BW5012 JUN 24,2003 5:15 PACIFIC 08:15 EASTERN     Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers     ROSLYN HEIGHTS, N.Y.--(<a href=www.businesswire.com>BUSINESS WIRE)--June 24, 2003-- Study Results to Be Presented June, 28, 2003 at the 81St General Session of the International Association of Dental Research Goteborg, Sweden     Ortek Therapeutics Inc. announced today that CaviStat(TM), a new cavity fighting agent, was significantly more effective than fluoride in reducing cavities in a two-year 726 patient toothpaste study. The findings of this clinical trial will be presented at the 81st General Session of the International Association of Dental Research, Goteborg, Sweden on June 28, 2003. According to the study, children who brushed with a CaviStat toothpaste had 96% fewer cavities than children who brushed with fluoride toothpastes. This study, which was sponsored by Ortek, was conducted by researchers at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and the University of Central Venezuela in Caracas.     CaviStat is the first in a new class of cavity fighting compounds that can counter the production of harmful plaque acids while simultaneously promoting remineralization of the teeth. CaviStat contains the amino acid, arginine, in conjunction with bicarbonate and calcium carbonate. These components are food grade, and unlike fluoride, are safe for young children to swallow in a toothpaste and can be added to candies and gum. This is a very important additional benefit of CaviStat since excessive ingestion of fluoride during early childhood can cause dental fluorosis, a discoloring of the permanent teeth. In fact, to reduce the risk of fluorosis for children aged 6 or under, the Center for Disease Control, in an August 2001 report on fluoride use, recommended that toothpaste manufacturers develop a "child-strength" toothpaste with lower concentrations of fluoride.     Cavities are still one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide. It affects people of all age groups. This infectious disease occurs when bacteria on tooth surfaces convert sugars to harmful acids that dissolve the teeth over time. CaviStat(TM) is designed to interrupt this process. Alongside the acid-producing bacteria are other bacteria that metabolize arginine and produce base, which neutralizes the cavity forming acids. This elevated pH environment also promotes absorption of calcium back into the teeth, a process called remineralization.     CaviStat, which is based on over 30 years of research on saliva's substantial role in preventing tooth decay, was developed by Dr Israel Kleinberg, Distinguished Professor and Chairman of the Department of Oral Biology and Pathology at Stony Brook University. Dr Israel Kleinberg said, "CaviStat represents a new direction in the battle against tooth decay. This unique compound can be very beneficial for children and for the millions of adults who are prone to root cavities due to poor saliva production. Reduced saliva flow, which often results in a rapid rise in the development of cavities, is caused by hundreds of prescription and non prescription drugs, cancer therapies and Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease."     Ortek Therapeutics, Inc. was granted exclusive worldwide licensing rights to CaviStat by the Research Foundation of the State University of New York. Ortek's President, Mitchell Goldberg said, "There has been little innovation in the fight against tooth decay since the introduction of fluoride more than five decades ago. Based on the findings of this study and the large amount of laboratory data, we expect that CaviStat will eventually replace fluoride in the $5 billion worldwide toothpaste market. We are currently evaluating regulatory strategies to commercialize CaviStat as quickly as possible."

