Valley farmers fear 'modified' wording in Prop. 37

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The Valley's edible crops are grown without genetic engineering, but farmers here still fear a ballot initiative aimed at labeling food that has been genetically modified, saying it could make it harder to sell their products.

Farmers are battling Proposition 37 because they say it hurts business and exposes them to possible lawsuits.

Supporters of the November California ballot measure argue that consumers have a right to know whether the food they are buying has been altered using genetic technology. Many crops grown nationwide, including corn, soybeans and canola, have been tinkered with to resist chemicals, bugs or drought.

But Valley farmers say the proposition has some unintended consequences that could increase costs and hurt their ability to sell even non-genetically engineered crops.

As part of Prop. 37, retailers will be required to label products that have genetically engineered ingredients. That means stickers or labels on many common grocery store items, including cereal, cake mixes and cookies.

But products that are exempt, including those that are not genetically engineered, need to be verified by either the wholesaler, food maker or farmer.

Growers believe that could mean more paperwork -- and potential lawsuits by consumer groups if they don't do it right.

"In addition to the substantial record-keeping that we already do, we will have to provide sworn statements proving that we do not have genetically engineered peaches," said Karri Hammerstrom, who farms 40 acres of peaches and plums in Kingsburg with her husband, Bill. "And if we don't do that, we could be sued."

Hammerstrom also is troubled by wording in Prop. 37 that could limit farmers or processors from using the word "natural" when selling products.

The proposition bans the use of the word "natural" or any variation of that in the labeling of genetically engineered foods. But the state's Legislative Analyst's Office said that the way the proposition is written, there is a possibility that the ban could apply to some processed foods regardless of whether they are genetically engineered.

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RetroSense Therapeutics Welcomes Dr. Steven Bramer as Chief Development Officer

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ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

RetroSense Therapeutics, a biotechnology company dedicated to developing gene therapy approaches to vision restoration welcomes Steven Bramer, PhD to its senior management team as Chief Development Officer.

Dr. Bramer brings a host of high-value skills to the team in drug development, business development, and beyond. As an all-around-athlete having great drug development experience, with an emphasis on ocular therapeutics, he is an outstanding complement to our executive team, stated Sean Ainsworth, CEO and founder of RetroSense Therapeutics.

Dr. Steven Bramer has over 26 years of drug development experience. He has held positions in global companies where he contributed substantially to all stages of development for drugs, biologics, tissues, combination products, and devices. His experience covers a broad range of therapeutic areas, including ophthalmology, and he has dealt extensively with regulatory agencies in the US and abroad. Dr. Bramer has served in leadership roles throughout most of his career, leading departments, teams, and initiatives successfully including his role as the Chief Drug Development Officer at the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

I had the privilege of being introduced to the team at RetroSense while was the Chief Drug Development Officer at the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Of the numerous projects I had the pleasure of evaluating in that role, RetroSenses optogenetic therapy stood out as an excellent opportunity to restore vision. What is unique and promising about this approach is the potential to restore vision in patients who have lost the function of their rods and cones due to a wide variety of causes. I am excited to work with RetroSense to bring this technology to the clinic and ultimately to the patients whose lives have been impacted by vision loss.

Dr. Bramer will play a pivotal role in bringing RetroSenses lead product, RST-001, into the clinic for the treatment of retinal degenerative conditions, such as retinitis pigmentosa and dry age-related macular degeneration.

Dr. Bramer holds an AS degree in Biology from Delhi College, BS degree in Animal Science from Cornell University, and has completed a MS program in Pathology and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics from The Ohio State University.

About RetroSense Therapeutics

RetroSense Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing a game-changing gene therapy to restore vision in patients suffering from blindness due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and advanced dry age-related macular degeneration (advanced dry-AMD). There are currently no FDA approved therapies to improve or restore vision in patients with these retinal degenerative conditions. RetroSense is led by a team of seasoned veterans with deep experience in taking products from the discovery stage through to the clinic. For more information about RetroSense, visit http://www.retro-sense.com/.

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Review: Prague's weeks of fashion

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For a fortnight, tents across the city have held up for scrutiny the autumn/winter 2012, Resort 2013 and spring/summer 2013 collections at both Prague Fashion Weekend and Dreft Fashion Week, two of three such events vying for the top spot in Prague. With a week's worth of hindsight to digest and reflect on the parties, catwalk schedules and influential collections, we can now better determine who came out of Prague's annual fashion top dog (so far).

Czech designers have been known to love futurism and minimalism more than most, sometimes verging on the side of unwearable or just downright bland, but Pavel Brejcha's autumn/winter 2012 collection turned minimalism on its head with a tonal blue palette that was reminiscent of Calvin Klein. Using fabrics with motion that seemed to sway ever so slightly down the catwalk, "clothes for the modern woman," as Brejcha has called them, should continue to bolster the career of the designer.

At Dreft Fashion Week, it was Black Card winner Jindra Jansov whose delicate layering of organza created a sophisticated collection that is far beyond her young years as a designer. The autumn/winter cuts went with the oversized coat and jacket trend, but did so in a way that still allowed the wearers to maintain "womanly" shapes. Another minimalist standout was Lenka tpnkov, who blended silks and leather to create a very tough female persona by using mostly grays and blacks with pops of tangerine orange: The collection certainly set her apart from her other design counterparts.

