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Egypt must uphold freedom of expression and halt prosecution of journalist

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Danzig

The prosecution of an editor for publishing criticism of Egypts President and the Muslim Brotherhood should be halted and freedom of expression protected, Amnesty International said.

Al-Dostor editor Islam Afifi is set to stand trial on Thursday before the Giza Criminal Court in Cairo, reportedly on charges of publishing false information insulting to Egypts President Morsi.

Both the authorities and the Muslim Brotherhood must accept public criticism of their positions and actions without trying to hide behind Mubarak-era laws criminalizing the exercise of the right to freedom of expression, said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International's Deputy Middle East and North Africa Director.

Egypt should uphold its international obligations and ensure people are not subject to criminal prosecution for peaceful criticism, even if what they say is perceived to be offensive.

Al-Dostor, a daily newspaper and website, came under investigation by Egypts Public Prosecution following complaints over its criticism of the Muslim Brotherhood. The paper is known for its editorial stand against the movement, including a June article where al-Dostor claimed the Muslim Brotherhood was preparing a massacre if Mohamed Morsi lost the countrys presidential election.

An issue of al-Dostor published on 11 August was confiscated by the authorities after it claimed the Muslim Brotherhood was trying to establish an Islamic state in Egypt.

President Morsi, who resigned from the Muslim Brotherhood after he won the election, had publicly warned media on 9 August against spreading rumours that would destabilize Egypt.

It is very disappointing that journalists continue to face prosecution in Egypt for their writing in spite of the 25 January Revolution and its hopes for change, said Amnesty International.

Egypt is a state party to the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to freedom of expression.

Amnesty International had called on President Morsi in a June memorandum to review and repeal provisions of Egyptian law which, under the rule of Hosni Mubarak and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (the SCAF), were frequently used to suppress criticism of the authorities and public figures.

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Egypt must uphold freedom of expression and halt prosecution of journalist

Rodriguez's Two Homers Lead Freedom to Victory

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Danzig

August 22, 2012 - Frontier League (FL) Florence Freedom Florence, KY-Eddie Rodriguez launched two solo homeruns on Wednesday night leading the Florence Freedom(48-38) past the Joliet Slammers(35-51) 6-4. It was the Freedom's fourth straight win as they trail the wild card race by 1.5 games with ten games to play. Rodriguez led the Freedom going 3-4 with 3 RBI.

The Slammers jumped out quickly on Freedom starter Andy Clark. Patrick Norris drove the first pitch of the game over the right center field wall to give Joliet a 1-0 lead. The Freedom's Rodriguez came back in the 2nd inning and took Joliet starter Jacob Sanchez deep on just one pitch to tie the game. It was his 11th of the season. With the Freedom trailing 2-1 in the 3rd, Pierre LePage led off the inning with a single to right field. Then David Harris doubled to right field. The Slammers right fielder David Christensen was charged with a throwing error on his throw to second base which allowed LePage to score from third and tie the game at 2-2. Junior Arrojo then got down a perfectly executed bunt up the third base line advancing Harris to third. Peter Fatse then hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Harris to put the Freedom ahead 3-2. With Rodriguez at the plate, Arrojo stole his 27th base of the season to get into scoring position. Rodriguez then drove him in on an RBI single to give Florence a 4-2 lead.

The Slammers came back in the 7th. Brennan Flick walked back to back hitters to start the inning. After a double steal by Christensen and Kyle Maunus, Andrew Brauer singled back up the middle against Matt Kline(2-3) scoring both runners and tying the game at 4-4. Kline then retired the next three batters to end the inning.

The Freedom went back to work in their 7th against Ray Cotillla(0-2). There were two outs in the inning when the Freedom started their rally. Stephen Cardullo singled, stole second base, and advanced to third on a wild pitch. LePage then ripped a single into left field to break the tie and give the Freedom a 5-4 lead. The Freedom extended the lead to 6-4 in the 8th on Rodriguez's second homer of the night and his 12th of the season. It was also his 5th homerun over the last four games.

Jorge Marban came on in the 9th and nailed down his 11th save of the season. Kline recorded his second straight win out of the bullpen in as many nights.

The Freedom can sweep Joliet Thursday night as their three game series concludes. Joliet will feature RHP Tommy Mendoza(4-5, 4.40) as the Freedom will counter with RHP Brad Allen(1-1, 1.54). The game can be heard starting at 6:50 with Steve Jarnicki on Real Talk 1160 AM and realtalk1160.com.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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Rodriguez's Two Homers Lead Freedom to Victory

Beach pollution six times EU limit

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Danzig

By Sean ORiordan

Thursday, August 23, 2012

One of the seven Cork beaches closed due to pollution had more than six times the EU permissible limit for the potentially fatal bacteria E.coli.

It emerged yesterday that a test reading taken at Oysterhaven, near Kinsale, last week showed an E.coli presence of 12,033 particles per 100ml of water. The maximum safe limit is 2,000 per 100ml.

Thats significantly more than Youghal Front Strand, which had a reading of 7,701.

Cork County Council said it expects further test results to be known this morning. However, its unlikely that all seven beaches will get the all-clear.

Further tests were also carried out yesterday at Youghals two other beaches in Redbarn and Claycastle, as well as Garryvoe, Garretstown, Oysterhaven, and Coolmaine, near Kilbrittain. The results of those will be known tomorrow.

