Is this cancer-cure research discovery the real deal?

 Wistar’s Maureen Murphy and Penn’s Donna George are working
with GlaxoSmithKline on an experimental cancer treatment.

How many times have stories like the one to follow raised our hopes
only later to let them down. Let’s hope this time might be different.

The headline in yesterday’s Philadelphia Business Journal reads:  
GSK, Penn, Wistar say they’ve found cancer’s ‘Achilles heel’ 

In the story, PBJ Senior Reporter John George writes:
 

A trio of scientists have started working with researchers at GlaxoSmithKline on a potential cure for cancer. In fact, they believe they’ve found the diseases’ “Achilles heel.” 
Last month, GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) selected a Wistar/Penn project for its 2014 Discovery Fast Track Challenge program, which was created to accelerate the development of new medicines.
The project was submitted by: Maureen Murphy, a Wistar professor and program leader of the institute’s molecular and cellular oncogenesis program; Donna George, a Penn associate professor of genetics; and Julie Leu, an assistant professor in genetics at Penn. It was the only research project involving Philadelphia-area scientists selected for GSK’s two-year-old Discovery Fast Track Challenge. GSK chose 14 research project proposals for the program from 428 entries from researchers in 26 countries.
Targeting cells cancer needs to survive
The Penn/Wistar scientists are looking to develop a drug that targets a stress-induced protein, called Heat Shock Protein 70 or HSP70, that’s found in low levels in normal cells, but is over-expressed in most tumor cells. 
“Normal cells don’t need HSP70 to survive, but cancer cells do,” Murphy said. It’s the Achilles heel of cancer.” 
The protein, Murphy explained, is linked to autophagy, which is the process through which the body in times of stress promotes survival by self-digestion. Cancer cells use the same process to survive. 
“If you limit autography, normal cells will live for a time,” Murphy said. “Cancer cells will die immediately. 

Is this cancer-cure research discovery the real deal? Read More »

Abner Silver, 79, traded legal career for cheesesteaks

                                                                 Photo: MICHAEL KLEIN – Philly.com

How could anyone not read the obituary in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer that carried that headline? We couldn’t.

It turns out that Mr. Silver was the owner of the iconic, black-and-white-tiled Jim’s Steaks at 4th and South Street in Philadelphia–a location that many of our readers no doubt have visited, or at least passed by, since it appeared in the late 1970’s.

Mr. Silver and his then business partner picked the location because the then colorful South Street–a haven for hippies and tourists–was a natural for cheesesteaks, already a favorite thanks to Pat’s and Geno’s in South Philadelphia.

Mr. Silver loved cheesesteaks, one of his sons, Kenneth, recalls, “because of how relevant and how meaningful they are to Philly.”

Mr. Silver loved the city and it’s favorite tourist food.  He did not love practicing the law.

A lesson for us all?  Follow your passion–and your stomach–like Abner Silver.

Read the full obituary here 

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Abner Silver, 79, traded legal career for cheesesteaks Read More »

DuPont forming spinoff to clean up NJ Superfund sites

The federal government is seeking damages for the pollution caused by the munitions plant DuPont
operated in Pompton Lakes, NJ for decades.  CHRIS PEDOTA/PHOTOGRAPHER 

"DuPont plans to create a spinoff company that would take on the environmental liability for about 190 contaminated sites across the country, including DuPont’s former munitions facility in Pompton Lakes, one of its most costly cleanup sites," James M. O’Neil reported yesterday in The Record.

"The change is not expected to slow progress on cleanups in the short term, state and federal officials said. But it raises longer-term questions about whether the move could insulate DuPont from future cleanup and natural resource damage claims, particularly if the spinoff, called the Chemours Co., developed financial problems.

"DuPont said in recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the new company would be financially sound. It said the environmental liabilities for the 190 sites is estimated at nearly $300 million, including $87 million in expected cleanup costs for Pompton Lakes. Those costs are not expected to have much impact on the new company’s financial position, liquidity or ability to operate, DuPont said.

"But DuPont also cautioned that “expenditures are subject to considerable uncertainty.” The company acknowledged that cleanup and other liability costs could climb to more than $1 billion."


Related environmental news stories:

DuPont’s Chemours spinoff also cuts away cleanup bills – The News Journal
DuPont Names Spin-off ‘Chemours’ – The Biological SCENE

DuPont forming spinoff to clean up NJ Superfund sites Read More »

Scheduled energy, environment bills in NJ – Jan 12-15


The New Jersey Legislature gets back to work this week after the holiday break.

