UofSC's McNair Center partners with Fokker Technologies for aerospace research

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

25-Mar-2014

Contact: Jeff Stensland stenslan@mailbox.sc.edu 803-777-3686 University of South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.CThe Ronald E. McNair Center for Aerospace Innovation and Research, a University of South Carolina center, announced a formal research partnership with Fokker Aerostructures, a subsidiary of Dutch-based Fokker Technologies, to support and inspire their development of next-generation aircraft technology.

The multi-year research agreement establishes a framework to collaborate on projects that meet the needs of Fokker Aerostructures and its customers. Specific project details are being finalized, and likely will involve the development of advanced manufacturing technology for thermoplastic composites, using Digital Image Correlation to better understand failure mechanisms and certification strategies for the use of new advanced composite structures.

Fokker is a leading global aerospace specialist that delivers smart, integrated, economic solutions that offer technology benefits in terms of cost, weight and availability. This is the company's first partnership with an American university research center.

The McNair Center, which opened in 2011, has 27 contributing researchers working in a wide range of aerospace related research fields. The goal of the partnership is to develop and commercialize new technology, processes and methods and take products to market through licensing agreements.

Richard Cobben, vice president technology and Rob Kruithof, director of global Engineering for Fokker Aerostructures, say two things attracted the company to McNairgeography and existing research expertise.

"South Carolina is an interesting environment because there are so many aeronautics companies located nearby, such as Gulfstream, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Cessna and Honda jet, and many of their suppliers. McNair is situated in the center of all of that activity," Cobben said. "Although the McNair Center is new, it's clear that they bring to the table a lot of experience in different fields. We're always looking to find the best knowledge networksthat's our lifeline."

In addition to the research agreement, Fokker Aerostructures will join the McNair Center's Strategic Advisory Board, which is chartered to help build and validate McNair's future research roadmaps.

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UofSC's McNair Center partners with Fokker Technologies for aerospace research

Nanomedicine Research

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Nanomedicine is the medical application of nanotechnology that will hopefully lead to useful research tools, advanced drug delivery systems, and new ways to treat disease or repair damaged tissues and cells. Drug delivery is currently the most advanced application of nanotechnology in medicine. Nanoscale particles are being developed to improve drug bioavailability, a major limitation in the design of new drugs. Poor bioavailability is especially problematic with newer and still experimental RNA interference therapy. Lipid or polymer-based nanoparticles are taken up by cells due to their small size, rather than being cleared from the body. These nanoparticles can be used to shuttle drugs into cells which may not have accepted the drug on its own. The nanoparticle chaperone may also be able to specifically target certain cell types, possibly reducing toxicity and improving efficacy. Nanoparticles such as quantum dot nanocrystals are the size of a protein molecule or short stretch of DNA. Quantum dots can be engineered to absorb and emit many wavelengths of light with very sharp precision. This makes them ideal for protein-protein interaction studies as they can be linked to molecules to form long-lived probes. They can track biological events by tagging specific proteins or DNA in order to follow their progress through biological pathways. In medicine, quantum dots could be used for diagnostic purposes. Dendrimers are another interesting and powerful use of nanotechnology in medicine. Dendrimers are nanostructured synthetic molecules with a regular branching structure projecting from a central core. Dendrimers form one layer at a time so the size of the dendrimer is determined by the number of synthetic steps. Each dendrimer is usually only a few nanometers wide. The outside layer can be engineered to be composed of specific functional groups that can act as hooks to specifically bind other molecules such as DNA. Dendrimers may act as effective agents for delivering DNA into cells during gene therapy. While viral vectors typically trigger an immune response, in principle, dendrimers should not. Nanorobotics or molecular nanotechnology involves the creation of complex mechanical systems constructed from the molecular level. Richard Feynman was the first to propose using machine tools to make smaller machine tools which can make smaller machine tools down to the atomic level. DNA makes an ideal material for the construction of nanomachines due to its stiffness. The intermolecular interactions of DNA are well-known and can be easily predicted. The self-assembly of DNA further facilitates its use as a construction material. Dr. Nadrian Seeman pioneered the use of DNA as a construction material and can make virtually any regular 3D shape. In 1999 his group succeeded in building the first nanoscale robotic actuator from DNA. DNA and later, nanotubes, have been used to construct molecular tweezers which can be used to physically manipulate nanostructures. Research into the construction of nanomotors has advanced greatly and nanomotors will form an important part of future nanorobots. Carlo Montemagno at Cornell has mutated the central rotating shaft of ATPase to have metal-binding amino acids that allow the ATPase to bind to nanoscale nickel pedestals. A silicon bar 100 nanometers long was bound to the rotor subunit of each ATPase by self-assembly, creating an ATP-powered molecular motor. These nanorobots may eventually form sophisticated cellular factories, used to synthesize drugs, repair damaged DNA, and releasing drugs on command.

