Sandra Finley

2011-11-18 Mercury in dental amalgams: Environment Canada issues its report. Email thread through to IAOMT.

Corporatocracy or Democracy or Administrative State or WHAT?, Mercury poisoning, dental amalgams. See also Vaccinations. No Responses »

Nov 182011

The Government invited input to Regulations on Products that contain mercury, see 2011-03-01 Most mercury-filled products to be banned in Canada. Mercury is still safe in the human mouth but no where else. The Government invites your input.

The Government has now issued its response to the input from the public.

I used “find” to go through their document for references to mercury in DENTAL amalgams and in VACCINATIONS. The results are at: Mercury-Hlth-Canada-Rept-Nov-2011 .

Environment Canada working with Health Canada is going to EXEMPT AMALGAMS FROM THE REGULATIONS on products that contain mercury.

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EMAIL THREAD:

RECEIVED NOV 18, 2011 FROM ENVIRONMENT CANADA:

This e-mail is to inform you that the Response to Comments document for the proposed regulations of mercury-containing products has been published. Thank you for your participation in the regulatory development process.

The next step will be to publish the final Regulations in the Canada Gazette, Part II, which is targeted for summer 2012. The Regulations would enter into force one year after their publication.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Megan Lewis
Program Scientist
Waste Reduction and Management Division
Environmental Stewardship Branch
Environment Canada
351 St-Joseph Blvd.
Gatineau QC K1A 0H3
megan.lewis _ AT_ ec.gc.ca
Telephone 819 997 5876
Government of Canada
Website: www.ec.gc.ca/mercure-mercury

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From: Sandra Finley

Sent: Sunday, November 20, 2011 12:45 AM
To: ‘Lewis,Megan [NCR]’
Subject: RE: Publication of Response to Comments on proposed mercury-containing product regulations

Dear Megan,

RE: If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I see from your document that Environment Canada received input from:

The Canadian Council of Oral Medicine and Toxicology and
The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology

Would you kindly tell me their recommendation regarding dental amalgams? Preferably, I would like a copy of each of their submissions.

I wish to ensure that the information I have posted on-line is accurate.

(Scroll down to [BOLD] text [“APPENDED”].)

Many thanks.

Sandra Finley

P.S. From your Response document I excerpted references to mercury in

dental amalgams and
in vaccinations

I made them available on-line, through Heavy metals in vaccinations, Mercury in dental amalgams,

– – – – APPENDED – – – – –

Re: INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF ORAL MEDICINE AND TOXICOLOGY

http://sandrafinley.ca/?p=1110 EXCERPT:

The central question addressed in the appended information:

DID THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES THAT BANNED DENTAL AMALGAMS MADE WITH MERCURY, BOW TO UNINFORMED PUBLIC PRESSURE OR TO SOUND SCIENCE?

It is claimed that mercury in dental amalgams is one of those internet hoaxes. It is far from that. A number of European countries have outlawed dental amalgams. Also, the information in this email comes from organizations such as the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, the American Academy of Head, Neck and Facial Pain, numerous doctors, dentists and scientists,

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From: Lewis,Megan [NCR] Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 9:54 AM
To: Sandra Finley
Subject: RE: Publication of Response to Comments on proposed mercury-containing product regulations

Dear Sandra,

Individual submissions on the Regulations are kept confidential.

Regards,

Megan

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(Sent Nov 22): Thanks Megan. I’ll ask the originators (for a copy of the IAOMT submission to Environment Canada) (Which is how the Citizens’ Assembly to figure out HOW we are going to stop dental amalgams, March 30-31, 2012 in Saskatoon, came about.)

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MY SUBMISSION TO ENVIRONMENT CANADA REGARDING MERCURY (AMALGAMS AND VACCINATIONS) – – from 2011-03-01 (item #4)

Dear Members of the Public Service and Elected Ministers,

RE: Legislation to ban mercury-filled products EXCEPT FOR dental amalgams and vaccinations that contain mercury (like the flu and tetanus shots).

