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Rosetta Genomics Now Processing Fine-Needle Aspirate Cell Block Samples for Lung Cancer Subclassification

April 6, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Molecular test that helps determine treatment can now be performed before the
tumor is surgically resected

* Uses highly accurate microRNA-based technology of miRview squamous test on
Fine-Needle Aspirate (FNA) cell block samples to subclassify non-small cell lung
cancer (NSCLC) into squamous or non-squamous
* Subclassification of NSCLC using preoperative FNA samples currently presents a
challenge to physicians, with an estimated 30%-40% of cases remaining
unclassified or being misclassified
* In a recent study,1 Johns Hopkins University researchers demonstrated that
miRview squamous correctly subclassified 95% of FNA cell block specimens and
small biopsies originally diagnosed as poorly differentiated NSCLC

REHOVOT, Israel & PHILADELPHIA–(Business Wire)–
Rosetta Genomics, Ltd. (NASDAQ:ROSG), a leading developer and provider of
microRNA-based molecular diagnostics, announced today that starting April 1,
2010 physicians are able to send FNA cell block samples to Rosetta Genomics`
CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited laboratory in Philadelphia for analysis using
Rosetta`s miRview squamous test. FNA is a less invasive method to obtain tumor
cells compared with tumor resections or biopsies. This breakthrough will enable
patients and physicians to benefit from a highly accurate diagnostic assay
without having to undergo a more invasive procedure.

miRview squamous is a molecular diagnostic test that measures the expression
level of a single microRNA to accurately differentiate squamous from
non-squamous NSCLC. The test offers patients and physicians a highly accurate
diagnostic tool that produces standardized and reproducible results.

“Enabling physicians to subclassify NSCLC tumors with miRview squamous based on
FNA cell blocks, without the need for more invasive procedures, brings
significant value to lung cancer patient management,” noted Dr. Tina Edmonston,
Director of Rosetta Genomics` CLIA-certified laboratory. “As pathologists, we
are often faced with challenges especially when trying to subclassify poorly
differentiated NSCLCs. However, correct subclassification is crucial to
determine the treatment of the patient. We believe this new capability will help
physicians better address this issue.”

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in the U.S., killing more
than 160,000 Americans annually. In over 60,000 of these patients with NSCLC,
identification of the squamous sub-type has significant clinical implications.
Squamous lung cancer carries increased risk of severe or fatal bleeding for
certain targeted biological therapies, including bevacizumab (Avastin) and other
drugs under development.2 Other approved therapies, such as pemetrexed (Alimta)
are indicated for non-squamous NSCLC only.3

“This improvement is an excellent example of how by adapting our proprietary
miRNA-based technologies to be used on FNA cell block specimens, our highly
accurate miRview squamous assay can be made available to more patients suffering
from lung cancer,” stated Ken Berlin, President and CEO of Rosetta Genomics.

In a recently published study in Clinical Cancer Research, Johns Hopkins
University researchers demonstrated that miRview squamous correctly
subclassified 95% of FNA cell block specimens and small biopsies originally
diagnosed as poorly differentiated NSCLC into squamous and non-squamous cell
carcinoma.

About microRNAs

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are recently discovered, small RNAs that act as master
regulators of protein synthesis, and have been shown to be highly effective
biomarkers. MicroRNAs` unique advantage as biomarkers lies in their high tissue
specificity, and their exceptional stability in the most routine preservation
methods for biopsies, including Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embedded (FFPE) block
tissue and fine needle aspirate (FNA) cell blocks. It has been suggested that
their small size (19-21 nucleotides) enables them to remain intact in FFPE
blocks, as opposed to messenger RNA (mRNA), which tends to degrade rapidly. In
addition, early preclinical data has shown that by controlling the levels of
specific microRNAs, cancer cell growth may be reduced. To learn more about
microRNAs, please visit www.rosettagenomics.com.

About miRview Products

miRview are a series of microRNA-based diagnostic tests developed by Rosetta
Genomics. miRview mets accurately identifies the primary tumor site in
metastatic cancer and Cancer of Unknown Primary. miRview squamous accurately
identifies the squamous subtype of NSCLC, which carries an increased risk of
severe or fatal internal bleeding and poor response to treatment for certain
targeted therapies. miRview meso distinguishes mesothelioma, a cancer connected
to asbestos exposure, from other malignancies in the lung and pleura. miRview
tests are designed to provide objective diagnostic data; it is the treating
physician`s responsibility to diagnose and administer the appropriate treatment.
In the U.S. alone, over 100,000 patients a year may benefit from the miRview
mets test, 60,000 from miRview squamous, and 60,000 from miRview meso, with
similar numbers of patients outside the U.S. The company`s tests are now being
offered through distributors around the globe. For more information, please
visit www.mirviewdx.com.

