remain, tele-pathology, tele-consultation, tele-IHC, virtual consultation, virtual IHC, tele-peer review, tele-whatever, remote screen share, image host, same slide, same time.  No substitute for this in medicine and pathology.  And with Pathology 2.0 - the power of the cloud to harness collective intelligence.  The other tangible use case/application for digital pathology is image analysis.  FDA cleared algorithms and CPT codes for reimbursement.

"There are also some other applications that simply cannot be done on an old H&E slide that is easy with digital (if there are any companies out there interested...let me know). At this point, they will remain un-published."

-- When the times comes I welcome you to publish your thoughts here.

"Let me know where you think I am going wrong. I would like to hear your thoughts..."

-- Thanks for the thoughtful comments and dialogue.

Source:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/DigitalPathologyBlog

JOB OPENING: Administrative Assistant, Library, New York Academy of Medicine, New York City

Posted on by
The Malloch Rare Book Room at the New York Academy of Medicine.

Another job alert just in from the wonderful New York Academy of Medicine! Full details follow:

Title: Administrative Assistant
Division: Library

The Center for the History of Medicine and Public Health at the New York Academy of Medicine is looking for an energetic, motivated and highly organized Administrative Assistant. The Assistant will report to the Center Director, be responsible for the day to day administration of the Center and provide support to the Director and other staff members in the delivery of programs and activities.

The Center for the History of Medicine and Public Health is NYAM’s newest Center, and this position offers an outstanding opportunity for an administrator looking to develop the range and depth of his or her skills and expertise. The role will suit an individual who is keen to take on new challenges. The Administrative Assistant will be offered the opportunity to develop specialized skills as needed by the Center. Candidates with an interest in developing public programming and using social media to build audiences are particularly welcome.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Manage the day to day administration of the Center
  • Provide administrative support for the Director, and other department members when appropriate, including coordinating schedules and managing calendars
  • Assist in research, preparation and follow-up of funding proposals
  • Organize meetings for internal and external participants
  • Maintain office budgets and invoicing requests
  • Help plan events and programming
  • Coordinate arrangements for speakers and workshop and seminar participants
  • Organize and maintain filing systems and other records
  •  Help manage the online presence of the Center

Qualifications

Required

  • 3-5 years of related administrative experience
  • Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills
  • Attention to detail, accuracy and consistency in executing tasks
  • Problem solving skills and ability to work independently
  • Ability to manage many projects in fast-paced environment and meet deadlines
  • Ability to quickly learn and apply new skills
  • Excellent computer and web skills including Microsoft Office Suite 
  • Good grammatical, writing, proofreading, and editing ability
  • Ability to interact with internal and external individuals at all levels in a professional manner

Desirable

  • Familiarity with database software
  • Experience using social media
  • An interest in history, medicine, health, or policy issues.

Experience

Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent.

To Apply

Please email a resume and cover letter to hr@nyam.org.

Please include "Administrative Assistant” in subject line.

For more information, visit our website: http://www.nyam.org.

The New York Academy of Medicine is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.The New York Academy of Medicine advances the health of people in cities. An independent organization since 1847, NYAM addresses the health challenges facing the world's urban populations through interdisciplinary approaches to policy leadership, education, community engagement and innovative research.

Drawing on the expertise of diverse partners worldwide and more than 2,000 elected Fellows from across the professions, our current priorities are

To create environments in cities that support healthy aging
To strengthen systems that prevent disease and promote the public's health
To implement interventions that eliminate health disparities
Summary and Description

Mission of the Institution

The New York Academy of Medicine advances the health of people in cities. An independent organization since 1847, NYAM addresses the health challenges facing the world's urban populations through interdisciplinary approaches to policy leadership, evaluation, education, community engagement and innovative research.

Drawing on the expertise of diverse partners worldwide and more than 2,000 elected Fellows from across the professions, our current priorities are

• To create environments in cities that support healthy aging
• To strengthen systems that prevent disease and promote the public's health
• To implement interventions that eliminate health disparities

The Center for the History of Medicine and Public Health

The New York Academy of Medicine Center for the History of Medicine and Public Health promotes the scholarly and public understanding of the history of medicine and public health and the history of the book. The Center is made up of the Library, Rare Book and Historical Collection and Gladys Brooks Conservation Laboratory.  The Center aims to develop connections between an interdisciplinary community of scholars, educators, clinicians, curatorial and conservation professionals, and public audiences.