Finally, Czech minimalism was done right.

The mix-up du jour of bold, bright colors and patterns came from the spring/summer 2013 collection of Dreft Fashion Week darling Alexandre Herchcovitch, which mixed mad-hatter and Boy George in seamless harmony. Checkered suits, blouses and skirts were paired with plaid trousers or oversized jackets, while clutches incorporated smiley faces la Forrest Gump or safety-pins in a heart design. Quirky? A bit. Facetious and jovial? Absolutely.

Prague Fashion Weekend was not without color or crazy patterns, either: The Berlin-based designer Marcel Ostertag used tangerine orange, bordeaux and cherry red in silks, satins and lace to create a spring/summer 2013 line that was easy and clear. The silhouettes were feminine, allowing a small waist to take precedence over everything else. The designer, who opened up his own show by donning a red, silk chiffon number, was the epitome of grace as he sauntered down the runway.

La Formela, the spectacular design trio, went with "Good News from the Far East Palace" in a nod to Chinese artist Zou Fana for spring/summer 2013. Invoking psychedelic Chinese gardens by mixing lady bugs and koi fish with backdrop colors of bubblegum pink, lime green and marigold yellow seemed so effortless that is was easy to forget just how young the design team is. There were sheer blouses in black mixed with printed high-waist trousers, halter dresses with just a border hem of printed gardens, or a fully printed trench coat which would undoubtedly make for perfect outerwear in spring's fussy weather. The color harmony, which is so often out of place with Czech designers, was executed by a La Formela team living in a minimalist world that was able to overcome those barriers in one fell swoop.

Of course, the young talent that is emerging on the local fashion scene will determine whether or not the industry is propelled forward or pushed back. In both fashion weeks, the organizers painstakingly picked budding talent whose accolades would eventually be far-reaching.

The Awkward Collection by Lucie Jelnkov and Monika Novkov was one such budding talent that debuted two collections of varying tastes at Prague Fashion Weekend and Dreft Fashion Week. At PFW, it was the dinosaur shoes that won the type of recognition normally saved for celebrities. The collection of Velociraptors and T-Rex footwear in various colors were meant to create "memories of childhood, when we discover the world through color, Lego figures and plastic dinosaurs," explains the design duo behind the collection. At Dreft Fashion Week, it was their collection of sheer silk blouses and dresses with the drizzling of silicone to create a bodice, military details, accessories and shoes that were the scene stealers.

In the end, Prague Fashion Weekend and Dreft Fashion Week will each have to decide whether to show autumn/winter or spring/summer collections for the 2013 edition of these events. Cannibalizing each other in an event to win "September" is silly and won't necessarily allow the fashion weeks to grow and garner the type of attention each are aiming for, i.e. international press and buyers.

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Freedom Meditech Forges Ahead With New Credit Line

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Opthalmic products developer Freedom Meditech Inc. of San Diego plans to use a recently secured $2 million line of credit from Silicon Valley Bank to ramp up manufacturing and distribution of its ClearPath DS-120 Lens Fluorescence Biomicroscope.

The ClearPath DS-120, which is currently under regulatory review in the U.S. and European Union, is designed to evaluate the crystalline lens of the human eye in order to detect chronic disease such as diabetes.

SVBs due diligence on our ClearPath DS-120 showed a strong mix of proven technology, market opportunity and just how far we have come in reducing manufacturing, regulatory and marketing risk for the product, said Craig Misrach, chairman and CEO of Freedom Meditech. The financing provided by SVB is a springboard to launch this new and exciting product in the global health care marketplace.

Terms of the credit facility include an initial disbursement with additional funds available upon attaining certain milestones. The transaction comes as the company waits for its Series B financing round to close.

Freedom Meditech said in a statement that it plans to launch the ClearPath in international markets with an initial focus on countries that accept the CE Mark and CSA Certification Mark. The CE Mark is required to sell in the 27 countries that comprise the European Union and is a gateway to other nonregulated markets. CSA certification is required to sell in Canada and is an entre to certain Latin American markets. The product is also under FDA 510(k) review.

The ClearPath DS-120 incorporates the use of proprietary biophotonic spectroscopy to detect autofluorescence of the crystalline lens of the eye. The ClearPath non-invasively scans blue light into the lens of the eye in less than six seconds and produces a result immediately at the point of care. The company says the test is painless, requires no special preparation such as fasting, and produces no bio-hazardous waste or disposal cost.

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Hague champions internet freedom

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Democratic governments must protect the freedom of the internet - even when it provokes crises like the recent anti-Islamic video, Foreign Secretary William Hague said.

Addressing an international cyberspace conference in Budapest, he said states should always "err on the side of freedom", even when they found online content offensive or objectionable.

Mr Hague acknowledged the difficulties caused by postings such as the amateur trailer made in the United States which portrayed the Prophet Mohammad as a womaniser and a fool. It was, he said, a "contemptible piece of work" and he deplored the deaths which occurred in the riots which it provoked across the Muslim world.

He warned, however, that attempts by governments to block access to such material were counterproductive and doomed to failure.

