Select Page ::

Schiff Nutrition International, Inc. Announces Fiscal 2012 Third Quarter Results

Posted on March 22, 2012 by ev1

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Schiff Nutrition International, Inc., (NYSE:WNI - News), announced results for the three- and nine-month periods ended February 29, 2012.

We are pleased with our third quarter performance, stated Tarang Amin, president and chief executive officer. Net sales grew 25%, which was driven by a 53% increase in our branded business. These results reflect successful execution against Schiffs growth strategy as we invest to build premium brands and lead innovation in our categories. Our core brands Schiff Move Free and Schiff MegaRed, in particular, benefited from strong marketing and sales execution as well as traction from new items.

Three Months Results Ended February 29, 2012

For the fiscal 2012 third quarter ended February 29, 2012, net sales were $72.2 million, compared to $57.7 million for the same period in fiscal 2011. The 25% increase reflects growth in key brands, new product introductions and a full quarters contribution from the probiotics acquisition. Branded sales results were partially offset by an expected decline in private label business. Selling and marketing expenses were $17.8 million, or 25% of revenue, compared to $7.9 million, or 14% of revenue. Net income for the fiscal 2012 third quarter was $4.6 million, compared to net income of $4.0 million for the same period in fiscal 2011. Earnings per diluted share were $0.16 for the fiscal 2012 third quarter, compared to $0.14 for the same period in fiscal 2011. Adjusted EBITDA, which is defined as income from operations before depreciation, amortization and stock-based compensation, was $9.3 million for the fiscal 2012 third quarter, compared to $7.4 million for the same period in fiscal 2011.

Nine Months Results Ended February 29, 2012

For the first nine months of fiscal 2012, net sales were $191.5 million, compared to $161.8 million for the same period in fiscal 2011. Selling and marketing expenses were $45.0 million, or 24% of revenue, compared to $26.2 million, or 16% of revenue. Net income for the first nine months of fiscal 2012 was $11.8 million, compared to net income of $9.6 million for the same period in fiscal 2011. Earnings per diluted share were $0.40 for the first nine months of fiscal 2012, compared to $0.33 for the same period in fiscal 2011. Adjusted EBITDA was $25.3 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2012, compared to $21.5 million for the same period in fiscal 2011.

We are positioning Schiff for long-term growth. Our sales and gross margins continue to benefit from our investments in brand building. It is gratifying the business has responded to these efforts so positively in fiscal 2012, concluded Amin.

Company Outlook

The company adjusted its fiscal year 2012 expectations. Net sales are expected to grow 16% to 19% as compared to fiscal year 2011 net sales of $213.6 million. Gross profit percentage is expected to be in the range of 44% to 46%. Selling and marketing expenses, as a percentage of net sales, are estimated to be in the range of 23.0% to 24.5%. Other operating expenses are estimated at approximately $27.5 million to $29.0 million. The company continues to anticipate a very high single-digit operating margin for fiscal 2012.

Schiff Nutrition posts higher 3Q revenue, earnings

Posted on March 22, 2012 by ev1

Utahs Schiff Nutrition International said its sales for the third quarter of its 2012 fiscal year grew 25 percent, the result of a strong marketing campaign and the introduction of a number of new products.

The Salt Lake City-based company, whose third quarter ended Feb. 29, 2012, said revenue for the period reached $72.2 million, up from $57.7 million in the same quarter a year ago.

Those revenue helped Schiff post net income of $4.6 million for the quarter, or 16 cents per share, compared with the net income of $4 million, or 14 cents per share, for the same period in fiscal 2011.

"We are positioning Schiff for long-term growth," Tarang Amin, president and CEO, said in a statement announcing the companys latest financial results. "Our sales and gross margins continue to benefit from our investments in brand building."

Schiff market nutritional supplements under a variety of different brands.

For the first nine months of fiscal 2012, sales reached $191.5 million compared with $161.8 million for the same period in the previous fiscal year, Amin said.

Net income for the first nine months of the year was $11.8 million, or 40 cents per share, compared to net income of $9.6 million, or 33 cents per share, for the comparable period in fiscal 2011.

Continue reading here:
Schiff Nutrition posts higher 3Q revenue, earnings

Nicki Minaj Dreams Up Rap Game Longevity Scheme, "I Would Enjoy A Career Like Jay-Z's"

Posted on March 22, 2012 by ev1

News: Nicki Minaj Dreams Up Rap Game Longevity Scheme, "I Would Enjoy A Career Like Jay-Z's"

Thursday, Mar 22, 2012 9:19AM

Written by Cyrus Langhorne

Young Money star Nicki Minaj gives her take on rap longevity and why she would not mind following in rap mogul Jay-Z's footsteps in the new issue of Complex magazine.

According to Minaj, the ability to make a diverse range of music could extend her hip-hop career.

She also likened her potential career longevity to 42 year-old music mogul Jay-Z.

Back in 2010, Slaughterhouse's Joe Budden offered his take on sustaining an extensive rap career.

Outside of hip-hop, Nicki recently sealed a deal with mega soda company Pepsi.

