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Home Care Assistance Launches ElderAdult.com

Posted on March 7, 2012 by ev1

ElderAdult.com provides aging adults and anyone interested in healthy longevity with practical advice about living a longer and more productive life.

Palo Alto, CA (PRWEB) March 06, 2012

Happy to 102, authored by Drs. Kathy and Jim Johnson and Lily Sarafan, is a unique publication that approaches the question of aging from both a scientific and a psychological approach. Drawing heavily from the results of the well-established Okinawa Centenarian Study, which examines the lifestyle factors that contribute to an exceptionally long lifespan for seniors in Okinawa, Japan, the book addresses the lifestyle and personal factors that contribute to longevity and quality of life. In addition to the scientific backdrop of the Okinawa study, the book also draws heavily from the authors decades of experience in psychology and senior wellness. Their experience with seniors has helped them to frame aging in a psychological and mental wellness lens, in addition to the physical factors that contribute to a long and healthy life. From active minds to fulfilling social lives, Drs. Johnson and Ms. Sarafan look beyond the physical needs of older adults; the result is an engaging and highly informative collection of practical lifestyle advice to promote healthy longevity.

ElderAdult.com is one of many educational initiatives we are developing to inspire aging adults to be active partners in their health, said Kathryn Zakskorn, Public Relations and Marketing Manager of Home Care Assistance. We are excited to provide seniors and their loved ones with resources on a variety of topics that we know to be of interest to them, including aging in place, healthy longevity and senior care options.

Home Care Assistance has positioned itself as a leader among in-home agencies in advocating for a positive, balanced approach to aging centered on the evolving needs of older adults. The suite of educational materials that Home Care Assistance is developing are aimed at both seniors and their loved ones. The overarching goal of all the publications and resources is to provide the community with information and resources to support their needs as families begin to deal with the challenges of aging.

Our mission at Home Care Assistance is to change the way the world ages, said Shadi Gholizadeh, Business Operations Manager of Home Care Assistance. We recognize the specific challenges that aging can present to families that become increasingly responsible for the wellness of their senior loved ones. We hope that by providing educational resources on the types of issues most pertinent to aging adults and their loved ones, we can help families make better care decisions and inspire older adults to be active partners in embracing healthy lifestyles that promote healthy longevity.

For more information about Home Care Assistance please visit http://www.homecareassistance.com or call 1-866-454-8346.

ABOUT HOME CARE ASSISTANCE

Home Care Assistance is the leading provider of home care for seniors across the United States and Canada. Our mission is to change the way the world ages. We provide older adults with quality care that enables them to live happier, healthier lives at home. Our services are distinguished by the caliber of our caregivers, the responsiveness of our staff and our expertise in Live-In care. We embrace a positive, balanced approach to aging centered on the evolving needs of older adults. A 2012 Franchise500 Company, Home Care Assistance has received numerous industry awards including Entrepreneurs Fastest-Growing Franchises and Franchise Business Reviews Top 50. For more information about Home Care Assistance, our services and franchise opportunities, visit homecareassistance.com or franchise.homecareassistance.com.

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Home Care Assistance Launches ElderAdult.com

APP OF THE DAY: Trend Micro Longevity

Posted on March 7, 2012 by ev1

Trend Micro has released a beta version of the Trend Micro Longevity for Android app that leverages the Cloud to warn you when a newly downloaded app is threatening to drain the battery.

It makes it easy to recognise when the battery is being overused, and enables you to set up the device to protect against it.

Longevity allows you to identify and stop high power consuming apps and tasks, with three key functions.

The Just-a-Phone mode enables you to turn off the majority of battery draining functions and run the device as a phone only extending the battery life by several hours.

The Fast Drain alert function warns you when the phone has started to consume battery faster than normal, providing you with the opportunity to take immediate action by disabling these apps or changing the settings.

The Power Hog App alert mode uses Cloud intelligence to alert you when a new app you just downloaded consumes a great deal of battery power or negatively impacts the battery life of the smartphone.

It is only available on beta for a limited period.

This app was reviewed on a Samsung Galaxy S II. Pros: It has a good user interface that even provides you with the time remaining for battery life.

Cons: Everytime you update an app, it gives you all kinds of notifications which you have to delete one by one. Function can be disabled, but applies to all notifications not for updates only. Verdict: Extends your battery life with a detailed review of the apps that consume the most power. Get it here: Got a favourite app? Email our appmeister, Patrick Budmar, your review or the name of the app you would like to see reviewed.

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APP OF THE DAY: Trend Micro Longevity

The case against DNA

Posted on March 7, 2012 by ev1

The trial of David Butler, which ended last month, provided a near-perfect stage for airing these new doubts. When the police first investigated Foys murder in 2005 they failed to produce a suspect. But then, as part of a cold case review last year, officers rechecked whether the DNA discovered under Anne Marie Foys nails had any matches on the national DNA database.

For some reason, first time around, no matches were found. This time, however, one turned up: a sample recovered from a cigarette butt found in 1998 after a burglary at the defendants mothers house. The police originally believed the butt had been left by the burglar. Instead it led them to Mr Butler who had apparently dropped it during a visit to comfort his mother. After the taking of a full DNA profile, which, again, matched the DNA under the finger nails, the cabbie was charged with murder. This was at the heart of the prosecutions case.