"We believe that efforts to suppress the internet are wrong and are bound to fail over time," he said. "Governments who attempt this are erecting barricades against an unstoppable tide, and acting against their own long-term economic interests and their security.

"Democratic governments must resist the calls to censor a wide range of content just because they or others find it offensive or objectionable. If we go down that path, we begin to erode the hard won rights of freedom of expression. We will always argue that is its necessary to err on the side of freedom."

At the same time, Mr Hague announced the UK was establishing a 2 million cyber security centre offering advice to countries on how to protect their systems against online criminals who threaten the future economic well-being of states and major companies.

It will draw on the expertise of a network of eight universities currently conducting cutting-edge research on the issue and act as a forum to draw together initiatives from around the world.

"Cyber criminals and terrorists should have no refuge online, just as they should have no sanctuary offline," Mr Hague said.

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Freedom Flashing Products Launched to Sell Innovative Quick-Fit End Dam

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MENOMONEE FALLS, WI--(Marketwire - Oct 4, 2012) - Freedom Flashing Products Inc. has been launched to offer a new seamless end dam with an adjustable rear leg and moveable web to provide a superior seal in window flashing.

"The flexible, Quick-Fit End Dam provides outstanding security against water damage around window and door openings," said Michelle Draghicchio, president of Freedom Flashing Products in Menomonee Falls, Wis.

"The Quick-Fit End Dam's moveable web and adjustable rear leg make installation -- even the tricky ones where you find cavity variations -- a breeze," Draghicchio said. "Masons will value the flexibility that provides a superior seam as part of the flashing system."

The moveable web provides a watertight pan without the need for soldering, welding or caulking. The adjustable rear leg may be tilted to adjust for nonparallel cavity variations between the inner and outer wall components.

The standard dimensions of the prefabricated Quick-Fit End Dam are 6" depth, 3" rear leg height, 6" web width, and 3-3/4" base width. End dams in other dimensions can be fabricated upon request. Left and right side versions are available.

End dams are commonly handmade on a job site. With the Quick-Fit End Dam, a mason just needs to pop the end dam in place and complete the flashing system. He saves time and gets a superior seal.

"Give two masons the task of field constructing an end dam, and you will often end up with two very different items," said Kyle Ray of Freedom Flashing Products. "And neither of them could fabricate an end dam that would adjust for the cavity variations that are often found between the inner and outer wall assembly. The new Quick-Fit End Dam provides a consistently superior seamless seal while offering flexibility."

Freedom Flashing Products is the exclusive provider of the patented Quick-Fit End Dam, which is being manufactured in metro Milwaukee and delivered nationwide.

Freedom Flashing Products is on the web at http://www.ffproducts.com, and can be reached at 262-951-6540.

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Warning: Genetically Modified Humans