Please see INDEX to heavy metals, foreign proteins and DNA in vaccinations PLUS mercury in dental amalgams.

This information has been assembled by a number of people. It is shared through email networks.

The evidence is compelling: please add dental amalgams and vaccinations that contain mercury to the ban on mercury-filled products.

If you decide against this course of action in the face of the evidence, I will appreciate receipt of an explanation: why?

Thank-you.

2011-11-16 Biotech giants Monsanto, Bayer, Syngenta, DuPont, BASF and Dow face trial for ‘systematic human rights abuses’

Corporatocracy or Democracy or Administrative State or WHAT?, Empowerment, Food, Genetically Modified, Health, Sustainability No Responses »

Nov 172011

http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/1122020/monsanto_bayer_and_dow_face_trial_for_systematic_human_rights_abuses.html

Matilda Lee 16th November, 2011

Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal accuses biotech giants Monsanto, Dow, Bayer, Syngenta, DuPont and BASF of promoting dangerous pesticides including endosulfan, paraquat and neonicotinoids

The world’s major agrochemical companies, Monsanto, Dow, Bayer, Syngenta, DuPont and BASF, will face a public tribunal in early December accused of systematic human rights violations.

They are accused of violating more than 20 instruments of international human rights law through promoting reliance on the sale and use of dangerous and unsafe pesticides including endosulfan, paraquat and neonicotinoids.

The Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT), an international opinion tribunal created in 1979, will hear expert testimony from scientists, medical doctors and lawyers to prove the charges. Victims who have been injured by these products – from farmers, farmworkers, mothers and consumers from around the world – will also testify to the causes and nature of their injuries.

The cases will be heard over a four-day trial in Bangalore, India beginning December 3. While the Tribunal has no legal weight, and cannot force sanctions on companies, it aims to expose and raise awareness of large-scale human rights violations.

Pesticides Action Network (PAN) International, a global network comprised of 600 organisations in 90 countries, has spent years collecting information to bring about the indictments and is seeking justice for more than 25 specific cases – such as Silvino Talavera, an 11-year-old from Paraguay who died days after breathing in a cloud of Monsanto’s RoundUp herbicide sprayed by a crop duster. The trial will also hear evidence of the link between pesticide use and a decline in bees.

The corporations, known as the ‘Big 6’ control 74 per cent of the global pesticide market, as well as dominating the global seed market.

Bayer reject the allegations saying they are a ‘wholesale distortion of the role of pesticides in our society.’ Monsanto, Syngenta and Dow, after being contacted by the Ecologist, were unavailable for comment.

Pesticide poisonings

An estimated 355,000 people are believed to die each year from unintentional toxic chemical poisoning, according the World Health Organization, many of these from use or exposure to pesticides and other agrochemicals. Nick Mole from PAN UK said the trial would give a voice to the otherwise voiceless victims of pesticides.

‘The pesticide industry is massive and incredibly powerful. It is difficult to prove corporate manslaughter even when these products are killing hundreds of people a year,’ he said. ‘We’ve spoken to people who have been abused and we are allowing them to give voice to their individual stories. We will be presenting the outcome of the Tribunal to the corporations and will be inviting their response,’ he said.

It is hoped that the verdict, to be delivered on December 6, will lead to greater discussions at UN institutions on holding agrochemical corporations accountable for crimes relating to the impact of their products.

The PPT grew out of the work by Italian Senator Lelio Basso, and serves as a grassroots, ad hoc court to consider charges and to issue verdicts on complaints of human rights violations submitted by victims or their representative groups.

Since 1979, the PPT has held 35 sessions exposing various forms of human rights abuses in cases from the Bhopal disaster, Tibet sovereignty and the intervention of the US in Nicaragua.

Useful link:

Pesticide Action Network UK

Occupy Toronto: Ontario Superior Court of Justice temporary injunction against the eviction. Ontario Nurses support.