Check out some recent Nicki Minaj footage below:

Link:
Nicki Minaj Dreams Up Rap Game Longevity Scheme, "I Would Enjoy A Career Like Jay-Z's"

Autism risk gene linked to differences in brain structure

Posted on March 22, 2012 by ev1

Public release date: 21-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

New Rochelle, NY, March 21, 2012Healthy individuals who carry a gene variation linked to an increased risk of autism have structural differences in their brains that may help explain how the gene affects brain function and increases vulnerability for autism. The results of this innovative brain imaging study are described in an article in the groundbreaking neuroscience journal Brain Connectivity, a bimonthly peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc (http://wwwliebertpub.com). The article is available free online at the Brain Connectivity (http://www.liebertpub.com/brain) website.

"This is one of the first papers demonstrating a linkage between a particular gene variant and changes in brain structure and connectivity in carriers of that gene," says Christopher Pawela, PhD, Co-Editor-in-Chief and Assistant Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin. "This work could lead to the creation of an exciting new line of research investigating the impact of genetics on communication between brain regions."

Although carriers of the common gene variant CNTNAP2identified as an autism risk genemay not develop autism, there is evidence of differences in brain structure that may affect connections and signaling between brain regions. These disruptions in brain connectivity can give rise to functional abnormalities characteristic of neuropsychological disorders such as autism.

###

Emily Dennis and coauthors from UCLA School of Medicine and UCLA (Los Angeles, CA) and University of Queensland and Queensland Institute of Medical Research (Brisbane, Australia), used a sophisticated imaging technique to study the brains of healthy young adults who are carriers of CNTNAP2. They report their findings in "Altered Structural Brain Connectivity in Healthy Carriers of the Autism Risk Gene, CNTNAP2." (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/brain.2011.0064)

About the Journal

Brain Connectivity (http://www.liebertpub.com/brain) is the journal of record for researchers and clinicians interested in all aspects of brain connectivity. The Journal is under the leadership of Founding and Co-Editors-in-Chief Christopher Pawela, PhD and Bharat Biswal, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. It includes original peer-reviewed papers, review articles, point-counterpoint discussions on controversies in the field, and a product/technology review section. To ensure that scientific findings are rapidly disseminated, articles are published Instant Online within 72 hours of acceptance, with fully typeset, fast-track publication within 4 weeks. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed online at the Brain Connectivity (http://www.liebertpub.com/brain) website.

About the Company

View post:
Autism risk gene linked to differences in brain structure

DNA confirms identity of Houston boy

Posted on March 22, 2012 by ev1

Published: March. 21, 2012 at 3:34 PM

HOUSTON, March 21 (UPI) -- A DNA test revealed Wednesday an 8-year-old Houston boy is the same child allegedly kidnapped by his godmother when he was a baby.

A judge announced Wednesday the test had confirmed Fernando Morin is the biological father of Miguel Morin, who had been living with Aubion Champion-Morin and Fernando Morin when he disappeared. Test results from Champion-Morin had not yet come back.

KHOU-TV, Houston, said the couple would be seeking visitation rights with the boy once the maternal DNA test results are released.

Miguel was in a foster home Wednesday and will remain there pending a March 28 hearing, KHOU said.

Child Protective Services said Miguel believes his name is Jaquan, and his godmother, Krystal Tanner, who is currently in jail, is his mom. A CPS psychologist warned the judge Wednesday Miguel has development issues and his life could be thrown into turmoil if he is reintroduced to his biological family.

KHOU said Miguel's four siblings all live with yet another couple who have said Champion-Morin had turned the children over to them to raise because she could not handle the responsibility. They have also said they doubted Tanner had kidnapped the boy.

Marker of DNA damage could predict response to platinum chemotherapy

Posted on March 22, 2012 by ev1

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

Contact: Jeremy Moore jeremy.moore@aacr.org 215-446-7109 American Association for Cancer Research

PHILADELPHIA Scientists have uncovered a marker of DNA damage that could predict who will respond to platinum-based chemotherapy drugs like cisplatin or carboplatin.

These drugs are widely used for ovarian cancer, but as with most cancer drugs, it can be difficult to predict who will respond to therapy.

A team of researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute found that this marker, telomeric allelic imbalance or tAI, could predict sensitivity to therapy in patients with triple-negative breast cancer.

The results are published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

"We currently do not have any targeted therapies for patients with triple-negative breast cancer, so if these laboratory findings are confirmed and an assay is created to predict sensitivity to drugs that target defective DNA repair, it would be a major step forward," said lead pathologist Andrea Richardson, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Scientists have long known that DNA repair status is a predictor of sensitivity to therapy and thus prognosis. However, measurements of DNA repair status have been slow to arrive.

Richardson and colleagues looked for genomic signatures in cell lines and tumors and correlated them to platinum sensitivity.

In patients with triple-negative breast cancer, they found that a high level of subchromosomal regions with allelic imbalance extended to the telomere predicted response to cisplatin treatment. The same was true for serous ovarian cancer.

View post:
Marker of DNA damage could predict response to platinum chemotherapy

DNA Marker Predicts Platinum Drug Response in Breast, Ovarian Cancer

Posted on March 22, 2012 by ev1

Marker identifies tumors unable to repair DNA damage by platinum agents

Newswise BOSTONScientists from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and their colleagues have found a genetic marker that predicts which aggressive "triple negative" breast cancers and certain ovarian cancers will likely respond to platinum-based chemotherapies.