Children, meanwhile, were enjoying water sports in Oysterhaven yesterday.

A spokeswoman for the Oysterhaven Centre which specialises in marine pursuits said programmes had been adapted to ensure children, in particular, "were in boats on the water and not in the water".

She said all swimming activities had been cancelled in line with advice from the local authority. That would continue until water quality, locally, had improved.

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Beach pollution six times EU limit

Facebook Founders Fund Artificial Intelligence Start-up

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Danzig

Investor Dustin Moskovitz says Vicarious, which just closed a $15 million funding round, will "revolutionize every industry."

Photo courtesy Chris Devers

Kismet the robot at the MIT Museum.

Araya Diaz/Stringer/Getty

"The lesson learned is [founders should] set expectations higher [for themselves and their companies]." - says Dustin Moskovitz, Facebook co-founder and Vicarious investor

Artificial intelligence research start-up Vicarious announced today that it has received a $15 million Series A round led by Good Ventures. The funding values the company at more than $100 million.

"The technology that Vicarious is developing has the potential to improve all lives and revolutionize every industry," Dustin Moskovitz, Facebook co-founder and founder of Good Ventures, said in a sweeping statement to the press. Moskovitz also announced he will join Vicarious's board of directors.

Vicarious, co-founded in 2010 by Dileep George and D. Scott Phoenix, said the $15 million will be used exclusively for research and development of its Recursive Cortical Network, the company's flagship software that aims to "learn" like the human brain.

The first step in developing software comparable to human thinking is to master one sensory perception, Phoenix told Inc.

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Facebook Founders Fund Artificial Intelligence Start-up

Boulder's Ball Aerospace to develop green fuel for space vehicles

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Danzig

Ball Aerospace of Boulder has been awarded a contract from NASA to lead a government-industry team in the demonstration of an alternative fuel for future space vehicles.

The company said a Ball team will develop and fly the Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) to demonstrate a high-performance, non-toxic fuel alternative to conventional hydrazine.

GPIM will be developed over the next three years and launched in 2015 .

The purpose of employing green fuel alternatives is to reduce the environmental impact and operational hazards, and improve launch capabilities, Ball said. While the current use of hydrazine is efficient, the fuel is highly toxic and dangerous to transport, said the company.

Ball is the prime contractor for the project along with teams from Aerojet Corp., the Glenn Research Center, and the U.S. Air Force Laboratory at Edward Air Force Base.

They will be given support from the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center at Kirkland Air Force Base and NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Ball president David L. Taylor said Ball is well-known for innovative technology solutions and proud to partner with NASA's Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) "to advance space technology.

"This mission brings together a government-industry team from multiple agencies to develop a fully domestic green propellant solution for the next generation of space flight," said Taylor.

GPIM is a Technology Demonstration Mission under the leadership of NASA's Office of Chief Technologist.

Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939, hpankratz@denverpost.com or twitter.com/howardpankratz

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Boulder's Ball Aerospace to develop green fuel for space vehicles

30 minutes of daily exercise does the trick

Posted on August 22, 2012 by ev1

Public release date: 22-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Mads Rosenkilde madsrl@sund.ku.dk 45-26-17-58-47 University of Copenhagen

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have shown that 30 minutes of daily training provide an equally effective loss of weight and body mass as 60 minutes. Their results have just been published in the American Journal of Physiology.

Forty percent of Danish men are moderately overweight. For thirteen weeks, a research team at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences followed 60 heavy but healthy Danish men in their efforts to get into better shape. Half of the men were set to exercise for an hour a day, wearing a heart-rate monitor and calorie counter, while the second group only had to sweat for 30 minutes. Research results show that 30 minutes of exercise hard enough to produce a sweat is enough to turn the tide on an unhealthy body mass index:

On average, the men who exercised 30 minutes a day lost 3.6 kilo in three months, while those who exercised for a whole hour only lost 2.7 kg. The reduction in body mass was about 4 kg for both groups, reports Mads Rosenkilde, PhD student, Department of Biomedical Sciences. 30 minutes of exercise training provide an extra bonus:

Participants exercising 30 minutes per day burned more calories than they should relative to the training program we set for them. In fact we can see that exercising for a whole hour instead of a half does not provide any additional loss in either body weight or fat. The men who exercised the most lost too little relative to the energy they burned by running, biking or rowing. 30 minutes of concentrated exercise give equally good results on the scale, explains Mads Rosenkilde.

Motivation to exercise

Mads Rosenkilde postulates that some of the explanation for the surprising results is that 30 minutes of exercise is so doable that participants in the study had the desire and energy for even more physical activity after their daily exercise session. In addition, the study group that spent 60 minutes on the treadmill probably ate more, and therefore lost slightly less weight than anticipated.

The participants in our study trained every day for three months. All training sessions were planned to produce a light sweat, but participants were expected to increase the intensity and give it gas three times a week, explains Mads Rosenkilde. He is also surprised at the research results, and the goal now is to study the effects of other types of exercise:

Another interesting scenario is to study exercise as a form of transport. Training is fantastic for your physical and mental health. The problem is that it takes time. If we can get people to exercise along the way to work, for example we will have won half the battle, says Mads Rosenkilde.

