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Research and Markets: Poland In Vitro Diagnostics Investment Opportunities, Analysis and Forecasts to 2017

Posted on July 26, 2012 by ev1

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8cv4vq/poland_in_vitro_di) has announced the addition of Global Markets Direct's new report "Poland In Vitro Diagnostics Investment Opportunities, Analysis and Forecasts to 2017" to their offering.

This report provides value (USD million) data for each segment and sub-segment within seven market categories - Clinical Chemistry, Genetic Testing, Haematology, Histology And Cytology, Immuno Chemistry, Infectious Immunology and Microbiology Culture. The report also provides company shares and distribution shares data for each of the aforementioned market categories. The report is supplemented with global corporate-level profiles of the key market participants with information on key recent developments.

This report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research and in-house analysis by Global Markets Direct's team of industry experts.

Scope

- Market size and company share data for In Vitro Diagnostics market categories - Clinical Chemistry, Genetic Testing, Haematology, Histology And Cytology, Immuno Chemistry, Infectious Immunology and Microbiology Culture.

- Annualized market revenues (USD million) data for each of the segments and sub-segments within seven market categories. Data from 2003 to 2010, forecast forward for 7 years to 2017.

- 2010 company shares and distribution shares data for each of the seven market categories.

- Global corporate-level profiles of key companies operating within the Poland In Vitro Diagnostics market.

Key players covered include: F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Abbott Laboratories, Siemens Healthcare, Beckman Coulter, Inc., bioMerieux S.A., Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics Inc. and others.

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Research and Markets: Poland In Vitro Diagnostics Investment Opportunities, Analysis and Forecasts to 2017

New gene therapy strategy boosts levels of deficient protein in Friedreich’s ataxia

Posted on July 26, 2012 by ev1

Public release date: 25-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 x2156 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, July 25, 2012A novel approach to gene therapy that instructs a person's own cells to produce more of a natural disease-fighting protein could offer a solution to treating many genetic disorders. The method was used to achieve a 2- to 3-fold increase in production of a protein deficient in patients with Friedreich's ataxia, as described in an article published Instant Online in Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (http://www.liebertpub.com) The article is available free online at the Human Gene Therapy website (http://www.liebertpub.com/hum).

The innovative gene therapy method described by Jacques Tremblay, Pierre Chapdelaine, Zo Coulombe, and Joel Rousseau, Laval University, Quebec, and University of Quebec, Canada, takes advantage of the ability of a family of proteins called Tal effector (TALE) proteins to target specific DNA sequences. As a model of how this method could be used to treat genetic disease, the authors engineered TALE proteins to target the gene that codes for the frataxin protein, which is deficient in Friedreich's ataxia. The ability to induce cells to produce more frataxin could reduce symptoms of the disease and provide an effective, long-term therapeutic strategy, conclude the authors in the article "TALE Proteins Induce the Expression of the Frataxin Gene. (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/hum.2012.034)

"This is a very clever approach to treat a recessive disease caused by decreased quantity of an otherwise normal protein," says James M. Wilson, MD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief, and Director of the Gene Therapy Program, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia.

###

About the Journal

Human Gene Therapy (http://www.liebertpub.com/hum), the Official Journal of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy, British Society for Gene and Cell Therapy, French Society of Cell and Gene Therapy, German Society of Gene Therapy, and five other gene therapy societies is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published monthly in print and online that presents reports on the transfer and expression of genes in mammals, including humans. Related topics include improvements in vector development, delivery systems, and animal models, particularly in the areas of cancer, heart disease, viral disease, genetic disease, and neurological disease, as well as ethical, legal, and regulatory issues related to the gene transfer in humans. Tables of content and a free sample issue may be viewed online at the Human Gene Therapy website (http://www.liebertpub.com/hum).

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com) is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Tissue Engineering, Stem Cells and Development, and Cellular Reprogramming. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available at Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (http://www.liebertpub.com)

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New gene therapy strategy boosts levels of deficient protein in Friedreich's ataxia

Texas Cold Case: Arrest in 1980 Murder After DNA Match

Posted on July 26, 2012 by ev1

Nearly thirty-two years after Mildred McKinney was sexually assaulted, beaten and strangled in her home, authorities in Texas have made an arrest in the elderly woman's murder.

Authorities announced today that Stephen Alan Thomas, 53, is being held at Williamson County Jail on a capital murder charge for the Nov. 4, 1980 murder of McKinney, who was then 73.

Henry Lee Lucas, a convicted serial killer who has since died, had confessed to the crime, but his admission was discounted in the late 1980s after DNA testing, said Sgt. John Foster of the Williamson County Sheriff's Office.

"We never did know Stephen Alan Thomas until the DNA hit," Foster said. "That just opened a whole direction in the case."

Thomas' DNA was found on a ligature, which was used to tie McKinney's body, Foster said. His fingerprint was also found in her home, according to police.

On June 27, 2012, a lab test showed the DNA was a match.

Williamson County Sheriff?s Office

Authorities traveled to Dallas to interview Thomas and later to Austin, where he had relocated to his parents' home, Foster said.

"The first time I talked to him, he denied everything and ever knowing Mildred McKinney, ever being in her house and any type of sexual contact with her," Foster said. "[If that was the case] his DNA being in that house should have never been in there. He kind of worked himself into a bit of a problem there."

Foster said that because of the pending investigation, he was unable to discuss any theories as to why McKinney was targeted or whether Thomas knew her. But he said he was "thrilled" to see an arrest after several decades.

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Texas Cold Case: Arrest in 1980 Murder After DNA Match

Questions raised by DNA in Vt. murder conviction

Posted on July 26, 2012 by ev1

MONTPELIER, Vt.Lawyers for a former New York man in prison for the 1994 murder of his wife say new analysis of DNA evidence points strongly to his innocence.

