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Aerospace weakness pulls down Woodward 3Q net

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Danzig

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) -- Woodward Inc., which makes controls for the energy and aerospace industries, said on Monday that its third quarter net income fell 27 percent as profits declined in its aerospace segment.

The company earned $28.3 million, or 40 cents per share, for the quarter that ended June 30. That was down from $36.1 million, or 51 cents per share, during the same period last year. Revenue rose 5 percent to $460.2 million, from $438.5 million a year ago.

Profits from its aerospace business fell 39 percent, to $21.5 million, from $35.4 million a year ago. Earnings in its energy segment rose 7 percent to $31.2 million, from $29.3 million a year ago.

Revenue from aerospace fell slightly to $214.5 million, from $215.2 million a year ago. In its energy segment, revenue rose 10 percent to $245.8 million, from $223.2 million a year ago.

Aerospace profits were hurt by lower defense sales and higher spending for product development and improved production. Some of that spending was offset by price increases. Sales to commercial aircraft makers and aftermarket sellers both increased, the company said.

In addition, companywide revenue was shaved by $8 million because of unfavorable foreign exchange rates.

"Ongoing worldwide economic uncertainty is also pressuring sales growth," Chairman and CEO Thomas A. Gendron said.

For the first nine months of the fiscal year, Woodward said its net income has risen 5.4 percent to $95.5 million, or $1.36 per share, from $90.5 million, or $1.29 per share, during the first three quarters of 2011. Revenue rose 9.4 percent to $1.34 billion, from $1.22 billion a year earlier.

Woodward shares had fallen $1.08, or 3.2 percent, to close at $33.26 before the results were released. They rose $1.08 to $34.34 in aftermarket trading.

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Aerospace weakness pulls down Woodward 3Q net

Scientists create artificial jellyfish from rat’s heart cells (+video)

Posted on July 23, 2012 by ev1

Using rat heart muscle cells and a thin silicone film, researchers have constructed a swimming jellyfish like creature that can be used to study everything from marine biology to cardiac physiology.

Using rat heart cells and silicone polymer, researchers have bioengineered a "jellyfish" that knows how to swim.

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The odd jellyfish mimic, dubbed a "Medusoid" by its creators, is more than a curiosity. It's a natural biological pump, just like the human heart. That makes it a good model to use to study cardiac physiology, said study researcher Kevin Kit Parker, a bioengineer at Harvard University.

"The idea is to look at a muscular pump other than the heart or othermuscular organ and see if there are some fundamental similarities, ordesign principles, that are conserved across them," Parker told LiveScience. "This study revealedthat there are." [10 Amazing Facts About Your Heart]

Jellyfish propel themselves with a pumping action, as anyone who has ever watched them float around an aquarium tank can attest. Parker was looking for a way to tackle questions about the heart that aren't well understood when he saw some jellyfish in a display in 2007.

"I thought, 'I can build this,'" he said.

The ingredients were rat heart muscle cells and a thin silicone film. ("The world needs less rats and more jellyfish, so I thought it would be cool to do a one-for-one swap," Parker joked.) Along with researchers from the California Institute of Technology, he and his team engineered the cells and silicone in a pattern that mimicked the structure of a real jellyfish. They then stuck the creature in a tank full of electrically conducting fluid and zapped it with current.

The result was a swimming, pulsating creature that acts not unlike a real jellyfish (without the eating and reproducing, of course).

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Scientists create artificial jellyfish from rat's heart cells (+video)

Scientists create artificial jellyfish from rat’s heart cells

Posted on July 23, 2012 by ev1

Using rat heart muscle cells and a thin silicone film, researchers have constructed a swimming jellyfish like creature that can be used to study everything from marine biology to cardiac physiology.

Using rat heart cells and silicone polymer, researchers have bioengineered a "jellyfish" that knows how to swim.

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

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

"I thought, 'I can build this,'" he said.

The result was a swimming, pulsating creature that acts not unlike a real jellyfish (without the eating and reproducing, of course).