About Rosetta Genomics

Rosetta Genomics is a leading developer of microRNA-based molecular diagnostics.
Founded in 2000, the company`s integrative research platform combining
bioinformatics and state-of-the-art laboratory processes has led to the
discovery of hundreds of biologically validated novel human microRNAs. Building
on its strong patent position and proprietary platform technologies, Rosetta
Genomics is working on the application of these technologies in the development
of a full range of microRNA-based diagnostic tools. The company`s first three
microRNA-based tests, miRview squamous, miRview mets and miRview meso, are
performed at the company`s Philadelphia-based, CLIA-certified and CAP accredited
lab. Rosetta Genomics is the 2008 winner of the Wall Street Journal`s Technology
Innovation Awards in the medical/biotech category. To learn more, please visit
www.rosettagenomics.com.

Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer

Various statements in this release concerning Rosetta`s future expectations,
plans and prospects, including without limitation, statements relating to the
role of microRNAs in human physiology and disease, and the potential of
microRNAs in the diagnosis and treatment of disease, constitute forward-looking
statements for the purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially
from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various
important factors, including risks related to: Rosetta`s approach to discover
microRNA technology and to work on the application of this technology in the
development of novel diagnostics and therapeutic tools, which may never lead to
commercially accepted products or services; Rosetta`s ability to obtain,
maintain and protect its intellectual property; Rosetta`s ability to enforce its
patents against infringers and to defend its patent portfolio against challenges
from third parties; Rosetta`s need and ability to obtain additional funding to
support its business activities; Rosetta`s dependence on third parties for
development, manufacture, marketing, sales, and distribution of products;
Rosetta`s ability to successfully develop its products and services; Rosetta`s
ability to obtain regulatory clearances or approvals that may be required for
its products and services; the ability to obtain coverage and adequate payment
from health insurers for the products and services comprising Rosetta`s
technology; competition from others using technology similar to Rosetta`s and
others developing products for similar uses; Rosetta`s dependence on
collaborators; and Rosetta`s short operating history; as well as those risks
more fully discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of Rosetta`s Annual Report on
Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2009 as filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent
Rosetta`s views only as of the date of this release and should not be relied
upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. Rosetta does not
assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements unless required
by law.

1 Justin A. Bishop, Hila Benjamin, Hila Cholakh, Ayelet Chajut, Douglas P.
Clark, William Westra. Accurate classification of non-small cell lung carcinoma
using a novel microRNA-based approach. Clinical Cancer Research, 2010, 16(2)
610-619.

2 Johnson et al, Randomized phase II trial comparing bevacizumab plus
carboplatin and paclitaxel with carboplatin and paclitaxel alone in previously
untreated locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. J Clin
Oncol 22:2184-91, 2004

3 Alimta website at www.alimta.com

Media Contact:
Rosetta Genomics, Ltd.
Ron Kamienchick, 215-382-9000 ext 318
investors@rosettagenomics.com
or
Investors Contacts:
Lippert/Heilshorn & Associates
Anne Marie Fields, 212-838-3777 x6604
afields@lhai.com
or
Bruce Voss, 310-691-7100
bvoss@lhai.com

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: bevacizumab, distribution, Johns Hopkins, philadelphia, Rosetta Genomics

DaVita Inc. Schedules 1st Quarter 2010 Investor Conference Call

April 3, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

DENVER–(Business Wire)–
DaVita Inc. (NYSE:DVA) announced today that it will hold its quarterly
conference call to discuss first quarter results on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at
5:00 PM Eastern Time. The Company plans to release its results at market close
the same day. This call is also being webcast and can be accessed at the DaVita
IR web page or over CCBN`s Investor Distribution Network. You can join this call
on:

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Starting at 5:00 PM EDT

Dial in Number: 800-399-4406

Webcast: www.davita.com or www.fulldisclosure.com

When calling in, please refer to the DaVita Q1 2010 call and provide the
operator with your name and company affiliation. Investors who are unable to
listen to the DaVita earnings conference call will be able to access a replay
via our web site at www.davita.com. There will be no telephone replay.

We appreciate your interest in DaVita.

DaVita Inc.
Jim Gustafson, 310-536-2585

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Police swoop on sellers of Jaswant Singh’s pirated book in Pak

September 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Lahore, Sep.18 (ANI): Expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jaswant Singh’s book on Mohammad Ali Jinnah has sent the Pakistani book piracy nexus working overtime, but it has also landed people in police custody.

Pakistani security agencies have arrested three people for selling pirated editions of the book ‘Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence,’ following a countrywide crackdown on publishers and sellers of counterfeit editions of the controversial yet popular book.

Several fake copies of the book have also been recovered and cases have been registered in Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Rawalpindi and Lahore, The Daily Times reported.

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials said the action was taken on a complaint filed by Tariq Haq, regional sales head of the Oxford University Press (OUP).

Tariq said the OUP had the sole rights of publication and distribution of the book and the company is facing heavy losses due to large scale piracy of the book.

