Space Station Spin-Off Could Protect Mars-Bound Astronauts From Radiation

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It's hard to think of many spinoffs from the $100 billion project to build and launch the International Space Station. In fact, there is precious little done on the ISS that isn't focused on just keeping the thing in orbit.

One exception is the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, which is designed, among other things, to determine whether cosmic ray particles are made of matter or antimatter.

The spectrometer consists of a giant magnet that deflects charged particles and a number of detectors that characterise the mass and energy of these particles. It was bolted to the ISS last year and is currently bombarded by about 1000 cosmic rays per second.

Today, Roberto Battiston at the University of Perugia in Italy and a few pals say that the technology developed for the spectrometer could be used for protecting astronauts from radiation during the long duration spaceflights in future.

The journey to the asteroids, Mars or beyond is plagued with technological problems. Among the most challenging is finding a way to protect humans from the high energy particles that would otherwise raise radiation levels to unacceptable levels.

On Earth, humans are protected by the atmosphere, the mass of the Earth itself and the Earth's magnetic field. In low earth orbit, astronauts loose the protection of the atmosphere and radiation levels are consequently higher by two orders of magnitude.

In deep space, astronauts loose the protecting effect of the Earth's mass and its magnetic field, raising levels a further five times and beyond the acceptable limits that humans can withstand over the 18 months or so it would take to get to Mars or the asteroids.

An obvious way to protect astronauts is with an artificial magnetic field that would steer charged particles away. But previous studies have concluded that ordinary magnets would be too big and heavy to be practical on a space mission.

However, superconducting magnets are more powerful, more efficient and less massive. They are much better candidates for protecting humans.

The only problem is that nobody has built and tested a superconducting magnet in space.

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Space Station Spin-Off Could Protect Mars-Bound Astronauts From Radiation

Masten Space Systems Loses Rocket After Record Flight

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Masten Space Systems has lost one of its research rockets after a mostly successful test flight this week. Company spokesman Colin Ake told Wired the flight was designed to expand the flight envelope of its Xaero rocket when the incident occurred.

One of the primary goals was to test how the vehicle would handle at higher wind loads and at higher altitudes, Ake said.

Xaero is part of Mastens development program to build a reusable, sub-orbital rocket that is capable of precision landings. The 12-foot-tall rocket had made 110 flights before this weeks accident. The flight at the Mojave Air and Space Port was supposed to fly to an altitude of one kilometer while testing the flight controls at higher ascent and descent velocities and then return to a precise landing point.

With about two-thirds of the flight complete, Xaero was in the descent stage when control was lost.

As we were throttling up for landing, we had a throttle valve failure, it was essentially stuck, Ake said. We are entirely dependent on high-precision throttling, thats the core of the handling in the descent stage. The flight was terminated and the vehicle was destroyed.

Ake says the safety systems worked as they were designed, but could not say whether the on-board system terminated the flight or if the flight was terminated by a person on the ground.

No one was hurt, thats the most important thing, he added. Hardware failures happen. Rocket science is a cliche because rocket science is not easy.

Indeed, after more than 220 successful vertical take-off and landing test flights over the past two years, Masten was beginning to make the development of precision-landing rockets look routine. This weeks accident is a reminder of the dangers of flight-testing new rocket vehicles.

Xaero flew to an altitude of 444 meters on July 4. Masten is focused on the precision landings that will allow its rockets to fly into space and return to a specific landing spot on the ground, rather than a ballistic reentry with a splashdown in the ocean.

The company already has an updated, larger version of the Xaero standing in its facility in Mojave. Ake would not say when the first flight of the new version was expected to happen.

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Masten Space Systems Loses Rocket After Record Flight

NexDx Appoints V. Michael Holers, M.D. and Robert Plenge, M.D., Ph.D. to Scientific Advisory Board

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The two internationally renowned physician-scientists will help guide NexDx's development of molecular diagnostics in rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.San Diego, CA (PRWEB) September 14, 2012 NexDx, Inc. (http://www.nexdx.com), a science driven molecular diagnostics company providing next generation products and services for personalized medicine in rheumatoid arthritis and ...

