TripAdvisor Presents Travelers' Choice Wine Destinations

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NEWTON, Mass., Oct. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site*, today announced the winners of its 2012 Travelers' Choice Wine Destinations awards. Thirty-two spots across the world were honored, based on millions of valuable traveler reviews and opinions on TripAdvisor.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/57936-tripadvisor-presents-travelers-choice-wine-destinations

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Award winners were determined based on their popularity as wine destinations, taking into account travelers' reviews and opinions for local wineries, restaurants, attractions and accommodations.

"We're excited to put a spotlight on some of the best wine regions around the globe," said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor. "Travelers planning a fall harvest getaway can discover amazing vineyards, restaurants and tours at these world-class destinations."

Travelers' Choice Wine Destinations U.S.:

Travelers' Choice Wine Destinations Europe:

For the complete list of 2012 Travelers' Choice Wine Destinations winners, go to http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Wine.

About TripAdvisor TripAdvisor is the world's largest travel site,* enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 60 million unique monthly visitors*, and over 75 million reviews and opinions. The sites operate in 30 countries worldwide, includingChina underdaodao.com. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to millions of monthly TripAdvisor visitors.

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TripAdvisor Presents Travelers' Choice Wine Destinations

Dunas Douradas Beach Club Wins at World Travel Awards

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Dunas Douradas Beach Club triumphs with top honours at the 19th World Travel Awards ceremony, held at the new Conrad Algarve on Saturday 6th October 2012

Algarve, Portugal (PRWEB UK) 16 October 2012

It was an evening of sweet success for tourism related businesses across the Algarve, and indeed for the Algarve itself (Europe's Leading Beach Destination) and Portugal as a whole (Europe's Leading Golf Destination) fending off strong competition from other European contenders. The WTA awards programme, founded in 1993 and hailed as the Oscars of the travel industry' by the global media, highlights and rewards those travel brands that have made the greatest contribution to the industry over the past year.

Evy Ougendal, CEO Dunas Douradas Beach Club, was proud to receive yet another bench mark Award, Europe's Leading Villa & Apartment Residences 2012, after having won the Bloomberg Best Development Europe, less than 2 years ago, To receive another award of such prestige, voted by travel professionals from all over the World, is indeed a unique achievement and goes to show that perseverance and meeting our clients needs are primordial to success.

Graham E. Cooke, President & Founder, underlined the depth and quality of the travel and tourism sector across Europe. He says: During times of economic austerity world-class brands come into their own, and the winners at our Europe Ceremony represent the cream of the continent. He adds: The ceremony has also served as a fitting spotlight for the Algarve, reflecting the vital role of tourism in the region and its overall contribution to the Portuguese economy. The Algarve is also one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the world, and the new Conrad Algarve has set a new precedent for luxury.

Antnio Pina, President, Algarve Promotion Bureau & Algarve Tourism Board, says: It was with enormous pride that Algarve hosted such a prestigious event as World Travel Awards. This was a unique opportunity to promote the region as a first-class destination, with exceptional facilities and an enviable climate like no other country in Europe. We are delighted and grateful to the organisation to have chosen Algarve for such a memorable event.

Note; WTA serves to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry and the awards are voted by travel agents worldwide.

Evy Ougendal Dunas Douradas Beach Resort +351 289 351 300 Email Information

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Dunas Douradas Beach Club Wins at World Travel Awards

DeSoto (TX) Jumps Two Spots to No. 3 While Unbeaten Manatee (Bradenton, FL) Remains No. 1 for Sixth Consecutive Week …

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Five new teams introduced to rankings this week; full Super 25 in today's print edition of USA TODAY and online at usatodayhss.com

MCLEAN, Va., Oct. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- DeSoto HS (TX) recorded another win this weekend, improving its record to 6-0 on the season and moving up two positions to No. 3 in the USA TODAY High School Sports Super 25 national high school football editorial rankings. Manatee HS (Bradenton, FL) continues to keep a stronghold at No.1 for the sixth straight week, improving to 6-0, followed by John Curtis(7-0, River Ridge, LA) which held its No. 2 position with a 50-0 shutout of Newman (New Orleans).

The USA TODAY High School Sports Super 25 rankings appear in today's print edition of USA TODAY Sports and are also available online at USA TODAY High School Sports (www.usatodayhss.com).

The five previously unranked teams cracking the Super 25 this week include No. 19 St. Joseph's Prep (6-0, Philadelphia, PA), No. 20 Bentonville (7-0, AR), No. 23 Kirkwood (7-0, MO), No. 24 Narbonne (7-0, Harbor City, CA) and No. 25 Dwyer (6-0, Palm Beach Gardens, FL) -- each of which remain unbeaten for the season.