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ANATOLIA, 9,000BC - The rising sun advanced over the hills, engulfing the arid land in a blaze of warmth. Below the amber sky lay a patchwork of wheat fields, in which a scattering of stooped figures silently harvested their crops. Later, their harvest would be scrutinised, and only the largest grains selected for planting in the autumn. A revolution was occurring. For the first time in 3.6 billion years, life had subverted the evolutionary process and began to steer it not with natural selection, but artificial selection. Selection pressures became synonymous with the needs of the architects; the farmers. The technique led to a widespread transition from hunter-gathering to agriculture, a shift that would transform human culture and lay the foundations for the first civilisations. Moreover, in their efforts to permanently remodel the characteristics of a species, early farmers were pioneers of genetic modification. The modification of plants would later be followed by the domestication of animals, and perhaps eventually, human beings. From the promotion of eugenics to justify genocide in Nazi Germany, to the mass-produced and homogenous population of Aldous Huxley's dystopian future in the novel 'Brave New World', to 'Frankenfood', genetic engineering has amassed a reputation as a treacherous pursuit. However, a recent development appears to have slipped under the public radar: human pre-natal diagnosis. Screening foetal genomes to eliminate genetic 'defects' may lead to incremental changes in the human genetic reservoir, a permanent shift in our characteristics and eventually, self-domestication. The technique involves testing for diseases in a human embryo or foetus, and may be performed to determine if it will be aborted, or in high-risk pregnancies, to enable the provision of immediate medical treatment on delivery. Until recently, pre-natal screening required invasive procedures such as amniocentesis, in which the fluid from the sac surrounding the foetus, the amnion, is sampled and the DNA examined for genetic abnormalities. The procedure can only be performed after the 15th week of pregnancy, and carries a 1% risk of miscarriage and the possibility of complications. In the light of such limitations and risks, the technique hasn't gained widespread popularity. However, a research group based at the University of Washington in Seattle has developed an alternative. Their simple test can be performed weeks earlier than current pre-natal screening, and crucially, requires only a maternal blood sample and DNA from both parents. The technique exploits the fragments of foetal DNA in the mother's blood plasma, which can be strung together by sequencing each nucleotide many times, and then differentiated from maternal and paternal DNA by statistical comparison. It's quick, harmless, and may soon become widely available. Therein lies the problem. Such a tool is a powerful new route gleaning information about unborn offspring. The object of the exercise: to identify foetuses with the earmarks of genetic disease as candidates for abortion. Inevitably, the technique is vulnerable to abuse and will empower parents to discriminate the characteristics of their progeny pre-emptively, in a step towards 'designer babies'. Nevertheless, there is a more immediate concern. Screening for inheritable disorders requires knowledge of their genetic basis, which can be dangerously precarious. Some conditions, such as Down's syndrome; characterised by the presence of an extra chromosome, are glaringly obvious. Others have more subtle and complex genetic origins. Just as the invention of vaccines to prevent infectious diseases was followed by attempts at total eradication, our efforts to eliminate genetic characteristics may have permanent consequences. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has already been singled out as a potential target for the screening technology. The disorder, which is characterised by difficulties in communication and social interaction, and repetitive or stereotyped behaviours and interests, has a strong but elusive genetic basis. Intriguingly, there has been much speculation that the genes involved in the development of ASD may be linked to mathematical and scientific ability. The theory has roots in the overlap between certain useful aptitudes in technical professions, and behaviour typical of ASD. An obsessive attention to detail, the ability to understand predictable rule- based systems, 'systemising', and a narrow range of interests, are traits characteristic of both groups. Professor Baron Cohen of the University of Cambridge is a strong proponent of the idea, and has suggested that scientist couples are more likely to have children with the disorder. It's a compelling idea with intuitive plausibility, but the evidence isn't there (yet). Until we know better, perhaps restraint is needed in eliminating these potentially important genes from our gene pool. There has been speculation that Einstein and Newton were 'on the spectrum'- what if we inadvertently 'cured' the future world of similar talent? Will our descendants be less than human? Another candidate for remedy with reproductive technology is schizophrenia. The disorder affects cognition, and can lead to chronic problems with emotional responsiveness. The 1% prevalence of schizophrenia makes it an apt target for prevention. However, the globally consistent and high incidence of this disease may be an indicator of its association with advantageous genetic characteristics. The 'social brain hypothesis', the main theory to explain the evolution of schizophrenia, suggests that the human brain evolved to select for genes associated with schizophrenia in a trade for higher order cognitive traits. These include language and the ability to interpret the thoughts and emotions of others. Schizophrenia is the cost that humans pay for being able to communicate, and as such, the genes responsible may be an essential component of the human gene pool. As with ASD, the elimination of the disease may have unintended consequences, and permanently alter the social dynamics within our species. This mechanism, termed a 'heterozygote advantage', can arise from the benefits of carrying different forms of a gene, as opposed to two of the same variant, or 'alleles'. The phenomenon has been proposed for a wide variety of genetic diseases; however usefulness is often dependent on environmental context. Because human lifestyles have diversified to such an extent from those of our ancestors, certain advantages may be outdated. The malaria protection conferred by carrying a single sickle-cell gene is hardly worth the risk of debilitating anaemia if you end up with two- especially in a modern world where anti-malarial medication is widely available. The systematic eradication of this disorder, and many others, will be a welcome and significant medical advancement. But caution is needed. Following a recent project to build a comprehensive map of the functional elements in the human genome, ENCODE, a function was assigned to 80% of our DNA sequence. However, our genomes are still poorly understood. Many sequences are multi-functional, and knowledge of mechanisms of gene expression is essential to any meaningful model. We urgently need a regulatory framework for the use of procedures such as pre-natal screening, and to exercise restraint in gene eradication. A detailed assessment and forecast of the long- term consequences is essential before a potentially corrosive procedure become entrenched in modern society. The alternative: we might just end up domesticating ourselves. DNA image: Altered from original by Sponk on Wikimedia Commons.

Follow Scientific American on Twitter @SciAm and @SciamBlogs. Visit ScientificAmerican.com for the latest in science, health and technology news. 2012 ScientificAmerican.com. All rights reserved.

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Panasonic to Showcase Eco & Smart Lifestyle at CEATEC JAPAN 2012

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Panasonic Corporation will showcase its latest products and technologies that will realize an eco-friendly and smart lifestyle at CEATEC JAPAN 2012, the largest cutting-edge IT and electronics trade show in Japan, from October 2 to 6 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City on the outskirts of Tokyo. Panasonic will run two booths: "Life & Society Stage" in Hall 2 and "Panasonic Devices Booth" in Hall 8 ...

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KONE to supply People Flow to a new eco-quarter in downtown Singapore

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KONE Corporation, press release, October 4, 2012

KONE has won an order to supply 52 elevators and 21 escalators to South Beach, a new 150,000 m2 mixed use eco-quarter development in downtown Singapore.

The scheme will house almost 50,000 m2 of lettable office space and a 651 bedroom designer hotel. There will be a total of 190 premier residential apartments and almost 8,000 m2 of retail space. A members only club will be accommodated within a 2,700 m2 area.

The project also includes the conservation of four historic buildings and two striking towers standing at 45 and 34 storeys each. The complex will feature lush planting and sky gardens and is scheduled for completion in 2015.

KONE was involved in the early stages of the project planning and created a customized People Flow(TM) solution to meet the needs of the various building types and user groups. The high-rise buildings will have 31 KONE MiniSpace(TM) elevators, of which six will travel at speeds of 8.0 m/s. The office tower will feature the KONE Polaris(TM) hybrid destination control system, which will reduce waiting times for office workers with the use of artificial intelligence.

