Infor expands analytics tool line with PeopleAnswers buy

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By Chris Kanaracus

January 8, 2014 11:25 AM ET

IDG News Service - Infor is buying PeopleAnswers, maker of software companies can use to analyze a job candidate's behavioral traits before deciding whether to make a hire. Terms of the deal, which was announced Wednesday, were not disclosed.

PeopleAnswers was developed by a team of behavioral science PhDs, who created a series of algorithms that underpin online tests job applicants take through PeopleAnswers' service. The test measures 39 behavioral attributes, such as discipline, ambition, energy and empathy, weighting them according to the particular job role. The test software is available in 16 languages.

Beyond the algorithms and behavioral science know-how, PeopleAnswers has also built up years of historical data, resulting in more reliable analysis of a candidate, said Infor CEO Charles Phillips.

PeopleAnswers' customers include Audi, Foot Locker, Neiman Marcus and Hertz, all of which are large companies with many hourly employees, and which can experience seasonally high demand for workers as well as excessive turnover.

About 60 percent of PeopleAnswers' customers are using the software as a primary method of ranking and determining who they will offer positions to, according to Phillips. Other customers are using it internally to build promotion lists or put together teams, he said.

PeopleAnswers' approach stops job applicants from gaming the tests by giving answers they think a company will want to hear, Phillips said. "It's asking your preferences on things, what you like or don't like," he said. "Questions don't lead to a particular result. You can't tell why they're asking the question."

Infor will make PeopleAnswers part of its HCM (human capital management) software suite. It plans to expand PeopleAnswers' test coverage into additional verticals over time, according to Phillips.

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Infor expands analytics tool line with PeopleAnswers buy

Game Preview: Syracuse Silver Knights vs. Missouri Comets

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January 8, 2014 - Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) Syracuse Silver Knights SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse Silver Knights (6-3) will play their first match of 2014, when they will take on the Missouri Comets (6-3) Friday, January 10th at the Oncenter War Memorial Arena.

The meeting will also feature a pre-game March to the Match. Fans will meet at the Ale 'n' Angus Pub for some pre game drinks (5:30 p.m.-7:10 p.m.) with 40 Below, Believe in Syracuse, The Silver Knight Foundation and the Salt City Supporters. The March to Match will leave at 7:10 p.m., taking a shorter and much "warmer" route to the Oncenter War Memorial Arena.

Friday's meeting is the Silver Knights' first home game of 2014 after a tough three game road trip to end 2013. The Syracuse Silver Knights went 1-2 over the stretch, closing with back-to-back losses against the St. Louis Ambush and Milwaukee Wave. The New York club's latest defeat was the club's largest of the season, falling 20-10 against the Wave on New Year's Eve.

Coach Tommy Tanner's club has played the Comets once this season, getting a hat-trick from Kenardo Forbes to beat Missouri 18-15 at the Independence Events Center in the road trip's opener on December 28, 2013. The victory was the Salt City side's first in the state of Missouri after four straight defeats in the Show-Me state.

The Knights and Comets are even in their all-time series, with the Orange, Silver and Black posting a 4-4 record against the Kansas City Area side. Syracuse is undefeated in defending the Oncenter War Memorial Arena with a 3-0 mark in the Empire State against Missouri, including an 18-8 thrashing in their last meeting back on December 14, 2012 in the Salt City.

The Comets are currently tied with the Silver Knights in the MISL table with a 6-3 record. Missouri has been very strong offensively, having the top two points men in the league with MF Vahid Assadpour (47) and FW Leo Gibson (40). The duo has helped the team lead the league in total points scored with 151. Coach Vlatko Andonovski's squad defeated Syracuse's Thruway Rivals, the Rochester Lancers 11-9 in overtime last Sunday.

The Show-Me State club has some connections with the Syracuse Silver Knights. Comets Bryan Perez, ex-Syracuse midfielder tallied eight total goals with seven assists in the Salt City last year.

Additionally, current Knights FW Neto played for the Comets during the 2011-2012 campaign, notching 17 total-goals with six assists en route to the team's Rookie of the Year Award. During the same year, now Comets FW Alex Megson tallied nine total goals and dished five helpers with the Syracuse Silver Knights in the club's inaugural season.

Fridays's match will be broadcast live on YouTube on the Knights' official page. Syracuse's coverage will begin at 7:30 p.m. EST with commentary by John Paul Chunga and Mike Kirmse. The game will be available shortly after its completion as on-demand content.