    STUDY RESULTS EXPLAINED     Objective: Effect of an arginine bicarbonate/calcium carbonate (CaviStat) dentifrice on caries development in 11-12 year olds was assessed over two years.     Methods: 726 Venezuelan children (DMFT between 3 and 6) were examined by one calibrated examiner at baseline, 6 months, and 1 and 2 years using probing and DMFS scoring. The children were divided into two groups and 321 test and 331 control subjects completed the study. The test group received the CaviStat(TM) dentifrice and the controls used a commercially available fluoride paste. All subjects were instructed to brush three times a day for 1 minute followed by swishing for 30 seconds.     Results: After 6 months, the DMFS rose only slightly in both groups being 6.93+/-3.70 in the controls and 6.59+/-3.77 in the test subjects (p is less than 0.05). But at one year, the control DMFS rose to 8.00+/-4.18 whereas the test group DMFS decreased to 5.50+/-4.15 (p is less than 0.000) suggesting remineralization. At two years, the control DMFS leveled off (7.29+/-5.17) whereas test subject scores rose (6.59+/-4.93). DMFS difference was still significant (p is less than 0.05). Lesion size, not accounted for in DMFS scores, evidently increased much more in the controls during this time. DMFS rise from baseline after two years was only +0.03 in the experimental subjects but +0.87 in the controls. The test dentifrice was 96.6% better than the fluoride paste. DMFS scores for the anteriors, premolars and molars identified the contributions of each and the significance of eruption times in their DMFS patterns. DMFS reductions seen in the experimental subjects occurred mostly in the first molars. Later erupting premolars and second molars showed a progressive DMFS rise in controls and a delay and lesser rise in the experimentals.     Conclusion: A CaviStat containing toothpaste was much more effective at reducing the rate of dental caries development than a fluoride toothpaste control. Supported by Ortek Therapeutics, Inc.     About Ortek: Ortek Therapeutics, Inc., a private company, headquartered in Roslyn Heights, New York, is a fully integrated specialty pharmaceutical company primarily engaged in developing and commercializing proprietary products for the treatment of dental disorders. Ortek currently sells ProClude(R), a desensitizing prophylaxis paste, which is only available and applied by dental professionals (visit www.Proclude.com.).

--30--RS/ny*

CONTACT: Ortek Therapeutics Inc.
         Mitchell Goldberg, 516-484-4500
KEYWORD: NEW YORK VENEZUELA SWEDEN INTERNATIONAL LATIN AMERICA

EUROPE INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MEDICAL PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCT SOURCE: Ortek Therapeutics Inc.

E. EDUARDO CASTILLO, <a href=www.sfgate.com>Associated Press Writer
Friday, June 20, 2003
(06-20) 13:02 PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) --

The number of international observers registered to monitor the July midterm congressional elections is substantially lower than in past years -- a drop election officials attributed to decreased concerns about fraud following President Vicente Fox's election.

For decades, voters at home and observers abroad had little confidence in the electoral process. The Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, which governed the country for 71 consecutive years, was widely known for buying votes, coercing voters and stuffing ballot boxes.

During the PRI's reign, hundreds of observers from all over the globe, mostly from non-governmental human rights organizations, flocked to Mexico to oversee the elections.

In July 2000, the most recent presidential balloting, 860 observers from 58 countries witnessed the balloting. Despite the ever-present fears of fraud, however, that election was won by Vicente Fox, the first opposition presidential candidate to defeat the PRI since the party was founded in 1929.

One of Fox's biggest priorities has been to complete Mexico's transition from a country that critics once called a "perfect dictatorship" to a full democracy, revamping public institutions, opening government information to public scrutiny, and promising to maintain free and fair elections.

Two and a half years later, both the number and the nature of the international election observers has changed.

The monitors who plan to watch the July 6 elections are "more interested in the details of the electoral operation than ... guaranteeing their honesty," said Manuel Carrillo, director of international affairs for Mexico's Federal Electoral Institute.

This year, 65 percent of the accredited international observers are election officials, whereas in 2000, that percentage was made up by representatives of non-governmental organizations who monitor potential human rights abuses, Carrillo said. This year, non-governmental agencies represent only 4 percent of the total monitors, he said.

The overall number of observers also has dropped substantially from past years: In 1994, 950 foreign visitors from 40 countries watched the presidential elections, while in the midterm elections of 1997, 360 observers attended from 33 nations. This year, only 51 observers from 17 countries have been accredited, Carrillo said.

This year's monitors will hail from India, the United States, Canada, Guatemala, Venezuela, Colombia and Puerto Rico, Carrillo said.

In the election, all 500 congressional seats as well as several governorships and a host of municipal seats are up for grabs.

