John Glenn, the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth, was honored by President Barack Obama with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony held at the White House on Tuesday (May 29).
Excerpt from:
Obama Awards Medals Of Freedom
President Obama awarded the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to thirteen cultural and political icons today, saying that the recipients have “marked my life in profound ways.” This year’s medal winners included music legend Bob Dylan, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Pulitzer...
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Aquaponics build update with the other camera – Video
28-05-2012 21:09 "how to" diy build Energy Power Update Global Climate Cold Gas Solar Green Wind Free Electricity Environment water fish garden Clean Generator "Global Warming" Alternative renewable ideas Save Change Tesla Earth Technology natural eco system
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Eco-Cars: 10 Tips for Greener Motoring
Make your car an eco-warrior on the road! While the best way to reduce your carbon footprint is still to leave the car at home, the state of our local public transport system may make this a non-option. Driving is often more a need than a luxury in this country, but dont take that as an excuse to boot environmental awareness to the backseat. Here are 10 simple tips for greener motoring.
(First published in Womens Health Magazine as Green Machine in May 2010; adapted for use in Female Network)
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Coniston entrepreneur launches eco-friendly buses
Coniston entrepreneur launches eco-friendly buses
5:00pm Tuesday 29th May 2012 in News
THE countrys first semi-electric tour bus will soon be ferrying passengers through the Lake District.
Coniston entrepreneur Harry Kilgour might be driving a white bus but its pioneering technology will offer passengers a green ride.
Tourists will be able to view the landscape in the hybrid 17-seater bus, which uses an electric unit to support its diesel engine.
Mr Kilgour had the motor fitted to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the bus by 20 per cent and lower its diesel intake.
The system was initially tested in goods vans but has been installed in a tour bus for the first time by specialists Ashwoods Automotive of Exeter.
The hybrid unit, which is fitted at the back of the bus, generates power to help increase the vehicles diesel efficiency. It recharges its battery system when not assisting the engine.
Mr Kilgour, 61, took the minibus out for its debut drive this week as he launched his business Bluebird Tours of Coniston. It will offer planned and bespoke tours throughout South Cumbria.
Mr Kilgour said: Theres not much around Coniston in terms of bus tourism, and certainly nothing as green as this."
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Florida beaches moving up on Dr. Beach's US list
Florida has landed the No. 1 beach in the U.S. seven times, but not in 2012. This year's crown goes to Coronado Beach in San Diego, California, but that doesn't mean Florida still isn't the place to be for the finest stretches of sand.
The Sunshine State nabbed two of the Top 10 spots for 2012 with St. George Island State Park near Apalachicola at No. 4 and Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne at No. 8 Both beaches moved up two spots from the 2011 list. Of course, the thing about the list is once you win, you're no longer eligible for the list.
The annual Top 10 list now in its 22nd year, is put out by Dr. Beach, aka Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, Director of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research, before Memorial Day each year.
So out of 22 years, Florida's been No. 1 nearly a third of those years with Siesta Beach in 2011, Caladesi Island State Park north of Tampa in 2008, Fort DeSoto Park in St. Petersburg in 2005, St. Joseph Peninsula in Port St. Joe in 2002, St. Andrews State Park in Panama City in 1995, Grayton Beach State Park in Santa Rosa Beach in 1994 and Bahia Honda State Park on Big Pine Key in 1992.
Other Florida beaches that have made the Top 10 in the past six years, but not on this year's list include Barefoot Beach Park in Bonita Springs and Lighthouse Point Park in Ponce Inlet south of Daytona Beach.
Of the two beaches ranked in 2012, Leatherman had this to say:
No. 4: St. George Island State Park Florida panhandle. The Florida panhandle beaches are back as oil from the BP spill has vanished, and the sand is squeaky clean (just rub your feet on the sand and hear them squeak). The brilliant white sands and clear waters of St. George Island were fortunately not even impacted last summer. Stingrays are sometimes resting in the shallow waters so shuffle your feet when entering. Birding and fishing are very popular activities here.
No. 8: Cape Florida State Park Key Biscayne, Florida. Cape Florida State Park, located at the south tip of Key Biscayne, provides clear, emerald-colored waters and gentle surf. This fine, white coral sand beach is great for swimming, as waves are knocked down by a large sand shoal offshore. In addition, the Cape Florida Lighthouse allows for a breath-taking view of this beautiful beach.
Leatherman ranks beaches using 50 different criteria from quality of sand to safety.