The NYAM Library opened its collections to the general public in 1878, and remains the only independent research library in NYC offering access to medical and health information for members of the public. The Research Library has a collection that includes over 500,000 volumes, 275,000 portraits and illustrations and around 400,000 pamphlets.  The collection comprises primary and secondary materials in the history of medicine, public health, science and other health-related disciplines. The collection is supported by an extensive reference collection of medical bibliography, biography, biographical dictionaries, dictionaries and library catalogues, as well as books on the history of books and printing.

The Center’s Rare Book and Historical Collections include a rare book collection of approximately 35,000 volumes.  Books from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries are a particular strength, as are materials related to the history of medicine in the City of New York.

The Gladys Brooks Book and Paper Conservation Laboratory was established in 1982 for the express purpose of caring for the NYAM collections.  In addition to its preservation mandate, the Lab also plays an important role in the training of future generations of conservators through its internship and volunteer programs and offers professional educational opportunities through a robust calendar of workshops and lectures.

You can find out more here.

Source:
http://morbidanatomy.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Fears over ‘stem cell tourism’ Save

Posted on by

Aug. 5, 2012, 3 a.m.

A GROWING number of overseas clinics touting stem cell therapy for conditions ranging from sexual disorders to HIV are targeting Australia, where such treatments are restricted.

Australian scientists have raised concerns about so-called ''stem cell tourism'', saying many of the treatments offered are unproven, untested and potentially deadly.

The Swiss firm Fetal Cell Technologies International has been advertising in Australia since last year and Emcell, based in Ukraine, started promoting its services last month.

It is estimated as many as 200 Australians have travelled overseas for the therapy. The secretary for science policy at the Australian Academy of Science, Bob Williamson, said he empathised with the desperation of seriously ill people but warned against the unproven therapies, which can cost up to $60,000.

''The therapies are almost all untested and unproven and sometimes they have killed people,'' Professor Williamson said. The Sun-Herald's calls to Emcell's Melbourne office were not returned.

Stem Cells Australia's Megan Munsie, who is conducting a study into stem cell tourism with Monash University, said many people she interviewed were unaware of the risks of therapy overseas.

''We're not talking about rubbing something into your skin or taking a capsule, we are talking about often a very invasive procedure,'' she said.

More here:
Fears over 'stem cell tourism' Save

Fears over ‘stem cell tourism’

Posted on by

A GROWING number of overseas clinics touting stem cell therapy for conditions ranging from sexual disorders to HIV are targeting Australia, where such treatments are restricted.

Australian scientists have raised concerns about so-called ''stem cell tourism'', saying many of the treatments offered are unproven, untested and potentially deadly.

The Swiss firm Fetal Cell Technologies International has been advertising in Australia since last year and Emcell, based in Ukraine, started promoting its services last month.

It is estimated as many as 200 Australians have travelled overseas for the therapy. The secretary for science policy at the Australian Academy of Science, Bob Williamson, said he empathised with the desperation of seriously ill people but warned against the unproven therapies, which can cost up to $60,000.

Advertisement

''The therapies are almost all untested and unproven and sometimes they have killed people,'' Professor Williamson said. The Sun-Herald's calls to Emcell's Melbourne office were not returned.

Stem Cells Australia's Megan Munsie, who is conducting a study into stem cell tourism with Monash University, said many people she interviewed were unaware of the risks of therapy overseas.

''We're not talking about rubbing something into your skin or taking a capsule, we are talking about often a very invasive procedure,'' she said.

Go here to read the rest:
Fears over 'stem cell tourism'

Abbott Nutrition invites second wave of research proposals on diet and cognition

Posted on by

Abbott Nutrition and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are inviting researchers to bid for cash to fund new diet and cognition-related projects that could help Abbott develop the next generation of brain foods and supplements.