But Michael Wolkind, Butlers QC, took the science apart. The testing procedures were unreliable, he told the jury. The analysis of the DNA under Foys nails had been done at a time before higher-quality standards for handling samples were established. And, he said, even if the DNA was the defendants, there could be a perfectly innocent explanation for how it got there.

Butler suffers from a dry skin condition so severe that his nickname in the local cab trade is flaky. He could have taken a passenger to the Red Light district, handed over some notes in change and passed on his DNA to the passenger who then met with Foy and later handed the notes, complete with Butlers DNA, to her.

The idea that Mr Butler violently attacked her is beyond belief, Wolkind told the jury. Mr Butler never met the deceased, and unsafe science cannot change that fact. Waiting to face-off in court on the day I visited were two of the current luminaries of the DNA-forensics field: Prof David Balding of Imperial College, London and Prof Allan Jamieson, head of the Glasgow-based Forensic Institute, who has become a familiar thorn in the side of prosecutors seeking to rely on DNA evidence.

Prof Balding, a dapper Australian, is one of the worlds leading DNA statisticians. That is to say his speciality is calculating the likelihood of a sample coming from a particular source. He is a firm believer in the power of DNA as a forensic tool.

Prof Jamiesons approach is more combative. He has appeared as an expert witness for the defence in several important DNA-centred trials, most notably that of Sean Hoey, who was cleared of carrying out the 1998 Omagh bombing which killed 29 people. Jamiesons main concern about the growing use of DNA in court cases is that a number of important factors human error, contamination, simple accident can suggest guilt where there is none. Police and prosecutors, he alleges, have come to see DNA evidence as a shortcut to convictions, and juries are ill-equipped to understand the complex scientific data.

Wherever you have humans involved, youll have the potential for mistakes, he tells me. Theres a growing realisation that the system is not foolproof. In particular, he worries about the tiny amounts of DNA (known as Low Count DNA) that can now be used as the basis of a trial. Modern technology allows forensic teams to capture DNA from two or three cells, as opposed to hundreds or thousands of cells, as used to be the case, and Jamieson believes these sort of minuscule samples are unreliable.

Does anyone realise how easy it is to leave a couple of cells of your DNA somewhere? he asks rhetorically. You could shake my hand and I could put that hand down hundreds of miles away and leave your cells behind. In many cases, the question is not Is it my DNA?, but How did it get there? On February 10, after 11 hours of jury deliberation, Butler was cleared.

Afterwards, at his home in Wavertree, he accused the police of being fixated on the DNA and failing to provide any other evidence. If theyd been a bit more robust with their investigations over five-and-a-half years it would not have got to this stage, he said. The DNA stopped good policemen doing a good policemans job. It was like that was all [the evidence] they needed. They could never say it was my DNA. They talked in probabilities but you cannot put a probability on a mans life.

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The case against DNA

Stocking Strangler case: DNA results from 1977 rape exclude Carlton Gary

Posted on March 7, 2012 by ev1

Once more DNA tests on evidence more than 30 years old has raised doubts about convicted Stocking Strangler Carlton Garys guilt.

This time its a partial DNA profile derived from semen found on a gown then 64-year-old Gertrude Miller wore to St. Francis Hospital after she was raped and beaten Sept. 11, 1977, in her 2703 Hood St. home. While the testing conducted by the Bode Technology Group in Lorton, Va., did not yield a complete DNA profile, it was enough to exclude Gary as a possible source of the sperm found on Millers clothing, said Greg Hampikian, a DNA expert for the defense.

Testing in 2010 on evidence from a vaginal wash of strangling victim Martha Thurmond yielded a complete DNA profile that matched neither Carlton Gary nor any other convict on file, Hampikian said. The results matched Gary only to the Sept. 24, 1977, rape and strangling of Jean Dimenstein, 71, of 3027 21st St. Gary was not convicted of her murder.

Hampikian said Tuesday that he has not yet compared the partial DNA from the Miller evidence to the profile derived from the Thurmond case, to see whether the two align.

Gary was convicted of murdering Thurmond, 69, who was found beaten, raped and strangled Oct. 25, 1977, in her 2614 Marion St. home. He was not charged in Millers assault, but in illustrating Garys pattern of breaking into homes and raping older women, prosecutors spotlighted Millers testimony during Garys 1986 trial, having her come to court to point him out as her assailant. She has died since then.

Millers case is distinct not only because she survived and identified Gary, but also because she insisted a single intruder attacked her, offering no evidence a second assailant was there to leave the semen that doesnt match Gary. Though prosecutors did not seek convictions on all seven stranglings or in the Miller rape, they maintained that Gary alone committed the crimes.

Lead defense attorney Jack Martin of Atlanta said these new test results bolster his contention that Gary deserves a new trial. He anticipates the next step will be a hearing before Muscogee County Superior Court Judge Frank Jordan Jr. to discuss the test results.

