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Chandra Wilson – Grey's Grey's Anatomy Stars Run Half-marathon For Charity

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Danzig

Grey's Anatomy stars Chandra Wilson, Kim Raver and Justin Chambers donned their running shoes on Sunday (19Feb12) to complete a half-marathon for charity.

The acting trio, as well as singer Joey MCIntyre, took part in the 13.1-mile (21-kilometre) Rock 'n' Roll Pasadena run in aid of CureMito!, an organisation which raises awareness and funds for mitochondrial disease, a cell disorder which Wilson's daughter suffers from.

Raver, who completed the challenge in two hours and two minutes, says, "CureMito! was my biggest inspiration, which definitely is what got me out here, supporting Chandra and her daughter Sarina. I think when you have something that you are running for, it really keeps you going and you want to make a difference for those kids.

"CureMito! is an amazing organisation and I am so happy to be here in support of Chandra, she is such a team player on the set of Grey's. It was really emotional crossing the finish line."

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Chandra Wilson - Grey's Grey's Anatomy Stars Run Half-marathon For Charity

Grey's Anatomy Scoop: Adele's Alzheimer's Takes a Turn for the Worse

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Danzig

Loretta Devine and James Pickens, Jr.

Richard's had a rough year on Grey's Anatomy already having taken the fall for Meredith and stepped down as Chief of Seattle Grace. Now Adele's illness may pull him from the hospital altogether.

"Adele's Alzheimer's is progressively getting worse," James Pickens Jr. tells TVGuide.com. "It's obvious now that the Alzheimer's is making her a danger to herself and possibly others. We have something coming up that really brings the seriousness of her condition to the floor and forces him to act right away."

Mega Buzz: Scoop on Grey's Anatomy and more!

The incidents — yes, that's plural — will take place in this Thursday's episode and will end up being the catalyst for Richard to realize that he can no longer leave Adele (Emmy winner Loretta Devine) alone.

While Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) insists that Richard check Adele into Rose Ridge — the same assisted living establishment that her mother, Ellis Grey (Kate Burton) once resided at — he's in complete denial. "He still loves Adele very deeply, and he doesn't want to think about the possibility that there may have to be some other options made in terms of her living arrangements and her being cared for," Pickens says. "He doesn't want to make that decision right now."

Meredith understands what Richard is going through. "She went through this thinking she could handle it herself, and then it just gets to a point where it's more than you can handle," Pompeo says. "No convincing by Meredith is going to make Richard OK with putting Adele in a home. He has to get to a place where he feels like it's his only option."

Grey's Anatomy's Sandra Oh: Cristina and Owen head to couples therapy!

"One of the big deterrents for him putting Adele in Rose Ridge is the fact that he visited Ellis there so much and those memories weren't particularly good ones," Pickens adds. "Now, the prospect of possibly putting his wife there is a little more than he can stomach right now."

In the middle of Richard's crisis, he'll also be faced with temptation when Jackson's mother, Catherine Avery (Debbie Allen), returns in the March 15 episode. "He and Avery's mom are back and forth with a little flirtiness," he says. Adds Pompeo: "That's going to make Richard feel guilty."

Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.

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Grey's Anatomy Scoop: Adele's Alzheimer's Takes a Turn for the Worse

DNA test confirms pair of IDs

Posted on February 22, 2012 by ev1

Galgiani wants state to pay for search; Shermantine demands money before revealing more sites

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Sheriff's spokesman Deputy Les Garcia addresses the media last week near the mass burial site on Flood Road east of Linden. The well was filled in Tuesday.MICHAEL McCOLLUM/The Record

February 22, 2012 12:00 AM

STOCKTON - Officials confirmed Tuesday through DNA test results that human remains recently unearthed in Calaveras County are those of murder victims Cyndi Vanderheiden and Chevelle "Chevy" Wheeler.

Also Tuesday, a local legislator said she doesn't want the $90,000 cost already incurred to excavate remains from a Linden well to hamper further searching for more victims of serial killers Wesley Shermantine and Loren Herzog.

And a new letter Shermantine, 45, sent from death row boasts that he's now grabbed the world's attention by revealing three burial locations. He says he won't give up any more sites until he receives at least part of the money promised to him.

"I'll give (the) last two areas and we'll recover all Herzog's victim's," he wrote in the Feb. 13 letter to The Record. "I will not send people on a fool's search. That's just not my character."

Shermantine was sentenced to death in 2001 for four murders, yet he maintains he never killed anybody. He blames the killings on Herzog, who hanged himself last month at age 46 upon learning that Shermantine had begun to give up details.

Shermantine began sending detailed letters and hand-drawn maps to The Record in December. Following his tips, San Joaquin and Calaveras county deputies on Feb. 9 found Vanderheiden's remains in remote Calaveras County.

The next day, searchers located Wheeler's in the same area off Leonard Road near San Andreas. Remains on the third day found in the Flood Road well in eastern San Joaquin County have yet to be identified.

Shermantine was prompted by Sacramento bounty hunter Leonard Padilla, who agreed to pay the inmate $33,000 for the information. Padilla said he's preparing to send the first $2,000 money order to San Quentin State Prison.

It could take two or three weeks for it to hit Shermantine's books, Padilla said. With the money, Shermantine wishes to pay off his restitution, buy his late parents memorial stones and have spending money for comforts on death row.

Shermantine said in his most recent letter to The Record that he's holding out any new details until he's paid, but he has made a string of recent phone calls to Padilla, trying to describe the location of two more wells.

In those wells east of Linden, Shermantine says that searchers can expect to find a dozen more victims.

"He didn't know anything about the well they were digging up," Padilla said.

A lone bulldozer operator Tuesday from San Joaquin County Public Works finished filling in the gaping hole where searchers had pulled roughly 1,000 bone and skull fragments along with clothes, a purse and jewelry.

Garcia said investigators are now deciding their next move.

Making a rough cost estimate, Garcia said that by the end of last week the search cost $43,134 in overtime pay. Straight-time costs have yet to be figured, and the Sheriff's Office hasn't received its bill from Public Works.

But he estimated that, so far, the search has cost $90,000.

Don't stop the search now, said Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani, D-Stockton.

She fears the cost - especially in these trying times - will influence Sheriff Steve Moore to delay or stall further searches. It may next require ground-penetrating radar or expensive satellite imagery to find more abandoned wells, she said.

