Monthly Archives: March 2012

Mothers of kids with autism earn less

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By Kathleen Doheny HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, March 19 (HealthDay News) -- Mothers of children with autism and autism spectrum disorders earn significantly less than what mothers of children who have no health limitations earn, a new study has found.

These moms even earn less than mothers of children with other health limitations.

Mothers of children with autism earned, on average, less than $21,000 a year, the researchers found. That was 56 percent less than mothers whose children had no health limitations and 35 percent less than mothers whose children had other health limitations.

In addition, moms who have children with autism are 6 percent less likely to be employed, and work an average of seven hours less per week than mothers of children with no health limitations, the study found.

While the researchers did not find differences in fathers' incomes, the overall income in families that have children with autism suffers, said lead researcher David Mandell, associate director of the Center for Autism Research at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and associate director of the Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research at the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.

"Families of children with autism experience a 28 percent reduction in income compared to families with typically developing children," he said. The family incomes of parents whose children have autism is also less, 21 percent, than those whose children have other health limitations, Mandell found.

The study is published online March 19 and in the April print issue of Pediatrics.

For the study, Mandell and his colleagues looked at data from the 2002-2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. This ongoing survey of U.S. households collects detailed information on medical conditions, health services use and expenditure, and other data.

The researchers looked at 261 children with autism spectrum disorders, nearly 3,000 with other health limitations and more than 64,000 with no health limitations.

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Mothers of kids with autism earn less

Parents of Kids with Autism Earn Less

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Adriana Lara, a mother in Hutto, Texas, is not able to work because her 5-year old son Joshua has autism. Lara must stay home to give Joshua the care he needs, and to drive him to his therapy sessions five days a week.

"It's just impossible for me to be able to hold a job and do all these things with Josh," Lara, 31, said. The family depends on the salary of Lara's husband, a psychologist at a Veteran's Affairs hospital.

Joshua's therapies, including speech, music and occupational therapy, cost about $5,000 a month. Eighty-five percent of the cost is currently covered by a government grant, but the grant will run out this summer, and the family's insurance policy won't cover Joshua's therapies, Lara said.

"We dont know how we're going to afford it," Lara said. While public schools offer autism therapies, Joshua's school does not offer the type of intensive therapies he needs, Lara said. For instance, the therapies provided by Joshua's school are not one-on-one, Lara said.

A new study highlights the unique financial burden faced by families of children with autism, like Lara's. The burden is particularly significant for mothers, the study finds.

On average, mothers of autistic children earn $14,755 less per year than mothers of healthy children, and $7,189 less per year than mothers of children with other health conditions (such as asthma and ADHD) that limit their ability to engage in childhood activities, according to the study.

Despite the fact that they tend to have completed more years of education, mothers of autistic children are 6 percent less likely to be employed, and they work on average 7 hours less weekly than mothers of healthy children, the researchers say.

"We don't think that autism creates more of a strain on the family per se than other chronic conditions of childhood," said study researcher David Mandell, associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. "I think the reason these mothers are leaving the workforce is because the service system for children with autism is so fragmented," Mandell said.

Health care and workplace policies need to recognize the full impact of autism, and alleviate costs for the families with greatest needs, the researchers concluded, writing in the March 19 issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Higher bills, lower salaries

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Parents of Kids with Autism Earn Less

Mothers of Kids With Autism Earn Less, Study Shows

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MONDAY, March 19 (HealthDay News) -- Mothers of children with autism and autism spectrum disorders earn significantly less than what mothers of children who have no health limitations earn, a new study has found.

These moms even earn less than mothers of children with other health limitations.

Mothers of children with autism earned, on average, less than $21,000 a year, the researchers found. That was 56 percent less than mothers whose children had no health limitations and 35 percent less than mothers whose children had other health limitations.

In addition, moms who have children with autism are 6 percent less likely to be employed, and work an average of seven hours less per week than mothers of children with no health limitations, the study found.

While the researchers did not find differences in fathers' incomes, the overall income in families that have children with autism suffers, said lead researcher David Mandell, associate director of the Center for Autism Research at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and associate director of the Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research at the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.

"Families of children with autism experience a 28 percent reduction in income compared to families with typically developing children," he said. The family incomes of parents whose children have autism is also less, 21 percent, than those whose children have other health limitations, Mandell found.

The study is published online March 19 and in the April print issue of Pediatrics.

For the study, Mandell and his colleagues looked at data from the 2002-2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. This ongoing survey of U.S. households collects detailed information on medical conditions, health services use and expenditure, and other data.

The researchers looked at 261 children with autism spectrum disorders, nearly 3,000 with other health limitations and more than 64,000 with no health limitations.

About 67 percent of the children with autism had mothers who worked outside the home. About 92 percent of the kids with autism had working fathers.