Declining an interview on Tuesday, District Attorney Julia Slater issued this written statement:

Nearly 35 years after Ms. Gertrude Miller was brutally beaten and sexually assaulted, results of DNA testing of clothing Ms. Miller possibly wore around the time of her attack are now complete. It is the states understanding that the defense has now concluded their requests for testing in this case. Presumably, Mr. Gary will request a hearing regarding the completed DNA testing. The state is limited in its ability to comment about this testing and other evidence. However, on behalf of the victims and their families, the state eagerly anticipates discussing in court the results of DNA testing, responding to the rhetoric from Mr. Garys defense team, and again showing why the jurys decision in this case must be upheld.

Arrested in 1984, Gary two years later was convicted in three of the seven brutal rapes and stranglings that terrorized Columbus in 1977 and 78. He was to die by lethal injection Dec. 16, 2009, when Martin made a last-minute appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court, which stayed the execution and ordered a Muscogee Superior Court judge to consider DNA testing. On Feb. 19, 2010, the defense and prosecution came to a consent agreement to DNA-test four items of evidence from the stranglings.

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Stocking Strangler case: DNA results from 1977 rape exclude Carlton Gary

Exercise changes your DNA

Posted on March 7, 2012 by ev1

Public release date: 6-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Elisabeth (Lisa) Lyons elyons@cell.com 617-386-2121 Cell Press

You might think that the DNA you inherited is one thing that you absolutely can't do anything about, but in one sense you'd be wrong. Researchers reporting in the March issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication, have found that when healthy but inactive men and women exercise for a matter of minutes, it produces a rather immediate change to their DNA. Perhaps even more tantalizing, the study suggests that the caffeine in your morning coffee might also influence muscle in essentially the same way.

The underlying genetic code in human muscle isn't changed with exercise, but the DNA molecules within those muscles are chemically and structurally altered in very important ways. Those modifications to the DNA at precise locations appear to be early events in the genetic reprogramming of muscle for strength and, ultimately, in the structural and metabolic benefits of exercise.

"Our muscles are really plastic," says Juleen Zierath of Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. "We often say "You are what you eat." Well, muscle adapts to what you do. If you don't use it, you lose it, and this is one of the mechanisms that allows that to happen."

The DNA changes in question are known as epigenetic modifications and involve the gain or loss of chemical marks on DNA over and above the familiar sequence of As, Gs, Ts, and Cs. The new study shows that the DNA within skeletal muscle taken from people after a burst of exercise bears fewer chemical marks (specifically methyl groups) than it did before exercise. Those changes take place in stretches of DNA that are involved in turning "on" genes important for muscles' adaptation to exercise.

When the researchers made muscles contract in lab dishes, they saw a similar loss of DNA methyl groups. Exposure of isolated muscle to caffeine had the same effect.

Zierath explained that caffeine does mimic the muscle contraction that comes with exercise in other ways, too. She doesn't necessarily recommend anyone drink a cup of joe in place of exercise. It's nevertheless tempting to think that athletes who enjoy a coffee with their workout might just be on to something.

Broadly speaking, the findings offer more evidence that our genomes are much more dynamic than they are often given credit for. Epigenetic modifications that turn genes on and back off again can be incredibly flexible events. They allow the DNA in our cells to adjust as the environment shifts.

"Exercise is medicine," Zierath says, and it seems the means to alter our genomes for better health may be only a jog away. And for those who can't exercise, the new findings might point the way to medicines (caffeinated ones, perhaps?) with similar benefits.

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Exercise changes your DNA

Extract Your Own DNA in Three Easy Steps | 80beats

Posted on March 7, 2012 by ev1

As growing numbers of DIY biohackers can attest, extracting DNA from cells is an easy process. And you dont need anything special to do it: various household products, like soap and isopropyl alcohol, have the chemical properties required. For NOVAs upcoming program Cracking Your Genetic Code, PBS has made a short promotional video demonstrating how you can draw your DNA out from a sample of cheek cells, and, with the help of a little food coloring, actually see it yourself.

The three steps are pretty much exactly what scientists do when extracting DNA in the lab. First, you collect cells in salt water, which is similar to buffer solutions used in labs. Then, break them open with soap (in the lab, a detergent like Triton-X), which disturbs the molecules of the cell and nuclear membranes so the DNA can leak out. Lastly, use alcohol to separate the DNA from the salt water: Once in the alcohol, which is less polar than water, the DNA will form clumps and precipitate out, becoming visible as clusters of white strings.

The video is a neat reminder that what happens in labs isnt magic: its just basic chemistry.

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Extract Your Own DNA in Three Easy Steps | 80beats

DNA, other evidence links serial killer Groves to 4 cold cases

Posted on March 7, 2012 by ev1

Denver detectives, laboratory analysts and prosecutors have linked a deceased serial killer to four unsolved murders from 1979 and 1988, using DNA and circumstantial evidence.

Vincent Groves, who died in prison in 1996 while serving sentences for two other murders, may have committed as many as 20 murders altogether, according to Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey.

"It's a proud day for us," Morrissey said Tuesday. "We now know that he killed these four women. That's really important to the families of the victims. This gives them an answer."

Denver police obtained DNA from an earlier murder committed by Groves. Then crime analysts used the DNA to link Groves to the murders of Emma Jenefor, 25, Joyce Ramey, 23, and Peggy Cuff, 20, all strangled in 1979. Cold-case Detective Mylous Yearling said strong circumstantial evidence also tied Groves to the murder in August 1988 of Pamela Montgomery, 35.