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Scientists create artificial jellyfish from rat's heart cells

Illinois pathology group chooses McKesson to re-engineer revenue management services

Posted on July 23, 2012 by ev1

ATLANTA July 19, 2012 Peoria Tazewell Pathology Group (PTPG), a 13-physician pathology practice based in Peoria, Illinois, will re-engineer its revenue cycle with assistance from McKesson Revenue Management Solutions (RMS). By partnering with an industry leader in medical billing and practice management services, PTPG expects to increase collections, strengthen financial reporting and improve ICD-10 and other regulatory compliance issues. McKesson will provide the group with a full complement of services, including coding, A/R management, denial management, financial reporting, claims support and the markets most advanced regulatory compliance capabilities.

McKesson brings a powerful array of skills and capabilities to the table, said Ronald Champagne, M.D., president of PTPG. Were confident that their expertise in coding and billing for pathology coupled with their understanding of the Illinois payer market and national pathology reimbursement trends will help us optimize collections in todays difficult healthcare market.

Champagne said McKesson will also provide strategic support designed to help the group identify growth opportunities, and will assist the practice in preparing for the impending ICD-10 coding transition. The agreement with PTPG increases McKessons already-significant footprint of pathology clients in Illinois.

Many pathology groups face significant challenges today, due primarily to declining reimbursements and aggressive competition from national laboratories , said Pat Leonard, senior vice president and general manager, RMS. McKesson believes that better business health and better patient health go hand in hand. With this in mind, we have developed a comprehensive approach to help groups stabilize their existing cash flow and strategically assess growth opportunities. We are well-positioned to help organizations like Peoria Tazewell improve the financial health of their business in the present healthcare environment.

McKesson RMS has a team of more than 4,000 experienced revenue cycle professionals. The teams services are uniquely designed to help practices improve efficiency and grow revenues while staying current with the latest regulatory requirements. McKesson RMS supports McKessons Better Health 2020 strategy. Better Health 2020 is McKessons commitment to support the success of its customers, including helping physicians to improve their financial performance and clinical quality.

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Illinois pathology group chooses McKesson to re-engineer revenue management services

Fresh help for firms struggling with nutrition profiling

Posted on July 23, 2012 by ev1

Lrbeva Nutrition has launched an online nutritional profiling tool for the food industry that also highlights any nutrition claims that assessed products can make.

The company, which brings together a consulting firm and a development laboratory focused on nutrition and health, has developed NutrimetTIC to provide nutritional analysis with a few clicks of a mouse.

Its the first online application system dedicated to the nutritional qualities of foods, Celine Le Stunff, nutrition and regulatory affairs consultant at Lrbeva Nutrition, told FoodNavigator.

The main need is to get low-cost nutritional values over wide ranges of food products. This would be very expensive if companies had to analyze each recipe in a laboratory. EU Regulation 1169/2011 introduced mandatory nutrition labeling and all companies will have to know the nutritional values of their products. Many of them are starting from scratch!

Major names

The system is based on the Sain-Lim method of nutritional analysis, which is approved by the European Food Safety Authority. Lrbeva Nutrition claims major names in food manufacturing, retail and catering have adopted the tool.

Interested companies simply sign up to use it online and can access their own dedicated database where they can enter new information and get codes for different users. Alongside nutrient profiling and information on potential nutrition claims products can make, the service can also highlight preformatted nutritional labelling.

It can interest any company that has lots of recipes and wants to know their nutritional value, with the aim of nutrition labelling and/or improving their nutritional qualities, said Le Stunff. She said the service would also work as a great way for businesses to work collaboratively and share information.

Four criteria

The tool uses four criteria for consumption frequency: 1/daily; 2/frequent; 3/occasionally and 4/exceptionally. NutrimetTIC not only examines the criteria qualifying and disqualifying the product, but also suggests areas of work to place it in a better category. Lrbeva Nutrition said it could also provide support and guidance to interested parties on how to improve their nutritional profile.

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Fresh help for firms struggling with nutrition profiling

Copper surfaces could reduce hospital acquired infections

Posted on July 23, 2012 by ev1

Research from the Medical University of South Carolina suggests that adding copper to hospital surfaces which are commonly touched by medical personnel and patients could help reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections. The findings appear in the July 2012 issue of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.

Hospital-acquired infections kill around 100,000 people annually in the United Statesequivalent to a wide-body jet crash every day of the year. About five percent of patients admitted to US hospitalsnearly 5,500 daily, or two million annuallyget sick from the hospital, adding $45 billion ($45,000,000,000) to the annual cost of healthcare.