Last week's No. 3, Byrnes (7-1, Duncan, SC), dropped to No. 15 with a 22-18 loss Friday at Gaffney, opening the gates to DeSoto, which dominated at Mansfield Timberview by a score of 61-7, supported by 124 rushing yards and four TDs from RB Dontre Wilson.

The USA TODAY High School Sports Super 25 is now in its 30th year as the most prestigious high school ranking platform in the nation. Gatorade is the Official Fuel of the Super 25 rankings platform, which includes computer rankings of every major high school football, baseball, boys and girls basketball and boys and girls lacrosse team in the nation.

Following is the complete listing of this week'sUSA TODAY High School Sports football rankings.

USA TODAY High School Sports High School Football Super 25For Week of October 15, 2012

1. Manatee, Bradenton, Fla. (6-0)2. John Curtis, River Ridge, La. (7-0) 3. DeSoto, Texas (6-0) 4. Bellevue, Wash. (7-0) 5. De La Salle, Concord, Calif. (7-0) 6. Katy, Texas (6-0) 7. Camden County, Kingsland, Ga. (7-0) 8. Butler, Matthews, N.C. (8-0) 9. Colerain, Cincinnati (8-0) 10. Vista Murrieta, Murrieta, Calif. (7-0) 11. Trinity, Louisville, Ky. (8-0) 12. Goose Creek, S.C. (8-0) 13. Hoover, Ala. (7-0) 14. St. Ignatius, Cleveland (8-0) 15. Byrnes, Duncan, S.C. (7-1) 16. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (6-1) 17. Coppell, Texas (6-0) 18. Ensworth School, Nashville (8-0) 19. St. Joseph's Prep, Philadelphia (6-0) 20. Bentonville, Ark. (7-0) 21. Good Counsel, Olney, Md. (6-1) 22. Dr. Phillips, Orlando (7-0) 23. Kirkwood, Mo. (7-0) 24. Narbonne, Harbor City, Calif. (7-0) 25. Dwyer, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (6-0)

For more information on the Super 25, visit USA TODAY High School Sports.

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DeSoto (TX) Jumps Two Spots to No. 3 While Unbeaten Manatee (Bradenton, FL) Remains No. 1 for Sixth Consecutive Week ...

IBM bets big on Watson, its super-computer

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We call it the beginning of a third generation of computers or cognitive computers which are able to reason and learn Manoj Saxena, GM, Watson Solutions, IBM.

October 15, 2012:

With artificial intelligence expected to be the next big game-changer in the industry, IBM is betting big on its super-computer, Watson. Named after former IBM president Thomas Watson, the system-of-systems is capable of understanding human speech and natural language. It beat two top contestants in American quiz show Jeopardy last year. Manoj Saxena, General Manager of Watson Solutions, IBM, spoke to Business Line about its expansion plans in India, and the potential the super computer holds in the Indian markets. IBM is also launching a new set of offerings next year, targeted towards the growth markets. Saxena said the focus in India is primarily around development and delivery.

What kind of machine is Watson?

We call it the beginning of a third generation of computers or cognitive computers. These are computers which are able to reason and learn. The first generation of computers were tabulating machines like grinders and weighing machines. The second generation of computers are the ones that we use today. The ones that can process a number of things like invoices and transactions, but they cant understand human behaviour and words. Watson is the beginning of the third generation of cognitive computing that understands human language and learns from the usage.

What are your plans for Watson in India?

We recently announced the formation of a Watson software and services team in Bangalore. The purpose of the team is to be able to manage the content and information that goes into Watson. We are building a delivery and support team to start supporting our deployments in South-East Asia sometime next year.

I fully expect the India team to be innovating new ways around managing content, as well as innovating with clients on the new solutions to bring to market. We are trying to understand not just the Indian markets, but all the growth markets and seeing what is the functionality and what is the foot print of applications that are needed there.

Are you planning to expand the Watson team to other cities in India?

The next city where we plan to expand into is Pune. Although we cant give numbers, the team will be made up of both experienced IBMers and freshers. Mid next year, well be announcing a set of offerings. I cant disclose much, but these are systems that will help knowledge workers people who are in portfolio management, bond traders or contact centres. Watson could be a good candidate for anything from Dalal Street to the doctors office. (Watson is being used to diagnose cancer in the US ).

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IBM bets big on Watson, its super-computer

Realizing the potential of stem cell therapy: Studies report progress in developing treatments for diseases and injuries

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ScienceDaily (Oct. 15, 2012) New animal studies provide additional support for investigating stem cell treatments for Parkinson's disease, head trauma, and dangerous heart problems that accompany spinal cord injury, according to research findings released today.

