FDA takes aim at "unproven" HCG weight-loss brands (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Regulators have taken first steps to remove from the market over-the-counter products containing HCG hormone, saying the homeopathic formulations fraudulently claim to produce weight loss and may pose serious health risks.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission issued seven warning letters on Tuesday to companies that sell the over-the-counter products, noting they have not been approved by the FDA for weight loss.

The FDA and FTC said the products, taken as oral drops, pellets or sprays, instruct buyers to use them in conjunction with a very low-calorie diet that the agencies consider potentially dangerous.

"Consumers on a very low calorie diet are at increased risk for side effects including gallstone formation, electrolyte imbalance and heart arrhythmias," a type of dangerous irregular heartbeat, the agencies said in a press release.

HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone produced by the human placenta and found in the urine of pregnant women. Although not approved for weight loss, an injectable form of the hormone is approved by the FDA to treat some cases of female infertility and other medical conditions.

The letters warned the companies that they are violating federal law by selling drugs that have not been approved and by making unsupported claims.

"The joint action is the first step in keeping the unproven and potentially unsafe products from being marketed online and in retail outlets," the agencies said.

Warning letters were sent to Nutri-Fusion Systems of Sandy, Utah; Natural Medical Supply LLC, dba HCG Complete Diet; HCG Platinum LLC; Theoriginalhcgdrops.com; HCG Diet Direct LLC and Hcg-miracleweightloss.com.

The companies have 15 days to notify the FDA of corrective action.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/weightloss/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111206/hl_nm/us_fda_weight_loss

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S-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g electrical conductance to the limit

Monday, December 5, 2011

Individual molecules have been used to create electrical components like resistors, transistors and diodes, that mimic the properties of familiar semiconductors. But according to Nongjian (NJ) Tao, a researcher at the Biodesign Institute? at Arizona State University, unique properties inherent in single molecules may also allow clever designers to produce novel devices whose behavior falls outside the performance observed in conventional electronics.

In research appearing in today's issue of Nature Nanotechnology, Tao describes a method for mechanically controlling the geometry of a single molecule, situated in a junction between a pair of gold electrodes that form a simple circuit. The manipulations produced over tenfold increase in conductivity.

The unusual, often non-intuitive characteristics of single molecules may eventually be introduced into a broad range of microelectronics, suitable for applications including biological and chemical sensing; electronic and mechanical devices.

Delicate molecular manipulations requiring patience and finesse are routine for Tao, whose research at Biodesign's Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors has included work on molecular diodes, graphene behavior and molecular imaging techniques. Nevertheless, he was surprised at the outcome described in the current paper: "If you have a molecule attached to electrodes, it can stretch like a rubber band," he says. "If it gets longer, most people tend to think that the conductivity will decrease. A longer wire is less conductive than a shorter wire."

Indeed, diminishing conductivity through a molecule is commonly observed when the distance between the electrodes attached to its surface is increased and the molecule becomes elongated. But according to Tao, if you stretch the molecule enough, something unexpected happens: the conductance goes up?by a huge amount. "We see at least 10 times greater conductivity, simply by pulling the molecule."

As Tao explains, the intriguing result is a byproduct of the laws of quantum mechanics, which dictate the behavior of matter at the tiniest scales: "The conductivity of a single molecule is not simply inversely proportional to length. It depends on the energy level alignment."

In the metal leads of the electrodes, electrons can move about freely but when they come to an interface?in this case, a molecule that sits in the junction between electrodes?they have to overcome an energy barrier. The height of this energy barrier is critical to how readily electrons can pass through the molecule. By applying a mechanical force to the molecule, the barrier is lowered, improving conductance.

"Theoretically, people have thought of this as a possibility, but this is a demonstration that it really happens," Tao says. "If you stretch the molecule and geometrically increase the length, it energetically lowers the barrier so electrons can easily go through. If you think in optical terms, it becomes more transparent to electrons."

The reason for this has to do with a property known as force-induced resonant tunneling. This occurs when the molecular energy moves closer to the Fermi level of the electrodes?that is, toward the region of optimal conductance. (See figure 1) Thus, as the molecule is stretched, it causes a decrease in the tunneling energy barrier.