In this study, the microbial burden on commonly touched surfaces in the medical intensive care units of three hospitals was determined, first to assess the risk from those surfaces, and second, to determine whether or not copper surfacing would lower that burden, and those risks. The study was divided into two phases, pre- and post-copper, and lasted for 43 months.

During the pre-copper phase, "We learned that the average microbial burden found on six commonly touched objects was 28 times higher than levels considered benign, and thus represented a risk to the patient," says Michael Schmidt, a researcher on the study. Installing copper surfaces, he says, resulted in an 83 percent reduction of that microbial burden, leading the team to conclude that copper surfaces on commonly touched objects could provide a substantially safer environment.

"Given that the average hospital acquired infection in the United States conservatively adds an additional 19 days of hospitalization and $43,000 in costs the use of antimicrobial copper surfaces warrants further study and optimization," says Schmidt, adding that this is the fourth leading cause of death, after cancer, heart disease, and strokes. He notes that "Copper has been used by humans for millennia, first as tools and then as a tool to fight the spread of infectious agents."

More information: M.G. Schmidt, H.H. Attaway, P.A. Sharpe, J. John, Jr., K.A. Sepkowitz, A. Morgan, S.E. Fairey, S. Singh, L.L. Steed, J.R. Cantey, K.D. Freeman, H.T. Michels, and C.D. Salgado, 2012. Sustained reduction of microbial burden on common hospital surfaces through induction of copper. J. Clin. Microbiol. 50:2217-2223.

Journal reference: Journal of Clinical Microbiology

Provided by American Society for Microbiology

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Copper surfaces could reduce hospital acquired infections

No DNA in new missing and unidentified persons database

Posted on July 23, 2012 by ev1

Adam Miller, The Canadian Press Published Sunday, Jul. 22, 2012 6:27AM EDT Last Updated Monday, Jul. 23, 2012 7:18AM EDT

A national database to help identify missing persons and unidentified remains is more than a year away, but families and experts say that DNA is the missing piece of the puzzle that the initiative needs.

Judy Peterson has been a proponent of such a database since her daughter, Lindsey Jill Nicholls, went missing in 1993.

"I think the DNA databank is just the missing piece," she said from her home in Sidney, B.C. "I believe it will happen, I just can't understand why it's taking so long."

Peterson started a petition in 2003 called Lindsey's Law, calling for DNA from missing persons and unidentified remains to be added to the National DNA Data Bank, which was set up in 2000 to help police with their investigations.

Melanie Alix's son Dylan Koshman went missing in Edmonton in October, 2008 and she too has been petitioning the government for such an addition to the data bank.

"I'd give my life to find my son," she said from her home in Moose Jaw, Sask.

Alix and her husband gave DNA samples to police in Edmonton after her son's disappearance, but they were not accessible to law enforcement in other provinces because there is no national DNA database for missing persons and unidentified remains.

A new index called the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains would store descriptive information on these cases and allow for them to be compared nationally for the first time when it launches in late 2013, but it won't include DNA.

The federal government has been resistant to amending the National DNA Data Bank to include the thousands of missing persons and hundreds of unidentified bodies across the country. It cites privacy concerns and high costs.

ACGT, Inc. to Provide Overnight DNA Sequencing Services to Chicago-Based Researchers

Posted on July 23, 2012 by ev1

WHEELING, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

ACGT, Inc., a Wheeling-based Contract Research Organization providing DNA sequencing and genomic analysis services, announces its new accelerated DNA sequencing turnaround time exclusively to Chicago area researchers. With its Rush services, DNA samples prepared and ready for pickup in the afternoon will be collected and processed that day, with sequencing data available the following morning. For Chicago-based researchers, the new service reduces their wait time by one day with the added convenience of a personal pickup, or DNA sample drop-off of at an on-campus drop box.

The new Rush service comes by way of ACGTs recent addition of a second shift in its laboratory after regular business hours. Chicago is a great place for academic and medical research, explains Heron Yu, Ph.D., the founder and President of ACGT, Inc., Its where I studied and worked as a researcher for over ten years. At ACGT, were proud of the work weve done for local universities, and were happy to offer them at no additional cost the same excellent service at a faster turnaround time.

About ACGT, Inc.