The Salt City professional indoor side starts a busy stretch after Friday's match, heading up I-90 to face Thruway Rivals, the Rochester Lancers on January 17 at 7:00 p.m. EST before they will return home against the defending MISL Champions, the Baltimore Blast on January 19 at 1:00 p.m. EST. Single game and Season tickets are selling fast. To become a Silver Knights Supporter call their office at 315-303-7261 and get your tickets today!

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World Cup travel woes

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RIO DE JANEIRO Five months from the start of the World Cup, Brazilian authorities seem unsure about how to handle the crunch of international visitors, many of whom are expected to rely on air travel for the month-long tournament.

The chief of staff for Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said this week that a presidential decree was being considered to open more air routes to foreign carriers, partly aimed at keeping down soaring prices.

The state-run tourism agency Embratur, which expects about 500,000 visitors, also said foreign carriers may be needed to help move traffic to the 12 host cities.

Those views clash with the position of Civil Aviation secretary Wellington Moreira Franco who, in a recent interview with The Associated Press, said the body would rely on domestic operators only.

"We will consider all possibilities, including opening the market," Gleisi Hoffmann, Rousseff's chief of staff, told the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo.

She said it could be done quickly through what she called "provisional measures."

Robert Mann, an independent airline industry analyst and former airline executive based in New York, said foreign carriers coming in at the last minute might make matters worse.

"It will simply add to the congestion already experienced in Brazilian air traffic control, airport and terminal facilities," Mann said in an email to the AP, adding a similar surge in Brazilian carriers could cause the same problems.

"While the inbound international flying is relatively easily planned, the key issue is that much of the intra-Brazilian flying would be almost at a moment's notice since it corresponds with which teams advance in the early rounds. So one may plan in theory, but the actual demand may differ in practice."

Carlos Ebner, the International Air Transport Association director for Brazil, said any changes would be complex and require time.

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World Premiere of Craving for Travel , Featuring Michele Ragusa and Thom Sesma Playing 30 Roles, Begins Performances …

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World Premiere of Craving for Travel, Featuring Michele Ragusa and Thom Sesma Playing 30 Roles, Begins Performances Jan. 9

By Carey Purcell 09 Jan 2014

The world premiere of Craving for Travel, starring Michele Ragusa and Thom Sesma,begins performances Jan. 9 prior to an official opening Jan. 22 at the Peter J. Sharp Theater.

Greg Edwards (Neurosis: A New Musical,Taking the Plunge)and Andy Sandberg's (Shida, The Last Smoker in America) play will continue through Feb 9.

Directed by Sandberg, Craving for Travel features Ragusa (Young Frankenstein, Disaster!) and Sesma (The Lion King, The Times They Are A-Changin') playing 30 characters, including rival travel agents (and former spouses) vying for their industry's most prestigious honor: The Globel Prize.

"With their reputations on the line, travel agents Joanne and Gary will tackle any request, no matter how impossible, and any client, no matter how unreasonable," press notes state. "Full of overzealous travelers, overbooked flights, and hoteliers who are just over it, Craving for Travel reminds us why we travel and everything that can happen when we do."

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World Premiere of Craving for Travel , Featuring Michele Ragusa and Thom Sesma Playing 30 Roles, Begins Performances ...

A Remote Arizona Church Offers Peyote-Induced Spiritual Journeys

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A tall, heavy-set man with shaggy blond hair and straight-cropped bangs stands in the middle of an empty gravel parking lot. He looks around aimlessly, hands shoved in his pockets.

When he sees a car pulling up, he turns, hands still stuffed in pockets, and hurries over to a small building with a satellite on the roof and a serape covering the door.

"Someone's here," he says into the darkened building.

New Times photo illustration/Photo by Andrew Pielage

Andrew Pielage

First, the Reverend Anne Zapf cuts the tops of peyote buttons, then dries them, and measures out 20 grams for the final gruel-type mixture church members imbibe.

A minute later, a small, wiry man wearing tight, black yoga pants, a fanny pack, and a baseball cap pulled over a graying ponytail appears in the doorway and moves across the lot with a mountain goat's spring in his step.

"Hello, I'm Matthew," he says, a grin touching the corners of his mouth. "Welcome to Peyote Way."

This is Matthew Kent, one of the two primary spiritual leaders of Peyote Way Church of God near Safford. On this afternoon, "Rabbi" Kent has just finished an interview with two filmmakers from California who are working on a documentary about his church. The blond man wandering around the property, he says, is preparing for one of the church's "spirit walks."

