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Gazette.Net: Thumbs up to Mikulskis Capitol Hill longevity

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Boo to ignoring alternative redistricting maps

Thumbs up: To U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski for becoming the longest-serving female member of Congress in U.S. history. Mikulski (D) of Baltimore was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1976, after serving on the Baltimore City Council. She was also the first Democratic woman elected to the Senate in her own right. In October, Mikulski was inducted into the National Womens Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, N.Y. In her speech, she said, Its not how long you serve, but how well you serve.

Thumbs down: To Dels. Kevin Kelly (D-Dist. 1B) of Cumberland and Luiz R.S. Simmons (D-Dist. 17) of Rockville for taking the lead in killing legislation under which state and local lawmakers could have been prosecuted in state courts for seeking or taking bribes. The delegates said the bill could falsely call into question why a lawmaker changed position on an issue. Simmons also cited the need to protect lawmakers from judges or a prosecutor with an ax to grind. Both seem like awfully flimsy arguments, especially when up against the issue of public trust.

Thumbs down: To Maryland public schools, which have benefited the past few years from their No. 1 ranking by Education Week magazine, for having the second-largest gap in the nation in eighth-grade math performance between low-income and wealthier students. Minority and income-based achievement gaps remain a major concern for the states educators.

Thumbs up: To legislation to close a loophole that allows officials convicted of a crime to stay in office until they are sentenced. Known as Leslies Law, in dishonor of former Prince Georges County Councilwoman Leslie Johnson, the measure would require that officials who are convicted or plead guilty to a crime to step down immediately. A House bill has passed, while the Senate version is in committee.

Thumbs down: To the University System of Maryland for, until relatively recently, storing information, including Social Security numbers and some credit card numbers, of prospective students on a server that the public could access. While officials deserve credit for making a change toward better security in December 2010, they warrant criticism for moving way too slowly; they were warned about their lax security in 2002 and 2005 reports.

Thumbs up: To efforts being led by Del. James E. Malone Jr. (D-Dist. 12A) of Arbutus and Sen. James N. Robey (D-Dist. 13) of Elkridge to make talking on a cell phone without use of hands-free device while driving a primary offense in Maryland. Currently, its a secondary offense, meaning drivers must violate another road rule before they can be pulled over by police. Maryland is the only state to make it a secondary offense. Studies show that primary enforcement leads to a 20 percent increase in compliance with phone bans.

Thumbs up: To Michael Busch for becoming the longest-serving speaker in the history of the House of Delegates, when he was sworn in to a 10th consecutive one-year term in January.

Thumbs down: To Michael Busch for declining to hold hearings on alternative redistricting plans. The House speakers office said the lack of a consensus on five alternative plans put forward by delegates weighed against holding hearings. But there was enough criticism of the Democratic plan, which eventually took effect, that hearings on the others were warranted.

Thumbs down: To talk of charging higher tuition for so-called STEM students in the state university system. It might cost more to educate science, technology, engineering and math students, but at a time when the United States is falling behind in these technical fields and President Barack Obama and others have made attracting STEM majors a priority, charging more seems counterintuitive. If anything, STEM students should be charged less, as an incentive.

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Gazette.Net: Thumbs up to Mikulskis Capitol Hill longevity

DNAe Plans Pilot Trials of Handheld Semiconductor DNA Testing Platform for PGx, Infectious Disease

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By Ben Butkus

DNA Electronics will begin pre-clinical pilot trials later this year to prepare its rapid, handheld, semiconductor-based DNA testing platform for clinical diagnostic use, the company said this week.

To that end, the London-based company will collaborate with the lab of Eric Topol at Scripps Research Institute in the area of pharmacogenetic analysis for Plavix response; and with an unspecified lab at St. Mary's University College in London in the area of infectious disease testing, PCR Insider has learned.

PCR Insider spoke with DNA Electronics CEO Chris Toumazou and CTO Leila Shepherd this week following the company's announcement that it had inked an agreement granting skincare company GeneOnyx access to its point-of-care genetic testing device, called Genalysis, to provide rapid, over-the-counter genetic testing to consumers for the purposes of recommending genetically tailored cosmetic products.

The deal with GeneOnyx is the "first significant license" for DNA Electronics' testing platform, but is just the tip of the iceberg, Toumazou said, as the company is now in the throes of honing the platform for in vitro diagnostics use.

"We've been in stealth mode, and we're excited that [Genalysis] is working now," Toumazou said. "The key objective still is to tackle the healthcare and clinical market. But in the past year there has been all this hype about handheld genetic devices, but we don't know anything to date that actually works. We wanted to make sure the world sees that we have something that works, and works well, so we're applying it to a setting that can demonstrate that. That's why we decided to partner with GeneOnyx."

DNA Electronics' current molecular diagnostics work actually brings the company full circle to its earliest days, when it spun out of Imperial College London to commercialize the discovery that when nucleotide pairs come together during DNA synthesis, they release hydrogen ions, which can be detected as an electrical signal on a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor, or CMOS chip.

"We patented that idea, and we spun out DNA Electronics in 2002 with aspirations from the very beginning to create a handheld diagnostic technology," Toumazou said. But, he added, the company first applied the technology "to what [we thought] was the really growing field, which was DNA sequencing."

As a result, DNA Electronics negotiated first a non-exclusive license with Ion Torrent, which adopted the technology as part of its next-generation sequencing platform now called the PGM and sold by Life Technologies, which acquired Ion Torrent in late 2010. After that deal, DNA Electronics then forged a partnership with Roche 454 to integrate the technology into a competing sequencing platform.

