Indiana Guardsman's bomb-possession charge moved to federal court

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Crime & Safety Headlines More Crime&Safety Crime Stoppers More Crimestoppers Crime Databases More Databases Continuing stories More Ongoing Stories Local Stories from ThisWeek By Kathy Lynn Gray The Columbus Dispatch Monday March 3, 2014 11:00 PM

An Indiana National Guard member who authorities say had homemade bombs in his van when he was stopped for speeding in Madison County on Jan. 1 has now been charged in U.S. District Court in Columbus.

Andrew Scott Boguslawski, 43, made his initial appearance in federal court today, shortly after state charges in the case were dismissed. His attorney and government prosecutors would not comment after the hearing.

He is charged with one count of possession of destructive devices not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Under federal law, destructive devices must be registered.

The charge carries a maximum 10-year prison term.

Boguslawski, of Moores Hill, Ind., was arrested after Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers caught him traveling 85 mph in a 70-mph zone on I-70 west of Columbus as he drove from Pennsylvania to Indiana, according to the complaint.

When troopers stopped him, the complaint says, they noticed the handgrip of a firearm between Boguslawskis legs. A search of his Dodge Caravan produced a pistol, rifles, suspected homemade bombs and parts to make bombs. An explosives expert with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives identified nine completed bombs in the van and four nearly complete bombs, all capable of causing property damage and injuries if detonated.

Investigators also found videos and photographs showing Boguslawski manufacturing and detonating bombs and showing friends and family members, including a 16-year-old niece, setting off explosive devices.

Boguslawski told troopers he had some of the bombs for suicide-bomber training and a plastic gun was for a concealed-carry training class. Troopers also found a bulletproof vest and blueprints for a Navy SEAL training center in Indiana in Boguslawskis van.

An Indiana National Guard spokeswoman said in January that Boguslawski had been an intelligence analyst for a reconnaissance unit of the guard and held top-secret government clearance because of that work. That clearance was suspended after his arrest.

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Indiana Guardsman's bomb-possession charge moved to federal court

Short people may be short on brains, study says

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A study by Edinburgh University's Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine sees a "small" link between height and intelligence.

The long and short of intelligence?

I am not one to cast aspersions -- either up or down.

I had never thought that size meant anything, nor that height made any difference to people, other than altering their visual perspective.

Recently, though, an Oxford University study intimated that short people might be low on self-esteem. They tend, allegedly, not to have high opinions of themselves. Worse, there are many social problems that many short people feel the need to overcome. (See video below.)

Now along trots another British study that suggests the vertically challenged might be short on intellect. As Britain's Sunday Times (behind a tall paywall) reports, short people may tend to have smaller IQs.

Researchers at Edinburgh University's Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine analyzed the DNA of more than 6,800 people, none of whom was related to any other, to "estimate the genetic correlation between height and general intelligence." The end goal of the study, the first of its kind, was to explore whether this genetic link may determine other health outcomes.

The Institute's Riccardo Marioni told the Sunday Times: "What we found was a small association between height and intelligence such that people who are taller tend to be smarter."

You have to admire his use of the word "small." There is nothing more responsible than an academic who refuses to be alarmist.

In addition to describing the relationship as "small," though, Marioni let it slip that it was "statistically significant." He also said that the research indicated that 70 percent of short people's smaller IQs could be attributed to genetic factors.

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Short people may be short on brains, study says

Mount Sinai study points to new biological mechanisms, treatment paradigm for kidney disease

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

3-Mar-2014

Contact: Sid Dinsay laura.newman@mountsinai.org 212-241-9200 The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine

New York, NY Prevention and reversal of chronic kidney disease is an urgent public health need. The disease affects 1 in 10 Americans, is debilitating and deadly, and existing drugs, at best, offer only mild delay in progression to end-stage kidney failure. New research led by Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai investigators has uncovered abnormal molecular signaling pathways from disease initiation to irreversible kidney damage, kidney failure, and death. Results from their preclinical and human research are published online March 3 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

"Our group is the first to show that endothelial mitochondrial oxidative stress [damage to blood vessel lining that affects the energy-producing part of the cell caused by oxidative stress] regulates the passage of proteins from blood to urine and filtration of waste products in the kidney," said Erwin Bottinger, MD, Director of the Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, and the study's senior author. Specifically, the researchers found albuminuria (protein in the urine) and depletion of the cells that form the kidney's glomerular filtration barrier. "These findings were unexpected and open the door for developing new therapeutic targets," Dr. Bottinger added.

In the preclinical part of the research, investigators used a mouse model to induce scarring in the filtration part of the kidney, or glomeruli. This allowed progressive amounts of protein to pass into the urine and interfered with the clearance of waste products by the kidney. Essentially, the researchers were examining how different signaling mechanism and cellular interactions work, and how when they are disturbed, they promote chronic kidney disease.