Target groups for studies include full-term and premature infants, pre-adolescent children, healthy adults, elderly adults, cancer patients and traumatic brain injury patients

The Center for Nutrition, Learning, and Memory, a collaboration between the two partners, is seeking pre-proposals by Sept 7, 2012 in its second annual research challenge.

Last year, the center awarded nearly $10m in funding for interdisciplinary research projects involving nutrition, the brain and cognition.

This years funding will be announced by December 17, with the amount awarded based on the quality of proposals.

Cognition research is one of Abbott's top glocal priorities

Speaking to NutraIngredients-USA in May,an Abbott spokeswoman said: Cognition research is one of Abbotts top global priorities."

She added: The research collaboration is intended to help uncover relationships between nutrition and cognition, and carry those discoveries to innovative nutritional products across all of our categories including pediatric, adult and performance nutrition.

Nutrients of interest include the long chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (HMB), flavonoids and lutein, while target groups include full-term and premature infants, pre-adolescent children, healthy adults, elderly adults, cancer patients and traumatic brain injury patients.

The rest is here:
Abbott Nutrition invites second wave of research proposals on diet and cognition

Barangay Aides Boost Nutrition Drive

Posted on by

SAN JOSE, Antique (PIA) Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) play a key role in the implementation of nutrition programs.

The BNS reach out to poor households in remote villages and upland areas to bring governments health and nutrition services, said Jemma M. Bacongallo, president of Provincial Association of Barangay Nutrition Scholars in Antique.

Crossing rivers, walking through slippery roads and steep slopes just to reach far-flung communities during Operation Timbang, Parents Nutrition Classes among other activities is a great challenge to us BNS, Bacongallo said.

She said the BNS are inspired most by the thought that we are not working just for our honorarium or reward, but we are on a mission to empower families to become more caring to their children by putting priority to their health, nutrition and education.

Antique has 642 BNS covering 590 barangays, 19 of which are in the island town of Caluya, 3 are in the island barangays of Culasi and most are in the upland areas of the province.

There are barangays especially with big populations that have two or more BNS but most have only one BNS with sitios (villages) located far from each other.

What made the Province of Antique more challenging is the fact that it ranked no. 1 in Region 6 in terms of malnutrition, said Bacongallo.

We have done our best, and remain committed to work hard, however, attending to the health and nutrition problems is no joke. We need more resources, health workers and most importantly cooperation of families, she added.

We are glad that the Department of the Interior and Local Government has issued a Memorandum Circular to all Punong Barangays not to replace us with their own appointees every time the new Punong Barangay is elected, if we are still active in performing our task, said Bacongallo.

As we pledged to do the best we can, she said, we appeal to the local officials to be kind and understanding to our needs, much more our safety while performing our duties.

Read the rest here:
Barangay Aides Boost Nutrition Drive

NUS researchers identify a novel double-stranded DNA structure

Posted on by

This novel double-stranded DNA structure produced through mechanical stretching has been successfully demonstrated by researchers from the National University of Singapore. Credit: National University of Singapore

By way of mechanical stretching, National University of Singapore researchers identify a novel double-stranded DNA structure, thus successfully resolving a 16-year-old scientific debate over the existence of a double-stranded DNA structure.

Double-stranded DNA has often been described as a right-handed helical structure, known as B-DNA. To perform its multiple functions, double-stranded DNA has multiple structures depending on conditions. For example, the melted DNA bubble forms during transcription elongation and the left-handed helical Z-DNA forms hypothetically during transcriptional regulations.

Scientists have been proposing a novel form of double-stranded DNA structure since 1996. Referred to as 'S-DNA', it is produced from stretching the B-form DNA beyond a certain 'transition force' of around 65 pN to approximately 1.7-fold in length (termed as DNA overstretching transition). Its existence has sparked a 16-year scientific debate since it was proposed, as many other evidences suggested that DNA overstretching transition was merely a force-induced DNA melting transition, leading to peeled-apart single-stranded DNA.

At National University of Singapore (NUS), the research was led by Associate Professor Jie Yan, from the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Mechanobiology Institute, Singapore. It succeeded in demonstrating the intricacies of the DNA mechanics in highly sensitive single-DNA stretching experiments.