"While all that was taking place, which was really a good way of bringing in revenues, we had a team incubating our holy grail, which was this microchip-based diagnostic device," Toumazou said.

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DNAe Plans Pilot Trials of Handheld Semiconductor DNA Testing Platform for PGx, Infectious Disease

Posted in DNA

After mistrial, DNA factors into double-murder case

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ST. LOUIS A jailhouse scuffle last year left Jimmy Love-El with some bumps, some bruises and a mistrial in the double homicide case against him.

The fight may have been his lucky break.

A circuit court judge called off the trial on its third day on concerns that injuries from the fight, involving a friend of one of the victims, could prejudice the jury.

In the time since, DNA evidence has surfaced that Love-El's attorneys say support his defense that someone else shot two men Jan. 11, 2009, in a Schnucks parking lot during a drug deal gone bad.

The DNA hit matching a convicted drug offender to a cup found in the car where the two men were killed is contentious for another reason. A St. Louis police detective didn't disclose the DNA result for four months after he was notified of it, leaving the defense to hear of the evidence just four days before the retrial. As a result, that trial has been pushed back. Love-El remains in jail, waiting to see how the DNA test will affect his case.

The episode has prompted a mea culpa from police, with a promise of better procedures going forward to inform defendants of evidence that could help them.

THE CRIME

Prosecutors argued in the interrupted trial in June 2011 that Love-El killed Dewon Curry and Archie White because he was a drug user who needed a fix.

Curry, 23, and White, 22, were parked outside the Schnucks store in the 3400 block of Union Boulevard when Love-El allegedly pulled in around 6:30 p.m. They wanted $1,200 for an ounce of crack cocaine, but Love-El found a way to get it for free, prosecutors said.

They alleged that he climbed into the back seat of the victims' Mercury Marquis, pulled out a gun and shot each man in the head. He took their cellphones and drugs but accidentally left behind a brown glove that testing would show contained his DNA, officials said.

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After mistrial, DNA factors into double-murder case

Posted in DNA

Can You Really Sequence DNA With a USB Thumb Drive?

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Can this USB stick change biology research? Photo: Oxford Nanopore

What if you could put a few bacterial cells into a USB stick, plug it into your laptop, and get back a complete DNA sequence in a matter of minutes?

Oxford Nanopore has built a USB device that will do just that. At least, thats what the company says. Known as MinION, the device received a hefty amount of press when it was announced in February, and its slated for release to the world at large in the second half of the year. But many are still skeptical that this tiny device will do what its designed to do.

If [the claims] are true, wed buy it tomorrow, Jonathan Eisen, a microbiology professor at the University of California at Davis. But Im reserving judgment. Weve heard many presentations from companies where these things dont pan out.

Clive Brown, Oxfords chief technology officer, tells Wired that the MinION works as advertised. You put a handful of lysed cells cells whose membranes have been dissolved into a small container built into the USB drive. You plug the drive into an ordinary PC. And depending on the length of the DNA in those cells, youll have a complete sequence in somewhere between a few minutes to a few hours. The device is the result of seven years of research, Brown says, and it sells for $900.

For Eisen, the cost alone would make the MinION a game changer. But its also attractive because its portable. Eisen says that with a device like the MinION, field researchers would have sequencing at their fingertips at all times, whether theyre on a remote mountain somewhere or out at sea looking at algae blooms. This really would be the democratization of sequencing, he says. Anyone in any research environment would consider doing large scale sequencing in their project.

But he still wants to see it action before he says any more.

In biological research, the order of DNAs four building blocks called base pairs is essential to understanding the underlying mechanisms of an organisms existence. Short for deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA along with a handful of supporting molecules dictates the protein structures and development of every creature on the planet. DNA length varies by organism ranging from the thousands of basepairs for bacteria to billions for mammals so tools that quickly read this molecular instruction manual are imperative for biological research.

Oxford aims for DNA sequencing in the wild. Image: Frank Kehren/Flickr

The market for DNA sequencing is a crowded one. Companies such as Illumina and Sequetech build large machines that sit alongside a lab bench, and Ion Torrent, a subsidiary of Life Technologies, will soon release a benchtop sequencer that it says will read the entire human genome roughly three billion base pairs in a day. But Oxford is the first to put this sort of device on an ordinary laptop.

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Can You Really Sequence DNA With a USB Thumb Drive?

Posted in DNA

Bert, Bundy and biology

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Egg watch ... a tour group watches a turtle nesting on Mon Repos beach.

In one crowded day in Bundaberg, Keith Austin sips rum before lunch, takes an aviation history lesson and watches the cycle of life under a full moon.

If you drive into Bundaberg from the south, a sign welcomes you to the city and proudly reveals this was the home of Bert Hinkler. Who? Who? There are no signs to the Bundaberg Rum distillery that I can find but there's a sign about Bert Hinkler?

I'd never heard of the bloke but a few hours later I'm puzzled that nobody has made a movie about his amazing, blazing firework of a life. And I've gained an appreciation for Bundaberg Rum - which, for a single-malt man, is damascene in its implications.

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A few hours later, on a warm evening under a ghostly full moon, a giant loggerhead turtle calmly squirts a hundred or so ping-pong-ball eggs into a shallow hole on Mon Repos beach, to the north of Bundaberg, where Bert Hinkler's story began in the baby years of the 20th century.

