NORTHBROOK, Ill., Feb. 2, 2011 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — UL Environment, a business unit of UL (Underwriters Laboratories), an independent product safety certification organization, announced today that it has reached an agreement with Air Quality Sciences, Inc. (AQS) to acquire AQS and its certifying body, the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute. AQS and GREENGUARD are the market leaders in North America for product emissions testing and third-party indoor air quality certification.

AQS helps manufacturers identify the chemicals being emitted from their products using state-of-the-art equipment and testing laboratories. GREENGUARD Certification helps manufacturers communicate their sustainability message to the marketplace by providing assurance that their products have been independently evaluated for low chemical emissions. The internationally recognized GREENGUARD Certification mark and the GREENGUARD Product Guide are indispensable tools that help manufacturers showcase their products’ optimal indoor air quality performance.

“This acquisition combines AQS’s world-class technology and expertise, as well as GREENGUARD’s  brand recognition and scientific rigor, with UL’s trusted history of standards development, testing, and compliance to create a more comprehensive solution for testing and certification,” said Steve Wenc, president of UL Environment. “Together, we’ll help consumers, regulators, and other interested parties make informed product purchases by providing clarity around indoor air quality claims.”

UL entered the environmental space in 2009 with the launch of its environmental services business unit, UL Environment. The organization helps establish new definitions of safety beyond the borders of traditional safety testing and certifications, aiding manufacturers in differentiating environmentally-superior products in the marketplace. Expanding on UL Environment’s product emissions testing and indoor air quality certification capabilities, the acquisition further positions UL Environment as a global leader in environmental evaluation and certification.

AQS is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Since its establishment in 1989, the company trailblazed the indoor air quality testing market-investing in, developing, and perfecting the most sophisticated dynamic environmental chamber technology in the world. This has enabled AQS to test more than 70,000 products for chemical emissions and catalogue the presence of more than 12,000 product specific chemicals that can pollute the indoor air.

Founded in 2001, the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute certifies building products and materials for low chemical emissions. GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification and GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certification are the most trusted third-party indoor air quality certifications in North America. More than 350 manufacturers worldwide currently participate in the GREENGUARD Certification Program, representing 19 unique industries and over 10,000 products.

“By joining forces with such a recognized and reputable brand as UL, we are confident that we will boost consumer confidence in the green product marketplace,” said Dr. Marilyn Black, founder of the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute and chairperson at AQS. “Additionally, this strategic partnership will allow us to enhance our position as the North American indoor air quality market leader and help us expand our reach into the global market.”

Combined, GREENGUARD and AQS leadership has more than 120 years of experience in chemistry, chemical and mechanical engineering, microbiology, public health, and industrial hygiene. Both AQS and GREENGUARD will help bring greater value to UL’s existing customers and extend UL’s reach to a broader range of companies that seek to minimize their environmental impact.

About UL Environment

UL Environment supports the growth and development of sustainable products, services and organizations in the global marketplace through standards development, educational services and independent third-party assessment and certification. Specific environmental solutions services UL Environment provides include environmental claims validation, sustainable products certification, energy efficiency certification, environmental product declarations and advisory services.  Additional information about UL Environment can be found at ulenvironment.com.  Or follow UL Environment news and education tips on Twitter @ulenvironment.

About UL

UL is a premier global safety science company with more than 100 years of proven history. Employing more than 6,800 professionals in over 96 countries, UL is evolving the future of safety with five distinct business units – Product Safety, Environment, Life & Health, Verification and University – to meet the expanding needs of customers and the global public. For more information about UL University and Six Sigma programs and services, visit www.ULUniversity.com

About Air Quality Sciences

Air Quality Sciences, Inc. (AQS) is a fully integrated indoor air quality (IAQ) company that provides solutions to create healthy indoor environments and avoid potentially dangerous indoor pollution. With the largest ISO 17025 accredited environmental chamber laboratory in the world, AQS assists manufacturers in developing and verifying non toxic products through risk management and assessment processes. The company provides product testing and guidance in meeting various certification program requirements for GREENGUARD, German Blue Angel, AgBB, Green Guide for Healthcare, CHPS, LEED® EQ credits and other prominent IAQ and green product criteria requiring third party verification. To learn more about AQS, visit www.aqs.com, and for more information on indoor air quality, visit Aerias the AQS IAQ Resource Center at www.aerias.org.

About GREENGUARD

The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute aims to protect human health and improve quality of life by enhancing indoor air quality and reducing people’s exposure to chemicals and other pollutants. As an ISO-IEC Guide 65:1996 accredited, third-party organization, the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute certifies products and materials for low chemical emissions and provides a resource for choosing healthier products and materials for indoor environments.  All certified products must meet stringent chemical emissions standards based on established criteria from key public health agencies. GREENGUARD Certification is broadly recognized and accepted by sustainable building programs and building codes worldwide. For more information and a complete listing of certified products, visit www.greenguard.org.