The state defender general's office and a private Burlington lawyer filed court papers on Tuesday asking that John Grega, 50, be set free or at least be given a new trial.

Defender General Matthew Valerio said the Grega case marks the first time a Vermont court has been asked to overturn a conviction based on DNA evidence under a 2008 state law allowing those convicted of certain serious crimes to petition for DNA testing of biological evidence. It could mark the arrival in Vermont of a national trend in which serious felony convictions have been overturned thanks to newly available DNA evidence.

Grega was convicted in 1995 of aggravated murder and aggravated sexual assault in the rape and killing of his wife, Christine, the previous year. The Gregas were from Lake Grove, N.Y., on Long Island and were vacationing with their then-2-year-old son in West Dover when Christine Grega, 31, was killed.

Grega was the first person convicted and sentenced under a then-new Vermont law setting a penalty of life in prison without parole for aggravated murder.

A motion filed in Windham Superior Court by Valerio's office and Burlington lawyer Ian Carleton said tests conducted recently by the state crime lab on a DNA sample taken from Christine Grega's body showed it was not that of John Grega, but another, unknown male.

"It is difficult to overstate the game-changing nature of this new evidence, especially in a case where, as here, the evidence of Mr. Grega's guilt has at all times been purely circumstantial," the lawyers wrote. The new developments were first reported in Wednesday's Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times Argus.

"Under the reasonable doubt standard, this new DNA evidence -- which was never presented to the jury and therefore was never considered in deliberations -- would have not just slightly, but vastly, increased the likelihood of an acquittal or a hung jury in the original trial," they added. "Put simply, we now have compelling evidence that John Grega did not commit the crime for which he has served nearly two decades in jail."

Valerio said the Windham County state's attorney's office would have a chance to respond to the motion, and then the court would have several options: It could reject the new filing; it could vacate Grega's conviction and set him free; it could let the conviction stand but reduce the sentence to time served and set Grega free, or it could order a new trial.

The state's attorney, Tracy Shriver, said Wednesday afternoon she did not want to comment until doing so in writing to the court.

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Questions raised by DNA in Vt. murder conviction

DNA reveals woman’s past, house’s possible future

Posted on July 26, 2012 by ev1

Published: Jul 25, 2012 12:00 AM Modified: Jul 24, 2012 12:15 PM

DNA reveals womans past, houses possible future

Deardra Green-Campbell, left, and William Johnston Hogan. DNA and genealogical evidence indicates that Green-Campbell is a descendant of Hogan's.

Photos courtesy of the Preservation Society of Chapel Hill

Deardra Green-Campbell stands in front of the Hogan-Rogers House on Purefoy Road. Genealogical and DNA data indicate that Green-Campbell's great-great-great grandmother was a slave of Thomas Lloyd Hogan, who built the house in the 1840s.

Photo courtesy of the Preservation Society of Chapel Hill

CHAPEL HILL - Sitting at a table at the Outback Steakhouse in Suwanee, Ga., Ernest Dollar insisted on making a brief speech before presenting the envelope with such a flourish that his wife asked him if he really had to be so dramatic to Deardra Green-Campbell.Ernie made a big production out of it, said Green-Campbell, an economic development consultant in Atlanta. But the truth was, it was a very emotional moment for me.Inside the envelope were the results of a DNA analysis comparing her familys genetic makeup with that of the Hogan family, among the first to settle in Orange County. The conclusion: a strong indication that Green-Campbell was descended from Harriet Hogan a slave of Thomas Lloyd Hogan and William Johnston Hogan, the slave-owners white son. That link filled in a key piece of her familys genealogical puzzle, which Green-Campbell had been tracing for four years.I thought, Here we are sitting in a restaurant in the 21st century, and Im looking at a part of my familys life from well over a century ago, she said. It made me feel an even stronger connection with my ancestors. It almost transported me back to that time.For Green-Campbell, the DNA confirmation opened a window on a previously hidden portion of her familys past.For Dollar, the executive director of the Preservation Society of Chapel Hill, it was a vivid illustration of William Faulkners famous dictum that The past is never dead. Its not even past. It also might play a role in efforts to save a historic house, the Hogan-Rogers House on Purefoy Road in Chapel Hill.The Preservation Society will hold a press conference Wednesday to discuss the DNA project and the status of the Hogan-Rogers House.Thomas Lloyd Hogan built the house in the mid-1840s, and indications are that the familys slaves, including Harriet Green-Campbells great-great-great grandmother lived in its basement.The house is slated for demolition this fall to make way for St. Paul AME Church, which is moving to the site. The Preservation Society and others, including St. Paul, hope to move it intact to a nearby site to serve as a community center for the Rogers Road neighborhood. The DNA link to Green-Campbells family helps bring to life the long history of an important house, Dollar said. The Hogan-Rogers House is a link to a time before the neighborhood became dominated by the nearby Orange County landfill, which was built in the early 1970s. This house has had an iconic role in a community that has been hit so hard by the landfill, Dollar said. You can still find people in the neighborhood who remember sitting with their dates on the front porch, playing in the yard, eating dinner in the basement. Its a reminder that history remains relevant today.It took an impressive bit of sleuthing by Green-Campbell to come up with the connection between her family, which is centered mostly in the Northeast, and the Hogans in Orange County. She knew her extended family included some members with the surname Hogan (sometimes Hogans), and she knew her mother Harriet was named after a distant grandmother. On the Preservation Societys website she found a piece about the Hogan-Rogers House that mentioned a slave of the Hogan family named Harriet. She and Dollar exchanged information and concluded the two Harriets were probably the same person. Further searching turned up records indicating that Harriet and W.J. Hogan had a baby boy in 1845 they named Haywood Hogan.At that point, Id say I was 60-40 convinced I was on the right track, Green-Campbell said. We decided the DNA test could confirm it.In order to determine a genetic match, she needed to find a male relative on her mothers side. More investigation led her to a distant cousin living in Brooklyn, N.Y. His name: Haywood Hogans.I tracked down his number and called him. He was not aware of me or anybody in his family further back than his grandfather, whose name was also Haywood Hogans, Green-Campbell said. So when I got to the point where I said, Oh, by the way, I need a DNA sample, he was a bit shocked.Eventually, he agreed. Green-Campbell and Haywood Hogans plan to attend the press conference at the Horace Williams House.Never in my wildest dreams did I think Id be able to see and touch documents and structures pertaining to my enslaved ancestors, Green-Campbell said. On top of that, to be able to participate in the efforts to preserve the house in which my third great-grandmother was a slave has been an overwhelmingly emotional part of my journey.