The full 2012 list is as follows: 1. Coronado Beach San Diego, California 2. Kahanamoku Beach Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii 3. Main Beach East Hampton, New York 4. St. George Island State Park Florida panhandle 5. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii 6. Coast Guard Beach Cape Cod, Massachusetts 7. Waimanalo Bay Beach Park Oahu, Hawaii 8. Cape Florida State Park Key Biscayne, Florida 9. Beachwalker Park Kiawah Island, South Carolina 10. Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks of North Carolina
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Flag awards for Scottish beaches
29 May 2012 Last updated at 20:12 ET
More than 60 Scottish beaches have been granted official recognition for high standards of cleanliness, safety, and water quality.
Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) has given "seaside award" status to a total of 61 beaches.
Eight will also now be able to fly the internationally-acclaimed Blue Flag.
The environment charity said over the past 12 years the number of beaches achieving seaside awards has more than quadrupled.
The awards are given annually, with beaches from Aberdeenshire to the Borders, and from the Highlands to North Ayrshire, among those featured on the 2012 list.
Portobello beach in Edinburgh and Dunbar East beach in East Lothian are completely new entries.
Six of the sites which have been awarded blue flag status - for which beaches must pass 32 environmental criteria - are in Fife, with Kinghorn beach receiving recognition for the first time.
The other two blue flag winners are in Dundee and Coldingham in the Scottish borders.
Derek Robertson, chief executive of KSB, said: "With an increasing number of people choosing to take their holidays at home in Scotland, there has never been a better time to enjoy your local beach.
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Smoking allowed in state parks and beaches
Smokers can puff away at state parks, beaches and pools this summer after all.
After objections by a smokers' rights organization, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration suspended its restrictions on smoking in parks, beaches, pools and historic sites that was to be enforced with a potential disorderly conduct ticket. The administration said Tuesday that the measures will be voluntary for at least two months while a full rule-making process including public comment is concluded.
For smokers like Subena Harris, it's all getting to be a bit much.
"I feel like I have to leave Planet Earth to have a cigarette," said Subena Harris, a New York City resident who was smoking in Albany. "And I pay taxes, just like everyone else. I work 40 hours a week, just like everyone else. I'm not going to stand around and blow smoke in people's faces, but I don't want to be ostracized doing the same things as non-smoking citizens do."
Audrey Silk, founder of the national Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment based in New York City, had objected to the state restriction announced in April. The order was set without public hearings and despite the Legislature's refusal to enact similar restrictions.
"Apparently the crusade against smokers to date has so emboldened government that the rule of law no longer need be practiced when it comes to its citizens that choose to smoke," Silk said
Dan Keefe, office spokesman for the state Parks Department, said the no-smoking order followed common practice at several parks facilities and was made as a consensus rule, which doesn't require public hearings. He said the state hadn't expected any opposition or controversy.
The state is now calling for voluntary restrictions by smokers, but the signs that say smoking is restricted in many areas will stay in place.
"There is only one way for the public to interpret this language," Silk says, "There's nothing to imply that the 'prohibition" is unenforceable, which it now clearly is.
"The Office of Parks' behavior goes from bad to worse from at least the facade of official policy-making to settling for simply fooling people with unofficial signs," Silk said.
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Beaches open, flags flying
Readmore: Local, Community, Environment, Weather, Marquette, Waterfront Safety Task Force, South Beach, Marquette Fire Department, Flags, Rip Currents, Waves
MARQUETTE -- With the summer beach season upon us the Marquette fire department has begun its flag advisory system to indicate swimming conditions. The fire department is acting on behalf of the waterfront safety task force.
The task force was created by the Marquette city commission in 2010 and serves to alert swimmers if waves and rip currents pose a danger at local beaches. The beaches are now open and lifeguards are on duty at South Beach and McCarty's Cove.
"The beaches are attractive, its important for people to know that we have two guarded beaches, they're large beaches, it is about keeping people safe, the program is constant we're always trying to come up with new ideas to increase that safety and to lower the risk," said Marquette Fire Chief Tom Belt.
The system uses colored flags to alert swimmers.A green flag means calm waves, yellow means waves from2-4 ft and red means high hazard, no swimming. For more information on the swimming conditionsclick here.
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Victoria, Australia government wants to stop free pertussis vaccines | Bad Astronomy
[Note: Although I think it's clear in the text below, I changed the title of this post to reflect the fact that it's the Victorian government doing this, not the Federal Australian government.]