SOURCE UL

http://www.ULUniversity.com
http://www.aqs.com
http://www.aerias.org
http://www.greenguard.org

UL Environment Expands Portfolio with Addition of GREENGUARD Certification Programs | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

PAOLI, Pa., Nov. 9, 2010 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — AMETEK, Inc. (NYSE: AME) today announced that it has acquired Atlas Material Testing Technology LLC, the world’s leading provider of weathering test instruments and related testing and consulting services, from Industrial Growth Partners for approximately $159 million in cash.  

Atlas is headquartered in Chicago with additional manufacturing operations in Germany and a network of outdoor and laboratory testing facilities around the globe.  It has expected 2011 sales of approximately $85 million.

Atlas’ products include weather exposure test systems, corrosion-testing instruments, specialty lighting systems, and large-scale weathering test chambers. In addition, Atlas offers indoor laboratory and outdoor testing services, photovoltaic and solar testing, and consulting.  Its customers include testing laboratories and leading aerospace, paint, coating, polymer, plastic, solar/photovoltaic, pharmaceutical, LED and automotive manufacturers.    

Atlas’ products and services are used by their customers in both new product development and quality assurance applications, to assess product performance, reliability and compliance with industry standards and specifications.  These instruments test the effects of weathering by simulating exposure to sunlight, temperature, moisture and corrosion.

“Atlas is an excellent addition to AMETEK. It is the clear global leader in this niche market and enjoys an excellent reputation with its customers and international standards setting organizations. Atlas provides us with another growth platform in the highly attractive materials testing equipment market and broadens our presence in the fast-growing photovoltaic testing market,” notes Frank S. Hermance, AMETEK Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Atlas joins AMETEK as part of AMETEK Measurement & Calibration Technologies (M&CT), a division of AMETEK’s Electronic Instruments Group (EIG) — a recognized leader in advanced monitoring, testing, calibrating and display instruments with expected 2010 sales of approximately $1.3 billion.

AMETEK M&CT designs, manufactures and distributes material test instruments for a wide range of applications such as  tensile, hardness and force testing, instruments for high accuracy  temperature, pressure and signal calibration, and a suite of sensors for pressure, level, position and temperature. AMETEK M&CT serves a global and diverse customer base with manufacturing and engineering operations in the United States, Denmark and the United Kingdom , and a worldwide network of sales and service locations.

Corporate Profile

AMETEK is a leading global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electro-mechanical devices with annualized sales of $2.5 billion. AMETEK’s Corporate Growth Plan is based on Four Key Strategies: Operational Excellence, Strategic Acquisitions & Alliances, Global & Market Expansion and New Products. AMETEK’s objective is double-digit percentage growth in earnings per share over the business cycle and a superior return on total capital. The common stock of AMETEK is a component of the S&P MidCap 400 and the Russell 1000 Indices.

Forward-looking Information

Statements in this news release relating to future events, such as AMETEK’s expected business and financial performance are “forward-looking statements.”  Forward-looking statements are subject to various factors and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ significantly from expectations.  These factors and uncertainties include AMETEK’s ability to consummate and successfully integrate future acquisitions; risks associated with international sales and operations; AMETEK’s ability to successfully develop new products, open new facilities or transfer product lines; the price and availability of raw materials; compliance with government regulations, including environmental regulations; changes in the competitive environment or the effects of competition in our markets; the ability to maintain adequate liquidity and financing sources; and general economic conditions affecting the industries we serve.  A detailed discussion of these and other factors that may affect future results is contained in AMETEK’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent reports on Form 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K.  AMETEK disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

Contact:  William J. Burke (610) 889-5249

SOURCE AMETEK, Inc.

http://www.ametek.com

AMETEK Acquires Atlas Material Testing Technology | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

NEW YORK – Manny Pacquiao may soon turn his attention from campaigning for Congress to negotiating the details on the richest fight in boxing history.

Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, told The CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM on Monday that discussions could begin as early as Tuesday for a bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr., once results are in from the Philippine elections. Pacquiao is running for Congress for the second time.

The matchup involving boxing’s two most high-profile fighters was discussed at length earlier this year, but negotiations fell apart when the sides could not agree on drug testing protocol.

Both took different fights, with Pacquiao soundly beating Joshua Clottey at the new Cowboys Stadium near Dallas, and Mayweather routing welterweight champion Shane Mosley in Las Vegas.

“I think the fight will happen,” said Roach, who was in New York with another of his fighters, Amir Khan, who defends his junior welterweight title against Paulie Malignaggi on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

“It will probably be November, maybe October,” Roach added. “November’s not a great pay-per-view month, but I think it will happen.”

