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Health care's new maverick

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Danzig

By Geoff Colvin, senior editor-at-large

Steward Health Care System's Ralph de la Torre

FORTUNE -- What's the future of American health care? Dr. Ralph de la Torre, CEO of Steward Health Care System, may represent the answer. Steward, owned by the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, is a growing Massachusetts-based group of community hospitals, and industry analysts say de la Torre is one of the most dynamic and influential executives in the business. He's consolidating hospitals, finding efficiencies, investing big in infotech, and creating a new model that he says won't change much regardless of how Obamacare's future plays out. De la Torre, 46, is the son of Cuban immigrants and became the chief of cardiac surgery at Harvard's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at age 38, then gave up practicing medicine to become a CEO. He talked recently with Fortune's Geoff Colvin about why health care reform isn't about public health, how health care is like the auto industry, why costs must continue to rise, and much else. Edited excerpts:

Q: Assuming Obamacare is fully implemented, what are the most important ways in which it will affect our lives?

A: The guiding principles were to do two things. One is to expand coverage. The other is to change the fundamental way health care is structured. Right now we're a society that believes you lead life the way you want to, and then at the end when the wheels start falling off the cart, you pound it with resources and get interventions from medical specialists to keep you alive longer and healthier. It's a very back-ended -- and because of that a very expensive -- way of getting health care.

If we're going to increase access and engage people to get their health care in a different way, we have to get young people involved. We have to get people who for all practical purposes really don't need health care insurance. We're going to be suffering from the fact that we never paid for wellness or prevention in the past, and the baby boomers are now coming of age. We can't pay for it all without putting a tax on the young -- call it what you want to call it, it's the truth. But by getting the young involved in health care through an individual mandate, it also lets you begin wellness and prevention.

We need to understand as Americans that it's going to cost us more for the next five, six, seven years or more. There's no way around it. We've increased access, and we're shifting our care to include more prevention and more wellness, but we can't turn away the people who weren't part of that to begin with, so we're going to be double-paying for a while. In the long run we need to do that. We need to start that shift now.

Medical costs in the U.S. are growing faster than the economy. That trend can't continue. It's got to stop, so how is it going to stop?

It stops by attacking the culture, getting people to engage more in wellness and prevention, and also by challenging providers and caregivers to treat based not on hope but on reality.

A lot of us physicians went into medicine because we loved the art aspect of it. There wasn't a lot of real hard-core science when many of today's doctors went into medicine. It was your intuition, your abilities, the gestalt of what was going on. But something happened in medicine along the way. It started becoming a real science, and a lot of studies have come out that guide what we do and how we do it. We as a society need to understand that science has to guide our practice of medicine. Not everyone with a headache needs a CAT scan; not everybody with a sprained ankle needs an MRI.

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Health care's new maverick

Health Care report ranks WV low

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Danzig

August1,2012 West Virginia once again doesnt fare well in a report on health care recently released by the federal government.

The 2011 National Healthcare Quality Report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is meant to help guide the state in making improvements. The report takes data submitted by all the states and summarizes how well they provide care.

It says West Virginia is best at providing care in the areas of advanced breast cancer diagnosis in women over age 40, colorectal screening and preventing prostate cancer deaths.

The state is weakest in areas like reducing hospital admissions for chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes, and has a high mortality rate for patients on kidney dialysis.

Dr. Ernest Moy, medical officer with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Center for Quality Improvement, says the report is intended to show the state where it needs to do better.

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Health Care report ranks WV low

Health IT Booming Due to Affordable Care Act and Electronic Health Records

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Danzig

BLOOMINGTON, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

While the U.S. labor market is still soft, health IT is booming in Minnesota and across the U.S. As the health care system goes digital to streamline delivery, reduce costs, and implement a new accountable care model, health IT (HIT) is growing -- creating an increasing need for highly trained professionals. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in medical records and health information technology are expected to grow by 20 percent through 2018. This is due to the recent passage of the U.S. Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the federal mandate to implement electronic health records (EHRs) by 2015.

Since 2010, Normandale Community College has been at the forefront of training HIT professionals. Made possible by a $1.2 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the college has successfully provided HIT training to 300 health care, IT and related professionals. Eighty-five percent of professionals who completed the program during the first year are employed.