In Australia, pertussis whooping cough is at epidemic levels. There were over 38,000 cases last year, and its killed eight babies since 2008. Despite this, the Health Minister of Victoria wants to cut a program that provides free pertussis vaccines for caregivers and parents of babies. He claims (under advice of a panel of experts) that it isnt providing sufficient clinical results, but many doctors are concerned what this will do to the already too-high rates of infection.
Even if the results arent as good as hoped, it would make sense to fund this program until infection rates are down, at least to where they were before the epidemic.
Toni McCaffery the mother of Dana McCaffery, one of those eight infants killed by pertussis has created a petition to continue the program. If you live in Australia, I urge you to read it and sign it if you choose.
And please, please talk to your board-certified doctor and see if you need a shot or a booster.
Why? Because of this, and this, and dammit, because of this.
As long as antivaxxers spread their thin gruel of nonsense, as long as people think its OK to get a religious exemption from a life-saving vaccination, as long as people arent even aware that as adults they need to keep up with their TDAP booster shots (as I wasnt), then I will continue to write about this.
As long as babies are dying, Ill continue to write about this. Lets hope I can stop very, very soon.
Related Posts:
- Followup: Antivaxxers, airlines, and ailments - UPDATE: partial Complete success with American Airlines! - Whooping cough outbreak in Boulder - Stop antivaxxers. Now.
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Victoria, Australia government wants to stop free pertussis vaccines | Bad Astronomy
Trivia – putting Astronomy under the microscope
David Heath Wednesday, 30 May 2012 12:21
Opinion and Analysis
Ever since Galileo turned his simple telescope toward Jupiter and saw its four principal moons, we have been in awe of such devices. But they do come with limitations.
However, until the invention of the reflecting telescope some 200 years after Galileo, there was no obvious way to make them large enough to see into the far reaches of the heavens.
In fact for some considerable period of time, big-ish telescopes were constructed using both technologies, but eventually one single reason meant that all super-large telescopes were made as Newtonian (reflector) telescopes, and not lens-based.
What is the principal reason that there has never been a successful, long-serving lens-based telescope with a lens diameter greater than 1 metre?
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Learn about astronomy for free during summer months
Sex offender arrested for allegedly entering a stranger's home Sex offender arrested for allegedly entering a stranger's home
Updated: Wednesday, May 30 2012 12:33 AM EDT2012-05-30 04:33:03 GMT
Updated: Tuesday, May 29 2012 11:42 PM EDT2012-05-30 03:42:58 GMT
Updated: Tuesday, May 29 2012 11:38 PM EDT2012-05-30 03:38:07 GMT
Updated: Tuesday, May 29 2012 11:14 PM EDT2012-05-30 03:14:50 GMT
Updated: Tuesday, May 29 2012 10:35 PM EDT2012-05-30 02:35:55 GMT
Startingon Friday, the Evansville Museum will offer free planetarium shows during the summer season.
The 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. shows will be 'Bad Astronomy', a unique and fun approach to learn about the cosmos.
The 3 p.m. show is 'The Sky Tonight', which will show you where to look to see the constellations and planets.
The free tickets are available at the museum's reception desk and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
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NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 26 May 2012
ISS On-Orbit Status 05/26/12
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Saturday - Crew half-day off.
Upon wakeup, FE-3 Acaba, FE-5 Kuipers & FE-6 Pettit completed their weekly post-sleep session of the Reaction Self-Test (Psychomotor Vigilance Self-Test on the ISS) protocol, the 43rd for Don & Andr, the 3rd for Joe. [RST is done twice daily (after wakeup & before bedtime) for 3 days prior to the sleep shift, the day(s) of the sleep shift and 5 days following a sleep shift. The experiment consists of a 5-minute reaction time task that allows crewmembers to monitor the daily effects of fatigue on performance while on ISS. The experiment provides objective feedback on neurobehavioral changes in attention, psychomotor speed, state stability, and impulsivity while on ISS missions, particularly as they relate to changes in circadian rhythms, sleep restrictions, and extended work shifts.]
After wakeup, Gennady Padalka performed the routine inspection of the SM (Service Module) PSS Caution & Warning panel as part of regular Daily Morning Inspection.
CDR Kononenko, FE-1 Padalka & FE-2 Revin joined in conducting the regular weekly three-hour task of thorough cleaning of their home, including COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory) and Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module). ["Uborka", usually done on Saturdays, includes removal of food waste products, cleaning of compartments with vacuum cleaner, damp cleaning of the SM dining table, other frequently touched surfaces and surfaces where trash is collected, as well as the sleep stations with a standard cleaning solution; also, fan screens and grilles are cleaned to avoid temperature rises. Special cleaning is also done every 90 days on the HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) bacteria filters in the Lab.]