But first, that distillery. The turtles might be the main attraction but missing the Bundaberg distillery tour would be like going to the Black Forest and not having the gateau.

The city was named in 1867 by jamming together the Aboriginal word "bunda" (elder) with the Saxon suffix "berg" (mountain). The district of 112,000 people sits at the tail end of the Great Barrier Reef, and Mon Repos beach, 14 kilometres from Bundaberg, has the largest and most accessible mainland turtle rookery on the east coast of Australia. Loggerhead, green and flatback turtles come ashore to lay their eggs here between November and March each year.

It's also surrounded by sugar cane farms - the first Bundaberg sugar mill was built in 1872. A major by-product of sugar refining is molasses - an overabundance of which led a group of sugar millers to an ingenious solution in 1888, when they established the Bundaberg Rum distillery.

That dark syrupy liquid is piped underground direct from the mill into the distillery and stored in several molasses "wells", which are the first port of call on the distillery tour.

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Bert, Bundy and biology

NIH launches online resource on behavioral and social science research methods

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Public release date: 23-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Ann C. Benner annb@nih.gov 301-594-4574 NIH/Office of the Director

A Web-based interactive anthology will provide psychologists, economists, anthropologists, sociologists and other scientists with the latest research methods and tools to address emerging challenges in public health, such as the obesity epidemic and the rise of chronic diseases such as heart disease. The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) at the National Institutes of Health collaborated with New England Research Institutes to create the free resource(http://www.esourceresearch.org/), called e-Source.

Because behavioral and social scientists hail from widely varying disciplines from political science to social work research, there was a need for a central resource for current, high quality behavioral and social science research methods. With contributions from international experts, this anthology provides authoritative answers to methodological questions and sets quality standards for the research community.

The goal of the program is to demonstrate the potential of behavioral and social science research, focusing on applying research findings to public health activities and the potential to enhance biomedical research. It is also a useful training resource for biological scientists, providing them with a basic foundation for collaborations with behavioral and social scientists. "The behavioral and social sciences research community has long needed an easily accessible, low-cost central resource for standardized methods," said Dr. Robert M. Kaplan, director of OBSSR.

Behavioral and social science has broad appeal and impact, and the program was developed to reach a wide audience of researchers, within the NIH, nationally and internationally. The Web-based interactive collection consists of 20 interactive chapters with new features including a discussion forum and enhanced note-taking capabilities. The twenty chapters cover a range of topics, but are accessible to all users, including those with limited familiarity of concepts such as how to conduct a qualitative analysis. The concepts are supported with interactive exercises and a full set of references linked to abstracts in Pubmed(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed), a library of citations for scientific journals.

The program includes chapters under five major categories relevant to behavioral and social science. "Setting the Scene" introduces major concepts in design and planning of social and behavioral science research. "Describing How" addresses methodologies used to explain how something occurs (for instance, learning how a disease is distributed in a population by conducting a survey or an observational study). "Explaining Why" provides guidance on qualitative methods appropriate for describing why something occurs. "What Works" explores research methods that can evaluate whether one treatment is better than another and whether there are cost differences (for example, a brand drug versus a generic medication). "Emerging Issues" addresses challenges in behavioral and social science research.

Several features engage the user and promote sharing, including a discussion board, a notes feature to save content and share it with others, and a function which allows the user to print a page or a chapter as a PDF. Unlike a printed textbook, the site has been developed with the expectation that it will provide a foundation of methods, but also evolve as new issues emerge. Future topics may include the effects of living in a particular neighborhood, the impact of differences in language and lifestyles, and the science of writing questions.

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The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) opened officially on July 1, 1995. The U.S. Congress established the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) in the Office of the Director, NIH, in recognition of the key role that behavioral and social factors often play in illness and health. The OBSSR mission is to stimulate behavioral and social sciences research throughout NIH and to integrate these improving our understanding, treatment, and prevention of disease. For more information, please visit <http://obssr.od.nih.gov>.

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NIH launches online resource on behavioral and social science research methods

Research and Markets: Progenitor and Stem Cell Technologies and Therapies Reviews the Range Of Progenitor and Stem …

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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Dublin - Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2fee68d4/progenitor_and_ste) has announced the addition of Woodhead Publishing Ltd's new book "Progenitor and Stem Cell Technologies and Therapies" to their offering.

Progenitor and stem cells have the ability to renew themselves and change into a variety of specialised types, making them ideal materials for therapy and regenerative medicine. "Progenitor and stem cell technologies and therapies" reviews the range of progenitor and stem cells available and their therapeutic application.

Part one reviews basic principles for the culture of stem cells before discussing technologies for particular cell types. These include human embryonic, induced pluripotent, amniotic and placental, cord and multipotent stem cells. Part two discusses wider issues such as intellectual property, regulation and commercialisation of stem cell technologies and therapies. The final part of the book considers the therapeutic use of stem and progenitor cells. Chapters review the use of adipose tissue-derived stem cells, umbilical cord blood (UCB) stem cells, bone marrow, auditory and oral cavity stem cells. Other chapters cover the use of stem cells in therapies in various clinical areas, including lung, cartilage, urologic, nerve and cardiac repair.

With its distinguished editor and international team of contributors, "Progenitor and stem cell technologies and therapies" is a standard reference for both those researching in cell and tissue biology and engineering as well as medical practitioners investigating the therapeutic use of this important technology.

