NASA Social Media Event to Celebrate the Final Journey of Shuttle Atlantis

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NASA and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will invite 28 of their social media followers to a two-day NASA Social Nov. 1-2 in Florida. The event will commemorate the move of space shuttle Atlantis from Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building to its final destination for permanent display at the center's visitor complex. Parts of the social will be carried live on NASA Television and the agency's website.

Atlantis will make the 10-mile rolling journey Nov. 2 atop a 76-wheel flatbed vehicle called the Orbiter Transportation System. The move will conclude at Atlantis' new permanent home, which is under construction. The exhibit is set to open during the summer of 2013.

During the NASA Social, people who engage with NASA through Twitter, Facebook and Google+ will have an opportunity for a special "hard hat tour" of the new Atlantis exhibit building and to witness the arrival of Atlantis at Space Florida's Exploration Park. Participants will speak with experts from NASA's human spaceflight and commercial programs, tour NASA facilities, see featured spaceflight hardware from the past, present and future, and listen to presentations honoring the Space Shuttle Program. Guests also will be able to interact with fellow NASA social media followers, space enthusiasts and members of NASA's social media team.

The NASA Social registration opens at noon EDT, Monday, Oct. 15, and closes at noon EDT, Wednesday, Oct. 17. Twenty eight participants will be selected randomly from online registrations. Because of limited space, those selected to attend may not bring a guest. Each participant must be a U.S. citizen age 18 or older.

For more information on NASA Socials and to register, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/social

To join and track the conversation online during the NASA Socials, follow the hashtag #NASASocial. Use and reference the #Atlantis and #SpotTheShuttle hashtags to follow Atlantis' journey.

For NASA TV streaming video, schedules and downlink information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For information about Atlantis' arrival at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, visit: http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com

For information about connecting and collaborating with NASA, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/connect

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NASA Social Media Event to Celebrate the Final Journey of Shuttle Atlantis

ACL Workpapers Eases Fortegra Financial's Transition to Publicly-Traded Company

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Cloud-Based Software Transforms Audit Process for Newly-Formed Team

VANCOUVER , British Columbia, Oct. 11, 2012 /CNW/ - ACL, the technology company that is transforming audit and risk management, announced today that Fortegra Financial Corporation (FRF) has implemented ACL Workpapers to manage company-wide audit workflow. As a result, Fortegra has been able to increase its audit process efficiencies by 25 to 30 percent, generate external audit cost savings, and improve internal communications by automating time-consuming administrative functions.

Fortegra, an insurance services company that provides distribution and administration services and insurance related products to insurance companies, brokers, agents, and other financial services companies in the U.S., faced several challenges as it transitioned from a private to publicly-traded company. Its newly established internal audit department struggled with hosting all work on a shared drive, which had become unmanageable.

Fortegra was in need of a flexible system that could support Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance and enterprise risk management (ERM), while also allowing for collaboration with various business units and external auditors. Implementation of on-premise server-based solutions were deemed too complex and cost prohibitive, leading Fortegra to ACL Workpapers.

"An initial public offering is a major undertaking for audit and risk teams," said Laurie Schultz , President and CEO of ACL. "Our technology and expertise gives organizations unprecedented control over their business, which removes a layer of concern and provides peace of mind going forward."

The easy-to-use workflow of ACL Workpapers allowed Fortegra to upload its existing SOX work and audit plans, organize workflow, and manage its ERM program.

"We were half-way through our SOX compliance process and it was an administrative burden," explained Laura Bartz , CPA, Internal Audit Manager at Fortegra. "ACL Workpapers offered us a simple, centralized, and secure audit management system that immediately helped us become more productive. Within a week, we were up and running."

"ACL Workpapers has increased our organizational efficiencies by helping us communicate and collaborate better with our business unit leaders," explained Emily Rhodin, CPA, CRMA, Vice President Internal Audit & SOX Compliance for Fortegra. "We are now able to determine our status and generate findings reports easily, which allows us to communicate timing and results to our business leaders and external auditors immediately upon request, and to compile their comments in an organized way."