HIT is an ideal career for people who enjoy problem-solving and analysis, and are interested in working in the health care industry, said Sunny Ainley, Health IT Program Lead for the Center for Applied Learning at Normandale Community College.

It is estimated that one in nine U.S. jobs will be in health care by 2020, with a 66 percent increase in IT staff in the next year, according to HIMSS, a leading national health IT association. Despite this growing need, industry experts have predicted a hiring shortfall of thousands of HIT professionals over the next several years.

Normandale is the only college in Minnesota to offer a six-month, 100 percent online HIT training program. Providing professional level, industry-proven HIT training, the MnHIT program complements the education and experience of mid-career professionals with health care, IT, health information management, quality/process improvement and business analyst experience in metro and rural Minnesota.

The MnHIT program is now accepting applications through Sept. 17, 2012 for the third cohort of 200 participants. For more information on the MnHIT program and to apply, visit http://www.mnhealthit.com.

SAGE® Labs and Autism Speaks Expand Collaboration to Develop Rat Models for Translational Autism Research

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Danzig

ST. LOUIS, August 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (SIAL) today announced that Sigma Advanced Genetic Engineering (SAGE) Labs, an initiative of Sigma Life Science and Autism Speaks, the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization, expanded a collaboration to develop the first rat models with modified autism associated genes, intended to accelerate discovery and translational autism research.

Expansion of the collaboration follows initial behavioral studies demonstrating that the first two publicly available gene knockout rats, part of the seven rats generated through the collaboration to date, exhibit hallmark characteristics of autism, such as social deficits and repetitive behaviors. Many behavioral characteristics of autism observed in these rats are not seen in other animal models currently used for autism research. SAGE Labs and Autism Speaks now plan to generate additional genetically modified rat models of key autism-associated genes, including CNTNAP2 and MET.

"Autism spectrum disorders are a complex condition with significant unmet medical needs. Although uniquely human, fundamental aspects of the biology underlying autism can be effectively modeled in animals to advance our understanding of cause and enable translation of basic scientific discovery into medical breakthroughs that improve the quality of life for individuals on the spectrum," says Robert Ring, Ph.D., Vice President of Translational Research at Autism Speaks. "These new autism-relevant rat models have already demonstrated great potential for the field. Our new agreement ensures that additional models will continue to be developed and made available to accelerate progress along the entire translational research continuum, from academia to the pharmaceutical industry."

"Modeling human conditions in rats, rather than the mice that have come to predominate preclinical studies, enables more predictive studies of complex neurobehavioral conditions. Rats are unique in that they exhibit richer, more human-like social behaviors than mice, juvenile play being one example. The more complex neural circuitry and greater cognitive capacity in rats also enables researchers to complete many of the demandingand crucially informativecognitive tests that mice cannot perform. In addition, on a practical level, performing initial studies in rats also provides a direct path for drug development," says Edward Weinstein, Ph.D., Director of SAGE Labs.

Initial behavioral studies of the gene knockout rats generated by SAGE Labs are being conducted by Richard E. Paylor, Ph.D., Professor at the Baylor College of Medicine. In some cases, behaviors observed in the rat models have differed from existing mouse models. For example, whereas FMR1 knockout mice exhibit elevated social interactions, rats lacking the same gene participate much less in social play and emit fewer ultrasonic squeaks during play sessions than control rats. These types of social impairments, such as reduced verbal and interactive play, more closely parallel social behavior symptoms seen in humans with FMR1 mutations. Rat models lacking functional NLGN3 and FMR1 genes also display other unexpected characteristics, including compulsive chewing on water bottles and wood blocks. Compulsive and repetitive behaviors are core symptoms in individuals with autism spectrum disorders.

"At SAGE Labs we use CompoZr Zinc Finger Nuclease technology to perform targeted genetic modifications in species previously not amenable to such modifications be it gene knockout, transgene insertion, point mutations, or conditional gene knockout. We can help researchers and pharmaceutical companies access rats, rabbits and other species that best model a medical condition of interest and provide a direct path for preclinical efficacy and toxicology testing," says Weinstein.

Currently SAGE Labs publicly provides two rat lines with knockouts of autism-associated FMR1 and NLGN3 genes. The remaining five gene knockout rat lines developed in the original collaborationfor the genes MECP2, NRXN1, CACNA1C, PTEN, and MGLUR5are expected to be released soon. The CNTNAP2 and MET knockout rat lines to be generated in the expanded collaboration are expected to be available in 2013.