Key Features:

- Reviews the range of progenitor and stem cells available and outlines their therapeutic application

- Examines the basic principles for the culture of stem cells before discussing technologies for particular cell types, including human embryonic, induced pluripotent, amniotic and placental, cord and multipotent stem cells

- Includes a discussion of wider issues such as intellectual property, regulation and commercialisation of stem cell technologies and therapies

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2fee68d4/progenitor_and_ste

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Research and Markets: Progenitor and Stem Cell Technologies and Therapies Reviews the Range Of Progenitor and Stem ...

Bioheart Labs and Stemlogix Veterinary Products Featured in Media

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SUNRISE, Fla., March 22, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bioheart, Inc. (OTCBB:BHRT.OB - News), a company focused on developing stem cell therapies for heart disease, previously announced that they entered into an agreement with Stemlogix, LLC, a veterinary regenerative medicine company, to provide additional cellular products and services to the veterinary market. Under this agreement, the companies are offering stem cell banking for veterinary patients (pets). WPLG, channel 10 featured this exciting technology in a news segment which aired in the South Florida area. A small sample of tissue can be obtained from the animals during a routine procedure such as a spay or neuter. The stem cells are isolated and cryopreserved for future use as needed.

"We are excited to bring our expertise in stem cell therapy to the veterinary community," said Mike Tomas, Bioheart's President and CEO. "Stem cell therapies represent new opportunities for various types of patients and the ability to bank a pet's cells when they are young and healthy could be very valuable for future use."

WPLG, Channel 10 in Miami/South Florida featured this new technology in a news segment which aired March 15, 2012. Please see the link below:

http://www.local10.com/thats-life/health/Pet-stem-cells-frozen-banked-for-future-use/-/1717022/9285894/-/apcx9rz/-/index.html

About Bioheart, Inc.

Bioheart is committed to maintaining its leading position within the cardiovascular sector of the cell technology industry delivering cell therapies and biologics that help address congestive heart failure, lower limb ischemia, chronic heart ischemia, acute myocardial infarctions and other issues. Bioheart's goals are to cause damaged tissue to be regenerated, when possible, and to improve a patient's quality of life and reduce health care costs and hospitalizations.

Specific to biotechnology, Bioheart is focused on the discovery, development and, subject to regulatory approval, commercialization of autologous cell therapies for the treatment of chronic and acute heart damage and peripheral vascular disease. Its leading product, MyoCell, is a clinical muscle-derived cell therapy designed to populate regions of scar tissue within a patient's heart with new living cells for the purpose of improving cardiac function in chronic heart failure patients. For more information on Bioheart, visit http://www.bioheartinc.com.

About Stemlogix, LLC

Stemlogix is an innovative veterinary regenerative medicine company committed to providing veterinarians with the ability to deliver the best possible stem cell therapy to dogs, cats and horses at the point-of-care. Stemlogix provides veterinarians with the ability to isolate regenerative stem cells from a patient's own adipose (fat) tissue directly on-site within their own clinic or where a patient is located. Regenerative stem cells isolated from adipose tissue have been shown in studies to be effective in treating animal's suffering from osteoarthritis, joint diseases, tendon injuries, heart disorders, among other conditions. Stemlogix has a highly experienced management team with experience in setting up full scale cGMP stem cell manufacturing facilities, stem cell product development & enhancement, developing point-of-care cell production systems, developing culture expanded stem cell production systems, FDA compliance, directing clinical & preclinical studies with multiple cell types for multiple indications, and more. For more information about veterinary regenerative medicine please visit http://www.stemlogix.com.

Forward-Looking Statements: Except for historical matters contained herein, statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as "may," "will," "to," "plan," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "could," "would," "estimate," or "continue" or the negative other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

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Bioheart Labs and Stemlogix Veterinary Products Featured in Media

Vet-Stem Announces StemInsure(R): A Small Fat Sample Now, a Lifetime of Stem Cells Later

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POWAY, CA--(Marketwire -03/22/12)- Vet-Stem announced today the introduction of StemInsure. The StemInsure service provides banked stem cells that can be grown to supply a lifetime of stem cell therapy for dogs. One fat collection, in conjunction with another anesthetized procedure, gives access to a lifetime of stem cells.

Vet-Stem has trained over 3,500 veterinarians, provided stem cells for over 8,000 animals in the US and Canada and currently banks more than 25,000 doses for future therapeutic use. Many veterinarians and their clients have requested a method to collect and store stem cells when a dog is young, before it needs the regenerative cells for therapy. StemInsure was designed to meet this need.

A Vet-Stem credentialed veterinarian can collect as little as 5 grams of fat (about the size of a grape) from a dog or puppy during an anesthetized procedure. Many veterinarians and owners are electing to do this fat collection in conjunction with a spay or neuter. This small amount of fat is processed and stem cells are cryopreserved in Vet-Stem's state-of-the-art facility. The cells can be cultured in the future to provide enough stem cells to last for the lifetime of the dog. More information can be found at http://www.vet-stem.com/steminsure.php.

"Vet-Stem is pleased to provide StemInsure as a solution to the thousands of veterinarians and dog owners who recognize the value of Vet-Stem cell therapy. The ability to store the cells in conjunction with another procedure is a great way to ensure that the dog will have access to a lifetime of cell therapy while reducing the number of anesthetic events," said Dr. Bob Harman, DVM, MPVM, and CEO of Vet-Stem. Dr. Harman continued, "Currently, Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy is widely used to treat osteoarthritis, and tendon/ligament injuries. It is our expectation that the therapeutic use of adipose derived stem cells will continue to expand and add to the value of a lifetime supply of stem cells for dogs."