Initially, key cells of the glomerular filtration barrier, also called podocytes, cause alterations in endothelin-1, a vasoconstrictor, activating the endothelin receptor A. The activated endothelin receptor A triggered disturbances manifested as endothelial mitochondrial oxidative stress.

The research team was able to confirm that this worked the same way in humans. They studied kidney biopsies, comparing ten biopsies with glomerular sclerosis with six controls. Like in the animal models, the researchers confirmed activated endothelin receptor A and endothelial mitochondrial dysfunction in human glomerular sclerosis biopsies, but not in controls.

"These processes were absolutely essential in causing protein in the urine [or albuminuria], injured podocytes (tiny ball-shaped structures that constrict the blood vessels in the filtering part of the kidney), and cause scarring, all of which can ultimately lead to long-term, irreversible kidney disease. "This is called crosstalk and it is poorly understood," said Ilse S. Daehn, PhD, the study's lead researcher, and Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Nephrology, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "We hope that these novel crosstalk findings lead to new therapies that help reverse or arrest chronic kidney disease, which affect millions of Americans," added Dr. Daehn.

Antioxidants that target the mitochondria and endothelin antagonists would alter the paradigm for preventing cell depletion and scarring of the filtration part of the kidney. "There is a pressing unmet medical need to prevent or reverse chronic kidney disease," Dr. Bottinger stressed. "The renin angiotensin inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers that are now widely used have not been proven effective in preventing end stage kidney failure. We need more effective drugs to treat the millions of Americans suffering from chronic kidney disease with the goal to eliminate its progression to end- stage kidney failure and with it the need for chronic dialysis and kidney transplantation."

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Mount Sinai study points to new biological mechanisms, treatment paradigm for kidney disease

Molecular Diagnostics Market Dominated by Top Five Companies: Kalorama Information Report

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New York, NY (PRWEB) March 03, 2014

Just five companies own the majority of the molecular diagnostics market as of this month, according to Kalorama Information. The healthcare market research publisher estimated Roche, Hologic, Qiagen, Becton Dickinson and Abbott alone earned 60% of revenues in the 5.5 billion molecular diagnostics market in 2013. The finding was made in Kaloramas Molecular Diagnostics Six Month Update, the latest look at this fast-growing IVD test segment.

Kalorama thinks top-tier companies will continue to dominate due to their global reach and multi-segment participation. Further, as IVD markets in N. America and Europe offer little growth opportunities for the vast number of tests, the top tier has invested in molecular and personalized medicine testing and also has reinforced international connections.

The report notes that while the names of the players dominating molecular testing have not changed extensively in recent years, their revenue growth rates have. High growth has shifted to innovators, while leaders are seeing flatter revenues.

Roche holds the number one market position but growth is slowing, said Shara Rosen, author of the report. Roche Diagnostics once earned close to double digit revenue growth in its molecular test business. This has slowed in the last two years as the company is conducting a major reorganization and reported that it will phase out its 454 Life Science unit by 2016.

The report said that IVD veterans Becton Dickinson, Gen-Probe (now part of Hologic), Abbott Diagnostics and Siemens Healthcare hold their own in a highly competitive environment, while newcomers Meridian Biosciences and GenMark have made gains with user-friendly infectious disease tests. Meanwhile Pharma specialist Novartis has bailed out of the blood screening business to concentrate on other business units.

The report says that molecular diagnostics is becoming a go-to resource in clinical practice and is the faster-growing part of the diagnostics market at the present time. Tests are being developed constantly, and changes in In light of the amount of activity in test development and regulatory and reimbursement challenges in 2013, Kalorama Information presents this updated review of molecular diagnostics with an emphasis on the last six months of 2013: July December. This report highlights trends and developments that portent the evolution of molecular tests and technologies. The ensemble of consumer demand, technological advances and market forces create a dynamic, energetic and fast-moving environment for new tests and companies.

Market analysis in the Molecular Diagnostics Six Month Update covers world markets for in vitro diagnostics, with a bias towards the developed areas of the globe -- North America and Western Europe. Segment markets in molecular diagnostics are broken out, and trends and partnerships are given extensive discussion. The Molecular Diagnostics Six Month Update is available at http://www.kaloramainformation.com/Molecular-Diagnostics-Month-7969379/.

About Kalorama Information Kalorama Information, a division of MarketResearch.com, supplies the latest in independent medical market research in diagnostics, biotech, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare; as well as a full range of custom research services. We routinely assist the media with healthcare topics. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and our blog.