In a separate collaboration with The Michael J. Fox Foundation, SAGE Labs created the first animal models of Parkinson's disease that display deficits in movement similar to those developed by humans. Other genetically modified research models created by SAGE Labs include rats for Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, cancer, and cardiovascular disease research, as well as rats for toxicology testing in drug development. SAGE Labs' model generation services are available for rats, rabbits, mice and other organisms.

For more information, visit http://www.sageresearchmodels.com.

Cautionary Statement: The foregoing release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by terminology such as "enable," "initial data demonstrates," "predictive," "encourage" or similar expressions, or by expressed or implied discussions regarding potential future revenues from products derived there from. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of management regarding future events, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. There can be no guarantee that gene knockout rat models of autism-associated genes or related services will assist the Company to achieve any particular levels of revenue in the future. In particular, management's expectations regarding products associated with gene knockout rat models of autism-associated genes or related services could be affected by, among other things, unexpected regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; the Company's ability to obtain or maintain patent or other proprietary intellectual property protection; competition in general; government, industry and general public pricing pressures; the impact that the foregoing factors could have on the values attributed to the Company's assets and liabilities as recorded in its consolidated balance sheet, and other risks and factors referred to in Sigma-Aldrich's current Form 10-K on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Sigma-Aldrich is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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SAGE® Labs and Autism Speaks Expand Collaboration to Develop Rat Models for Translational Autism Research

Implementing a therapeutic hypothermia program for post-cardiac arrest in acute care hospitals

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Danzig

Public release date: 2-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, August 2, 2012National guidelines recommend the use of therapeutic hypothermia to improve outcomes in patients who suffer a heart attack outside of a hospital. The results of a survey of all 73 acute care hospitals in New Jersey evaluating the adoption and implementation of this life-saving treatment from 2004-2011 is published in Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management website at http://www.liebertpub.com/ther.

Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) involves reducing the body temperature to below normal levels for a prolonged period to minimize the potential damage caused by traumatic or ischemic injury that reduces blood flow to the tissues.

Factors contributing to the initially slow and more recently accelerated implementation of TH in New Jersey hospitals are described by Derek DeLia and colleagues from Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ), University of Alabama at Birmingham, Saint Barnabas Medical Center (Livingston, NJ), and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (Newark, NJ). The authors discuss the wide variation observed in the criteria for patient selection for TH across hospitals and the impact that variations in TH use can have on patient care in the article "Post-Cardiac Arrest Therapeutic Hypothermia in New Jersey Hospitals: Analysis of Adoption and Implementation."

"This communication is important because it focuses on the need of continued adoption and utilization of therapeutic hypothermia targeting cardiac arrest," says W. Dalton Dietrich, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal and Kinetic Concepts Distinguished Chair in Neurosurgery, Professor of Neurological Surgery, Neurology and Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. "It is hoped that this journal will continue to provide guidance as more hospitals and treating physicians use this beneficial treatment in limiting the devastating consequences of brain injury."

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About the Journal

Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management provides a strong multidisciplinary forum to advance the understanding of therapeutic hypothermia. Novel findings from translational preclinical investigations as well as clinical studies and trials are featured in original articles, state-of-the-art review articles, provocative roundtable discussions, clinical protocols, and best practices. Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management is the journal of record, published in print and online with open access options. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management website at http://www.liebertpub.com/ther.

About the Publisher

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Implementing a therapeutic hypothermia program for post-cardiac arrest in acute care hospitals

U.S. model for a future war fans tensions with China and inside Pentagon

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Danzig

When President Obama called on the U.S. military to shift its focus to Asia earlier this year, Andrew Marshall, a 91-year-old futurist, had a vision of what to do.

Marshalls small office in the Pentagon has spent the past two decades planning for a war against an angry, aggressive and heavily armed China.

No one had any idea how the war would start. But the American response, laid out in a concept that one of Marshalls longtime proteges dubbed Air-Sea Battle, was clear.

Stealthy American bombers and submarines would knock out Chinas long-range surveillance radar and precision missile systems located deep inside the country. The initial blinding campaign would be followed by a larger air and naval assault.