To read the full case study, visit http://www.acl.com/fortegra.

About ACL

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ACL Workpapers Eases Fortegra Financial's Transition to Publicly-Traded Company

17 Tips From Instagram's Power Elite For Amazing Travel Photos

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1.

Photo by: Jennifer Sosa, @jensosa Pro Tip: "Keep your phone close by and expect for something to happen." Location: Chteau de Versailles in Versailles, France

Click here to view this gallery.

[More from Mashable: Woman Slammed With $15 Quadrillion Phone Bill]

Breathtaking vacation photos are no longer limited to travel-and-leisure magazines, leather-bound albums and matte museum walls. Instagram has become a mobile repository for personal travel pictures.

[More from Mashable: Nike+ Visualizes Where New York, Tokyo, London Residents Run [VIDEO]]

Instagram users can visually visit the Emerald Pool in Austria, Heaven's Gate Mountain in China or the Eiffel Tower in Paris, all before starting the work day. The tight-knit photo network provides an ideal place to show friends and family the best parts of their sightseeing and seafaring adventures, instantly.

Being on Instagram comes with great responsibility. Users should upload only their most prized photos to avoid spamming followers. Who said becoming a square-picture expert was an easy task? Undoubtedly, it takes practice, steady hands and keeping a few pointers in mind. We've asked our favorite wayfaring Instagram photographers (above) to share their best travel shot and tips to help out fellow shutterbugs using the app.

Consider this your warning: Travel pangs, an incredible urge to double-tap "heart" pictures and a desire to put these pro tips to work all lie ahead!

What's your favorite Instagram tip? Share them with us in the comments.

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17 Tips From Instagram's Power Elite For Amazing Travel Photos

How 3D Printers Are Reshaping Medicine

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Printing off a kidney or another human organ may sound like something out of a science fiction novel, but with the advancements in 3D printing technology, the idea may not be so far-fetched.

BioprintingWhile 3D printing has been successfully used in the health care sector to make prosthetic limbs, custom hearing aids and dental fixtures, the technology is now being used to create more complex structures - particularly human tissue.

Organovo (onvo), a San Diego-based company that focuses on regenerative medicine, is one company using 3D printers, called bioprinters, to print functional human tissue for medical research and regenerative therapies.

"This is disruptive technology," said Mike Renard, Organovo's vice president of commercial operations. "It's always interesting and fun, but never easy."

(More From CNBC: 15 Surprising Global Technology Cities)

Traditional 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital model. 3D printing is achieved using additive processes, in which an object is created by laying down successive layers of material such as plastic, ceramics, glass or metal to print an object. Companies including Boeing (ba), General Electric (ge) and Honeywell (hon) use this type of 3D printing to manufacture parts.

Bioprinters, though, use a "bio-ink" made of living cell mixtures to form human tissue. Basically, the bio-ink is used to build a 3D structure of cells, layer by layer, to form tissue.

Eventually, medical researchers hope to be able to use the printed tissue to make organs for organ replacement.

However, growing functional organs is still at least 10 years away, said Shaochen Chen, a professor of nano-engineering at the University of California, San Diego, who uses bioprinting in researching regenerative medicine.

But even though developing functional organs may still be a decade off, medical researchers and others are using bioprinting technology to make advancements in other ways.

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How 3D Printers Are Reshaping Medicine

Metagenics’ Inaugural Lifestyle Medicine Summit: A Landmark Event

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ALISO VIEJO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Metagenics, Inc., a nutrigenomics and lifestyle medicine company focused on improving health and reversing chronic disease, hosted the inaugural "Lifestyle Medicine Summit: Taking the Chronic Out of Illness on September 28-30 in Dana Point, Calif. Registration reached capacity a week before the event, and more than 500 healthcare practitioners left fortified with new clinically effective strategies to help transform the lives of their patients.