The marker, found on chromosomes within the cancer cells, could lead to a test for identifying patients whose cancers could be effectively treated by a single platinum-based drug, "and avoid the toxicities of other chemotherapy combinations," says Andrea Richardson, MD, PhD, co senior author of the study and a surgical pathologist at Brigham and Women's and Dana-Farber.

The report is being published in the April issue of Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Many cancer treatments work by damaging DNA within tumor cells, rendering the cells unable to grow and divide. While some cancer cells can readily repair broken DNA molecules, allowing them to survive drug or radiation therapy, others have lost this repair capacity, making them vulnerable to DNA-damaging agents.

The new marker, Richardson says, flags breast and ovarian cancer cells that can't repair the type of DNA damage caused by treatment with platinum drugs, including cisplatin and carboplatin. A clinical test for the marker could be particularly valuable in treating triple-negative breast cancers, which are resistant to anti-hormonal therapies or targeted drugs like Herceptin.

"We currently do not have any targeted therapies for patients with triple-negative breast cancer, so if these laboratory findings are confirmed and an assay is created to predict sensitivity to drugs that target defective DNA repair, it would be a major step forward," says Richardson, the primary pathologist for the study. However, she adds, such an assay isn't likely to be developed soon.

The new genetic marker was discovered when Richardson and others studied tumor tissue collected from triple negative breast cancer patients who participated in two clinical trials of platinum drug therapy. Triple-negative tumors develop in about 80 percent of women who carry mutated breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. These tumors are characterized by a lack of estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors, which makes them unresponsive to targeted treatments that block those receptors.

The two clinical trials, led by Judy Garber, MD, MPH, of Dana-Farber, were investigating whether platinum drugs would also be effective in so-called "sporadic" triple negative tumors -- those that develop in the absence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations. Overall, about 20 percent of breast cancers are triple negative. Some of these cancers respond to standard chemotherapy drugs, while others don't. The patients whose triple negative tumors do not go away after chemotherapy have a particularly poor prognosis.

A total of 79 patients in the two trials received cisplatin alone or in combination with bevacizumab (Avastin) to shrink their tumors prior to removing them surgically. In both trials, approximately 40 percent of patients had a complete or near-complete disappearance of the cancer after the cisplatin therapy.

View post:
DNA Marker Predicts Platinum Drug Response in Breast, Ovarian Cancer

DNA confirms Houston man is missing child's father

Posted on March 22, 2012 by ev1

HOUSTON (AP) DNA test results disclosed Wednesday confirmed a Houston man is the father of a boy found in East Texas last week after he and his wife said they reported him missing eight years ago when he was an infant.

Fernando Morin and Auboni Champion-Morin are seeking to regain custody of the child, Miguel, who's been in foster care since last week. The wife's results were not yet complete, child welfare officials said.

A woman described by officials as the child's godmother and former neighbor is jailed in San Augustine in East Texas. Krystle Tanner faces a kidnapping charge related to the child's disappearance in late 2004, when he was 8 months old.

State District Judge Mike Schneider, who ordered the DNA testing at an emergency custody hearing last week, is set to hold another hearing in the case next week.

Child welfare officials last week said Morin and Champion-Morin, both 29, were uncooperative with investigators when the boy initially was reported missing. The parents deny the allegations.

Another couple told Houston television station KHOU on Tuesday that they've been caring for the four other Morin children, who are between the ages of 7 and 14. They said Champion-Morin gave the children to them years ago and that they are the legal guardians.

Champion-Morin, emerging from a courtroom Wednesday, wouldn't discuss the TV station report.

"Right now, everything's a private matter," she said. "I'm not going there right now with any of the news."

Child Protective Services spokeswoman Gwen Carter said the situation involving the other children is part of the child welfare agency's investigation into the outcome of Miguel's custody.

"In regard to the other children, there's no current concern about their safety and well-being," Carter said. "But in the normal course of investigating, we talk to siblings to find out what may be going on."

See the rest here:
DNA confirms Houston man is missing child's father

Alligator cells prevail possible human medicine

Posted on March 22, 2012 by ev1

Mark Merchant, biochemistry professor at McNeese State University, spoke with Leesville High School students Tuesday to discuss his ongoing research project investigating naturally occurring antibacterial peptides in alligators to uncover a new class of antibiotics. Merchant said he was first interested in this research when he noticed alligators who sustained serious injuries, such as a missing limb or tail, would not only heal rapidly, but also without any infections. So he set out to investigate in marshes to collect blood samples from crocodilians, which includes all alligator, crocodile and caiman species, to study their tissue and immune systems. After extracting the white blood cells, Merchant infused them with bacteria and discovered holes where it did not grow, proving there is something inside their white blood cells that kill bacteria. Merchant derived the term Zone of Inhibition to explain the area where bacteria cannot grow as well as measure the zone towards a variety of bacteria. After experimenting with different bacteria such as pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterial found in soil, and citrobacter freundii and escherichia coli, bacteria found in humans, the white blood cells attacked and killed both. The reason he found this interesting he said, was because alligators' immune systems fought off bacteria, viruses and fungi they had never been exposed to. Another remarkable discovery he said, was that the cells also killed bacteria called candida albicans, yeast infections, and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), staff infections, which claim numerous lives every year. He stated since humans are dying from these infections and alligator white blood cells are killing them, then they might be able to develop antibacterial, anti-viral or anti-fungal drugs for human medicine. "The way we think it works is that the outer coat of bacteria gives off a negative charge and the white blood cells give off a positive charge," he said. "So when opposites attract, the cells tear a hole in the membrane and therefore kills the bacteria." Merchant said his is really excited now that his research team has isolated these proteins and have determined their structure and now are trying to synthesize them. Students at LHS were surprised by a certain visitor Merchant brought with him; a four-year-old alligator. As the students exited the auditorium, they had the opportunity to touch and feel the texture of the alligator. Donell Evans, head of science department at LHS, said by having Merchant speak with the students, they hope to help them understand what's being offered outside of high school in terms of science related jobs and careers. Also, they are trying to bring more awareness to the Science, Technology, Engineer and Mathematics (STEM) programs that were recently introduced to Vernon Parish. The students in her AP biology class were so captivated with Merchant's research that they asked to discuss it more in depth during Friday's class. "I just think having a Louisiana college like McNeese State University being on the forefront with new antibiotics is amazing," Evans said. Merchant's researched has been funded by several grants including a four-year Research Competitiveness Subprogram grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents, EPSCoR travel grants to speak at five national and international conferences, EPSCoR Links with Industry and National Labs (LINK) grant to travel to Argentina as well as most recently, a grant from National Geographic.