Hart: 919-932-8744

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DNA reveals woman’s past, house’s possible future

Taking DNA swabs from arrestees will be reviewed

Posted on July 26, 2012 by ev1

Californias practice of taking DNA from people who have been arrested but not yet convicted of a felony is going to get a second look by a federal appeals court.

A majority of judges on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals voted Wednesday to reconsider a split decision by a three-judge panel that upheld the program in February.

The courts decision to ask a larger panel of judges to consider the case is a setback forstate prosecutors, who have defended the DNA collection as a vital crime tool.

Once a person is swabbed, his or her DNA profile is placed in a criminal database, where it can be compared with DNA profiles compiled from evidence at crime scenes. Among those challenging the program were three protesters who were arrested but never convicted of a crime.

ALSO:

Hundreds of new parking meters going up in L.A.

Judge to determine if Katherine Jackson was abducted

Justin Bieber: Paparazzo in chase first to face charges under law

-- Maura Dolan

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Taking DNA swabs from arrestees will be reviewed

Fetal DNA tests: Will patents work against patients?

Posted on July 26, 2012 by ev1

Maybe youve been reading a lot lately about the development of fetal DNA tests based on a curious fact -- that the blood of a pregnant woman contains tiny bits of DNA of the fetus.

Several groups have recently used this fact to sequence the entire genome of a fetus and pick up the presence of extra chromosomes or even individual gene variants that would render the baby prone to health conditions.

Its an important development with much promise, health researchers say, because it offers a way to detect genetic abnormalities very early, without the small but real risk of miscarriage that comes with todays widely used screening technologies: amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling.

But the promise of this science -- much of it developed with government funds -- could be stymied by the thorny issue of intellectual property rights, argues a group of Stanford scientists in the journal Science Translational Medicine. (And you'll only get to read the abstract of the article unless you pay, because someone else owns the rights to it.)

Lauren Sayres and coauthors note that lots of patents have been granted for various slices of this technology. And one particular company, San Diegos Sequenom, is the exclusive licensee of many of them, including a broad one based on work of scientists at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Sequenom has developed a test for trisomy 21 (three copies of chromosome No. 21, which causes Down syndrome), among other tests, but has been in litigation with and issued warnings to various other companies, including Ariosa Diagnostics Inc., arguing that they are infringing on its patent license agreements. Ariosa markets the Harmony Prenatal Test for trisomy 21.

The authors list all of the U.S. patents, inventors and licensees theyre aware of, and even they say its unclear which ones might trump which others. We shall see. Still, if Sequenom prevails and becomes a virtual monopoly in this area, would it matter?

The authors argue yes. They cite cost as one reason: Sequenoms trisomy 21 test goes for $1,900, they say, likely beyond the reach of most women and particularly the uninsured -- even if insurance companies pick up the bulk of the tab. And, they add, monopolies can impede improvements: They point to a company, Verinata Health, which claims it has an improved method for detecting trisomy 21. If Verinata Health or other companies are prevented from developing more accurate tests, patient care may suffer, they write.

DNA patent fights have a way of dragging on ... and on ... and on. And then theres the issue of whether genes themselves (versus technologies involving genes) can be patented. Read more about that in this blog post by my colleague Eryn Brown. The case centers on patents for genetic tests that use variants of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes to identify women at heightened risk for breast and ovarian cancer.

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Fetal DNA tests: Will patents work against patients?

Computer model mimics entire organism

Posted on July 26, 2012 by ev1

(Image credit: Erik Jacobsen/Cover Lab)

PALO ALTO, Calif., July 24 (UPI) -- Researchers in California say they've made a breakthrough in computational biology by creating the first complete computer model of an organism.

Writing in the journal Cell, researchers at Stanford University combined date from more than 900 scientific papers to account for every molecular interaction in the life cycle of Mycoplasma genitalium, the world's smallest free-living bacterium.

Modeling the entirety of an organism in a computer has been a longstanding goal for computational biology and represents a stepping-stone toward the use of computer-aided design in bioengineering and medicine, a Stanford release reported.

Biology studies in the past two decades have produced enormous amounts of cellular information, so a lack of experimental data is no longer the primary limiting factor, researchers said; instead, it's how to make sense of what is already known.

A complete computer model of an organism can clarify and illuminate data sets whose sheer size would otherwise place them outside human understanding, they said.

"You don't really understand how something works until you can reproduce it yourself," Stanford bioengineering researcher Jayodita Sanghvi said.

Mycoplasma genitalium was chosen, the researchers said, because it possesses the smallest genome of any free-living organism -- only 525 genes -- as opposed to the 4,288 of E. coli, a more traditional laboratory bacterium.