Assoc Prof Yan and his team found that DNA overstretching may involve two transitions that are distinct in their transition kinetics, namely, a slower hysteretic peeling transition to peeled-apart single-stranded DNA and a faster non-hysteretic transition to an unknown DNA structure. However, whether the unknown DNA structure produced from the non-hysteretic transition is the S-DNA or two single-stranded DNA strands through inside-DNA-melting, remains a question.

Their findings were published in Nucleic Acids Research.

In another recent work published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Assoc Prof Yan and co-researchers examined the thermodynamics associated with the two transitions. They found that the non-hysteretic transition was associated with a small negative entropy change, in contrast to the large positive entropy change found during the hysteretic peeling transition. This result strongly favors DNA re-arrangement into a highly ordered, non-melted state during the non-hyteretic transition. They also demonstrated that the selection between the two transitions was dependent on DNA base-pair stability and could be represented in a multi-dimensional phase diagram.

Their results not only brought clarity to the scientific debate of whether S-DNA exists, but also provided important insights to the possible structures and functions of the mysterious S-DNA.

Given its elongated structure, the S-DNA may be a potential binding substrate for DNA intercalators, including those used in chemotherapeutic treatment to inhibit DNA replication in rapidly growing cancer cells. In cells, many DNA-binding proteins utilize side chain intercalation to distort the DNA backbone. Therefore, the S-DNA may also be a potential binding substrate for these proteins that occur in living organisms.

Continue reading here:
NUS researchers identify a novel double-stranded DNA structure

Posted in DNA

Convicted cop’s DNA not on coat

Posted on by

By Mike Wagner

The Columbus Dispatch Friday August 3, 2012 7:03 AM

On the day he was sentenced to life in prison for killing his ex-wife, Douglas Prade stood up in court, defiantly proclaimed his innocence and challenged the justice system to find the real killer.

God, Margo, myself and the person who killed Margo know that I am innocent, he said.

Now, 14 years later, lab-test results show that DNA recovered from the Summit County murder scene didnt come from Prade, a former Akron police captain convicted of killing Margo Prade, a prominent doctor and the mother of his two children.

Prade, 66 and serving a life sentence at the Madison Correctional Institution, was found guilty of shooting Margo six times after a struggle in her van in a parking lot outside of her office.

The DNA testing, conducted by DNA Diagnostics Center of Fairfield, north of Cincinnati, focused on the lab coat Margo Prade was wearing during the attack, and specifically a bite mark left on her arm by her killer.

Testing results found male DNA present within the bite mark, but it didnt match Douglas Prade. Further testing of the lab coat and other evidence conducted by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation also excluded Prades DNA.

The bite mark was pivotal in the prosecutions case against Prade. During his trial, an expert testified that the bite mark matched Prades teeth.

But Prade and his attorneys have argued that the bite mark testimony was based on junk science, and it misled the jury in a case that has received national attention.

Follow this link:
Convicted cop’s DNA not on coat

Posted in DNA

DNA testing identifies NC woman missing since 1992

Posted on by

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Modern DNA testing has helped law-enforcement identify the remains of a Johnston County woman who disappeared in Virginia nearly 20 years ago, officials said Friday.

Angie Faye Toler left North Carolina in 1992 to move to Richmond, Va., and live with a boyfriend. The boyfriend returned to Smithfield, but Toler was never seen again. Her body was found near railroad tracks in November of that year. With no identification and no relatives around, her case was listed as an unidentified deceased.

Nona Best, supervisor of the N.C. Center for Missing Persons, attended an academy of the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, or NamUs, last November. During a presentation by the VA Medical Examiner's Office, she noticed a picture that looked familiar. Best approached the instructor after his presentation and asked to see the picture again.

"Once I saw the picture up close I knew it was her," Best said. "She looked just like herself and her sister."

When Best returned to her office in Raleigh, she contacted the family and Lara A. Frame, an investigator with the chief medical examiner's office in Virginia. DNA from Toler's mother and sister was sent to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to compare with the unidentified body.

On Tuesday, Best was advised by Frame that the DNA was a positive match.