An additional 21 KONE MonoSpace machine-room-less elevators will be delivered to South Beach, of which three are scenic models. The elevators come equipped with regenerative drives which will reduce up to 35 percent of an elevator`s total energy consumption, by supplying the regenerated electrical energy back to the building`s power network. The penthouse apartments in the high rises will have five small home lifts to improve accessibility for people with impaired mobility. The order also includes 16 KONE TravelMaster(TM) and five KONE TransitMaster(TM) escalators, which will help create optimal retail flow in the shopping area.

"We are happy to provide our innovative and customized People Flow solutions in this project design which continues the Singaporean ideal of the `city in a garden`," says Noud Veeger, EVP and Area Director of KONE Asia Pacific and Middle East. South Beach has been designed by architects Foster + Partners and the hotel interior by Philippe Starck . The site is jointly developed by City Developments Limited (CDL) and IOI Group.

The order was booked in the third quarter of 2012.

For further information, please contact:

Anne Korkiakoski, EVP, Marketing & Communications, KONE Corporation, tel. +358 204 75 4775

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KONE to supply People Flow to a new eco-quarter in downtown Singapore

Daimer Introduces Pressure Washer Machines for Faster, Eco-Friendly Chewing Gum Removal

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Pressure washers' steam temperatures up to 330F offer up to ten times faster gum removal than other technologies.

Woburn, MA (PRWEB) October 04, 2012

Unsightly gum spots on sidewalks globally are more apparent than ever before. says Daimer Industries spokesman, Matthew Baratta. We are extremely pleased we can offer environmentally sound, technologically advanced machines to remove them quickly.

Daimer's Super Max 7000 represents a "greener" approach to chewing gum removal. The system is the industry's leading steam pressure washer, offering the highest temperature wet steam flow available to actually vaporize gum spots quickly from concrete sidewalks, parking lots, brick, pavers, and most other hard surfaces outdoors. The machine goes well beyond hot water pressure washer temperatures to dissolve up to an unprecedented 1200 pieces of gum per hour. This translates into approximately ten times the cleaning power of other technologies.

Steam vapor technology is currently marketed for chewing gum removal. Unlike vapor cleaning systems that require a chemical pre-spray and brushes to massage each spot, the Super Max 7000 cleans in a touch-less and chemical-free manner. The result is a faster, more effective, and less tedious approach.

The machine requires only a single 110 volt electrical power cord for power and a 40 pound propane tank to heat cold water to wet steam within approximately 30 seconds. Most gas pressure washer machines use gasoline or oil, which create greenhouse gases. However, the Super Max's propane heating system will not negatively impact the ozone layer, since it is not a fossil fuel, and will not rise into the upper atmosphere.

The Super Max system is a breakthrough in technology since it produces only 1000 psi, which is up to one-quarter the pressure level of conventional pressure washer equipment rated at up to 4000 psi. The 7000, with a low flow rate of only 2.5 gallons per minute and temperature up to 280F higher than high-flow cold water systems, cleans more quickly, yet does not etch concrete or hurt pavers like higher pressure machines.

Other brands' lower temperature machines generate 100% water while the 7000's flow is approximately 65% water and 35% vapor. Contrary to machines generating 100% water flow, requiring cleaning at night, the 7000 can be used during the day, even on surfaces with pedestrian traffic. The flow is directed towards the gum spots and does not flood the entire area to be cleaned.

Super Max 7000 systems are also available in 220-240 volt, 60Hz and 50Hz for shipment to customers globally. A propane tank is included with each machine, and additional tanks are available at any welding supply store worldwide.

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Summer water quality improves at county beaches

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Santa Monica

Summer water quality improves at county beaches

Water quality at Los Angeles County beaches continued to show improvement in the summer months and remained high at beaches statewide, according to a recently released report.

In Santa Monica-based environmental non-profit Heal the Bays annual End of Summer Beach Report Card, 96 percent of sampled sites received A or B grades, a four percent improvement from last year. Heal the Bay assigned an A-to-F letter grade to 446 beaches along the California coast from Humboldt through San Diego counties. The better the grade a location received, the lower the risk of illness to beach users.

Heal the Bay officials touted the 2012 results as one of the cleanest summers for beach water quality ever recorded in the state.

According to the report, Los Angeles County beach water quality rose by two percent, with 77 sites earning A or B grades. But some county sites received poor water quality grades, including Avalon on Catalina Island, the Malibu Pier and inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro.

Overall, Santa Monica Bay beaches continued to improve, with 65 of 69 monitoring locations receiving A or B grades, compared with 89 percent last year. The Santa Monica Pier, which showed low water quality in years past, received an A grade for the third year in a row.

While beaches across the state continue to make strides in water quality, Heal the Bay officials believe two recent proposals from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency may have a devastating effect on beach water quality programs in 2013. The agency is proposing new acceptable bacteria levels in recreational waters that in some ways are less protective than the 25-year-old criteria they would replace, Heal the Bay officials believe.