In the distance, the peak of Mount Graham, a Western Apache holy site, is dusted with snow.

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A Remote Arizona Church Offers Peyote-Induced Spiritual Journeys

Obama administration approves space station extension, NASA says

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The Obama administration has given NASA the go-ahead to operate the International Space Station through at least 2024, the agency announcedWednesday, allowing government and private-sector researchers to count on at least another decade of operations, officials said.

Bill Gerstenmaier, chief of space operations at NASA Headquarters, said the expanded lifetime will encourage increased commercial use of the lab complex, solidify the commercial launch market and provide critical insights into technology development and human physiology needed for eventual flights to deep space targets like Mars.

"This is a tremendous announcement for us here in the space station world and really for all of human spaceflight and the international partnership aboard the space station," he told reporters. "It's allowing us to have a planning horizon that is really 10 years long, it extends from 2014 now to at least 2024. That really changes the way folks see their investment, especially the commercial side."

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A three-man crew successfully brought the Olympic torch to the International Space Station. For safety reasons, the torch will not be lit.

The Obama administration canceled the Constellation moon program and ordered a dramatic change of course. NASA was told to develop commercial manned spacecraft to ferry crews to and from the station and to build a new heavy-lift rocket to propel Constellation program Orion capsules on deep space missions to nearby asteroids and, eventually, Mars.

At roughly the same time, the administration announced that it planned to extend the life of the International Space Station by at least five years, from 2015 to 2020.

Late last year, NASA, its prime contractor Boeing and the agency's international partners completed a detailed engineering analysis that showed the lab complex could be safely operated through 2020 and, with a bit of luck and continued funding, through 2028, the 30th anniversary of the start of station assembly.

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Commercial Spaceflight Federation Welcomes New Executive and Associate Members

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Washington D.C. - The Commercial Spaceflight Federation is pleased to announce the addition of seven new member organizations. The Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority joins as the 18th Executive Member. New Associate Members include Ares Corporation, Colorado Space Coalition, Penn State Applied Research Laboratory, QinetiQ North America, Satwest, and Space Coast Spaceflight Alliance.

"The unprecedented expansion in our membership mirrors the growth of the commercial spaceflight industry, and an increasing interest in private spaceflight," said CSF President Michael Lopez-Alegria. "The industry celebrated many successes last year, and we see 2014 as a vital year in which our members will continue to demonstrate the tremendous promise of commercial spaceflight to engage and educate people around the world."

"We are happy to be a part of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation," said VCSFA Executive Director and new CSF Board member Dale Nash. "We look forward to adding our experience and expertise to those of the CSF membership to promote the development of the commercial spaceflight sector."

The new CSF Members are as follows:

Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (http://www.marsspaceport.com/): VCSFA is an independent authority of the State of Virginia with a charter to support within the Commonwealth space-related business, economic development, and STEM education. In that, its current focus is on development and operation of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) to support both Federal and Commercial Space Launch. MARS is launching cargo resupply missions to the ISS, in support of the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract Orbital Sciences Corporation has with NASA. VCSFA is launching cargo resupply missions to the ISS from MARS Pad 0A, in support of the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract Orbital Sciences Corporation has with NASA, and launching missions to orbit from MARS Pad 0B for the Department of Defense and NASA.

ARES Corporation (http://www.arescorporation.com/): ARES Corporation is one of the foremost engineering, project management, safety and mission assurance, and information technology solutions companies in the United States. ARES has supported the commercial space industry since 2006, leveraging its extensive knowledge of the first destination of Government procured commercial space services, the International Space Station, and its intimate knowledge of NASA's safety approval process to provide key insights to providers of commercial spaceflight services.

Colorado Space Coalition (http://www.spacecolorado.org/): The CSC is a group of industry stakeholders working to make Colorado a center of excellence for commercial, civil, and military space activity. The CSC focuses its efforts in two key areas: Marketing and promoting Colorado's significant space assets; and advancing legislation vital to the industry's growth and success by providing a platform for legislative advocacy is Colorado's congressional delegation. The CSC actively supports key Colorado programs such as SNC's Dreamchaser and ULA Launch Services, plus other commercial interests such as the FAA's Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation through marketing efforts and legislative advocacy.