The Japan Times OnlineBy JANE REES Love was in the air a few days ago on the sun-kissed Hawaiian island of Maui when Tokyo's Taro Koki took as his bride the lovely and glamorous Malena Carolina Bello Bolivar of Tokyo and Caracas, Venezuela.

The wedding took place at the scenic Sky Ranch, holiday home of Sky Lewis, who generously made it available for the late-afternoon nuptials. Breathtaking beauty surrounded the trellised marriage arbor bedecked with fragrant plumeria blossoms, gentle waves crested on the Pacific shore below the terraced gardens, and now and then soft tropical showers blessed the newlyweds. (The Greeks have a phrase for wedding-day rain: "Showers promise fertility for the good earth and also for the bride and groom.")

Friends and relatives of Malena and Taro arrived from far and wide to celebrate with the happy pair. Accidental guests included inquisitive neighbors as well as the stern but good-natured local police, who made sure that the "drop-ins" behaved. Never mind, Taro's adorable kimono-clad mother, Eiko, and courtly father, Takamitsu, graciously bowed to the uninvited, while Taro presented the leader of the local group with a beautiful flower lei. Very nice.

Meanwhile, all the guests were also merrily given ceremonial white plumeria wedding leis by the bride's niece Fabiana Lucas and nephew Guillermo Andres Lucas. The youngsters were accompanied to the wedding by their parents, Fabiola (Malena's sister) and Guillermo Sr. In addition, Senora Elena Bolivar, the very beautiful mother of Malena, came from Caracas to see her daughter married in Maui. Malena is, of course you all must know, a highly successful fashion model. . . . She was attended by her sister and Taro's sister Yoko, along with Frances Van Rensburg (another Tokyo model), who comes from South Africa.

I do declare, I have never seen so many good-looking people all in one place. I know that I have told you before that Taro and Malena have been nicknamed the "movie star" couple by Japan's famous artist Toko Shinoda.

Taro is as charming as he is good-looking; he is also the enterprising founder and president of Zigzag Asia. Takamitsu Koki was dispatched three different times by Mitsui Bussan to the U.S., and Taro attended school in New York, Houston and Chicago, returning to Japan and then graduating from Waseda University.

His friends also came from all over to attend the wedding. Francisco Gomez de la Torres, a Houston classmate of Taro's, was best man. Born in Ecuador, Francisco now lives in San Francisco. Masa Kuji, another classmate of Taro's and an usher at the wedding, and his bride, Naomi, have just bought a house in Palos Verdes, Calif.

As the sun was setting over the Pacific Ocean, some gorgeous hula dancers wriggled and swayed . . . and then all those handsome men I have been writing about took to the floor and hulaed away. It was some party to remember. Norman Tolman flew in from Boston, and caused a stir in a fabulous summer kimono. He, too, wanted to join the hula dancers, but the kimono wouldn't wriggle.

Until the next time . . .