To encourage more searches - and more relief to victims' families - Galgiani said she has introduced legislation that will allow San Joaquin County and other agencies to dip into the state's general fund.

She rationalized putting the bill on the state and not San Joaquin County alone because it appears Shermantine and Herzog stalked victims in other places, such as Modesto and Hayward.

Seeking help from farther afield is not yet an option, Garcia said.

He said Moore has not asked for help from the FBI because the case does not fall within federal jurisdiction. The office has sought - and received - assistance from the state's Department of Justice, Garcia said.

"As our investigation continues, if additional resources are needed and the FBI can provide those resources, absolutely, we would be in contact with them," Garcia said.

But with the remains of Vanderheiden and Wheeler confirmed, their families can now begin to make funeral arrangements. Both families have said they intend to cremate what remains they are given.

Contact reporter Scott Smith at (209) 546-8296 or ssmith@recordnet.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/smithblog.

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DNA test confirms pair of IDs

Prof honored as ‘rising star’ in evolutionary bio

Posted on February 22, 2012 by ev1

Associate Professor of Evolutionary Biology Sohini Ramachandran received the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship for her research in computational and evolutionary molecular biology, according to the foundation's Feb. 15 press release. The award is granted to young scientists who are "rising stars, the next generation of scientific leaders," according to the release.

The fellowship includes a grant of $50,000 to advance Ramachandran's research, which pertains specifically to evolutionary history based on variations in the human genome over time.

"I'm really interested in historical relationships between human populations and the signatures they leave on our genome," Ramachandran said. Specifically, she studies topics like the mating interaction between Europeans and Latin Americans during early colonization and the modern relevance of the genetic signatures of humans in Africa from 100,000 years ago. Her research is computational and statistical, using data gathered across the globe to mathematically map out aspects of the human genome.

"I feel really honored," Ramachandran said. "The Sloan Fellowship has this really exciting history of making contributions to young faculty."

The foundation gives grants in eight scientific areas but only began giving grants in computational and evolutionary molecular biology in 2002, when Ramachandran began graduate school.

Each of the 126 recipients of the 2012 fellowship was nominated by a colleague and then picked by an independent panel of scholars. Ramachandran was nominated by Mark Bertness, chair of the department of ecology and evolutionary biology.

"She's a spectacular young faculty member working on really interesting problems," Bertness said. He added that as a promising female scientist, Ramachandran is a role model for young women in scientific fields.

Ramachandran arrived at the University in summer 2010 after receiving her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Stanford University and completing a post-graduate year at Harvard. At Brown, she said she has been influenced by the supportive and collaborative environment in her department and the opportunity to teach undergraduate students beginning this year.

The grant money she will receive will enable students doing research with her to pursue projects that were previously impossible due to lack of funding, she said.

"I've been wanting to generate some data in collaboration with people in Newport to collect genetic data from different breeds of cattle and sheep that humans have domesticated," Ramachandran said. She plans to use this data to study how variation has changed in domesticated breeds and what traits humans have selected.

"It's just a nice, prestigious recognition that one of our new junior faculty members has this level of recognition this early in her career," Bertness said.

Brown usually has one or two winners a year, Ramachandran said. Last year, two faculty members received this fellowship — David Badre, assistant professor in the department of cognitive, linguistic and psychological sciences, and Anastasia Volovich, associate professor of physics.

"It enabled me to continue research," Volovich said, who studies wave amplitudes related to the theory of motives in algebraic geometry. The funds from the fellowship enabled the physics department to bring distinguished visitors, she added, and will allow her to travel to some conferences. Volovich emphasized the unrestrictive nature of the Sloan Foundation grant compared to other grants. "You can use it however you want," she said.

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Prof honored as ‘rising star’ in evolutionary bio

New research on origins of life credits long-dead Canadian

Posted on February 22, 2012 by ev1

An international team of researchers advancing a new theory about the primordial soup that gave rise to life has paid homage to the "brilliance" of a long-dead Canadian scientist whose insights in the 1920s presciently framed this century's search for the ultimate origin of species.

German biochemist Armen Mulkidjanian led a group of Russian and American researchers that presents evidence in the latest issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that life began in shallow pools of condensed vapour near active volcanoes — an idea that runs counter to the prevailing view of an oceanic origin for organic matter, but echoes 19th-century scientist Charles Darwin's famous notion that "some warm little pond" was probably the wellspring of all living things.

However, the new study specifically credits another scientific legend — Ontario-born biochemist Archibald Macallum, founding chairman of the National Research Council of Canada — for a landmark 1926 paper in which he argued that a potassium-rich pool of water would have been crucial in generating those first stirrings of life.

Researchers know that somehow, about 3.7 billion years ago, lifeless minerals became fortuitously mixed in a fluid environment just as some unidentified but necessary energy source — perhaps lightning or the sun, perhaps hydrothermal vents in the sea or volcanic heat on the land — triggered chemical reactions that led to the formation of elemental fatty acids and then to the primitive, unicellular organisms from which all plants and animals eventually evolved.

Mulkidjanian and his team built their research on the premise that the cells of all living things today — by virtue of what they call the "chemistry conservation principle" — preserve vital information about the geological conditions in which life began near the dawn of Earth's history.

As it happens, the same concept was articulated eloquently by Macallum more than 85 years ago, in an article he published in the April 1926 edition of the journal Physiological Reviews.

"The cell," Macallum wrote at the time, "has endowments transmitted from a past almost as remote as the origin of life on earth." The existence of such "paleochemical" traces within living cells, he added, could give biologists — like their colleagues in the field of geology — a window into the primeval conditions on the planet, and foster a new understanding that the "serried ages of the earth's history do not sleep in stone alone."

The paper on cell origins was just one of many highlights in Macallum's stellar scientific career. Born near London, Ont., in 1858, he was not only the founding chair of the NRC — the Canadian government's main science agency — he also served as the inaugural chair in biochemistry for both the University of Toronto and McGill University before his death in 1934.

Mulkidjanian told Postmedia News that he stumbled onto Macallum's 1926 paper late in the preparation of his team's PNAS study, but quickly realized that the Canadian scientist had anticipated several of the key issues still facing 21st-century scientists engaged in origins-of-life research.