Occupy Movement No Responses »

Nov 172011

Ontario Nurses call on politicians to start taking Occupy Toronto concerns seriously

Applaud occupiers’ temporary court victory protecting their right to continue assembling peacefully

TORONTO, Nov. 15, 2011 /CNW/ – In response to the eviction notices delivered to the occupiers of St. James Park on Tuesday, the largest nurses’ union in Canada is calling on Toronto City Council to prevent an eviction of Occupy Torontoprotesters by police.

“Just because the mayors of some other cities have ordered police to break up peaceful Occupy Movement protests at all costs, including violence and personal injury, doesn’t mean that Toronto has to do the same thing,” said Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN.

“The occupiers of St. James Park in Toronto have a very clear message,” said Haslam-Stroud. “Business as usual doesn’t work for 99 per cent of Ontarians and it’s time to address income disparity, poverty, homelessness, and the need for good jobs for all, in a meaningful way.”

Ontario’s nurses support the efforts of Councillor Gord Perks and the 12 city councilors who have signed a letter demanding that Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s proposed eviction be stopped and that council debate the issue.

“Nurses applaud the Superior Court of Justice for its temporary injunction against the eviction,” said Haslam-Stroud. “The Court has recognized that freedom of conscience, expression, peaceful assembly, and association are at issue and we look forward to the full hearing about protecting these fundamental rights on Friday.”

“As nurses, we know that health isn’t an isolated concept. Access to post-secondary education, which is financially out of reach for many, and the amount of money workers are paid for their work can be directly linked to personal health.”

“Good jobs that include fair wages, benefits, pensions, and job security are what made the middle class. We need more of them now than ever before to lift people out of poverty and to start a real economic recovery for the majority of Ontarians.”

“Instead of focusing on cuts, let’s have a serious debate at all levels of government about why a few people feel they deserve so much more money than the majority of us while children, right here in the largest province of one of the richest nations on earth, still live in poverty.”

ONA is the union representing 57,000 front-line RNs and allied health professionals and more than 12,000 nursing student affiliates providing care in Ontario communities, hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, industry and clinics.

For further information: Sheree Bond (416) 964-1979, ext. 2430; cell: (416) 986-8240
Ken Marciniec kenm@ona.org; cell: (416) 803-6066
www.ona.org; www.Facebook.com/OntarioNurses; www.Twitter.com/OntarioNurses

unknown John Lennon 1969 Interview I Met the Walrus – YouTube

Lockheed Martin, War Economy (includes Cdn Census & Trials) No Responses »

Nov 172011

I need this for the file on Lockheed Martin and the war economy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfBpVn0ESqA&feature=related%CA

CRITICALLY IMPORTANT EVENT: Five-city tour: Our water is not for sale. Alternative Water Futures in Alberta – Dec. 5-9. I will attend.

Resource depletion (water in USA), Sustainability, Trade Deals, PPPs, Integration Canada-U.S., Water No Responses »

Nov 172011

In case people do not understand the significance/seriousness, please find an appended list of postings that put water in Canada into context.

There is a looming spectre of environmental refugees from the southwestern U.S.A., because of known and growing water shortages. The corporate and Big Government agenda is to “privatize” Canadian water.

Water was supposed to have had a specific exemption under the Free Trade Agreement. In the 11^th hour the exemption disappeared. There is much money to be made.

Please spread the word. Help get people to these meetings. An informed citizenry is essential to our well-being. Please tell people in the Occupy Movement.

Muchas gracias! /Sandra

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Dear supporters of Our Water Is Not For Sale, We invite you to join us on our upcoming five city tour, December 5th to 9th, 2011:

Alternative Water Futures

The need for non-market solutions to Alberta’s water crisis

Featuring Jeremy Schmidt
Department of Geography, University of Western Ontario
Author of the upcoming Parkland Institute research report Alternative Water Futures in Alberta

Edited out details of 5 meetings, 2011, Mon Dec 5 to Fri Dec 9 in

Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary, Lethbridge, & Medicine Hat

In 2008, the Alberta government announced it would review and update the water allocation system in the province, a system that is proving increasingly incapable of dealing with the challenges of today’s emerging water crisis. Policy recommendations released by the government in late 2009 suggest it is moving toward a province-wide deregulated market for water in the province, turning critical decisions about who will be able to access water over to the market.