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NexDx Appoints V. Michael Holers, M.D. and Robert Plenge, M.D., Ph.D. to Scientific Advisory Board

Proteonomix Announces Agreement with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) to Conduct a Phase …

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PARAMUS, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Proteonomix, Inc. (OTC/BB: PROT), a biotechnology company focused on developing therapeutics based upon the use of human cells and their derivatives, today announced it has entered into an agreement with Piscataway, N.J.-based University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) to conducted a Phase 1 clinical trial with its proprietary, patent-pending mobilization technology UMK-121 in patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD). The Company also announced that Chief Executive Officer Michael Cohen made a presentation at the National Investment Banking Associations (NIBA) 123rd Investment Conference yesterday at the New York Marriott Downtown in New York City.

The single-center Phase 1 clinical trial, Mobilization of Stem Cells with UMK 121 in Patients with Cirrhosis, will enroll 15 patients with ESLD. The trial will study the safety of mobilization of stem cells in this patient population, as well as the effects of mobilization of stems cells from bone marrow to the peripheral circulation on liver function. Baburao Koneru, M.D., Professor and Chief of the Division of Transplant and Hepatobiliary Surgery at New Jersey Medical School, will serve as the trials principal investigator.

We are extremely pleased to announce that our trial will be conducted at this highly respected institution under the direction of Dr. Koneru, who is a renowned expert in the field of liver function, said Mr. Cohen. Our presentation to the investment professionals attending the NIBA conference provided an opportunity to discuss the potential of UMK-121 in ESLD as we make preparations to commence this clinical trial, which we hope to initiate in the coming months.

UMK-121 combines two existing FDA-approved drugs with the intention of mobilizing mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow to the peripheral circulation. This proprietary drug combination is designed to reduce inflammation and increase angiogenesis to restore liver function, potentially extending the life of ESLD patients awaiting liver transplant.

About the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) is New Jerseys only health sciences university with more than 6,000 students on five campuses attending three medical schools, the States only dental school, a graduate school of biomedical sciences, a school of health related professions, a school of nursing and New Jerseys only school of public health. UMDNJ operates University Hospital, a Level I Trauma Center in Newark, and University Behavioral HealthCare, which provides a continuum of healthcare services with multiple locations throughout the State.

About National Investment Banking Association (NIBA)

NIBA is the only national not-for-profit trade association of regional and independent brokerages, investment banking firms, institutional investors and related capital market service providers. Since its inception, NIBA member firms have successfully completed more than 1,000 equity offerings totaling approximately $10 billion in new capital. The member firms of NIBA represent more than 8,000 registered representatives with an estimated $78 billion in assets under management, and are responsible for 90% of all Initial Public Offerings under $20 million. For more information, please visit http://www.nibanet.org.

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Proteonomix Announces Agreement with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) to Conduct a Phase ...

Seeing Is Believing: Mount Sinai School of Medicine Aims to Revolutionize Medical School Program

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First-year medical students at Mount Sinai School of Medicine will be the first in New York to be introduced to a digital-age ultrasound device that can visualize inside the body, and fit directly into the pockets of their brand new white coats. ...

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Seeing Is Believing: Mount Sinai School of Medicine Aims to Revolutionize Medical School Program

First lady, Libertarian candidate to campaign in NC

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Durham, N.C. First lady Michelle Obama will return to central North Carolina Sept. 19 to campaign for her husband, President Barack Obama's campaign announced Friday morning.

Details about Michelle Obama's visit were limited Friday morning, but the campaign said she would visit Durham and Greenville for grassroots events.

The following day, Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party presidential candidate, will pay a visit to Duke University.

Johnson's campaign cites the enthusiasm of young voters for an increase in Libertarian registration in recent months."As I travel the country, I've found that young people are as concerned as anybody about where this country is headed maybe even more so, since they know the national debt will be theirs to inherit," Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico, said. ""Along the campaign trail, I've been thrilled to find tremendous support from people in their 20's who are embracing liberty like never before."

Johnson will speak at Reynolds Theater at 7 p.m. Sept. 20.

Obamavisited Greensboro in August, campaigning at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro as part of her "It Takes One" initiative, which calls on supporters to encourage friends and neighbors to volunteer in the election and get to the polls in November.

Copyright 2012 by WRAL.com and the Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Libertarians win a round in Pa. petition challenge

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HARRISBURG, Pa. - The Libertarian Party won an important round in a challenge of its nominating papers, boosting the chances that its ticket will stay on the Pennsylvania ballot.

A three-judge panel of the state Commonwealth Court ruled 2-1 on Thursday that signatures of about 9,000 voters are valid even though they listed addresses that do not match those in the statewide voter registry.

