Digital DNA takes on SAT Exam Cheating

As New York lawmakers consider a bill that would make cheating on the SAT a felony, one company thinks it has the answer to thwarting testing fraud: the "digitalDNA™ ID."

Stony Brook, NY - (February 03, 2011) -- Residents of New York State, and Long Island in particular, were in shock last November when dozens of students were arrested, accused of paying up to thousands of dollars each to have others take the all-important SAT college entrance exam for them.

"It was easy," one of the suddenly-rolling-in-dough test takers put it. "The IDs were school IDs. What is that? I just pasted my own picture into the ID and got in." The news galvanized lawmakers, who pledged to come up with cutting-edge ways to combat identity theft.

As New York lawmakers consider a bill that would make cheating on the SAT a felony, one company thinks it has the answer to thwarting testing fraud: the “digitalDNA™ ID.” No, it’s not the students’ DNA, if that’s what you are thinking-but the system does use plant DNA to encode ID information on the card. In addition, the card is stamped with a visible code called digitalDNA™. The plant DNA is verified in a lab if necessary, but most of the time, the visible "digitalDNA" code is scanned, using an iPhone with a proprietary app.

Dr. James Hayward, president and CEO of Long Island-based Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., said the "absolutely unbreakable" system features a counterfeit-proof identification card that uses segments of plant DNA to help authenticate a student's identity.

"This is a very affordable approach and it's one we think will become widespread as a consequence," he said. "And the beauty of DNA is that it would elevate any rapid screening to a forensic-level identification method that would [be upheld] in court."

Dr. Hayward presented the technology during a recent hearing before the New York Senate Higher Education Committee. He said Applied DNA, a public company that is affiliated with Stony Brook University's Center for Excellence in Wireless & Information Technology, is now in early discussions with officials at the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and The College Board, which administer the SAT.

On test day, the student presents the digitalDNA™ entry ID. The following then occurs:

- Code is scanned
- Identity data is retrieved from cloud
- 3-point identity comparison is conducted-student, database, ID card
Student can enter testing area only once
- Time and location recorded
"Roaming" students are quickly identified

For added security, a DNA-marked, fluorescing image is imprinted on the back of the card. The digitalDNA code is protected with a DNA marker. The cost of the program would be "pennies per card," Hayward said, and would ultimately be based on the number of authentications used by school officials.

"Botanical DNA markers transform SAT identification cards into robust evidentiary tools that can assist in criminal prosecution efforts,” Dr. Hayward continued. “The challenge is to ensure that actual, eligible, registered participants complete their exams. We are confident that digitalDNA can assist in achieving the goal of an effective, easy-to-use and affordable system for preventing testing fraud.

“The goal is preserving exam integrity and maintaining a level playing field for all participants, and the solution is enhanced preregistration in tandem with identity verification before and after exams,” he added.

To learn more, go to http://www.adnas.com.

About Applied DNA Sciences, Inc.

Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. sells patent-protected DNA security solutions to protect products, brands and intellectual property from counterfeiting and diversion. SigNature DNA is a botanical mark used to authenticate products in a unique manner that essentially cannot be copied, and provide a forensic chain of evidence that can be used to prosecute perpetrators. To learn more, go to http://www.adnas.com where APDN routinely posts all press releases.

Media Contact:
Janet Vasquez
Director of Corporate Communications
The Investor Relations Group
11 Stone Street, 3rd floor
New York, NY 10004
212-825-3210
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URALCHEM's Production in 2011 exceeds 5 Million Tonnes

URALCHEM OJSC announces operating results for the year 2011. The production volume of URALCHEM holding enterprises during 2011 increased by 5% compared to 2010.

Moscow, Russia - February 03, 2012 -- URALCHEM OJSC announces operating results for the year 2011. The production volume of URALCHEM holding enterprises during 2011 increased by 5% compared to 2010, amounting to a total of 5,093 million tonnes. The production of ammonium nitrate increased by 6%. Due to market conditions, the production of DAP was reduced in favour of increasing the production of more marketable MAP, the output of which increased by 31%. The production of other types of fertilisers grew by 82% due to the increase of sales of new fertiliser products and the start of their export sales. The production of other chemicals grew by 22% due to the increase in domestic sales of sulphuric and nitric acid, as well as the increase in sales of the products by the nitrite-nitrate salt division at the Azot Branch.

Dmitry Konyaev, CEO of URALCHEM, OJSC commented on the operating results for the year 2011: “In 2011, the production volume of URALCHEM enterprises exceeded 5 million tonnes for the first time. With the purchase of OJSC Minudobrenia in Perm the company will strengthen its position in the nitrogen market and will become the second largest producer of urea in Russia.”