Continued here:
Alligator cells prevail possible human medicine

UTHealth, St. Joseph Open Holistic Women's Behavioral Program

Posted on March 22, 2012 by ev1

Newswise HOUSTON (March 21, 2012) The Womens Behavioral Program at the Center for Behavioral Health, which offers specialized care for women with emotional challenges, has opened at St. Joseph Medical Center in partnership with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

The program is directed by Marketa Wills, M.D., M.B.A., assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the UTHealth Medical School.

The program offers holistic care combined with cutting-edge behavioral treatment, said Wills, who specializes in the treatment of women across a broad range of diagnoses. We offer group, dance and music therapy in a spa-like setting designed to help women relax. Comfortable furnishings, signature robes and slippers, flat-screen TVs, computers and other amenities are included.

The program treats women within the broad spectrum of mental illness, including substance abuse, trauma, bipolar disorder, mild psychosis, personality disorder and depression.

According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 20 million Americans have depression and women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with it. Biological, life cycle, hormonal and psychosocial factors may be linked to the higher rates of depression in women, the NIH says. After experiencing hormonal and physical changes after giving birth, for example, women may develop postpartum depression.

But some women may also experience depression during pregnancy, Wills said. Ten to 20 percent of pregnant women may suffer from depression, Wills said. Signs include crying, tearfulness, lack of self care, lack of attention to obstetric care, concern they wont attach to the baby or they dont want the baby. The program has been developed to accept pregnant women and allow visitation by children.

Other signs of depression in women may include feelings of sadness, emptiness, irritability, guilt, hopelessness and fatigue. A woman also might be experiencing depression if she has lost interest in favorite activities, is unable to concentrate and not sleeping or sleeping too much. Thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts are important symptoms. Overeating or not wanting to eat are also signs.

Wills also has clinical expertise in treating women with eating disorders. Often people think that a person with an eating disorder such as anorexia is doing it on purpose or its just a matter of eating, she said. Whats really going on is people are restricting their food intake as a form of control and power because they feel out of control in other areas. By not eating, they see themselves doing something other people cant do.

Wills said signs of an eating disorder include a body weight less than 85 percent of ideal body weight and the cessation of the menstrual cycle. Thats where theyve reached the level of needing immediate physiological help. Once they are stable medically, they can come here to continue their treatment.

The new program is a collaboration among the employees and staff of St. Joseph Medical Center and UT Physicians, the medical practice of the UTHealth Medical School.

Read the original:
UTHealth, St. Joseph Open Holistic Women's Behavioral Program

FCX-DNA – New DNA Specific Cosmetic Line Targets the Unique 1% of DNA. FCX-DNA to Announce the Forthcoming Diet …

Posted on March 22, 2012 by ev1

FCX-DNA New DNA Specific Cosmetic Line Targets the Unique 1% of DNA. FCX-DNA to Announce the Forthcoming Diet Products. Your Skin Your Body Your Genes

FCX-DNA anti aging Cosmetics and Diet Products target that 1% uniqueness of the Human DNA. Your Skin Your Body Your Genes.

FCX-DNA has the exclusive marketing rights to market and sell the products.

Creating the vision of FCX-DNA is the newly appointed CEO, Founder and President Sandra Harshman.

Ms. Harshman, one of the first female accountants in Idaho has worked as a tax accountant and comptroller for companies such as Touche Ross & Company and Pepsi Cola Corporation. Ms. Harshman was an MSP (merchant service provider) and Credit Card Issuer for 17 years. Ms. Harshman is the recipient of the National Business Women of the Year Award in 2003 as well as a publisher and author.

These DNA products offer potent nutrient blends of vitamins, minerals and other natural extracts to delay skin aging, protect skin from DNA damage caused by UV radiation and environmental pollutants, prevent premature skin aging, stimulate skin cell regeneration, and provide optimal skin nourishing and moisturizing.

FCX designed DNA testing called Anti-Aging DNA to detect gene mutations affecting skin aging, nutrient metabolism, and susceptibility to disease which affects both the appearance of skin and general health status. FCX learns about each persons genetic profile and can recommend appropriate preventive measures to delay the onset of aging and the formation of wrinkles. Genes tested are related to dermagenomics, collagen synthesis, skin anti-oxidation and replenishment, early hair loss, and skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma and melanoma.