The Japan Times: June 7, 2003

<a href=www.hispanicbusiness.com>HISPANIC BUSINESS June 4, 2003 Susan T. Port

Things weren't so good in the first quarter of this year for television advertising. That is, unless your shows were in Spanish. According to ratings firm Nielsen Media Research, ad spending on Spanish-language TV was up 15 percent nationwide in the first quarter of 2003, the highest increase of all media forms. Network and cable television recorded overall declines of 5 percent in the quarter. Figures like that are spurring local broadcasters to cater to the exploding Hispanic population by launching weekly Spanish-language entertainment, political and news programs. "It's not just a niche market," said Jatni Blandon, a partner in Lake Worth's Extra Hispano Productions. "It's a big piece of the pie." The first such local show was launched this year by WPTV-Channel 5, the local NBC affiliate. Hablando con la Comunidad features a weekly news roundup, interviews with community leaders and politicians, and commercials -- all in Spanish. Even with a difficult time slot -- 5 a.m. Sundays -- the show, which debuted in January, has been able to garner a strong following, said Bill Peterson, WPTV's general manager. He admits it's not the best time for the show, but it is rebroadcast on the Palm Beach County and West Palm Beach government stations throughout the week. "We were approached by the Spanish community, saying there really was no outlet for them," Peterson said. "They asked us if we would produce a program. We really wanted to find a way to serve the audience, but we didn't know how to do it. "A Spanish-language program on an English-language station doesn't necessarily make a whole lot of sense. But this works." So well, it seems, that WPTV now finds itself with some company. Riviera Beach-based WBWP-Channel 57, an independent station that debuted May 19, inaugurated a Spanish-language program on May 24. La Vida en Florida is a two-hour show airing at 2 p.m. Saturdays that focuses on entertainment, style, religious, personal finance and other issues affecting the local Hispanic community, said Nicole Teufel, spokeswoman and account executive for the station. "They cover a little bit of everything," Teufel said. The show is hosted by Daisy Cedeno (a morning radio host on Radio Fiesta WWRF-AM 1380's Buena Onda) and Jose Uzal, editor of El Latino Semanal. And in April, WWHB-Channel 48 of Stuart began airing Que Pasa? Palm Beach, a weekly show hosted by Dayana Rooks that focuses on area cultural happenings. Rooks, whose father was a radio personality in her native Venezuela, has been doing a gossip show on WPSP-1190 AM for four years. "There was no Spanish television in Palm Beach County or the Treasure Coast," Rooks said. "And there is a growing community here." Later this month, WWHB, an affiliate of Azteca America, the U.S. division of Mexico's TV Azteca, will begin airing Recetas de Mi Tierra, a cooking, health and exercise program. Blandon, whose Extra Hispano Productions is producing the show, said a local news program also is in the works. WWHB station owner Bill Brothers said he is aiming to air 12 hours of original Spanish-language programming by the end of the year, which Adelphia Communications Corp., the major cable provider in the area, has said it plans to carry once it finds space. Experts say it shouldn't be a surprise that media outlets are adding more Spanish programming. "It's a recognition of the growing Hispanic marketplace," said Mark Fratrik, vice president of BIA Financial Network, a Chantilly, Va.-based media consulting firm. "Advertisers are particularly interested in it. Hispanic incomes are going up." Fratrik said the future of Spanish television is bright, citing as evidence NBC's buyout of Telemundo, and that Univision is the highest-rated TV station in the Miami market. Also, the 2000 Census numbers were a wake-up call for area broadcasters, who didn't realize the Hispanic community had grown so much, he said. The census showed 140,675 Hispanics in Palm Beach County, with Mexicans and Cubans at the top of the list. The tally was 9,506 and 15,733 Hispanics in Martin and St. Lucie counties, respectively. So far, WPTV's Hablando con la Comunidad hasn't been a big moneymaker, though it has gotten advertising from area heavyweights like Fidelity Federal Bank & Trust. "We don't have delusions of grandeur," Peterson said. "We're not offering 24 hours a day of Spanish-language programming. We are offering one half-hour a week.… For those involved, it's a labor of love. People who are involved do other things; they just made the time in their weekly schedules to make this program happen." WPTV's half-hour program has three community hosts, including Helman Ruiz, news director at Radio Fiesta; Ricardo Casas, editor of El Mambi; and Mirta Luaces of Florida Pennysaver. The Florida Pennysaver is owned by Palm Beach Newspapers Inc., the parent of The Palm Beach Post. At WPTV, Lourdes Carrera is producing the show, Tony Araujo is handling interviews and Tania Rogers is doing Spanish news roundups. WPTV News Director Peter Roghaar said the show focuses on issues from schools to health insurance to community integration. "It's a wide-ranging spectrum, and it's all done in Spanish," he said. "As the demographic continues to change here in Palm Beach County, we are trying to reach out to it." Roghaar said at some point down the road the station might reevaluate the show's time slot. Ruiz, a community host, said the show is a necessity. "We need more local programs on TV in Spanish," Ruiz said. "Nobody takes care of the local community like people involved in the community." Rogers, an anchor and reporter for WPTV, said her mother, Diana, a native of Panama, doesn't mind waking up early to watch the program and tells all her Spanish-speaking friends to do so, too. "She said she watched it and loved it," said Rogers, who is bilingual. "The Hispanic community is growing very quickly. (The show) is something positive. It's something that reaches out to them."