The work, presented at Neuroscience 2012, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news about brain science and health, shows scientists making progress toward using stem cell therapies to repair neurological damage.

The studies focused on using stem cells to produce neurons -- essential, message-carrying cells in the brain and spinal cord. The loss of neurons and the connections they make for controlling critical bodily functions are the chief hallmarks of brain and spinal cord injuries and of neurodegenerative afflictions such as Parkinson's disease and ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Today's new findings show that:

Other recent findings discussed show that:

"As the fields of developmental and regenerative neuroscience mature, important progress is being made to begin to translate the promise of stem cell therapy into meaningful treatments for a range of well-defined neurological problems," said press conference moderator Jeffrey Macklis, MD, of Harvard University and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, an expert on development and regeneration of the mammalian central nervous system. "Solid, rigorous, and well-defined pre-clinical work in animals can set the stage toward human clinical trials and effective future therapies."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Society for Neuroscience (SfN), via AlphaGalileo.

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Realizing the potential of stem cell therapy: Studies report progress in developing treatments for diseases and injuries

Beauty salon ‘offers’ stem cell therapy

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With all the publicity about the miraculous effects of stem cell therapy, the Department of Health (DOH) should prepare itself for the possibility that the new procedure would be performed by unqualified, and completely clueless, people.

I passed a beauty parlor recently and saw a huge poster on its door announcing the arrival of stem cell therapy. I was instantly reminded of botched breast enhancement and nose jobs performed by salon personnel who seemed to think it was as easy to learn complicated surgical procedures as it was to train to cut hair or do manicures and pedicures.

The DOH should start warning the public not to fall for these special offers just because they are available at giveaway rates.

Modern lifestyle problem

Experts have repeatedly talked about problems brought about by modern lifestyles. Changing diets and stress are two of the best known. Dr. Jaime G. Ignacio, section chief of gastroenterology at Veterans Hospital and head of the Digestive Malignancy Council of the Philippine Society of Gastroenterology, said constipation could be one of the consequences of the combination of these two factors.

Speaking at an event hosted by Boehringer Ingelheim, maker of Dulcolax (generic name Bisacodyl), a formulation for constipation relief, Ignacio, who, as a gastroenterologist is a specialist in digestive system disorders, defined the problem as having fewer than three bowel movements in a week (normal ranges from three times a week to three times a day).

He said constipation itself was not a disease but it could sometimes be a symptom of something serious, like colorectal cancer. But he said about 95 percent of cases were acuteoccurring suddenly and lasting for only a short periodresulting from some sudden lifestyle or hormonal changes, the taking of medication, lack of exercise, etc.

Ignacio said acute was easy to treat, with products like Dulcolax to solve the problem. But, if left unattended, acute constipation could lead to a chronic or long-term condition, which was the more worrisome, and would need medical attention.

He said constipation should be treated as soon as the problem had lasted for four or more days.

Constipation is part of modern living. [Like other diseases] prevention is the key. Safe and effective treatment is available [if needed], Ignacio stressed.

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Beauty salon ‘offers’ stem cell therapy

State licensing hearing for Bonita Springs stem cell doctor to begin Tuesday

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The Grekos hearing is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday. The location has changed to the Collier County Courthouse in room 4-D, according to a case filing Monday.

The hearing before J. Lawrence Johnson, an administrative law judge from Tallahassee, will begin at 9 a.m. The hearing is scheduled to last four days. The Collier County Courthouse is located at 3315 U.S. 41 E.

Photo by Allie Garza

Zannos Grekos

BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs physician Zannos Grekos, whose license is in jeopardy for controversial stem cell therapy, is getting his day before a judge.

Barring a last-minute delay or settlement, an administrative hearing is scheduled to begin Tuesday in Naples for the 47-year-old. He is fighting to get his license back in good standing from a suspension order, while the state Department of Health is pursuing more discipline and potentially revocation of his license.

Trained as a cardiologist, he's been licensed in Florida since 1996.

The trial-like proceeding, without a jury, is scheduled for four days before an administrative law judge. The proceeding is open to the public. The case against Grekos has garnered considerable media attention, including CNN and inquiries from European media.

A Texas father, Jimmy Bell, will be tracking what happens. Last year, he paid $57,000 upfront for his 5-year-old son, Jason, to undergo stem cell therapy to fight pulmonary hypertension. Despite pleas that his boy was weakening by the day, the treatment was never scheduled and Jason died. Bell received a $10,000 refund.

"He's taking advantage of people and it's more for personal gain," Bell said. "I'd like to see that stopped."

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State licensing hearing for Bonita Springs stem cell doctor to begin Tuesday

RBCC: Could Stem Cells Be Key to Promising Autism Therapy?