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Summer water quality improves at county beaches

Goa plans mechanised cleaning of beaches

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Panaji, Oct 4 (IANS) Goa's beaches, which attract thousands of tourists annually, will no longer be cleaned manually. Large cleaning machines are being acquired by the state government to clear the beaches, Tourism Minister Dileep Parulekar told IANS Thursday.

The beaches, once considered pristine, are now lined with litter. The Goa tourism ministry is all set to acquire massive cleaning machines, which could be set to work on the beaches by December, the minister said.

Parulekar said that a public demonstration of the cleaning process would be held so that the fears of environmentalists are allayed.

Environmentalists had earlier expressed fears that if the beaches are not cleaned manually but with machines, the animal life in the sand could be harmed.

"Environmentalists can attend the demonstration, so that they can see that no animal life which lives in the sand on the beaches is disturbed. The machines do not interfere even with sand patterns," Parulekar said.

Officials of the state tourism department said that several beaches in the country, including the country's biggest, Chennai's Marina beach, used machines, not manual workers, for cleaning.

"By December, when the largest number of tourists arrive, we should be in a position to clean beaches with the machines," Parulekar said.

"Right now, we engage contract workers for cleaning the beaches. But with machines, the efficiency of the cleaning process will be heightened. Even the smallest piece of garbage, like cigarette butts, can be sucked out by these machines. We have shortlisted some machines already," an official said.

The most popular beach-belt in Goa, which stretches from Baga, 20 km north of here, to Sinquerim, is likely to be the first where tehse machines would be tested. In South Goa district, the Benaulim to Utorda stretch will be the first to deploy the machines.

Goa's beaches are home to hordes of tiny sand crabs, which live in the porous sand pockets.

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Real Economy Report 218 – Video

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04-10-2012 09:13 The creation of the Joint Aerospace Steering Committee, or JASC for short, was announced at the recent Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition, in Pretoria. The Chief Director: Advanced Manufacturing (Aerospace and Defence) in the Department of Trade and Industry, Nomfuneko Majaja, explains what JASC is meant to do.

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Real Economy Report 218 - Video

StrataDx appoints Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, New Board Member

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LEXINGTON, Mass., Oct.3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --StrataDx, a leader in anatomic pathology services, announced today the appointments of Jim Agnello as Chief Financial Officer, Greg Richard as Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing, and Steve Casper to its Board of Directors.StrataDx provides clinicians with high-quality pathology services in the fields of dermatology, urology, podiatry, oral pathology, gastroenterology and gynecology.

Jim Agnello, CPA, joins StrataDx as the Chief Financial Officer and brings over two decades of financial & laboratory operational expertise. Mr. Agnello served as the Chief Financial Officer of Clarient and Nodality and most recently, as the Vice President of Operations for Healthtronics, Inc. He also spent 18 years with SmithKline Beecham in a variety of senior financial positions. Jim has a a Master's Degree in Accounting from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.

Greg Richard joins the company as the Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing and brings extensive senior sales leadership expertise in not only the laboratory industry, but in Managed Care, Biotech, and Clinical Trials as well. Most recently, he was the Chief Commercial Officer at Signal Genetics, a specialty molecular testing Company, and served previously as the Sales Officer for LabCorp's Northeast Division and the Vice President of Managed Care and Global Sales and Marketing for Clinical Trials at Quest Diagnostics. Greg received a B.A. from Westminster College.

Steven E. Casper has been named to the board of StrataDx. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of National Dentex Corporation. Mr. Casper has significant experience developing successful health care organizations. Prior to National Dentex, Mr. Casper was involved the founding and development of AmeriPath and Dermpath Diagnostics, both leading providers of pathology services. Mr. Casper served as the President of Dermpath Diagnostics, a division of Quest Diagnostics, Inc. and previously held senior executive roles at AmeriPath and Summit Partners. Steven received a B.A from Boston College.

"These appointments represent a significant milestone for StrataDx. Greg and Jim both have stellar track records of driving growth and generating value in their respective organizations," said Pat Noland, Chief Executive Officer, StrataDx.

Richard Novak, Chairman of the StrataDx Board of Directors adds, "We are pleased to welcome Steven to the Board. His breadth of knowledge and expertise will contribute to the ongoing evolution of StrataDx as a best in class pathology services organization."

About StrataDx

(www.strataDx.com)

StrataDx is a full service anatomic pathology laboratory that offers services in all areas of surgical pathology and cytology as well as molecular diagnostics and immunoflorescence. The pathology team is comprised of members with subspecialty board certification in dermatopathology, hematopathogy, cytopathology, nuclear medicine, clinical pathology, and the majority of the pathologists have more than two decades of medical experience. Many also have teaching appointments at some of the nation's most prestigious academic medical centers including Harvard, Tufts, and the Univ. of Pennsylvania. StrataDx services customers ranging from major regional hospitals to small, independent physician practices in more than 40 states. Headquartered in Lexington, MA, with additional locations in Cambridge, MA, the company has more than 120 employees.

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StrataDx appoints Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, New Board Member

Australian healthcare company Rapid Nutrition to invest $20 mn in India

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New Delhi, Oct 3 (IANS) Australia's Rapid Nutrition, one of the world's largest natural healthcare companies, is to invest $20 million in India for rolling out its globally successful scientific and holistic weight loss programme Leisa's Secret and also setting up a manufacturing facility in this country.