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30 minutes of daily exercise does the trick

McDonald's® Tri-State Owners Award Grants To Local Organizations To Support Community Nutrition Initiatives

Posted on August 22, 2012 by ev1

ISELIN, N.J., Aug. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --McDonald's New York Tri-State area restaurants today announced the recipients of its first-ever New York Metro Nutrition Network grants.

The Nutrition Network, launched in March 2012, is a community outreach initiative designed to provide funds to local organizations to build or enhance existing grassroots nutrition programs and to partner with communities in advancing nutrition education. It is an extension of McDonald's company-wide commitment to offer improved nutrition alternatives and to help customers and their families make informed eating choices. The seed funding will allow the five selected organizations to bring nutrition information and guidance to their respective communities.

Recipients were evaluated based on a number of factors, including program reach, sustainability, uniqueness and financial need. Organizations were selected by a judging committee comprised of nutrition and nonprofit experts, McDonald's Owner/Operators and corporate representatives. The organizations are:

"As evident from the overwhelmingnumber of applications we received from organizations across the New York Tri-State, there is a real need for support of nutrition education for residents in our local communities," said Anthony Scari, president of the McDonald's New York Tri-State Owner/Operators Association. "Now more than ever, McDonald's is committed to supporting these efforts and we look forward to the work these organizations will perform for their constituents."

Each of the five organizations selected will be acknowledged with a presentation in their community in the upcoming weeks. Programs must be completed by December 31, 2012.

ABOUT McDONALD'S NEW YORK TRI-STATE RESTAURANTS:

McDonald's is one of the world's best-known brands and is a global leader in food service. There are more than 600 McDonald's restaurants, owned by over 100 franchisees, located throughout the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut Tri-State area. Visit http://www.mcdonaldsnytristate.com or follow us on Twitter @McDNYTriState for information about other McDonald's area programs.

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McDonald's® Tri-State Owners Award Grants To Local Organizations To Support Community Nutrition Initiatives

Creative Edge Nutrition, Inc. Announces $1.5 Million in Sales for Quarter Ending June 30, 2012

Posted on August 22, 2012 by ev1

MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich., Aug. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Creative Edge Nutrition, Inc. (FITX), a nutritional supplement company focusing on active lifestyles, announced its quarterly earnings for the period ending June 30, 2012.

For the three months ended June 30, 2012, the Company reported total revenues of $1,541,206, with a gross profit of $912,732. After operating expenses the company reported a net profit of $88,913 for the quarter.

The full quarterly financials for the period ending June 30, 2012 can be viewed by visiting http://www.otcmarkets.com/financialReportViewer?symbol=FITX&id=88814

Bill Chaaban, the President and CEO of Creative Edge Nutrition, commented, "We are very pleased to show that our recent acquisitions and vertical integration of our nutritional supplement lines have started showing real results, and a net profit to our financial earnings for the three months ending June 30, 2012. We will continue to aggressively grow and expand our presence in the sports nutrition marketplace through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions."

About Creative Edge Nutrition, Inc.Creative Edge Nutrition is a holding company and a Nutritional Supplement Company focused on developing innovative, high quality supplements. The company offers a broad spectrum of capsules, tablets, and powders, as well as science based products in the principal categories of weight management, nutrition challenges, energy and fitness. The Company manufactures under strict GMP guidelines and/or FDA compliant facilities. http://www.CenergyNutrition.comand http://www.facebook.com/pages/Creative-Edge-Nutrition-Inc/115224738609211

Safe Harbor Notice This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements relating to financial results and plans for future development activities, and are thus prospective. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding intent, belief or current expectations of the Company, its directors or its officers. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements are risks and uncertainties associated with the Company's business and finances in general, including the ability to continue and manage its growth, competition, global economic conditions and other factors discussed in detail in the Company's periodic filings with the Security and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Contact: Paul Thomas (313) 655-1669 Email: Info@cenergynutrition.com

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Creative Edge Nutrition, Inc. Announces $1.5 Million in Sales for Quarter Ending June 30, 2012

The American Society for Microbiology honors Lawrence Corey

Posted on August 22, 2012 by ev1

Public release date: 22-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Garth Hogan ghogan@asmusa.org American Society for Microbiology

Lawrence Corey, M.D., president and director of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, has been honored with the 2012 Cubist-ICAAC Award. An internationally renowned expert in virology, immunology and vaccine development, Corey's research focuses on herpes viruses, HIV, and other viral infections, particularly those associated with cancer. "Corey's work was the first to demonstrate the safety of daily antiviral treatment for immunocompetent persons," explains his nominator, Wesley Van Voorhis of the University of Washington. "His studies led to the routine use of antivirals not only for HSV-2the field he has been the dominant figure in for three decadesbut also HCV, HBV, and HIV."

Corey earned his bachelor's and medical degrees from the University of Michigan, and completed infectious diseases training at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He joined the faculty of the University of Washington in 1978, where he remains today as a Professor of Laboratory Medicine and holder of the Lawrence Corey Endowed Chair in Medical Virology. He is also an infectious disease physician at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, in addition to his duties as president and director of the Hutchinson Center.