Penn State University Applied Research Laboratory (http://arl.psu.edu/): Space Systems Initiative is a new organization within Penn State that serves the space industry through research and education. SSI Penn State is pursuing the Google Lunar X PRIZE as its first mission, demonstrating that low-cost system development and mission execution is possible through a new business model, named uSpace. The uSpace model combines university resources, philanthropy, corporate sponsorship, industry partnership, and strategic government corporations.

QinetiQ North America (https://www.qinetiq-na.com/): QinetiQ North America's offerings range from software development to systems engineering, from mission-level engineering to enterprise-wide IT support, and from cyber security to cyber mission assurance. In aerospace, services include systems engineering, integration and fielding for aerospace, software safety engineering, independent verification and validation for evolved expendable launch vehicles, engineering and verification services to various spaceflight companies, and engineering services for NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

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Commercial Spaceflight Federation Welcomes New Executive and Associate Members

Indian Human Spaceflight Programme Just Starting: ISRO

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Indian human space flight programme is at the "beginning stage" and space scientists were studying the critical technologies required for the project, ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan said today.

"As far as human space flight is concerned, we are just at the beginning- at the moment we are studying the critical technologies required for that like- crew escape system, crew module. These are the things we have not done in the past," Radhakrishnan said.

Speaking to reporters in the presence of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment and Forest that reviewed ISRO programmes here, he said, "As and when we take up a programme of human space flight- this will help us."

Illustrating the requirements for the human space flight, he said, "We need a reliable launch vehicle with a reliability of 0.99, today we can say GSLV has gone well- but we need to improve the reliability of that."

"We also need to have a capacity for taking crew module with two or three crew members and the required space for them; so we have the choice of GSLV or GSLV Mark III- that is the decision we need to take."

Stating that certainly space robotics and human presence in space together are going to be the requirements for the future, Radhakrishnan said, "At a right moment -that decision- the country will have to take."

"What we are doing at the moment is getting ready for critical technology and government has given us funds nearly Rs 145 crore."

He said, "In the GSLV Mark III- the experimental mission is going to happen in April 2014."

Speaking to reporters after the review, Parliamentary Standing Committee Chairman T Subbarami Reddy commended the recent achievements of ISRO for the successful launch of Mars Orbit Mission and GSLV-D5 with indigenous cryogenic engine.

Stating that adequate funds are being allocated for the scientific sector in the country, he said, "We must focus more towards developing good scientists."

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State may face contempt of court

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SHILLONG: The Megh-alaya Chief Ministers disregard for restricting the use of red beacons in Government vehicles comes in conflict with the Supreme Court order limiting the use of red beacons and sirens only to the constitutional heads. When a question was asked on the Governments action on the misuse of red beacons in Government vehicles on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma remained non-committal. However, the stand of the Chief Minister may invoke contempt of court if the State does not follow the instructions of the Supreme Court. Different from the views of the Chief Minister, a political department official said that the police and the transport department had been asked to act on the Supreme Court order and also make a list of those who can use the read beacons and sirens. The law department has also been consulted to define constitutional heads. However, many ministers and officers still continue to use red beacons. Strangely, though police had been asked to take action as per the Supreme Court order on red beacons, DGP PJP Hanaman has been seen moving with red beacons and sirens accompanied by escort . While some lower level officials had removed red beacons from their vehicles, Senior officials including the Chief Secretary WMS Parait are yet to remove the red beacons from their official vehicles. When contacted, the Transport Minister HDR Lyngdoh said that he is yet to get the copy of the order of the Supreme Court on the matter.

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State may face contempt of court

NASA OIG: NASA’s Decision Process for Conducting Space Launch System Core Stage Testing at Stennis

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NASA Inspector General Paul Martin today released a report that examines NASA's decision to conduct core stage testing for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on the B-2 test stand at Stennis Space Center (Stennis). The SLS core stage consists of liquid hydrogen and oxygen fuel tanks, subsystem hardware and avionics, and four engines that will power the Agency's new heavy lift rocket.

In July 2008, the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) examined allegations that NASA's plan to build the A-3 test stand at Stennis to test its J-2X engine would duplicate capabilities of an Air Force testing facility in Tennessee. The OIG found NASA failed to follow both its own internal procedures and the process it had agreed to with the Department of Defense (DOD) to avoid costly duplication of test stands when making decisions where to test rocket engines.