Challengers backed by the Republican Party argued in court this week that all those signatures should be disqualified, which could have knocked out Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson, who said Friday he plans to visit the state next week.

Analysts have said GOP officials are concerned that a Libertarian candidate would siphon votes from Republican nominee Mitt Romney.

"My clients are very happy," said attorney Paul Rossi, who is representing the Libertarians. "I'm confident that we're going to be on the ballot" in the Nov. 6 election.

Both sides said Friday they plan to jointly appeal to the state Supreme Court.

The challengers want the justices to overturn the mismatched-address ruling, while the Libertarians are appealing the panel's 2-1 decision to disqualify nearly 1,500 voters who omitted the year from the date they signed the petition.

About 13,000 signatures remain in contention. Barring a reversal of the Commonwealth Court ruling, Rossi said, the Libertarians need to affirm the validity of 620 more signatures to reach the 20,601 they need to remain on the ballot.

Johnson, a former Republican governor of New Mexico, plans to kick off a national tour of college campuses Monday at West Chester University. The Libertarian Party standard-bearer plans to speak and answer questions from the audience.

It will mark Johnson's third campaign swing through Pennsylvania, according to his campaign. He met with campaign volunteers in Philadelphia last month and attended the Libertarian state convention in Wilkes-Barre in April, said spokesman Joe Hunter.

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Libertarians win a round in Pa. petition challenge

Libertarian Party Presidential Candidate To Begin Tour At West Chester University

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(Credit: Pool/Getty Images)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) The Libertarian Party has won a round in the drawn-out challenge of its nominating papers in Pennsylvania, even as its presidential candidate prepares to visit the state.

Gary Johnson, a former Republican governor of New Mexico, kicks off a national tour of college campuses Monday at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. The Libertarian Party standard-bearer plans to speak and answer questions from the audience.

On Thursday, a three-judge panel of the state Commonwealth Court ruled 2-1 that signatures of about 9,000 voters are valid even though they listed addresses that do not match those in the statewide voter registry.

Challengers backed by the Republican Party argued at a hearing this week that those signatures should be disqualified, which could have knocked Johnson off the statewide ballot. ( Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Libertarian Party Presidential Candidate To Begin Tour At West Chester University

Libertarian veep candidate talks policy

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Judge Jim Gray, the Libertarian candidate for Vice President of the United States, was in Beloit Thursday to talk about his campaign and his running-mate Libertarian presidential candidate, former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson.

Gray said the election centers around three things the economy, jobs and education.

For every dollar that America spends, 43 cents is borrowed, he said. We will submit a balanced budget that literally means we will reduce government spending by 43 percent.

To do that, Gray said, the government should withdraw troops around the world in countries that are allies with the United States including Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Afghanistan. He also said the number of U.S. bases around the world should be reduced to only those that are completely necessary to the country's safety.

We have somewhere between 900 and 1,000 military bases around the world, he said. If they are necessary for our security, keep them, reinforce them, but most of them are not. Close those down and bring those troops home. It's much better to have them stationed in Wisconsin or New Jersey over Germany or Japan.

Gray said he knows the odds of his ticket taking the presidency are slim, but he hopes to capture at least 5 percent of the vote.

If Johnson and Gray can capture that many votes, it will ensure the Libertarian Party qualifies for public financing in the next presidential election. Gray said government involvement in healthcare only hurts the system, and they would also work on repealing most of Obamacare.

There will be a safety net for people, but the government is the last resort instead of the first resort, Gray said. Just like the shoes on your feet, you buy what you want for what you want to pay.

Gray said he doesn't believe Romney will repeal the healthcare law because it was modeled after the bill Romney signed as governor in Massachusetts.

In order to increase jobs, Gray said he and his running-mate will work on repealing the income tax and shutting down the IRS.

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Chinese ships begin patrols around islands at center of dispute with Japan

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By the CNN Wire Staff

updated 3:00 AM EDT, Fri September 14, 2012

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Tokyo (CNN) -- Six Chinese maritime surveillance ships entered waters around a group of islands at the center of a heated territorial dispute between Tokyo and Beijing, ignoring warnings from the Japanese authorities.

The Chinese ships arrived near the uninhabited islands -- which Japan calls Senkaku and China calls Diaoyu -- on Friday morning and began patrols and "law enforcement," China's state-run news agency Xinhua reported, citing a government statement.