Yearling said it was very gratifying to call family members of the victims who have gone so many years without knowing who killed their loved ones and tell them the cases were solved.

"They were very surprised. They thought their cases had been forgotten," Yearling said. "I was ecstatic we were able to give them closure."

Jenefor's body was found in a bathtub of her home on the 100 block of Garfield Street in March 1979, according to Lynn Kimbrough, spokeswoman for Morrissey's office. Ramey's body was found in an industrial park near East 56th Avenue and Havana Street in July 1979, Kimbrough said. Cuff's body was found in an alley in the 1500 block of South Ogden Street in November 1979, she said.

Nine years later, a witness last saw Montgomery with a man matching Groves' description driving a very loud, beat-up car that looked and sounded identical to his car, Yearling said. Montgomery's body was found in an alley in the 1700 block between Locust and Leyden streets.

Yearling said that, as part of a cold-case project funded with federal grants for police and prosecutors, he was reviewing unsolved murders when he had an "aha moment." "These were more than coincidences," he said. Yearling tracked down DNA that could be used to compare with the cases.

Groves was an active killer who stalked the Colfax Avenue corridor. Different jobs also brought him to locations throughout the Denver area, Yearling said.

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DNA, other evidence links serial killer Groves to 4 cold cases

Olson, noted UT Southwestern molecular biologist, wins 2012 Passano Award

Posted on March 7, 2012 by ev1

Public release date: 6-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Deborah Wormser deborah.wormser@utsouthwestern.edu 214-648-3404 UT Southwestern Medical Center

DALLAS March 6, 2012 Dr. Eric Olson, founding chairman of the molecular biology department at UT Southwestern Medical Center, has won the 2012 Passano Award for identifying major genetic pathways that control the development of the heart and other muscles.

In announcing the award, Passano Foundation officials noted that Dr. Olson's discoveries at the interface of developmental biology and medicine "have profoundly influenced our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for development and dysfunction of the heart."

His laboratory has used a sophisticated combination of biochemistry and genetics to expose networks of genes that control the formation of the heart and cardiovascular system. In so doing, Dr. Olson "unveiled the molecular underpinnings of congenital and acquired diseases of the heart and established a foundation for the advancement of new cardiovascular therapeutics," said Dr. Joseph L. Goldstein, chairman of molecular genetics and co-winner of the 1985 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.

The $50,000 award, established in 1943, will be presented at an April 30 dinner in Baltimore. The recognition honors U.S.-based research that leads to real-world applications in clinical medicine.

Dr. Daniel K. Podolsky, president of UT Southwestern, said: "Dr. Olson's discoveries have provided profound insights into cardiac development and have advanced understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying altered cardiovascular function in disease."

At UT Southwestern, Dr. Olson directs the Nancy B. and Jake L. Hamon Center for Basic Research in Cancer, the Nearburg Family Center for Basic and Clinical Research in Pediatric Oncology, and is associate director of the Donald W. Reynolds Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center. Several drugs based on Dr. Olson's research are currently in development.

"This honor recognizes the work from my laboratory, which has been carried out by a dedicated team of colleagues here at UT Southwestern," Dr. Olson said. "I am grateful to the Passano Foundation and I am also humbled to join the list of distinguished prior recipients of this award."

Twenty-three Passano Award recipients have gone on to win the Nobel Prize, including three who have regental professorships at UT Southwestern: Dr. Goldstein; his co-winner, Dr. Michael S. Brown, director of the Erik Jonsson Center for Research in Molecular Genetics and Human Disease; and Dr. Alfred G. Gilman, regental professor emeritus of pharmacology who is chief scientific officer for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.

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Olson, noted UT Southwestern molecular biologist, wins 2012 Passano Award

Improving soil biology

Posted on March 7, 2012 by ev1

FARMERS are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of healthy soils, and practices such as no-till farming are improving soil structure and health across the country.

But there is still much to be discovered about how the subsoil eco-system operates, and researchers are confident big gains could be made in cropping productivity from a better understanding of soil biology.

In particular, some soil-dwelling bacteria can have positive impacts in terms of freeing up nitrogen to become available to plants.

With this in mind, the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) is investing in its second soil biology initiative, which will aim to provide information on a region- by-region basis.

Project leader Pauline Mele said she thought there would be real productivity gains to come out of the initiative, especially in high rainfall zones.

"We hope to improve understanding of the role of soil biological communities in crop nutrient availability, suppressive soils, and general soil health," Prof Mele said.

"For example, we have a range of projects that will give us greater insight into the role of free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria in crop nutrition.

"We already know that the amount produced will vary from between 10 and 30 kilograms per hectare of nitrogen per year.

However, she said research needed to be done on what caused the effect and why it varied.

We don't have in-crop measures and have yet to link how stubble from previous years influences this rate."

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Improving soil biology

Experimental Biology 2012 Programming at a Glance

Posted on March 7, 2012 by ev1

Newswise BETHESDA, Md., March 6, 2012 Six scientific societies will hold their joint scientific sessions and annual meetings, known as Experimental Biology (EB), from April 21-25, 2012, in San Diego. This meeting, EB 2012, brings together the leading researchers from dozens of life-science disciplines. The societies represented at the meeting will be: the American Association of Anatomists (AAA), the American Physiological Society (APS), the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), the American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP), the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) and the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET).