Similar to the OIG's conclusions 5 years ago, the OIG found that NASA failed to follow its internal policies or its agreement with the DOD when it decided to spend approximately $352 million to refurbish and test the SLS core stage on the B-2 test stand at Stennis. Moreover, the OIG found that NASA did not adequately support its decision given that refurbishing the B-2 stand will be more costly and take longer than two other possible options: an Air Force test stand at Edwards Air Force Base in California and a test stand at the Marshall Space Flight Center. In addition, although SLS Program managers spent considerable time and money studying the B-2 option, they gave the joint NASA-DOD testing board minimal time to assess the cost, schedule, and risks of the other test stand options.

To improve NASA's ability to make sound rocket propulsion testing decisions, the OIG made several recommendations including that NASA implement a strategy for assuring timely coordination with DOD and adherence to agreed-upon policy. NASA concurred or partially concurred with recommendations and stated that it is "confident it made the right decision in choosing to conduct SLS core stage testing at B-2" when considering all risks to the core stage and SLS Program.

The full report can be found on the OIG's website at http://oig.nasa.gov/ under "Reading Room" or at the following link: http://oig.nasa.gov/audits/reports/FY14/IG-14-009.pdf

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NASA: International space station operation extended by Obama until at least 2024

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The international space station received a significant boost Wednesday when the Obama administration vowed to keep the laboratory in orbit at least until 2024, a four-year extension, NASA officials said Wednesday.

The decision is not a shocker, because the alternative would involve putting the ISS through a controlled de-orbit just six years from now. The $100billion, nearly 1million-pound laboratory which took 13 years, more than 100 rocket and shuttle launches, and 160 spacewalks to construct would crash into the vast open space of the South Pacific.

But the extension is a relief for NASA, which spends about $3billion a year on the space station. It shores up the marketability of the ISS as a platform for scientific research and commercial operations, which can require many years of planning.

This is also good news for the private launch companies SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corp., which have contracts to supply cargo to the station and could compete for future contracts. SpaceX, Boeing and Sierra Nevada are interested in launching crews to the station by 2017, and the extension makes the competition for a contract look like a better investment of time and energy.

What a tremendous gift the administration has given us, said William H. Gerstenmaier, the head of NASAs human spaceflight program. That really changes the way folks see their investment, especially the commercial side. It also changes the research side.

There is unlikely to be much resistance to the decision in Congress, where the station has bipartisan support.

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) said the move will bolster the labor force on Floridas Space Coast, which has been suffering since the decision to retire the space shuttle.

This means more jobs at the Kennedy Space Center as we rebuild our entire space program, Nelson said in a recorded statement. Now, with 10-year extended life on the station, we process those payloads at KSC, we have the commercial rockets take both humans and cargo to the station.

John Abney Culberson (R-Tex.) said the extension of the station was a foregone conclusion, citing national security.

Its inevitable and Im delighted that NASA understands the value of ensuring that America continues to hold the high ground, said Culberson, a member of the House appropriations subcommittee that funds NASA. He said that abandoning the station would be like General Meade handing over Little Round Top voluntarily. He added, To the Chinese.

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NASA: International space station operation extended by Obama until at least 2024

Better Condoms through Nanotechnology

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The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has proven of late to be a spur to developing nanotechnology-based solutions to some of the worlds problems, like a system for sterilizing medical equipment even in places where there is no electricity.

The foundation's latest Grand Challenge Exploration grants are aimed at improving the humble condom. The Gates Foundation granted $100 000 to the University of Manchester to develop a condom in November of last year, reportedly using graphene, that would lead to thinner yet stronger condoms.

With the University of Manchester becoming a hub for graphene research, it makes sense that any efforts to use graphene for the improvement of condoms would take place there. But the Gates Foundation apparently didnt want to limit the prospects of improving prophylactics to just graphene. Last week, it was announced that the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) have been awarded a $100 000 Grand Challenge grant to develop a better condom using nanotechnology.

"We are honored to be a recipient of a GCE grant project in order to examine this important public health issue," says Karen Buch MD, a third year radiology resident at BMC and Ducksoo Kim MD, professor of radiology at BUSM in a Boston Magazine article. "We look forward to using nanotechnology to create a condom that is both effective and does not diminish sensation, which could help convince more people to use condoms and potentially reduce the incidence of sexually transmitted infections."

The nanotechnology that the Boston doctors intend to use for their improved condoms will be superdhydrophillic nanoparticles that coat the condom and trap water to make them more resilient and easier to use.

"We believe that by altering the mechanical forces experienced by the condom, we may ultimately be able to make a thinner condom which reduces friction, thereby reducing discomfort associated with friction [and] increases pleasure, thereby increasing condom use and decreases rates of unwanted pregnancy and infection transmission," Kim says in a press release.