FCXs skin and body care is a regiment consisting of shampoo, conditioner, soaps and cleansers, as well as products for detoxifying, cell renewal and anti-aging.

The science behind these remarkable new products, developed by Burstein Ecological Laboratories - a leading research laboratory in natural cosmetics - is Bio Anti-Aging Technology. This progressive technology is the micronized process of ingredients, breaking them down to their smallest living particle for ultimate delivery allowing for the best results in skin care, hair care, and nutrition.

After years of study, research and data collection, Dr. Burstein developed a process to extract the essence from organically grown fruits and vegetables without harming its texture or genetics.

Go here to see the original:
FCX-DNA – New DNA Specific Cosmetic Line Targets the Unique 1% of DNA. FCX-DNA to Announce the Forthcoming Diet ...

Body parts on TV: Anatomy of a trend

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Danzig

In case you hadn't noticed, there are an awful lot of lady parts being discussed on broadcast TV these days. And they aren't the only ones exposed the male anatomy is explicitly mentioned on prime time as well, markedly more than even a few years ago.

So says a new study from the conservative watchdog group the Parents Television Council that tracks the number of times the words "vagina" and "penis" are spoken in dramas, comedies, TV movies and reality shows.

The research found that in just nine fall episodes of CBS' hit sitcom "2 Broke Girls," characters said the word "vagina" more times than anyone did on broadcast TV across all networks in an entire season a decade ago.

In fact, the anatomical term gets tossed around eight times more frequently on TV now than it did during the 2001-2002 season, which served as a benchmark. The word "penis" was used nearly four times as often in a recent season as it was in the relatively tame early 2000s.

With tallies for individual series, the study cites CBS' "2 Broke Girls" and "Two and a Half Men," NBC's "The Office" and "30 Rock," Fox's "American Dad" and "Family Guy," and ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" as those that invoke the words most frequently.

"It's a broader reflection of the progression of raunch," said Tim Winter, president of the PTC, which took up the study after TV critics and industry watchers noticed the trend. "So many shows and networks seem to think they need it to be funny or successful."

Although the mini-study wasn't timed to the current U.S. Supreme Court deliberations about broadcast standards, it may add fuel to the fire for those arguing against relaxing the existing rules about profanity, sex and nudity on TV.

The Supreme Court, which started debating the issue early this year, has regularly ruled in favor of free speech claims. But justices have spoken publicly about the need to retain Federal Communications Commission guidelines about what can be aired on NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox and the CW.

At the heart of the court case is "fleeting profanity" that was uttered during live awards shows on Fox and a partially visible bare bum shown on an ABC drama. There's no firm date on when the court will issue a judgment, but it's expected within the next month or two.

"Broadcast networks say they have to compete against cable and that's why they're pushing the envelope like this," Winter said. "They're forgetting that they're broadcast networks that use public airwaves and go out to every single person who has a TV."

Read more here:
Body parts on TV: Anatomy of a trend

VistaGen Therapeutics Enters Strategic Drug Screening Collaboration With Vala Sciences

Posted on March 21, 2012 by ev1

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire -03/21/12)- VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc. (OTC.BB: VSTA.OB - News) (OTCQB: VSTA.OB - News), a biotechnology company applying stem cell technology for drug rescue and cell therapy, and Vala Sciences, Inc., a biotechnology company developing and selling next-generation cell image-based instruments, reagents and analysis software tools, have entered into a strategic collaboration. Their goal is to advance drug safety screening methodologies in the most clinically relevant human in vitro bioassay systems available to researchers today.

Cardiomyocytes are the muscle cells of the heart that provide the force necessary to pump blood throughout the body, and as such are the targets of most of the drug toxicities that directly affect the heart. Many of these drug toxicities result in either arrhythmia (irregular, often fatal, beating of the heart) or reduced ability of the heart to pump the blood necessary to maintain normal health and vigor.

"Our collaboration with Vala directly supports the core drug rescue applications of our Human Clinical Trials in a Test Tube platform," said Shawn K. Singh, JD, VistaGen's Chief Executive Officer. "Our high quality human cardiomyocytes combined with Vala's high throughput electrophysiological assessment capabilities is yet another example of how we are applying our stem cell technology platform within a strategic ecosystem of complementary leading-edge companies and technologies. We seek to drive our drug rescue programs forward and generate a pipeline of new, cardiosafe drug candidates."

Through the collaboration, Vala will use its Kinetic Image Cytometer platform to demonstrate both the suitability and utility of VistaGen's human pluripotent stem cell derived-cardiomyocytes for screening new drug candidates for potential cardiotoxicity over conventional in vitro screening systems and animal models. VistaGen's validated human cardiomyocyte-based bioassay system, CardioSafe 3D, will permit Vala to demonstrate the quality, resolution, applicability and ease of use of its new instrumentation and analysis software to make information-rich, high throughput measurements and generate fundamentally new insights into heart cell drug responses. Accurate, sensitive and reproducible measurement of electrophysiological responses of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes to new drug candidates is a key element of VistaGen's CardioSafe 3D drug rescue programs. VistaGen's strategic collaboration with Vala is directed towards this goal.