Roach wouldn’t say whether Pacquiao would budge on the drug testing dilemma. Mayweather has said that every fight he takes, beginning with Mosley, will include Olympic-style blood testing along with the typical urine tests required by most athletic commissions. That means the fighters could have blood drawn in the days leading up to the fight.

Pacquiao believes giving blood makes him weak and refused to do so within 24 days of a fight.

“If Manny Pacquiao can take a blood and urine test then we have a fight,” Mayweather said shortly after his victory May 1. “If not, no fight.”

Both fighters months ago agreed to what is usually the major sticking point in negotiations with a deal to split the proceeds evenly. That may not happen the second time around, though, depending on how the pay-per-view numbers shake out from their other bouts. Pacquiao-Clottey generated about 700,000 buys while Mayweather-Mosley is expected to be over 1.1 million.

That could give some additional leverage to Mayweather, even though his opponent was much better known. Other than the stadium venue, Pacquiao was the only real draw in his bout.

One thing that won’t become an issue is Pacquiao’s potential duties in Congress.

“When he fights they close down Parliament and all the terrorists call for a peace,” Roach said, only half jokingly. “It’s not going to change anything. They’ll just announce him as Congressman Manny Pacquiao, that’s all.”

Roach had been receiving constant updates from promoter Bob Arum, who spent the last few days before the election in the Philippines. Roach said early returns show Pacquiao “winning in a landslide” against 61-year-old Roy Chiongbian, who comes from a politically powerful family.

Computer problems and campaign-related violence, which has killed more than 30 people in the past three months, were the main concerns in the voting. Official hope the results set a new standard for the country’s fragile democracy, where government corruption is common.

“He wants change,” Roach said of Pacquiao, who lost decisively in his first attempt at politics. “I think it’s genuine. People see that he wants to help his country, and that’s why they’re voting. That’s why they support him.”

Talks to begin again for Pacquiao-Mayweather (AP) | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) — This week, the American Cancer Society releases updated prostate cancer screening guidelines.

The guidelines say “men should discuss the uncertainties, risks and possible benefits of screening for prostate cancer before deciding whether to be tested.”

With this update, a group of experts in urology, oncology, epidemiology and treatment outcomes and patients states clearly that a man needs to know the facts about prostate cancer screening and then needs to make a decision that is right for himself.

It is not a statement against screening, but it is not a statement for screening either.

One can reasonably ask, how did we get into this quandary? The answer is, we became unscientific. We began promoting and using the prostate-specific antigen test before it had been adequately evaluated. This is a common practice in American medicine and a major reason for its expense.

In many ways, the new guidelines are very similar to the cancer society’s prostate screening guidelines issued in 1997 and 2001.

These guidelines also called for the physician and patient to engage in shared decision-making. Other organizations in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia that issue prostate cancer screening guidelines have also issued statements calling for informed or shared decision making.

• Read more about the change in the guidelines

There are legitimate questions as to whether prostate cancer screening saves lives, and there is clear evidence that it leads to unnecessary treatment. Even after the long-awaited reports of two large long-term clinical trials designed to answer the question, we still have uncertainties.

This may be news to many who regularly read or hear reports suggesting that prostate cancer screening is beneficial. The benefits of prostate cancer screening have often been overstated. Some, often with a financial interest, even note that screening increases the five-year survival rate, which is true.

They fail to say that the true evidence of a benefit to screening is not the finding of an increase in five-year survival; the true evidence of a benefit to screening is demonstration of a decrease in risk of death (or mortality).

Two clinical trials published in 2009 aimed to answer that question. To be fair, both trials have flaws, but rarely is a clinical trial perfect.

One trial, done in Europe, found that screening and aggressive treatment reduced relative risk of death by 20 percent, but it also found that 48 men had to be diagnosed and treated to save one life about 10 years later.

An American trial did not find a decrease in risk of death.

Both trials continue, and we all hope that a true benefit to our current screening technologies is found. It is worth noting that both of these trials and several previous studies show that screening increases risk of prostate cancer diagnosis and therefore treatment.

It is a certainty that men who choose to be screened increase their risk of receiving needless treatment.

It is my belief that these guidelines hit the mark, that men who are concerned about prostate cancer should seek the counsel of a physician, discuss their health situation and make a decision as to whether they should be screened.

I also believe there are some men who, confronted with the facts about screening, will be concerned about being diagnosed and treated for a cancer that will never kill them.

The risks of screening are proven; the benefits are less certain. Prostate cancer treatment is associated with serious side effects. These men may choose not to undergo screening. Both choices are reasonable.

What is known about prostate cancer and our current screening tests:

• Prostate cancer is a significant cause of cancer death. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in men, behind lung cancer and just ahead of colon cancer.
• The only study to adequately evaluate how good our current screening tests are at finding prostate cancer found that seven years of annual screening misses as many cancers as are found.
• A number of studies show that screening finds a large number of cancers, far more than the number of men destined to die of prostate cancer.