The concept, the details of which are classified, has angered the Chinese military and has been pilloried by some Army and Marine Corps officers as excessively expensive. Some Asia analysts worry that conventional strikes aimed at China could spark a nuclear war.

Air-Sea Battle drew little attention when U.S. troops were fighting and dying in large numbers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now the militarys decade of battling insurgencies is ending, defense budgets are being cut, and top military officials, ordered to pivot toward Asia, are looking to Marshalls office for ideas.

In recent months, the Air Force and Navy have come up with more than 200 initiatives they say they need to realize Air-Sea Battle. The list emerged, in part, from war games conducted by Marshalls office and includes new weaponry and proposals to deepen cooperation between the Navy and the Air Force.

A former nuclear strategist, Marshall has spent the past 40 years running the Pentagons Office of Net Assessment, searching for potential threats to American dominance. In the process, he has built a network of allies in Congress, in the defense industry, at think tanks and at the Pentagon that amounts to a permanent Washington bureaucracy.

While Marshalls backers praise his office as a place where officials take the long view, ignoring passing Pentagon fads, critics see a dangerous tendency toward alarmism that is exaggerating the China threat to drive up defense spending.

The old joke about the Office of Net Assessment is that it should be called the Office of Threat Inflation, said Barry Posen, director of the MIT Security Studies Program. They go well beyond exploring the worst cases. ... They convince others to act as if the worst cases are inevitable.

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U.S. model for a future war fans tensions with China and inside Pentagon

Everything That Will Go Extinct In The Next 40 Years [Infographic]

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Danzig

Futurist website nowandnext.com put together this awesome infographic predicting all of the technologies, behaviors, and ideas that will probably be distant memories by 2050.

Among their predictions: no more retirement four years from now, no more secretaries six years from now, and no more free parking or sit-down breakfasts by 2019.

The European Union is seen as surviving the current crisis before extinct in 2039.

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Everything That Will Go Extinct In The Next 40 Years [Infographic]

'Religious freedom' facade masks politicians' beliefs

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Danzig

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Convicted murderer chronicled in Times series closer to freedom

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Danzig

Convicted murderer John Paul Madrona, profiled in a Times series chronicling life inside a state prison hospice, has taken a step toward freedom after a two-person panel from the parole board pronounced him ready to leave.

Madrona, a former Carson-area gang member who murdered a bystander in 1993, no longer poses "a danger to society or a threat to public safety if released from prison," said Board of Parole Hearings Commissioner Jack Garner, who along with his fellow panelist noted the positive strides the convict has made while in confinement.

Wednesday's decision, Garner said, "is one we feel you deserved. You've changed."

The ruling, made in a wood-paneled conference room at the California Medical Facility prison, was the most important hurdle for Madrona to pass in his bid for freedom -- if hed been denied he probably would have had to wait three years for another hearing, and possibly several years more. But additional hurdles remain.

The panel's decision now faces review by the state's full parole board to determine if any mistakes were made during the hearing. Gov. Jerry Brown also can weigh in. If the decision makes it past Brown's desk, Madrona will probably have to wait about six more years before he leaves prison, the added time partly caused by demerits, such as failing to show up for a prison job.

As he'd done for much of Wednesday's three-hour hearing, the 36-year-old Madrona remained calm, though his eyes filled with tears.

This was his first parole hearing and the result was something of a surprise because murderers are not usually granted parole on their first attempt.

"It'sextraordinarilyrare," said Luis Patino, a spokesman for the Board of Parole Hearings. "In my two years on this job, that's the first time I've heard of anyone getting that."

Madrona, a Philippine national who will probably be deported upon release, was whisked away after the hearing, leaving comment to his attorney.

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Convicted murderer chronicled in Times series closer to freedom

Official Seeks UNESCO Status for D-Day Beaches

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Danzig

A top official in Normandy is calling for the D-Day beaches where American and Allied troops launched the invasion of German-occupied Europe to be listed among UNESCO's world heritage sites.

Laurent Beauvais (Bo-VAY), president of Lower Normandy, says the designation will allow for the protection and preservation of the five beaches that symbolize a turning point for World War II.

Beauvais was on his way Thursday to the American cemetery in Normandy with Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear.

The Frenchman says he is pushing France's federal government to send an application to the U.N. cultural organization about Normandy, which he called "a land of memories."

It can take years for a proposed heritage site to be listed, and a UNESCO official cautioned that sites linked to wars are discouraged.