With long-delayed public consultations promised in the new year by Premier Redford, it’s more important than ever for Albertans to explore and discuss alternatives to water markets that will build a water allocation system on the principles of equity, fairness, sustainability and respect for treaty obligations.

Join the Our Water Is Not For Sale network and Jeremy Schmidt, author of the soon-to-be released report Alternative Water Futures in Alberta, for an exploration of the challenges for water in Alberta, why markets aren’t the answer to Alberta’s water challenges and what alternative allocation systems that protect our water commons for ecosystems, our communities and future generations could look like.

Presented by the Our Water Is Not For Sale network, with support from the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Council of Canadians, Parkland Institute, Public Interest Alberta and Sierra Club Prairie

For more information about the tour and to support the campaign against water markets, visit www.ourwaterisnotforsale.com (no longer valid).
Jeremy Schmidt’s research report Alternative Water Futures in Alberta will be available December 5 on the Parkland Institute website at www.parklandinstitute.ca.

About Jeremy Schmidt

Jeremy J. Schmidt is a Trudeau Scholar and PhD candidate in the Department of Geography at the University of Western Ontario. He holds a MA in Geography (McGill) and two undergraduate degrees (Lethbridge; Prairie) with majors in geography, philosophy, theology and wilderness leadership. He is the co-editor of Water Ethics: Foundational Readings for Students and Professionals and has been a board member of the Canadian Water Resources Association (CWRA) since 2009. He has served on working groups for ethics and water management with UNESCO and for a pan-Canadian water strategy with the CWRA. He has been an invited participant of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the Religion, Science and Environment Symposium. His graduate work includes studies of global biogeochemistry, environmental economics, and resource management. His doctoral research examines water governance, ethics and environmental management in Alberta.

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APPENDED, list of postings that put water in Canada into context.

This is certainly not the whole of it, but it’s enough to inform how important it is to get people out. Our best defence is an informed citizenry.

The postings are from two “Categories”:

Water
(Under Peace or Violence?) Resource depletion (water in USA)

Newnawapa

2008-01-25 Canadian water exports: will NAWAPA return? Includes map of water diversions, Canada to U.S.

2008-02-17 Water: Highgate Dam in context of water shortages in the U.S., response to Maggie. Includes water under Free Trade Agreement, etc.

2008-02-17 Water: NAWAPA Cockamamy schemes of the First Order, compiled by Maggie Paquet

2008-02-27 Troop Exchange Agreement with U.S.: Brief History of Invasions + Letter-to-Editor

2008-02-29 Troop Exchange Agreement: Connection to Water – Lake Mead going dry (Hoover Dam, Colorado River)

2008-05-30 Connection between state of police and America wants our water (1). Includes:

PETER LOUGHEED, FORMER ALBERTA PREMIER, “AMERICANS WILL BE AGGRESSIVELY AFTER OUR WATER”
ROBERT F KENNEDY JR, “CANADIANS SHOULD BE SERIOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT AMERICANS WHO WANT WATER”

2009-06-15 Premiers, governors promote Canada-U.S. energy corridor. Brad Wall co-chair, “largest on the planet” Canada-U.S. Western Energy Corridor

2009-06-17 Water. Western Energy Corridor. Citizen ownership and what happens under NAFTA.

2010-01-26 Scripps Institute of Oceanography, Americans running out of water. Backgrounder Manitoba & Sask Joint Cabinet Meeting, Feb 2

2010-10-20 Water, South Sask River, the scientific reports. ILO’s will run the River dry in the name of “open for business”!

2010-10-21 South Saskatchewan River continued … look at the situation on the Alberta side. Water rights for sale.

2010-10-26 Water quality waning, Howard Wheater. Saskatoon Star Phoenix.

2011-03-18 NEWS: The Businessman, the Girlfriend, the Water Deal and the PMO

2011-04-01 You can see why we don’t have a National Water Policy. There’s too much money to be made if it can be privatized (like oil and gas).