ACGT, Inc. was established in 1993 to provide the research community with high quality DNA sequencing services. As the demand for DNA sequencing and genomics analysis increased, ACGT, Inc. repeatedly expanded its services. It currently offers next generation DNA sequencing, gene expression analysis, cloning, library construction, mutagenesis, genotyping and genetic stability testing. ACGT, Inc. is CLIA registered and GLP-compliant. FDA submission support is available for most projects.

You can learn more about ACGT, Inc. and the services they provide at their website: http://www.acgtinc.com.

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ACGT, Inc. to Provide Overnight DNA Sequencing Services to Chicago-Based Researchers

BioPet Vet Lab Unveils IntegriMEAT™, a DNA Tracking Program for Livestock

Posted on July 23, 2012 by ev1

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

BioPet Vet Lab, a leading animal biotechnology company specializing in DNA applications, has launched IntegriMEAT, a DNA-source verified program aimed to produce an identification and tracking program for Americas livestock. Through a partnership with Southern Natural Foods, a premier meat processor based in Knoxville, BioPet Vet Labs pilot program will first track beef from farm to table providing consumer insight into food sources and product claims.

According to Jim Simpson, president of Southern Natural Foods, the program requires point of origin registration with BioPet by producers, as a DNA sample is taken from existing stock and new birth stock. Then, BioPet maintains a database of cattle at each registered farm and a quick response (QR) code, created at the time of rendering, is maintained through distribution by Southern Natural Foods. Final packaging includes the QR code on the label enabling consumers to easily trace their beef from its farm of origin.

Weve always looked at food safety and how DNA applies to food safety, said Simpson. What we recognized was the need for a program that would encourage more integrity in food production. The name IntegriMEAT symbolizes that integrity can be obtained in our nations food supply chain.

Officials with BioPet explain its partnership with Southern Natural Foods stemmed from the meat processors commitment to offering locally raised beef that exceeds the USDAs All-Natural requirements.

Presently, consumers do not have an absolute way of knowing the exact source and quality of their meat, said Tom Boyd, BioPet Founder and CEO. People like knowing where their meat comes from, the conditions in which it was raised, and BioPet and Southern Natural Foods are the first to put this information into the consumers hands.

According to Corona Research in Denver, 74 percent of people in the U.S. believe traceability in the meat market increases its quality while 91 percent would pay more for beef that can be source verified. DNA-source verified beef provides consumers with peace of mind at the point of sale and also facilitates a targeted, rapid response in time of food safety events. Unlike external forms of identification for livestock, DNS genotyping is an unalterable form of identification that can be tested throughout an animals life and post-slaughter.

Furthermore, Boyd explains that using smartphone technology, consumers have the ability to scan the bar code associated with their meat, either on a package at the grocery store, at a display at the butcher shop or on a restaurant menu and therefore track it from farm to fork.

With this farm to table mentality and tracking technology, meat producers build a relationship of trust and accountability with the consumer, said Boyd.

Boyd also explains that in addition to offering public DNA-source verified beef, BioPet also offers the producer valuable herd information. Farms registered in the program have harvest data readily available, allowing the farmer to make culling decisions based on genetic information, said Boyd. BioPet will soon increase the functionality of the online database to provide producers a secure, user-friendly system to manage their herds.

Gen9 Sponsors Contest to Recognize Innovation in Synthetic Biology

Posted on July 23, 2012 by ev1

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Gen9, Inc., a pioneer in the development of scalable technologies for synthesizing and assembling DNA, today announced that it has underwritten the first annual G-Prize to celebrate and support innovation in synthetic biology. The inaugural G-Prize contest, conceived and exclusively sponsored by Gen9, was launched to foster creative and innovative approaches for using synthetic DNA constructs to advance industries including chemical and enzyme production, biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and even data storage.

Most biotechnologies have not yet been imagined, let alone made true, said Dr. Drew Endy of Stanford Bioengineering and a Gen9 co-founder. I am thrilled that Gen9 has decided to enable a diverse research community to dream bigger and make true their ideas via better access to critical bioengineering tools.

Gen9 has developed unique, next-generation technologies for synthesizing and assembling DNA constructs for use in commercializing DNA synthesis and fabrication platforms. Today, Gen9 is manufacturing and shipping double-stranded GeneBits DNA constructs, or gene fragments from 500 to 1,024 base pairs long, with a capacity to generate tens of thousands of synthetic gene fragments per year in just a few square feet of laboratory space.