For the experiments, Tao's group used 1,4'-Benzenedithiol, the most widely studied entity for molecular electronics. Further experiments demonstrated that the transport of electrons through the molecule underwent a corresponding decrease as the distance between the electrodes was reduced, causing the molecule's geometry to shift from a stretched condition to a relaxed or squeezed state. "We have to do this thousands of times to be sure the effect is robust and reproducible."

In addition to the discovery's practical importance, the new data show close agreement with theoretical models of molecular conductance, which had often been at variance with experimental values, by orders of magnitude.

Tao stresses that single molecules are compelling candidates for a new types of electronic devices, precisely because they can exhibit very different properties from those observed in conventional semiconductors.

Microelectromechanical systems or MEMS are just one domain where the versatile properties of single molecules are likely to make their mark. These diminutive creations represent a $40 billion a year industry and include such innovations as optical switches, gyroscopes for cars, lab-on-chip biomedical applications and microelectronics for mobile devices.

"In the future, when people design devices using molecules, they will have a new toolbox they can use."

###

Arizona State University: http://asunews.asu.edu/

Thanks to Arizona State University for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/115713/S_t_r_e_t_c_h_i_n_g__electrical_conductance_to_the_limit

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Zynga hopes to raise about $1 billion in IPO

NEW YORK (AP) ? Hoping to harvest some fresh cash, the online game company behind "FarmVille" said Friday that it plans to raise $1 billion in an initial public offering of up to 100 million shares.

Zynga Inc. is the latest in a spate of IPOs by Internet companies this year, ranging from professional networking service LinkedIn Corp. to the online deals site Groupon Inc. They're all precursors to Facebook's public debut expected sometime after April next year. Facebook could fetch as much as $10 billion in its offering.

Zynga, whose games are played mainly on Facebook, plans to sell its shares at $8.50 to $10 each. If the shares are priced at $10, Zynga will be valued at $7 billion based on the number of its total shares. That's a smaller valuation that the company's shares have traded recently on SharesPost, a secondary stock exchange used to trade the stock of privately held companies. There, a recent trade valued Zynga at $11.7 billion.

The company expects to sell 14.3 percent of its available stock, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. That's a relatively high "float," which could give investors confidence that the company isn't trying to artificially inflate its value. Groupon raised some concerns when it sold just 5.5 percent of its outstanding stock. Though not unprecedented, the amount was below that of many prominent tech companies, such as Google (7.2 percent), Amazon (12.6 percent) and LinkedIn (8.2 percent).

The offering gives investors the option to buy an additional 15 million shares to cover over-allotments, bringing the total number of shares for sale to 115 million.

Newly-public tech companies aren't always a hit after their initial offering. Shares of Internet radio company Pandora Media Inc., are trading below their IPO price and Groupon is slightly above and has fluctuated wildly. Unlike those two, however, Zynga is profitable. The company makes most of its revenue by charging small amounts of money for virtual items in its games. Players pay for new crops in "FarmVille," for example, or new buildings in "CityVille," its most popular game.

The company plans to use the proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes such as game development, marketing and other expenses. It also plans to use part of it for its philanthropic venture, Zynga.org.

Zynga has about 2,300 employees. It was founded in 2007 by CEO Mark Pincus. Following the IPO, Pincus will continue to be the sole holder of Zynga's Class C stock, each share of which carries 70 votes. After the offering, Pincus, 45, will control about 36.2 percent of the total voting power at Zynga through Class B and Class C shares he owns.

Companies often split their stock into different classes to keep control of the decisions about the company in the hands of founders and early employees. But having a class of shares carry 70 votes is unusual ? about 10 is more common.

__

Associated Press Writer Mae Anderson in New York contributed to this story.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-12-02-Zynga-IPO/id-c603508e117647379a9effaa31c8c76d

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In or out? Cain to say whether he'll stay in race (tbo)

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Modern automotive program at PHS teaches 'invaluable skills ...

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During a recent class, David Lilly, left, the new automotive technology teacher at Portsmouth High School, talks about identifying certain kinds of engines and knowing which tools are correct to use on them.Deb Cram/dcram@seacoastonline.com

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December 03, 2011 2:00 AM

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PORTSMOUTH ? A new automotive instructor at Portsmouth High School's career center is hoping to shed new light on a program that has traditionally been burdened with stereotypes.