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Official Seeks UNESCO Status for D-Day Beaches

Volusia beaches make 'dangerous' list for shark attacks

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Danzig

Volusia beaches make 'dangerous' list

The pristine beaches in Volusia County made a list that may scare some beachgoers.

The county was ranked No. 6 on the Dangerous Beaches list because of its prevalence for shark attacks.

The county's beaches have the highest rate of unprovoked shark attacks per square mile than anywhere else in the world.

"People are fascinated by sharks. They grab headlines. They grab attention," said Tanya Boyd, with the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Travel writer Pauline Frommer put the list together, which also includes beaches notorious for crime and pollution.

Volusia County has had four shark bites this year, which is a slow year.

"We just like to say our sharks are small. There have been no fatal attacks," said Boyd. "Our beaches are safe."

The bulk of the bites occur near the Inlet at New Smyrna Beach.

Surfers like Joey Coppola are the usual victims. Coppola received a foot injury. It was what the experts call "bump and bites."

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Volusia beaches make 'dangerous' list for shark attacks

Tropical Storm Debby delivered massive losses to Pinellas beaches, USF study says

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Danzig

By Anna M. Phillips, Times Staff Writer Anna M. PhillipsTampa Bay Times In Print: Thursday, August 2, 2012

Tropical Storm Debby swept more sand off of Pinellas County's beaches than any other storm in the past decade, according a report released Wednesday by University of South Florida researchers.

Over the course of three days in June, Debby scrubbed the county's coastline of 630,900 cubic yards of sand, enough to fill about 193 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Already, county officials have estimated that restoring the beaches to their previous state could cost $25 million.

That estimate rose even higher Wednesday as officials added $866,000 to the total, the cost of restoring Fort De Soto beach and Honeymoon Island.

The study by Ping Wang, a University of South Florida geology professor, and doctoral student Tiffany Roberts, found that beaches in the southern barrier islands fared the worst against Debby's southerly winds. The storm pushed sand north, depositing most of it a few feet from shore and creating wide and shallow sand bars.

The hurricane season stretches from June 1 to Nov. 30 and, with more storms on the way, the county's beaches are more vulnerable.

At Pass-a-Grille beach, the dune line retreated by an average of almost 12 feet and the area lost just over 25 feet of beach as its shoreline moved inland. Indian Shores and North Redington, whose beaches that were given sand infusions in 2006, were among the most severely eroded. Both lost about 34 feet of beach. Sunset Beach, rebuilt in 2010, lost about 21 feet.

"For the 11 years that we have been studying the beach along these three barrier islands, Debby is probably the worst," Wang said. "It caused the most widespread beach erosion."

Before Debby, the most destructive storm to hit county beaches was Hurricane Frances, Wang said. In 2004, Frances brought stronger winds to the bay area, but passed more quickly, causing less overall erosion.

As well as tearing up beaches that are critical to the area's economy, Debby also damaged the ongoing beach restoration work on Sand Key. The $31.5million project was in its early stages, said Andy Squires, the county's coastal manager, but by the time it is done, he expects to have about 25 percent less sand there than anticipated.

Tropical Storm Debby delivered massive losses to Pinellas beaches, USF study says

Several Nantucket and New Bedford beaches closed because of bacteria

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Danzig

By Sarah N. Mattero, Globe Correspondent

Multiple Massachusetts beaches have been closed because of high bacteria counts in the water.

In New Bedford, the East Beach located along East Rodney French Boulevard, West Beach along West Rodney French Boulevard, and the beach inside Fort Taber Park are closed to swimming today, according to the New Bedford Health Department. They were closed yesterday as a preventative measure after heavy rain fall.

All four sections of the Wollaston beaches in Quincy remain closed to swimming due to bacteria counts higher than the threshold set by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Along Cape Cod, Nauset Light Beach in Eastham and Marconi Beach in Wellfleet have been closed for high bacteria counts.

In Nantucket, a total of 10 beaches have been closed: 40th Pole, Childrens Beach, Dionis Beach, Jetties Beach, Miacomet Beach, Sewerbeds Beach, Washing Pond, Washington Street, Cliffside Beach Club, and Wauwinet Bayside Beach, according to the towns website.