So it appears the race is now on. Will hydrophilic nanoparticles or graphene be the nanomaterial of the future for condoms? Maybe both.

Photo: iStockphoto

IEEE Spectrums nanotechnology blog, featuring news and analysis about the development, applications, and future of science and technology at the nanoscale.

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Molecular engines star in new model of DNA repair

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

8-Jan-2014

Contact: Lisa Greiner Lisa.Greiner@nyumc.org 212-404-3532 NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine

Our health depends in large part upon the ability of specialized enzymes to find and repair the constant barrage of DNA damage brought on by ultraviolet light radiation and other sources. In a new study NYU School of Medicine researchers reveal how an enzyme called RNA polymerase patrols the genome for DNA damage and helps recruit partners to repair it. The result: fewer mutations and consequently less cancer and other kinds of disease.

The study, led by Evgeny Nudler, PhD, a Howard Hughes Medical Investigator and the Julie Wilson Anderson Professor of Biochemistry at NYU Langone Medical Center, is being published online in the January 8 issue of Nature.

Scientists have long known that RNA polymerase slides along the telltale tracks of double-stranded DNA and uses that template to create a growing chain of RNA molecules. This RNA chain, in turn, contains all of the information needed to construct cellular proteins. The enzyme, however, can stall as it patrols the tracks and encounters significant DNA damage. Even worse, it can become lodged over the damaged site, preventing any repair specialists from reaching it.

In the new study, the NYU School of Medicine researchers reveal how another enzyme called UvrD helicase acts like a train engine to pull the RNA polymerase backwards and expose the broken DNA so a repair crew can get to work.

The finding has major implications for a patching mechanism that is widely shared by organisms ranging from bacteria to humans, says Dr. Nudler. "Better repair means fewer mutations, which also means slower aging, less cancer and many other pathologies," he says.

Although the research, conducted in Escherichia coli bacteria, focused on one type of DNA repair, Dr. Nudler says the evidence suggests that other cellular repair pathways might use the same mechanism to recognize and then resolve the damage. Failure to do so can lead to profound consequences: inherited defects in the gene that encodes the human analog of UvrD, a protein known as XPB, have been linked to a range of devastating disorders.

In a condition known as xeroderma pigmentosum, for example, the faulty DNA repair system cannot fix damage caused by ultraviolet radiation. Consequently, any exposure to sunlight can cause serious skin and eye damage and greatly elevate the risk of skin cancer Similarly, children born with Cockayne syndrome age prematurely and are often short in stature due to inadequate DNA repair. Those with a third related condition called trichothiodystrophy have brittle hair, recurrent infections and delayed development.

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Molecular engines star in new model of DNA repair

Penn Medicine Epidemiologists Find Bed Bug Hotspots in Philadelphia, Identify Seasonal Trends

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Newswise PHILADELPHIAA new study from Penn Medicine epidemiologists that looked at four years of bed bug reports to the city of Philadelphia found that infestations have been increasing and were at their highest in August and lowest in February. The findings, published ahead of print on January 8 in the Journal of Medical Entomology, point to two possible peak times to strike and eliminate the bugs.

There is surprisingly very little known about seasonal trends among bed bug populations, said Michael Z. Levy, PhD, assistant professor in the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CCEB), who mapped the bed bug hotspots in Philadelphia in an effort to find more effective and cost-prohibitive ways to control them. We found a steep and significant seasonal cycle in bed bug reporting, and suspect that bed bugs have different levels of mobility depending on the season, and that their population size may fluctuate throughout the year.

Warm weather could be a driver for migration to other homes and breeding, he said. We may be able to exploit this cycle: These seasonal trends could guide control programs to help reduce a citys growing bug population, he added.

To track the spatial and temporal patterns of the bugs, Levy and colleagues, including first author Tarub S. Mabud, analyzed calls to the Philadelphia Department of Public Healths Vector Control Services between 2008 and 2012. They then mapped the phone calls to get a clearer picture of the problemwhen and where it was happening.

Reports came from all across the city, though south Philadelphia was the most affected by the bugs.

Overall, bed bug reports in the city steadily increased by 4.5 percent per month from 2008 to 2011, an almost 70 percent increase year to year. Nearly half of all pest infestations reported to the city over that time period were for bed bugs, a total of 382. From September 2011 to June 2012, Philadelphia residents made 236 reports of bed bug infestations, according to the study.