About Vet-Stem:In January of 2004, Vet-Stem introduced the first veterinary stem cell service in the United States. Since that time there has been rapid adoption of this technology for treatment of tendon, ligament, and joint injuries by the veterinary community. Studies have shown that mesenchymal stem cells can dramatically improve the healing of injuries and diseases that have had very few treatment options in the past.

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Vet-Stem Announces StemInsure(R): A Small Fat Sample Now, a Lifetime of Stem Cells Later

AMP applauds Supreme Court ruling: Sees win for patients and personalized medicine

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Public release date: 21-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Mary Steele Williams mwilliams@amp.org 301-634-7321 Association for Molecular Pathology

Bethesda, MD, March 21, 2012: "The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) applauds the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling today in the case of Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Laboratories as a victory for patients and for the advancement of personalized medicine," stated Iris Schrijver, MD, the Organization's President. AMP, an international professional society representing more than 2000 physicians, doctoral scientists, and medical technologists, joined 10 other medical and healthcare organizations in filing an amicus brief with the Court in support of Mayo Clinic. AMP is also the lead plaintiff in Association for Molecular Pathology v. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that challenges the validity of patents on two human genes associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and is currently under review by the High Court.

"Prometheus acknowledged that physicians can infringe the patent by merely thinking about the relationship between drug metabolite levels and patient response," asserted Dr. Schrijver. "It is encouraging that the Court recognized that the Prometheus patents neither promote the advancement of medical practice, nor benefit patient care".

"In Prometheus, the Court wisely recognized that overly broad patents can inhibit innovation," stated Jennifer Hunt, MD, MEd, the Organization's President-Elect. "Establishing a drug reference range is important, but standard work for laboratory physicians. Awarding monopolies over the medical use of natural, biological relationships stifles innovation in true diagnostic test methods and obstructs improvements for patient care."

AMP believes the Supreme Court's reasoning in Mayo v. Prometheus extends to patents that claim ownership over another type of natural phenomenon, the biological relationships between genetic variants and clinical disease. Such relationships are at the heart of personalized medicine. "Patients are increasingly being disadvantaged by gene correlation patents," stated Roger D. Klein, MD, JD, Chair of AMP's Professional Relations Committee. As an example, Dr. Klein cited a method patent relating to a variation in a gene known as FLT3 that is used to qualify some leukemia patients for bone marrow transplant.

Enforcement of the FLT3 patent by a private company has been forcing physicians and laboratories to split and geographically distribute irreplaceable bone marrow specimens. "Splitting samples creates an additional risk of specimen loss and delays the receipt of patient results" stated Dr. Klein. "In addition, it interferes with the ability of pathologists to provide synoptic interpretations involving multiple tests, and prevents them from implementing cost saving algorithms that limit unnecessary testing. The Supreme Court's ruling is clearly a win both for our patients and for personalized healthcare."

###

ABOUT AMP:

The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) is an international medical professional association dedicated to the advancement, practice, and science of clinical molecular laboratory medicine and translational research based on the applications of molecular biology, genetics, and genomics. For more information, please visit http://www.amp.org.

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AMP applauds Supreme Court ruling: Sees win for patients and personalized medicine

Celebrating 40 Years of Senior Nutrition Programs

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Thu 3/22/12 10:47AM

Area senior centers will be marking the 40th anniversary of the Older American Act Nutrition Programs with cake and ice cream from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday.

The celebration will take place at senior centers in Escanaba, Gladstone, Hermansville, Daggett, Menominee and Manistique.

The nutrition programs were made part of the Older Americans Act March 22, 1972.

According to a press release from the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs, few if any federal programs in history have performed as effectively for the people it serves than the nutrition programs.

Assistant Secretary for Aging, Kathy Greenlee, reports that, since 1972, eight billion meals have been served to older Americans. Every day an older adult participates in either the congregate or home-delivered meals programs means they are able to remain in their communities and homes, maintain their independence and not face the prospect of hospital or nursing home placement due to malnutrition or hunger.

The future of the nutrition programs may rest on demonstrating the return on investment it provides each and every year and allowing it to expand and become a more integral part of our home and community-based long-term care strategy as well as our health, prevention and wellness strategies for older adults. Dollars invested in the Older Americans Act especially its largest program, the nutrition programs will more than be offset by savings that will be achieved to both Medicaid and Medicare in terms of costs associated with hospital and nursing home care.

The Congregate Nutrition Services and HomeDelivered Nutrition Services provide food and socialization for older adults in their own homes or in the community, for about $1,300 per year. This $1,300 per year is the same as the cost of six days in a nursing home or one day of hospitalization.

We salute the visionaries in the White House and Congress who in 1972 saw the need for this program. We thank those in succeeding Administrations and Congresses who have continued their support of the programs and are addressing its future. We pay tribute to our members and all those dedicated men and women in the national aging network who by their daily work have contributed to the success story of these programs and of course we salute the older adults who participate and benefit from these programs each and every day. They are older adults who are committed to better nutrition being the key to better health.

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Celebrating 40 Years of Senior Nutrition Programs

Schiff Nutrition International, Inc. Announces Fiscal 2012 Third Quarter Results

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SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Schiff Nutrition International, Inc., (NYSE:WNI - News), announced results for the three- and nine-month periods ended February 29, 2012.