As part of Uborka house cleaning, Oleg, Sergei & Gennady also completed regular weekly maintenance inspection & cleaning of fan screens in the FGB (TsV2) plus Group E fan grilles in the SM (VPkhO, FS5, FS6, VP) and the BMP Harmful Contaminants Removal System grille in the SM.
Don Pettit started another sampling run with the AQM (Air Quality Monitor), deactivating the system ~5 hrs later. [Consisting of the EHS GC/DMS (Environmental Health Systems Gas Chromatograph / Differential Mobility Spectrometer), the system is controlled with "Sionex" expert software from the SSC (Station Support Computer)-12 laptop. The AQM demonstrates COTS (Commercial Off-the-Shelf) technology for identifying volatile organic compounds, similar to the VOA (Volatile Organics Analyzer). This evaluation will continue over the course of several months as it helps to eventually certify the GC/DMS as nominal CHeCS (Crew Health Care Systems) hardware],
Next, Pettit & Kuipers set up the Node-2 camcorder with MPC (Multi-Protocol Converter) and Firewire cable for Dragon hatch opening and powered down all CQ (Crew Quarters) laptops prior to removing power from the CQs for the Dragon ingress.
Afterwards, Andr & Don removed the CBM CPAs (Common Berthing Mechanism Controller Panel Assemblies) from the Node-2 nadir port and equalized the pressures between Dragon and ISS.
At ~5:53am EDT, Dragon's internal hatch was opened, and Don Pettit & Oleg Kononenko entered Dragon wearing protective masks and goggles to set up for IMV (Intermodule Ventilation) for 20 min before final ingress.
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How To Measure the Universe
by Jason Major on May 29, 2012
Measuring distance doesnt sound like a very challenging thing to do just pick your standard unit of choice and corresponding tool calibrated to it, and see how the numbers add up. Use a meter stick, a tape measure, or perhaps take a drive, and you can get a fairly accurate answer. But in astronomy, where the distances are vast and theres no way to take measurements in person, how do scientists know how far this is from that and whats going where?
Luckily there are ways to figure such things out, and the methods that astronomers use are surprisingly familiar to things we experience every day.
The Royal Observatory Greenwich is giving free presentations of "Measuring the Universe: from the Transit of Venus to the Edge of the Cosmos" from now until September 1.
Just in time for the upcoming transit of Venus, an event which also allows for some important measurements to be made of distances in our solar system, the video is part of a series of free presentations the Observatory is currently giving regarding our place in the Universe and how astronomers over the centuries have measured how oh-so-far it really is from here to there.
Video credits: Design and direction: Richard Hogg Animation: Robert Milne, Ross Philips, Kwok Fung Lam Music and sound effects: George Demure Narration and Astro-smarts: Dr. Olivia Johnson Producer: Henry Holland
Tagged as: blueshift, distance, Measuring the Universe, parallax, redshift, Royal Observatory, scale, Solar System, Venus
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Study of the Day: A Diet Loaded With Sugar Makes Rats Dumber
New research in the Journal of Physiology suggests that fructose disrupts learning and memory, but omega-3 fatty acids can help.
PROBLEM: The average American consumes roughly 47 pounds of cane sugar and 35 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup per year, mostly through processed foods like soft drinks, condiments, and desserts. Though previous studies have shown how these sweeteners harm the body through its role in diabetes, obesity, and fatty liver, it was unclear if they had impact on mental processes.
METHODOLOGY: University of California, Los Angeles, researchers Rahul Agrawal and Fernando Gomez-Pinilla trained two groups of rats on a maze twice daily for five days before serving them a fructose solution as drinking water for six weeks. The second group also received omega-3 fatty acids, which protect against damage to the synapses or the chemical connections between brain cells that enable memory and learning. After this experimental diet period, the researchers tested the rats' ability to recall the visual landmarks the scientists installed to help them escape the maze.
RESULTS: The second group of rats remembered the correct route and were able to exit much faster than the rats that did not receive omega-3 fatty acids in the form of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and flaxseed oil. A closer look at the brains of the DHA-deprived mammals showed a decline in synaptic activity and signs of resistance to insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar and regulates synaptic function.
CONCLUSION: A high-fructose diet sabotages learning and memory, but omega-3 fatty acids can partially offset the damage.