A 50-year-old man who chooses to be screened definitely doubles his risk of prostate cancer diagnosis from a lifetime risk of about 10 percent to a lifetime risk of about 20 percent. The European trial suggests that he may lower his risk of death by 20 percent, from a lifetime risk of 3 percent to a lifetime risk of 2.4 percent.

The above facts lead to the conclusion that we desperately need better screening tests that can lead to lives saved with less collateral damage. We desperately need a test that distinguishes the kind of disease that needs treatment from the kind of disease that will never kill but needs to be watched.

Until these tests are developed, men should decide on screening based on their personal concerns and enter the clinical studies to help find out how good screening is and to help find better tests.

Ironically, the overpromise in the promotion of prostate cancer screening has prolonged the uncertainties and slowed our progress in prostate cancer medicine by dissuading men from entering studies to improve screening.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Otis W. Brawley.

The full ACS statement is available here.

Read the original article from CNN Health.

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Multiple choice. Essays. Pop quizzes.

Students at Marist High School may be subjected to yet another test next school year, but it’s one they can prepare for by doing nothing at all.

Principal Larry Tucker insists a proposed new drug testing policy at the school isn’t geared toward punishing students at the coed Catholic school in Chicago’s Mount Greenwood community.

Instead, he said, drug testing would be an extension of the school’s “family” atmosphere.

“Part of our mission is to help kids continue to make good decisions,” he said. “It’s part of who we are.”

Tucker said he was impressed by the drug-free compliance rates at other schools in Marist’s East Suburban Catholic Conference, whose principals boast remarkable success rates.

Under the proposal, Marist’s entire student body would undergo a drug test at least once each school year – during the first semester – and possibly again during random tests in the second semester.

The tests, which cost about $45 per session, likely would be taken via hair follicle samples and administered by Psychemedics Corp., a Massachusetts-based company that specializes in narcotics testing in schools and private industry.

The tests would look for traces of marijuana, cocaine, PCP, Ecstasy, amphetamines and certain classes of prescription drugs, but not steroids.

Marist’s faculty would be exempt.

The idea of implementing the policy was kicked around during a sparsely attended special meeting this week, and its future now rests with a 20-some person school task force and could be cemented with a Marist school board vote.

Roberta Hynes is part of that team.

A parent of a 14-year-old Marist freshman, she’s backing the proposal 100 percent because “it’s such a great benefit for Marist, the community and children.

“It can give parents relief,” she said. ” ‘Oh, my God, my child is using,’ or ‘Oh, thank God they aren’t.’ ”

But the idea of a schoolwide test has been met with opposition, including a small Facebook group.

As school let out on Friday, many groups of students said they opposed the testing – not because they take drugs but because the testing seems costly and unnecessary.

Some students said most of their peers don’t take hard drugs, if they take them at all. And what substances do get used, such as chewing tobacco and alcohol, probably wouldn’t show up on test results anyway, they said.

“Maybe they should just test suspected students,” 16-year-old sophomore Kevin Kelly said.

“It’s not worth it,” 15-year-old freshman Chris Jackson said. “My parents aren’t happy about it, either.”

But many parents in the Marist community are supporting the proposal.

Therese Gray, whose 18-year-old son will have graduated by the time the tests would start, said she backs the testing, despite any privacy issues.

“Drugs and alcohol are illegal, so is it invading my child’s’ privacy? When it comes to my child, it probably isn’t,” she said. “It means my child’s safe at school.”

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Births of babies with cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs and other less familiar disorders seem to have dropped since testing came into wider use, The Associated Press found from interviews with numerous geneticists and other experts and a review of the limited research available.

Many of these diseases are little known and few statistics are kept. But their effects — ranging from blood disorders to muscle decline — can be disabling and often fatal during childhood.

Now, more women are being tested as part of routine prenatal care, and many end pregnancies when diseases are found. One study in California found that prenatal screening reduced by half the number of babies born with the severest form of cystic fibrosis because many parents chose abortion.

More couples with no family history of inherited diseases are getting tested before starting families to see if they carry mutations that put a baby at risk. And a growing number are screening embryos and using only those without problem genes.

The cost of testing is falling, and the number of companies offering it is rising. A 2008 federal law banning gene-based discrimination by insurers and employers has eased fears.

Genetic testing pushes hot-button issues: abortion, embryo destruction and worries about eugenics — selective breeding to rid a population of unwanted traits.