Singh’s book which has created a furor in India, has received an overwhelming response in Pakistan.

Not only intellectuals, but people from different strata of the society have also shown interest in the book, in which Singh has praised Muhammad Ali Jinnah and described him as a leader who had strong faith in united India, while blaming Sardar Patel for the partition in 1947. (ANI)

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Centre allows regulated sell of swine flu medicine

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sep 16 (ANI): Taking into account the current spread of the swine flu in the country, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has decided allow retail sell of Oselatamivir Phosphate and Zanamivir in a regulated manner.

The Oselatamivir Phosphate and Zanamivir are only available drugs that can be used for the treatment of swine flu.

The ministry issued an order in this regard under Section 26 E of the Drugs and Cosmetic Act, 1940.

Earlier, the retail sale of Oselatamivir phosphate was banned by the Central Government and its distribution was permissible only through Public Health Institutions and on the other hand, there was no restriction on the retail sale of Zanamivir.

After the issue of the notification, the chemists who have license to sell, stock or distribute drugs specified under Schedule X to the Drugs and Cosmetic Rules, 1945 would be authorized to sell the above named drugs against proper medical prescriptions.

The ministry has asked the pharmaceutical companies manufacturing these drugs to be prepared to roll out the drugs into the retail market after the issue of the notification.

It is expected that within the next five to seven days both the drugs would be available in the retail market. (ANI)

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Scientists unravel chemistry of Titan’s hazy atmosphere

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 16 (ANI): In a new research, a team of scientists has unraveled the chemical evolution of the orange-brownish colored atmosphere of Saturn’s moon Titan, the only solar system body besides Venus and Earth with a solid surface and thick atmosphere.

Scientists at University of Hawai’i at Manoa carried out the research.

The UH Manoa team, including Xibin Gu and Seol Kim, conducted simulation experiments mimicking the chemical reactions in Titan’s atmosphere utilizing crossed molecular beams in which the consequence of a single collision between molecules can be followed.

The team’s experiments indicate that triacetylene can be formed by a single collision of a “radical” ethynyl molecule and a diacetylene molecule.

An ethynyl radical is produced in Titan’s atmosphere by the photodissociation of acetylene by ultraviolet light.

Photodissociation is a process in which a chemical compound is broken down by photons.

“Surprisingly, the photochemical models show inconsistent mechanisms for the production of polyynes,” said Kaiser, who is the principal investigator of this study.

The mechanism involved in the formation of triacetylene, was also confirmed by accompanying theoretical calculations by Alexander Mebel, a theoretical chemist at Florida International University.

These theoretical computations also provide the 3D distribution of electrons in atoms and thus the overall energy level of a molecule.

To apply these findings to the real atmosphere of Titan, Danie Liang and Yuk Yung, planetary scientists at Taiwan’s Academia Sinica and California Institute of Technology (Caltech), respectively, performed photochemical modeling studies of Titan’s atmosphere.

All data together suggest that triacetylene may serve as a building block to form more complex and longer polyynes and produce potential precursors for the aerosol-based layers of haze surrounding Titan.

The study demonstrated for the first time that a sensible combination of laboratory simulation experiments with theory and modeling studies can shed light on decade old unsolved problems crucial to understand the origin and chemical evolution of the solar system.

The researchers hope to unravel next the mystery of the missing ethane lakes on Titan – postulated to exist for half a century, but not detected conclusively within the framework of the Cassini-Huygens mission.

In the future, the UH Manoa team will combine the research results with terrestrial-based observations of Titan’s atmosphere. (ANI)

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Climate change is faster in Arctic than in any other location on Earth

September 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 13 (ANI): Researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland have participated in two new studies, which indicate that climate change is progressing faster in Arctic areas than in any other location on Earth.

The study results indicate that the Arctic eco-system has experienced immense changes in the last twenty years.

At many levels, the changes impact the eco-system services that the environment provides for people: the effects extend to the adequacy of natural resources, food production, climate temperature, and result in changes to the landscape.

The changes in the northern nature can be interpreted as an advance warning of what is to be expected on all latitudes.

The results show that spring begins considerably sooner than before.

The blossoming and pollination period of plants starts as much as twenty days sooner in comparison to the situation ten years ago.

Predators are in dire straits because nutrition is now available too soon in relation to the otherwise favourable nesting period.

The distribution of many insects has moved even more north. European winter moths, for example, have destroyed extensive birch areas in Lapland after moving north.

Species invading new areas might supersede the original species in the area, which is already happening to Arctic foxes, which are currently being overrun by red foxes.

Ivory gulls, ringed seals, polar bears and narwhals are examples of species with a small distribution and specialized habitats, and such species will be the first ones to suffer from the changes.

Climate change also has indirect effects that appear in the interaction between different species.