Metagenics is passionate about lifestyle medicine education, said Fred Howard, chief executive officer for Metagenics. Our first Lifestyle Medicine Summit was a catalyst for bringing together the leaders in this important field, and inspiring hundreds of dedicated practitioners with new, science-based information that they can use to help their patients to avoid or reverse chronic illness. We are incredibly pleased with the enthusiasm and the turnout at this years Summit, and we are looking forward to another groundbreaking conference next year.

Keynote speakers at the event included internationally known leaders in the field of lifestyle medicine, such as Jeffrey S. Bland, PhD, president of the new Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute and former CSO for Metagenics; Mark Hyman, MD, bestselling author, speaker and practitioner of lifestyle medicine; and John Gray, PhD, bestselling author of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. Eleven other experts also presented sessions on various areas of lifestyle medicine.

I am a physician educator, and I truly believe that functional medicine is the best way to care for people, commented Joel Evans, MD, who spoke on womens hormonal health and wellness. Metagenics has always been the leader in functional medicine education and nutraceutical interventions, and this Summit is yet another proof of their understanding and foresight into the future of medicine.

Metagenics has always done a great job of making sure that pioneering information is at the forefront of their educational events, highlighting the most contemporary, biochemical, nutritionally-based research and products available today, said Jeff Marsalese, DC, who traveled from Pittsburgh to attend the Summit. This event has been a first-class experience with great information and quality speakers.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of two American adults has at least one chronic illness, and chronic diseases contribute to seven out of 10 deaths in the U.S. Many healthcare professionals and their patients are seeking solutionsbeyond taking an increasing number of prescription drugs that treat symptomsto address the systemic nature of most illnesses. In particular, breakthroughs in nutrigenomicsthe science of nutrients as modulators for wellnessoffer options that can address and help delay or reverse the onset of common lifestyle-related conditions, such as obesity, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and even cognitive disorders.

Vern Cherewatenko, MD, and attendee from Bellevue, WA added, The speakers and the subject matter at this conference were cutting-edge, and have far exceeded my expectations. I will definitely come next year!

Metagenics University's "2013 Lifestyle Medicine Summit: What Women Really Want will focus on Womens Health. To ensure a space at next years Summit, healthcare practitioners are advised to register early. The event will take place at the Fairmont Millennium Park Hotel in Chicago, Ill. on October 4-6, 2013. Register today at http://www.metagenics.com/2013summit.

About Metagenics, Inc.

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Metagenics’ Inaugural Lifestyle Medicine Summit: A Landmark Event

Our View: Community needs to show support for Central Michigan University Medical School in Saginaw

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The following is the view of The Saginaw News Editorial Board on the plans for Central Michigan University's medical school campus in Saginaw.

Central Michigan Universitys medical school presence in Saginaw is no longer a pipe dream.

With more than $16 million raised in the $25 million campaign for two Saginaw locations, CMU officials say the pieces are in place to start construction next fall and have students here in 2014.

The partnerships with Covenant HealthCare and St. Marys of Michigan, along with affiliations with 17 hospitals throughout Mid-Michigan, can only mean good things for the future of healthcare in the area.

CMU medical students will spend the last two years of medical schooling locally, practicing at our facilities. Not only will we help train the future doctors of America, but school officials expect many of them will make this region their home and continue to offer quality health care to local residents. The school will also provide an opportunity for Michigan residents to attend medical school in their home state officials say preference will be given to Michigan applicants.

CMU officials were in town last week to update business leaders on the project and allay fears that it wouldnt happen.

The project didnt have the most stellar start when CMUs former president Michael Rao left the university less than a year after it was announced and the medical schools first choice for dean resigned the position.

We believe there has been so doubt that this was going to become a reality, said Kathleen Wilbur, CMUs vice president of development and external affairs, during a meeting with The Saginaw News Editorial Board It is more than reality at this point.