"Rapid Nutrition brings out India's only scientific weight loss programme built around 12 years of extensive research in Australia. It is Rapid Nutrition's serious objective to deliver sustainable results to consumers and demonstrate it by commitment," said Simon St Ledger, Rapid Nutrition's founder and chairman, at a news conference here.

"This is coupled with cutting-edge technology and endorsement from medical professionals."

Rapid Nutrition will initially invest $10.6 million by March 31. It plans to set up a manufacturing facility in Hyderabad and also acquire a healthcare marketing firm in India soon, St Ledger said.

The roll out of Leisa's Secret aims to cover south India first, followed by west, north and later east and central India.

"Leisa's Secret weight loss programme offers the combined benefit of four products which will be supplied directly to the customer. The individual is entitled to nutritional support by a team of qualified nutritionist and motivational support to be provided by trained para-medical team to improve compliance," a company statement said.

"We wish to grab 50 percent of our business through type 2 and smaller cities so that this programme reaches a larger base. We would do this by continuous empanelment of doctors and nutritionists in our programme across the country. We are starting with metro cities, but soon we will be there across the nation," said St Ledger.

In the pipeline are premium weight-loss snacks to address the between-meal snacking pattern among Indians.

India is reeling under a huge nutrition debt as nearly 570 million consume sufficient or excess calories but lack adequate intake of nutrients. In fact, 60 percent of this section consumes higher than normal calories, with a disproportionately high fat intake making hypertension and diabetes as the India's crowning glory.

"Middle-aged housewives and working women are the target for many debilitating lifestyle disorders. Current weight loss patterns are not sustainable, resulting into yo-yoing of weight. With growing awareness, people display a prophylactic intent rather than curative. Leisa's Secret caters to this growing need with scientifically proven holistic weight loss programme," said Amit Srivastava, CEO, India and APAC, Rapid Nutrition.

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Australian healthcare company Rapid Nutrition to invest $20 mn in India

Comparing Food Safety Testing Practices in the US and Europe: How Fast Is Fast Enough?

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According to Food Micro7, a new market research report from Strategic Consulting, Inc., US food producers are moving more quickly to new, rapid technologies for their food safety testing programs, while their European counterparts remain more faithful to traditional microbiology test methods.

Woodstock, VT (PRWEB) October 03, 2012

Food Micro, Seventh Edition: Comparison of the Food Microbiology Testing Markets in the US and EU (Food Micro7) from Strategic Consulting, Inc. (SCI), compares total test volume, market value and growth in food microbiology testing, including the organisms tested and the technologies used for food safety testing in each region.

According to Tom Weschler, president of Strategic Consulting and lead author of Food Micro7, an important difference between the US and European markets is the test methods used, particularly for pathogen testing. In general, US food producers have embraced rapid test methods that are touted as easier to use and delivering faster results. European food producers have been slower to adopt these newer technologies, and have continued to use a higher percentage of traditional, culture-based test methods.

European food producers are adopting rapid test methods but at a slower rate than their US counterparts, Weschler says. Nearly 89% of pathogen tests conducted in the US in 2010 used rapid methods, compared to just over 42% of the pathogen tests conducted in the EU in 2011. There appears to be less urgency for pathogen test results in Europe when compared to the US, where faster test results are a key driver in the conversion from traditional to newer microbiology tests methods, Weschler says.

The United States and Europe are substantial markets for food safety microbiology testing. Food producers in the two regions draw on an increasingly global food supply to provide consumers access to a broad array of foods year-round. At the same time, consumers are more concerned about the safety of their food, due to increasing food recalls and heightened press coverage of pathogen outbreaks that sicken people in multiple states and countries.

With a population of more than 500 million, the 27 countries of the EU conducted an estimated 275.3 million food safety microbiology tests in 2011. US food producers conducted 213.2 million tests in 2010, for an estimated population of 310 million.

Routine microbiology tests are used to determine the presence and levels of microorganisms in the food plant or the food product. Routine tests accounted for 78% of all food microbiology tests performed in the US. The remaining 22% were pathogen tests, which look for specific organisms that have the potential to cause human disease, such as Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter and E. coli O157.

In Europe, routine tests accounted for 82% of all food microbiology tests conducted in 2011, while pathogen tests accounts for just 18%. Thus, while Europe conducts more pathogen tests by volume (49.9 million in the EU versus 46.2 million in the US), pathogen testing in the US represents a greater percentage of overall food microbiology testing and is growing at a faster rate.

Strategic Consulting has published seven market reports to date reviewing microbiology testing practices and technology in the food industry. The food sector represents almost 50% of the total industrial microbiology testing market, and is more than double the size of any other industrial segment including pharmaceutical, personal care products, beverage, environmental, and industrial processes.

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Comparing Food Safety Testing Practices in the US and Europe: How Fast Is Fast Enough?