Best and Princeton Police Chief Tyrone Sutton informed Toler's sister, Cora Prince, and her mother, Deloris Sherod.

"The Lord answers prayers. I prayed I would find out what happen to her before I left this earth. I'm at peace now," Sherod said.

See original here:
DNA testing identifies NC woman missing since 1992

Posted in DNA

DNA Clue Discovered For Why Women Outlive Men

Posted on by

Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Seniors / Aging Also Included In: Men's Health;Biology / Biochemistry;Genetics Article Date: 03 Aug 2012 - 2:00 PDT

Current ratings for: DNA Clue Discovered For Why Women Outlive Men

4.5 (2 votes)

Researchers from Monash University in Australia and Lancaster University in the UK, write about their work in the 2 August online issue of Current Biology.

They found male fruit flies appear to have mutations in their mitochondrial DNA that affect how fast they age and how long they live.

Scientists use fruit flies as models for studies in genes and aging because their biological processes are remarkably similar to that of other animals, such as humans, and with a lifespan of about a month, it doesn't take too long to investigate generational effects.

Senior author Damian Dowling, a research fellow in the Monash School of Biological Sciences, told the press:

"All animals possess mitochondria, and the tendency for females to outlive males is common to many different species. Our results therefore suggest that the mitochondrial mutations we have uncovered will generally cause faster male aging across the animal kingdom."

"Intriguingly, these same mutations have no effects on patterns of aging in females. They only affect males," he added.

Mitochondria are special subunits of cells, about the same size as bacteria, that provide the energy for life. They combine sugar and oxygen into adenosine triphosphate or ATP, molecular packets of energy that are usable by cells.

See original here:
DNA Clue Discovered For Why Women Outlive Men

Posted in DNA

Novel double-stranded DNA structure produced through mechanical stretching

Posted on by

ScienceDaily (Aug. 3, 2012) Researchers' findings address a scientific debate that had lasted for 16 years over the existence of a double-stranded DNA structure.

Double-stranded DNA has often been described as a right-handed helical structure, known as B-DNA. To perform its multiple functions, double-stranded DNA has multiple structures depending on conditions. For example, the melted DNA bubble forms during transcription elongation and the left-handed helical Z-DNA forms hypothetically during transcriptional regulations.

Scientists have been proposing a novel form of double-stranded DNA structure since 1996. Referred to as 'S-DNA', it is produced from stretching the B-form DNA beyond a certain 'transition force' of around 65 pN to approximately 1.7-fold in length (termed as DNA overstretching transition). Its existence has sparked a 16-year scientific debate since it was proposed, as many other evidences suggested that DNA overstretching transition was merely a force-induced DNA melting transition, leading to peeled-apart single-stranded DNA.

At National University of Singapore (NUS), the research was led by Associate Professor Jie Yan, from the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Mechanobiology Institute, Singapore. It succeeded in demonstrating the intricacies of the DNA mechanics in highly sensitive single-DNA stretching experiments.

Assoc Prof Yan and his team found that DNA overstretching may involve two transitions that are distinct in their transition kinetics, namely, a slower hysteretic peeling transition to peeled-apart single-stranded DNA and a faster non-hysteretic transition to an unknown DNA structure. However, whether the unknown DNA structure produced from the non-hysteretic transition is the S-DNA or two single-stranded DNA strands through inside-DNA-melting, remains a question.

Their findings were published in Nucleic Acids Research.

In another recent work published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Assoc Prof Yan and co-researchers examined the thermodynamics associated with the two transitions. They found that the non-hysteretic transition was associated with a small negative entropy change, in contrast to the large positive entropy change found during the hysteretic peeling transition. This result strongly favors DNA re-arrangement into a highly ordered, non-melted state during the non-hyteretic transition. They also demonstrated that the selection between the two transitions was dependent on DNA base-pair stability and could be represented in a multi-dimensional phase diagram.

Their results not only brought clarity to the scientific debate of whether S-DNA exists, but also provided important insights to the possible structures and functions of the mysterious S-DNA.