Olivier Gilg and academy professor Ilkka Hanski from the University of Helsinki have teamed up with Benoit Sittler, a researcher from the University of Freiburg, and studied the waning of the previously cyclical population dynamics of the collared lemming in Greenland.

With mathematical models, the researchers showed that the drastic change in the population dynamics of collared lemmings is explained by the fact that snow melts sooner than before.

The lemmings do not procreate as long as before below the snow, and are also easier for predators to hunt.

In addition, frost-melt events in winter form ice layers in the snow layer or at the tundra’s surface, which is why the lemmings are unable to find food like they used to. (ANI)

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Airborne laser to shoot ballistic missile as part of flight test

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, September 12 (ANI): Soon, the Airborne Laser (ABL), built into a customized Boeing 747, is ready for flight tests, in which it will try to shoot a ballistic missile.

According to a report in New Scientist, the US Department of Defense’s Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has developed the ABL.

The ABL aims to focus a beam of laser energy in the megawatt range for several seconds onto a missile at a “militarily significant distance” – more than 100 kilometres.

So far, the laser has only operated at near full power on the ground. On August 18, it was fired successfully from the air, but at reduced power.

That, however, was no mean feat, as aircraft vibrations play havoc with the precisely aligned optical components needed to generate a laser beam.

Firing at full power poses other challenges as well.

At powers high enough to destroy missiles, any surface contamination or tiny flaw in the laser optics can absorb so much heat that they crack or shatter.

High-power laser beams also heat the air they pass through, creating perturbations that can disperse or divert the beam.

To counteract those effects, the ABL uses an adaptive system that senses atmospheric changes along its path and makes optical adjustments to compensate.

To test that system, the MDA plans a series of increasingly powerful shots at modified ballistic missiles loaded with sensors to measure the distribution of laser power on the target.

Engineers will assess each shot’s performance and use the results to fine-tune the adaptive optics.

Once this is done, the MDA will test the laser again in varying conditions, and attempt to destroy actual missiles.

The first of these tests is planned to take place late this year, with two more to follow in early 2010, according to an MDA spokeswoman. (ANI)

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Weight gain in adulthood linked to prostate cancer risk

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sep 12 (ANI): Body size and weight gain in younger and older adulthood may help weigh a man’s proneness to prostate cancer, according to a study by researchers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Cancer Research Center of Hawaii.

Led by Dr. Brenda Hernandez, the researchers said that the risk varies among different ethnic groups

For the study, the researchers studied the relationship in a multiethnic population consisting of blacks, Japanese, Hispanics, Native Hawaiians and whites, and compared differences among age groups using the Multiethnic Cohort, a longitudinal study of men 45-75 years of age established in Hawaii and California from 1993-1996.

Of the 83,879 men who participated in the study, 5,554 developed prostate cancer.

Overall, men who were overweight or obese by age 21 had a decreased risk of localized and low-grade prostate cancer, according to Hernandez.

Their results suggested that being overweight in older adulthood was associated with increased prostate cancer risk among white and Native Hawaiian men, but a decreased risk among Japanese men.

While excessive weight gain between younger and older adulthood was observed to increase the risk of advanced and high-grade prostate cancers in white men and increase the risk of localized and low-grade disease in black men, it appeared to decrease the risk of localized prostate cancer in Japanese men.

“The relationship of certain characteristics, such as body size, with cancer risk may vary across ethnic groups due to the combined influence of both genes and lifestyle,” said Hernandez.

However, the relationship between body size and prostate cancer risk is not entirely understood.

Excess fat is associated with a number of conditions that contribute to cancer development including low-grade chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, metabolic abnormalities, and hormone imbalances.

These conditions may in turn contribute to more aggressive prostate malignancies.

Ethnic differences in cancer risk may be explained by differences in the distribution of stored body fat that could have a differential effect on the development of prostate cancer.

And the distribution of body fat may influence the specific way that excess fat influences cancer risk.

The study has been published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. (ANI)

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Health camp opened to help Assam’s flood victims

September 6, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Jorhat, Sep. 5 (ANI): A health camp was opened on Saturday for flood-affected people of Phooloni village and in its neighbouring areas in Assam.

The camp has the facilities for medical examination and free distribution of medicines.

Phooloni is one of the many villages in Majuli islands of the state, which was inundated by floodwaters following breach in an embankment of river Brahmaputra last moth.

The flood which displaced thousands of people from 70 villages made people susceptible to waterborne diseases.

The camp is a precautionary measure to give timely medical assistance to the people thereby preventing spread of any disease.

The camp, which will continue for a week, has been organised by the Majuli Sub-Divisional Administration, Jorhat.

The villagers are happy that they are getting free medical assistance.

“We are happy with the government’s initiative to provide free medical checkup and distribute free medicines to people devastated by flood. We also thank those who are helping us at this critical time,” said Dev Singh, a villager.

While many villagers have returned to their houses, many are still living in safer areas. The world’s largest river island was submerged for the second time this year as the Brahmaputra River breached an embankment in Matmora region in August.