IMPLICATION: Gomez-Pinilla says consuming one gram of DHA per day through foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, walnuts, and flaxseeds can protect the brain against fructose's dumbing effects. "It's like saving money in the bank," he says in a statement. "You want to build a reserve for your brain to tap when it requires extra fuel to fight off future diseases."
SOURCE: The full study, "Metabolic Syndrome' in the Brain: Deficiency in Omega-3 Fatty Acid Exacerbates Dysfunctions in Insulin Receptor Signalling and Cognition," is published in the Journal of Physiology.
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Study of the Day: A Diet Loaded With Sugar Makes Rats Dumber
Nutrition program offers breakfast, lunch to kids
WEATHERFORD Weatherford ISD is making it easier on parents this summer, by offering their annual Summer Meals program, beginning June 4.
Funded through a grant and paid for by the state, the program offers free breakfast and lunch to kids and youth up to the age of 18.
Some kids may not get the nutritional meals they need in the summer, especially if the parents are at work, Jerolyn Goodman, a registered dietitian and director of the WISD child nutrition services, said. The neat thing is that they dont even have to be Weatherford students or live in town. Anyone up to 18 can come and eat for free.
The program will be held at Ikard Elementary, 100 Ikard Lane, and runs through Aug. 10. Services will not be available July 4.
Breakfast will be served Monday through Friday, from 8 to 9 a.m., and lunch from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
For the longest time, we were the only place in Parker County that offered it, but there really hasnt been a big turnout, Goodman said. We really want people to come out.
Breakfast is available for accompanying adults for $2, and lunch for $3.25.
Its a good way, if youre out and about, to just stop by and feed your kids a nutritious lunch for free, Goodman said.
With a variety of meals, Goodman said that pizza and hot dogs are the top favorites, noting that kids can count on pizza every Thursday.
In addition to the meals, Kids Unite programs will also be going on, with anyone welcome to attend.
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Nutrition program offers breakfast, lunch to kids
Foods, nutrition professor named to UGA Foundation Professorship
Richard D. Lewis, professor of foods and nutrition in the University College of Family and Consumer Sciences, has been named to the UGA Foundation Professorship in Family and Consumer Sciences.
Since joining the College of Family and Consumer Sciences in 1986, Dr. Lewis has excelled in teaching, research and outreach, said FACS Dean Linda K. Fox. His research on topics related to bone strength have been on the cutting edge, and he has incorporated the newest research findings into the courses he regularly teaches on life-cycle nutrition and medical nutrition therapyas well as seeking opportunities for students to engage in service-learning projects.
Richard D. Lewis, professor of foods and nutrition was named to the UGA Foundation Professorship in Family and Consumer Sciences.
Lewis spent his first five years at UGA as a nutrition and health specialist with UGA Cooperative Extension, working specifically on programs related to weight control for adults and healthy lifestyles for children. In 1992, his focus shifted to teaching and research, and he began exploring the impact of gymnastics on female bone strength.
Soon after I joined the university, I began providing nutritional guidance to our athletes on a volunteer basis, Lewis said. When we decided to explore this research question (of gymnastics and bone strength), it was generally thought that the excessive exercise and food restriction that is often found in gymnastics would have a negative impact on bone strength. On the contrary, our research showed that college gymnasts had very dense bones.
Lewiss research was one of only two projects on the topic published nationally in 1995, putting him at the forefront of the field. Among the unique aspects of the study was the use of non-gymnast controls.
We made sure that every gymnast was matched with regard to their age, height, weight and other factors to ensure that we could relate the difference in bone strength to gymnastics rather than other factors, he said.
Lewis has gone on to measure bone strength in retired competitive gymnasts at the ages of 35 and 45. He is now beginning to look at 55-year-old former gymnasts to gauge whether higher bone strength continues into their menopausal years. He also has looked at children as young as four to determine when bone strength differences begin.
His other research includes pioneering a federally funded study into the role of vitamin D in developing bone strength in children, a topic he will lecture on at a conference in Switzerland, and examining the use of soy isoflavones to counteract menopause-related bone loss in women.
His current research focuses on the role a common virus may play in bone strength among obese children. He also is working with colleagues on additional projects related to UGAs obesity initiative.