About VistaGen Therapeutics

VistaGen is a biotechnology company applying human pluripotent stem cell technology for drug rescue and cell therapy. VistaGen's drug rescue activities combine its human pluripotent stem cell technology platform, Human Clinical Trials in a Test Tube, with modern medicinal chemistry to generate new chemical variants (Drug Rescue Variants) of once-promising small-molecule drug candidates. These are drug candidates discontinued due to heart toxicity after substantial development by pharmaceutical companies, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) or university laboratories. VistaGen uses its pluripotent stem cell technology to generate early indications, or predictions, of how humans will ultimately respond to new drug candidates before they are ever tested in humans, bringing human biology to the front end of the drug development process.

Additionally, VistaGen's small molecule drug candidate, AV-101, is in Phase 1b development for treatment of neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain, a serious and chronic condition causing pain after an injury or disease of the peripheral or central nervous system, affects approximately 1.8 million people in the U.S. alone. VistaGen is also exploring opportunities to leverage its current Phase 1 clinical program to enable additional Phase 2 clinical studies of AV-101 for epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and depression. To date, VistaGen has been awarded over $8.5 million from the NIH for development of AV-101.

About Vala Sciences

Vala Sciences is a San Diego-based biotechnology company that develops and sells cell-image-based instrumentation, reagents and analysis software tools to academic, pharmaceutical and biotechnology scientists. Vala's IC 200 class of instrumentation, and CyteSeer Automated Image Cytometry software convert labor-intensive qualitative observations of biological changes that can take from days to months, into accurate measurements delivered automatically in minutes.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Nemours researchers uncover new evidence of cancer-causing agent present in gaseous phase of cigarette smoke

Posted on March 21, 2012 by ev1

Public release date: 21-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Karen Bengston kbengsto@nemours.org 302-298-7319 Nemours

Wilmington, DE A team of researchers led by A. K. Rajasekaran, PhD, Director of the Nemours Center for Childhood Cancer Research, has shown that a key protein involved in cell function and regulation is stopped by a substance present in cigarette smoke. Their work is published online in the American Journal of Physiology - Lung Cell and Molecular Physiology.

Cigarette smoke is well recognized as a cause of lung cancer and is associated with many other forms of cancer in adults. Cigarette smoke has more than 4,000 components, many of which are linked to the development and progression of lung cancer. Evidence has shown secondhand smoke to be as dangerous as primary smoke due to its impact on the cells of the body.

In the study, the authors found a cancer-causing agent called reactive oxygen species (ROS) present in the gaseous phase of cigarette smoke that has the ability to inhibit normal cell function. Exposure to the secondhand smoke produced by as little as two cigarettes was found to almost completely stop the function of a cell's sodium pump within a few hours. In normal cells, the sodium pump plays a critical role transporting potassium into the cell and sodium out of the cell. The competence of the cell's sodium pump, i.e., its inability to regulate sodium, is predictive of cell damage, disease progression and ultimately, survival.

"This is critical information with regard to secondhand smoke," said Dr. Rajasekaran. "We now know that one need not inhale the particulate matter present in secondhand smoke to suffer the consequence of smoking. Exposure to the gaseous substance alone, which you breathe while standing near a smoker, is sufficient to cause harm." Dr. Lee Goodglick, Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UCLA, and co-senior author of the study, noted, "Few reliable lung cancer biomarkers that could predict survival, treatment options or response to therapy exist today. Even fewer have been recognized where the function of the biomarker is known, yielding important information about the mechanism of action. This study really accomplishes both."

This research is the latest finding in the compendium of evidence that supports protecting children from exposure to cigarette smoke. Excessive exposure to cigarette smoke during childhood can facilitate lung cancer development as children grow into adults. While more research is needed to understand the consequences of sodium pump inhibition by cigarette smoke, this study reveals that secondhand smoke is even more dangerous than previously thought.

###

About the Nemours Center for Childhood Cancer Research

The Nemours Center for Childhood Cancer Research, part of Nemours Biomedical Research at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, is located in a fully renovated laboratory space on Rockland Road in Wilmington, DE. The goal of the center is to evolve into a leader in research focusing on the discovery of new drugs and biomarkers for childhood cancers and reduced side effects arising due to cancer treatment in children. The NCCCR works closely with the University of Delaware, Christiana Care - Helen F. Graham Cancer Center, the Delaware Biotechnology Institute and Thomas Jefferson University. For more information, visit http://www.nemours.org/link/ncccr.

Original post:
Nemours researchers uncover new evidence of cancer-causing agent present in gaseous phase of cigarette smoke

Wolters Kluwer Health Releases First Medical Journal iPad(r) App in Pathology

Posted on March 21, 2012 by ev1

Newswise LONDON (March 21, 2012) Wolters Kluwer Health announced today the release of an iPad app for the medical journal, Pathology. The app provides health care professionals with full mobile accessibility to the latest research into all aspects of pathology. Pathology is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW), part of Wolters Kluwer Health on behalf of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA).

Pathology for the iPad uses optimized digital technology to provide a fully portable and enhanced print-like reading experience. It is the first iPad app available that offers access to the very latest original scientific research and reviews into pathology.

The RCPA is delighted that the cutting edge research and review topics published in Pathology will now be available via an iPad app said Professor Brett Delahunt, Editor of Pathology. Such convenient and user-friendly access will allow pathologists to fit journal reading more easily into their busy schedules. This, in turn will help them in applying advancements in medicine into their important daily work, ensuring patients receive the best of care.