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NOKOMIS, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Rainbow Coral Corp. (RBCC) subsidiary Rainbow BioSciences will keep a close eye on a new study that could potentially lead to stem cell therapies for children with autism.

Researchers have been given the go-ahead by the FDA to launch a small study evaluating the effectiveness of autism treatments using patients own umbilical cord blood. Thirty children, aged two to seven, will receive injections of their own stem cells from the cord blood banked by their parents at birth.

Scientists will evaluate whether the stem cell therapy helps improve language and behavior in the children. Although the cause of autism is unknown and there is no cure for the disorder, one theory suggests that autism occurs because cell in the brain, known as neurons, are not connecting normally. Its possible that stem cells may address this problem.

RBCC is working to capitalize on the rising demand for effective new stem cell treatments by bringing a potentially game-changing stem cell technology to market. The company is close to a deal with Regenetech to acquire a license to perform cell expansion using that companys Rotary Cell Culture SystemTM, a rotating-wall bioreactor originally developed by NASA.

The rotating-wall bioreactor is capable of multiplying functional, 3-D stem cells for use in a variety of research projects, said RBCC CEO Patrick Brown. Stem cells carry tremendous potential to help researchers develop new treatments and cures for devastating diseases from Parkinsons to Alzheimers and even autism, but much research must be done first. Consequently, were very optimistic about the market potential for this revolutionary bioreactor technology.

RBCC plans to offer the new technology to help kickstart billions of dollars worth of research in an industry currently dominated by Amgen, Inc. (AMGN), Celgene Corporation (CELG), Genzyme Corp. (NASDAQ:GENZ) and Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD).

For more information on Rainbow BioSciences, please visit http://www.rainbowbiosciences.com/investors.html.

About Rainbow BioSciences

Rainbow BioSciences, LLC, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rainbow Coral Corp. (OTCBB:RBCC). The company continually seeks out new partnerships with biotechnology developers to deliver profitable new medical technologies and innovations. For more information on our growth-oriented business initiatives, please visit our website at [http://www.RainbowBioSciences.com]. For investment information and performance data on the company, please visit http://www.RainbowBioSciences.com/investors.html.

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RBCC: Could Stem Cells Be Key to Promising Autism Therapy?

Get off your Om: aloe vera juice and the new spirituality

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When I arrive at Body Works West off Ladbroke Grove to meet Daniele (who, like Madonna, goes only by his first name) one of his very body beautiful clients sweeps around the door of the Pilates studio and declares to me that this man is really wonderful.

Daniele looks a little embarrassed but perhaps he is just being modest, because in fact this health gurus life method already has a committed celebrity following and Lily Cole, Annie Lennox, Colin Firth and Bob Geldof are just a few of Danieles disciples who have effused about their devotion on his website.

They have all taken to what Daniele calls non-spiritual spirituality essentially a supposed healthy mix of Western and Eastern philosophies, practices and exercise but without any of what Daniele calls the airy-fairy stuff. Since the age of 22 Daniele has been collecting the techniques which together make up his method. Now aged 57, he has gone from being a masseur to becoming one of the first Pilates teachers in Europe to study yoga, meditation, psychoanalysis, hypnosis and neuro-linguistic programming.

He aims to turn his clients into spiritual people but that, he says, does not mean sitting in a room chanting Om. In fact spirituality is nothing to do with religion. It is just an attitude towards life, he says and that attitude is about achieving good health, a strong and supple body, a clear and peaceful mind, success, happiness and fulfilment.

This is the premise for the book he has just written on the subject The Human Being of the Future: A non-spiritual guide to spirituality, which has a foreword by Annie Lennox and starts with teaching you to get your body in order.

Ive met people who chant a mantra every day and think they are spiritual people, but they cant even go to the toilet, he says.

Daniele says he eats very little himself (aloe vera drinks, algae, fruit and vegetables are the main ingredients of his diet) and although he is not strict about banning anything from his diet other than alcohol, he avoids meat and what he calls dead foods, which is anything processed.

So for my session, we start with what I eat. I dont consume a great deal of meat but tea, alcohol, bread and pasta are all things that I am loath to give up. Daniele is fortunately not insistent but does say that I should get on the aloe vera juice, pronto.

Next he asks me about experiences in my past that have had an impact on me emotionally. I struggle with this because on this rather average day I cant really think of anything almost certainly testament to how well I suppress everything unpleasant.

When I finally have something in mind, Daniele asks me to think of my emotional response to the event and, observing my gaze, explains that I look down when thinking about this memory.

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Get off your Om: aloe vera juice and the new spirituality

Book Review: The Reality and Spirituality of Life in the Universe by Marshall Vian Summers

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The Reality and Spirituality of Life in the Universe by Summers discusses the birth and death of civilizations in a constantly evolving cosmos. The contents describe vast universes of intelligent life.