Infestations peaked in August and reached a low in February, the team found.

They most likely move more frequently during warmer months, with increased development and reproduction happening as well, the team surmises.

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Penn Medicine Epidemiologists Find Bed Bug Hotspots in Philadelphia, Identify Seasonal Trends

Treating the Inner Animal in All of Us

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Newswise Discoveries about how diseases arise or are transmitted in animals can be useful in understanding the same sorts of afflictions in humans. Similarly, new therapies or techniques used in people may be effective in caring for animals as well.

The newly established Center for Veterinary Sciences and Comparative Medicine (CVSCM) at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine embodies this ideal a highly integrated and innovative consortium of universities, institutions, scientists, physicians and veterinarians seeking to improve the condition of all animals, human and otherwise.

By understanding the biology of disease, either in people or in animals, all benefit, said Peter Ernst, DVM, PhD, professor of pathology at UC San Diego School of Medicine and founding CVSCM director. We want to use the lessons learned and advances made in human healthcare to improve the lives of animals and vice versa.

The CVSCM features a faculty of 25 academic veterinarians from UC San Diego School of Medicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, The Scripps Research Institute, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Sea World and the San Diego Zoo.

It builds upon UC San Diegos long-standing post-doctoral training program in laboratory animal and comparative medicine and has close links to the UC Veterinary Medical Center-San Diego, a collaboration between UC San Diego Health Sciences and the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

Many CVSCM scientists are on the leading edge of their research disciplines, investigating mucosal infections and immune responses, gastrointestinal ailments such as inflammatory bowel disease or celiac disease, parasite transmission, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases involving prions and misfolded proteins the last affecting humans, cows, deer and other animals.

For example:

*Joseph Vinetz, MD, professor in the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, studies leptospirosis, a disease transmitted from infected wild and domestic mammals to humans. He is investigating the ecology of the disease, and why some patients develop mild cases, while others suffer severe infections. *Sheila Crowe, MD, professor in the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, studies epithelial cell biology related to celiac disease as well as Helicobacter pylori, the cause of gastroduodenal ulcers and gastric cancer. She is also investigating other infections that can be transmitted from animals to humans. *Nikos Gurfield, DVM, County Veterinarian for San Diego County, focuses upon West Nile virus, which affects birds, horses and humans. *Christina J. Sigurdson, DVM, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pathology at UC San Diego School of Medicine, and colleagues are studying the cause of a highly prevalent protein aggregation disease known as serum amyloid A amyloidosis in endangered Channel Island foxes. Amyloidosis also occurs in humans.

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Medicine protects against strokes

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

8-Jan-2014

Contact: Senior Research Consultant Sren Paaske Johnsen spj@dce.au.dk 45-30-22-84-69 Aarhus University

Heart palpitations. Shortness of breath. Tiredness. More and more people can recognise the symptoms of atrial fibrillation, which is one of the most common types of heart disease. More than 65,000 Danes live with the disease, leading to a greatly increased risk of strokes, which are also known as apoplexy.

New research shows that patients who take anticoagulant medicine against atrial fibrillation not only reduce the risk of a thrombosis in the brain:

"Our study shows that the anticoagulant medicine also appears to protect the patients who still suffer the misfortune of a stroke. The risk of suffering serious brain damage or death due to a thrombosis in the brain is significantly smaller for the patients with atrial fibrillation who received anticoagulant medicine, compared to those who did not receive the medicine," says senior research consultant in clinical epidemiology Sren Paaske Johnsen, Aarhus University.

He has carried out the study in collaboration with colleagues from Aarhus University, Aarhus University Hospital, Gentofte Hospital, and Odense University Hospital.

Largest study in the area

Via the Danish National Patient Registers the researchers have followed a total of 11,356 Danes with atrial fibrillation, who were admitted to hospital during the period 2003-2009 after suffering a stroke. The study is the largest of its kind.

"Only 22 percent of the patients were undergoing relevant treatment with anticoagulant medicine when they were admitted with a stroke. With the knowledge we have now about the protective effect of the medicine it is of course important to be particularly aware of the patients who could benefit from treatment with anticoagulant medicine," says Sren Paaske Johnsen.

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Medicine protects against strokes

ROJoson Educational Mission to Zamboanga Medical School Foundation – 1995 – Segment 2 – Video

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ROJoson Educational Mission to Zamboanga Medical School Foundation - 1995 - Segment 2
ROJoson Educational Mission to Zamboanga Medical School Foundation - 1995 - Segment 2 In 1994, I helped established the Zamboanga Medical School Foundation (...