We are pleased with our third quarter performance, stated Tarang Amin, president and chief executive officer. Net sales grew 25%, which was driven by a 53% increase in our branded business. These results reflect successful execution against Schiffs growth strategy as we invest to build premium brands and lead innovation in our categories. Our core brands Schiff Move Free and Schiff MegaRed, in particular, benefited from strong marketing and sales execution as well as traction from new items.

Three Months Results Ended February 29, 2012

For the fiscal 2012 third quarter ended February 29, 2012, net sales were $72.2 million, compared to $57.7 million for the same period in fiscal 2011. The 25% increase reflects growth in key brands, new product introductions and a full quarters contribution from the probiotics acquisition. Branded sales results were partially offset by an expected decline in private label business. Selling and marketing expenses were $17.8 million, or 25% of revenue, compared to $7.9 million, or 14% of revenue. Net income for the fiscal 2012 third quarter was $4.6 million, compared to net income of $4.0 million for the same period in fiscal 2011. Earnings per diluted share were $0.16 for the fiscal 2012 third quarter, compared to $0.14 for the same period in fiscal 2011. Adjusted EBITDA, which is defined as income from operations before depreciation, amortization and stock-based compensation, was $9.3 million for the fiscal 2012 third quarter, compared to $7.4 million for the same period in fiscal 2011.

Nine Months Results Ended February 29, 2012

For the first nine months of fiscal 2012, net sales were $191.5 million, compared to $161.8 million for the same period in fiscal 2011. Selling and marketing expenses were $45.0 million, or 24% of revenue, compared to $26.2 million, or 16% of revenue. Net income for the first nine months of fiscal 2012 was $11.8 million, compared to net income of $9.6 million for the same period in fiscal 2011. Earnings per diluted share were $0.40 for the first nine months of fiscal 2012, compared to $0.33 for the same period in fiscal 2011. Adjusted EBITDA was $25.3 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2012, compared to $21.5 million for the same period in fiscal 2011.

We are positioning Schiff for long-term growth. Our sales and gross margins continue to benefit from our investments in brand building. It is gratifying the business has responded to these efforts so positively in fiscal 2012, concluded Amin.

Company Outlook

The company adjusted its fiscal year 2012 expectations. Net sales are expected to grow 16% to 19% as compared to fiscal year 2011 net sales of $213.6 million. Gross profit percentage is expected to be in the range of 44% to 46%. Selling and marketing expenses, as a percentage of net sales, are estimated to be in the range of 23.0% to 24.5%. Other operating expenses are estimated at approximately $27.5 million to $29.0 million. The company continues to anticipate a very high single-digit operating margin for fiscal 2012.

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Schiff Nutrition International, Inc. Announces Fiscal 2012 Third Quarter Results

Schiff Nutrition posts higher 3Q revenue, earnings

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Utahs Schiff Nutrition International said its sales for the third quarter of its 2012 fiscal year grew 25 percent, the result of a strong marketing campaign and the introduction of a number of new products.

The Salt Lake City-based company, whose third quarter ended Feb. 29, 2012, said revenue for the period reached $72.2 million, up from $57.7 million in the same quarter a year ago.

Those revenue helped Schiff post net income of $4.6 million for the quarter, or 16 cents per share, compared with the net income of $4 million, or 14 cents per share, for the same period in fiscal 2011.

"We are positioning Schiff for long-term growth," Tarang Amin, president and CEO, said in a statement announcing the companys latest financial results. "Our sales and gross margins continue to benefit from our investments in brand building."

Schiff market nutritional supplements under a variety of different brands.

For the first nine months of fiscal 2012, sales reached $191.5 million compared with $161.8 million for the same period in the previous fiscal year, Amin said.

Net income for the first nine months of the year was $11.8 million, or 40 cents per share, compared to net income of $9.6 million, or 33 cents per share, for the comparable period in fiscal 2011.

Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Schiff Nutrition posts higher 3Q revenue, earnings

Nicki Minaj Dreams Up Rap Game Longevity Scheme, "I Would Enjoy A Career Like Jay-Z's"

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News: Nicki Minaj Dreams Up Rap Game Longevity Scheme, "I Would Enjoy A Career Like Jay-Z's"

Thursday, Mar 22, 2012 9:19AM

Written by Cyrus Langhorne

Young Money star Nicki Minaj gives her take on rap longevity and why she would not mind following in rap mogul Jay-Z's footsteps in the new issue of Complex magazine.

According to Minaj, the ability to make a diverse range of music could extend her hip-hop career.

She also likened her potential career longevity to 42 year-old music mogul Jay-Z.

Back in 2010, Slaughterhouse's Joe Budden offered his take on sustaining an extensive rap career.

Outside of hip-hop, Nicki recently sealed a deal with mega soda company Pepsi.

Check out some recent Nicki Minaj footage below:

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Nicki Minaj Dreams Up Rap Game Longevity Scheme, "I Would Enjoy A Career Like Jay-Z's"

Autism risk gene linked to differences in brain structure

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Public release date: 21-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 x2156 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, March 21, 2012Healthy individuals who carry a gene variation linked to an increased risk of autism have structural differences in their brains that may help explain how the gene affects brain function and increases vulnerability for autism. The results of this innovative brain imaging study are described in an article in the groundbreaking neuroscience journal Brain Connectivity, a bimonthly peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc (http://wwwliebertpub.com). The article is available free online at the Brain Connectivity (http://www.liebertpub.com/brain) website.

"This is one of the first papers demonstrating a linkage between a particular gene variant and changes in brain structure and connectivity in carriers of that gene," says Christopher Pawela, PhD, Co-Editor-in-Chief and Assistant Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin. "This work could lead to the creation of an exciting new line of research investigating the impact of genetics on communication between brain regions."