2011-11-12 (U.K.) Prosecutions Against 2011 Census Refusers Begin

Lockheed Martin, War Economy (includes Cdn Census & Trials) No Responses »

Nov 172011

(NOTE: good info at the links in the article.)

Cases against people who refused to complete the 2011 census in England and Wales are starting to come before the courts. Judith Sambrook, who declined to fill in her form in protest at the government’s contract with WMD manufacturer Lockheed Martin to process census data, had a preliminary hearing at Wrexham Magistrates Court on Remembrance Day 11/11/11 with her case now adjourned to 8 December. Over 20 supporters attended the court in solidarity with Judith to demonstrate against Lockheed Martin and the wars it fuels, holding a vigil at the war memorial afterwards. Other known cases are in Liverpool on 8 December and Birmingham on 5 January. There are bound to be more in the coming weeks and months.

2011-11-17 Philadelphia Police Captain Joins Occupy and is making a strong statement

Occupy Movement No Responses »

Nov 172011

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/ 6 min video at link

Retired Philadelphia Police Captain Ray Lewis Joins Occupy Wall Street, Calls NYPD Conduct “Disgusting,” “Totally Uncalled For”

QUzeV Philadelphia Police Captain Ray Lewis Joins Occupy Wall Street, Calls NYPD Conduct Disgusting, Totally Uncalled For

On the same blog: Congress Less Popular than Communism, BP During Spill, Nixon During Watergate Or King George During American Revolution

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2011/11/congress-less-popular-than-communism-bp-during-spill-nixon-during-watergate-or-king-george-during-american-revolution.html

2011-11-30 Special Dean’s Invite to School of Business Screening -‘Inside Job’

Take back the University No Responses »

Nov 152011

(Earlier posting – 2011-01-08 “Inside Job”, movie narrated by Matt Damon, highly recommended)

This invitation from the Dean of the Business School to a screening of “Inside Job” at the Broadway Theatre on November 30th, 7:00 pm, is the best Christmas present I could receive. It moves my heart. I suppose it is hope.

I have felt a profound sense of betrayal by “influential” people at the University. The Learning in the community has been pushed by community activists who share information, organize screenings, presentations, film festivals, etc. It seems that meanwhile our young people attend University to become “trained” in status quo, non-critical thinking.

My sincere thanks to Dean Daphne Taras. I hope we are able to support her work. (Some may remember the introduction to Daphne: 2010-09-23 The corporate agenda at the University: Tackle this one with a quick phone call or email.)

2011-11-15 YaaHooo!! Fair Vote Canada donates $10,000 to support charter challenge against current voting system!

Freedom of Speech. (Remove some wrong postings from category) No Responses »

Nov 152011

I was having a terrible day, that just suddenly turned for the better!!!
Yes, yes, yes!!!! Thank you Fair Vote Canada!!!!!
Danielle
Yukon

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(Sandra speaking)

For past information on ELECTORAL REFORM please go to sub-category: Democracy requirements, deficits, solutions . Changing the election process is PART of the solution. Corporate funding of political parties in the majority of Provinces is another huge problem that demands solution.

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I am on the Saskatchewan Board of Fair Vote Canada (FVC). Let me know if you’re interested – we need more people.

Also – – FVC is ALL done by volunteer time and donations. If you don’t have time, maybe you have money to donate??! It will make you feel really happy! http://FairVote.Ca

– – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – –

From: Wayne Smith <wayne.smith _ AT __fairvote.ca>

Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:23:42 -0500

Hello all:

Please distribute widely.

Wayne Smith
Executive Director
Fair Vote Canada

(ENGLISH (copy appended)) http://www.fairvote.ca/en/press-release/2011-11-15/fair-vote-canada-donates-10000-to-support-charter-challenge-against-current

(FRENCH) http://www.fairvote.ca/fr/REC-fait-un-don-de-10%2C000%24-pour-soutenir-la-d%C3%A9marche-juridique-mettant-en-cause-notre-pr%C3%A9sent-syst%C3%A8me-%C3%A9lectoral

Fair Vote Canada donates $10,000 to support charter challenge against current voting system
For immediate release
November 15, 2011

Canada’s national citizens’ movement for electoral reform today announced they would contribute $10,000 in matching funding to support a challenge in the Supreme Court of Canada against Canada’s current first-past-the-post voting system.

“Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees us the right to vote,” said Wayne Smith, Executive Director of Fair Vote Canada (FVC), “and the Supreme Court has ruled in previous decisions that this doesn’t just mean the right to put a piece of paper in a box. We are guaranteed the right to effective representation.

“But under the current, Single Member Plurality or first-past-the-post voting system used for all federal and provincial elections, most of us are ‘represented’ by somebody we voted against. We currently have a so-called ‘majority’ government that received less than 40% of the votes cast in the last election, and this is a perfectly normal situation under this voting system. Our election results are always horribly distorted, sometimes to the extent that the party with the most votes loses the election.

“Furthermore,” Smith added, “the Charter also guarantees the equality of men and women. But our current voting system throws up barriers to the election of women and minorities. This can be easily seen by looking at other countries around the world. Every democracy that has at least 30% women in its legislature uses a proportional voting system. Canada now has 25% women in the House of Commons. It’s more than we have ever had before, and it’s about as good as it gets with this type of voting system, but it’s still a national disgrace.

“Mounting a challenge in the courts is an expensive and time-consuming process, and we salute the courage and self-sacrifice of the individuals who make up the L’Association pour la revendication des droits démocratiques (ARDD). They have been paying for this initiative to improve Canadian democracy for years out of their own pockets. Now, finally, they are asking for donations, and Fair Vote Canada is proud to announce that we will provide matching funding for the first $10,000 of donations received.

“It is a small price to pay if it means that every Canadian can be represented in Parliament by somebody they actually voted for, that our parliament will accurately reflect the diversity of our society, and that Canadian voters will finally have the power to hold politicians and political parties accountable, a power promised to us in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”

-30-

Contact:

Shoni Field, President
604 720 0541
Shoni.Field _AT_ FairVote.Ca
Wayne Smith, Executive Director
Wayne.Smith _AT_FairVote.Ca

416 407 7009

http://FairVote.Ca

2011-11-15 Entrants Aspire to Advance Parkinson’s and Diabetes Research, Create Stem Cell Knowledgebase, Improve Organic Photovoltaics for Solar Cells and Map Genomic Diversity. In the public interest? Don’t be gullible.

Corporatocracy or Democracy or Administrative State or WHAT?, Take back the University No Responses »

Nov 152011

I phoned “Laura”, the media contact for the following press release. She will forward an email I will write to the CEO of Cycle Computing.

The message I wish to communicate (Can I find a way to say this diplomatically?!): This is not REALLY in the long term public interest; it is in the short term financial interests of some corporations. None of the projects address removal of cause. /Sandra

press release

Nov. 15, 2011, 9:45 a.m. EST

Cycle Computing Reveals CycleCloud BigScience Challenge Finalists at SC ’11
Entrants Aspire to Advance Parkinson’s and Diabetes Research, Create Stem Cell Knowledgebase, Improve Organic Photovoltaics for Solar Cells and Map Genomic Diversity

SEATTLE, WA, Nov 15, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — Cycle Computing announced the finalists of the CycleCloud BigScience Challenge 2011 at Supercomputing 2011 in Seattle last night. The contest offers $10,000 of computation time, the equivalent of eight hours on a 30,000-core cluster to candidates who are working on behalf of non-profit organizations to further humanity and state of the art research.

Finalists were selected based on their proposal’s long-term benefit to humanity, originality, creativity and suitability to run on CycleCloud clusters launched within Amazon Web Services (AWS). The grand prize, which includes an original $10,000 in credit from Cycle Computing and four hours of CycleCloud engineering support, will also include an additional $2,500 of credit from AWS.