Summers believes that foreign races cannot sustain themselves for any length of time since they can't replicate our DNA or combat viral and bacterial organisms on the Earth. In addition, the author believes that the spatial bounds are too big to traverse.

Summers postulates that a civilization seeking a greater sphere of influence would need more resources to explore the spatial peripheries. And so, the limits of the stars cannot provide an escape from life as we know it on Earth.

Summers believes that any civilization seeking the acquisition of greater technologies would sacrifice basic freedoms in the existential domain. In addition, Summers believes that great mechanization begets humans who will acclimate to it and become machine-like themselves. In addition, life forms in deep space might have seers on the defensive parameters to do surveillance and thwart our attempts at exploring their exclusive domains.

Summers believes that freedom is not a right in the universe. Instead, it is limited by a pre-existing resource base like on Earth or other planets; such as Saturn. The author believes that knowledge is everywhere in the universe. As such, there is a presence wherever intelligent life exists.

Summers believes that humanity is limited by resource depletion, although there appear to be ample gas resources on the rings of Saturn and water on Europa. For instance, Europa may have oceans as deep as 30 or more miles.

There are storms on Saturn with lightening 10,000 times the power of our Earth. Herein lies an almost unlimited energy source if it could be harnessed and well controlled. And so, the assumptions Summers makes are not necessarily valid. The existing resources in space must be identified, harnessed and controlled before humans could benefit in any way that is commercially feasible given the present technologies.

Summers believes that life in the universe is a timeless reality, although he offers no proof to test this hypothesis. Elemental life may exist in places like Europa and tremendous resources may exist like Saturn's lightening.

There are models to articulate the limits and boundaries of science. For instance, Leonardo Da Vinci imagined self propelled cars, the helicopter design, flying machines and scuba diving gear a half millenia ago.

Moving fast forward 500 years, it is not out of the realm of possibility to imagine inventions powered by fusion and teletransport instrumentalities to reach the ends of the universe. Basically, history has shown that any idea that can be imagined can be reduced to commercialization at some future point in time.

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Book Review: The Reality and Spirituality of Life in the Universe by Marshall Vian Summers

Bancroft Press Releases Walking Home with Baba, a Groundbreaking Guide to Spiritual Practice

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After decades of teaching spiritual practice, Rohini Ralby, a student of legendary Indian teacher Swami Muktananda, is releasing her first book through Bancroft Press. Walking Home with Baba, available October 15, combines anecdotes and advice to guide readers through the practice of spirituality.

Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) October 15, 2012

As much as I mistrust the word, writing this book was a calling, says Ralby, who usually teaches from her home near Baltimore, MD. I prefer to avoid the limelight, but I felt an imperative to write this book and send what I have learned, and what I teach, out into the world.

Ralby spent eight years as head of security, appointments secretary, and personal assistant to Swami Muktananda, known affectionately as Baba. Its during this time, Ralby says, that Muktananda taught her, one on one, the essence of spiritual practice.

Mind and body are objects, Ralby explains. The spirit--the Self--is not. They are not equal. The mind and body are temporary vehicles. They are real in the sense that they exist, but they are not eternal. Any spiritual practice that focuses on the body is missing the mark.

While Walking Home with Baba promises to be an essential guide to spiritual enlightenment, according to publisher Bruce Bortz, it also holds appeal to those who have never tried to explore this world.

Im certainly no student of spiritual practice, says Bortz, whose Bancroft Press is publishing Ralbys book. But Walking Home with Baba is not only enlightening, but entertaining. Rohini alternates chapters about spiritual practice with anecdotes about her own experiences with Swami Muktanandaengaging, intimate, often funny, and sometimes moving stories that show how Rohini learned the lessons she now chooses to teach.

Walking Home with Baba, according to Bortz, covers a number of subjects, from the importance of teachers to the specific processes of practice, to perhaps the most clear and concise companion to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali available today.

But Ralby emphatically states that one does not have to subscribe to Indian beliefs in order to practice what she teaches. Spiritual practice is universal, she says. It isnt specific to one creed. If you go to the heart of any real spiritual tradition, you will find the same practice.

Early praise has been substantial. Ramesh Pattni, chair of Interfaith, the Hindu Forum of Britain, says that Rohini has not only given us fascinating and wonderful insights into what constitutes a spiritual journey, but done much to help others make a successful journey Home.

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Bancroft Press Releases Walking Home with Baba, a Groundbreaking Guide to Spiritual Practice

Video: Space Station Reaches Warp Speed?