Although carriers of the common gene variant CNTNAP2identified as an autism risk genemay not develop autism, there is evidence of differences in brain structure that may affect connections and signaling between brain regions. These disruptions in brain connectivity can give rise to functional abnormalities characteristic of neuropsychological disorders such as autism.

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Emily Dennis and coauthors from UCLA School of Medicine and UCLA (Los Angeles, CA) and University of Queensland and Queensland Institute of Medical Research (Brisbane, Australia), used a sophisticated imaging technique to study the brains of healthy young adults who are carriers of CNTNAP2. They report their findings in "Altered Structural Brain Connectivity in Healthy Carriers of the Autism Risk Gene, CNTNAP2." (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/brain.2011.0064)

About the Journal

Brain Connectivity (http://www.liebertpub.com/brain) is the journal of record for researchers and clinicians interested in all aspects of brain connectivity. The Journal is under the leadership of Founding and Co-Editors-in-Chief Christopher Pawela, PhD and Bharat Biswal, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. It includes original peer-reviewed papers, review articles, point-counterpoint discussions on controversies in the field, and a product/technology review section. To ensure that scientific findings are rapidly disseminated, articles are published Instant Online within 72 hours of acceptance, with fully typeset, fast-track publication within 4 weeks. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed online at the Brain Connectivity (http://www.liebertpub.com/brain) website.

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Autism risk gene linked to differences in brain structure

DNA confirms identity of Houston boy

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Published: March. 21, 2012 at 3:34 PM

HOUSTON, March 21 (UPI) -- A DNA test revealed Wednesday an 8-year-old Houston boy is the same child allegedly kidnapped by his godmother when he was a baby.

A judge announced Wednesday the test had confirmed Fernando Morin is the biological father of Miguel Morin, who had been living with Aubion Champion-Morin and Fernando Morin when he disappeared. Test results from Champion-Morin had not yet come back.

KHOU-TV, Houston, said the couple would be seeking visitation rights with the boy once the maternal DNA test results are released.

Miguel was in a foster home Wednesday and will remain there pending a March 28 hearing, KHOU said.

Child Protective Services said Miguel believes his name is Jaquan, and his godmother, Krystal Tanner, who is currently in jail, is his mom. A CPS psychologist warned the judge Wednesday Miguel has development issues and his life could be thrown into turmoil if he is reintroduced to his biological family.

KHOU said Miguel's four siblings all live with yet another couple who have said Champion-Morin had turned the children over to them to raise because she could not handle the responsibility. They have also said they doubted Tanner had kidnapped the boy.

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Marker of DNA damage could predict response to platinum chemotherapy

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Public release date: 22-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jeremy Moore jeremy.moore@aacr.org 215-446-7109 American Association for Cancer Research

PHILADELPHIA Scientists have uncovered a marker of DNA damage that could predict who will respond to platinum-based chemotherapy drugs like cisplatin or carboplatin.

These drugs are widely used for ovarian cancer, but as with most cancer drugs, it can be difficult to predict who will respond to therapy.

A team of researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute found that this marker, telomeric allelic imbalance or tAI, could predict sensitivity to therapy in patients with triple-negative breast cancer.

The results are published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

"We currently do not have any targeted therapies for patients with triple-negative breast cancer, so if these laboratory findings are confirmed and an assay is created to predict sensitivity to drugs that target defective DNA repair, it would be a major step forward," said lead pathologist Andrea Richardson, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Scientists have long known that DNA repair status is a predictor of sensitivity to therapy and thus prognosis. However, measurements of DNA repair status have been slow to arrive.

Richardson and colleagues looked for genomic signatures in cell lines and tumors and correlated them to platinum sensitivity.

In patients with triple-negative breast cancer, they found that a high level of subchromosomal regions with allelic imbalance extended to the telomere predicted response to cisplatin treatment. The same was true for serous ovarian cancer.

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Marker of DNA damage could predict response to platinum chemotherapy

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DNA Marker Predicts Platinum Drug Response in Breast, Ovarian Cancer

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Marker identifies tumors unable to repair DNA damage by platinum agents

Newswise BOSTONScientists from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and their colleagues have found a genetic marker that predicts which aggressive "triple negative" breast cancers and certain ovarian cancers will likely respond to platinum-based chemotherapies.

The marker, found on chromosomes within the cancer cells, could lead to a test for identifying patients whose cancers could be effectively treated by a single platinum-based drug, "and avoid the toxicities of other chemotherapy combinations," says Andrea Richardson, MD, PhD, co senior author of the study and a surgical pathologist at Brigham and Women's and Dana-Farber.

The report is being published in the April issue of Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Many cancer treatments work by damaging DNA within tumor cells, rendering the cells unable to grow and divide. While some cancer cells can readily repair broken DNA molecules, allowing them to survive drug or radiation therapy, others have lost this repair capacity, making them vulnerable to DNA-damaging agents.

The new marker, Richardson says, flags breast and ovarian cancer cells that can't repair the type of DNA damage caused by treatment with platinum drugs, including cisplatin and carboplatin. A clinical test for the marker could be particularly valuable in treating triple-negative breast cancers, which are resistant to anti-hormonal therapies or targeted drugs like Herceptin.