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Computer model mimics entire organism

Algae Biomass Summit to Feature Latest Breakthroughs in Algae Research

Posted on July 26, 2012 by ev1

DENVER, CO--(Marketwire -07/25/12)- The 6th Annual Algae Biomass Summit, taking place in Denver, Co. September 24-27 will showcase more than 30 presentations in its Biology track from researchers and scientists at leading companies, universities and national labs during the course of the three-day event. These sessions are designed for highly technical audiences and will do a "deep dive" into new research, breakthroughs and insights related to algae biology.

"We've attracted and recruited an incredible group of leaders whose work is key to unlocking the full potential of algae as a feedstock for fuel, food, feed and other co-products," said Phil Pienkos, Principal Group Manager, Applied Sciences for the National Bioenergy Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Chair of the Algae Biomass Summit. "Anyone interested in or involved in the technical aspects of algal biology will not want to miss the presentations."

Highlights among the nearly three dozen presentations include:

The Biology Track is one of four tracks, plus plenary sessions and posters, which comprise the agenda for the Algae Biomass Summit. In total, there are expected to be more than 90 live and 120 poster presentations during the Summit. The 2011 Algae Biomass Summit was attended by more than 800 stakeholders from more than 25 countries across the algae industry. Organizers are expecting an even larger turnout for this year's event.

The Summit comes at a time when industry is increasingly looking for new sources of sustainable raw materials -- feedstock -- for a wide range of end uses. Products made from algae are the natural solution to the energy, food, economic, and climate challenges facing the world today. Algae have the power to simultaneously put fuels in vehicles, recycle CO2, provide nutrition for animals and people and create jobs for millions of Americans. More information can be found at http://www.allaboutalgae.com.

The Algae Biomass Summit is produced by the Algal Biomass Organization, the trade association for the US algae industry. More information about the Summit can be found at http://www.algaebiomasssummit.org.

About the Algal Biomass OrganizationThe Algal Biomass Organization (ABO) is a 501 c(6) non-profit whose mission is to promote the development of viable commercial markets for renewable and sustainable commodities derived from algae. Its membership is comprised of people, companies and organizations across the value chain. More information about ABO, including its leadership, membership, costs, benefits and members and their affiliations, is available at the website: http://www.algalbiomass.org.

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Algae Biomass Summit to Feature Latest Breakthroughs in Algae Research

Polo Biology Global Group Corporation Proposes 1:10 Share Consolidation Concurrent with Sale of Active Business

Posted on July 26, 2012 by ev1

VANCOUVER , July 24, 2012 /CNW/ - Polo Biology Global Group Corporation (the "Company") (TSXV-PGG) announced today that, further to its news release of June 6, 2012 , shareholders will shortly be receiving the management prepared Special and Annual General Shareholder Meeting materials in connection with the Company's Meeting to be held on August 16, 2012 . With respect to special business at the Meeting, management have proposed that shareholders approve by special resolution the sale of the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Rainbow Trend Limited, to Mark Vantage Limited for cash consideration of $760,000 CND as detailed in the Company's June 6, 2012 news release. The Meeting materials and the Valuation and Fairness Opinion referenced therein are available for review on SEDAR.

To attract equity financings in order for the Company to fund acquisitions, business expansion, and to meet working capital requirements, management of the Company is also proposing to consolidate the Company's issued and outstanding share capital. It is managements' opinion that a Share Consolidation of the Company's share capital on the basis of up to ten (10) existing common shares for one (1) new common share is required in order to attract new equity investment in the Company whether it be through private or public markets. Accordingly, shareholders will be asked to approve such proposed Share Consolidation by way of an ordinary resolution at the Meeting.

This news release contains "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the plans for completion of the disposition of all or substantially all of the Company's undertaking, future plans and objectives of the Company, estimation of profitability, the timing and content of upcoming business plans, capital expenditures, success of business operations, risks, and limitations on insurance coverage. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, delays in obtaining regulatory approvals on acceptable terms; delays in obtaining shareholder approval; risks related to international operations; actual results of planned expansion activities; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; future prices of supplies and market prices for products; exchange rates for Canadian, Chinese and any other currencies material to the Company's businesses; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the industries that the Company is currently operating in; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financings or in the completion of development activities; Chinese government policies impacting the Company's businesses; general economic, market or business conditions. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or information made in this news release, except as required under applicable securities legislation.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its "Regulation Services Provider", as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this News Release.

SOURCE: Polo Biology Global Group Corporation

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Polo Biology Global Group Corporation Proposes 1:10 Share Consolidation Concurrent with Sale of Active Business

Chris Neaves, biochemistry student

Posted on July 26, 2012 by ev1

Chris Neaves, a student and musician, died of undetermined causes July 21 at his Columbia home. He was 21.

Born David Christopher Neaves in Lewisville, Texas, he moved to Howard County in 2006 after spending three years in Windsor, England, with his family, where he attended the TASIS American School and played rugby. He was a 2010 graduate of Chapelgate Christian Academy in Marriottsville. He spent a year at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C.

At his death, he was a biochemistry student at Howard Community College and worked as a lot attendant at Antwerpen Toyota in Clarksville.

Family members said he enjoyed snow skiing and fly fishing at Copper Mountain, Colo. A guitarist he owned numerous instruments and vocalist, he once performed at the Rock and Roll Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Active in a church youth group, he made three trips to Guatemala, where he worked with schoolchildren. He was fluent in Spanish.

Services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at Chapelgate Presbyterian Church, 2600 Marriottsville Road in Marriottsville.