Yet it is touching a growing number of people:

• In suburban Cleveland, Beth and Thad Meese were stunned to learn during her second pregnancy that they carry genes that can cause cystic fibrosis. Tests show the baby won’t have the disease, but they have decided against having a third child or to screen embryos if they do. “I feel like we got lucky” and should not tempt fate again, she said.
• In Boston, Harvard psychologist and author Steven Pinker and his wife, novelist Rebecca Goldstein, learned last year that they carry genes that cause a serious neurological disease, familial dysautonomia. Too old to have children, they shared the news with younger relatives, who are being tested to see if they, too, have the gene. “There’s a tendency psychologically to think these are very rare and what are the chances that two people could both have rare genes,” Pinker said. “Not only can it happen, but it happened to me.”
• In the Canadian city of Vancouver, Jeff and Megan Carroll screened embryos to have two children free of the Huntington’s disease gene Jeff has. “I felt very strongly that I didn’t want to pass on this,” he said. Huntington’s “is done killing people in my family when I am gone.”

Although genetic testing can raise moral dilemmas, at least one conservative religious group — Orthodox Jews — has found ethically acceptable ways to use it to lessen diseases that have plagued its populations.

“I am a Holocaust survivor. I was born in the middle of the second World War. I hope that I am not a suspect for practicing eugenics. We are trying to have healthy children,” said Rabbi Josef Ekstein of New York, who founded a group that tests couples and discourages matches when both carry problem genes.

Some diseases — sickle cell, cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs, thalassemia, spinal muscle atrophy — occur when people inherit two bad genes, one from each parent. The genes can pass quietly for generations until two carriers mate; then children have a one-in-four chance of getting the disease.

(Down syndrome is the best known disorder for which prenatal testing has long been available, but it’s caused by an extra chromosome during abnormal cell division — not genes inherited from the parents.)

Statistics for inherited diseases are hard to come by — birth certificates often don’t list them, and they sometimes aren’t diagnosed for months or years after birth. Yet, there’s little doubt that testing has put a dent in many.

“We’re definitely seeing decreased rates of certain genetic disorders as a result of carrier screening,” said Dr. Wendy Chung, clinical genetics chief at Columbia University. In five years, she has seen only one case of Tay-Sachs, a neurological disease that used to be more common in Ashkenazi, or Eastern European Jews. Children with the disease lack a key enzyme; they lose mental and physical abilities and usually die by age 4.

In the last decade, only about a dozen new cases of Tay-Sachs occurred each year in the United States, said Dr. Michael Kuback, a professor at the University of California at San Diego who tracks the disease.

Ekstein, the rabbi, lost four children to it before founding Dor Yeshorim, a Brooklyn-based group that recruits Jews to be tested. Using confidential PIN numbers, they call a hotline to see if a prospective mate would be a risky match. The group has 300,000 members and tests for nine diseases, including cystic fibrosis.

“In the Orthodox Ashkenazi community around the world, we virtually have wiped out the diseases we screen for,” said the group’s development director, Allan Binder.

One is familial dysautonomia. Since 2004, only a few children worldwide have been born with it each year, and it soon may cease to exist because of genetic screening, said Dr. Barron Lerner, a Columbia University medical historian. The disease causes faulty nerve development, floppy muscles, digestive and other problems, and kills many by young adulthood.

Fragile X syndrome, the leading cause of mental impairment in boys, may decline because carrier testing for parents and prenatal testing of fetuses is now available for it, said Barbara Biesecker, director of the genetic counseling program at the National Institutes of Health.

Lots of eyes are on cystic fibrosis, a disease that causes sticky mucus buildup in the lungs, digestive problems and death in young adulthood. More than 10 million Americans — one in 25 to 29 whites, who are more at risk for it than blacks — carry a gene mutation for it.

In 2001, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and other groups recommended that white pregnant women be offered testing for mutations. Tests on partners and fetuses often followed, and an unknown number of abortions.

The impact showed up two years later in Massachusetts, one of the few states testing newborns for the disease at the time. Births of babies with cystic fibrosis dropped, from 29 in 2000 to only 10 in 2003, ticking up to 15 in 2006, said Dr. Richard Parad, a Brigham and Women’s Hospital physician who helped set up the screening program.

In California, Kaiser Permanente, a large health maintenance organization, offered prenatal screening.

From 2006 through 2008, 87 couples with cystic fibrosis mutations agreed to have fetuses tested, and 23 were found to have the disease. Sixteen of the 17 fetuses projected to have the severest type of disease were aborted, as were four of the six fetuses projected to have less severe disease.

Comparisons to couples not given prenatal screening suggested that screening had cut births of babies with severe disease in half, researchers reported at a genetics conference in 2008. Studies in Canada, Italy, Australia and in Europe also found that cases dropped after screening began.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s registry, which tracks voluntarily reported cases, shows a steady rise in recent years. But that is because more states have started testing all newborns, discovering cases that previously went unreported, some researchers believe.

In December, Texas became the final state to add such testing; the first reliable national estimate of cases is expected in a couple of years.

Beth Meese, the Cleveland nurse who discovered from prenatal tests that she and her husband are carriers, wishes they had been screened before pregnancy. By the time they learned of their risk, they had seen an ultrasound and decided to have the baby no matter what its tests showed.