Below are some programming highlights:

Role of Pharmacogenetics in Oncology (ASPET) This symposium addresses the roles of personalized medicine and genetic polymorphisms in drug-metabolizing enzymes and other pathways that affect a patients response to drugs, in particular with respect to chemotherapeutic drugs. Having a better understanding of these pathways will lead to selection of the most effective and least toxic therapies. (Sun., 4/22)

Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease (ASIP) Illness and disease start at the most basic biological levels when molecular genetic changes affect the development of cells and the way they interact. The Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease sessions are designed to provide a community-within-a-community environment for researchers working on similar problems to explore their science using a variety of presentation modalities throughout the day. In the Liver Pathobiology sessions, molecular and cellular changes in liver disease (including cancer) and dysfunction will be highlighted. In a second set of sessions, the role of host-microbe interactions in inflammatory/autoimmune disease and vascular biology will be examined. (Sun., 4/22, and Tues., 4/24)

Communicating Science: The Roles of Researchers and Media (ASBMB) For researchers who wish to share their scientific stories with the public, this symposium features Nobel laureate Paul Berg, National Public Radio science correspondent Joe Palca, science communicator Megan J. Palmer and Huffington Post science correspondent Cara Santa Maria. Moderated by ASBMB President-elect Jeremy Berg, former director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the panel will discuss what scientists should be doing to get through to challenging audiences and make the best case for long-term federal investments. (Mon. 4/23)

Sustainable Food Systems: An Integrated Approach for a Healthy Population and a Healthy Planet (ASN) Americans today are increasingly thinking about the environmental impact of their food choices. An integrated approach for a sustainable food system for future generations is needed. This session brings together leading experts to discuss environmental, agricultural, economic and dietary considerations. A life cycle approach that measures environmental and social impacts of foods from farm to table and helps identify innovative opportunities for improvement will be examined. A model that takes a whole diet approach to estimate regional land requirements to feed populations will be presented, and an approach for optimized food plans that meet dietary guidelines while considering human behavior in food selection will round out the session. (Sun., 4/22)

The Exquisite Little Brains of Big Insects (AAA) A long tradition of comparative research on the nervous systems of invertebrates has contributed greatly to our understanding of the functional organization, development and evolution of nervous systems and neural mechanisms underlying behavior. Insects in particular offer powerful experimental model systems. Today, the most prominent example is the fruit fly, whose genetic and genomic advantages attract many researchers, but whose small size is limiting for some kinds of studies. This session focuses on much larger insects with beautiful and experimentally tractable nervous systems that permit investigations that complement and extend those accomplished with diminutive species. (Mon., 4/23)

Bioengineering and Regenerative Medicine (APS) With a constantly aging population, regenerative medicine approaches to treating human disease are becoming increasingly more important. Currently, a number of interdisciplinary strategies involving a combination of biomaterial science, bioengineering, stem cell biology, and clinical sciences are being pursued with the common aim to apply living cells or functional tissues to repair, replace, or restore tissue or organ function loss caused by congenital defects, trauma, disease, or aging. This symposium will showcase several state-of-the-art bioengineering approaches that involve the manipulation of biochemical, biophysical and geometrical environmental signals to include cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation, and enable the creation of 3-dimensional tissue organoids for unique experimental studies and potential therapeutic applications. (Wed., 4/25)

Media Registration Free registration is available to credentialed representatives of the press, and an onsite newsroom will be available for media. Detailed instructions for individuals who wish to request press passes are available on the website.

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Experimental Biology 2012 Programming at a Glance

Research and Markets: Evolutionary Biology: Cell-Cell Communication and Complex Disease

Posted on March 7, 2012 by ev1

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/e8a0ce/evolutionary_biolo) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "Evolutionary Biology: Cell-Cell Communication and Complex Disease" to their offering.

An Integrative View of the Evolution of Genetics and the Natural World:

Even in this advanced age of genomics, the evolutionary process of unicellular and multicellular organisms is continually in debate. Evolutionary Biology, Cell-Cell Communication, and Complex Disease challenges current wisdom by using physiology to present an integrative view of the nature, origins, and evolution of fundamental biological systems.

Providing a deeper understanding of the way genes relate to the traits of living organisms, this book offers useful information applying evolutionary biology, functional genomics, and cell communication studies to complex disease. Examining the 4.5 billion-year evolution process from environment adaptations to cell-cell communication to communication of genetic information for reproduction, Evolutionary Biology hones in on the "why and how" of evolution by uniquely focusing on the cell as the smallest unit of biologic structure and function.

Based on Empirically Derived Data Rather Than Association Studies, Evolutionary Biology Covers:

Ambitious and game-changing Evolutionary Biology suggests that biology began as a mechanism for reducing energy within the cell, defying the Second Law of Thermodynamics. An ideal text for those interested in forward thinking scientific study, the insights presented in Evolutionary Biology help practitioners effectively comprehend the evolutionary process.