Survivors include his parents, David Neaves, chief financial officer for Onemain Financial, and Lori Holman Neaves, a homemaker; a sister, Katie Neaves, all of Ellicott City; his maternal grandparents, Jack and Elizabeth Holman; and his paternal grandmother, Linda Neaves, all of Little Rock, Ark.

jacques.kelly@baltsun.com

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Chris Neaves, biochemistry student

A mix of traditional, holistic medical care for patients

Posted on July 26, 2012 by ev1

Dr. Susan Ashley, a family physician practicing in Liberty Lake, is also board certified in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine and offers a mix of traditional and holistic medical care to patients of all ages. Her practice at Family Medicine Liberty Lake is a solo practice and also employs an ARNP, Heidi Kallestad. Together, they specialize in the following:

Bio-Identical hormone replacement therapy for both men and women. BHRT can reduce the risk of heart disease, dementia, osteoporosis and slow down the aging process. Unlike synthetic hormones, such as premarin, there is no increase in breast cancer risk. Balancing your hormones not only gives you more energy and vitality, but will make weight loss easier and increase lean muscle mass. These hormones include estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, adrenals, thyroid, growth hormone, insulin and melatonin.

Fatigue and fibromyalgia. So many patients are plagued with unrelenting fatigue, often with a mixture of fibromyalgia and muscle pain, with no discernable cause or treatment. Many go from doctor to doctor in an attempt to alleviate some of their symptoms. Dr. Ashley's program for chronic fatigue has a high success rate and addresses the many causes and contributing factors involved. This involves not only balancing the hormones and aggresively treating adrenal fatigue, but making sure nutrition is balanced and proper supplementation is given. Sleep must be restored, and latent infections which can cause ongoing symptoms must be treated.

The newest tool in her fight against these chronic disorders involves measurement of the electro-magnetic energy fields of the body, and correction when mis-alignments occur. Called "Energy Medicine," this is well known in Europe and Asia, and is just now being introduced in our country. Correction of the human body electro-magnetic field will greatly increase the success rate for patients, and indeed, some will simply not improve until this issue is addressed.

Bio-Medical Treatment approach for Autism and ADHD. Autism is treatable! Both autism and ADHD have a common root cause, and can be successfully treated and, in some cases, cured. Dr. Ashley follows the treatment protocol of Dr. Kenneth Bock, and treats the underlying biochemical, metabolic and neurologic defects with positive results in every case. Drugs are rarely used and, indeed, simply cover up the symptoms rather than get to the root cause of the disease.

Anti-Aging Medicine - or, as some are starting to call it, "Advanced Medicine." There are so many exciting advances in the field of anti-aging medicine. If a patient is truly motivated, there are many things one can do to not only increase longevity, but improve the quality of life, such that an active, vital and energetic life can be expected into the 80s, 90s, and even past 100! If one looks at our DNA, we should be living to 125 years, so why is it cut short? Diet and lifestyle play a big factor, and environmental toxins. Newer advances, such as TA-65, a telomerase activator that lengthens our telomeres, and stem cell therapies are now available. Proper supplementation with the correct vitamin and mineral combination is so important, and the difference between common food grade supplements, and medical and pharmaceutical grade supplements are taught to every patient.

Alzheimers and other dementias. Much can be done to slow down or reverse the devastation caused by dementias, including high doses of omega-3's, increasing cholesterol to 225 range, high dose anti-oxidants such as astaxanthin, and a combination of coconut oil and MCT (medium chain triglyceride) oil. Patients are referred to the book "Alzheimers, what if there is a Cure" by Dr. Mary Newport to follow her protocol.

Food sensitivities and allergies - gluten sensitivity is dramatically increasing and, if ignored, can have devastating long-term consequences. Food sensitivities can be treated and, in many cases, completely reversed.

Obesity and weight loss - our biggest challenge in our society! Dr. Ashley also owns Healthy Living Liberty Lake, a weight loss and wellness clinic, which is certified by the American Academy of Bariatric Physicians. Obesity is a complex disease and treatment involving many treatment modalities, including the proper diet, increasing the fat-burning enzymes, detoxification of environmental toxins that can impede weight loss, balancing the hormones, and education on whole foods, glycemic index and basic nutrition. Prescription strength hcg is available for increased fat burning and preservation of muscle during weight loss, and appetite suppressants are used short-term if needed. Every patient is individualized, and even genetic testing can be done to pinpoint what kind of diet, based on genetics, would best suit the patient.

IV Nutritional therapy is used for many different reasons, including as part of the treatment for chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, increased energy and vitality, to quickly rid a cold or flu, or as adjunctive therapy for those undergoing cancer treatments.

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A mix of traditional, holistic medical care for patients

"Portal 2" video game robot launched into actual space

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Danzig

(SPACE.com) An American video game company has revealed there is an unauthorized stowaway on board the Japanese spacecraft now in Earth orbit on its way to the International Space Station (ISS).

"Wheatley," the orb-shaped robotic companion from Valve Software's 2011 popular game "Portal 2," is flying aboard the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) latest H-2 Transfer Vehicle, the HTV-3, which launched on Friday (July 20) to resupply the space station. The character, in miniature two-dimensional form, is soaring through real space thanks to an unnamed NASA worker.

Valve announced on its website's blog that "thanks to an anonymous tech at NASA, Wheatley is actually going to actual space."

The one-eyed sphere, or "personality core" as referred to in the video game, is given its voice by English actor and comedian Stephen Merchant. On board the HTV, which is nicknamed Kounotori or "white stork", the robot's voice is offered in the form of a phrase engraved under Wheatley's likeness -- "In spaaaaaaace!"

(Portal 2 players may associate that quote with another of the game's personality cores, the so-called "Space Core," though Valve attributes it to Wheatley on their blog.)