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Nanomedicine Research

Stem cell trials on tackling osteoarthritis may lead to treatment in five years

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The trials involve injecting adult stem cells derived from adipose tissue or fat into cartilage to stimulate its regeneration

Researchers in Galway predict that stem cells could be used to treat osteoarthritis within five years, following successful initial clinical trials.

The trials involve injecting adult stem cells derived from adipose tissue or fat into cartilage to stimulate its regeneration.

Osteoarthritis affects some 70 million people across the EU, and current treatment is limited to surgery or pain management.

Some 400,000 people in Ireland are affected by this most common form of human arthritis, which is characterised by the often very painful degeneration of cartilage in joints.

Successful trial NUI Galway (NUIG) scientists, who are part of a 9 million EU-funded project, have just finished the successful phase one clinical trial.

Prof Frank Barry, scientific director of NUIGs Regenerative Medicine Institute (Remedi), yesterday said the positive early results indicate a treatment was in sight.

From the clinical trials conducted so far, we have seen the first signs of finding a cure for this truly incapacitating disease which affects so many, Prof Barry said. Using the patients own stem cells we have been able to treat their diseased joints, and relieve their suffering and burden of pain.

Whilst we are still in the early stages of clinical trials, the results so far are extremely positive such that the use of stem cell therapy for osteoarthritis could become a reality for patients within the next five years, he said.

Adipose stem cells Stem cells can be harvested in large quantities from adipose tissue or fat, with minimally invasive surgery. These cells have emerged in recent years as a good alternative to stem cells derived from bone marrow, Prof Barry notes.

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Stem Cell-Derived Beta Cells Under Skin Replace Insulin

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Newswise Scientists at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute have shown that by encapsulating immature pancreatic cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESC), and implanting them under the skin of diabetic mouse models, sufficient insulin is produced to maintain glucose levels without unwanted potential trade-offs of the technology.

The research, published online in Stem Cell Research, suggests that encapsulated hESC-derived insulin-producing cells may be an effective and safe cell replacement therapy for insulin dependent-diabetes.

Our study critically evaluates some of the potential pitfalls of using stem cells to treat insulin dependent-diabetes, said Pamela Itkin-Ansari, PhD, assistant project scientist in the UC San Diego Department of Pediatrics and adjunct assistant professor in Development, Aging and Regenerative program at Sanford-Burnham.

We have shown that encapsulated hESC-derived insulin-producing cells are able to produce insulin in response to elevated glucose without an increase in the mass or their escape from the capsule, said Itkin-Ansari. These results are important because it means that the encapsulated cells are both fully functional and retrievable.

Previous attempts to replace insulin producing cells, called beta cells, have met with significant challenges. For example, researchers have tried treating diabetics with mature beta cells, but because these cells are fragile and scarce, the method is fraught with problems. Moreover, since the cells come from organ donors, they may be recognized as foreign by the recipients immune system requiring patients to take immunosuppressive drugs to prevent their immune system from attacking the donors cells, ultimately leaving patients vulnerable to infections, tumors and other adverse events.

Encapsulation technology was developed to protect donor cells from exposure to the immune system and has proven extremely successful in preclinical studies.

Itkin-Ansari and her research team previously made an important contribution to the encapsulation approach by showing that pancreatic islet progenitor cells are an optimal cell type for encapsulation. They found that progenitor cells were more robust than mature beta cells to encapsulate, and while encapsulated, they matured into insulin-producing cells that secreted insulin only when needed.

In the study, Itkin-Ansari and her team used bioluminescent imaging to determine if encapsulated cells stay in the capsule after implantation.

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Stem Cell-Derived Beta Cells Under Skin Replace Insulin

GM field trials: Regulator proposes but most states decline

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The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) has approved field trials for 11 crop varieties but that clears only the first hurdle in the way of genetically-modified crops. Another major hitch could come from state governments, most of which do not seem to be in a mood to give their go-ahead anytime soon.