About the Authors:

John Torday, PhD, is Professor of Pediatrics and Ob/Gyn at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center where he is also Director of The Henry L. Guenther Laboratory for Cell/Molecular Research and Director of Laboratory for Evolutionary Preventive Medicine. He is the author of over 130 peer-reviewed articles, Dr. Torday specializes in pre and neo-natal lung development, particularly regarding cell-cell communication within this pathway.

V.K. Rehan, MD, is Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. The recipient of numerous teaching honors, Dr. Rehan is involved both in treating patients and continuing research on neo and peri-natal respiratory issues and lung development.

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Research and Markets: Evolutionary Biology: Cell-Cell Communication and Complex Disease

Renowned Scientist receives IRL Industry and Outreach Fellow

Posted on March 7, 2012 by ev1

Renowned Scientist receives IRL Industry and Outreach Fellowship

IRL has appointed Professor Juliet Gerrard, a biochemist and leader in the industrial application of biochemistry in New Zealand as its second Industry and Outreach Fellow.

IRLs Industry and Outreach Fellowships have been established as part of IRLs drive to strengthen links between the research and high-value manufacturing organisations.

New Zealands economic success depends on our ability to get greater coordination and alignment across our research and industry sectors. One area of significant potential is through greater mobility of highly talented people, says Shaun Coffey, IRL Chief Executive.

The Industry and Outreach Fellowships attract leaders from the research sector into IRL to develop areas of scientific research and assist with their application to industry.

Professor Gerrard, who runs the Biomolecular Interaction Centre at the University of Canterbury, has held a number of significant positions in recognition of her scientific work and has recently been appointed Chair of the Marsden Council.

Professor Gerrard sees the overall strategic aim of the Industry and Outreach Fellowship programme as boosting collaboration.

"There is a lot of research being done in both universities and industry and Id like to bridge that gap between fundamental and applied work," she says. "By collaborating with IRL I believe that we will be able to achieve this."

Professor Gerards track record includes stints working for Crop and Food Research Ltd, and conducting research for the likes of Fonterra. She is also a principal investigator at the MacDiarmid Institute and Riddet Institute and has been on a number of editorial boards for scientific journals. She has written over 100 journal articles.

IRL Industry and Outreach Fellows are initially appointed for a five-year term and are mandated to resolve industry-related problems while building links between research institutions and business.

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Renowned Scientist receives IRL Industry and Outreach Fellow

Semi-automated ‘pathwalking’ to build a protein model

Posted on March 7, 2012 by ev1

In a report that appears online in the journal Structure, the BCM team describes the development of the semi-automated protocol that enables researchers to "rapidly generate an ensemble of initial models for individual proteins, which can later be optimized to produce full atomic models."

Taking the 3-D images generated through the process of electron cryo-microscopy and X-ray crystallography, the team developed this computational approach to produce these first-generation models of the proteins' structure or fold without prior knowledge of the protein's sequence or other information.

"This is important in working with big complexes made up of 10 to 30 proteins," said Dr. Matthew Baker, instructor in biochemistry and molecular biology at BCM and the paper's corresponding author. "You might know the structure of one or two proteins, but you want to know how all of those proteins interact with each other. As long as you can separate one protein from another, you can use this technique to make a model of each of the proteins in the complex."

"We borrowed from a classic computer science problem called the 'traveling salesman problem,'" said Dr. Mariah Baker, the paper's first author and a postdoctoral fellow at BCM. "It is in effect a connect-the-dots puzzle without the numbers."

In the traveling salesman problem, computer programmers are asked to figure the best route for a salesman who wants to visits all the cities where he sells just once while minimizing the distance traveled. Pathwalking solves a similar problem for proteins by looking for the optimal path through a 3-D image that connects C-alpha atoms, rather than cities, to form the protein's structure.

The tool is the answer to the dilemma presented by the near-atomic structures that are in the "middle" not of the highest resolution or the lowest resolution, said Matthew Baker.

As many as 25 percent of all structures imaged by electron cryo-microscopy and one-third of large protein complexes solved by X-ray crystallography are in the 3 to 10 angstroms range, said Matthew Baker.

Until now, the methodology used to annotate or trace the structure of protein from these density maps was usually tailored to specific cases, said Mariah Baker.

"They involved a lot of user intervention and the possibility to include bias," she said. That sparked a determination to automate the process with better routines that required less specific information.

"The question we asked was, can we trace a protein fold in a density map without a priori knowledge," she said. "The answer is that we can."

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Semi-automated 'pathwalking' to build a protein model

Ziften Announces Vice President of Research and Core Technology

Posted on March 7, 2012 by ev1

More Topics: Choose a Sector Accounting Firms Advertising/Media/Communications Capital CEO/Board General Business Health/Biotech Internet/Technology Investment Firms Law Firms Mergers & Acquisitions Money Managers People Private Companies Public Companies Venture Capital

Posted March 6, 2012

Former Symantec architect holding several patents in behavioral technology joins local, venture-backed Ziften Technologies

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ziften Technologies recently announced the appointment of Luca Loiodice to the executive team. In his new role, he leads the Research and Core Technology group at the Austin-based enterprise software company.

Mr. Loiodice brings to Ziften almost two decades of experience as architect and developer of machine learning and predictive modeling applications. Throughout his career, he has delivered numerous groundbreaking products in the areas of systems management, security, and online-advertising.