Not officially endorsed

A photo posted on Valve's website shows what appears to be a circuit board with Wheatley's likeness laser-inscribed in one corner. The photograph offers no reference of scale for the component, nor from what instrument it may have originated. [9 Weird Things Launched on NASA Shuttles]

NASA has several scientific experiments and payloads on the HTV-3, which astronauts will unpack after capturing the spacecraft using the space station's robotic arm and then attaching it to the outpost on Friday (July 27). Among the U.S. payloads are an Earth-observation camera, two small satellites, and a communications and navigation test bed.

The lack of details may be because the Wheatley etching is unofficial.

"And please note that when we mentioned an 'anonymous tech at NASA' we weren't kidding," Valve explained on its blog. "NASA in no way officially endorses secretly laser-engraving characters from Portal onto their spacecraft."

"Portal 2" video game robot launched into actual space

Does the new automated Russian space station docking system work? Nyet.

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Danzig

A test of new automated spacecraft docking gear for Russian flights to the International Space Station automatically aborted during the linkup attempt.

A test of new spacecraft docking gear for Russian flights to the International Space Station failed, the U.S. and Russian space agencies said on Tuesday, casting doubt on the automated system meant to simplify missions to the orbiting outpost.

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The space agencies said a new docking attempt would likely take place on Sunday, after an unmanned Japanese spacecraft, the HTV-3, reaches the station and is manually berthed by astronauts later this week.

Russia's single-use Progress cargo ship had already delivered fuel and other supplies to six astronauts aboard the International Space Station and was due to burn up on re-entry, laden with trash, on July 30, after the next test.

The craft is now orbiting at a safe distance from the outpost while Russian engineers study why the Kurs-NA rendezvous system automatically aborted during the linkup attempt.

"The test was proceeding normally until about the time that the new Kurs-NA rendezvous system was to be engaged," NASA said in a statement on its website.

"As commands were being issued to activate the Kurs system, a failure was announced, triggering a passive abort."

Kurs-NA is an upgrade of the Kurs docking gear used for years on Russia's manned Soyuz and robotic Progress spacecrafts. The system features updated electronics and is designed to improve safety and use less power, according to NASA.

Continued here:

Does the new automated Russian space station docking system work? Nyet.

Russian supply ship fails to dock at space station

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Danzig

A robotic Russian cargo ship failed to dock at the International Space Station late Monday due to apparent failure in a new rendezvous system, NASA officials say.

The Russian supply ship Progress 47 was testing Russia's new Kurs-NA docking system when the docking failure occurred. The unmanned spacecraft, which was already at the space station, undocked from the orbiting laboratory on Sunday (July 22) was expected to park itself at a docking port on the space station's Russian segment Monday at 9:57 p.m. EDT (0157 July 24 GMT).

Instead, the spacecraft is awaiting its next chance to dock, which will come next Sunday, according to press reports.

The Kurs-NA docking system is designed to be an upgraded version of the Kurs automated docking system that has been used for years by Russian spacecraft. The new system includes upgraded electronics and was expected to use less power and enhance safety.

"The test was proceeding normally until about the time that the new Kurs-NA rendezvous system was to be engaged," NASA officials said in a statement. "As commands were being issued to activate the Kurs system, a failure was annunciated, triggering a passive abort." [How Russia's Progress Spaceships Work (Infographic)]

A passive abort is an automatic safeguard to protect the International Space Station from a malfunctioning spacecraft. It is designed to take a spacecraft away to a safe distance in the event of a failure.

During Monday's failed orbital rendezvous, the Progress 47 spacecraft backed away to a point 1.8 miles below the space station and is awaiting its next docking attempt. Officials with Russia's Federal Space Agency said the next docking try won't occur until after the arrival of a new Japanese cargo ship, the H-2 Transfer Vehicle 3, which will arrive at the station on Friday (July 27).

The Progress 47 spacecraft launched to the space station on April 20 and was expected to be intentionally destroyed on July 30 by burning up in the Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. On Sunday, the supply ship undocked from its parking spot and flew to a waypoint 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the space station a position it held for 24 hours before starting the Kurs-Na docking test.

Progress 47 and the HTV-3 spacecraft are not the only unmanned cargo ships slated to arrive at the International Space Station.

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Russian supply ship fails to dock at space station

Does the new automated Russian space station docking system work? Nyet. (+video)

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Danzig

A test of new automated spacecraft docking gear for Russian flights to the International Space Station automatically aborted during the linkup attempt.

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition

The craft is now orbiting at a safe distance from the outpost while Russian engineers study why the Kurs-NA rendezvous system automatically aborted during the linkup attempt.

"The test was proceeding normally until about the time that the new Kurs-NA rendezvous system was to be engaged," NASA said in a statement on its website.

"As commands were being issued to activate the Kurs system, a failure was announced, triggering a passive abort."

More here:

Does the new automated Russian space station docking system work? Nyet. (+video)

'White stork' delivers new research and technology investigations to International Space Station

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Danzig

ScienceDaily (July 25, 2012) A "white stork" is soon to deliver supplies to the International Space Station. But it's not the typical stork you associate with baby deliveries. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kounotori3 H-II Transfer Vehicle, or HTV-3, is a 16.5-ton cargo ship. Kounotori is Japanese for "white stork."

Following a weeklong journey since its launch July 20, the HTV-3 is scheduled to dock to the station July 27 packed with nearly four tons of supplies, including a mix of NASA and international partner research ranging from biology to education to technology demonstration.

A Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency investigation will study new sampling techniques and environmental microbiological methods for environmental analysis. Microbial Dynamics in the International Space Station -- III (Microbe-III) will monitor the abundance and diversity of fungi and bacteria in Kibo, the Japanese Experiment module on the station. The results will be used to produce a microbiologically safe environment which is essential for a long-duration stay in space.

Another Japanese investigation, In-situ Observation of Growth Mechanisms of Protein Crystals and Their Perfection Under Microgravity (NanoStep), aims to clarify the relationship between crystal growth mechanism and the perfection of crystals. Crystallization of proteins in microgravity yields crystals with better perfection than crystallization on Earth. This study will look at the reason for this phenomenon, which has not been explained from a viewpoint of crystal growth mechanism.

NASA's ISS SERVIR Environmental Research and Visualization System (ISERV) is an automated system designed to acquire images of Earth's surface from the space station. It is primarily a means to gain experience and expertise in automated data acquisition from the station, although it is expected to provide useful images for use in disaster monitoring and assessment, and environmental decision making.

Five small mission payloads that perform science and technological demonstrations also are among the newest investigations arriving at the station. The Multi-mission Consolidated Equipment (MCE) includes two atmospheric observations that study lightning and resonant scattering from plasma and airglow. The other technology demonstrations include inflatable structure deployment, robotic tether movement and testing a high-definition television camera in the space environment.

Several educational activities are scheduled to begin after the supplies arrive at the station, including the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Education Payload Observation 5 (JAXA EPO5). These activities demonstrate artistic activities aboard the station to enlighten the public about microgravity research and human spaceflight.

Through an agreement with NASA, Space Adventures is sponsoring the YouTube Space Lab world-wide contest for students 14-to-18 years old. Over the past year, students submitted entries in the areas of physics or biology via a two-minute YouTube video. The top two experiments were selected in March 2012 through online voting and by an international panel of experts, including William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for NASA's Human Exploration Mission Directorate, and Leland Melvin, NASA's associate administrator for the Office of Education. The winning experiments -- from Egypt and Michigan -- are being flown to the station to be conducted later this year. One experiment will study how bacteria grow in space to see if different nutrients can block the growth. The other winning entry looks at how a Zebra spider -- which jumps on its prey instead of catching them in a web on Earth -- will hunt its prey in microgravity.

Several human research activities will arrive with the cargo ship, including Sonographic Astronaut Vertebral Examination (Spinal Ultrasound). This investigation aims to use ground- and space-based studies to fully characterize and assign a mission health risk to microgravity-associated spinal changes for back pain and potential injury. This research will determine the accuracy of the ultrasound in characterizing the anatomy and composition of the vertebral unit and help to develop new training methods.

In the area of physical sciences, the Binary Colloidal Alloy Test -- C1 (BCAT-C1) experiment will study nano-scale particles dispersed in liquid, known as a colloidal suspension, commonly found in such commercial commodities as paint, electronic polishing compounds and food products. These suspensions will have the unique property that the particles will separate -- like oil and water -- and the particles will self-assemble into crystals that interact strongly with light, like opal. Photographing these samples in microgravity will allow the measurement of these processes while avoiding the effects of particle sinking due to gravity. This study will allow the development of new insights into this important materials process.

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'White stork' delivers new research and technology investigations to International Space Station

Space Station Solstice | Bad Astronomy

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Danzig

This is pretty neat: on June 6, a couple of weeks before the summer solstice, astronauts on the International Space Station pointed a camera to the north and took pictures as they orbited the Earth. Taken over the course of about an hour 2/3 of a full orbit this was made into a video where you can see the Sun setting and rising again. Whats cool, though, is the Sun never completely sets. It dips toward the edge of the Earth, then pulls away again:

I love how the Sun shines through the gaps in the solar array.

The geometry of this is fun! Normally, as it orbits the Earth, the ISS passes behind the Earth relative to the Sun, going into the Earths shadow. The Earth itself blocks the Sun, so its nighttime for the astronauts. Mind you, their orbit is roughly 90 minutes, so this happens on average 18 times per day and lasts for about 45 minutes.

But the ISS orbits the Earth at an angle: the orbit is tilted relative to the Equator by a little over 50. During the northern hemisphere summer, the Earths north pole itself is tilted toward the Sun by about 24. Combined, this means that for a time around the solstice the ISS can stay in daylight for an entire orbit. The Sun gets very nearly blocked by the Earth, but not quite. I drew a diagram that might help:

The circle represents the Earth. The Sun is off to the left, so the left side of the Earth is lit and the right side is dark. The north pole of the Earth is tipped toward the Sun as shown, and you can see the Equator marked as well. The "terminator" is the day/night line.

I added the rough angle of the ISS orbit this was done by eye, but shows you how this works. As you can see, the orbit is tilted only a bit from the terminator. Because the ISS is 400 km (240 miles) above the surface, the orbit "pokes over" the edge of the Earth in the diagram (which I exaggerated a bit for clarity). Because of this, the ISS can see the Sun even when its over the night side of the Earth: its up high enough that the Earth doesnt block the Sun.

And thats what the video shows. At the top of its orbit (as shown in the diagram) the Sun gets very close to but not completely blocked by the limb of the Earths horizon, and the ISS sees daylight for a full orbit!

Pretty nifty. And look: your tenth grade geometry teacher may have overstated it a bit when she said some day your life may depend on this stuff but it does make life a lot cooler when you do understand it.

Tip o the spacesuit visor to the ESA G+ page.