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by Nancy Atkinson on October 16, 2012

Want to stay on top of all the space news? Follow @universetoday on Twitter

The International Space Station appears to go to warp speed a la Star Trek, Star Wars and almost every other space flick in this new video created by Christoph Malin, who stacked image sequences that the ISS crew at International Space Station have been taking lately. These are the images that have been used to create the great timelapse videos, that provide a sense of what it is like to fly over the Earth on the space station. But this one is different, and as Malin says, Stacks make interesting patterns visible, for example lightning corridors within clouds. One can also sometimes recognize satellite tracks and meteors patterns that are not amongst the main star trails.

Also visible is the Moon disappearing into the atmosphere and views from the ISS Cupola gorgeous!

The ISS Stacks from Christoph Malin on Vimeo.

Via the Bad Astronomer

Tagged as: Christoph Malin, International Space Station (ISS), star trails, Timelapse

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Video: Space Station Reaches Warp Speed?

Citizens in Space

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Courtesy of XCOR Aerospace

Citizens in Space, a project of the United States Rocket Academy, is dedicated to citizen science and citizen space exploration. Citizens in Space is a nonprofit project working with (not for) the companies developing new commercial spacecraft. Our goal is to enable ordinary people to fly in space as citizen astronauts (citizen space explorers) and to enable citizen scientists to fly experiments into space. For the first phase of our project, we have acquiredan initial contract for 10 suborbital spaceflights with one of the new space transportation companiesXCOR Aerospace.

We will be making payload space on these flights availableto citizen scientists. Professional researchers will be eligible, too, if they play by certain rules. We will fly these experiments free of charge, but any experiment submitted to us must be licensed as open-source hardware. We expect to fly up to 100 small experiments in our initial flight campaign. Our hope is that the experiment hardware developed through this project will be replicated widely by citizen scientists and flown many times on a wide variety of vehicles in the future. For information on the rules for submitting payloads, see the Call for Experiments.

Along with the general call for experiments, we are offering a $10,000 prize for one particularly interesting experiment in the High Altitude Astrobiology Challenge. We will also have a $5,000 reserve prize for the best experiment which does not win the High Altitude Astrobiology Challenge.

For additional information, visit the Citizens in Space Web site.

See more projects in Free, Fieldwork, All Ages.

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Citizens in Space

Space station and space flight gravity influence immune system development New in developmental research

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New research findings recently published in The FASEB Journal, show that immune system development is affected by gravity changes, as reported by researchers from the University of Lorraine and University of Luxembourg. Astronauts are exposed to stresses, during launch and landing, which disrupts their body's natural defenses against infection. Changes to the immune system need to be investigated before astronauts undergo longer space missions.

Researchers looked at how antibody production is affected when animal development occurs onboard a space station and which part of space travel has the greatest impact on antibodies, which are the proteins that the immune system uses to protect us from diseases. To do this, they sent Iberian ribbed newt, Pleurodeles waltl, embryos to the International Space Station before the newt embryos started to develop IgM antibody, which is also found in humans and is the largest antibody that circulates in blood.

Upon landing, they were compared with embryos grown on Earth. Antibody mRNAs in space and earth newts were different. The IgM antibody was doubled at landing. Findings show that gravity changes during development affect antibodies and the regeneration of white blood cells, which are important in defending the body against infectious diseases. Spaceflight did not affect newt development nor did it cause inflammation.

Scientists believe that these changes could also occur in humans, and require further experimentation to see how gravity can influence the immune system and white blood cell function, which play a role in many human diseases including cancer and diabetes.

###

For more information on research at the University of Lorraine or the University of Luxembourg, please visit http://www.univ-lorraine.fr or http://www.uni.lu.

New publication Huin-Schohn C, et al. Gravity changes during animal development affect IgM heavy-chain transcription and probably lymphopoiesis. The FASEB Journal article fj.12-217547. E-publication, September 19, 2012. http://www.fasebj.org/content/early/2012/09/20/fj.12-217547.abstract.

Contact: Britta Schlueter britta.schlueter@uni.lu 352-466-644-6563 University of Luxembourg

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Space station and space flight gravity influence immune system development New in developmental research

ISS and space flight gravity influence immune system development

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New research findings recently published in The FASEB Journal, show that immune system development is affected by gravity changes, as reported by researchers from the University of Lorraine and University of Luxembourg.

Astronauts are exposed to stresses, during launch and landing, which disrupts their body's natural defenses against infection. Changes to the immune system need to be investigated before astronauts undergo longer space missions.

Researchers looked at how antibody production is affected when animal development occurs onboard a space station and which part of space travel has the greatest impact on antibodies, which are the proteins that the immune system uses to protect us from diseases.

To do this, they sent Iberian ribbed newt, Pleurodeles waltl, embryos to the International Space Station before the newt embryos started to develop IgM antibody, which is also found in humans and is the largest antibody that circulates in blood.