Corey is the principal investigator of the Hutchinson Center-based HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), an international collaboration of scientists and institutions that combines clinical trials and laboratory-based studies to accelerate the development of HIV vaccines. Under Corey's leadership at the Hutchinson Center, the HVTN has become the model for global collaborative research, involving scientists on four continents and nine countries. "In this capacity, he has overseen the building of a clinical trials network infrastructure from only eight U.S. sites in 1998, to a program that has thirty clinical trial sites in fifteen countries on four continents," explains Anthony S. Fauci, NIAID, NIH. "This network is now at the forefront of clinical trials of HIV vaccine candidates."

Corey has been a pioneer in the development of antiviral therapy. In the early 1980s he worked with Nobel Prize-winning biochemist and pharmacologist Gertrude Elion to demonstrate that an antiviral that was selective and specific for a viral-specified enzyme could be safely and effectively administered to control a chronic viral infection (herpes simplex virus-2). These studies were directly responsible for the subsequent successful quest of the pharmaceutical and medical sciences communities to develop effective antiviral therapy for hepatitis B and HIV. In 1987 he directed the AIDS Clinical Trials Group, or ACTG, and under his leadership the use of the retroviral drug AZT to reduce maternal-fetal transmission of HIV and HAART (highly active retroviral therapy) were developed. His research group also was the first to identify an association between the virus that causes genital herpes (herpes simplex virus) and HIV. Through the ACTG he pioneered the integration of community members into clinical research activities.

"No one has contributed more to our understanding of herpes simplex virus pathogenesis and therapy than Corey," states Martin Hirsch, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. "From early work demonstrating that certain treatments don't work, to landmark studies of topical, intravenous and oral acyclovir and its congeners, Corey has led the way. In his elegant studies of HSV latency, he may well open up new avenues to cure, rather than suppression. He has taught us more about the pathogenesis, immunology, and treatment of genital herpes than any other investigator in the field."

In the mid-1990s, Corey increasingly concentrated his scientific and leadership skills on the area of vaccine development, and in 1998 he worked with Fauci to develop a global clinical trials group to speed the development of HIV vaccines. In 2002, Corey recognized the need to further integrate research efforts in HIV vaccine development and spearheaded the development of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise, one of the few scientific programs overseen by leaders of the major industrialized countries. Fauci explains, "Corey is the only scientist in the country who had led two of our nation's major HIV clinical trials programsone in treatment and one in vaccine developmentand hence has a unique perspective on the treatment and prevention of HIV infection." Corey also conceived and led an international study that demonstrated that a daily dose of an antiviral drug cuts the transmission of the genital herpes virus by half. He currently is working to define how host immune cells control the herpes simplex virus and whether it will be possible to develop a vaccine to reduce infection reactivation.

In 2008, with funding from the Washington Life Sciences Discovery Fund, Corey founded the Hutchinson Center-based Washington Vaccine Alliance, or WAVA a virtual biotechnology coalition of nonprofit research institutions dedicated to developing novel vaccines for the prevention of human diseases ranging from typhoid to syphilis to salmonella poisoning. Corey's numerous honors and awards include election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Institute of Medicine. In addition, he received the Pan American Society's Clinical Virology Award and the Parran Award of the American Society for STD Research.

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The American Society for Microbiology honors William Hanage

Posted on August 22, 2012 by ev1

Public release date: 22-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Garth Hogan ghogan@asmusa.org American Society for Microbiology

William P. Hanage, Ph.D., Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, has received a 2012 ICAAC Young Investigator Award. Hanage is honored for his work studying the epidemiology and evolution of infectious disease. "Hanage has provided game changing tools and expertise in the pneumococcal field, first with MLST and now with whole genome sequencing, to reach into the world of the organism," explains Katherine O'Brien of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "His work has revealed ways in which the pathogen attempts to escape vaccine control. He is brilliant, innovative, and tangential in his thinking one of those rare people who can see connections where others do not."

Hanage graduated from the University of Bath, United Kingdom, with an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry. He went on to receive his Ph.D. from Imperial College London in the laboratory of Jonathan Cohen studying host microbial interactions, where he developed a passion for infectious disease research. After obtaining his Ph.D., Hanage worked in Brian Spratt's laboratory at the University of Oxford and later in the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the Imperial College London, studying the molecular epidemiology of bacterial pathogens. He joined the faculty at Harvard School of Public Health in 2010.

Over time, Hanage developed an interest in theoretical approaches to epidemiology to complement the molecular perspective gained from his formal education. He continues to combine empirical and theoretical methods in his research. "Hanage's research productivity throughout his career speaks to his creativity and ability to cross over between disciplines, pulling from one area of expertise to apply tools to another domain," says O'Brien. Especially interested in subjects that combine clinical importance with fundamental biological questions, Hanage looks at questions like how pathogens respond to novel selective pressures in the form of antimicrobials and vaccines. He has a specific interest in understanding the factors behind the response of the bacterial population to pneumococcal conjugate vaccination.