Synthetic biology represents perhaps the greatest opportunity to modernize industry at Moores law scale since silicon, said Kevin Munnelly, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gen9. The market size for products that can be transformed using synthetic biology is estimated to be multi-billions. We look forward to hearing from the innovative community of researchers who have big ideas for constructively building on the many important industries ripe for modernization via synthetic biology.

The G-Prize contest is open to researchers working at academic or public-benefit organizations only. Entries will be judged by a panel of experts selected by Gen9. Any intellectual property rights specific to an entry will remain the sole property of the contestants or their institution. Four winners will be chosen in the following categories: 1st Place (500 GeneBits, up to 500kb); 2nd Place (300 GeneBits, up 300kb) and; two awards for 3rd Place (100 GeneBits, up to 100kb to two teams). Based on the current average market cost of DNA constructs, the total market value of these prizes exceeds $500,000.

Deadline for entries is September 30, 2012. For more information, please visit http://www.gen9bio.com/g-prize.

About Gen9

Gen9 is building on advances in synthetic biology to power a scalable fabrication capability that will significantly increase the worlds capacity to compile DNA content. The privately held companys next-generation DNA synthesis technology allows for the high-throughput, automated production of DNA constructs at lower cost and higher accuracy than previous methods on the market. Founded by world leaders in synthetic biology, Gen9 aims to ensure the constructive application of synthetic biology in industries ranging from enzyme and chemical production to pharmaceuticals and biofuels. Gen9 is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts and can be found online atwww.Gen9bio.com.

Gen9, GeneBits and BioFab are trademarks or registered trademarks of Gen9, Inc. All other brands may be trademarks of their respective holders.

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Gen9 Sponsors Contest to Recognize Innovation in Synthetic Biology

Greenhouse Nutrition Workshop Offered

Posted on July 23, 2012 by ev1

BROOKINGS SDSU Extension will host an informative workshop for specialty crop producers on Nutrition for Greenhouse Crops, July 28, running from 8 a.m. to noon at the Sioux Falls Regional Extension Center.

High quality plants are critical to the profitability of greenhouse growers.

Producing a quality crop in the greenhouse is dependent on the overall nutrition of the plants, said Geoffrey Njue, SDSU Extension Specialty Crops Field Specialist.

During the workshop, Njue will discuss the importance of regular monitoring of the growing media pH and EC in the overall nutrition of your plants, and we will demonstrate how to test for pH and EC. He will also discuss how to identify and how to correct nutrient disorders.

For more information and to register for this event, contact Geoffrey Njue, Specialty Crops Field Specialist at 605-782-3290 or Geoffrey.njue@sdstate.edu.

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of yankton.net.

We encourage your feedback and dialog, all comments will be reviewed by our Web staff before appearing on the Web site.

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Greenhouse Nutrition Workshop Offered

Basey, Samar recognized for nutrition effort

Posted on July 23, 2012 by ev1

Monday, July 23, 2012

THE Philippine Association of Nutrition (PAN) awarded Basey, Samar for its outstanding implementation of Pabasa sa Nutrisyon.

The award was received by Basey Municipal Nutrition Action Officer Praxedes Estorninos during the 65th PAN Annual Convention early this month held in Makati City.

Get updates on President Benigno Aquino III's address to nation.

The award was presented by Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Dr. Florentino Solon, former executive director of the Nutrition Center of the Philippines (NCP).

Estorninos said that the Pabasa has now covered all 51 barangays with participants ranging from 30 to 200 mothers, more than the target of only 10 to 12 audience.

The initiative kicked off in Barangay Magallanes last 2010 and the last village to hold its culmination rites next week is Barangay Palaypay.

Our conduct of Pabasa has been successful with the support of the municipal mayor and all members of the Municipal Council. They were present in graduation ceremonies in different barangays, Estorninos said.

The local nutrition official said that the Pabasa has contributed to the reduction of prevalence of malnutrition in the area from 22.3 percent in 2010 to 13.4 percent in 2012. Through sessions, mothers were able to know on how to arrest malnutrition using locally available food.