And with drawings of the two Saginaw buildings in hand, accreditation underway and more than half the money raised for the campaign, the momentum is building. It is time now for the community to throw all we have into this and make it happen.

With about $10 million left in the fundraising goal, wed love to see governments in the entire region work with CMU to secure grant funding and private donors step up to the plate to bring in the money.

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Our View: Community needs to show support for Central Michigan University Medical School in Saginaw

Underprivileged residents receive medical attention, school supplies

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by Michael Vincent D. Cajulao

ZAMBOANGA CITY Hundreds of residents of Tumalutap Island received medical assistance and school supplies last October 7, during a civic-action outreach program initiated by Task Force Zamboanga (TFZ).

The program was also done in collaboration with Department of Health IX, Zamboanga City government, national line agencies, non-government organizations, and the Joint Special Operation Task Force Philippines.

Colonel Buenaventura Pascual, Task Force Zamboanga chief, said in an activity report that the main objective of the activity is to uphold and promote humanitarian services in areas classified as economically unstable in terms of income generation and capability to pay medical services.

A total of 246 individuals benefitted from the medical checkup and consultation, 70 of whom also availed of the free tooth extraction.

The group also distributed 355 ball pens and pencils and 355 pieces of notebooks for the school children, 150 pairs of new slippers, 130 pieces of toys for the kids, and two bundles of assorted used clothing.

Pascual also turned over boxes of medicines to Brgy. Chairperson Carsoma A. Abunawas for distribution to the residents.

The activity is part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP), which seeks to forge partnership with the residents in maintaining peace and security and help spur development in their area.

Pascual, in a previous interview with PIA, said part of IPSPs strategies are community outreach missions, aid in looking for livelihood opportunities for those in depressed and conflict areas, and implement paradigm shift on the thinking of soldiers.

We are trying to inculcate in the minds of our soldiers that gone are the days when we are only visible during war. We are here also as partners of the communities by delivering basic services and help them look for livelihood opportunities to help them alleviate their living condition. We want our soldiers to also be sensitive to the needs of the communities, Pascual said.

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Underprivileged residents receive medical attention, school supplies

Medical School dean to retire next year

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Alzheimer's expert Steven T. DeKosky will continue hospital work, research post-retirement By Audrey Waldrop | Oct 11

University Medical School Dean Steven T. DeKosky announced last week he will step down July 31 after five years at the helm of central Virginias primary medical facility. DeKosky, who has gained international attention for his work on Alzheimers disease, will continue to treat patients and conduct research as a faculty member.

An ex officio member of the Board of Visitors Medical Center Operating Board, DeKosky defended the Medical Schools ability to attract research funding at last months Board meeting. He explained to the Board that funding sources such as the National Institutes of Health had channeled resources into later-stage research as opposed to the kind of basic research the Medical School specializes in.

Roughly 56 percent of the Medical Schools operating budget comes from grants, contracts and recoveries from facilities and administrative costs. The remainder is divided between endowment payoffs, donations, tuition and state funds.

DeKoskys discussion of the Medical Schools financial viability followed University President Teresa Sullivans presentation of the then-recently released U.S. News & World Report college rankings in which the Universitys lowest scoring category, at 53, was financial resources. Medical Center Operating Board Committee Chair Edward Miller was not available to comment.

Sullivan praised DeKoskys accomplishments during his time as dean.

Steve oversaw significant growth in our medical student class and transformation of our curriculum, Sullivan said in a University press release. He maintained research funding during a time of significant decreases in funding nationally, and increased the clinical capacity and access.

DeKosky has expressed interest in opening the Medical School to more clinical research in line with the National Institutes of Healths funding priorities. I hope we continue to move forward as an academic medical center across our mission of education, research and clinical care over the next nine months and beyond, DeKosky said in a press release.

John Simon, the Universitys executive vice president and provost, is expected to appoint an interim dean from within the Medical School to succeed DeKosky at the end of July. He will lead an international search to select the next permanent dean.