"We are extremely pleased to have Luca on board," says Mark Obrecht, Ziften's President and Chief Executive. "His knowledge and skill set are among the finest I've seen, and he will be the driving force behind the research and development that drive Ziften forward."

Prior to joining Ziften, Mr. Loiodice developed a machine-learning recommendation engine for content at Demand Media. At Microsoft, Mr. Loiodice was architect and supervisor of a machine-learning application reputation service to protect millions of end users against malware. He was previously an architect at Symantec, where he designed and implemented the industry's first anti-phishing detection product.

As a founder at i-Stilo, he developed an information security application providing policy-based scanning and filtering of e-mail. Mr. Loiodice also served as Vice President of Product Development at venture-backed Click Forensics (now Adometry), where he pioneered click fraud detection technologies.

Mr. Loiodice began his career at IBM/Tivoli, where he was responsible for the architecture of IBM's flagship systems management solution for Windows. He holds numerous patents in the behavioral detection of online threats and has a BS in Computer Science from the University of Bari, Italy.

About Ziften Technologies

Yale scientist tapped to serve key roles at the White House and NSF

Posted on March 7, 2012 by ev1

Yale scientist and Haskins Laboratories chief executive officer Philip Rubin has been appointed to key roles at the White House and the National Science Foundation.

Rubin has been named assistant director for social, behavioral, and economic sciences in the Executive Office of the Presidents Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). He will also serve as a senior advisor in the National Science Foundations (NSF) Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) directorate.

At OSTP, Rubin will focus primarily on a range of executive branch activities in the social, behavioral, and neurological sciences. He will have leadership responsibilities in an interagency initiative that will identify policy options for improving clinical treatments for brain injuries; applying new insights into cognition and learning to the domains of education and learning; and accelerating the development of therapies for neurological diseases.

Over the years Dr. Philip Rubin has provided outstanding leadership and vision at Haskins Laboratories, said Haskins Laboratories president and director of research Kenneth Pugh. He is a dear friend and a mentor to me and others, and I am confident that he will do extraordinary things in his important new roles at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Science Foundation.

In addition to his role at Haskins Laboratories, which is affiliated with Yale University, Rubin serves as an adjunct professor in the Department of Surgery, Otolaryngology, in the Yale University School of Medicine, and is a research affiliate in the Department of Psychology at Yale. Rubin is the former Chair of the National Academies/National Research Council (NRC) Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences, which focuses on the intersection of cognitive science and public policy.

He was the chair of the NRC Committee on Field Evaluation of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences-Based Methods and Tools for Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence, and a member of the NRC Committee on Developing Metrics for Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Research. He was also a member of the Executive Committee of the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences. From 2000 through 2003 Rubin served as the director of the Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences at the NSF.

Rubin is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Acoustical Society of America, the American Psychological Association (APA), the Association for Psychological Science, an elected member of the Psychonomic Society and Sigma Xi, and a member of a number of other professional societies. In 2010 Rubin received APAs Meritorious Research Service Commendation. He is married to Joette Katz, Connecticuts Commissioner of the Department of Children and Families. Rubin and Katz serve as fellows at Yales Trumbull College.

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Yale scientist tapped to serve key roles at the White House and NSF

Sooners explore human body in anatomy course

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Danzig

Katherine Leavey, aspiring oncology nurse, surveyed her patients exposed chest cavity.

The metastasized lung cancer had sent malignant tendrils into surrounding regions, fusing rib cage to lung tissue.

Atrophied and rigid, the left lung resembled a piece of granite while the cancerous, plum-colored right lung lay in a disintegrated state.

The heart, veiled in a thin layer of fat, lay in the middle of it all.

All that was missing was a heartbeat.

OUs human anatomy course continues to challenge students as it delves into internal organs and an extensive amount of course material.

Students exposed their cadavers internal organs in lab for the first time last week.

Once rib cages are removed, a moment of fascination usually follows, human anatomy professor Cindy Gordon said.

Its always those few minutes of Wow, Gordon said. The first thing that everyone does is look at their [cadaver], and then theyll go around to all the other bodies.

Transitioning from the study of musculature to internal organs, students in the course are starting to witness the incredible amount of variation among the bodies, Gordon said.

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Sooners explore human body in anatomy course

Grey's Anatomy cast to stage musical

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Danzig

The cast of Grey'S Anatomy is set to hit the stage for a one-off musical performance of the medical TV drama.

After the success of an all-singing, all-dancing episode last year, executive producer Shonda Rhimes is putting on a special live show featuring Grey's Anatomy stars Eric Dane, Sarah Drew, James Pickins Jr., Kim Raver and Chandra Wilson.

Rhimes tells The Hollywood Reporter, "The biggest thing we took away from doing that episode was how much fun everyone had - the actors, the crew, the writers... it was fun and inspiring to step out of our comfort zones. So we're just going to try to have fun with this benefit concert and give the audience a good time."

Rhimes also reveals actress Sara Ramirez, who plays Dr. Callie Torres on the series, is spearheading the project using the experience she gained in Broadway's Spamalot.