Due to the impressive caliber of submissions, all finalists were awarded both the original $500 credit from Cycle Computing and an additional $1,000 credit from AWS. The finalists will be judged by Jason Stowe, CEO, Cycle Computing, and a panel of industry luminaries, including Matt Wood, technology evangelist for Amazon Web Services, Kevin Davies, editor-in-chief, Bio-IT World and Peter S. Shenkin, vice president, Schroedinger.

The finalists:

�
— Alan Aspuru-Guzik, professor in department of chemistry and chemical
biology and Johannes Hachmann, postdoctoral fellow, Harvard Clean
Energy Project: Hachmann and Aspuru-Guzik wish to conduct
computational screening and design of novel materials for the next
generation of organic photovoltaics (OPVs). The goal is to facilitate
creating the next generation of photovoltaic cells.
— Jesus Izaguirre, associate professor of computer science and
engineering and concurrent associate professor of applied and
computational mathematics and statistics, University of Notre Dame:
Izaguirre intends to explore mutations in proinsulin case misfolding
and analyze the ability to stimulate the folding pathways of these
mutations to provide mechanic insight into the events of onset of
diabetes. He also plans to examine the dominant states in the folding
pathways to enable structure-based drug design and the production of
new therapies to combat this disease.
— Soumya Ray, assistant professor of neurology, Harvard Medical School:
Ray’s team has identified a mutation that represents the majority of
Parkinson’s disease patients. They seek to utilize the additional
computational power to explore the dynamics of the protein and how it
interacts with inhibitors to understand how drugs interact with the
mutation, benefitting a large number of researcher and other drug
discovery programs around the world.
— Victor Ruotti, computational biologist, Morgridge Institute for
Research: Ruotti aspires to collect genetic information, specifically
RNA alignments, from different types of cells to build an RNA-based
indexing system for stem cells. Once these alignments are identified,
analysis based on this knowledgebase will provide a better
understanding of the overarching signaling mechanisms used by stems
cells to support generation of personalized, cell-based therapies for
a variety of diseases.
— Martin Steinegger, bioinformatics researcher, TU Munich ROSTLAB:
Steinegger’s team’s goal is to provide access to every possible
mutation in the gene sequence that will ever be observed in humans. To
achieve, they have started a new project called SNAP-Map, which
strives to calculate every possible single-nucleotide polymorphism
(SNP) in human proteins to make this technology and data available
worldwide. With this data available, researchers will have the ability
to access the effect of mutations in individuals and advance the
efforts towards individual medicine based on understanding human
diversity and variation.
�

“We created the CycleCloud BigScience Challenge to remove boundaries and help democratize access to supercomputing resources” said Jason Stowe, founder and CEO, Cycle Computing. “As a bootstrapped company, we understand why researchers are usually confined to sizing their questions to the compute cluster they have, or can afford. These finalists highlight how utility supercomputing gives scientists the computational room to realize their vision, ask challenging questions, and move humanity forward.”

Each finalist will provide a presentation and demo on their research to the Cycle Judging Panel followed by a 30 minute Q&A. The Finalists’ entries will be judged against the contest criteria and the grand prize winner will be announced next year on the Cycle Computing site.

About Cycle Computing: Cycle Computing, a bootstrapped, profitable software company, delivers proven, secure and flexible utility supercomputing software and services since 2005. Cycle helps clients maximize existing HPC infrastructure and speed computations on servers, virtual machines, and on-demand in the cloud. Thanks to our CycleServer HPC management software and our CycleCloud fully-supported & secured HPC clusters, Cycle clients experience faster time-to-market, decreased operating costs, and unprecedented service & support. Starting with three initial Fortune 100 clients, Cycle has grown to deploy proven implementations at Fortune 500s, SMBs and government and academic institutions including JP Morgan Chase, Purdue University, Pfizer and Lockheed Martin.

�
Media Contact:
Laura Anderson
Articulate Communications Inc.
landerson@articulatecomms.com
212.255.0080, ext. 11

SOURCE: Cycle Computing

mailto:landerson _AT _articulatecomms.com

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