“We saw the baby, saw it moving,” she said. “It makes that decision that much more difficult to make.”

Gene testing hasn’t led to declines in all diseases. Sickle cell, a blood disorder that causes anemia and pain and raises the risk of stroke, has not dropped. It mostly afflicts blacks; gene carriers are said to have sickle cell “trait,” which sounds harmless.

“Now we’re actually learning that it’s not as benign as we thought it was,” and that carriers have higher risks for certain medical problems, said Dr. Lanetta Jordan, a Florida physician and chief medical officer of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America.

Newborn screening is finding more sickle cell carriers and cases, but this doesn’t seem to affect parents’ future family plans, Jordan said.

Gene testing also has had little impact on Huntington’s disease, a progressive, fatal neurological disorder.

Unlike many other inherited diseases, only one bad copy of a gene is needed to cause Hungtington’s, and symptoms don’t usually appear until middle age, after many have already had children.

Fewer than 15 percent of people in families with a history of it agree to be tested, said Kimberly Quaid, an Indiana University genetics researcher.

“They just prefer to live their life and hope for the best,” she said.

Jeff Carroll, the Canadian who, with his wife, screened embryos because he carries the Huntington’s gene, said it is “unconscionable” to procreate without taking steps to prevent passing on the disease.

“Having my test result has immensely improved my life. I was able to make reproduction decisions that ended HD in my family,” and to launch a career as a biologist researching the disease, he said.

The number of fertility treatments that include embryo screening has been on the rise in recent years, with nearly 5,200 screenings in 2006, according to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. Carrier testing also is rising.

A California company, Counsyl, sells a $349 saliva test for genes for more than 100 inherited disorders. Several thousand people used it over the last year, the company reports.

Eliminating disease is a noble goal but also “should give us pause,” Lerner, the Columbia historian, wrote recently in the New England Journal of Medicine.

“If a society is so willing to screen aggressively to find these genes and then to potentially to have to abort the fetuses, what does that say about the value of the lives of those people living with the diseases?” he asked.

It’s a touchy issue. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation points out that the disease varies greatly in severity, and life expectancy with it is now 37 years.

Diseases like familial dysautonomia and Tay-Sachs, which kill before school age, are easier cases. If one of those vanishes, “thank God,” said Rabbi Ekstein of the Jewish testing group.

“It gives me a very good feeling that we are a part of such life-saving efforts.”

Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.

Genetic testing proving effective in wiping out diseases | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Some aldermen expressed concern that City Hall may be over-reacting to high-profile incidents involving officers and alcohol.

“If the guy’s at work and he’s been drinking, it does not necessarily mean that the guy’s a dipsomaniac. He just had a drink. So, how do you deal with that?” asked Ald. Ed Smith (28th).

Jim Franczek, the city’s chief labor negotiator, said there would be a sliding scale of disciplinary actions for those who test positive in random tests.

Lieutenants and captains whose random Breathalyzer tests range from .02 to .04 will be taken off-duty that day, re-tested the following day and randomly tested for the next six months.

If they stay straight throughout that probationary period, their records will be wiped clean, Franczek said.

If they test positive again, they’ll be subject to disciplinary action by the Internal Affairs Division.

Lieutenants and captains whose first random alcohol test is over .04 will also be referred to IAD, Franczek said, “But, they will have the option of inviting the officer to go into a rehab program.”

“We tried to balance this so that we get what we want but don’t get what we don’t want,” Franczek said, acknowledging the possibility of “unfairness.”

Donald O’Neill, director of management and labor affairs for the Chicago Police Department, said the same reasonable approach would apply to officers tested after firing their weapons on- or off-duty.

“If you’re having a glass of wine with your wife at home and a bad guy breaks in the front door, you go for your weapon and kill the bad guy, we’re not gonna discipline the officer for defending his family or doing what he legally has a right to do just because he had a drink,” O’Neill said.

“But, there’s other cases where there’s something wrong with the use of force. Then, we will take discipline based on anything that was done done wrong with the weapon discharge incident.”

The five-year contracts also include changes in disciplinary procedures, at the request of both IAD and the Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA).

The agreements triple — from 24 to 72 hours — the exchange of witness statements given by officers involved in disciplinary procedures.

For the first time, statements made by those officers and witnesses would also be recorded.

Chicago Police officers are arrested for DUI at a far lower rate than drivers as a whole, but a number of high-profile incidents have put the issue on the political front-burner.

In 2006, drunken off-duty officer Anthony Abbate was caught on videotape beating a female bartender. He was convicted in the attack, sentenced to probation and fired.

Other off-duty officers were charged in a highly publicized brawl at a West Loop bar that happened weeks after the Abbate incident. Those officers were acquitted and reinstated to their jobs.

Last year, two off-duty Chicago Police officers who had been drinking were involved in fatal accidents.