A survey conducted by Business Standard reveals that a majority of the countrys states are still firmly against the move, while a few are open to considering only conditionally. Some others are either neutral or might take a decision after the Lok Sabha elections.

According to GEAC officials, maize, mustard and rice are among the crops that have got approval for trials, but the states that are major producers of these crops remain opposed.

A piece of good news, though, has come from Maharashtra and Punjab, two of the largest agricultural states, which have favoured field trials for GM crops.

Officials say the use of high-yield GM crops could prove beneficial, given the growing demand for food grains, vegetables and oil seeds. But apprehensions of health hazard on the use of such seeds for consumable agricultural commodities seem to be playing a spoilsport. India had suspended field trials of these crops a few years ago but the GEAC approval last week for 11 varieties brought the issue back in the limelight.

The environment & forests ministry had in July 2011 made it mandatory for companies, institutes and research bodies to get no-objection certificates from states concerned before conducting trials. Also, GEAC analyses the sites for these trials on several parameters, including whether these are located too close to sanctuaries or water bodies.

Andhra Pradesh is home to several seed companies and BT Cotton was first introduced there. However, the state remains undecided on allowing field trials for GM crops. A decision on this will have to wait for the impending division of the state and formation of new governments. A technical committee is studying the issue.

Gujarat and Karnataka have not opposed the trials yet. The two are said to take a call only after the Lok Sabha elections. Major southern states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala, on the other hand, are against GM crops and unwilling to permit field trials. While Madhya Pradesh opposes field trials as a policy, Chhattisgarh might support if the Centre takes it on board. Punjab is open to field trials for maize, while Haryana is undecided.

The Maharashtra government has issued no-objection certificates to 28 applications for GM crop trials to seven private companies and the Nagpur-based Central Institute of Cotton Research.

Most of the 28 strains cleared for trials are of wheat, rice, maize and cotton. It will be Haryanas Bayer Bio Science for rice, Dow Agro Sciences, Pioneer Overseas Corporation and Syngenta Bio Sciences for maize, and Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds for wheat.

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GM field trials: Regulator proposes but most states decline

New method yields potent, renewable human stem cells with promising therapeutic properties

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

25-Mar-2014

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

New Rochelle, NY, March 24, 2014The curative and therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) offers much promise, as these multipotent cells are currently being tested in more than 300 clinical trials in a range of diseases. A new, easier, and more reliable way to make large quantities of highly potent MSCs could accelerate progress toward their use in regenerative medicine, as described in an article in Stem Cells and Development, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available on the Stem Cells and Development website.

Robert Lanza, MD and colleagues from Advanced Cell Technology (Marlborough, MA) and the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA (Los Angeles, CA), developed an innovative method for deriving MSCs from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) through the use of a developmental precursor called the hemangioblast. They describe the technique and evidence of therapeutic efficacy using the hESC-MSCs to treat mouse models of lupus erythematosus and uveitis in the article "Mesenchymal Stem Cell Population Derived from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Displays Potent Immunomodulatory and Therapeutic Properties."

"This new population of hESC-derived MSCs has a 30,000-fold greater proliferative capacity than bone marrow-derived MSCs," says Dr. Lanza, Chief Scientific Officer, Advanced Cell Technology. "In addition to being easy to derive in very large numbers, they are more youthful and live much longer." Dr. Lanza is Editor-in-Chief of BioResearch Open Access, a peer-reviewed open access journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers that provides a rapid-publication forum for a broad range of scientific topics.

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About the Journal

Stem Cells and Development is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published 24 times per year online with Open Access options and in print. Led by Editor-in-Chief Graham C. Parker, PhD, the Journal is dedicated to communication and objective analysis of developments in the biology, characteristics, and therapeutic utility of stem cells, especially those of the hematopoietic system. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Stem Cells and Development website.

About the Publisher

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Hundreds of students participate in science fair at SIU

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Exclusive: Photos from Inside Anthony Sowell's Home Inside Look: Exclusives Photos Paint Disturbing Scene Inside Home of Anthony Sowell

Updated: Saturday, May 1 2010 11:19 AM EDT2010-05-01 16:19:26 GMT

GRAPHIC PICTURES: CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - It was one of the most gruesome sights in Cleveland crime history.

Updated: Tuesday, March 25 2014 5:29 PM EDT2014-03-25 21:29:47 GMT

Sunnie Kahle is 8 years old. She has short hair and a huge heart, and as far as her grandparents are concerned, she is a completely normal little girl.