"Because of Macallum's brilliance, we have decided to give all the credits to this great scientist, although we had learned about his work in the very last moment," said Mulkidjanian.

Among the central puzzles to be solved is why — if organisms today mimic the chemical conditions of life's beginnings — there's more potassium than sodium in living cells, yet more sodium than potassium in sea water, traditionally seen as the likeliest incubator of life.

Macallum "was the first researcher to frame this question," said Mulkidjanian, adding that in order to "explain the prevalence of potassium over sodium within cells," the Canadian theorized "that the primordial ocean contained much more dissolved potassium than sodium."

Modern science, however, has discounted that possibility, creating a serious knowledge gap for those who cling to the idea that life began in the ocean.

But in their paper, Mulkidjanian and his team propose that "geothermal ponds" in which key mineral ingredients are concentrated and animated by volcanic activity would have served as ideal "hatcheries" for life — and with the required chemical predominance of potassium over sodium.

"In sum, we have addressed the same problem which Macallum had addressed first," said Mulkidjanian. "We, however, suggest a quite different solution."

The team's research is generating debate already in the scientific community, with at least one leading researcher questioning the validity of the "chemistry conservation principle" but another — Harvard Medical School professor Jack Szostak, the McGill-educated winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize for physiology — offering qualified support.

"If there is a reason that a high potassium/sodium ratio is biochemically a good thing, then a pre-biotic scenario that provided such a ratio might have been more favourable for the origin or early evolution of life," Szostak told Scientific American this week in commenting on the Mulkidjanian-led study. "But we can't rule out an origin in a low potassium environment followed by (evolutionary) selection for high internal potassium."

However, Szostak added: "I do not think the oceans were a favourable environment for the origin of life," pointing to how the lower salt content of freshwater would have been more conducive to creating the fatty-acid precursors of living cells.

"The accumulation of organic compounds in ponds is also easier to imagine than in the ocean," Szostak stated, "and geothermally active areas provide numerous advantages, as expressed by the authors."

rboswell@postmedia.com

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New research on origins of life credits long-dead Canadian

Science, Consciousness and Well-Being to be Explored on Day 2 of Chopra Foundation Symposium March 3–5, 2012

Posted on February 22, 2012 by ev1

Students in grades 6 through 12 take stage in March

Posted on February 22, 2012 by ev1

By SARA MOSQUEDA-FERNANDEZ
smfernandez@dailylocal.com

PHOENIXVILLE — About 570 young scientists plan to compete in the Chester County Science Research Competition on March 8 and 9 at Center for Arts and Technology Pickering Campus.

The competition offers students the chance to pursue inquiry-based science and be recognized for their efforts through a variety of awards.

Students in grades 6 through 12 will compete in the Lucy Balian Rorke-Adams Fair on March 8, and competitors from grades 4 and 5 will compete in the Jonas Salk Fair on March 9.

The categories for the competition are: behavioral and social science, biochemistry, botany, chemistry, computer science, consumer science, earth and space science, engineering, environmental science, mathematics, medicine and health, microbiology, physics, zoology, and team projects.

The awards ceremony for the Lucy Balian Rorke-Adams Fair are to begin 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 14, at Downingtown West High School. Only students who have an award designation attached to their project board are asked to attend.

During the judging portion, the competition is closed to the public, including parents and teachers, although there will be an open house from 6 to 7 p.m. both days for anyone wishing to see the projects.---- The Chester County Science Research Competition is sponsored and conducted by the Chester County Intermediate Unit.

The competition is a feeder fair to the Delaware Valley Fair, which provides students with the opportunity to win college scholarships and advance to the International Science and Engineering Fair. The Delaware Valley fair will be held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks, from April 3 to 5. The competition will include about 1,000 students from New Jersey, Delaware and southeastern Pennsylvania.

Meghan Shea, 16, a Unionville High School student, was the winner of the Delaware Valley Science Fair in 2011. Shea secured a silver medal for her project, “The Effect of Nitrogen and Sulfur and Phosphorus Compounds on the Bioremediation of Oil by Pseudomonas Fluorescence and Bacillus Subtilis for Use During Oil Spills.”

With the project, Shea attempted to increase the effectiveness of two bacteria at degrading oil for use during the oil spill cleanup in the Gulf of Mexico.

Students competing at the Delaware Valley fair will have the opportunity to win a share of almost $1 million in college scholarships and move on to the International Science and Engineering Fair, which will be hosted in Pittsburgh this year. Continued...

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Students in grades 6 through 12 take stage in March

Education Notes: Principal's Cup, KAWC Science Fair, Keep It Real contest winners

Posted on February 22, 2012 by ev1

Toronto: Anatomy of a Protest

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Danzig

February 21, 2012 (TORONTO) (WLS) -- Chicago will have an elaborate security plan when the G-8 and NATO summits begin in May.

Toronto also had an elaborate security plan when it hosted the G-20 conference two years ago.

ABC7's Paul Meincke went to Canada's largest city to get a sense of lessons learned in the Toronto experience.

The policing challenge in Toronto was - as it will be in Chicago - protecting the visiting dignitaries while allowing large numbers of people their right to peaceful protest.

Toronto knew going in it would not be easy. And it wasn't. Because among the protestors were people who had no intention of expressing dissent in peaceful fashion. Some were home-grown. Others came from out of town to visit, and basically break things.

By some estimates there were 10,000 protesters in Toronto. They were not pleased that the main designated protest zone was a park almost two miles from the summit meeting site.

Police had met with some protest leaders in advance, knew of their plan to march, and allowed it.

Interspersed in the crowds were groups of so-called "black bloc" protesters - largely young men in their teens and 20s - dressed in black.

The march on Saturday afternoon of the summit weekend was noisy and tense, but initially non violent.

"Suddenly a flare went up, and all these black bloc tactic people started running the other way, so the parade went this way, the black bloc went that way," said Austin Delaney, CTV reporter.

What followed was extensive property damage carried out by a comparatively small number of people, described by police and others as hooligans with no agenda other than to create chaos. At varying points, they'd shed their black clothing and meld themselves back into the crowd.

"They'll change into their clothes, dump their clothes and then run back into the group. And that's what we saw, and we said to them, hey what are you doing?" said Delaney.

A couple of the young men caught on camera complained to Delaney that he and his photographer were invading their privacy.