-Ends-

PR department
URALCHEM, OJSC
Telephone: +7 (495) 721 89 89

PR representative in the UK and Ireland
Eva Smit
Tel: +44 (0) 7538 978986

URALCHEM, OJSC is one of the largest producers of nitrogen and phosphate fertilisers in Russia and the CIS with production capacities of over 2.5 million tonnes of ammonium nitrate, 2.8 million tonnes of ammonia, 0.8 million tonnes of MAP and DAP, 0.8 million tonnes of complex fertilisers and 1.2 million tonnes of urea. URALCHEM, OJSC is the second largest ammonium nitrate producer in the world and number one in Russia, the second largest producer of nitrogen fertilisers in Russia. Key production assets of URALCHEM, OJSC include Azot Branch of URALCHEM, OJSC in Berezniki, Perm Region; OJSC Minudobrenia, Perm; MFP Kirovo-Chepetsk Chemical Works, OJSC Branch in Kirovo-Chepetsk, Kirov region; Voskresensk Mineral Fertilisers, OJSC in Voskresensk, Moscow region.

Some of the information in this press release may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of URALCHEM. We wish to caution you that these statements are only predictions. We do not intend to update these statements and our actual results may differ materially from those contained in our projections or forward-looking statements, including, among others, the achievement of anticipated levels of profitability, growth, cost and synergy of our recent acquisitions, the impact of competitive pricing, the ability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals and licenses, the impact of developments in the Russian economic, political and legal environment, financial risk management and the impact of general business and global economic conditions.
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AAA welcomes timber investment article

An article in Money Morning, which talks about the benefits of investing in timber during economic downturns, has been welcomed by AAA.

Boston, MA, USA, February 03, 2012 -- An article in Money Morning, which talks about the benefits of investing in timber during economic downturns, has been welcomed by Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA).

The alternative investment advocacy group claims that Don Miller’s article makes some very important points about how investing in timber, and in alternatives in general, can help investors during difficult financial times.

“Miller talks about the fact that this is a real, tangible investment, that you can count on to grow," stated AAA’s analysis partner, Anthony Johnson.

As well as pointing out the average 14 per cent returns generated by timber investments in the period between 1987 and 2010, Miller’s piece also underlines the general consensus that timber demand is set to rise.

The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization, for example, forecasts that demand for wood should double by 2050, despite emerging trends such as paper recycling. The growth of economies like China and India is promoting this major growth and Western investors are reaping the benefits.

The demand will also be promoted by the growing use of wood as a renewable fuel source, and our use of timber as a building material will also increase as you reliance on man-made, unsustainable materials cools off.

AAA’s analysis partner, Anthony Johnson lent his support for Miller’s arguments, adding “Investing in timber offers great protection against inflation and a dependable source of income whenever you need it.”

“The great thing about buying trees is that if the timber prices aren't doing so well one year, you can sit tight and watch your investment physically grow bigger until you are ready to sell.”

AAA claims that something this measurable and tangible is attractive at a time when many are growing increasingly uncertain about investing in the stock markets. AAA supports projects run by firms like Greenwood Management, which offers investors the chance to buy up sections of sustainable plantations in Brazil.

About Alternative Asset Analysis:
The remit of Alternative Asset Analysis is to analyse and provide news on the global performance of a wide range of alternative asset classes including, but not restricted to, commodities, real estate, forestry, foreign exchange, hedge funds, private equity and venture capital.

Media Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596
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hSo Launches Partner Programme

hSo, the carrier-independent MPLS network provider, has launched a partner programme, providing ICT resellers access to its market leading network and cloud delivery services.

London, UK, February 03, 2012 -- hSo, the carrier-independent MPLS network provider, has launched a partner programme, providing ICT resellers access to its market leading network and cloud delivery services.

A solid delivery infrastructure is critical to any cloud strategy but implementing these networks can prove complicated. hSo steps in to allow organisations, including IT consultants and Software as a Service providers, to ensure that their projects prove successful.

hSo works closely alongside IT consultants and service providers as a delivery partner allowing them to implement their preferred end-to-end solution. As Graham Walmsley of Inspired Networks puts it, “hSo were the only company to listen to our requirements and come back with a bespoke solution that exactly matched our needs... furthermore, they were cost effective”.

The hSo Business Partner certification allows companies to expand their portfolio without taking on significant credit risk with multi-year end user contracts. Selling with hSo provides partners with an additional revenue stream along with a trusted service for their clients.