Analysis of Emerging Microbiology Tests and Strategic Profiles of Leading Suppliers

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NEW YORK, Oct. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

Analysis of Emerging Microbiology Tests and Strategic Profiles of Leading Suppliers

http://www.reportlinker.com/p01006423/Analysis-of-Emerging-Microbiology-Tests-and-Strategic-Profiles-of-Leading-Suppliers.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=In_Vitro_Diagnostic

This 760-page report presents a comprehensive marketing and technological assessment, as well as medical rationale and diagnostic prospects for nearly 100 infectious diseases and viruses, including their scientific background, clinical significance and market needs for new tests, vaccines, drugs and extensive listings of companies developing or marketing innovative technologies and products.

The report also presents strategic assessments of leading market players and emerging suppliers with innovative technologies and products, including their sales, product portfolios, distribution tactics, technological know-how, new products in R&D, collaborative arrangements, and business strategies.

Contains 760 pages and 31 tables

Table of Contents

1. AIDS

a. Background

b. Diagnostic Tests

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Analysis of Emerging Microbiology Tests and Strategic Profiles of Leading Suppliers

For longevity, it's the survival of the nicest Save

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Oct. 4, 2012, 3 a.m.

Baboons, like people, really do get by with a little help from their friends. Humans with strong social ties live longer, healthier lives, whereas hostility and ''loner'' tendencies can set the stage for disease and early death.

In animals, too, strong social networks contribute to longer lives and healthier offspring - and now it seems that personality may be just as big a factor in other primates' longevity status. A study has found that female baboons that had the most stable relationships with other females weren't always the highest up in the hierarchy or those with close family around - but they were the nicest.

Scientists are increasingly seeing personality as a key factor in an animal's ability to survive, adapt and thrive in its environment. But this topic isn't an easy one to study scientifically, says primatologist Dorothy Cheney, of the University of Pennsylvania.

''Research in mammals, birds, fish and insects shows individual patterns of behaviour that can't be easily explained. But the many studies of personality are based on human traits like conscientiousness, agreeableness, or neuroticism. It isn't clear how to apply those traits to animals,'' she says.

Along with a group of scientists, including co-authors Robert Seyfarth, also at the University of Pennsylvania, and primatologist Joan Silk of Arizona State University, Professor Cheney has studied wild baboons at the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana for almost 20 years.

Besides providing detailed observations of behaviour in several generations of baboons, the research has yielded a wealth of biological and genetic data.

In previously published research, Professor Cheney and co-workers showed that females lived longer, had lower stress hormone levels and had more surviving offspring when they had close, long-lasting relationships with other females (characterised chiefly by spending time together and grooming).

Although dominance rank was significant for male baboons - alpha male baboons may live longer than lower-ranking males - this wasn't true for the females. Nor was an abundance of family the key to longevity. Not all of the longer-lived, less-stressed females had large families.

To find out more about how female baboons forge bonds, Professor Cheney and co-authors focused on detailed records of observations of 45 female baboons from 2001 to 2007. As a personality gauge, the researchers used specific behaviours, including how often the females were alone, how often they touched other females, how often they behaved aggressively, how often they were approached by others and how often they grunted when approaching other females of various ranks. Among female baboons, grunting is a sign of good will, Professor Cheney says. Using these criteria, the researchers characterised the baboons as ''nice'', ''aloof'' or ''loner''. The team also tested the baboons for levels of stress hormones known as glucocorticoids.

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According to UC Berkeley professor Ignacio Chapela, the passage of Proposition 37 will not only restore the right to choose what foods we put in our bodies, but it may restore scientific process to its rightful placesomething the bioengineering industry, with full assistance from the White House, removed.

"The promises made by genetic engineering have not been fulfilled," explains Chapela, a microbial biologist who was first to exposed the fact that genetically engineered corn was contaminating ancient strains of Mexican maize via cross-pollinating. "Genetic engineering has proven to be wishful thinking, a dream that has failed."

Chapela considers himself fortunate to be able to speak out freely about GMO failings, since so many other scientists have been attacked or threatened or have lost employment for approaching genetic engineering with a critical eye. "I would like to speak for those scientists," says Chapela, "because they cannot." When the first Bush administration instructed federal regulatory bodies to step aside and give the GE industry free reign, Chapela explains, there was no scientific scrutiny allowed.

"It has been very hard to survive as a scientist who is a critical thinker now," Chapela says. "The central dogma embedded in K-12 science textbooks indoctrinates young people to accept that genetic engineering is an inevitable part of life. It says all living things are driven by genes encoded in DNA, and that by manipulating that DNA we can create life, and mix, match and alter it the way we want it." But this isn't the way it actually plays out, says Chapela. "The reality is that genetic engineering is not working, any way you look at it."

What Proposition 37 offers consumers is the promise that all GMO foods will be labeled in California. What it offers scientists is a chance to scrutinize an industry that has intimidated themsometimes to the point of ruining their careersfor questioning the validity of genetic engineering. "The Bush administration decided in the 1980s that genetic engineering was the next wave of economic development for the U.S. and for the world," says Chapela. "We were instructed to look the other way."

Labeling GE foods may help science, which at present cannot investigate whether GE food consumption is related to rises in disease. "We have been sitting here in the dark, forbidden from looking," says Chapela, who believes a GMO-labeling law will give us "the simple capacity to know and to do the science for the first time. I think we deserve it."

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