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Space Station Solstice | Bad Astronomy

NASA's Spitzer Finds Evidence for an Exoplanet Smaller Than Earth

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Danzig

July 25, 2012 - Using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers have found evidence of planet two-thirds size of Earth, which leads experts to believe telescope can be used to help discover potentially habitable, terrestrial-sized worlds. Object is called UCF-1.01 and is 33 light years away. Finding is published in paper, "Identifying nearby small planets such as UCF-1.01 may one day lead to their characterization using future instruments," accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. NASA NASA Ames Reseach Center Moffett Field, CA, 94035 USA Press release date: July 18, 2012

WASHINGTON - Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have detected what they believe is a planet two-thirds the size of Earth. The exoplanet candidate, called UCF-1.01, is located a mere 33 light-years away, making it possibly the nearest world to our solar system that is smaller than our home planet.

Exoplanets circle stars beyond our sun. Only a handful smaller than Earth have been found so far. Spitzer has performed transit studies on known exoplanets, but UCF-1.01 is the first ever identified with the telescope, pointing to a possible role for Spitzer in helping discover potentially habitable, terrestrial-sized worlds.

"We have found strong evidence for a very small, very hot and very near planet with the help of the Spitzer Space Telescope," said Kevin Stevenson from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Stevenson is lead author of the paper, which has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. "Identifying nearby small planets such as UCF-1.01 may one day lead to their characterization using future instruments."

The hot new planet candidate was found unexpectedly in Spitzer observations. Stevenson and his colleagues were studying the Neptune-sized exoplanet GJ 436b, already known to exist around the red-dwarf star GJ 436. In the Spitzer data, the astronomers noticed slight dips in the amount of infrared light streaming from the star, separate from the dips caused by GJ 436b. A review of Spitzer archival data showed the dips were periodic, suggesting a second planet might be blocking out a small fraction of the star's light.

This technique, used by a number of observatories including NASA's Kepler space telescope, relies on transits to detect exoplanets. The duration of a transit and the small decrease in the amount of light registered reveals basic properties of an exoplanet, such as its size and distance from its star. In UCF-1.01's case, its diameter would be approximately 5,200 miles (8,400 kilometers), or two-thirds that of Earth. UCF-1.01 would revolve quite tightly around GJ 436, at about seven times the distance of the Earth from the moon, with its "year" lasting only 1.4 Earth days. Given this proximity to its star, far closer than the planet Mercury is to our sun, the exoplanet's surface temperature would be more than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (almost 600 degrees Celsius).

If the roasted, diminutive planet candidate ever had an atmosphere, it almost surely has evaporated. UCF-1.01 might therefore resemble a cratered, mostly geologically dead world like Mercury. Paper co-author Joseph Harrington, also of the University of Central Florida and principal investigator of the research, suggested another possibility; that the extreme heat of orbiting so close to GJ 436 has melted the exoplanet's surface.

"The planet could even be covered in magma," Harrington said.

In addition to UCF-1.01, Stevenson and his colleagues noticed hints of a third planet, dubbed UCF-1.02, orbiting GJ 436. Spitzer has observed evidence of the two new planets several times each. However, even the most sensitive instruments are unable to measure exoplanet masses as small as UCF-1.01 and UCF-1.02, which are perhaps only one-third the mass of the Earth. Because knowing the mass is required for confirming a discovery, the paper authors are cautiously calling both bodies exoplanet candidates for now.

Of the approximately 1,800 stars identified by Kepler as candidates for having planetary systems, just three are verified to contain sub-Earth-sized exoplanets. Of these, only one exoplanet is thought to be smaller than the Spitzer candidates, with a radius similar to Mars, or 57 percent that of Earth.

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NASA's Spitzer Finds Evidence for an Exoplanet Smaller Than Earth

NASA Mars Odyssey Repositioned to Relay Mars Science Laboratory Landing Data

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Danzig

NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft has successfully adjusted its orbital location to be in a better position to provide prompt confirmation of the August landing of the Curiosity rover.

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft carrying Curiosity can send limited information directly to Earth as it enters Mars' atmosphere. Before the landing, Earth will set below the Martian horizon from the descending spacecraft's perspective, ending that direct route of communication. Odyssey will help to speed up the indirect communication process.

NASA reported during a July 16 news conference that Odyssey, which originally was planned to provide a near-real-time communication link with Curiosity, had entered safe mode July 11. This situation would have affected communication operations, but not the rover's landing. Without a repositioning maneuver, Odyssey would have arrived over the landing area about two minutes after Curiosity landed.

A spacecraft thruster burn Tuesday lasting about six seconds has nudged Odyssey about six minutes ahead in its orbit. Odyssey now is operating normally, and confirmation of Curiosity's landing is expected to reach Earth at about 10:31 p.m. PDT Aug. 5, as originally planned.

"Information we are receiving indicates the maneuver has been completed as planned," said Gaylon McSmith, Mars Odyssey project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), in Pasadena, Calif. "Odyssey has been working at Mars longer than any other spacecraft, so it is appropriate that it has a special role in supporting the newest arrival."

Two other Mars orbiters, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and the European Space Agency's Mars Express, also will be in position to receive radio transmissions from MSL during its descent. However, they will be recording information for later playback. Only Odyssey can relay information immediately.

Odyssey arrived at Mars in 2001. In addition to its own scientific observations, it has served as a communications relay for NASA's Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers and the Phoenix lander. Spirit and Phoenix are no longer operational. Odyssey and MRO will provide communication relays for Curiosity during the rover's two-year prime mission.

Odyssey and MSL, with its Curiosity rover, are managed by JPL for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Curiosity was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The Odyssey spacecraft is operated by JPL and Lockheed Martin in Denver. Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver built Odyssey.

For more information about Mars Odyssey, visit: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/odyssey

For information about the Curiosity landing and other NASA Mars missions, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mars

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NASA Mars Odyssey Repositioned to Relay Mars Science Laboratory Landing Data

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