Storefronts with breakable glass appeared to the opportunistic targets along with several squads - left by police and later torched.

"People were getting their pictures taken and putting on Facebook, kicking and spray-paiting and smashing and jumping on hoods," said Kevin Parker, Toronto merchant.

Critics say the initial police response was tepid at best. Their main focus was ensuring the security of the summit perimeter which they achieved. But the following day, police were far more aggressive, making hundreds of arrests and holding people in a former film studio converted into a mass detention center.

"We have some serious concerns about who they were arresting, why they were arresting, and whether they were just rounding people up," said Abby Deshman, Canadian Civil Liberties Assocation.

"Demonstrations are messy, they're not neat and tidy. People don't wear signs that identify themselves as reasonable protestors and violent anarchist," said Mark Pugash, Toronto Police.

Police contend that they accomplished their main mission. The perimeter was not breached. The dignitaries remained safe. In all this, there were no fatalities.

They do acknowledge - from initial strategy to the weight of riot gear front line officers wore - that they weren't agile enough - particularly when those bent on causing damage can coordinate so quickly with cell phones and social media.

"This is a serious challenge for law enforcement, to be mobile and flexible enough to deal with people who are dealing with the latest technologies to facilitate their violence," said Pugash.

Toronto's Police Department is strongly invested in the use of social media, and that will clearly be a big part of the policing equation in Chicago in May.

If the intent of some of the protesters is to create sporadic, hit-and-run violence on a widespread basis, then police have to be prepared to engage on multiple fronts, and that would likely mean having plainclothes police within the ranks of protesters.

Chicago's police superintendent says he's not commenting on specific tactics, but has said repeatedly that police will pursue protestors who are clearly breaking the law.

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Toronto: Anatomy of a Protest

Pathfinder Presents Preliminary Data on New Regenerative Approach to Diabetes Treatment

Posted on February 21, 2012 by ev1

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 21, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pathfinder Cell Therapy, Inc. ("Pathfinder," or "the Company") (OTCQB:PFND.PK - News), a biotechnology company focused on the treatment of diabetes and other diseases characterized by organ-specific cell damage, today presented preliminary data highlighting the potential of the Company's unique cell-based therapy for treating diabetes at the 7th Annual New York Stem Cell Summit. Richard L. Franklin, M.D., Ph.D., Founder, CEO and President of Pathfinder, provided an overview of the Company's Pathfinder Cell ("PC") technology, and presented preclinical evidence demonstrating how treatment with PCs was able to reverse the symptoms of diabetes in two different mouse models.

Pathfinder Cells are a newly identified non-stem cell mammalian cell type that has the ability to stimulate regeneration of damaged tissue without being incorporated into the new tissue. In today's presentation, Dr. Franklin showed how recent experiments performed using a non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse strain were supportive of earlier data that demonstrated complete reversal of diabetes in mice. The earlier results, which used a drug-induced diabetic mouse model, were published in Rejuvenation Research1. Though preliminary, the recent results are encouraging because the NOD mouse model is widely used and highly regarded as being predictive of human type-1 diabetes.

In three separate experiments using this model, 30-50% of the mice treated with PCs at the onset of diabetes returned to normal blood glucose levels. Of the mice that responded well to treatment, the effects tended to be long lasting, up to two months in some cases after just two doses. These results, which were generated by intravenous injection of PC's derived from rat pancreatic tissue, further demonstrate the remarkable ability of Pathfinder Cells to elicit their positive effect regardless of the organ, or even species, of origin.

"We are very encouraged by these preclinical results using NOD mice. This model is the gold standard for type-1 diabetes and the fact that recent experiments mirror what we've seen in previous models may be highly significant," stated Dr. Franklin. "We have many questions to answer about how PCs act in the body, but we believe, based on previous experiments, that PCs may stimulate regeneration of damaged islet cells that produce insulin. The current NOD mouse data also suggest that PCs may have an effect in modulating the auto-immune process in type 1 diabetes. We continue to conduct experiments aimed at elucidating the optimal dosing and other factors that may be responsible for producing a robust and long-lasting response, as this will be critical as we start to think about how PCs may be used in treating human diabetes."

In his presentation today, Dr. Franklin also provided further insight into the mechanism of action of PCs, based on recent animal experiments. It was observed previously that PCs produce microvesicles, which are known to play a role in intercellular communication, but through mechanisms that are poorly understood. In a recent experiment, Pathfinder was able to isolate these microvesicles from the PCs and treat animals directly with an injection containing microvesicles only. Remarkably, both PC- and microvesicle-treated mice exhibited similar reductions in blood glucose compared to controls using the same drug-induced diabetes mouse model. This suggests, not only that the microvesicles produced by PCs are central to the mechanism of action, but that the microvesicles alone appear to be sufficient to produce the full effect.

Dr. Franklin commented, "If confirmed, this finding could have a significant positive impact on the future of PC-based therapy. Due to the relatively small amount of material contained within the microvesicles, determining the specific factor(s) that are responsible for regenerating damaged tissue could be more straightforward than we first anticipated, bringing us closer to understanding the mechanism of action. There may also be a number of potential manufacturing and storage benefits to using microvesicles versus PCs that will be interesting to explore in parallel as we work to advance this innovative new therapeutic approach closer to human clinical development."

The New York Stem Cell Summit brings together cell therapy company executives, researchers, investors and physicians to explore investment opportunities in cell therapy research and innovation. More information can be found at http://www.stemcellsummit.com.

Presentation details Event: 7th Annual New York Stem Cell Summit Date: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 Place: Bridgewaters New York, 11 Fulton Street, New York, NY Time: 3:35 pm ET

About Pathfinder

Pathfinder is developing a novel cell-based therapy and has generated encouraging preclinical data in models of diabetes, renal disease, myocardial infarction, and critical limb ischemia, a severe form of peripheral vascular disease. Leveraging its internal discovery of Pathfinder Cells ("PCs") Pathfinder is pioneering a new field in regenerative medicine.