Given its elongated structure, the S-DNA may be a potential binding substrate for DNA intercalators, including those used in chemotherapeutic treatment to inhibit DNA replication in rapidly growing cancer cells. In cells, many DNA-binding proteins utilize side chain intercalation to distort the DNA backbone. Therefore, the S-DNA may also be a potential binding substrate for these proteins that occur in living organisms.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Read the original:
Novel double-stranded DNA structure produced through mechanical stretching

Posted in DNA

3D movie at 'ultraresolution' shows how cell`s machinery bends membrane inwards

Posted on by

Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have combined the power of two kinds of microscope to produce a 3-dimensional movie of how cells 'swallow' nutrients and other molecules by engulfing them. The study, published today in Cell, is the first to follow changes in the shape of the cell's membrane and track proteins thought to influence those changes. It also provides ample data to investigate this essential process further.

This 'swallowing', called endocytosis, is involved in a variety of crucial tasks. It is used by brain cells relaying information to each other, for instance, and is also hijacked by many viruses, which use it to invade their host's cells. When a cell is about to swallow some molecules, a dent appears in the cell's membrane, and gradually expands inwards, pinching off to form a little pouch, or vesicle, that transports molecules into the cell.

This video is not supported by your browser at this time.

Scientists at EMBL have combined the power of two kinds of microscope to produce a three-dimensional movie of how cells swallow nutrients and other molecules by engulfing them. The study is the first to follow changes in the shape of the cells membrane and track proteins thought to influence those changes. Credit: EMBL/W.Kukulski

The data used to make the video is freely available to the scientific community and will, Kaksonen and Briggs believe, provide valuable information to others trying to develop physical models of how this process works. The EMBL scientists themselves are probing the roles of individual proteins in this process, by perturbing them, and would like to extend the current work in yeast to human cells.

More information: Kukulski, W., Schorb, M., Kaksonen, M. & Briggs, J.A.B. Time-resolved electron tomography reveals how the plasma membrane is reshaped during endocytosis. Cell, 3 August 2012.

Journal reference: Cell

Provided by European Molecular Biology Laboratory

Go here to see the original:
3D movie at 'ultraresolution' shows how cell`s machinery bends membrane inwards

Ways to Reduce Body Odor

Posted on by

You know you're slightly pungent after a hard Spinning class or garlicky dinner. But it turns out that some less expected factorslike how quickly you get dressed in the morning, the amount of carbs you eat, or whether you snorecan also affect your BO, breath, gassiness, and more.

Here's how to fix it, fast.

1. You Don't Towel Off After Showering A speedy post-shower rubdown may end up causing a problem later on. That's because moisture can get trapped between folds of skin, like below your breasts, under your love handles, or even between your toes, says Dr. Marina Peredo, a board-certified dermatologist in private practice in Smithtown, N.Y. "There's no access to air there, and it's easier for bacteria and fungi to multiply and mix with sweat, causing odor and irritation," she says.

Fix it: Peredo recommends this trick to her patients: "After you dry off, set a blow-dryer to cool and wave it over your belly, groin, feetanywhere that gets uncomfortably sweaty." You can also sprinkle an absorbent powder with antifungal properties onto your skin or in your shoes.

10 Worst Germ Hot Spots

2. You Love Spicy Foods Foods with pungent ingredients, such as curry, garlic, and other spices, can not only cause bad breath, but also a bit of a body odor.

When digested, these foods produce several stinky sulfur-containing gases. Most of these byproducts are metabolized in the intestines and liver, but some, such as allyl methyl sulfide, are absorbed into the bloodstream and released through your lungs and pores, an effect that can last for a few hours or more, says Dr. Debra Jaliman, assistant professor of dermatology at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine.

Fix it: You can temporarily mask bad breath with mouthwash or by chewing a bit of fresh parsley, mint, or fennel seeds, but you'll have to wait until your body is done digesting before all the odor is completely gone. Sit down to a spicy meal in good company; it's tough to smell it on others if you all eat the same thing, says Richard Price, DMD, spokesperson for the American Dental Association. Avoid garlic-rich chow in the hours before an important meeting or date.