In addition to such clinically focused questions, Hanage has worked extensively on the phenomenon of homologous recombination in bacteria, which shuffles genetic material among lineages, studying how it can be detected and its consequences for how bacteria respond in the face of novel selective pressures. "He has developed new methods for data analysis and combining molecular and traditional epidemiology," says Stephen Pelton, Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health. Indeed, recombination or horizontal gene transfer makes the very notion of species problematic for bacteria, another of Hanage's major interests, one for which he was awarded a University Research Fellowship by the Royal Society. Hanage has also increasingly become involved with population genomic analyses of large numbers of very closely related pathogen isolates to probe in detail their patterns of transmission and diversification. His work on pathogen evolution was recognized with the 2012 Fleming Prize from the Society for General Microbiology. "Recently, Hanage has been among the pioneers of genomic epidemiology for bacterial pathogens. He exemplifies the combination of theoretical and experimental skills that will be fundamental to the future of infectious disease epidemiology," describes nominator Marc Lipsitch, Harvard School of Public Health.

"I believe Hanage's largest contributions have yet to come," says Pelton. "I think he will lead us to new insights into genetic regulation that permit specific clones of Streptococcus pneumoniae to successfully compete in the nasopharynx, to be more easily transmitted from person to person, and to evade host defenses to cause disease. I am confident that this will inform new approaches to treatment and disease prevention."

"Beyond his scientific accomplishments, for which his publication record speaks clearly, his personal and mentoring characteristics have to be emphasized," summarized O'Brien. "He is a gem of a colleagueenthusiastic, welcoming of collaborations, generous with his time toward students, and a genuine scholarly partner."

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The ICAAC Young Investigator Award will be presented during ASM's 52nd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC), September 9-12, 2012 in San Francisco, CA. ASM is the world's oldest and largest life science organization and has more than 40,000 members worldwide. ASM's mission is to advance the microbiological sciences and promote the use of scientific knowledge for improved health, economic, and environmental well-being.

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The American Society for Microbiology honors William Hanage

The American Society for Microbiology honors Mario Santiago

Posted on August 22, 2012 by ev1

Public release date: 22-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Garth Hogan ghogan@asmusa.org American Society for Microbiology

The 2012 ICAAC Young Investigator Award designated for a researcher working in the area of HIV has been bestowed upon Mario L. Santiago, Ph.D., Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Colorado, Denver. Santiago is honored for his varied work in virology, from field-based HIV epidemiology studies to manipulating innate immunity in his efforts to explore innovative new ways to approach the challenge of the HIV vaccine. "Already at this early stage of his career, Santiago is demonstrating that he is one of the upcoming leaders in the field of retroviral resistance genes and their fascinating mechanisms of action," explains Kim Hasenkrug, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID.

Santiago graduated from the University of the Philippines magna cum laude with a BS in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. He then worked on schistosome and malaria vaccines as part of the NIH-sponsored Tropical Medicine Research Center in the Philippines and on HIV-1 molecular epidemiology as a Fogarty AIDS International Research fellow at Brown University. Santiago went on to receive his Ph.D. in Microbiology under Beatrice Hahn at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, where he developed noninvasive methods to detect Simian Immunodeficiency Virus in wild nonhuman primates, eventually leading to the discovery of the origins of HIV-1 and HIV-2 in wild chimpanzees and sooty mangabeys, respectively. "During his tenure, he painstakingly designed, tested and optimized strategies to noninvasively screen fecal and urine samples from wild monkeys and great apes for simian immunodeficiency viruses, which aided in our breakthrough understanding of the origins of HIV-1 and HIV-2," explains Hahn. "These findings resulted in fascinating high-profile publications and have revolutionized our perspective on the AIDS pandemic."

After receiving his Ph.D., Santiago completed two postdoctoral fellowships, first at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, then at the Gladstone Institute for Virology and Immunology at the University of California, San Francisco, where he discovered that a long-sought classical resistance gene that modulates the retrovirus-specific neutralizing antibody response known as Rfv3 corresponds to an innate immunity gene known as APOBEC3. In 2006, Santiago reached out to Hasenkrug to collaborate: "he emailed me with the hypothesis that a retroviral resistance gene that I had mapped (Rfv3), might be Apobec3. He trained briefly in my lab, learned the mouse retrovirus model very quickly, and in short order had the model working at the Gladstone Institute. He has pushed this research forward, innovating new techniques and technologies, and has opened the door to a very exciting and highly competitive research area."

In 2009, Santiago joined the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Colorado Denver-Anschutz Medical Campus. There he continues his work on the interplay between innate retroviral restriction and adaptive immunity in mice, monkeys and humans, with a conceptual focus on HIV vaccine development, host genetics of retrovirus resistance, and interferon-based antiretroviral therapy. He currently supervises a post-doctoral fellow and three graduate students from the Immunology and Microbiology programs, where he holds adjunct appointments.

Santiago's scientific contributions have been published in prominent journals that include Science, Nature, Cell, PNAS, PLoS Pathogens, and The Journal of Virology. "Santiago's recent work on the function of human Apobec3 has helped delineate potential genetic mechanisms behind the production of neutralizing antibodies to HIV, which are critical to preventing HIV infection," says nominator Thomas Campbell, University of Colorado, Denver. "His research findings will help to inform the discovery of HIV drugs and vaccines." He concludes, "Santiago's outstanding achievements attest to his creativity and collegiality, and his exceptional ability to successfully accomplish innovative, cutting-edge research in retrovirology."