The floods were caused by incessant heavy rains for five days when it breached an embankment.

Heavy rainfall, upstream caused the second wave of flooding on the whole Upper Majuli area and displaced around 30 thousand people, and destroyed thousands of hectares of crop. (ANI)

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Marxist-Leninst activists stage protest against spiralling prices in West Bengal

September 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Kolkata, Sep 3 (ANI): Members of the West Bengal state unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)-Liberation, staged a mass protest against the risen prices of essential commodities here.

Over 500 protestors took out a procession holding banners and raising slogans against the State government.

They alleged that the Communist state government has created artificial shortage of essential commodities at the behest of hoarders and black-marketing traders.

“The callous government of West Bengal has failed to reduce the prices of essential commodities and failure to supply essential commodities to the PDS (Public Distribution System). They are supporting and patronising hoarders so that the artificial crisis increases,” said Partha Ghosh, Secretary, West Bengal State unit of Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)-Liberation.

The Kolkata Police arrested some of the party supporters when they tried to violate the prohibitory orders in force.

The soaring prices of food grains, sugar and other items of daily needs because of weak monsoon and drought like situation, have created an explosive situation in India because of weak monsoon and drought like situation. (ANI)

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New discovery hints ancient Egypt and Israel had ties during Early Bronze Age

September 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Jerusalem, Sept 2 (ANI): The discovery of a rare, four-centimeter-long stone fragment at the point where the Jordan River exits Lake Kinneret, has suggested a link between ancient Egypt and Israel around 3,000 BCE during the Early Bronze Age.

According to a report in the Jerusalem Post, Tel Aviv University (TAU) and University College London archeologists found the fragment.

The piece, part of a carved stone plaque bearing archaic Egyptian signs, was the highlight of the second season of excavations at Tel Bet Yerah (Khirbet el-Kerak). he site lies along an ancient highway that connected Egypt to the wider world of the ancient Near East.

The dig, carried out within the Beit Yerah National Park, was completed there last week by a joint team headed by TAU’s Raphael Greenberg and David Wengrow from England.

Earlier discoveries, both in Egypt and at Bet Yerah, have indicated that there was direct interaction between the site – then one of the largest in the Jordan Valley – and the Egyptian royal court.

The new discovery suggests that these contacts were of far greater local significance than had been suspected.

The archeologists noted that the fragment, which depicts an arm and hand grasping a scepter and an early form of the ankh sign, was the first artifact of its type ever found in an archaeological site outside Egypt.

It has been attributed to the period of Egypt’s First Dynasty, at around 3000 BCE.

Finds of this nature are rare even within Egypt itself, and the signs are executed to a high quality, as good as those on royal cosmetic palettes and other monuments dating to the origins of Egyptian kingship.

This year’s excavations also provided new insights into contacts between the early town and the distant north, when large quantities of “Khirbet Kerak Ware” (a distinctive kind of red/black burnished pottery first found at Tel Bet Yerah) were found in association with portable ceramic hearths, some of them bearing decorations in the form of human features.

“The hearths are very similar to objects found in Anatolia and the southern Caucasus, and most were found in open spaces where there was other evidence for fire-related activities,” noted Greenberg.

“The people using this pottery appear to have been migrants or descendants of migrants, and its distribution on the site, as well as the study of other cultural aspects, such as what they ate and the way they organized their households, could tell us about their interaction with local people and their adaptation to new surroundings,” he added. (ANI)

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Human impacts and environmental factors changing northwest Atlantic ecosystem

September 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sept 2 (ANI): A new report by researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has determined that human impacts and environmental factors are changing the northwest Atlantic ecosystem.

According to the report, fish in US waters from Cape Hatteras to the Canadian border have moved away from their traditional, long-time habitats over the past four decades because of fundamental changes in the regional ecosystem.

The 2009 Ecosystem Status Report also points out the need to manage the waters off the northeastern coast of the United States as a whole rather than as a series of separate and unrelated components.

Known as the Northeast US Continental Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem (NES LME), the ecosystem spans approximately 100,000 square miles and supports some of the highest revenue-generating fisheries in the nation.

During the past 40 years, the ecosystem has experienced extensive fishing by domestic and foreign fleets, changes in ocean water temperatures due to climate change, and pressures from increasing human populations along the coast.

According to Michael Fogarty, who heads the Ecosystem Assessment Program at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) of NOAA’s Fisheries Service in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, his team’s report highlights the need to understand natural and human-related changes in this region and to develop effective management and mitigation strategies.

“There are many pressures on the ecosystem including fishing, pollution, habitat loss from coastal development, and impacts on marine life from shipping and other uses of the ocean,” Fogarty said.

“In addition, changing climate conditions are warming ocean waters, changing ocean chemistry and circulation patterns, and altering atmospheric systems. These changes have, in turn, been linked to changes in the distribution and abundance of fish species in the region and their major sources of food,” he added.