David Lilly, 32, was hired this year to replace Ken Sommers, who retired over the summer. Lilly formerly managed Carter's European Auto Repair in Greenland and is bringing a lifelong enthusiasm for cars to students willing to get their hands dirty and learn something about the vehicles they rely on every day.

"I felt like it was a good move for me," Lilly said, explaining he has always felt drawn to teaching.

Lilly was an automotive student himself in his youth, when he attended Winnacunnet High School in Hampton. But he said today's program at PHS has evolved considerably from a course that, in the past, was viewed by some in a negative light.

"This isn't the automotive program I grew up with," he said. "There's so much more to it, as far as the different opportunities" for students.

Portsmouth's program is accredited by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation, and can be beneficial to all students, said Career/Technical Education Director Diane Canada. "Every 14, 15, 16-year-old should be taking this class," she said. "These are invaluable skills."

There are multiple offerings in the automotive program at PHS. Introductory classes on car care and automotive principles feed into a two-year program that would help not only a student hoping to become an automotive technician, but also anyone interested in areas such as sales or manufacturing, Lilly said.

The fact the class has attracted a number of female students indicates to Canada that it has broad appeal.

This past week, introductory students were getting hands-on experience with the parts of a car engine. They were expected to take the engine apart and identify each component.

"I'd like to consider them life skills, and not just job skills," Lilly said, pointing to the value of knowing a thing or two about what goes on under the hood of a car.

In the PHS garage, students have an array of cars they can work on. They even bring their own cars in for some free work.

For student Cam Geeslin, 15, an admitted "auto head" from Rye, the automotive program's main draw is its primary difference from the rest of the school day: "This is fun."

Geeslin said he enjoys the opportunity to get away from a desk, get his hands greasy and work on "self-directed learning." The Rye teen said what he's learning now will help him attain his goal of enrolling at the Naval Academy and earning a degree in mechanical engineering. "It's just great knowledge to have," he said.

For Canada, that is precisely what the automotive program, and all programs at the career center, are about.

"It's beneficial, going into post-secondary education, to have these skills," she said. "They're getting a step up when they go on to college."

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Senate Republicans offer tax-cut renewal plan (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? A pay freeze for federal workers would be extended for another three years as part of a Senate Republican plan offered on Wednesday to cover the cost of President Barack Obama's call to extend a popular payroll tax cut.

The Republican proposal, deemed unacceptable by Democrats who control the Senate, would also achieve savings by reducing the size of the federal workforce. Smaller savings would be gained by tightening eligibility requirements for jobless benefits, food stamps and the Medicare healthcare program for the elderly.

Senator Dean Heller proposed the funding mechanism, which was embraced by Republican leadership. Under the plan, for example, millionaires and billionaires would be forced to pay higher Medicare premiums, according to a summary. Other eligibility changes also are targeted at the wealthy, who generally do not qualify for these social safety net programs.

"This bill will provide some relief to struggling workers who continue to need it but without raising taxes on job creators, which is what the Democrats' proposal would do," said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.

The Republican plan would help workers by extending a payroll tax cut, but hurt those in the federal workforce by extending for another three years a two-year pay freeze approved by Congress at the request of Obama in December 2010.

Senate Democrats have an alternative proposal to renew and expand the payroll tax cut and cover the cost with a new tax on annual income of more than $1 million.

Republicans oppose any additional tax on the wealthy, saying it would undermine job creation and the fragile U.S. economy.

Until earlier this week, Republicans had been lukewarm, at best, to extending the payroll tax cut. But they have come under political pressure to do so in advance of next year's presidential and congressional elections.

Without congressional action by December 31, the payroll tax that workers pay would revert to 6.2 percent, up from the current, temporary 4.2 percent tax.

On average, it would cost American families about $1,000.

Adam Jentleson, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, said the Democratic plan "would put more money in the pockets of middle-class families and create more jobs."

Jentleson added that now that Republicans "have seen the light" and are backing a payroll tax cut extension, "We look forward to working with them to negotiate a consensus solution."