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The American Society for Microbiology honors Mario Santiago

The American Society for Microbiology honors David Tobin

Posted on August 22, 2012 by ev1

Public release date: 22-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Garth Hogan ghogan@asmusa.org American Society for Microbiology

David M. Tobin, Ph.D., Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, has been honored as a recipient of the 2012 ICAAC Young Investigator Award. These awards recognize and reward early career scientists for research excellence and potential in microbiology and infectious disease. Already Tobin has made important contributions to infectious disease therapeutics, explains Lalita Ramakrishnan, University of Washington. "His findings are changing the way we treat TB meningitis, and his work will pave the way for a whole new way to tackle TB, including drug resistant TB."

Tobin received his Ph.D. with Cori Bargmann at the University of California, San Francisco, where he defined the role of a set of TRPV-related ion channels in C. elegans behaviors. Bargmann describes Tobin as "scholarly and deep; a star in the making. An excellent scientist, Tobin is very smart and intensely interested in his own work and related work." After graduating, Tobin spent two and a half years living in Guatemala where he taught undergraduate classes at the national university. He became particularly interested in tuberculosis through an HIV and tuberculosis clinic he became involved with while there, and with which he continues to collaborate.

For his postdoctoral studies, Tobin joined Ramakrishnan's laboratory at the University of Washington, where he used a zebrafish model of tuberculosis. He developed a genetic screen in zebrafish to probe the host genetic determinants of susceptibility to mycobacterial infection. Tobin found that the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory eicosanoids plays an important role in susceptibility and has applied these findings in human cohorts. A functional variant in the human gene LTA4H is associated with disease severity as well as responsiveness to adjunctive therapies for TB meningitis. "As a postdoc in Ramakrishnan's group, Tobin was instrumental in developing a system to perform forward genetic screens in zebrafish to identify factors influencing disease by the tuberculosis bacillus," explains nominator Raphael Valdivia, Duke University. "Tobin identified mutations associated with susceptibility to mycobacterial infection in zebrafish and defined the mechanism underlying this susceptibility. More impressively, he then showed that this information could be used to identify genetic variations in human populations that strongly correlated with susceptibility to tuberculosis and leprosy," Valdivia continued. "These variations predicted outcomes to therapeutic intervention, which he was then able to validate in zebrafish. His study is one of the most scientifically impressive ones I have seen in the field of infectious diseases."

In 2011, Tobin became an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at Duke University. His laboratory at Duke studies the host response to mycobacterial infection using zebrafish, bacterial, and human genetics. "Tobin is at the forefront of a new field, where he will make seminal discoveries in TB pathogenesis based on real time observation of the dynamics of cellular immunity within a genetically tractable vertebrate system," claims Valdivia. Ramakrishnan concluded, "He is one of the most intelligent, intuitive, inventive and resourceful scientists I have ever encountered. These traits, coupled with his strong humanitarian predisposition, will lead him to continue his trajectory of making ground breaking discoveries that will impact the treatment of TB and other infectious diseases."

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Elderly Sardinian siblings party

Posted on August 22, 2012 by ev1

22 August 2012 Last updated at 06:51 ET

The eldest of a group of Sardinian siblings hailed for their longevity is celebrating her 105th birthday.

Consolata Melis is the eldest of the nine Melis siblings, whose combined age totals over 881 years and 205 days.

Her Mediterranean island home is known for the longevity of its residents, claiming to have 370 centenarians.

Ms Melis, from Perdasdefogu village in south-eastern Sardinia, has nine children, 24 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.

Her three brothers and five sisters are also in good shape, with Claudia, 99, still attending weekly masses and Adolfo, 89, running a local bar.

The youngest Mafalda, 78, is their "baby sister".

The Mediterranean island has long been be the subject of research for the longevity of its residents, and explanations range from genetics to hard work.

Luca Deiana, professor of clinical biochemistry at the University of Sassari in Sardinia, said: "On the one hand it is about genetics, about inherited longevity... but there is also the bounty of the land and the local fruit, particularly pears and prunes."

The researcher, who has studied more than 2,000 people over the age of 100 for the past 15 years, told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that "strong local family traditions" also contributed to the longevity of the Sardinians.

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Elderly Sardinian siblings party

Research and Markets: Advanced Topics in Forensic DNA Typing: Methodology

Posted on August 22, 2012 by ev1

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/pmbk5w/advanced_topics_in) has announced the addition of Elsevier Science and Technology's new report "Advanced Topics in Forensic DNA Typing: Methodology" to their offering.

Intended as a companion to the Fundamentals of Forensic DNA Typing volume published in 2009, Advanced Topics in Forensic DNA Typing: Methodology contains 18 chapters with 4 appendices providing up-to-date coverage of essential topics in this important field and citation to more than 2800 articles and internet resources. The book builds upon the previous two editions of John Butler's internationally acclaimed Forensic DNA Typing textbook with forensic DNA analysts as its primary audience. This book provides the most detailed information written to-date on DNA databases, low-level DNA, validation, and numerous other topics including a new chapter on legal aspects of DNA testing to prepare scientists for expert witness testimony. Over half of the content is new compared to previous editions. A forthcoming companion volume will cover interpretation issues.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Sample Collection, Storage, and Characterization