PCs are a newly identified mammalian cell type present in very low quantities in a variety of organs, including the kidney, liver, pancreas, lymph nodes, myometrium, bone marrow and blood. Early studies indicate that PCs stimulate regeneration of damaged tissues without the cells themselves being incorporated into the newly generated tissue. Based on testing to date, the cells appear to be "immune privileged," and their effects appear to be independent of the tissue source of PCs. For more information please visit: http://www.pathfindercelltherapy.com.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward-looking statements. You should be aware that our actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, which are based on management's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, our inability to obtain additional required financing; costs and delays in the development and/or FDA approval, or the failure to obtain such approval, of our product candidates; uncertainties or differences in interpretation in clinical trial results, if any; our inability to maintain or enter into, and the risks resulting from our dependence upon, collaboration or contractual arrangements necessary for the development, manufacture, commercialization, marketing, sales and distribution of any products; competitive factors; our inability to protect our patents or proprietary rights and obtain necessary rights to third party patents and intellectual property to operate our business; our inability to operate our business without infringing the patents and proprietary rights of others; general economic conditions; the failure of any products to gain market acceptance; technological changes; and government regulation. We do not intend to update any of these factors or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements.

1Karen Stevenson, Daxin Chen, Alan MacIntyre, Liane M McGlynn, Paul Montague, Rawiya Charif, Murali Subramaniam, W.D. George, Anthony P. Payne, R. Wayne Davies, Anthony Dorling, and Paul G. Shiels. Rejuvenation Research. April 2011, 14(2): 163-171. doi:10.1089/rej.2010.1099

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Pathfinder Presents Preliminary Data on New Regenerative Approach to Diabetes Treatment

Celling Biosciences Sponsors 7th Annual Stem Cell Summit

Posted on February 21, 2012 by ev1

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Celling Biosciences announces a sponsorship of the 7th Annual Stem Cell Summit being held on February 21st at Bridgewaters New York in New York City. The Stem Cell Summit is consistently the premiere venue for the world's leaders in regenerative medicine to network and promote next generation technologies and cell therapies.

The meeting will feature more than 30 thought leaders in stem cell therapy including Dr. Kenneth Pettine of the Orthopedic Stem Cell Institute in Loveland, Colorado. Dr. Pettine has teamed up with Celling Biosciences' SpineSmith Division to present "Adult Stem Cell Therapy for Orthopedic and Spine Conditions Resulting from Injury or Aging." Dr. Pettine has become an innovator in the regenerative cell therapy market and believes "regenerative therapies will become the next standard of care in treating many orthopedic conditions."

Following the Stem Cell Summit, Dr. Pettine will be presenting a discussion on regenerative therapies to the trainers and medical staff attending this year's NFL combine. The NFL has recently gained attention from Peyton Manning going oversees to receive a cell therapy treatment for his cervical spine condition. Dr. Pettine envisions a day when these professional athletes stop going to foreign countries to receive medical treatment.

The Orthopedic Stem Cell Institute provides state-of-the-art regenerative cell therapy using Celling Biosciences' ART 21 system. The ART 21 system processes bone marrow from the patient at the point of care to consistently produce a concentrate of regenerative cells with high yields of mononuclear stem cells in less than 15 minutes. Celling Biosciences provides the cell separation systems along with the biomaterials and devices necessary to recreate the environment to promote healing.

Kevin Dunworth, founder of Celling Biosciences, believes regenerative cell therapy has more to do with creating the optimal environment then just providing cells. "We believe autologous cell therapy is a viable solution but physicians need to understand that these cells require the necessary substrate for delivery and the proper techniques for retrieval. Our focus has been on providing not only cell separation technologies, medical devices and biomaterials but also the registered nurses to deliver the service so physicians can have the most consistent, reliable and predictable regenerative cell therapy for their patients."

Contact:
Tracy Gladden
Communications Manager
Tgladden@spinesmithusa.com
512-637-2050

About Celling Biosciences
Celling Biosciences, works closely with surgeons, scientists and engineers to research and develop innovative technologies in the field of regenerative medicine. http://www.cellingbiosciences.com and http://www.spinesmithusa.com

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Celling Biosciences Sponsors 7th Annual Stem Cell Summit

Serotonin Could Play a Large Role in Bone Loss

Posted on February 21, 2012 by ev1

New study has extensive implications due to effects of lactation and breast cancer on bone

Article is published in the American Journal of Physiology—
Endocrinology and Metabolism

Newswise — Bethesda, Md.—Scientists have long known that calcium leaches from the bones both during lactation and in certain types of cancer. The driver behind these phenomena is a molecule called parathyroid hormone related protein (PTHrP), which is secreted by the mammary glands. The signal that regulates the secretion of PTHrP, and where this other unknown molecule exerts its influence, has remained a mystery. Now, in a new study using cells and tissues from mice, cows, and people, a team of researchers at the University of Cincinnati have identified this mystery molecule as serotonin, a neurotransmitter most often recognized for its role in happiness and well-being. The scientists also identified the specific receptor that serotonin acts on in mammary tissue. Understanding these two findings more deeply could lead to better ways to combat bone loss, potentially by using drugs that affect serotonin signaling.

The study is entitled “Mammary Gland Serotonin Regulates Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein and Other Bone-Related Signals” (http://bit.ly/yeB5uQ). It appears in the Articles in PresS section of the American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and Metabolism, published by the American Physiological Society (APS).

Methodology

The researchers first examined lactating mice with a genetic mutation that prevented them from making serotonin efficiently and compared the amount of PTHrP in these animals to that in lactating normal, healthy mice. Next, they treated mouse and cow mammary cells with serotonin to see if it could induce secretion of PTHrP. They then treated human breast cancer lines with serotonin to see if the neurotransmitter could change expression of PTHrP and a gene called Runx2, which is known to be involved in metastatic breast cancer and bone loss. Finally, they examined mice genetically modified to be missing a particular type of serotonin receptor, as well as mouse mammary cells, to determine which serotonin receptor might be responsible for influencing PTHrP secretion.

Results

The researchers found that lactating mice genetically modified to prevent them from making serotonin efficiently (tryptophan hydoxylase 1 mutation) had significantly less PTHrP in their mammary glands compared to lactating normal, healthy mice, suggesting that serotonin is pivotally important for producing PTHrP. Supporting these findings, mouse and cow mammary cells treated with serotonin increased their expression of the gene responsible for PTHrP production by 8- and 20-fold, respectively. Treating three human breast cancer cell lines with serotonin increased expression of the PTHrP gene by 20-fold, and also increased expression of Runx2 as well. Though previous studies have shown that a serotonin receptor known as 5-HT7 is important for some mammary gland functions, this current study suggests that a different receptor, known as 5-HT2, is the target responsible for stimulating PTHrP levels.