Were delighted to partner with the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia to bring the Pathology journal iPad app to members offering a dynamic, integrated experience with their journal, added Karen Abramson, President and CEO of Wolters Kluwer Health Medical Research.

Along with full-text downloads of each issue, the new app allows the user to: Share articles via email or social media Adjust text sizing with "pinch and zoom" View multimedia videos, images, and supplements Store or delete downloaded issues Browse issues via Quick View Scroll quickly through abstract summaries Receive notifications about new issues Link to the journal website (www.rcpa-pathologyjournal.com) for additional reading and searching archives, etc.

The Pathology iPad app is available free of charge from the App StoreSM. The April 2012 issue is also free for users to experience the app. Once access controls are applied, future issues will only be available to subscribers and RCPA fellows.

###

About Pathology Pathology Official Journal of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) is committed to publishing peer-reviewed, original articles related to the science of pathology in its broadest sense, including anatomical pathology, chemical pathology and biochemistry, cytopathology, experimental pathology, forensic pathology and morbid anatomy, genetics, haematology, immunology and immunopathology, microbiology and molecular pathology.

About the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) has been responsible for the training and professional development of pathologists for more than fifty years. It is also responsible for the promotion of the science and practice of Pathology. The principal object of the College is: to promote the study of the science and practice of Pathology in relation to medicine; to encourage research in pathology and ancillary sciences, to bring together pathologists for their common benefit and for scientific discussions and demonstrations; and to disseminate knowledge of the principles and practice of pathology in relation to medicine by such means as may be thought fit.

About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is a leading international publisher of trusted content delivered in innovative ways to practitioners, professionals and students to learn new skills, stay current on their practice, and make important decisions to improve patient care and clinical outcomes.

Read the original post:
Wolters Kluwer Health Releases First Medical Journal iPad(r) App in Pathology

State pension to be simplified

Posted on March 21, 2012 by ev1

The Chancellor has pledged to combine the two state pensions into one simplified pension, as well as increasing the state pension age automatically in line with rises in longevity.

In Wedneday's Budget, as part of wider plans to simplify the UK's complicated tax system, George Osborne announced that the second state pension will be scrapped and a new single-tier pension will be launched for future pensioners.

It is estimated that it will be about 140 a week. The full basic state pension is currently 102.15 a week, rising to 107.45 next month.

In his speech, Osborne joked about the complexity of the second state pension: "Such is the complexity of this means-tested system, only someone like our pensions minister can work out exactly what someone's entitled to - and what they need to save.

"So I can confirm that we will introduce a new single-tier pension for future pensioners, set above the means test."

The new pension will be based on contributions and will cost no more than the current system. The government will publish further details in the next few months.

"A single, generous, basic state pension for those who have worked and saved hard all their lives," the Chancellor declared.

He also announced that to tackle the long-term challenges of an ageing population, there will be an automatic review of further increases to the state pension age to ensure it keeps pace with increases in longevity. Further details on this will be published this summer.

Baroness Greengross, chief executive of the International Longevity Centre-UK (ILC-UK), welcomed the automatic link: "The government is right to consider how the state pension age needs to increase in line with longevity. It is simply not sustainable for the state to adequately support us for the increasing number of years we are spending in retirement."

She added: "Whilst many of us can expect to live 15 or 20 years after state pension age, parts of the country see much lower life expectancy. Further increases in state pension age must go alongside initiatives to tackle inequalities in health and healthy life expectancy."

DNA test determines kidnapped baby's father

Posted on March 21, 2012 by ev1

HOUSTON -

A DNA test has proved with 99 percent certainty that the man claiming to be the father of a child kidnapped eight years ago is the biological father.

The test results were revealed in court on Wednesday.

Miguel Morin, 8, was kidnapped in November 2004. He was 8 months old when he disappeared.

Miguel was found earlier this month after a woman turned in her sister, Krystle Rochelle Tanner. Tanner has been charged with felony kidnapping.

Fernando Morin has been proven to be Miguel's father, it has not been determined who Miguel's mother is. Auboni Champion-Morin has submitted her DNA for testing and results were expected to be returned on Thursday.

Champion-Morin said she left her son with Tanner, a friend whom she considered the child's godmother. When she went to pick up Miguel the next day, both Tanner and the child were gone.

According to Children's Protective Services workers, Miguel was given a new name and a new birth date and, when shown a picture of Tanner, he identified her as his mother. Officials said he thinks he is 6 years old.

A psychologist said Miguel is frightened, shy and behind emotionally and psychologically. He does not attend school, officials said.

"The child doesn't really know what's going on," Morin said. "He's been lied to his whole life."

Link:
DNA test determines kidnapped baby's father

TMJ: Stem cell biology and engineering toward clinical translation

Posted on March 21, 2012 by ev1

Public release date: 21-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Ingrid L. Thomas ithomas@aadronline.org 703-299-8084 International & American Associations for Dental Research

Tampa, Fla., USA On March 23, during the 41st Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR), held in conjunction with the 36th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, a symposium titled "TMJ: Stem Cell Biology and Engineering toward Clinical Translation" will provide a rare forum for multidisciplinary discussion of the biology, engineering and clinical translation of fundamental discoveries towards novel clinical therapy. The symposium is co-sponsored by the Craniofacial Biology, Mineralized Tissue and Neuroscience Scientific Research Groups of the International Association for Dental Research. The presentations in this multidisciplinary symposium will represent broad and yet comprehensive approaches toward the understanding of the origin, homeostasis, differentiation, hormonal regulation and bioengineering of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) tissues.