3. You BrushBut Only Your Teeth Neglect your tongue, and your breath may not be as fresh as you'd like. Your tongue is covered with thousands of small hairlike projections called papillae, which can trap and harbor tiny scraps of food. So even if you brush and floss regularly, small remains from your meals can hang behind, collecting bacteria and emitting hydrogen sulfide vaporsaka bad breath.

Fix it: Mouthwashes may help, but the best way to remove bacteria, dead cells, and food debris from the crevices of your tongue is with an inexpensive tongue scraper. Brushing your tongue with a soft-bristled toothbrush works well too. Gently clean as far back as you can without gagging. Also, switch to a toothpaste that contains chlorine dioxide or tea tree oil, a powerful disinfectant with a pleasant, eucalyptus-like smell.

Read the original:
Ways to Reduce Body Odor

New Pall GeneDisc System For Rapid Microbiological Monitoring Solution In Beer Production

Posted on by

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Pall Corporation (NYSE: PLL) announced today that it has launched a quick, easy and affordable test for beer-spoilage microorganisms based on its GeneDisc Rapid Microbiology System.

GeneDisc(R) Plate for Beer-spoilage Bacteria (Photo: Business Wire)

Utilizing real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technology, Palls GeneDisc test provides a fast, reliable and user-friendly detection method to identify typical bacteria that are known to spoil beer. The system yields consistently repeatable results and virtually eliminates operator error. Test results from a beer sample are available after enrichment and DNA isolation within one hour.

"For the first time, the benefits of PCR technology are available to brewers for routine, day-to-day use, said Jonathan Pratt, president, Pall Food and Beverage. The new GeneDisc system offers breweries an extremely easy-to-use and rapid test method to better ensure that products at every stage of the production process are free of spoilage organisms."

The Pall GeneDisc system features an exceptionally robust PCR platform combined with ready-to-use GeneDisc test plates. Using the GeneDisc plate for beer-spoilage bacteria, the system simultaneously screens for the presence or absence of 20 critical beer-spoilage bacteria, including the relevant species of Lactobacillus, Megasphaera, Pediococcus and Pectinatus sp. beer-spoilage groups.

With its intuitive touch-screen interface, built-in software and barcode reader, the system enables minimally trained personnel to routinely perform sophisticated biological sample testing for rapid decision-making. The flexible GeneDisc system also helps optimize work flow and offers the capability to process multiple samples simultaneously.

Learn more about the GeneDisc Rapid Microbiology System and the Beer Spoilage Plate at the World Brewing Congress, an international gathering of brewing industry professionals, July 28-31, 2012 in Portland, Oregon, booth # 855.

About Pall Food and Beverage

Pall Food and Beverage serves the food and beverage industries with advanced membrane filtration technology and systems engineered for reliability and cost-effectiveness. Innovative filters, which are easy to install and simple to use, allow a cost-effective and well-controlled process operation. Visit us on the Web at http://www.pall.com/foodandbev.asp.

Go here to read the rest:
New Pall GeneDisc System For Rapid Microbiological Monitoring Solution In Beer Production

DNA tests could help free man convicted of killing wife

Posted on by

DNA tests could help free man convicted of killing wife

According to the Ohio Innocence Project, DNA testing has exonerated a man convicted of killing his ex-wife.

Former Akron police Capt. Doug Prade has consistently maintained he didn't kill Margo Prade as he served a life sentence for her 1998 murder.

Investigators said the killer bit Margo PRade and left saliva on the lab coat she was wearing, but tests performed before the trial were inconclusive.

"The DNA testing at the time of trial couldn't find the perpetrator's DNA," said Carrie Wood, of the Innocence Project. "The DNA technology available today found the perpetrator's DNA and it excluded Doug Prade."

A judge ordered the test two years ago, and researchers at a Fairfield laboratory released the results Thursday.

The state stands by the jury's verdict and cites eyewitness testimony placing Prade at the scene of the crime, but attorneys with the Innocence Project say such testimony is a factor in three of every four wrongful convictions.

"Now I just have stronger views on the use of DNA evidence and how strong it is when compared to any other types of evidence that are used in trials," said second-year law student Scott Leaman, who worked on Prade's case.

The state's brief indicates Margo Prade was fearful of her ex-husband, and her friends shared her concern and urged her to arm herself.