Importance of the Findings

These findings suggest that serotonin is a molecule that regulates PTHrP production, which in turn affects how calcium leaches from the bones during lactation and soft tissue cancer metastases. The authors suggest that this finding isn’t completely surprising, since many antidepressants that act on serotonin have bone loss as a side effect. Understanding the action of serotonin better could help researchers develop better ways to preserve bone, they say, potentially through the action of drugs that act on the serotonin system.

“The complexity of 5-HT (serotonin) signaling demands cautious interpretations and the testing of new hypotheses and additional model systems. With improved knowledge, serotonergic drugs may provide novel opportunities for therapeutic interventions,” the authors say.

Study Team

The study was conducted by Nelson D. Horseman, Laura L. Hernandez and Karen A. Gregerson of the University of Cincinnati.

###

NOTE TO EDITORS: The study is available online at http://bit.ly/yeB5uQ. To schedule an interview with Dr. Horseman, please contact Donna Krupa at dkrupa@the-aps.org, @Phyziochick, or 301.634.7209.

***
Physiology is the study of how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function to create health or disease. The American Physiological Society (APS; http://www.the-APS.org/press) has been an integral part of the discovery process for 125 years. To keep up with the science, follow @Phyziochick on Twitter.

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Serotonin Could Play a Large Role in Bone Loss

Sonic Healthcare grabs market share

Posted on February 21, 2012 by ev1

SONIC Healthcare lifted first half profit by eight per cent to $146 million as it continues to take a greater share of the market despite global uncertainty.

The pathology and radiology provider said its net profit after tax was $146 million in the six months to December 31, 2011, up eight per cent from $143 million in the prior corresponding period.

Revenue was $1.69 billion, up 12 per cent from $1.64 billion over the same period last year.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) during the six months were $304 million, up 14 per cent from $297 million.

The company declared a 24 per cent dividend per share which was unchanged from the prior year. The dividend was 35 per cent franked.

The company also said it was on track to achieve its full-year guidance of 10 to 15 per cent earnings growth.

Chief executive Colin Goldschmidt on Tuesday said ongoing headwinds from the strong Australian dollar had softened the company's results but did not affect underlying performance.

"In a time of global uncertainty and weak economic conditions, Sonic's operations continue to perform strongly, taking market share from competitors and increasing margins through synergy capture, tight cost control and revenue growth,'' Mr Goldschmidt said in a statement.

Sonic's Australian Pathology operations have continued the turnaround which began in the second half of the 2011 financial year.

Mr Goldschmidt said the company recorded revenue growth of eight per cent and more than 150 basis points of margin improvement.

The company said it was pleased with the outcome in a market still challenged by high collection costs as a result of changes to the regulations around collection centres.

"Our focus on quality, customer service and brand strength have enabled us to grow market share despite opening proportionately fewer collection centres than others,'' he said.

Sonic's pathology operations in Germany were a standout performer and the company's other European pathology operations, including the radiology division and IPN, had also performed strongly during the half year.

The company's businesses in Belgium, Switzerland, the UK and Ireland were tracking well.

However, all US laboratory companies had been affected by the weak US economy, causing low to flat organic revenue growth, Sonic said.

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Sonic Healthcare grabs market share

Sonic posts 8pc rise in first half profit

Posted on February 21, 2012 by ev1

SONIC Healthcare Ltd has posted an eight per cent increase in first half profit as it continues to take a greater share of the market despite global uncertainty.

The pathology and radiology provider said its net profit after tax was $146 million in the six months to December 31, 2011, up eight per cent from $143 million in the prior corresponding period.

Revenue was $1.69 billion, up 12 per cent from $1.64 billion over the same period last year.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) during the six months were $304 million, up 14 per cent from $297 million.

The company declared a 24 per cent dividend per share which was unchanged from the prior year. The dividend was 35 per cent franked.

The company also said it was on track to achieve its full-year guidance of 10 to 15 per cent earnings growth.

Chief executive Colin Goldschmidt today said ongoing headwinds from the strong Australian dollar had softened the company's results but did not affect underlying performance.

Sonic's Australian Pathology operations have continued the turnaround which began in the second half of the 2011 financial year.

Mr Goldschmidt said the company recorded revenue growth of eight per cent and more than 150 basis points of margin improvement.

The company said it was pleased with the outcome in a market still challenged by high collection costs as a result of changes to the regulations around collection centres.

"Our focus on quality, customer service and brand strength have enabled us to grow market share despite opening proportionately fewer collection centres than others," he said.

The company's businesses in Belgium, Switzerland, the UK and Ireland were tracking well.

However, all US laboratory companies had been affected by the weak US economy, causing low to flat organic revenue growth, Sonic said.

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Sonic posts 8pc rise in first half profit

Sonic sounds depths of growth

Posted on February 21, 2012 by ev1

Testing times: But Sonic Healthcare is still growing strong. Photo: Jim Rice

PATHOLOGY and radiology group Sonic Healthcare expects to hit its full-year pre-tax earnings target of 10-15 per cent growth as it reaps the rewards of strong organic revenue growth, market share gains in Australia and margin expansion in Germany.

Sonic also says it will expand its margins in North America where its business has increased market share despite the weak economic environment.

Chief executive Colin Goldschmidt said yesterday pathology was an ''absolute essential service'' in the healthcare sector and Sonic had incredible infrastructure in Australia, Germany and the US.

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''It really is a very nice position to be in going into the future, despite the uncertainties of the global climate et cetera,'' Dr Goldschmidt said. ''It's a sector that tends to be shielded in some way from some of the downturns that occur in other sectors because it is an essential service.''

Sonic, which also has healthcare businesses in New Zealand, Belgium and Switzerland, has posted a 6 per cent lift in interim net profit to $143 million, or in constant-currency terms up 8 per cent to $146 million.

Statutory revenue was 9 per cent better at $1.64 billion, but up 12 per cent to $1.69 billion in constant-currency terms.

The company has declared an interim dividend of 24¢ a share, which is unchanged from the previous year.

Dr Goldschmidt said headwinds from the strong Australian dollar had softened the company's results, but did not affect underlying performance.