The report is the first in a planned series of ecosystem status reports by Fogarty and his colleagues in the NEFSC’s Ecosystem Assessment Program to document changes in the NES LME, one of 64 regions in the world’s ocean designated as a large marine ecosystem.

Fogarty said that sustained long-term monitoring by many agencies and institutions in the Northeast region has enabled scientists and others to trace changes in the ecosystem.

“In the future, we need to continue to monitor the oceanographic, ecological, and human indicators analyzed in this report to detect any additional changes in the system. These indicators also provide important inputs to models that can be used to help guide management decisions and to forecast future changes,” he said. (ANI)

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Supreme Court issues notice to Gujarat Government on Jaswant book ban

September 1, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sep.1 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a notice to Gujarat Government on a petition filed by expelled BJP leader Jaswant Singh challenging the ban on his book — Jinnah: ndia, Partition-Independence.

The Narender Modi-led BJP government in Gujarat had banned his Jaswant Singh’s book alleging that it defamed the country’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

“Jaswant Singh’s book questions role of Sardar Patel during the partition of India as well as his patriotic spirit. This is an attempt to tarnish the image of Patel who is considered the architect of modern united India,” a statement issued by the state government had said.

“It is a bid to defame Patel by distorting historical facts. So, the state government has decided to ban the book with immediate effect for wider public interest. As per the ban, there cannot be sale, distribution or publication of the book in the state,” it said.

“The book has been banned because it contains defamatory references regarding Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who is considered as the architect of the modern India,” a senior minister in the state government had said.

The ban on Jaswant’s book came after he was expelled from the party during its Chintan Baithak in Shimla more than a fortnight ago.

Singh’s book, which has created a furore in India, is selling like hot cakes in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Booksellers in the two cities had imported more than 3,000 copies on Saturday and sold them out by Monday morning.

Not only intellectuals, but people from different strata of society have also shown interest in the book, in which Singh has praised Jinnah and described him as a leader who had strong faith in united India, while blaming Sardar Patel for the partition in 1947.

“I have never seen such a response to any author in about 30 years of being in the book selling business,” a shopkeeper in Rawalpindi told Online.

“My basic purpose of buying this book is just to know what compelled the BJP to expel one of its senior leaders having a long association with the party,” said a reader.

The sale of the book is good; in fact it is better than that of any other book at the moment,” said another Islamabad-based bookseller.

Earlier, a famous book store in Lahore sold 100 copies of the book in a single day which indicates how eager the Pakistanis are to know the reason what prompted the BJP to expel the former Foreign Minister and end his 30 year long association with the party.

“We had received 100 copies on last Wednesday. All the copies were sold out the same day. Now we expect more copies on Saturday,” said Rana Saeed, the owner of the shop.

Excited by the response the book has received, its publishers are already considering to bring out an Urdu version of the book.

Singh was expected to visit Pakistan to launch the book, but his son Manvendra Singh said his father has not applied for a visa, and as far as he knew. (ANI)

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Battle lines drawn as PML-N issues 48 hrs ultimatum to PPP to stop vilifying Sharif

September 1, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Lahore, Sep 1 (ANI): The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has issued a 48 hours ultimatum to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to halt a “malicious” campaign against party chief Nawaz Sharif or be prepared for a forceful response.

“The PML-N is restraining itself for the sake of democracy, or it could have exposed hundreds of corruption stories involving PPP leaders,” PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal told reporters.

He said all information pointed towards the Presidency being responsible for the disinformation, the Daily Times reported.

He claimed the campaign was launched to divert the public’s attention from rental power projects, the Pakistan Steel Mills issue, the sugar scandal and former president Pervez Musharaf’s trial.

Iqbal said the PML-N would not allow anyone to distract it from its stated agenda on these issues.

He said a recent Gallup Polls survey had shown that 71 percent of Pakistanis wanted Musharraf tried for sedition and there was no need for a resolution.

Replying to a question on whether the renewed conflict between the PML-N and the PPP could jeopardise the system, Iqbal said his party would continue to fight for the constitution and democracy.

Meanwhile, in a tit-for-tat reply to PML-N’s warning that they would respond against the PPP leadership if it did not mend its ways within 48 hours, the PPP leaders said they were not afraid of any ultimatum.

The president’s spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, rejected and condemned the attempts to accuse the Presidency of being involved in what has been described as “character assassination” of some political leaders.

“There is no question of the Presidency being behind the resurrection of old accusations against some political leaders,” he said.

He said the accusation relating to the distribution of slush funds among politicians some two decades ago were not new and kept popping up every now and then. (ANI)

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Pakistanis outraged over Minority Affairs Ministry’s failed promises

August 30, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Karachi, Aug. 30 (ANI): Pakistan’s Minority Affairs ministry has left many people outraged after they found out that cheques distributed to them by the ministry were not worth 5,000 rupees as claimed, but just 1,000 rupees.