This widespread closure is extremely unusual but may be attributable to either the heavy rains of the night before or windblown dead seaweed on our north shore which may be fermenting and releasing bacteria during high tide cycles, said Nantucket Health Department director Richard Ray.

The Health Department tests for the bacteria enterococci, which is type of bacteria that indicates that forms of coliform bacteria are present in the water sampled. Ray believes results from yesterdays Nantucket samples will be available today around 3 or 4 p.m.

The beaches will be reopened to swimming once water returns to acceptable quality levels.

Several Nantucket and New Bedford beaches closed because of bacteria

UTC Aerospace Systems to Showcase Advanced Technology at AUVSI

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Danzig

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- UTC Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (UTX) will showcase a full range of systems for defense, law enforcement, fire-fighting and security applications at the AUVSI show, which takes place in Las Vegas, Nev., on August 6-9.

Located at booth 2654, UTC Aerospace Systems will display its micro-UAS, along with its terrain proximity (TERPROM) navigation software and inertial sensors suitable for small and large UAVs to aid guidance, navigation and control.

The UTC Aerospace Systems booth will feature the Cloud Cap Technology Piccolo autopilot, the industry standard in open architecture autopilots, providing feature rich capabilities with superior performance and reliability. The Cloud Cap Technology TASE gimbals, including the newest TASE 400 model, will be demonstrated, offering the highest performance in the lowest SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) in the industry.

UTC Aerospace Systems' Sensors Unlimited short-wave infrared (SWIR) cameras will also be on display. These cameras offer the SWIR capability in an extremely compact format, with high resolution. Their lightweight size and ruggedized format makes them especially suitable applications in smaller UAVs, while still providing all the benefits of being able to see through obscurants such as fog, haze and smoke.

Technical teams will be on hand throughout the show for expert demonstrations and to answer questions.

UTC Aerospace Systems designs, manufactures and services integrated systems and components for the aerospace and defense industries. UTC Aerospace Systems supports a global customer base with significant worldwide manufacturing and customer service facilities.

United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Connecticut, is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries.

http://www.utcaerospacesystems.com

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UTC Aerospace Systems to Showcase Advanced Technology at AUVSI

Research and Markets: ForeSights: Suncare Nutrition – Identify New Concepts that Could Influence Consumer Trends or …

Posted on August 2, 2012 by ev1

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/lrvp76/foresights_suncar) has announced the addition of the "ForeSights: Suncare Nutrition" report to their offering.

The era of nutricosmetics is arriving. Consumers are increasingly turning towards food and drink as a solution to their personal care problems. As the concept develops, it seems inevitable that suncare nutrition will become a focus.

This ForeSights report was compiled according to Datamonitor's ForeSights methodology which aims to identify new concepts that could influence consumer trends or have a future commercial application in consumer packaged goods.

Features and benefits:

- Consider emerging opportunities and threats in the consumer packaged goods market and gain insight into potential future consumer behavior.

- Identify interesting new and emerging concepts, products, and ideas on offer in retail, foodservice, online spaces, and beyond.

- Understand how new concepts and ideas fit in to - or challenge - current consumer trends

- Gain insight and inspiration for innovation programs and new product development.

Highlights

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Research and Markets: ForeSights: Suncare Nutrition - Identify New Concepts that Could Influence Consumer Trends or ...

In Vitro Diagnostics: World Market Outlook 2012-2022

Posted on August 2, 2012 by ev1

NEW YORK, Aug. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

http://www.reportlinker.com/p0578540/In-Vitro-Diagnostics-World-Market-Outlook-2012-2022.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=In_Vitro_Diagnostic

Our new study shows you potential revenues to 2022 for in vitro diagnostics at total world, submarket and national levels. What technologies and applications will expand that market? What effects will changes have? You will find predictions and answers.

In our report you will find revenue predictions for clinical chemistry, immunochemistry, haematology, microbiology, genetic testing, and point of care testing (POCT).

You will find coverage of Roche, Siemens, Abbott Laboratories, Danaher and Becton Dickinson & Company.

We help you to assess the in vitro diagnostics industry and market's strengths, weaknesses, trends and potential revenues to 2022. You will see where those technologies are heading.

Our new report provides data, analysis and opinion to benefit your research, calculations, meetings and presentations. To get that information please respond now.