The islands, situated in the East China Sea between Okinawa and Taiwan, are currently under Japanese control, but China claims they have been an "inherent" part of its territory "since ancient times."

The Chinese ships entered Japanese territorial waters despite warnings from the Japanese Coast Guard, said Shinichi Gega, a spokesman for Japan's 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters. Three of the ships have since left Japanese waters, he said.

The Japanese government will "take all possible measures to ensure security" around the islands, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Friday.

See a map of Asia's disputed islands

Two of the Chinese ships responded to a Japanese Coast Guard vessel's warning by reiterating China's territorial claim to the islands and saying they were carrying out patrol work, according to Gega. Japanese ships are continuing their own patrols of the area, he said.

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Chinese ships begin patrols around islands at center of dispute with Japan

Chinese ships carry out patrols around islands at center of dispute with Japan

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By Junko Ogura and Jethro Mullen, CNN

updated 7:03 AM EDT, Fri September 14, 2012

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Tokyo (CNN) -- Six Chinese maritime surveillance ships briefly entered waters around a group of islands at the center of a heated territorial dispute between Tokyo and Beijing, ignoring warnings from the Japanese authorities amid escalating tensions in the region.

The Chinese ships arrived near the uninhabited islands -- which Japan calls Senkaku and China calls Diaoyu -- on Friday morning and began patrols and "law enforcement," China's state-run news agency Xinhua reported.

The islands, situated in the East China Sea between Okinawa and Taiwan, are currently under Japanese control, but China claims they have been an "inherent" part of its territory "since ancient times." The long-running argument over who has sovereignty has resulted in occasionally violent acts of public protest.

The United States,a key ally of Japan, has repeatedly urged Tokyo and Beijing to resolve the dispute through dialogue. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will meet with his counterparts in Japan and China during a visit to the region that begins this weekend, the Department of Defense said Thursday.

The Chinese ships entered Japanese territorial waters Friday despite warnings from the Japanese Coast Guard, said Shinichi Gega, a spokesman for Japan's 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters.

The vessels had all left the waters by mid-afternoon and headed north, the Japanese Coast Guard said later Friday, noting that sea in the area was getting rough as a huge storm, Super Typhoon Sanba, approached from the south.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said Japan would intensify its own patrols of the area in response to what he described as an "unprecedented scale of invasion" of Japanese waters.

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Chinese ships carry out patrols around islands at center of dispute with Japan

Endangered Cayman Islands Parrots and Iguanas Could Use More Shelters and Havens

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We have heard a lot about Cayman Islands banking during this election season, but what about Cayman Islands endangered species? The three tiny islands that make up the CaymansGrand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Bracare home to a handful of endangered species that arent found anywhere else in the world. In the case of at least one of them, they might not even be found in the Caymans much longer.

Human development and habitat loss have put the Cayman Brac parrot (Amazona leucocephala hesterna) and the Grand Cayman parrot (A. l. caymanensis) into fairly dire straits. Both birds are subspecies of the Cuban Amazon parrot and can only be found on the islands that bear their names, but the loss of many of the trees that they used for shelter and food have made it harder for the otherwise hardy birds to withstand the hurricanes that frequently batter the region. Hundreds of birds died during hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Paloma (2008).

Today the Grand Cayman parrot is down to an estimated 4,300 birds. The Cayman Brac parrot now numbers about 425, including just 20 to 60 breeding pairs. Biologists warn that the Cayman Brac could be extinct in as few as 40 years. The biggest danger right now is that the trees the birds would use for reproduction and nesting are disappearing as new subdivisions pop up across the islands. Frank Rivera-Miln, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), told The Caymanian Compass that the Brac [parrot] is going down the drain very fast. Development there is too fast.

Luckily, the Brac parrot does have a few friends. The Cayman Brac Parrot Reserve, run by the National Trust for the Cayman Islands, maintains 280 acres of protected old-growth forest, 34 hectares of which was acquired in 2005 with the help of a grant from the FWS. But that might not be enough for the long term. The reserves Web site says The long-term future of the parrotsdepends critically on the conservation of enough old-growth forest areas on the Brac to support this inherently endangered species.

Both Cayman Islands parrots face additional threats. As on many islands, predation by cats and invasive rats is an ever-present danger. The birds are also sometimes illegally captured from the wild for the black market pet trade, although they rarely survive long enough to be sold.