''In a time of global uncertainty and weak economic conditions, Sonic's operations continue to perform strongly, taking market share from competitors and increasing margins,'' Dr Goldschmidt said.

Sonic was on track to deliver growth in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of 10-15 per cent over the 2010-11 level of $570 million, he said.

See original here:
Sonic sounds depths of growth

Sonic in nice position for future growth

Posted on February 21, 2012 by ev1

Pathology and radiology provider Sonic Healthcare Ltd says it's well positioned to deliver essential services and increase its market share despite global uncertainty.

Sonic posted an eight per cent increase in first half profit on Tuesday and said it was on track to achieve its full-year guidance of 10 to 15 per cent earnings growth.

Chief executive Colin Goldschmidt said pathology was an 'absolute essential service' in the healthcare sector and Sonic had incredible infrastructure in the important markets of Australia, Germany and the USA.

'It really is a very nice position to be in going into the future, despite the uncertainties of the global climate etc,' Mr Goldschmidt told analysts in a briefing.

'It's a sector that tends to be shielded in some way from some of the downturns that occur in other sectors because it is an essential service.'

He said the Australian division was performing exceptionally well even though it had opened fewer collection centres than its competitors.

But he admitted the biggest drag on the company's growth was its US laboratory business which had been affected by the weak US economy.

Sonic Healthcare said its net profit after tax was $146 million in the six months to December 31, 2011, up eight per cent from $143 million in the prior corresponding period.

Mr Goldschmidt said ongoing headwinds from the strong Australian dollar had softened the company's results but did not affect underlying performance.

'In a time of global uncertainty and weak economic conditions, Sonic's operations continue to perform strongly, taking market share from competitors and increasing margins,' Mr Goldschmidt said.

Sonic's Australian Pathology operations have continued the turnaround which began in the second half of the 2011 financial year.

It comes as the company recorded revenue growth of eight per cent and more than 150 basis points of margin improvement.

The company said it was pleased with the outcome in a market still challenged by high collection costs as a result of changes to the regulations around collection centres.

The company's businesses in Belgium, Switzerland, the UK and Ireland were tracking well because they were not too exposed to the ongoing downturn in Europe.

Overall revenue was $1.69 billion, up 12 per cent from $1.64 billion over the same period last year.

The company declared a 24 per cent dividend per share which was unchanged from the prior year. The dividend was 35 per cent franked.

Sonic shares were 12 cents, or 1.08 per cent, higher at $11.27 at 1404.

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Sonic in nice position for future growth

Why Mead Johnson Nutrition's Earnings Are Outstanding

Posted on February 21, 2012 by ev1

Although business headlines still tout earnings numbers, many investors have moved past net earnings as a measure of a company's economic output. That's because earnings are very often less trustworthy than cash flow, since earnings are more open to manipulation based on dubious judgment calls.

Earnings' unreliability is one of the reasons Foolish investors often flip straight past the income statement to check the cash flow statement. In general, by taking a close look at the cash moving in and out of the business, you can better understand whether the last batch of earnings brought money into the company, or merely disguised a cash gusher with a pretty headline.

Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Mead Johnson Nutrition (NYSE: MJN ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Data is current as of last fully reported fiscal quarter. Dollar values in millions. FCF = free cash flow. FY = fiscal year. TTM = trailing 12 months.

Over the past 12 months, Mead Johnson Nutrition generated $523.3 million cash while it booked net income of $508.5 million. That means it turned 14.2% of its revenue into FCF. That sounds pretty impressive.

All cash is not equal
Unfortunately, the cash flow statement isn't immune from nonsense, either. That's why it pays to take a close look at the components of cash flow from operations, to make sure that the cash flows are of high quality. What does that mean? To me, it means they need to be real and replicable in the upcoming quarters, rather than being offset by continual cash outflows that don't appear on the income statement (such as major capital expenditures).

For instance, cash flow based on cash net income and adjustments for non-cash income-statement expenses (like depreciation) is generally favorable. An increase in cash flow based on stiffing your suppliers (by increasing accounts payable for the short term) or shortchanging Uncle Sam on taxes will come back to bite investors later. The same goes for decreasing accounts receivable; this is good to see, but it's ordinary in recessionary times, and you can only increase collections so much. Finally, adding stock-based compensation expense back to cash flows is questionable when a company hands out a lot of equity to employees and uses cash in later periods to buy back those shares.

So how does the cash flow at Mead Johnson Nutrition look? Take a peek at the chart below, which flags questionable cash flow sources with a red bar.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Data is current as of last fully reported fiscal quarter. Dollar values in millions. TTM = trailing 12 months.

When I say "questionable cash flow sources," I mean items such as changes in taxes payable, tax benefits from stock options, and asset sales, among others. That's not to say that companies booking these as sources of cash flow are weak, or are engaging in any sort of wrongdoing, or that everything that comes up questionable in my graph is automatically bad news. But whenever a company is getting more than, say, 10% of its cash from operations from these dubious sources, investors ought to make sure to refer to the filings and dig in.

With questionable cash flows amounting to only 3.1% of operating cash flow, Mead Johnson Nutrition's cash flows look clean. Within the questionable cash flow figure plotted in the TTM period above, changes in taxes payable provided the biggest boost, at 8.4% of cash flow from operations. Overall, the biggest drag on FCF came from capital expenditures, which consumed 17.3% of cash from operations.

A Foolish final thought
Most investors don't keep tabs on their companies' cash flow. I think that's a mistake. If you take the time to read past the headlines and crack a filing now and then, you're in a much better position to spot potential trouble early. Better yet, you'll improve your odds of finding the underappreciated home-run stocks that provide the market's best returns.

We can help you keep tabs on your companies with My Watchlist, our free, personalized stock tracking service.

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Why Mead Johnson Nutrition's Earnings Are Outstanding

Nutrition North food subsidy program under fire

Posted on February 21, 2012 by ev1

Norman Yakeleya, Northwest Territories MLA for the Sahtu, said the Nutrition North Canada program is a step backwards for ensuring healthy, affordable food is available to remote northern communities. (CBC)

Politicians from across the North have come together in a scathing letter to the federal government about the Nutrition North Canada program.

Members of the legislative assemblies from Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Quebec and Labrador wrote the letter to Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Minister John Duncan and Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq.