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Foods, nutrition professor named to UGA Foundation Professorship
Updated Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Position Paper Confirms Safety and Benefits of Low-Calorie Sweeteners
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GW researchers discover biomarker for advanced bile duct fibrosis and bile duct cancer
Public release date: 29-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Anne Banner abanner@gwu.edu 202-994-2261 George Washington University Medical Center
WASHINGTON (May 29, 2012) GW Researchers, Jeffrey M. Bethony, Ph.D., associate professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine, and Paul Brindley, Ph.D., professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine at GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, along with colleagues from Khon Kaen University in Thailand have determined that plasma Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels are an sensitive and specific biomarker for the detection of the advanced bile duct fibrosis and bile duct cancer that comes from chronic infection with the Asian Liver Fluke (Opisthorchis viverrini). The research, titled, "Elevated Plasma IL-6 Associates with Increased Risk of Advanced Fibrosis and Cholangiocarcinoma in Individuals Infected by Opisthorchis viverrini," was recently published in the journal, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
This discovery is a critical advance for the Northeastern (Isaan) region of Thailand and other areas of Southeast Asia, where an estimated 10 million people are currently infected with Asian Liver Fluke, which is the leading cause of cancer in the region. This food-borne parasite encysts in the fins, skin, and musculature of fish and infection occurs when people ingest this raw or uncooked fish. While the infection can be cured by chemotherapy, environmental and cultural factors of the region strongly favors rapid reinfection, with bile duct cancer as a common outcome. Northeastern Thailand has the highest levels bile duct cancer in the world. The determination that plasma IL-6 levels are associated with bile duct fibrosis (a precursor state to bile duct cancer) and early bile duct cancer were done by examining participants in the Khon Kaen Cholangiocarcinoma Cohort, the largest cancer cohort of its type in the world, and an NIH sponsored project in collaboration with George Washington University and Khon Kaen University. In this study, researchers visited nearly 4,000 individuals resident in rural areas of Thailand, where the parasite is endemic to conduct ultrasound studies to detect advanced bile duct fibrosis and early bile duct cancer and then link the ultrasound results with levels of plasma IL-6. This research was done in collaboration with Drs. Banchob Sripa, Bandit Thinkhamrop, Eimorn Mairiang, and Thewarach Laha from the Khon Kaen University School of Medicine and School of Public Health.
As a result of the identifying this biomarker, the Thai Ministry of Public Health has implemented testing for levels of plasma IL-6 for individuals between 20 and 60 in endemic regions of Isaan Thailand to identify individuals at risk for bile duct cancer. Through this test, it is hoped that bile duct cancer can be detected earlier and at a more treatable stage.
"Typically, bile duct cancer has a late presentation, and so a very high mortality rate. Now that we've identified the IL-6 biomarker, our hope is that earlier detection is possible and earlier treatment saves more lives," said Jeffrey M. Bethony, Ph.D., associate professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS).
In collaboration with Dr. Jason Mulvenna of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Brisbane Australia, the researchers are also using quantitative proteomics approaches to identify biomarkers that could be used in an even more sensitive and specific test for the early detection of this infection-associated bile duct cancer. The current discovery was possible through funding from an RO1 grant (R01CA155297-01) from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
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About the School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Founded in 1825, the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) was the first medical school in the nation's capital and is the 11th oldest in the country. Working together in our nation's capital, with integrity and resolve, the GW SMHS is committed to improving the health and well-being of our local, national and global communities. http://www.smhs.gwumc.edu
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GW researchers discover biomarker for advanced bile duct fibrosis and bile duct cancer
Councillors in limbo over plan's longevity
MARC GREENHILL
Key decisions on Christchurch's annual plan could become irrelevant once the Government's central-city blueprint is finished, councillors fear.
Annual plan hearings will begin tomorrow, but some councillors are still unsure what it will mean, with the Government-led Christchurch Central Development Unit (CCDU) blueprint not due for release until July.
Cr Yani Johanson said it was "pretty clear we're not in control here".
The Government was "basically going to tell us where things go and what they are", and the council would fund it, Johanson said. He said the CCDU blueprint should have been released before the draft annual plan was approved.
In emails to the Save Centennial Pool group, Cr Sally Buck said the CCDU had removed the council from central-city decision-making, and Cr Jamie Gough said it made sense to wait until the unit's plan was finalised.
Cr Aaron Keown said he was "comfortable" with council staff working with the unit.
"The central-city plan may skew things in the future, but let's see what it is before we criticise it," he said.
Save Centennial Pool spokeswoman Simone Pearson said the number of agencies involved in the central-city recovery had confused the public. "Up until now there have been no comments regarding the relationship between the draft central-city plan and the anchor projects plan. There's been no obvious connection made in the documentation," she said.
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee said the annual plan "does matter".
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Councillors in limbo over plan's longevity