Officer Richard Bolling was charged with reckless homicide in a hit-and-run collision that killed 13-year-old Trenton Booker on his bicycle at night on May 22.

Four hours after the crash, Bolling registered on a Breathalyzer at .079, just under the legal limit of .08, prosecutors said.

In April, Detective Joseph Frugoli was charged with reckless homicide and DUI in a fiery crash that killed two men on the Dan Ryan Expy.

Read the original article from WBBM News Radio.

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The Deerfield-based chain’s 24-hour stores and clinics will  offer the tests Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. People aged 18 and  older are eligible.

Also, free diabetes tests will be available at Walgreen’s stores in thousands of communities nationwide through Feb. 18.

The announcement came Thursday on Oprah Winfrey’s show, as part of her pitch to attack the epidemic.

Nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes, and an estimated 6 million or so are undiagnosed.

Prevalence has increased dramatically over the past decade, partly because the most common type of diabetes is linked with obesity.

Read the original article from FOX Chicago News.

Walgreen’s free blood sugar tests start | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Test set up is expected to begin immediately, with tests commencing midyear.

“Unlike static tests, where loads are applied to the airplane structure to simulate both normal operation and extreme flight conditions, fatigue testing is a much longer process that simulates up to three times the number of flight cycles an airplane is likely to experience during a lifetime of service,” said Scott Fancher, 787 vice president and general manager, Commercial Airplanes.

“This testing is instrumental in confirming the longevity of the airplane.”

MEDIA CONTACT:

Mary Hanson, +1 206-898-4749
787 Communications
mary.hanson@boeing.com

Boeing moves 787 Dreamliner fatigue test airframe to testing rig | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

One person dies from melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, almost every hour. Yet melanoma is often successfully treated, if caught early.

That’s why thousands of dermatologists across the country offer free skin cancer screenings in their communities through the American Academy of Dermatology’s (AAD) National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Screening Program.

The program recently reached a milestone – two million screenings have been conducted since the program’s inception in 1985. As of December 31, 2008, more than 188,000 suspicious lesions have been detected, including more than 21,500 suspected melanomas, through the program.

“The goal of the AAD National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Screening Program is to save lives. We’re certain that there are people who are alive today because they received a skin cancer screening,” said David M. Pariser, MD, FAAD, president, American Academy of Dermatology.

“Dermatologists have volunteered countless hours to conduct screenings in locations such as sports stadiums, state and county fairs, and hospitals. The AAD National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Screening Program is a key opportunity for dermatologists to educate the public about early detection and prevention of skin cancer while saving lives by finding skin cancers in their earliest, most treatable stages.”

While screenings happen all year long, many skin cancer screenings are conducted in May.

Visit aad.org/public/exams/screenings/index.html to find a free skin cancer screening in your area.

The Web page also includes a video of what to expect at a screening, an eCard to tell others about free screenings and an eAlert to receive notifications of screenings in your area.

“A skin cancer screening is a non-invasive exam that only takes a few minutes, yet it could save a person’s life,” said Dr. Pariser.

Significantly more than 1 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year. Current estimates are that 1 in 5 Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime. One American dies of melanoma almost every hour (every 61 minutes).

More than 11,000 Americans die each year from skin cancer, but when detected early, skin cancer has a cure rate of 99 percent.

For more information about skin cancer, please visit the SkinCancerNet section of SkinCarePhysicians.com, a Web site developed by dermatologists that provides patients with up-to-date information on the treatment and management of disorders of the skin, hair and nails.

Headquartered in Schaumburg, Ill., the American Academy of Dermatology (Academy), founded in 1938, is the largest, most influential, and most representative of all dermatologic associations.

With a membership of more than 16,000 physicians worldwide, the Academy is committed to: advancing the diagnosis and medical, surgical and cosmetic treatment of the skin, hair and nails; advocating high standards in clinical practice, education, and research in dermatology; and supporting and enhancing patient care for a lifetime of healthier skin, hair and nails.

For more information, contact the Academy at 1-888-462-DERM (3376) or aad.org.

Dermatologists Reach Skin Cancer Screening Milestone through National Program | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) is encouraging people to check their homes this month for a radioactive gas that is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.

Radon gas, which comes from the decay of naturally-occurring uranium in the soil, has been found in homes in every county in Illinois.

“Lung cancer is responsible for more deaths each year than breast, prostate, colon, liver, kidney and melanoma cancers combined,” said IEMA Director Andrew Velasquez III.

“While smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer overall, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer for non-smokers. Our studies have found high levels of radon in nearly 40 percent of the homes tested in Illinois, but you’ll never know if your home has a problem unless you test.”

It’s estimated that 21,000 radon-related lung cancer deaths occur annually in the United States, more than 1,100 of those in Illinois.

In recognition of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, IEMA today announced the launch of a radon poster contest to help kids learn about radon and how to reduce their risk of exposure.