The hSo Resale Partner certification, aimed at resellers with an established managed network offering, provides a competitive, whole-of-market platform for MPLS networks and Cloud services. Partners purchase services from hSo and embed them in their solutions to their clients.

Brian Hudson, Managing Director of Performance Telecom, explains the benefits of working in this situation: “hSo offers end-to-end solutions, which optimise both quality and cost. It’s been a pleasure to work with a company with such expansive knowledge of delivering IP network solutions across the UK.”

hSo’s partner services include a number of industry firsts:

- hSo:compare-an online instant pricing tool with UK-wide coverage and extensive circuit options (including Ethernet, EFM, broadband).
- Carrier independence-ensuring that hSo partners have access to the most competitive - pricing options, regardless of the location of their customers
- A wide range of Cloud services including SIP trunks, virtualisation, SSL VPN, online storage available for free proof-of-concept implementations.

The partners’ access to the hSo:compare pricing tool means that they can create solutions for their customers in real-time and manage their own opportunities. The wide range of cloud services means they can create a complete solution for their customers with end to end accountability - a very important aspect of network-based services.

About the company:
hSo is one of only a handful of providers to combine its own MPLS network with other Tier 1 carriers, providing an end-to-end next generation solution to its partners and customers. In addition, a substantial investment in data centre platforms allows hSo to provide managed solutions across the full spectrum of voice, data and security backed by a single technical support centre.

Media Contact:
Shirin MacDonald
hSo
Epworth House
25 City Road
London EC1Y 1AA
+44 (0) 20 7847 4500
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Man In The Sea Memorial Monument at the Washington DC Navy Yard

The project team for the Man In The Sea Memorial Monument that will be installed at the Washington DC Navy yard, home of the original “Hard Hat Diving School” along the Anacostia River is proud to announce that they still have the 22” Bronze replicas of the monument available for purchase.

Bertram, TX, USA - February 03, 2012 -- The project team for the Man In The Sea Memorial Monument that will be installed at the Washington DC Navy yard, home of the original “Hard Hat Diving School” along the Anacostia River is proud to announce that they still have the 22” Bronze replicas of the monument available for purchase. These replicas are not mass produced, and exquisite detail is put into each and every one of these on a one by one basis. These fine collector statues are made here in America by the well known bronze sculptural artist and former Navy Submariner Jim H. Smith. Each replica takes hours to complete the attachments and details on the statue which in our opinion makes it a museum like quality for you to enjoy in your home or office.

Mr. Jeff West, the Military Diving Director said that “These replicas show in scale every item on the old hard hat rig (Jake) that was used by thousands of military divers, and displays what the actual full scale monument will look like once it is constructed”. Homeland Security Policy Institute Group, Inc. is a IRS approved 501c3 Non-Profit California corporation who has been in existence since 2003 working to help promote information sharing between the private and public sectors and assisting our law enforcement agencies and military veterans across the country in various ways.

In June of 2011 (HSPIG) got the approval from the US Navy to proceed with the fundraising efforts for the project. Mr. Kenneth Dreger, CEO said “This effort has taken thousands of man hours and years of effort by the team and the US Navy commands past and present but finally we made it!” No other monument to all military divers has undertaken the enormous effort to create a fully sanctioned memorial monument in the heart of Washington DC.

This monument will reside at the US Navy yard, home to the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) where it will stand along the Anacostia River and be open to the public soon after completion from the Anacostia River Walk that is being built in the nearby surroundings to the US Navy base. This will allow thousands of people every year to see this great monument and visit the WNY base as well as provide an area for the US Navy to have special events and greet foreign dignitaries at the monument.

Let us put you down for one of these fine replica statues today, the cost for one statue is approximately $3900 + Shipping and packaging and if you would like a solid 360 degree rotating mount just add in $200 for the granite base.

If you would like to donate to HSPIG, please visit our web site at http://www.hspig.org, we accept PayPal donations, checks, and various other items you may wish to donate to us so we can raise funds for the projects. We know these economic times are challenging for all of us, our donations are down and we need your help to achieve the goal of creating this monument. Your donations are tax deductible also.

Please help us in this funding effort, we need to raise $500,000 by this June to make our goals and get the statue commissioned and the architectural plans finalized with the US Navy and our architects HDR.

Please visit our web site to get more information on this great project at http://www.hspig.org.

Media Contact:
Kenneth Dreger
CEO
Homeland Security Policy Institute Group, Inc.
501 Whitewater Drive
Bertram Texas, 78605-4532
512-355-2858
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