2. DNA Extraction Methods

3. DNA Quantitation

4. PCR Amplification: Capabilities and Cautions

5. Short Tandem Repeat (STR) Loci and Kits

6. Capillary Electrophoresis: Principles and Instrumentation

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Research and Markets: Advanced Topics in Forensic DNA Typing: Methodology

The American Society for Microbiology honors Andrew Lovering

Posted on August 22, 2012 by ev1

Public release date: 22-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Garth Hogan ghogan@asmusa.org American Society for Microbiology

Andrew Lee Lovering, Ph.D., School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, has received a 2012 ICAAC Young Investigator Award for his seminal work on the structural biology and biochemistry of the proteins that synthesize and modify cell walls in bacteria. Natalie Strynadka, University of British Columbia, describes the significance of Lovering's work: "his spectacular abilities in structural biology clearly paved the way for our understanding of these important antibacterial targets which are also membrane-anchored, a hurdle that has thwarted literally decades of attempts at previous characterization by many groups worldwide." "His protein structure work has shown how Gram positive bacteria synthesize teichoic acids, how bacterial cell walls are transglycosylated, and how enzymes of predatory bacteria partially degrade bacterial cell walls as they invade prey bacteria," explained nominator Liz Sockett, University of Nottingham.

Lovering obtained his B.Sc. in Biochemistry from Birmingham University, where he also earned his Ph.D. in Biosciences. There he used x-ray crystallography to detail the mechanism of action of two enzymes involved in cancer therapies; one a bacterial nitroreductase used in gene therapy of solid tumors, and the other a target for a cell differentiation approach tackling acute myeloid leukemia.

After graduating from Birmingham University, a postdoctoral position in Strynadka's laboratory at the University of British Columbia introduced Lovering to the subject of antibacterial research. This led to determination of the structures of two monotopic membrane proteins involved in bacterial cell wall synthesis. One of these, S. aureus PBP2, represented the first detailed view of how bacteria catalyze the essential step of peptidoglycan polymerisation, a potentially excellent drug target. The other, S. epidermidis TagF, revealed how the Gram-positive wall polymer teichoic acid is synthesized and may form the basis for the development of antivirulents. The PBP2 publication was chosen as one of the highlights of the year by Science and C&E News.

Since establishing his own research group in 2010, Lovering's focus has shifted to deciphering the molecular basis of bacterial predation by Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, a phenomenon that may lead to its exploitation as a "living antibiotic". In collaboration with Sockett at the University of Nottingham, this approach has already begun to detail how the invading bacterium modifies the prey cell wall for purposes of niche formation, and also how Bdellovibrio and other bacteria hydrolyze the ubiquitous bacterial second messenger cyclic-di-GMP. "As invited speaker of the 2012 Gordon Conference on Bacterial Sensory Transduction, he described the first ever crystal structure of an HD-GYP bacterial signaling protein," says Sockett.

"Lovering's enthusiasm and fascination with the microbial world is always palpable. His level of insight, profound knowledge of fundamental biochemistry, and ability to see connections that others would have missed never fail to amaze me," summarizes Klaus Ftterer, University of Birmingham. "As he builds his research group it is clear that his work will enlighten our understanding of an unusual microorganism, and his enthusiasm will inspire junior researchers in both the structural biology and microbiology communities."

Strynadka agrees, "he is highly collegial, modest, and a natural teacher. His love of and interest in science is truly infectiousknowledge he loves to share with others. Collectively, I believe him to be a truly exceptional rising star who will continue to make fundamental advances to structural microbiology."

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The American Society for Microbiology honors Andrew Lovering

Purdue grad hopes to grow Tymora startup into ‘multimillion-dollar company’

Posted on August 22, 2012 by ev1

Anton Iliuk never expected to be an entrepreneur.

Now, the former Purdue University biochemistry students doctoral project to develop new technology that can help pinpoint potential targets for cancer therapy has transformed into a growing startup in Purdue Research Park.

Iliuks former adviser, biochemistry associate professor W. Andy Tao, is his business partner.

Most science majors have two paths, Iliuk said. One is academia. One is industry. This is the path less traveled. Im not a business guy.

But the companys first product, PolyMAC, still managed to generate sales of nearly $50,000 in five months for his company, Tymora Analytical Operations LLC.

Id like to turn this into a multimillion-dollar company, Iliuk said. If you dont believe, nobody else will.

Iliuk, the companys president and chief technology officer, said a realistic goal for next year would be to double the sales of PolyMAC, which analyzes tissue modification on a cellular level.

You send in a fishing net, you try to pick up everything there is, sort through it and see what has changed from normal tissue to cancer tissue, Iliuk said.

The next step for Tymora is to get its next product, pIMAGO, to market. Iliuk said the goal of pIMAGO is to cut the cost associated with the early stages of drug development by showing which drugs will be more effective.

Its sort of a launch pad, Iliuk said. Were trying to improve the way people do lab research.

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Purdue grad hopes to grow Tymora startup into 'multimillion-dollar company'

Proteonomix Licenses Exclusive Worldwide Rights to Novel Anti-Tumor Technology

Posted on August 22, 2012 by ev1

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

Proteonomix, Inc. (PROT), a biotechnology company focused on developing therapeutics based upon the use of human cells and their derivatives, today announced that it has entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement for a novel source of primary human cells that secrete a factor capable of inhibiting tumor cell growth and causing tumor cell death. The technology was developed by Ian McNiece, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of the Company.