"We currently do not have any targeted therapies for patients with triple-negative breast cancer, so if these laboratory findings are confirmed and an assay is created to predict sensitivity to drugs that target defective DNA repair, it would be a major step forward," says Richardson, the primary pathologist for the study. However, she adds, such an assay isn't likely to be developed soon.

The new genetic marker was discovered when Richardson and others studied tumor tissue collected from triple negative breast cancer patients who participated in two clinical trials of platinum drug therapy. Triple-negative tumors develop in about 80 percent of women who carry mutated breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. These tumors are characterized by a lack of estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors, which makes them unresponsive to targeted treatments that block those receptors.

The two clinical trials, led by Judy Garber, MD, MPH, of Dana-Farber, were investigating whether platinum drugs would also be effective in so-called "sporadic" triple negative tumors -- those that develop in the absence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations. Overall, about 20 percent of breast cancers are triple negative. Some of these cancers respond to standard chemotherapy drugs, while others don't. The patients whose triple negative tumors do not go away after chemotherapy have a particularly poor prognosis.

A total of 79 patients in the two trials received cisplatin alone or in combination with bevacizumab (Avastin) to shrink their tumors prior to removing them surgically. In both trials, approximately 40 percent of patients had a complete or near-complete disappearance of the cancer after the cisplatin therapy.

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DNA Marker Predicts Platinum Drug Response in Breast, Ovarian Cancer

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DNA confirms Houston man is missing child's father

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HOUSTON (AP) DNA test results disclosed Wednesday confirmed a Houston man is the father of a boy found in East Texas last week after he and his wife said they reported him missing eight years ago when he was an infant.

Fernando Morin and Auboni Champion-Morin are seeking to regain custody of the child, Miguel, who's been in foster care since last week. The wife's results were not yet complete, child welfare officials said.

A woman described by officials as the child's godmother and former neighbor is jailed in San Augustine in East Texas. Krystle Tanner faces a kidnapping charge related to the child's disappearance in late 2004, when he was 8 months old.

State District Judge Mike Schneider, who ordered the DNA testing at an emergency custody hearing last week, is set to hold another hearing in the case next week.

Child welfare officials last week said Morin and Champion-Morin, both 29, were uncooperative with investigators when the boy initially was reported missing. The parents deny the allegations.

Another couple told Houston television station KHOU on Tuesday that they've been caring for the four other Morin children, who are between the ages of 7 and 14. They said Champion-Morin gave the children to them years ago and that they are the legal guardians.

Champion-Morin, emerging from a courtroom Wednesday, wouldn't discuss the TV station report.

"Right now, everything's a private matter," she said. "I'm not going there right now with any of the news."

Child Protective Services spokeswoman Gwen Carter said the situation involving the other children is part of the child welfare agency's investigation into the outcome of Miguel's custody.

"In regard to the other children, there's no current concern about their safety and well-being," Carter said. "But in the normal course of investigating, we talk to siblings to find out what may be going on."

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Alligator cells prevail possible human medicine

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Mark Merchant, biochemistry professor at McNeese State University, spoke with Leesville High School students Tuesday to discuss his ongoing research project investigating naturally occurring antibacterial peptides in alligators to uncover a new class of antibiotics. Merchant said he was first interested in this research when he noticed alligators who sustained serious injuries, such as a missing limb or tail, would not only heal rapidly, but also without any infections. So he set out to investigate in marshes to collect blood samples from crocodilians, which includes all alligator, crocodile and caiman species, to study their tissue and immune systems. After extracting the white blood cells, Merchant infused them with bacteria and discovered holes where it did not grow, proving there is something inside their white blood cells that kill bacteria. Merchant derived the term Zone of Inhibition to explain the area where bacteria cannot grow as well as measure the zone towards a variety of bacteria. After experimenting with different bacteria such as pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterial found in soil, and citrobacter freundii and escherichia coli, bacteria found in humans, the white blood cells attacked and killed both. The reason he found this interesting he said, was because alligators' immune systems fought off bacteria, viruses and fungi they had never been exposed to. Another remarkable discovery he said, was that the cells also killed bacteria called candida albicans, yeast infections, and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), staff infections, which claim numerous lives every year. He stated since humans are dying from these infections and alligator white blood cells are killing them, then they might be able to develop antibacterial, anti-viral or anti-fungal drugs for human medicine. "The way we think it works is that the outer coat of bacteria gives off a negative charge and the white blood cells give off a positive charge," he said. "So when opposites attract, the cells tear a hole in the membrane and therefore kills the bacteria." Merchant said his is really excited now that his research team has isolated these proteins and have determined their structure and now are trying to synthesize them. Students at LHS were surprised by a certain visitor Merchant brought with him; a four-year-old alligator. As the students exited the auditorium, they had the opportunity to touch and feel the texture of the alligator. Donell Evans, head of science department at LHS, said by having Merchant speak with the students, they hope to help them understand what's being offered outside of high school in terms of science related jobs and careers. Also, they are trying to bring more awareness to the Science, Technology, Engineer and Mathematics (STEM) programs that were recently introduced to Vernon Parish. The students in her AP biology class were so captivated with Merchant's research that they asked to discuss it more in depth during Friday's class. "I just think having a Louisiana college like McNeese State University being on the forefront with new antibiotics is amazing," Evans said. Merchant's researched has been funded by several grants including a four-year Research Competitiveness Subprogram grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents, EPSCoR travel grants to speak at five national and international conferences, EPSCoR Links with Industry and National Labs (LINK) grant to travel to Argentina as well as most recently, a grant from National Geographic.

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Alligator cells prevail possible human medicine