The Senate Environment and Energy Committee will meet at 10 a.m., Monday, in Room 10 of the State House Annex, to consider:
 
A-1958  Riley, C.M. (D-3); Chivukula, U.J. (D-17); Wilson, G.L. (D-5)
Concerns permits, letters of exemption, and enforcement with regard to agricultural activities under "Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act".
Related Bill: S-1848
   
S-573  Smith, B. (D-17); Sweeney, S.M. (D-3)
Establishes certain apprentice hunting licenses.
Related Bill: A-2443
    
S-699  Kyrillos, J.M. (R-13)
Authorizes hunting of game animals every day of the week during hunting season.
 
S-1420  Beach, J. (D-6); Whelan, J. (D-2)
Requires paint producers to implement or participate in a paint stewardship program.
Related Bill: A-1603
  
S-1683  Oroho, S.V. (R-24); Bucco, A.M. (R-25)
Authorizes Sunday bow hunting on federal military installations.
Related Bill: A-394
 
S-1848  Allen, D.B. (R-7)
Concerns permits, letters of exemption, and enforcement with regard to agricultural activities under "Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act".
Related Bill: A-1958
  
S-2166  Lesniak, R.J. (D-20)
"Comprehensive Regulated Grease Recycling Act."
 
S-2492  Oroho, S.V. (R-24); Sweeney, S.M. (D-3)
Removes statutory limitation on number of permits that may be issued by Division of Fish and Wildlife for the taking of beaver.
Related Bill: A-2410
    
S-2660  Smith, B. (D-17); Bateman, C. (R-16)
Creates Office of Sustainability.
Related Bill: A-4047 
____________________________________________________________________________

Here’s the committee lineup for Thursday, Jan. 15:

SENATE STATE GOVERNMENT, WAGERING, TOURISM & HISTORIC PRESERVATION
1:00 PM – Committee Room 7, 2nd Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ
 
S-72  Stack, B.P. (D-33); Oroho, S.V. (R-24)
Requires certain State oversight of budgets of regional sewerage authorities.
      
 
ASSEMBLY AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
2:00 PM – Committee Room 15, 4th Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ
 
A-3318  Schaer, G.S. (D-36); Webber, J. (R-26)
Expands definition of "acquisition," for purposes of county and municipal open space trust funds, to include demolition, removal of debris, and restoration of lands being acquired.
Related Bill: S-707
    
 
ASSEMBLY ENVIRONMENT AND SOLID WASTE
2:00 PM -  Committee Room 9, 3rd Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ
 
A-1763  McKeon, J.F. (D-27); Chivukula, U.J. (D-17); Stender, L. (D-22); Gusciora, R. (D-15); Vainieri Huttle, V. (D-37)
Clarifies intent of P.L.2007, c.340 regarding NJ’s required participation in Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Related Bill: S-151
      
A-2514  McKeon, J.F. (D-27)
Allows installation of solar arrays by municipalities on preserved open space in certain circumstances.
Related Bill: S-1138
      
A-3548  Schaer, G.S. (D-36); Spencer, L.G. (D-29); Simon, D.M. (R-16)
Requires local governments and authorities to obtain financing cost estimate required to be provided by NJ Environmental Infrastructure Trust for certain projects.
Related Bill: S-2354
 
A-3583  Eustace, T.J. (D-38)
Prohibits retrofitting diesel-powered vehicles to increase particulate emissions for the purpose of "coal rolling"; prohibits the practice of "coal rolling".
Related Bill: S-2418
      
S-151  Sweeney, S.M. (D-3); Smith, B. (D-17); Barnes III, P.J. (D-18)
Clarifies intent of P.L.2007, c.340 regarding NJ’s required participation in Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Related Bill: A-1763
     
S-1138  Codey, R.J. (D-27)
Allows installation of solar arrays by municipalities on preserved open space in certain circumstances.
Related Bill: A-2514
      
S-2418  Greenstein, L.R. (D-14); Gordon, R.M. (D-38)
Prohibits retrofitting diesel-powered vehicles to increase particulate emissions for the purpose of "coal rolling"; prohibits the practice of "coal rolling".
Related Bill: A-3583
      

important graphic
 

Recent Blog Posts: 
NJDEP taking steps to curb sewage runoff into streams
DRPA preparing to sell off its RiverLink ferry service 
Pa environmentalists set hopes high for Gov-elect Wolf
EPA to balky states: Clean up plant emissions or we will
Missing valuable energy and environment posts?
A bold Pittsburgh move by Philly law firm, Blank Rome 

Scheduled energy, environment bills in NJ – Jan 12-15 Read More »

NJDEP taking steps to curb sewage runoff into streams

sewage pipe2

New Jersey is taking steps to address its long-running problems with water quality by dealing with the pollution that flows into New Jersey’s waterways when heavy rainfall leads to raw sewage being dumped into surface water, Tom Johnson reports in NJ Spotlight.