The MLAs slam the program, which is supposed to make healthy food more affordable in remote northern communities. They say it has contributed to increased prices for many goods, has made it more difficult for people in the North to make personal food orders and has diminished consumers' ability to choose what they eat.

"It is our view that the NNCP is not meeting its objectives in their entirety to ensure that nutritious foods and essential household products are more accessible and affordable to northern communities, homes and families," the MLAs wrote in the letter.

The politicians lay out their concerns and make specific demands for change to the program.

The Nutrition North Canada program (NNCP) replaced the Food Mail program, which gave transportation subsidies to lower the food prices to communities without regular road or marine access.

Under the new program, the subsidies go to retailers who negotiate freight rates for lower costs. Those savings are supposed to be passed on to consumers.

Since the change, prices for certain items have skyrocketed in many remote northern communities.

New program a 'step backwards'

Norman Yakeleya, who represents the Sahtu for the Northwest Territories, said the new program is a step backwards in ensuring healthy food is more affordable for Canadians who live in the North.

"Right now, our concerns are falling on deaf ears. We are basically at the mercy of our one or two stores," he wrote.

He said his constituents feel their choices have been stomped out since some stores say they will no longer do personal orders.

Darius Elias, MLA for Vuntut Gwitchin in Yukon, said the cost increases since the new program was implemented are unacceptable.

'Right now, our concerns are falling on deaf ears.'—Norman Yakeleya, Sahtu MLA, Northwest Territories

"In Old Crow, a 50-kilogram Level 1 personal order shipment now costs approximately $96 under the NNCP and the same shipment used to cost $40.75 under the old Food Mail Program," he said.

Elias added that overhaul should have made the subsidy program better, not worse.

He said the solution would be to ensure the new program has a personal shipping transportation subsidy from Whitehorse to Old Crow, Yukon. He said any tax on shipping personal orders should be paid by the program instead of the residents of Old Crow.

Quttiktuq MLA Ron Elliott, who represents some of Nunavut’s most isolated communities, said there needs to be better oversight, audit and enforcement mechanisms to ensure retail food pricing is transparent. He said the subsidy list also needs to be expanded and access to country food should be improved.

Labrador House of Assembly member Randy Edmunds said some of the increases his community has seen have been as high as 250 per cent.

Luc Ferland, who represents Kuujjuaq at the Assemblée nationale du Québec, highlighted similar concerns in his riding.

The federal government has had to revise the program once already. In March, the government backtracked and added some items it had originally cut from the subsidy list. Those items will remain on the subsidy list until October.

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Nutrition North food subsidy program under fire

Research and Markets: Future US Microbiology Testing Market Outlook

Posted on February 21, 2012 by ev1

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8faa73/future_us_microbio) has announced the addition of the "Future US Microbiology Testing Market Outlook" report to their offering.

The Future US Microbiology Testing Market Outlook is a comprehensive 1,037-page analysis of the US microbiology testing market.

Key highlights:

Major issues pertaining to the US microbiology laboratory practice, as well as key economic, regulatory, demographic, social and technological trends with significant market impact during the next ten years. Current scientific views on the definition, epidemiology, and etiology of major infectious diseases and microorganisms. Ten-year test volume and sales forecasts for nearly 80 microbiology tests performed in US hospitals, blood banks, physician offices, public health and commercial laboratories. Instrumentation technologies and feature comparison of leading analyzers. Sales and market shares of leading suppliers. Emerging diagnostic technologies and their potential market applications. Product development opportunities. Profiles of current and emerging suppliers, including their sales, market shares, product portfolios, marketing tactics, technological know-how, new products in R&D, collaborative arrangements and business strategies. Business opportunities and strategic recommendations for suppliers.

The report contains 1,037 pages and 177 tables.

Key Topics Covered:

Major Microbiology Tests Instrumentation Review and Market Needs Emerging Diagnostic Technologies Business Environment Market Structure Market Size and Growth Personal Testing

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8faa73/future_us_microbio

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Research and Markets: Future US Microbiology Testing Market Outlook

Longevity in Business: From milligrams to tons since 1921

Posted on February 21, 2012 by ev1

JILL CARLSON | For the State Journal | jillcarlson1957@gmail.com madison.com | | Posted: Monday, February 20, 2012 5:05 pm

"Everything in the world needs to be weighed," says Jay Garnhart. "And we produce scales to weigh anything, from the smallest item up to several tons."

Garnhart knows scales. From those used weigh bulk items in stores to the massive in-ground scales used to weigh equipment and grains, he worked for Cream City Scale servicing scales for 25 years prior to buying the company.

The business originated in Milwaukee in 1921 and was owned by the Beautaw family. Kenneth Beautaw was the fourth and last generation to own the company. Beautaw sold the business to John Dentser and Jud Higgins in 1995. The Milwaukee location closed in 1998 when industry there went flat. The Madison location opened in 1992, and a Loves Park, Ill., shop opened in 1977. Garnhart worked for 15 years in Loves Park, then moved to Madison to work another 10 years in service before buying the business in 1998.

Garnhart's wife, Lorri, performs the human resources and payroll functions at Cream City Scale. "I also oversee the International Organization for Standardization guidelines, as we are audited each year," she explains.

Cream City Scale has a staff of 21 between its two locations and focuses on the calibration, repair, sales and installation of new equipment for agricultural, food service, laboratory and industrial uses. Garnhart says about 85 percent of the scales sold at his business are made in Wisconsin, at Rice Lake Weighing Systems. Cream City Scales had sales of $4 million in 2011.

Customers meet with a sales rep to discuss their weighing needs. Often a scale has to be custom-built, which can be done at either Cream City location or on site, depending on the size of the scale. "We can make a scale for how a customer does their everyday business," says Garnhart.

State-licensed and factory-trained service technicians, including one who has 35 years' experience, make repairs on-site or in the Cream City shop.

The Garnharts have a succession plan in place with their son Ryan, who is a sales rep in the Madison office. He had worked in service for years during the summer while in school at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

The Longevity in Business feature appears on the third Tuesday of each month. The column features businesses that have celebrated at least 50 years in business. To suggest a business to feature, please contact Jill Carlson at jillcarlson1957@gmail.com with the name of the business, business owner and contact information.

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Longevity in Business: From milligrams to tons since 1921

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