Students ages 9-14 are encouraged to create posters depicting radon’s health hazards and the need to test homes for radon.  The deadline for submitting posters is March 1, 2010.

Three winning posters will be selected from the five University of Illinois Extension regions.

Regional poster contest winners will be judged and the top three posters will be submitted to the national competition in Washington, D.C.  Regional winners in Illinois will receive $50 savings bonds and the top three state posters will receive a $100 savings bond.

The national winner, a parent and teacher will win an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. to participate in an awards ceremony.

The state Radon Poster Contest is sponsored each year by IEMA, the American Lung Association of Illinois, Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago and the University of Illinois Extension.

Educational materials about radon and more details about the poster contest are available for teachers at the Extension’s radon Web site at TakeActionOnRadon.illinois.edu.

“Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US,” said Eileen Lowery of the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago.

“Increased radon awareness and educating homeowners about the importance of testing their homes for radon is a vital part of our mission.”

Homeowners can test their homes with kits purchased at hardware or home improvement stores or hire an IEMA-licensed radon measurement contractor to conduct the test.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) recommends taking actions to reduce home radon levels of 4 picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L) or greater.

IEMA also licenses radon mitigation contractors, who can install a system to reduce radon concentrations.

More information about radon, including results from IEMA’s statewide radon study and lists of licensed radon measurement and mitigation professionals is available at radon.illinois.gov or by calling the radon hotline at 1-800-325-1245.

IEMA Urges People to Test Homes for Radon During Lung Cancer Awareness Month in November | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

That’s why the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) is encouraging people throughout Illinois to test their homes for radon during Radon Action Week Oct. 18-24.

“It’s estimated that nearly 1,200 radon-related lung cancer deaths occur each year in Illinois,” said IEMA Director Andrew Velasquez III. “Our studies have found homes with excessive radon levels in every county in Illinois. The only way to know if your home has too much radon is to test. I urge everyone to protect their loved ones’ health by testing for radon.”

Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless radioactive gas that comes from the radioactive decay of naturally occurring uranium in the soil. It can enter homes and buildings through small cracks in the foundation, sump pumps or soil in crawlspaces.

The National Academy of Sciences and the Surgeon General estimate that 21,000 radon-related lung cancer deaths occur annually in the United States, as many as 1,160 of those in Illinois.

Homeowners can either test the home themselves, using test kits available at most home improvement and department stores, or hire a radon measurement contractor. IEMA licenses more than 266 measurement and 88 mitigation contractors statewide.

IEMA collects and analyzes radon home test results throughout the state to determine the potential radon risk by county. To date, the agency’s radon staff has analyzed results from more than 100,000 home radon tests conducted by professional contractors and homeowners between 2003 and 2008.

Those results showed that nearly 40 percent of Illinois homes tested have radon levels above the USEPA-recommended 4 picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L).

For more information about radon, radon testing results from your county or to find an IEMA-licensed radon measurement or mitigation contractor in your area, visit radon.illinois.gov.

IEMA Encourages Illinois Residents to Test Homes for Radon during Radon Action Week Oct. 18-24 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The contaminants tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene were detected at levels lower than the Illinois Groundwater Standard. Although the contaminants’ levels were lower than the standard, this is the same groundwater that serves private wells and it is possible the levels of the contaminants may be higher in private wells.

Persons with private wells located within the area (see attached map) south of West Casey Road, north of West Park Ave (State Route 176), East of North Lake Street (US Route 45), and west of North Milwaukee Avenue (State Route 21) are encouraged to have their water tested for volatile organic compounds by a private laboratory.

For a list of laboratories certified to analyze drinking water for volatile organic compounds, interpretation of test results, contaminant health effects information, and recommendations for individuals who regularly consume well water, contact Joe O’Connor, IDPH West Chicago Regional Office, 245 West Roosevelt Road, Building 5, West Chicago, IL. 60185, phone (630) 293-6800 or joe.o’connor@illinois.gov.

The risk of adverse health effects depends on the levels of contaminants in the water and the length of exposure. Long-term exposure to these chemicals may result in an increased health risk to the liver and kidneys.

The water supplied by Libertyville community water supply (CWS) currently meets all United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) drinking water standards.  No violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) have occurred in Libertyville’s treated drinking water. Information about treated drinking water quality, including detections of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), has been provided to the residents served by the Libertyville CWS yearly since 1999 in the form of a Consumer Confidence Report.

For information concerning the community water supply contact Kurt Neibergall, Manager, Office of Community Relations, Illinois EPA at 217/785-3819 kurt.neibergall@illinois.gov

This information has been compiled from historic data and is provided to the public to ensure full disclosure of state records.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Illinois Department of Public Health, 217-782-4977

Illinois State Health Department Recommends Water Well Testing for Libertyville | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.