“In the next few weeks, the state Department of Environmental Protection will issue final permits for 25 municipalities and regional sewage authorities to develop long-term strategies to deal with the problem. The issue has long been recognized by policymakers, but largely neglected, partly due to the huge cost, which could run to tens of billion dollars, according to some projections.

“Most of the so-called combined sewer-overflow systems (CSOs) — lines that direct both sewage and storm water to regional treatment facilities — are in the New York-New Jersey Harbor region. Overall, there are 217 CSO outfalls in the state covered by the draft permits, according to the DEP.

“When it rains heavily, the CSO systems cannot handle both the sewage going to wastewater treatment plants and storm runoff, both of which go through the same pipelines.

“Each year, more than 7 billion gallons of raw sewage are dumped into New Jersey’s waterways. Despite issuing the final permits in the next few weeks, the problem will not be quickly solved. The DEP is giving towns and authorities up to 5 years to develop strategies to reduce the problem, longer to figure out how to end the pollution.”

Read the full article here

Related environmental news stories:

The List: Top 10 Challenges to Keep Raw Sewage From Polluting NJ’s Water – NJ Spotlight
http://news.google.com Mon, 29 Sep 2014 05:43:44 GMT
The List: Top 10 Challenges to Keep Raw Sewage From Polluting NJ’s Water – NJ Spotlight During big storms, the aging infrastructure set up to treat wastewater often breaks down, spilling diluted raw sewage into the state’s rivers and the New York/New Jer .. Read more …

http://news.google.com Sat, 10 Jan 2015 15:11:55 GMT
2 N.J. bills would do more harm to environment than good: Opinion NJ.com
As an example, there are approximately 200 Combined Sewer Overflow points in New Jersey — many that are owned or operated by local governments — that release billions of gallons … Read more ..

Fallout from sewer main break: Don’t fish off Jersey City coast, DEP says – NJ.com
http://news.google.com Fri, 21 Nov 2014 23:13:27 GMT
Fallout from sewer main break: Don’t fish off Jersey City coast, DEP says.Because of a ruptured sewer main in Jersey City, the state Department of Environmental Protection is advising the public to temporarily avoid direct contact with and …Read more …


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Recent Blog Posts:
DRPA preparing to sell off its RiverLink ferry service
Pa environmentalists set hopes high for Gov-elect Wolf
EPA to balky states: Clean up plant emissions or we will  
Missing valuable energy and environment posts?  
A bold Pittsburgh move by Philly law firm, Blank Rome 

 

NJDEP taking steps to curb sewage runoff into streams Read More »

DRPA preparing to sell off its RiverLink ferry service

 
A 2003 Camden-bound RiverLink ferry crossing from Phila.

“At its first meeting of 2015, the Delaware River Port Authority’s Finance Committee voted
to recommend the sale of the RiverLink Ferry to a joint venture between the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation and the Cooper’s Ferry Partnership for $300,000,” Jim Saksa reports in PlanPhilly.

"The sale is contingent on the DRPA Board of Commissioners’ approval at the next meeting, which is scheduled for Jan. 21. Before considering the motion to sell the RiverLink, which was not listed on the agenda prior to the meeting, the Finance Committee discussed the matter behind closed doors in an executive session. The committee approved the motion unanimously.

"DRPA CEO John Hanson said his staff and representatives from the DRWC-CFP joint venture have already agreed upon general terms for the sale of the ferry system, which operates between Penn’s Landing and the Camden Waterfront. The DRWC in Philadelphia and CFP in Camden are both nonprofit organizations charged with the development and revitalization of their respective sides of the Delaware River.

Read the full story here

important graphic
 


Recent Blog Posts:
Pa environmentalists set hopes high for Gov-elect Wolf
EPA to balky states: Clean up plant emissions or we will 
Missing valuable energy and environment posts? 
A bold Pittsburgh move by Philly law firm, Blank Rome 
Committee chairmen named in Pennsylvania House 

DRPA preparing to sell off its RiverLink ferry service Read More »