The technology consists of methods for isolation and propagation of the primary human cells, gene profiles obtained from the cells identifying candidate micro RNAs and growth factor genes, and methods for generating culture media conditioned by these cells for isolation of the inhibitory factor or factors.

Recent experiments demonstrated the ability of these novel human cells and even the culture media conditioned by these cells to inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells, ultimately leading to their death, said Proteonomix Chief Technology Officer Steven Byle. This technology has the potential to identify molecules that can kill tumor cells and provides insights into the potential delivery of these inhibitory factors in vivo.

Terms of the license included an upfront license fee, an agreement with a related party and payments due upon achieving clinical and regulatory milestones based on success in developing products, as well as a royalty on sales of products resulting from this technology.

About Proteonomix, Inc.

Proteonomix is a biotechnology company focused on developing therapeutics based upon the use of human cells and their derivatives. The Proteonomix family of companies includes Proteoderm, StromaCel, PRTMI and THOR Biopharma. Proteoderm is a wholly owned subsidiary that has developed an anti-aging line of skin care products. StromaCel develops therapeutic modalities for the treatment of cardiovascular disease and plans to file an IND application for treatment of patients who have suffered post-myocardial infarction. Proteonomix Regenerative Translational Medicine Institute, Inc. (PRTMI) intends to focus on the translation of promising research in stem cell biology and cellular therapy to clinical applications of regenerative medicine. Additional information is available at http://www.proteonomix.com and http://www.proteoderm.com.

Certain statements contained herein are forward-looking statements (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Proteonomix, Inc. cautions that statements made in this press release constitute forward-looking statements and makes no guarantee of future performance. Actual results or developments may differ materially from projections. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the time statements are made.

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Proteonomix Licenses Exclusive Worldwide Rights to Novel Anti-Tumor Technology

Spirituality Is Linked To Better Mental Health

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Danzig

Editor's Choice Main Category: Mental Health Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry;Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine Article Date: 22 Aug 2012 - 9:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Spirituality Is Linked To Better Mental Health

5 (1 votes)

The team highlight that healthcare providers could tailor treatments and rehabilitation programs to accommodate an individual's spiritual inclinations.

Dan Cohen, assistant teaching professor of religious studies at MU, explained:

The team examined the results of three surveys in order to find out if correlation existed among participants' self-reported mental and physical health, personality factors, and spirituality in Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Catholics, and Protestants.

The team found that in all five faiths, spirituality was associated to better mental health, specifically lower levels of neuroticism and greater extraversion. The only spiritual trait predictive of mental health after personality variables were considered was forgiveness.

Cohen, said:

According to Cohen, spirituality could help an individual's mental healthy by lowering their self-centeredness and developing their sense of belonging to a larger whole.

Spirituality is encouraged in many different faith traditions, although they use different names for the process. A Christian monk wouldn't say he had attained Nirvana, nor would a Buddhist monk say he had communed with Jesus Christ, but they may well be referring to similar phenomena.

Next space tourist: Singer Sarah Brightman?

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Danzig

MOSCOW British singer Sarah Brightman may be the next paying passenger to ride a Russian rocket to the International Space Station, sources familiar with the negotiations said Wednesday.

If the trip happens, Brightman, 52, would make the journey in 2015, the Interfax news agency reported, citing an unidentified official in the Russian space industry. A source familiar with Brightman's side of the negotiations confirmed to NBC News that talks were under way, but stressed that they were at an early stage.

Assuming the negotiations are successful, Brightman would be the first paying orbital space passenger since Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte, who donned a red clown's nose for his 2009 trip to the space station.

Russia has sent seven private passengers to the space station, with the reported price tags escalating from $20 million to more than $40 million. California investment manager Dennis Tito was the first to make the journey in 2001.

Seats on the three-person Soyuz capsules have become scarce since NASA retired its space shuttles last year, leaving Russian rockets as the only craft capable of carrying crews to the station for now.

Space news from NBCNews.com

Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: NASA's Curiosity rover has wiggled its wheels to warm up for its first honest-to-goodness drive, just hours from now.

Brightman who rose to fame starring in the original London and New York casts of "The Phantom of the Opera" visited Russia about a month ago and received the approval of a medical commission to begin training at the Cosmonaut Training Center outside Moscow, the source added.

She was married to composer Andrew Lloyd Webber in the 1980s and pursued a chart-topping solo career after their divorce, bringing classical music to a broader audience and selling millions of records along the way. Estimates of her net worth have ranged from $45 million to $52 million and beyond.

Virginia-based Space Adventures has organized trips to the space station for deep-pocketed passengers in the past, but representatives of the company have not commented publicly on the prospects for future trips.

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Next space tourist: Singer Sarah Brightman?

Singer Sarah Brightman may be Russia's next space tourist: report

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Danzig

MOSCOW (Reuters) - British singer Sarah Brightman may be the next paying passenger to ride a Russian rocket to the International Space Station, the Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday, citing an unidentified official in the space industry in Russia. If it happens, Brightman, 52, would make the journey in 2015 and would be the first paying customer since Cirque du Soleil founder Guy ...

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Singer Sarah Brightman may be Russia's next space tourist: report

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