Source: (c) 2003, The Palm Beach Post, Fla. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

By Art Jacobson, Miami's Community Newspapers Online

Leonardo Orma, manager of the BellaVista Bakery/Café, says that sandwiches are available made with a many different kinds of bread. In Venezuela, bakeries and cafes operated by the Malventano family have been popular for more than 40 years. For much of that time, Marco Malventano and Hiroshi Harada have been good friends.

Both now live in Miami and have brought a tasty part of Venezuela with them. They are partners in the Bella Vista Bakery/Cafe, at 10455 NW 41st St., a favorite place with Doral residents and workers for buying baked goods, coffee, lunch, dinner and light refreshments

It all started in 1999 when they purchased a factory formerly used by the Andalusia Bakery chain near the airport. In addition to serving wholesale customers, they opened a small retail shop. Word spread quickly about the delicious breads, cakes, pastries and other items available. At the same time, the partners noticed how rapidly Doral was growing and decided to open a larger retail store there. The result was Bella Vista Bakery/Cafe.

Martha Palacio shows off one of the luscious cakes, plus the many breads, pies and pastries available at the BellaVista Bakery.

“When we planned this store, we had no idea that Doral would become such a popular place to live for people from Venezuela,” said Harada. “We realized that the area had a lot of potential and that it was attracting people from many different countries. We are pleased that we decided to locate here and that people in the area like what we have to offer.”

The 3,100 square foot bakery/cafe has several well-decorated retail and food service counters, plus tables and chairs spread throughout to form intimate and cozy dining areas. The focal point is a colossal bakery counter where patrons may choose from a broad assortment of breads, cakes, pies and pastries.

Although they don’t have all items available all of the time, Bella Vista features 20 different kinds of bread. Among them are rustico, French, campesino, sweet, cheese, guava, baguettes and corn. The most popular is rustico, a European-style bread that has a hard shell crust and is soft on the inside.

The bakery produces cakes in more than 40 different flavors, including charlot, fruit, dama real, Napoleon, St. Onore, Mont Blanc and strawberry. Harada says their chocolate, caramel, mousse and cheesecakes are the best sellers and that they are available in four sizes priced from $11 to $60.

“We make so many different kinds of pastries, it’s hard to count them all; there’s certainly more than 100,” he said. “We have European, Italian, French, and Latin pastries in both sweet and salty varieties such as tequeños, pastelitos, pizzitas, mil hojas, cannoli, tiramisu, tarts and bignets. We also sell pies in six flavors.”

But that’s not all. Bella Vista offers a buffet at lunchtime with a wide variety of hot and cold entrees, including chicken, beef, pork and fish, plus vegetables and salads. You may also choose from deli sandwiches of all kinds, plus cachitos, a European delicacy popular in Venezuela made with strudel dough and filled with ham, cheese, apple, meat, chicken, guava and other scrumptious ingredients.

Bella Vista is also one of Miami-Dade’s premiere wholesale suppliers of bakery goods to hotels and restaurants. Among its customers are the Holiday Inn, Hyatt Regency, Hilton, Eden Roc, Inter-Continental, Crowne Plaza, Wyndham, and Renaissance hotels. It also serves many of South Florida’s most fashionable restaurants, such as Mezzaluna, Rosinella, Grill Fish, Gastronomia, Fratello, Ludos, Sports Cafe and Cafe Bola.

At the same time, Bella Vista caters breakfast and luncheon meetings for companies and organizations around Doral and provides catering services for several airlines.

The Doral store is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.  Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information, call 305-718-6668.