On Saturday, 200 people from different communities had gathered at Sindh Minister for Minority Affairs Dr Mohan Lal’s office to receive the cheques while chanting slogans in his favour, the Daily Times reports.

Addressing the distribution ceremony, Lal had said that his ministry is trying to help the religious minorities and these cheques were a part of the first phase of offering relief while similar projects are in the pipeline.owever, one such claimant Kaishi complained that she was told by the bank authorities that the cheque was not for 5,000-rupees.

“He (Lal) clearly told us that the cheques are worth Rs 5,000 each but we were actually given cheques worth Rs 1,000 only and those can also just be cashed at the bank in Hyderabad,” said Kaishi.

An outraged Kaisi soon found out that the ministry had fooled all the other cheque receivers as well, most of whom were widows.

“We need almost Rs 1,000 just to get to Hyderabad to cash the cheque besides we were told that these cheques were worth Rs 5,000,” said Gomi, another widow from Jogi Moar Colony.

These women had walked to the minister of minority affairs’ office almost every day for a year so that they may get some sort of financial assistance from the ministry and every time they were sent home empty handed with a lot of promises.

On being contacted, Lal’s casually said that these women would be compensated during the next phase.

“Actually we had already distributed a huge amount and there were not enough funds to issue cheques worth 5,000 rupees to these women,” he added. (ANI)

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Swine flu could kill as many as 30,000 to 90,000 people in US

August 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, August 25 (ANI): In a recently released report, the Obama administration’s advisory group on Science and Technology has said that the H1N1 flu virus, dubbed ‘Swine flu’, could cause as many as 30,000 and 90,000 deaths in the United States and pose a serious health threat.

According to Fox News, deaths would be concentrated among children and young adults, determined the report.

In contrast, the typical seasonal flu kills between 30,000 and 40,000 annually – mainly among people over 65.

The report predicts 1.8 million will be hospitalized during the epidemic, with up to 300,000 patients requiring intensive care units.

These patients could occupy 50-100 percent of all ICU beds in affected regions at the peak of the epidemic and would place “enormous stress” on ICU units.

More needs to be done to speed up the “preparation of flu vaccine for distribution to high-risk individuals,” otherwise the vaccine campaign – currently scheduled to begin in mid October – will have potentially missed the peak of the epidemic, according to the report.

The report from the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, PCAST, shows a sober assessment of the dangers of a pandemic, but also serves as a pat on the back for a White House preparing for its first public health crisis.

“Based on the history of influenza pandemics over the past hundred years, PCAST places the current outbreak somewhere between the two extremes that have informed public opinion about influenza,” stated the report.

“On the one hand, the 2009-H1N1 virus does not thus far seem to show the virulence associated with the devastating pandemic of 1918-19. On the other hand, the 2009-H1N1 virus is a serious threat to our nation and the world,” it added.

This is due to the likelihood that more people will be infected because so few people have immunity to the strain.

As a result, PCAST recommends that the Food and Drug Administration “accelerate a decision about the availability of antiviral drugs for intravenous use.”

The current expectation is that the vaccine will be available in mid-October.

According to Harold Varmus, PCAST co-chair and President of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, despite the long ‘to-do’ list, the Obama administration has thus far done a good job of preparing for a national outbreak.

“The Federal Government’s response has been truly impressive and we’ve all been pleased to see the high level of cooperation among the many departments and agencies that are gearing up for the expected fall resurgence of H1N1 flu,” he said. (ANI)

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80,000 people affected, 450 houses destroyed in Swabi flood: OCHA

August 18, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Aug 18(ANI): The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said that at least 70,000 to 80,000 people have been affected in Swabi by the floods and about 450 houses have been destroyed apart from the major losses to crops and livestock

In a statement issued in Islamabad, it said that stored grains had been swept away by the floods, which might lead to food insecurity in the flood-affected regions of Ismaila, Kalu Khan and Adina, The Dawn reports.

“Majority of the deaths occurred due to the collapse of roofs in mud houses. Concrete houses were mostly unaffected. Valuables in homes were completely swept away,” the statement said.

It also stated that traffic between Swabi and Mardan had been completely cut off, as several bridges were washed. Communication system has been damaged in Mardan district.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also set up three medical camps in Mardan, while the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) would send 500 tents for distribution in flood affected areas. (ANI)

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121 breeding tigers in Nepal spells new ray of hope for the species

July 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 28 (ANI): Conservationists worrying about the fate of the majestic tiger can now breathe a sign of relief as about 121 breeding tigers are estimated to have been found in Nepal.

The figures announced by the Nepal Government’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) shows the presence of 121 (100 – 194) breeding tigers in the wild within the four protected areas of Nepal.