Upon landing, they were compared with embryos grown on Earth. Antibody mRNAs in space and earth newts were different. The IgM antibody was doubled at landing.

Findings show that gravity changes during development affect antibodies and the regeneration of white blood cells, which are important in defending the body against infectious diseases. Spaceflight did not affect newt development nor did it cause inflammation.

Scientists believe that these changes could also occur in humans, and require further experimentation to see how gravity can influence the immune system and white blood cell function, which play a role in many human diseases including cancer and diabetes.

New publication Huin-Schohn C, et al. Gravity changes during animal development affect IgM heavy-chain transcription and probably lymphopoiesis. The FASEB Journal article fj.12-217547. E-publication, September 19, 2012.

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ISS and space flight gravity influence immune system development

RICHARD PLUM: U.S. space retreat cause for sadness, alarm

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SAN ANGELO, Texas Recently my daughter, who lives in Houston, sent me a text message. She was excited about watching the NASA747 with a piggyback Space Shuttle Endeavour flying low over the city. After receiving her message, I thought about the end of human space flight, an era which began when I was young.

When I was 10 years old, I remember listening to a recording by President Kennedy. In his speech to Congress, he declared, "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth."

The following year, I watched Neil Armstrong's arrival on the moon and when stepping onto the lunar surface, he uttered those famous words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

After the Apollo program, the next steps were the space shuttle, space station, and finally the Constellation program. The Constellation program would have provided a safer and economical replacement for the space shuttle, while providing the capability to travel to the space station, the moon, and eventually to Mars.

Returning to the moon was an essential first step to test the new technologies and human endurance required for the two-year round trip to Mars. The Constellation program has been canceled and the shuttle retired.

The United States has been the leader in human space flight, yet we have decided to give up this role. If NASA wants to send an astronaut to the space station, it writes a check for $63 million to the Russian Space Agency.

The Chinese National Space Agency is planning for a space station, along with human space flight to the moon and mars. The Indian Space Research Organization is also planning for human space flight. Perhaps we will need to encourage our future scientists, engineers, and astronauts to travel to Russia, China or India if they want to participate in human space flight.

Admittedly, our country is facing difficult financial times. Yet the federal budget continues to increase while the NASA budget continues to shrink. The total NASA budget is less than one-half of 1 percent of the federal budget.

By comparison, just the interest on the national debt is 14 times the amount spent by NASA. The defense budget is 30 times the size of NASA's.

It is ironic that while the government is spending billions of dollars to encourage students to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM awards of $3.7 billion in 2010), companies supporting NASA are terminating thousands of engineers, scientists and high-technology professionals. What message are we sending to our students?

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RICHARD PLUM: U.S. space retreat cause for sadness, alarm

Space station and space flight gravity influence immune system development

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ScienceDaily (Oct. 15, 2012) New research findings recently published in The FASEB Journal, show that immune system development is affected by gravity changes, as reported by researchers from the University of Lorraine and University of Luxembourg. Astronauts are exposed to stresses, during launch and landing, which disrupts their body's natural defenses against infection. Changes to the immune system need to be investigated before astronauts undergo longer space missions.

Researchers looked at how antibody production is affected when animal development occurs onboard a space station and which part of space travel has the greatest impact on antibodies, which are the proteins that the immune system uses to protect us from diseases. To do this, they sent Iberian ribbed newt, Pleurodeles waltl, embryos to the International Space Station before the newt embryos started to develop IgM antibody, which is also found in humans and is the largest antibody that circulates in blood.

Upon landing, they were compared with embryos grown on Earth. Antibody mRNAs in space and earth newts were different. The IgM antibody was doubled at landing. Findings show that gravity changes during development affect antibodies and the regeneration of white blood cells, which are important in defending the body against infectious diseases. Spaceflight did not affect newt development nor did it cause inflammation.

Scientists believe that these changes could also occur in humans, and require further experimentation to see how gravity can influence the immune system and white blood cell function, which play a role in many human diseases including cancer and diabetes.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Universit du Luxembourg.

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Space station and space flight gravity influence immune system development

Vettel heads into last four races knowing fate is in his own hands

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YEONGAM (South Korea): Reigning champion Sebastian Vettel heads into the last four races of the season knowing the momentum is with him, and his fate in his own hands, after a commanding win in South Korea.

The Red Bull driver secured a third win on the trot on Sunday and in doing so leapfrogged Ferraris Fernando Alonso at the top of the drivers standings, in what looks like a two-horse race now for the title.

The chasing McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button endured a dreadful weekend at Yeongam. Hamilton was 10th while his fellow Briton was dumped out of the race moments after the start by an apologetic Kamui Kobayashi.