By: Reynaldo Joson

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ROJoson Educational Mission to Zamboanga Medical School Foundation - 1995 - Segment 2 - Video

UMass Medical School faculty recognized as 1 of nation’s top young scientists

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

8-Jan-2014

Contact: Jim Fessenden james.fessenden@umassmed.edu 508-856-2000 University of Massachusetts Medical School

WORCESTER, MA University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) Assistant Professor Thomas G. Fazzio, PhD, was recognized as a rising scientific star by President Obama with a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

The Presidential Award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early phases of their research careers. The award embodies the high priority the Obama Administration places on producing the next generation of scientists and engineers to advance the nation's goals, tackle grand challenges, and contribute to the American economy. Dr. Fazzio was one of 102 scientists and engineers selected for this year's award.

"It's an honor to be chosen, among so many outstanding scientists, for this award by President Obama," said Dr. Fazzio of the Program in Gene Function and Expression at UMMS. "It means a lot to have our work recognized at the national level and to know the value that the President and his administration has for biomedical research and advancing scientific inquiry."

Presidential awardees are selected for their pursuit of innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology and their commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education, or community outreach. Granted to a select group each year, the awards are intended to showcase and nurture some of the finest scientists and engineers who, while early in their research careers, show exceptional potential for leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge.

"Dr. Fazzio is a truly outstanding young investigator. He brings a fresh new perspective to the field, studying the regulation of genes in stem cells from an exciting new angle," said Terence R. Flotte, MD, the Celia and Isaac Haidak Professor of Medical Education, executive deputy chancellor, provost, dean of the School of Medicine and professor of pediatrics. "We are fortunate and very proud to have him as a member of the UMMS scientific community."

A member of the UMass Medical School faculty since 2010, Fazzio's research focuses on understanding how DNA is packaged into tiny chromatin structures inside the nucleus of stem cells. Through his work, Fazzio has uncovered previously unknown processes governing how the chromatin structure of a cell's DNA influences gene expression in stem cells, conferring on these cells the unique ability to replicate and differentiate into many different types of cells.

"We're interested in understanding the biological processes that allow a stem cell to become a muscle cell, a blood cell, or any other kind of cell," said Fazzio. "The knowledge we gain from answering these questions can be used to identify potential new targets for drugs that attack cancer stem cells within tumors and pave the way for the development of stem cell-based therapies for degenerative diseases."

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UMass Medical School faculty recognized as 1 of nation's top young scientists

UC Merced medical school a ways off, but still training doctors

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UC Merced, which held a preview day in October, above, hopes to get an early start on training doctors who will stay in the area<137,,> to establish From left, waving, Lee Logan, 21, Chris Chin, 22, and Steven Ramos, 21, of the UCM fraternity Sigma Chi, take children from Merced on a tour of the campus as part of a philanthropy event, as parents and prospective students check out the campus along Scholars Way during UC Merced Preview Day on Saturday (10-19-13)<137>.<252>

CHRISTOPHER WINTERFELDT cwinterfeldt@mercedsunstar.com Buy Photo

While a medical school at UC Merced is years away, the university is three years deep into a program training doctors with hopes that theyll stick around after they graduate.

UC Merceds San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical Education, also called PRIME, is a joint program among UC Merced; UC Davis School of Medicine; and the University of California, San Francisco, Fresno Medical Education Program. It enrolled its first UC Merced students in 2011.

Its a huge accomplishment, right now, that we can say we are training physicians in the San Joaquin Valley for the San Joaquin Valley, said Brandy Ramos Nikaido, director of external relations and special projects for UC Merced.

Nikaido said the plans to open a full-fledged medical school at UC Merced are progressing, but its too early to estimate an opening date. The process is a long and expensive one, she said. It does not help the public universitys cause that the state saw budget deficits year after year in the late 2000s.

In the meantime, the school moves forward on educating doctors.

Students admitted to the program spend their first two years at the UC Davis campus in Sacramento. The groups third and fourth years are spent treating patients under the supervision of doctors at San Joaquin Valley clinics and hospitals.

There are 17 students enrolled in the UC Merced medical program, with a new crop coming in the fall. One requirement for students before being admitted to the program is a knowledge of and connection to the Valley, Nikaido said.

The program kicked off after getting a $5 million grant from the United Health Foundation in 2006.

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UC Merced medical school a ways off, but still training doctors