A hearing will be held in three weeks to determine what will happen next in the case.

Read this article:
DNA tests could help free man convicted of killing wife

Posted in DNA

DNA clue to why women live longer

Posted on by

2 August 2012 Last updated at 12:50 ET

Scientists believe they have discovered a clue to why women tend to live longer than men - by studying fruit flies.

Writing in Current Biology, they focus on mutations in mitochondrial DNA - the power source of cells.

Mitochondria are inherited only from mothers, never from fathers, so there is no way to weed out mutations that damage a male's prospects.

But one ageing expert said there were many factors that explained the gender difference in life expectancy.

By the age of 85, there are approximately six women for every four men in the UK, and by 100 the ratio is more than two to one.

And females outlive males in many other species.

In the research, experts from Australia's Monash University and the UK's Lancaster University analysed the mitochondria of 13 different groups of male and female fruit flies.

Mitochondria, which exist in almost all animal cells, convert food into the energy that powers the body.

I certainly don't think this is a discovery that explains why women live five-to-six years longer than men

Read the rest here:
DNA clue to why women live longer

Posted in DNA

DNA, fingerprint experts take stand in Oliver trial

Posted on by

LAKEPORT, Calif. On Thursday the jury in the trial of a Lakeport man accused of stabbing his neighbor to death heard from DNA and fingerprint experts and a criminologist about the testing of evidence found at the crime scene.

California Department of Justice criminologist Richard Waller, DNA expert Stephanie Carpenter and latent fingerprint expert Terry Hamlin testified Thursday in the murder trial of 34-year-old Ivan Garcia Oliver.

Oliver is charged with murder, burglary, elder abuse and several special allegations for the stabbing death of 67-year-old Michael Dodele on Nov. 20, 2007, at Western Hills Mobile Home Park on Lakeshore Boulevard outside of Lakeport.

The prosecution is alleging that Oliver killed Dodele after finding out he was listed as a sex offender on the Megans Law Web site. Oliver mistakenly believed Dodele had molested children, which he hadnt, although he had done prison time for raping an adult female victim.

The trial began last week. On Wednesday the jury heard an audiotape of a jailhouse interview in which Oliver allegedly admitted to killing Dodele.

Thursdays testimony included DOJ criminologist Richard Waller, who was able to match a footprint made in blood in Dodeles kitchen to one of the shoes Oliver was alleged to have been wearing.

Afternoon testimony, which totaled about an hour, included DOJ DNA expert Stephanie Carpenter, who analyzed blood spots on the pants and sweatshirt Oliver allegedly was wearing at the time of Dodeles death. She also tested blood spots on a knife, bleach bottle, a bathroom water knob and a white rug.

Dodeles blood was found on Olivers sweat shirt, with Olivers blood found on the other items, according to testimony.

Carpenter offered the jury an explanation of what DNA is and how testing is conducted.

DNA is essentially a set of instructions that tells your body how to grow and develop, she said.

See the article here:
DNA, fingerprint experts take stand in Oliver trial

Posted in DNA

Research and Markets: ForeSights: Suncare Nutrition – Identify New Concepts that Could Influence Consumer Trends or …

Posted on by

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/lrvp76/foresights_suncar) has announced the addition of the "ForeSights: Suncare Nutrition" report to their offering.

The era of nutricosmetics is arriving. Consumers are increasingly turning towards food and drink as a solution to their personal care problems. As the concept develops, it seems inevitable that suncare nutrition will become a focus.

This ForeSights report was compiled according to Datamonitor's ForeSights methodology which aims to identify new concepts that could influence consumer trends or have a future commercial application in consumer packaged goods.

Features and benefits:

- Consider emerging opportunities and threats in the consumer packaged goods market and gain insight into potential future consumer behavior.

- Identify interesting new and emerging concepts, products, and ideas on offer in retail, foodservice, online spaces, and beyond.

- Understand how new concepts and ideas fit in to - or challenge - current consumer trends

- Gain insight and inspiration for innovation programs and new product development.

Highlights

Read the original:
Research and Markets: ForeSights: Suncare Nutrition - Identify New Concepts that Could Influence Consumer Trends or ...