Hamilton and Button, both former world champions, admitted afterwards that their assault on the crown was over. Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus is third in the championship but a hefty way behind the two at the top of the pack.

Vettel, who is going after a third title on the bounce, tops the charts with 215 points, the Spaniard Alonso is on 209 and Raikkonen back on 167. The next grand prix is in India in two weeks.

For many months it was something of a real roller-coaster ride, but we finally found our strength again and since Singapore it works, said the German Vettel, after he and Mark Webber took a Red Bull one-two in South Korea.

Today the team did everything right, and I didnt do anything stupid we sure want to keep it that way.

Singapore last month began a sequence of imperious victories for Vettel that saw him close the gap on Alonso, also a double world champion, before usurping him on Sunday. Alonso was third in the race, his team-mate Felipe Massa fourth.

But the 25-year-old Vettel said nobody at Red Bull was getting carried away.

What I think is important is that we have to keep things simple. That means that we have to concentrate on ourselves because we cannot influence what others are doing, and starting mind games now about what others will do in the next races is a waste of energy, he said.

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Vettel heads into last four races knowing fate is in his own hands

Redskins ride red-zone defense to win

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Sensational rookie Robert Griffin III got the headlines, but the Washington Redskins' eight-game home losing streak ended Sunday thanks in part to a much-maligned defense. The Redskins' defense was stout inside the red zone early and added the coup to de grace with its fourth touchdown of the season late as Washington held on to beat Minnesota 38-26. The Vikings had first downs on the Washington 10-, 14- and 16-yard lines on their first three possessions but settled for three field goals by rookie Blair Walsh. Even though the Redskins had been outgained 148-7, they were within reach, trailing 9-0. Griffin and the offense then found their stride, scoring the next 24 points while outgaining the Vikings by 224 yards during that span. "They kept us in the game," Griffin said of the defense. "Our offense can be so potent at times, we want to make it all the time, and we have so many weapons that if we hold teams to just field goals, it's huge because we can come back. We had two or three bad drives there (early, but) we went into halftime winning 17-9." After allowing 421 yards to Minnesota, 352 in the air, Washington's defense ranks 27th overall, last against the pass. But the Redskins certainly weren't hanging their heads after beating the Vikings, especially since 196 of those yards came in the final 12:40 after Washington had extended its lead to 31-12. "With Buffalo, (I played for) a No. 2-ranked defense twice and never made the playoffs," said 15th-year inside linebacker London Fletcher. "Since I've been here, we had two defenses that were ranked top 10 ... only one time (did we make the postseason). At the end of the day, what really matters is winning and losing. You find ways to win. We gave up a lot of yardage today, but if you really look at that game, we played some great defense today. On the last drive, we kinda got to soft-type defenses, giving up some short catches to eat up the clock. They ended up with more yards, but we played some good red-zone defense and we got takeaways." Minnesota was 2-for-7 in the red zone, with Walsh kicking four field goals under 38 yards. Washington was 3-of-3 in the red zone. "That was the difference in the game, it could have been (21-0) and all of sudden it's pretty hard to catch up," said coach Mike Shanahan, whose Redskins are fourth in the league in red-zone offense, 16th in red-zone defense. "I think we've been doing a pretty good job of holding guys to field goals in the red zone," free safety Madieu Williams said. "We've been playing pretty good in the red zone over the course of the year. It's just one of those things where we don't want them to get down there obviously, but when they do get there, we're limiting the damage to three points, so it gives us a chance to win the game at the end." Despite playing all season without strong safety Brandon Meriweather (knee) and since the first quarter of Week 2 without two-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker Brian Orakpo (pectoral, injured reserve) and end Adam Carriker (quadriceps, injured reserve), Washington is tied for fourth with 14 takeaways and is tied for third with a plus-9 turnover ratio. "The teams that win are teams that are good in the turnover area," said Shanahan, whose 2011 Redskins were tied for 30th in the NFL with a minus-14 turnover ratio. Williams' 41-yard interception return for a touchdown with 12:40 remaining extended Washington's lead to 31-12. It was the defense's fourth touchdown of the season, three more than the unit produced in all of 2011. Cornerback Josh Wilson took a fumble back in Week 2 at St. Louis. Rob Jackson scored on an interception in Week 3 against Cincinnati, as did fellow linebacker Rob Jackson in Week 5 against Atlanta. "I just saw the ball," Williams said. "I was keying the quarterback. I was able to dive and get on my knees and grab the ball and see if anybody was around me before I got up. I got up, saw my teammates doing a great job of blocking ... It felt like it was a pursuit drill with me with the ball. We have a lot of playmakers on this defense."

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Redskins ride red-zone defense to win