Simon said in an email Thursday he and his team will look for someone with strong leadership and the ability to partner with the health system leadership and work with the various constituencies in the school to further implement the strategic plan.

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Medical School dean to retire next year

LIBERTY’S CROWN: Local Restaurant Honors Our Past

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Posted on: 10:36 pm, October 11, 2012, by Andy Fales, updated on: 10:37pm, October 11, 2012

For many of us, shes a figure who prompts a story

Of the ones who brought us here

Before we were Americans, we were immigrantsexiles in some respects.

Everybody who came through Ellis Island, says Bobby Tursi,whose father immigrated here from Calabria, Italy as a young man,that was the first thing that they saw was the Statue of Liberty before being processed into the new world.

The Tursis have celebrated their immigrant heritage through the Latin King restaurant for thirty years, now, but today, they reconnected to Lady Liberty through their new business.

The Statue of Liberty was known as the Mother of Exiles to the immigrants coming over, says RJ Tursi, who runs the new Exile Brewing Company at 14th and Wlanut in Des Moines.

Thats exactly what it looks like. A full scale model of her crown. 27 feet across, designed by local sculptor, James Ellwanger.

One of the owners was down here and I drove by and I just said, Ive got an idea for this, Ellwanger says.

It was hardly a cheap project.$25,000 in copper alone, weighing 7,000 pounds. The building needed thousands more in structural work just to support it. But the Tursis loved the idea.

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LIBERTY’S CROWN: Local Restaurant Honors Our Past

Liberty's Maffei: SiriusXM Takeover Could Take 18 Months

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October 11, 2012

Speaking to investors yesterday, Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei said the company's takeover of SiriusXM could take up to 18 months to complete. Multichannel News reports that Maffei said any future transactions with the satcaster would depend on Liberty's ability to monetize high cost shares, but that could take up to a year and half to fully complete.

Liberty Media currently controls approximately 49.6 percent to SiriusXM stock and has made its intentions clear that it wants complete control over the satcaster. Liberty is expected touse a Wall Street maneuver known asReverse Morris Trust to acquire, then spin, off SiriusXM.

"We would want to get our capital out before we do a Reverse Morris Trust," Maffei said on Wednesday, adding that it is not the only possible option for Liberty Media. "If it takes 18 months, that would be sort of a minimum."

Yesterday, SiriusXM reported net subscriber additions were 445,921 in thethirdquarter of2012. SiriusXM ended Q3 on September 30with a record 23,365,383 subscribers.Additionally, the company announced that it is raising its net subscriber additions guidance to 1.8 million for 2012 from its previous guidance of 1.6 million.

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Liberty's Maffei: SiriusXM Takeover Could Take 18 Months

Libertarian Jim Grey speaking at UF

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Staff report

Libertarian vice presidential candidate Jim Grey will be speaking Tuesday at the University of Florida.

Grey will be speaking at 10 a.m. in the Reitz Union Auditorium. Following his speech, he will take questions and be available for photographs.

The event is free and open to the public. Grey, a former judge, is running with Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson, the former New Mexico governor.

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Libertarian Jim Grey speaking at UF

Libertarian presidential nominee visits Richmond

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Richmond --

This is what happens when you're a third-party candidate for president of the United States:

You show up for a political event in a jacket and jeans wearing a T-shirt with a "Peace" sign. You have no Secret Service protection just four guys crammed with you in a Hyundai Sonata. You are not afraid to directly answer questions from your audience. You're happy just to have an audience.

Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson, a former two-term governor of New Mexico, came to Richmond on Thursday to speak to students at the Maggie Walker Governor's School and, later, at nearby Virginia Commonwealth University.

Johnson, 59, was an early aspirant in the GOP presidential nominating process. He participated in two debates before essentially being ignored by the party establishment and not invited to further debates by major media and debate organizers.

So he decided to take his Ron Paul-like political populism to the Libertarian Party, which has him on the ballot in 48 states and, according to some polls, pulling up to 5 percent of the vote nationwide, support that advisers believe draws equally from both parties.