Sunnie Kahle is 8 years old. She has short hair and a huge heart, and as far as her grandparents are concerned, she is a completely normal little girl.

The Missouri Highway Patrol says two drivers were killed in a head-on crash when one of them drove north in the southbound lanes of a highway south of St. Louis.

The Missouri Highway Patrol says two drivers were killed in a head-on crash when one of them drove north in the southbound lanes of a highway south of St. Louis.

Updated: Tuesday, March 25 2014 4:16 PM EDT2014-03-25 20:16:11 GMT

A Phoenix couple faces child abuse charges for neglecting to feed their 9-month-old baby who weighed 7 pounds when he was seen by medical staff, police said. Ryan Morris, 32, told police the baby had

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Planet X – Mystery Planet Discovered Hidden as Comets Colliding reveal its existence. – Video

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Planet X - Mystery Planet Discovered Hidden as Comets Colliding reveal its existence.
Credit: NASA #39;s Goddard Space Flight Center An international team of astronomers exploring the disk of gas and dust the bright star Beta Pictoris have uncover...

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Workington Comets lift first silverware of season

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Last updated at 11:35, Monday, 24 March 2014

Workington Comets lifted their first silverware of the season after winning the Ian Thomas Shield with a 77-73 aggregate victory over Newcastle Diamonds.

Comets' Josh Grajczonek leads Diamonds Stuart Robson and Ludvig Lindgren

The lead changed hands throughout the two legs but Comets just edged the contest in the final few heats at Brough Park last night.

Workington won the first leg 33-27 at Derwent Park, on Saturday, after the match was abandoned after heat 10 following heavy rain.

Diamonds won the second leg by 46-44 but lost out by four points overall.

The second leg saw several re-runs after riders fell from their bikes and either side could have clinched the contest in the final heats.

With the aggregate score at 66-66, heat 13 proved the turning point for Comets.

Workington recorded a 5-1, with new captain Rene Bach bagging first and number one Josh Grajczonek securing second.

Comets went on to win 77-73 on aggregate.

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Workington Comets lift first silverware of season

Group says policy changes would boost Cdn travel and tourism

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) Would you be more likely to take a trip to another part of Canada if travel taxes were lower?

A group that looks at tourism and travel globally says the government needs to do more to cash in on the industrys potential.

The World Travel and Tourism Council argues certain policies are making it tough for visitors to get here. President and CEO David Scowsill says travel taxes and visa policies are among them.

He says travel and tourism is expected to grow by around four per cent in 2014, but the industry is basically static in terms of people coming here.

The statistics we look at show about 10 years ago, around 20 million people would come to Canada every year, for both business and leisure; that number has dropped to around 16 million.

One of the biggest changes Scowsill recommends is a freeze or reduction of some tourism taxes because the taxation levels are pretty high compared with other destinations at the moment and that makes it very expensive to travel both to Canada and within Canada.

The Council adds domestic tourism accounts for two thirds of Canadas travel and tourism economy. It says lower prices would be a positive, adding taxes tack on a lot to the price of travelling to and within the country.

Scowsill says measures like a plan to introduce e-visas next year are a step in the right direction, and advocates the visa process continuing to be simplified and sped up to make it easier for people to visit.

He also recommends the government look at providing incentives for investors to develop new services and products for tourists.

Scowsill adds tourism and travel provides 4.5 per cent of GDP to Canadas economy.

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Tourism revenues seen to rise

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Sector to contribute P490B this year, says report By Amy R. Remo Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, PhilippinesThe contribution of the travel and tourism sector to the Philippine economy is seen to increase by 3.8 percent to P490.2 billion this year, a report released by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) showed.

Last year, travel and tourism contributed P472.3 billion, equivalent to 4.2 percent of the countrys gross domestic product.

According to the Travel and Tourism Economic Impact 2014 report, the direct contribution of this sector to the GDP is seen further growing by 5.6 percent year on year up to 2024 to an estimated value of P843.3 billion.

Direct contribution reflects the economic activity generated by affected industries such as hotels, travel agents, airlines and other passenger transportation services.

Total contribution to GDP, which includes wider effects from investment, the supply chain and induced income impacts, is seen rising by 3.8 percent to P1.34 trillion this year from P1.29 trillion in 2013.