The National Nutrition Council Regional Program coordinator Carina Santiago said the Pabasa sessions is a participative gathering of mothers informally discussing health and nutrition, and encouraging each other to apply good health and nutrition practices in their homes.

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Basey, Samar recognized for nutrition effort

Exclusion of DNA in missing persons database draws criticism

Posted on July 23, 2012 by ev1

Judy Peterson has been a proponent of such a database since her daughter, Lindsey Jill Nicholls, went missing in 1993.

I think the DNA databank is just the missing piece, she said from her home in Sidney, B.C. I believe it will happen, I just cant understand why its taking so long.

Ms. Peterson started a petition in 2003 called Lindseys Law, calling for DNA from missing persons and unidentified remains to be added to the National DNA Data Bank, which was set up in 2000 to help police with their investigations.

Melanie Alixs son Dylan Koshman went missing in Edmonton in October, 2008 and she too has been petitioning the government for such an addition to the data bank.

Id give my life to find my son, she said from her home in Moose Jaw, Sask.

Ms. Alix and her husband gave DNA samples to police in Edmonton after her sons disappearance, but they were not accessible to law enforcement in other provinces because there is no national DNA database for missing persons and unidentified remains.

Ray Boughen, Conservative MP from Saskatchewan, said that costs could be lowered if DNA from these cases was voluntarily incorporated into the existing database for convicted offenders and crime scenes.

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Exclusion of DNA in missing persons database draws criticism

Chinese students touring Midwest make Q-C stop

Posted on July 23, 2012 by ev1

At age 13, Ruiyang Xiao already knows that when it is time for college, he will study biology or a science-related field.

Soft-spoken but not shy, modest but highly intelligent, Xiao said he loves biology, animals and entomology.

Speaking through an interpreter Sunday, Xiao was one of 24 elite students from China visiting Black Hawk College as part of an 18-day tour of the Midwest for credit in a natural resources studies course.

The course is being offered through the Environment & Public Health Network for Chinese Students and Scholars. The organization is a network that connects students, scholars, business and government institutions in China, the United States and other countries to improve the environment and public health.

The idea is to begin a 10-year relationship between the people of the Mississippi and Yangtze river basins using culture, conservation and commerce as diplomatic tools that support a renewal of the Shanghai Communique in 2022.

Mary Shuda of the Quad-City Chinese Association helped to plan the Quad-City leg of the trip for the students, who range in age from 13 to 17.

The educational program is called Rivers as Bridges. Shuda said the students will learn scientific procedures in field research, wet labs and hands-on experiments in natural resources sciences with study about air, water, biology, soil, fisheries, wildlife and wetlands.

This was Xiaos first trip to the United States. Ive been to Canada, Turkey and Malaysia, he added.

Im from Beijing, and got to go to the Olympics, Xiao said. His favorite sports are badminton, table tennis and basketball.

Yiyang Yu, 13, also from Beijing, is in the second year of middle school.

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Chinese students touring Midwest make Q-C stop

SL wins Silver, Bronze and Merit at IBO 2012

Posted on July 23, 2012 by ev1

Priyanka Kurugala

Four Sri Lankan students won Silver, Bonze and Merit awards at the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) 2012 concluded last week in Singapore.

Pramith Ruwanpathirana of Royal College, Colombo won a Silver, Prasan Thurul Warnakula of Joseph Vas College, Wennappuwa won a Bronze and Janidu Gunarathna of Royal College, Colombo and Madhushani Rodrigo of Vishaka Vidyalaya, Colombo secured Merit awards, Sri Lankan Biology Olympiad Coordinator, Institute of Biology, Prof Hiran Amarasekera said.

Over 230 pre-university Biology students and 205 jury members from 59 countries participated in the competition, he said.

Silver medallist, Pramith Ruwanpathirana obtained the best results in the Bio Science stream in the 2011 GCE A/L examination. Bronze medallist, Prasan Thurul Warnakula has not yet completed the GCE (A/L) examination. Other students intend to follow Medical degree courses in Sri Lanka.

The IBO is an internationally conducted competition, where students worldwide compete for medals. The first International Olympiad was held in Eastern Europe in 1959 in Mathematics.

The remaining disciplines are as follows: Physics (1967), Chemistry (1968) and Informatics in (1989). Biology had its first Olympiad in 1990. Science Olympiads as compared with sports are held annually and intended for secondary school students.