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Molecular Diagnostics Market Dominated by Top Five Companies: Kalorama Information Report

Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet for March 3, 2014

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

3-Mar-2014

Contact: Megan Hanks mhanks@acponline.org 215-351-2656 American College of Physicians

1. Study of highly-motivated GenX physicians shows that women spend more time than men on parenting and household labor

A survey of high-achieving young physician-researchers shows pronounced gender differences in domestic activities among those married with children, according to an article being published in Annals of Internal Medicine. It is known that female physician-researchers do not achieve career success at the same rate as men. Could differences in nonprofessional responsibilities explain some of the gap? Researchers surveyed 1,055 physician-researchers who were recipients of National Institute of Health research K08 and K28 awards (highly selective grants made to early-career researchers) and had active academic affiliation at the time of the survey to investigate the division of domestic labor and professional activities (research, teaching, and patient care) by gender. Among the physicians who were married, the men were almost four times more likely to have a spouse who either did not work or worked only part-time. Among married physicians with children, men reported working seven hours longer and spending 12 fewer hours on parenting and domestic tasks each week than women. Women in partnered relationships with children were also substantially more likely to take time off to care for children when there was a disruption in usual childcare. The study authors express concern that the medical profession may be particularly resistant to policy and cultural changes necessary to ensure the success of women. The authors of an accompanying editorial both highly-motivated physician-researchers who also care for families are neither surprised nor worried by the findings. They suggest that division of time may be more likely driven by preferences. Female physicians may choose research because of it is intellectually challenging, but it also affords flexibility. They suggest that awareness that successful academic careers do not follow a singular trajectory and may have distinct phases. "There is no need to do it all, all at once, right now," they write.

Note: The URL will go live at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 3 and can be included in news stories. For an embargoed PDF, please contact Megan Hanks or Angela Collom. To interview an author of the study, please contact Nicole Fawcett at nfawcett@umich.edu or 734-764-2220. Annals editor-in-chief, Dr. Christine Laine, is an author on the editorial. To speak with Dr. Laine, please contact Angela Collom.

2. Single-patient trials helpful in determining statin tolerability

Single-patient, or n-of-1, trials may be a useful method for determining which patients are experiencing true statin-related discomfort and which patients may be able to continue therapy, according to an article being published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Statins are recommended to reduce risk for heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems. Myalgia (muscle pain or discomfort) is a common complaint among patients taking statins and a common reason for discontinuation of therapy. However, it can be difficult to determine whether statins are the cause of patient discomfort. Researchers conducted a proof-of-concept study to assess the feasibility and potential value of n-of-1 trials in patients with statin-related myalgia. The investigators hypothesized that such trials would provide objective proof in some patients that their symptoms were (or were not) statin-related. Patients who had discontinued statin use due to myalgia were randomly assigned to statin therapy or placebo, up to three times each, for up to three weeks (adequate time period for myalgia to develop). Neither the physician nor the patient knew whether the statin or placebo was taken. Patient self-reporting revealed no clinically significant differences in myalgia or other pain measures in any of the n-of-1 trials or in the combined results across trials. Most patients resumed statin treatment after reviewing the results of their trial, which resulted in lower LDL-C levels 10 months later.

Note: The URL will go live at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 3 and can be included in news stories. For an embargoed PDF, please contact Megan Hanks or Angela Collom. To interview an author, please contact Julia Capaldi at julia.capaldi@lawsonresearch.com or 519-685-8500 ext. 75616.

3. U.S. survey reveals 2.7 million living with chronic Hep C virus

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Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet for March 3, 2014

LAWRENCE: Medicine drop deemed a success

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In the four weeks since Project Medicine Drop was launched, more than 40 pounds worth of unused or unwanted prescription drugs have been dropped off in a secured box in the lobby of the Lawrence Township Municipal Courts/Police Department building.

Project Medicine Drop provides a place for anyone with unused, unwanted or expired prescription medicine to drop off the drugs every day, around the clock in a secured box that looks like a mail box. The Lawrence Township Police Department disposes of the drugs.

The project was launched last month in conjunction with the state Division of Consumer Affairs of the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. Anyone can drop off medicine in the drop box, even if they do not live in Lawrence Township.

I am glad to see that the community is taking advantage of such a worthwhile program, Acting Chief of Police Mark Ubry said Monday.

The cleaning out of expired, unwanted and unused prescription medication is something that everyone should take time out of their busy schedule to do in order to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands, he said.

The diversion of prescription drugs into the hands of those who should not possess them has reached epidemic proportions, said Douglas Collier, drug initiative coordinator in the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General.

Youngsters often search their parents medicine cabinet for drugs and may experiment with them or sell them, Mr. Collier said when the project was launched last month at the Lawrence Township Municipal Courts/Police Department building.

Young people in the 18- to 25-year-old age group are most likely to engage in the use and abuse of prescription drugs, and thats why it is important to keep the drugs out of their hands, Mr. Collier said.

The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs encourages parents and grandparents to discuss with young family members all of the dangers of taking prescription and over-the-counter medication for non-medical and no-approved uses, and to let them know that the adults are keeping tabs on the medicines in the house.

Adults should keep an inventory of all medicines in the house. The drugs should be kept in one place possibly in a locked cabinet, a locked drawer or in a childproof lockbox. Medicine intended for one person should not be given to someone else, because a drug that is prescribed for a specific person may be harmful to someone else.

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LAWRENCE: Medicine drop deemed a success