The report further showed that the employment generated by this sector is seen growing by 1.7 percent this year, to account for 1.25 million of the total jobs. By 2024, travel and tourism will account for 1.6 million of the direct jobs, reflecting an increase of 2.5 percent yearly over the next decade.

For this year, the Philippines is expected to post a 2-percent increase in visitor exports from the P221 billion posted in 2013, and is expected to attract 4.7 million international tourist arrivals, the WTTC said. By 2024, international tourist arrivals are forecast to reach 7.88 million, generating an expenditure of P455.7 billion.

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Bolaris: Super cyclone will graze Philly

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The very latest models indicate that a storm now slowly developing along the Southeast coast will move generally northeastward and "bomb," or rapidly intensify, into a super Western Atlantic cyclone by very late tonight.

Luckily all the major cities from Washington, D.C. to Philly to New York City & possibly even Boston look to avoid any heavy snow accumulations.

But coastal sections of New Jersey, and central and southern Delaware stand an increasing chance of heavier snow amounts, perhaps in a few places exceeding 4 inches.

The capes of New England have blizzard watches posted and will be dealing with a dangerous and very powerful storm with winds in excess of 50mph and snows of 6-12 inches depending on the storm's exact placement.

The set-up

The storm, now slowly developing along the Southeast coast, will merge with some very explosive energy diving down into the base of an energized trough, which will phase the Northern and Southern Jet energy (bring them together as one powerful jet) at the same time the trough (deep atmospheric valley in the East which enhances storm development) will take on a negative tilt (as the trough valley actually tilts back toward the coast). This will act as the final explosive mechanism allowing for a super cyclone to form.

Latest computer guidance keeps this storm far enough off the Northeast coast to limit its impact in the Philly region.

But with that being said, as this storm begins its transition into a superstorm, an enhancement of snow growth should start to take place along the Southeast coast of New Jersey, especially Cape May County and central and southern Delaware, south of Dover.

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Bolaris: Super cyclone will graze Philly

Computer Scientists & Multidisciplinary Team Receive Grant to Build Faster, More Efficient Supercomputer Prototype

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Newswise The National Science Foundation has awarded a $500,000 grant to researchers at Texas Tech University to develop a new supercomputer prototype that could lead to more efficient data-intensive computing - and speed-up the scientific discovery cycle.

Yong Chen, assistant professor of computer science and Director of Data-Intensive Scalable Computing Laboratory at Texas Tech University, is leading a team of researchers in a project titled, Development of a Data-Intensive Scalable Computing Instrument (DISCI) for High Performance Computing.

High performance computers traditionally are designed for computation-intensive problems, Chen said. They are not a good fit for the increasingly important data-intensive applications.

Imagine trying to use a 35 year old computer to perform modern day tasks, such as streaming a movie. It would be impossible because that particular device was only meant for computations.

In computing technology, advancement in software has always lagged behind hardware, said Rattikorn Hewett, department chair and professor of computer science. Just like having a modern home running an old plumbing system, sophisticated high performance computers alone cant perform well without advanced mechanisms for Data movement and Data access. Dr. Chens project attempts to unlock this problem with software solutions that would potentially have great impacts on anyone who uses data intensively.

Chen says existing supercomputers experience comparable behavior, but on a much larger scale, for many data-intensive scientific and enterprise computing problems.

Data generation has become so cheap and so easy, Chen said. Almost everyone has a smartphone capable of taking pictures or video. Gene sequencers have never been so cheap. The proliferation of sensors, embedded devices and mobile devices has led to data generation easier than never before. The problem comes with data storage, retrieval and utilization.

The teams goal is to create a supercomputer that will enable academic departments, cross-disciplinary units and collaborators to analyze and utilize their data, and put them to use with accuracy, speed and efficiency.

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Computer Scientists & Multidisciplinary Team Receive Grant to Build Faster, More Efficient Supercomputer Prototype

Mariachi Assassins – Call of Duty Ghosts Xbox One Campaign Walkthrough Ep. 1 w/ Kosko – Video

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Mariachi Assassins - Call of Duty Ghosts Xbox One Campaign Walkthrough Ep. 1 w/ Kosko
Subscribe Like Comment Welcome to my new let #39;s play. I have played through this campaign several times before, but i enjoy it enough to do it one more time. ...

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Mariachi Assassins - Call of Duty Ghosts Xbox One Campaign Walkthrough Ep. 1 w/ Kosko - Video