Original analysis with revenues, growth rates, market shares, opinion and discussions

You will find revenue forecasts, growth rates, market shares, a SWOT review, opinions from our survey and discussions of technologies and companies. We provide 68 tables and charts and two research interviews (shown in the accompanying lists).

In this report, you will receive the following benefits in particular: You will discover revenue forecasts to 2021 for the world in vitro diagnostics market and its main components, seeing where the highest revenue growth will occur You will find revenue forecasts to 2021 for IVD technologies, assessing their commercial potential and applications You will discover revenue forecasts to 2021 for leading national markets (US, Japan, Germany, France, Spain, UK, Italy, China and India), seeing growth trends You will assess leading companies in IVD, discovering their activities and outlooks You will investigate competition and opportunities influencing the IVD industry and market from 2011 onwards You will see what will stimulate and restrain the IVD industry and market from 2011 You will identify diagnostic needs and commercial opportunities, including those for personalised medicine You will analyse opportunities and challenges for established companies and those seeking to enter the IVD market You will view opinions from our industry survey, receiving full interview transcripts.

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In Vitro Diagnostics: World Market Outlook 2012-2022

DNA tests show seafood fraud haunts iconic port

Posted on August 2, 2012 by ev1

Monterey is one of California's iconic seafood spots, but that apparently doesn't mean you always get what you order at the city's eateries and grocery stores.

DNA testing in Monterey showed that that more than one-third of the seafood samples collected from 17 grocery stores, restaurants and sushi venues were mislabeled according to federal standards.

Those results were released Thursday by the international ocean advocacy group Oceana and the Monterey Weekly. The publication targeted species with regional significance and those that were found to be mislabeled from previous studies, including red and yellowtail snapper, wild salmon and sole.

Oceana had other groups have found higher rates of fish mislabeling in Los Angeles (55 percent) and Boston (48 percent), and similar rates in South Florida (31 percent). Last year, the group launched an initiative to reduce what's been dubbed "seafood fraud," in which one species is substituted for another.

The practice can undermine local fishermen and consumers' ability to make choices based on fishing practices, location and variety of seafood.

"Given how famous Monterey Bay is for fresh, local seafood, if we are seeing seafood fraud at this level, it's happening everywhere," said Geoff Shester, California program director for Oceana. He was not aware of any San Diego-specific study on the issue, though his group is testing seafood at other spots nationwide.

Oceana said the biggest surprise was the discovery that restaurants selling popular Monterey Bay sand dabs were actually selling juvenile flathead sole. None of the fish labeled as sand dabs were Pacific sand dab found in local waters, DNA tests showed.

We still dont know whether the baby flatfish sold as sand dabs came from Alaska or as the result of trawling in a local fish nursery habitat," Shester said. Either way, residents and tourists seeking this famous Monterey Bay seafood dish at a local restaurant are being duped, at the expense of local hook-and-line fishermen who can catch real sand dabs sustainably.

Former Akron police captain excluded by DNA test

Posted on August 2, 2012 by ev1

By Mike Wagner

The Columbus Dispatch Thursday August 2, 2012 10:55 AM

Attorneys for former Akron Police Capt. Douglas Prade, center, say the tests prove his innocence.

New lab-test results show that DNA recovered from a murder scene in Summit County didn't come from a former Akron police captain who was convicted of killing his ex-wife nearly 15 years ago in a case that received national attention.

Douglas Prade, 66, is currently serving a life sentence at the Madison Correctional Institution, but has always maintained his innocence after being convicted in September of 1998. Prade was found guilty of shooting his ex-wife, Margo, a prominent Akron doctor and the mother of his two daughters. Margo was shot six times following a struggle in her van in a parking lot outside of her office.

They are not going to find my DNA because I didnt do it, said Prade in a prison interview with the Dispatch last year. This has always been about seeking and revealing the truth.

View video interviews The Dispatch conducted with Prade in 2007

The DNA testing, conducted by DNA Diagnostics Center of Fairfield, north of Cincinnati, focused on the lab coat Margo was wearing during the attack and specifically a bite mark left by her killer. Testing results released today found male DNA present within the bite mark but it didnt match Prade. Further testing of the lab coat performed by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations during the past several months didnt detect the presence of other male DNA. Fingernail scrapings from Margo Prade and other items collected from the crime scene were also tested and excluded Douglas Prades DNA.