"I would not be standing here before you if I didn't think I was qualified to do this job," Johnson said. He described his rise from a one-man handyman service in college to the head of a business that employed 1,000 people and, later, his successful long-shot rookie run as a Republican for governor of New Mexico, where he prevailed in the Democratic-leaning state and served two terms from 1995 to 2003. "It's amazing what can happen in your life if you show up on time and do what you say you're going to do."

Here is the truth according to Johnson:

On Americans: "I think the majority of Americans in the country are fiscally responsible and socially accepting."

On the economy: "Abolish the income tax, the corporate tax, eliminate the IRS and replace all of that with one federal consumption tax," says Johnson, who said he would balance the federal budget by reducing Medicare costs and military spending.

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Libertarian presidential nominee visits Richmond

Santa Rosa nudged to eliminate unincorporated 'islands'

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Published: Thursday, October 11, 2012 at 7:02 p.m. Last Modified: Thursday, October 11, 2012 at 7:02 p.m.

It will be more difficult for Santa Rosa to avoid annexing small islands of unincorporated county land inside its borders under a policy adopted Wednesday by the agency responsible for setting the local government boundaries.

The city no longer will be allowed to annex only a portion of small islands, defined as those with fewer than 12 registered voters, according to rules adopted Wednesday by the Sonoma County Local Agency Formation Commission.

Instead, new annexation requests will be approved by the commission only if the entire island is brought under city jurisdiction.

The new policy will likely apply to only about a quarter of the 52 such islands in the county, 51 of which are in Santa Rosa. It will not affect the future annexation of the largest island, the 3,500 acres of Roseland that remain outside citys southwest boundary.

I think itll provide more clarity and certainty that we can eliminate of some of the smaller islands and provide better police and fire service to those areas, said Richard Bottarini, executive director of the commission.

The 11 members of the commission are representatives of the public, the county, and its nine cities and 54 special districts. Its role is to regulate the formation and expansion of government agencies to promote efficient government.

It views county islands as an unfortunate consequence of rapid city growth that need to be eliminated to limit confusion and inefficient delivery of services, such as sewer, water and public safety.

The policy shift is a compromise between the status quo, which encourages annexations of entire islands whenever possible but doesnt require it, and a tougher stance some favored to require annexations of entire islands up to 150 acres.

Supervisor Efren Carrillo said he favored the tougher option because he saw it as the commissions role to push as hard as we could for a policy that eliminates all the islands.

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Santa Rosa nudged to eliminate unincorporated 'islands'

Experts Puzzled by Lone Dolphin in Cayman Islands

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Stinky the dolphin is lonely, and he's getting way too frisky with humans.

The lone male bottlenose dolphin has been cavorting for months in waters off the Cayman Islands, a rare case of a solo dolphin far from a pod of his fellows.

The sight of the dolphin has delighted many boaters, swimmers and divers, but his antics dismay scientists who traveled to the archipelago to study him. They say Stinky is a danger to humans, and they also worry the dolphin could hurt himself.

"He spent a fair amount of time engaging in very high-risk behavior," said Laura Engleby, a marine mammal branch chief with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "There is concern for his safety."

She noted the dolphin has a fondness for boat propellers in motion, and that he also likes to rub against anchors, channel markers and mooring buoys, cutting himself in the process.

Scientists estimate he is roughly 20 years old given his worn-down teeth and aging scars.

"He's certainly been around the block," said Trevor Spradlin, a marine mammal biologist with NOAA who also traveled to the Cayman Islands.

It is unusual for bottlenose dolphins to separate from their pods, with only about 30 such cases reported worldwide, scientists said. Also puzzling is how Stinky arrived in the Cayman Islands, given that the nearest pods of bottlenose dolphins are in Cuba and the Bahamas, said Dr. Chris Dold, vice president of veterinary services for SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, who also studied the dolphin.