TMJ disorders are a poorly understood cluster of diseases, ranging from neuromuscular pain to severe forms of arthritis. Recently, stem/progenitor cells have been identified in TMJ disc and condyle, with potential origin from neural crest cells in development. Putative TMJ stem/progenitor cells are subjected to local, hormonal and other systemic factors in homeostasis in multiple processes that warrant better elucidation. In parallel, there is an acute demand in the clinical community for the regeneration of various TMJ components, including the disc, condyle, synovium and the mandible.

This symposium will not only provide new aspects of a timely and under-studied subject of TMJ biology and therapeutics, but also use TMJ as a model for the study of other dental and craniofacial structures and diseases.

###

This is a summary of sequence #87 titled "TMJ: Stem Cell Biology and Engineering toward Clinical Translation" which will feature abstracts to be presented by M. Embree, M. Detamore, A. Le and S. Kapila at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research. This symposium will take place at 8 a.m. on Friday, March 23, 2012, in room 10 of the Tampa Convention Center.

About the American Association for Dental Research

The American Association for Dental Research (AADR), headquartered in Alexandria, Va., is a nonprofit organization with nearly 4,000 members in the United States. Its mission is: (1) to advance research and increase knowledge for the improvement of oral health; (2) to support and represent the oral health research community; and (3) to facilitate the communication and application of research findings. AADR is the largest Division of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR).

To learn more about the AADR, visit http://www.aadronline.org.

Continue reading here:
TMJ: Stem cell biology and engineering toward clinical translation

Thomas Jessell Receives 2012 Gairdner Award for Groundbreaking Insights on Nervous System

Posted on March 21, 2012 by ev1

Published: March 21, 2012

The Gairdner Foundation has announced the recipients of the 2012 Canada Gairdner Awards. Recognized for some of the most significant medical discoveries from around the world, this years winners showcase a broad range of new medical insights, from pioneering new ways to tackle childhood illness in developing countries to identifying how our biological clocks guide our everyday lives.

Among the worlds most esteemed medical research prizes, the awards distinguish Canada as a leader in science and provide a $100,000 prize to scientists whose work holds important potential. The 2012 winners are as follows:

Thomas M. Jessell, Ph.D.

Thomas M. Jessell, Ph.D., Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY

The challenge: Through communication between the sensory neuron and the motor neuron in our bodies nervous system, we acquire the ability to move and react to the world around us. But little was known about how these neurons communicate with each other.

The work: Dr. Jessells work reveals the basic principles of nervous system communication. By studying the assembly and organization of the circuit that controls movement in the spinal cord nervous system, Dr. Jessell identified the direct connection between the sensory neuron, which is responsible for allowing us to process what is happening in the world around us, and the motor neuron, which allows us to control how our muscles move to react to what we sense in that world.

Why it matters: As a result of this discovery, we have the potential to create interventional strategies to treat and cure neurodegenerative diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), where a problem with the circuit connection between the sensory neuron and the motor neuron prevents our minds and bodies from reacting properly to what we sense around us. Similarly, we now have the potential to restore movement in patients with spinal cord injury or paralysis.

(To learn more about Dr. Jessell and his work, read The Promise of the Brain.)

Read this article:
Thomas Jessell Receives 2012 Gairdner Award for Groundbreaking Insights on Nervous System

Medical school exams to include broader range of subjects

Posted on March 21, 2012 by ev1

Medical schools are seeking longer Medical College Admission Tests to better prepare future medical doctors.

The Association of American Medical Colleges decided to add content to the current exams. These changes will take place starting in 2015. The new content includes more behavioral science questions from classes such as psychology, sociology and philosophy. The changes to the content will increase the test time from five-and-a-half hours to seven hours.

Mollie Semmer, a senior in the College of Health and Human Sciences, took the MCATs during the summer and said she thinks the changes are good because they encourage students to take a wide range of courses, and a lot of medical schools require the additional courses anyway.

"It's a tough test to prepare for because it's a content-based test, so you have to know certain concepts from class that are on the test," Semmer said.

Semmer said to be better prepared for the test, students should stick to a schedule while doing the practice tests and pace themselves because the exam is rushed.

Amy Terstriep, a health professions adviser in the College of Science, said this has been the second change in the last 10 years. The current change is a bigger overhaul than the last one.

"The changes in the test that they are thinking of now will better reflect what medical schools are looking for and what they need students to be able to do," Terstriep said. "It's going to be different, not necessarily harder."

Robert Walkup, an adviser in the School of Health Sciences, wrote in an email the changes to the MCATs are not worrisome for Purdue students and that the changes might benefit students not involved in science-based curriculum.

"I don't see it as being harder but with a broader-based focus," Walkup wrote. "Most students enrolled in pre-med programs at Purdue complete these courses currently."

Terstriep said longer does not necessarily mean harder, but it can be tiring. Her advice to future test takers is to thoroughly learn the material presented in class and not just study for the next exam because students are going to need the concepts for the MCATs.

Link:
Medical school exams to include broader range of subjects

Select Page ::