The 2008 tiger population estimate was jointly implemented by the DNPWC, Department of Forests (DOF), WWF, National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) with support from Save The Tiger Fund (STF), WWF-US, WWF-UK, WWF International and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

“To obtain reliable population estimates of wide ranging species like the tiger, it is important to undertake the survey simultaneously in all potential habitats,” said Dr. Rinjan Shrestha, Conservation Biologist with WWF Nepal.

Previous studies had been undertaken in different time periods and at different spatial scales.

“To derive information on both abundance and distribution of tigers, the current survey employed two methods – Camera Trapping method inside the protected areas and Habitat Occupancy survey both inside and outside the protected areas,” said Dr. Shrestha.

“The tiger numbers have increased in Chitwan but decreased in Bardia and Shuklaphanta,” said Anil Manandhar, Country Representative, WWF Nepal.

“In spite of the decade long insurgency, encroachment, poaching and illegal trade, the present numbers is a positive sign, but we can’t remain unworried.

The declining numbers in western Nepal has posed more challenges, needing a concerted effort to save this charismatic endangered species focusing on anti-poaching and illegal wildlife trade,” he added.

The Government of Nepal has approved and launched the ‘Tiger conservation Action Plan 2008- 2012′.

A comprehensive management plan has been devised in which the target is to increase the population of tigers by 10 per cent within the first 5 year period of the plan implementation.

“Tigers can not be saved by the effort of a single individual or a single organization,” said Gopal Prasad Upadhyay, Director General, DNPWC.

“The transboundary relation with India needs to be strengthened further and all organizations should work together to conserve tigers,” he added. (ANI)

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Activists stage demonstration against irregularities in issuing social security cards

July 15, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, July 15(ANI): Activists of Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) held a demonstration in the national capital, on Wednesday over irregularities in the distribution of Below Poverty Line (BPL) social security cards.

Scores of SUCI activists marched to Delhi state secretariat, raising slogans against the government, alleging that Delhi government is laidback in issuing BPL cards.

“Today our main demand is that people of this (Delhi) region that are living Below Poverty Line (BPL) have not yet received BPL cards. Many people have applied for these cards but so many years have passed and they are yet to receive BPL cards,” said Pratap Samal, State Secretary of SUCI.

“People who have given cards for renewal have not received them back,” Samal added.

Meanwhile, a member of parliament belonging to SUCI alleged that BPL cards are being issued to people living above poverty line, which is a gross misuse of the facility.

“Taking the Below Poverty Line (BPL) cards there are lots of delay dealings, there are lots of corruption and there are nepotism. Those parties who are in power either in the state or the central government they are using these BPL cards for Above Poverty Line (APL).” said a member of parliament of SUCI.

“The real people are not getting the BPL facilities,” the member added.

BPL cardholders are entitled to get subsidised food grains from the government. (ANI)

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Milky Way’s “dark matter” mystery solved by astrophysicists

July 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 9 (ANI): A team of astrophysicists has solved a mystery that led some scientists to speculate that the distribution of certain gamma rays in our Milky Way galaxy was evidence of a form of undetectable “dark matter” believed to make up much of the mass of the universe.

In two separate scientific papers, the astrophysicists show that this distribution of gamma rays can be explained by the way “antimatter positrons” from the radioactive decay of elements, created by massive star explosions in the galaxy, propagate through the galaxy.

Thus, the scientists said, the observed distribution of gamma rays is not evidence for dark matter.

“There is no great mystery,” said Richard Lingenfelter, a research scientist at UC San Diego’s Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences who conducted the studies with Richard Rothschild, a research scientist also at UCSD, and James Higdon, a physics professor at the Claremont Colleges.

“The observed distribution of gamma rays is in fact quite consistent with the standard picture,” he added.

Over the past five years, gamma ray measurements from the European satellite INTEGRAL have perplexed astronomers, leading some to argue that a “great mystery” existed because the distribution of these gamma rays across different parts of the Milky Way galaxy was not as expected.

To explain the source of this mystery, some astronomers had hypothesized the existence of various forms of dark matter, which astronomers suspect exists, but have not yet found.

What is known for certain is that our galaxy and others are filled with tiny subatomic particles known as positrons, the antimatter counterpart of typical, everyday electrons.

The scientists calculated that most of the gamma rays should be concentrated in the inner regions of the galaxy, just as was observed by the satellite data.

“The observed distribution of gamma rays is consistent with the standard picture where the source of positrons is the radioactive decay of isotopes of nickel, titanium and aluminum produced in supernova explosions of stars more massive than the Sun,” said Rothschild.

The scientists point out that a basic assumption of one of the more exotic explanations for the purported mystery – dark matter decays or annihilations – is flawed, because it assumes that the positrons annihilate very close to the exploding stars from which they originated.

“We clearly demonstrated this was not the case, and that the distribution of the gamma rays observed by the gamma ray satellite was not a detection or indication of a ‘dark matter signal’,” said Lingenfelter. (ANI)

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