The level of questions is above the standard for secondary school education in the world. Theoretical/practical question papers are 5 hours long, each demanding persistence, determination and discipline.

Gold medals are awarded not only to the top achiever, but to the top 10 percent of participants. The Olympiad offers an opportunity for international exchange.

Students were selected out of 2,300 participants in the Sri Lankan Biology Olympiad competition, conducted by the Institute of Biology, in collaboration with Sri Lankan universities and the Education Ministry, in September last year. Professors Hiran Amarasekera and H G Nandadasa from the Sri Jayewardenepura University and Prof M J S Wijeyaratne from the Kelaniya University participated as jury members.

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SL wins Silver, Bronze and Merit at IBO 2012

What’s up with that job?

Posted on July 23, 2012 by ev1

What does a biological technician actually do all day?

Working in a biology-related business or research facility, biological technicians help biologists conduct tests and procedures that involve living organisms and organic substances. The work can vary greatly: A biological technician might help a biologist in a university conducting genetic research or work for a pharmaceutical company developing a new medicine.

What kind of cash are we talking about here?

The national median wage for biological technicians is $39,480, or $18.76 per hour; in New York, pay is slightly higher. Entry-level wages are usually far lower; those with four-year degrees and seniority will earn more than $50,000 yearly.

What do you have to do to get this job?

A two-year associate degree or a four-year bachelors degree is required. You should have a solid background in chemistry, biology and math, and be very detail-oriented. Most biological technician jobs require proficiency with computers and other technological know-how. Completing an Internship while in school will increase the chances of employment after graduation.

Okay, tell me the bad part.

Some of the duties for entry-level biological technician jobs are rote and not terribly exciting. Biological technicians often work with toxic materials, chemicals, infectious organisms and even radioactive materials, all of which carry risks.

Whats the upside?

Biological technicians may be involved with projects on the cutting edge of biological discovery and scientific advancement. Most technicians work more independently after a few years on the job, and can advance to supervisory positions.

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What’s up with that job?

Zetasizer µV Used In Measuring Protein Structural Transition

Posted on July 23, 2012 by ev1

National Autonomous University of Mexico uses dynamic light scattering for allosteric transition characterization

Using the Zetasizer V dynamic light scattering (DLS) system from Malvern Instruments, Professor Mario L. Calcagno and his team at the Biochemistry Department of the Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autnoma de Mxico (UNAM, the National Autonomous University of Mexico) have been able to distinguish allosteric transition [structural rearrangements] in a single E. coli protein. Characterizing protein allostery is challenging because of its sensitivity to experimental conditions, however, a quantitative description of allosteric transition is important in understanding and controlling metabolic and other biochemical processes.

We use the Zetasizer V to characterize the size of proteins and how they interact to produce multimeric forms or even supramolecular arrangements of the protein such as viral capsids [shells], said Dr Ismael Bustos-Jaimes, from Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Protein Engineering at UNAM commented The Zetasizer V allows us to work with sizes in the range of 1 nm to 500 nm and follow each assembly and stability parameter, such as pH, temperature and ionic strength, guiding us to the optimal production conditions for these virus-like particles.

The sensitivity of the Zetasizer V has additionally allowed my colleague, Prof Calcagno, to analyze allosteric transitions explained Dr Bustos-Jaimes. The size of the hexameric glucosamine-6-phosphate deaminase protein from E. coli changes its shape to a more compact form upon allosteric-activator binding, and this change can be measured.

The Zetasizer V software is user-friendly and in addition to measuring particle size it delivers information about the quality of sample preparation. This is very important when you work with molecules which are prone to uncontrolled aggregation, said Dr Bustos-Jaimes.

The UNAM team studies allosteric transitions and the assembly of virus-like particles (VLPs) for use in diagnostics and disease control. VLPs are biological nanoparticles that resemble natural viruses but contain no genetic material. As non-infective agents, they are suitable for use in the analysis of viral infection mechanisms, vaccine production, tissue-specific drug delivery and as biological nanomaterials.