Dold said the absence of female dolphins might help explain Stinky's behavior.

"What's unusual about this, of course, is not necessarily the behavior that this male dolphin is demonstrating, but that those behaviors appear to be directed toward people," he said.

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Nurture trumps nature in study of oral bacteria in human twins, says CU study

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Public release date: 11-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Kenneth Krauter krauter@colorado.edu 303-492-6693 University of Colorado at Boulder

A new long-term study of human twins by University of Colorado Boulder researchers indicates the makeup of the population of bacteria bathing in their saliva is driven more by environmental factors than heritability.

The study compares saliva samples from identical and fraternal twins to see how much "bacterial communities" in saliva vary from mouth to mouth at different points in time, said study leader and CU-Boulder Professor Kenneth Krauter. The twin studies show that the environment, rather than a person's genetic background, is more important in determining the types of microbes that live in the mouth.

For the new study, doctoral student Simone Stahringer sequenced the microbial DNA present in the saliva samples of twins. She and the research team then determined the microbes' identities through comparison with a microbe sequence database. Saliva samples were gathered from twins over the course of a decade beginning in adolescence to see how salivary microbes change with time.

After determining the oral "microbiomes" of identical twins, who share the same environment and genes, and the microbiomes of fraternal twins who share only half their genes, the researchers found the salivary microbes of the identical twins were not significantly more similar to each other than to those of fraternal twins. "We concluded the human genome does not significantly affect which bacteria are living in a person's mouth," said Krauter of CU-Boulder's molecular, cellular and developmental biology department. "It appears to be more of an environmental effect."

Krauter said while the twin data from the oral microbiome study indicates that genetics plays a more minor role, it's possible the genes still affect the oral microbiome in more subtle ways -- an effect he plans to further explore.

A paper on the subject was published online Oct. 12 in the journal Genome Research. Other co-authors included doctoral student William Walters of MCD Biology, Jose Clemente and Rob Knight of the chemistry and biochemistry department, Robin Corley and John Hewitt of the Institute for Behavioral Genetics and Dan Knights, a former doctoral student in the computer science department.

The researchers also found that the salivary microbiome changed the most during early adolescence, between the ages of 12 and 17. This discovery suggests that hormones or lifestyle changes at this age might be important, according to the team.

Stahringer said that when several pairs of identical twins moved out of their homes and, for example, went off to college, the oral microbes they carried changed, which is consistent with the idea that the environment contributes to the types of microbes in the saliva. "We were intrigued to see that the microbiota of twin pairs became less similar once they moved apart from each other," Stahringer said.

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Nurture trumps nature in study of oral bacteria in human twins, says CU study

Nurture trumps nature in study of oral bacteria in human twins, study finds

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ScienceDaily (Oct. 11, 2012) A new long-term study of human twins by University of Colorado Boulder researchers indicates the makeup of the population of bacteria bathing in their saliva is driven more by environmental factors than heritability.

The study compares saliva samples from identical and fraternal twins to see how much "bacterial communities" in saliva vary from mouth to mouth at different points in time, said study leader and CU-Boulder Professor Kenneth Krauter. The twin studies show that the environment, rather than a person's genetic background, is more important in determining the types of microbes that live in the mouth.

For the new study, doctoral student Simone Stahringer sequenced the microbial DNA present in the saliva samples of twins. She and the research team then determined the microbes' identities through comparison with a microbe sequence database. Saliva samples were gathered from twins over the course of a decade beginning in adolescence to see how salivary microbes change with time.

After determining the oral "microbiomes" of identical twins, who share the same environment and genes, and the microbiomes of fraternal twins who share only half their genes, the researchers found the salivary microbes of the identical twins were not significantly more similar to each other than to those of fraternal twins. "We concluded the human genome does not significantly affect which bacteria are living in a person's mouth," said Krauter of CU-Boulder's molecular, cellular and developmental biology department. "It appears to be more of an environmental effect."