Attorneys at the Ohio Innocence Project, based at the University of Cincinnati, say the testing results prove Prades innocence and he should be exonerated. They are asking Summit County Common Pleas Judge Judy L. Hunter to set Douglas Prade free or, at the very least, grant him a new trial. A hearing in Akron to determine the significance of the new testing results is scheduled for Aug. 21.

Read the rest here:
Former Akron police captain excluded by DNA test

Personal DNA Testing: What Can It Reveal?

Posted on August 2, 2012 by ev1

Winning government approval would be the first step in increasing public confidence in personalized genetic testing

Maciej Frolow / Photodisc / Getty Images

Earlier this week, the personal gene-testing company 23andMe announcedthat its seeking the blessing of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its DNA tests that allow people to peer into their genetic makeup.

If the FDA grants approval, it would be a major step forward for the growing industry springing up around genetic testing. Every day, it seems, scientists are reporting new gene-based discoveries that allow them to better pinpoint the causes of disease. As technology becomes increasingly sophisticated, single-gene tests are being joined by the sort of genotyping technology used by 23andMe, which scans about 1 million points on the genome that are known to vary among humans. An even more complex technique, genomic sequencing, looks at about 3 billion points that cover a persons entire genetic code. 23andMe the name is a reference to the 23 pairs of chromosomes that comprise a persons genome intends to eventually offer sequencing, but the cost starts at around $4,000, which is considerably more expensive than the $299 the company charges for its testing.

Not only is sequencing more costly, but it also uncovers a trove of data that researchers have yet to fully understand. Even among the more targeted areas of the genome that 23andMe examines, there is much information that remains murky if not elusive. Of the 1 million points we look at, theres only a fraction of those that science can tell us anything about, says Ashley Gould, 23andMes vice president for corporate development and its chief legal officer.

Since 23andMe began offering testing in late 2007, more than 150,000 people have become clients. The vast majority have been adults, although parents can give consent for their children to participate. Our goal is to get 1 million in our database, says Gould. Having more people will increase our power to conduct research. There is immense power in coming together to progress research.

(MORE: 23andMe Seeks FDA Approval for Personal DNA Test)

The company was co-founded by Anne Wojcicki, who is married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin. Her bio on the company website explains why shes interested in personal genetics, expressing her hope that the company will create a common, standardized resource that has the potential to accelerate drug discovery and bring personalized medicine to the public. (Plus, getting access to her own genetic information and understanding it has always been one of Annes ambitions.)

The $299 fee includes processing of a saliva sample via a collection kit the company sends out. The data gleaned from the sample is shared with users via a secure website. Customers also have access to the companys ancestry features, which have helped people track down relatives. There are 242 health reports available for different conditions, enabling users to learn more about traits like freckling or eye color as well as carrier status for cystic fibrosis, for example, and risk for diseases such as Alzheimers. As new literature is published, we add new reports, says Gould.

When data reveals increased risk for certain diseases, 23andMe offers up videos that share more detailed information about that specific condition. The company also has a relationship with a nationwide genetic counseling service that users can call for an appointment.

Kaeppel's Corner: Don't Know Much Biology (but maybe just enough)

Posted on August 2, 2012 by ev1

I dont know what theyre teaching kids these days. Let me rephrase that. I dont understand a lot of what they are teaching kids these days. At the end of the last school year I was thrust into action quizzing my daughter as she studied for her final exam in Honors Biology. Hey, always glad to lend a helping hand. But it got a little troubling after awhile.

Oh, dont worry, she was getting almost all of the answers correct. The problem was the unease I felt as I read the questions. For much of the time I didnt even understand the questions I was asking. I am pretty sure all of the words were in English but at one point I suddenly wondered if I was speaking in tongues.

So yes I am sad to say, I apparently Dont know much biology.

Still, in the immortal words of Lynyrd Skynyrd, I know a little bout it. And as it turns out, it might just be enough.

Biology A Potential Cure for the Summertime Blues

Historically, the stock market has a tendency to hit the doldrums during the summer months. And while this is a topic for another day (Note to myself), the bottom line is that since about 1950, the stock market is about breakeven during the combined months of June, July and August. Still there is often a late summer glimmer of hope offered up by biotech stocks.

Specifically, biotech stocks have shown a tendency to rally between:

-The close of the 7th trading day of August, and;

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