The Zetasizer V is part of a range of Zetasizer dynamic light scattering systems from Malvern Instruments. For more information, visit http://www.malvern.com/zetasizer

About Malvern Instruments Malvern Instruments is a market leader in measuring performance controlling material properties. These include particle size, particle shape, zeta potential, molecular weight, size and conformation, rheological properties and chemical identification. Malvern delivers the systems, support and expertise that ensure the analytical integrity and productivity needed to drive research, development and manufacturing.

Malverns measurement solutions for scientists, technologists and engineers advance continually through customer collaboration. Complementary materials characterization systems deliver inter-related measurements that reflect the complexities of particulates and disperse systems, nanomaterials and macromolecules. Combining intelligently implemented technologies with in-depth industry applications knowledge and support, Malvern provides customers with the competitive advantage they demand.

Headquartered in Malvern, UK, Malvern Instruments has subsidiary organizations in all major European markets, North America, China, Japan and Korea, a joint venture in India, a global distributor network and applications laboratories around the world. For more information, visit http://www.malvern.com

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Zetasizer µV Used In Measuring Protein Structural Transition

Israel adult stem cell trials – hope for ALS patients?

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Danzig

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - A clinical trial of ALS patients conducted by BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics shows its adult stem cell therapy is well-tolerated, appears to be safe and does not present undue risk, according to an interim safety review. Moreover, in some patients signs of stabilization of the disease were detected. Israel-based BrainStorm is developing NurOwn for the treatment of amyotrophic ...

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Israel adult stem cell trials - hope for ALS patients?

Campers take off for outer space

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Danzig

Home News Education Austin Stoner, 12, hooks up his surface-supplied air snorkel before helping the rest of his Challenger Learning Center camp team assemble a model of the International Space Station. THE BLADE/ANDY MORRISON Enlarge Loading

Published: 7/23/2012

BY MEL FLANAGAN BLADE STAFF WRITER

Amidst a crowd of spectators, seven team members carefully constructed an international space station in Toledo on Friday afternoon.

The location was an indoor pool on Collingwood Boulevard, and the team members were seven local youths participating in the International Space Station Camp, one of eight summer programs offered by the Challenger Learning Center in Oregon.

The week-long camp taught the children the purpose and history of the International Space Station, as well as how to snorkel. The camp culminated in building a 22-foot-by-50-foot-by-12-foot model of the space station underwater.

"We do this [underwater] because this is the way astronauts train," program coordinator Reed Steele said. "It gives us that feeling of floating in space."

The space station camp is offered annually to area youth who are entering seventh grade or above.

J.T. Langdon, who will be a seventh grader at Toledo School for the Arts, said he has been attending Challenger camps since he was in third grade.

"This is the first year I could be in this one, and I was looking forward to it," J.T. said. "It's fun, and I get to learn stuff over the summer."

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Campers take off for outer space

The best space station video? You decide

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Danzig

Cinematographer Knate Myers edited space station photography into this time-lapse video.

By Alan Boyle

Eight months ago, we featured an eye-popping time-lapse video by German filmmaker Michael Knig as the "best of NASA's night lights" but now New Mexico time-lapser Knate Myers has created another contender for the title.

Like Knig's compilation, Myers' four-minute odyssey wraps in multicolored auroral displays, glorious night passes over the world's cities, flashes of lightning and the heavenly whirl of the stars above. Far from detracting from the scene, the space station's solar arrays and other hardware add a sense of perspective in the foreground. As with any time-lapse video, this one shows to best advantage when it's at highest resolution and full-screen display whether you go with YouTube or Vimeo.

We might have to rethink that earlier "best of" verdict.But really, is there any point anymore in declaring a time-lapse winner?

Michael Konig's video is also based on NASA imagery. See it on You Tube or Vimeo.

It turns out thatthere's a whole club on Vimeodevoted to turning imagery from the International Space Station into time-lapse views. And when you get right down to it, virtually all of this imagery comes from NASA's Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth, which offers its own selection of time-lapse space station videos. (This month NASA put up a humdinger showing the moon's shadow on Earth during May's annular solar eclipse.)

Rather than declaring a winner, I'm just going to point to some of the favorites and declare that all the folks who work with imagery from space, and all the folks who enjoy that imagery, are the real winners here.

More winners in the orbital time-lapse category:

Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log'sFacebook page, following@b0yle on Twitterand adding theCosmic Log pageto your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out"The Case for Pluto,"my book about the dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

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The best space station video? You decide

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