The producer adds, "She has an amazing voice and an incredible confidence that comes with that level of talent. She's been instrumental in the planning of this event."

The performance will be held on 18 March at the University of California, Los Angeles campus to benefit The Actors Fund, a non-profit charity providing care for professionals in the entertainment industry.

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Grey's Anatomy cast to stage musical

Anatomy of a thriller

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Danzig

ASHEVILLE -- dscott@charlotteobserver.com

Davidson's 93-91 double-overtime victory Monday against Western Carolina for the Southern Conference basketball tournament championship will go down as one of the most compelling games in league history.

Here's a closer look at the final minutes of regulation and the two overtimes:

Regulation

2:47: Forward Jake Cohen hits a jumper that gives the Wildcats a 74-61 lead, their biggest of the game. Davidson has rallied from a 12-point deficit in the first half - a 25-point swing. "For us to have come back from that far back was remarkable," Cohen would say later.

2:00: The Wildcats make it to the 2-minute mark with a double-digit lead, although Western Carolina's Tawaski King hits two free throws to cut it to 76-66.

1:14: After Davidson's JP Kuhlman, misses a 3-pointer, the Catamounts' James Sinclair quickly hits a 3-pointer and it is 76-69. The crowd of 6,049 - about two-thirds pro-Western - has come to life.

40 seconds: Western gets the ball back after Kuhlman misses a free throw. Trey Sumler makes a 3-pointer, making it 76-72. Catamounts coach Larry Hunter calls timeout.

20 seconds: Western's Harouna Mutombo steals the ball from Cohen and gets it to Sumler. He hits another 3-pointer, cutting the lead to 76-75.

19 seconds: Cole immediately fouls Davidson's Nik Cochran, who gives the Wildcats their first points in two minutes by making both free throws. Wildcats lead 78-75.

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Anatomy of a thriller

GRAY MATTERS: National Nutrition Month

Posted on March 6, 2012 by ev1

March is National Nutrition Month -- a nutrition information and education campaign sponsored each year by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

The campaign is designed to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

For some older adults, food choices sometimes are not an option, with low-income seniors having to make painful decisions, such as spending money on medications instead of food.

No senior citizen should go hungry in our community, however, hunger among our elderly population is a growing crisis; hunger rates have more than doubled for low-income seniors in the United States in the last few years.

In the U.S., there are over 5 million seniors who grapple with hunger issues, almost 3 million seniors who are at risk of not having enough to eat, and nearly 1 million seniors who go hungry because they cannot afford to buy food. Ongoing hunger and malnutrition can cause chronic diseases that result in expensive hospitalizations and nursing home or other long-term care placements.

Thirty eight percent of seniors dealing with inadequate food and nutrition have incomes below the federal poverty level ($10,890 in 2011).

In addition to the impact of poverty on hunger, several other factors come in to play, such as renting versus homeownership, age, living alone, and raising a grandchild. Studies reveal that households supporting a grandchild are about two-and-a-half

In these challenging economic times, it is no surprise that there are increasing numbers of older Americans who do not have enough to eat. Baby Boomers began turning 65 last year, and those between the ages of 60 to 69 have the highest risk of hunger.

Lack of proper nutrients significantly increases the chances of poor health, which not only diminishes the quality of life, but also increases utilization of health care services, early long-term care placements, and an increased risk of death.

The Area 1 Agency on Aging supports local home-delivered meals programs in Del Norte and Humboldt Counties, serving nearly 300 meals five days per week. Home-delivered meals are taken, often by volunteers, directly to an older adult's residence.

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GRAY MATTERS: National Nutrition Month

Heigl unlikely to return to TV show

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Danzig

Katherine Heigl will likely not be returning to Greys Anatomy.

The actress portrayed Dr. Izzie Stevens on the popular ABC show, which she starred in from 2005 to 2010. She left to focus on her family, but also made some seemingly controversial comments about the programme such as that the material she had to work with was not worthy of an Emmy Award.

Katherine recently said she would love to go back and see where Izzie is now, but show creator Shonda Rhimes has appeared to disregard that idea.

I think it was really nice to hear her appreciating the show. We are on a track we have been planning, and the idea of changing that track is not something we are interested in right now, she told TV Guide, when asked if Katherine would be welcomed back.

Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey also appear in Greys Anatomy. Patrick caused a storm last year when he said the current eighth series would be his last comments he later claimed were taken out of context.

Shonda is refusing to discuss which stars will be returning for the next season.

I have no idea. I have my fingers crossed, she replied, when asked if Ellen and Patrick would be back. What I think is really lovely is that everybody wants to come back. There's [money] stuff happening. I am [confident], but I have a plan in place for the finale that can occur regardless of who is staying. Our goal is to have Derek and Meredith move in to the completed dream house. [The home the pairs characters have been building through the show]. And our residents will be interviewing for jobs all around the country.

Appearing on a US talk show in January, Katherine explained how much her time on Greys Anatomy meant to her. She also revealed she misses the show, which helped launch her movie career.

Oh yeah, sometimes [I regret leaving]. You miss it... I miss it. I miss my friends. It was a great work environment in that we all got along really well, and it becomes a family. I spent six years with these people every day We grew up in a way, she said.

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Heigl unlikely to return to TV show

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