(Reporting by Thomas Ferraro and Richard Cowan; Editing by Eric Walsh)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111201/pl_nm/us_usa_taxes_republican

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Skin cancer rate may be higher in high-radon areas (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) ? Rates of one form of skin cancer may be elevated in areas with naturally high levels of the radioactive gas radon, a UK study suggests.

But researchers caution the findings do not prove that radon raises people's risk of the disease, known as squamous cell carcinoma -- a highly curable type of skin cancer.

Their study looked only at wider geographical patterns, showing a correlation between an area's radon levels and rates of the skin cancer.

Radon -- a gas produced from the decay of naturally occurring uranium in soil and water -- is already considered a risk factor for lung cancer.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that radon contributes to about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year -- although smoking is also involved in the majority of those cases.

For the new study, reported in the journal Epidemiology, UK researchers looked at skin cancer rates across 287 postal codes in southwest England.

They found that the rates of squamous cell carcinoma varied by postal code. In some areas, the yearly rate was about 35 cases or fewer per 100,000 people; in others, it was as high as 182 cases per 100,000.

There was an association between an area's average household radon level and its rate of squamous cell skin cancer. In postal codes where the radon level topped 230 Becquerel per cubic meter (Bq/m3), the rate of the cancer was 76 percent higher versus areas with the lowest average radon levels.

In the UK, radon levels above 200 Bq/m3 are considered "action" levels -- that is, people are advised to take steps to cut their home's radon concentration.

That can mean measures like sealing off cracks in basements and floors, and installing ventilation systems.

In the U.S., the EPA suggests taking those steps if home radon levels are around 150 Bq/m3. (The agency uses a different unit, giving the threshold as 4 picoCurie per liter, or pCi/L.)

The current study did not measure people's actual exposure to radon, which would vary by household even within a postal code with a high radon level, according to lead researcher Benedict W. Wheeler of the University of Exeter.

"This type of study is at the population/area level, so we only know that areas with high average household radon tend to also have high population rates of squamous cell carcinoma," Wheeler told Reuters Health in an email.

"It is possible that this relationship does not exist at the individual level," he added.

The researchers also had no information on people's individual behavior -- including how much time they spent in the sun, which is a key factor in skin cancer risk.

But if people in high-radon areas tended to spend more time in the sun, you'd expect to see higher rates of basal cell carcinoma as well, Wheeler noted.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer. Unlike melanoma -- the least common but deadliest skin cancer -- both basal cell and squamous cell cancers are rarely fatal.

In this study, however, radon levels were unrelated to rates of basal cell cancer or melanoma.

Wheeler said it is plausible that radon could specifically raise the risk of squamous cell cancers. Those tumors form in the more superficial layers of skin, while basal cell cancers arise in deeper layers. And radioactive particles from radon would not be expected to penetrate that deeply into the skin; the particles, Wheeler said, can be stopped by a sheet of paper.

A radon expert not involved in the study agreed.

"Radon decay products deposit on skin in a similar manner to how they plate out on surfaces in a home," said R. William Field, a professor at the University of Iowa College of Public Health who studies the health effects of radon.

Some researchers have suggested that radon exposure could be behind two percent of non-melanoma skin cancers, he told Reuters Health in an email.

Now, Field said, more rigorous studies are needed to see whether people's individual exposure to radon is related to their skin cancer risk. He said that will require "case-control" studies, where people with squamous cell cancer are compared with people without the disease.

Wheeler agreed that further studies are necessary.

And he said that avoiding excessive sun exposure remains your best bet for cutting your skin cancer risk.

"The number-one risk factor for skin cancer in most cases is still UV from the sun," he noted, "and people should be aware of 'safe sun' guidance given by public health authorities."

When it comes to radon, the EPA suggests that all homes be tested, due to the lung cancer risk. Some state programs offer free or low-cost test kits; the agency has information on state radon contacts at http://www.epa.gov/radon/radontest.html.

The EPA estimates that for every 1,000 non-smokers exposed to 4 pCi/L of radon over a lifetime, seven could develop lung cancer. That's on par with the risk of dying in a car crash.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/vUwYmx Epidemiology, online November 10, 2011.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/cancer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111130/hl_nm/us_skin_cancer

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