Another endemic Cayman species, the Grand Cayman blue iguana (Cyclura lewisi), represents a conservation success story. The iguanaswhich were only recognized as their own species in 2004 after previously being classified as a subspecies of the Cuban iguanawere nearly wiped out by dogs, cats (them again) and cars. By 2003 the wild population of blue iguanas was estimated at just five to 15 individuals. Today, a breeding program has increased their number to approximately 700.

Fred Burton, director of the Blue Iguana Recovery Program, told the Associated Press that the program succeeded due to their low-tech methods: rough-hewn wooden breeding pens were built with tight passageways where the young iguanas could take shelter from predators. The pens were built in 2001 and every infant born that year survived. The recovery program also maintains wire cages for slightly older iguanas. They are released into the protected Salina Reserve at about two years old, when they are big enough to defend themselves against cats and other predators. All of the iguanas born in the program are implanted with microchips to help identify them.

The recovery program now aims to reach a milestone of 1,000 blue iguanas living in the wild, which they may hit in another few years. After that, Burton says, the breeding program may no longer be necessary.

None of these species, however, are out of the woods quite yet. If anyone cares to invest in anything in the Caymans other than a bank, I can think of a few worthy recipients. And who knows, maybe someday the Caymans could be as good a haven for wildlife as they are for taxable income.

Photos: Grand Cayman parrot by Paul Locke via Flickr. Cayman Grand blue iguana by Pete Markham via Flickr. Used under Creative Commons license

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Endangered Cayman Islands Parrots and Iguanas Could Use More Shelters and Havens

China ships sail amid islands row

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14 September 2012 Last updated at 04:10 ET

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The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes explains the background to the tension

Six Chinese surveillance ships briefly entered waters around islands claimed by both Japan and China, amid a bitter territorial dispute.

China said the ships were carrying out "law enforcement" to show jurisdiction over the islands, called Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan.

Three vessels left after a short time and the other three have now also left, the Japanese coast guard said.

The move came after Japan sealed a deal to buy three of the islands.

Japan controls the uninhabited but resource-rich East China Sea islands, which are also claimed by Taiwan.

Three were in the hands of a private Japanese owner but the Japanese government bought them earlier this week.

The Japanese Coast Guard said the first two Chinese boats entered Japan's territorial waters at 06:18 local time (21:18 GMT Thursday), followed by another fleet of four other ships just after 07:00.

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China ships sail amid islands row

China surveillance ships near islands disputed with Japan

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BEIJING/TOKYO (Reuters) - Six Chinese surveillance ships briefly entered waters near disputed islands claimed by Tokyo and Beijing on Friday, raising tensions between Asia's two biggest economies to their highest level since 2010. Japan protested to China and urged that the situation not be allowed to escalate - an outcome neither side would welcome given the two countries' tight economic links ...

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China surveillance ships near islands disputed with Japan

Chinese ships patrol disputed islands

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By Junko Ogura and Jethro Mullen, CNN

updated 7:03 AM EDT, Fri September 14, 2012

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Tokyo (CNN) -- Six Chinese maritime surveillance ships briefly entered waters around a group of islands at the center of a heated territorial dispute between Tokyo and Beijing, ignoring warnings from the Japanese authorities amid escalating tensions in the region.

The Chinese ships arrived near the uninhabited islands -- which Japan calls Senkaku and China calls Diaoyu -- on Friday morning and began patrols and "law enforcement," China's state-run news agency Xinhua reported.

The islands, situated in the East China Sea between Okinawa and Taiwan, are currently under Japanese control, but China claims they have been an "inherent" part of its territory "since ancient times." The long-running argument over who has sovereignty has resulted in occasionally violent acts of public protest.

The United States,a key ally of Japan, has repeatedly urged Tokyo and Beijing to resolve the dispute through dialogue. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will meet with his counterparts in Japan and China during a visit to the region that begins this weekend, the Department of Defense said Thursday.

The Chinese ships entered Japanese territorial waters Friday despite warnings from the Japanese Coast Guard, said Shinichi Gega, a spokesman for Japan's 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters.

The vessels had all left the waters by mid-afternoon and headed north, the Japanese Coast Guard said later Friday, noting that sea in the area was getting rough as a huge storm, Super Typhoon Sanba, approached from the south.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said Japan would intensify its own patrols of the area in response to what he described as an "unprecedented scale of invasion" of Japanese waters.

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Chinese ships patrol disputed islands