Krauter said while the twin data from the oral microbiome study indicates that genetics plays a more minor role, it's possible the genes still affect the oral microbiome in more subtle ways -- an effect he plans to further explore.

A paper on the subject was published online Oct. 12 in the journal Genome Research. Other co-authors included doctoral student William Walters of MCD Biology, Jose Clemente and Rob Knight of the chemistry and biochemistry department, Robin Corley and John Hewitt of the Institute for Behavioral Genetics and Dan Knights, a former doctoral student in the computer science department.

The researchers also found that the salivary microbiome changed the most during early adolescence, between the ages of 12 and 17. This discovery suggests that hormones or lifestyle changes at this age might be important, according to the team.

Stahringer said that when several pairs of identical twins moved out of their homes and, for example, went off to college, the oral microbes they carried changed, which is consistent with the idea that the environment contributes to the types of microbes in the saliva. "We were intrigued to see that the microbiota of twin pairs became less similar once they moved apart from each other," Stahringer said.

Krauter said there appears to be a core community of oral bacteria that is present in nearly all humans studied. "Though there are definitely differences among different people, there is a relatively high degree of sharing similar microbial species in all human mouths," he said.

The authors say the new study has established a framework for future studies of the factors that influence oral microbial communities. "With broad knowledge of the organisms we expect to find in mouths, we can now better understand how oral hygiene and environmental exposure to substances like alcohol, methamphetamines and even foods we eat affect the balance of microbes," said Krauter.

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Nurture trumps nature in study of oral bacteria in human twins, study finds

Health care law close to implementation – Video

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10-10-2012 18:32 State officials are meeting with healthcare providers to prepare for the implementation of a new health care overhaul law designed to bring healthcare costs down. The Patrick administration says in the coming months patients will see their health insurance premiums go down and the quality of their healthcare go up.

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Health care law close to implementation - Video

Jacki Schechner examines Romney’s ‘rich man’s perspective’ on health care – Video

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11-10-2012 12:12 Stephanie asks Current's Jacki Schechner if Romney is just being "willfully ignorant" about health care. She tells Stephanie she likes the caller who says there is a serious psychological issue here with Romney. Jacki says, "It doesn't make sense that this is the guy who fought for health care in his state now says people should go to the emergency room to get treatment." Every weekday morning on Current TV at 9e/6p

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Jacki Schechner examines Romney's 'rich man's perspective' on health care - Video

Education and health care top South Mississippians' concerns

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MARY PEREZ/SUN HERALD Gulfport Police Chief Alan Weatherford, standing second from right, asked state legislators Thursday to pass legislation requiring interlocking ignition for DUI offenders. He also asked for radar enforcement to be legalized for local sheriffs' departments.

BILOXI -- Hands and voices trembled Thursday as 22 residents of South Mississippi told House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, and Coast legislators what they most want to see taken up in the next legislative session.

The meeting at the Biloxi Council chambers was the eighth of nine stops this week on his Mississippi Solutions -- Idea Tour. About 100 people filled the seats and more stood around the room as Gunn and 11 members of the Coast delegation listened to their concerns. They spoke about the state retirement system; controlling the check-cashing industry; and the need for radar speed enforcement.

Education and health care were the two primary issues, and Gunn said, "Those two areas are where we spend most of our tax dollars."

Retired Biloxi School District Superintendent Paul Tisdale suggested the state should have legislative report cards to track progress. "As schools are held accountable, we would like our Legislature to be just as accountable," he said.

Other speakers said the state should provide funding for early childhood education and work with state universities that could award scholarships to encourage talented students to stay in the state.

James Crowell, director of the local NAACP chapter, asked the legislators to oppose charter schools. "We need to keep our education money in the public schools," he said.

After the meeting, Rep. Casey Eure, R-Biloxi, said he expects charter schools to be a hot topic during the next session. "I think it's probably going to pass this year," he said. Eure said he supports the idea. "Competition is not a bad thing," he said.

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Education and health care top South Mississippians' concerns