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Mothers of Kids With Autism Earn Less, Study Shows

Cryo-Save Group N.V.: Revenue up 4% to EUR41.9 million

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Cryo-Save Group N.V. (Euronext: CRYO, Cryo-Save, or the Group), the leading international stem cell storage brand and the largest family stem cell bank in Europe, has published its financial results for the year ended 31 December 2011.

Financial highlights

Revenue up 4% to EUR41.9 million (2010: EUR40.4 million) Operating expenses before depreciation and amortisation increased with EUR1.6 million mainly due to further investments in Cryo-Lip() (EUR0.8 million) and acquisition impact (EUR0.7 million) EBITDA(*): EUR6.3 million (2010: EUR7.3 million) EBITA(**): EUR4.5 million (2010: EUR5.8 million) Operating profit: EUR2.9 million (2010: EUR4.5 million) Profit before taxation: EUR3.0 million (2010: EUR3.9 million) Net profit: EUR2.3 million (2010: EUR2.6 million) Basic earnings per share 25.0 euro cents (2010: 27.6 euro cents) Robust net cash from operating activities EUR6.2 million (2010: EUR 2.8 million) Solid cash position of EUR7.0 million as at 31 December 2011 (2010: EUR6.0 million) Dividend per share of EUR0.08, up 14% (2010: EUR0.07) () (*) EBITDA is defined as Earnings Before Interest, Taxation Depreciation and Amortisation (**) EBITA is defined as Earnings Before Interest, Taxation and Amortisation of identified intangible assets

Operational highlights

39,900 new samples stored in 2011, up 4% compared to previous year (2010: 38,300). Of these, 25,200 were new cord blood samples and 14,700 new cord tissue samples 204,000 samples have been stored in total at 31 December 2011 67% of new customers opt for combined service of cord blood and cord tissue storage Acquisition of Serbian distributor Life R.F. for EUR2.3 million in cash and 30,000 Cryo-Save shares Cryo-Save USA founded, to commercialize and develop the Cryo-Lip() service in North America Cryo-Save South Africa joint venture established and stem cell processing and storage laboratory opened in Cape Town together with John Daniel Holdings and Lazaron Biotechnologies A six-year-old girl from Portugal with Cerebral Palsy was treated at Duke University in the US with her own cord blood stem cells, which were stored and released by Cryo-Save

Outlook

* Cryo-Save has a strong strategic position and product portfolio to further enhance its business * Cryo-Save will continue to collaborate with new partners and make acquisitions in line with its strategy to grow in current markets as well as in new geographies * Promising developments continue in the use of stem cell technology in the treatment of diseases. Thus enhancing the added value of Cryo-Saves high- tech storage solutions of stem cells * Fast growing fields of cellular therapy and regenerative medicine offer further attractive market potential for Cryo-Save * The Group is confident it will continue to maintain its market leading position as the leading international stem cell storage brand and the largest family stem cell bank in Europe

Revenue increased with EUR1.4 million to EUR41.9 million, largely due to increased sales volumes in several countries, acquisitions and increased number of new cord tissue samples, partly offset by lower business volume in mainly Southern Europe. The impact of the economic crisis also resulted in a significantly lower number of births in almost all countries. An increasing demand for discounts on the service fee and instalment plans to facilitate the payment of the service fee has been another factor affecting revenue growth.

The gross profit margin decreased with 1% to 66.6%, among others due to an increased demand for higher reimbursements of the collection of the umbilical cord blood and cord tissue in the hospitals. The gross profit margin remained at the same level compared to the second half of 2010 (66.5%).

Operational expenses increased with EUR1.6 million due to incremental expenses related to Cryo-Lip() (EUR0.8 million), and the impact of the acquisitions of Tissue Bank Cryo Center Bulgaria AD ("TBCCB") and Life R.F. doo, Serbia ("Life") (EUR0.7 million).

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Cryo-Save Group N.V.: Revenue up 4% to EUR41.9 million

Huntington’s Disease – Stem Cell Therapy Potential

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Editor's Choice Academic Journal Main Category: Huntingtons Disease Also Included In: Stem Cell Research Article Date: 19 Mar 2012 - 10:00 PDT

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3 (1 votes)

However, according to a study published March 15 in the journal Cell Stem Cell, a special type of brain cell created from stem cells could help restore the muscle coordination deficits that are responsible for uncontrollable spasms, a characteristic of the disease. The researchers demonstrated that movement in mice with a Huntington's-like condition could be restored.

Su-Chun Zhang, a University of Wisconsin-Madison neuroscientist and the senior author of the study, said:

In the study Zhang, who is an expert in creating various types of brain cells from human embryonic or induce pluripotent stem cells, and his team focused on GABA neurons. The degradation of GABA cells causes the breakdown of a vital neural circuit and loss of motor function in individuals suffering from Huntington's disease.

According to Zhang, GABA neurons generate a vital neurotransmitter, a chemical that helps support the communication network in the brain that coordinates movement.

Zhang and his team at the UW-Madison Waisman Center, discovered how to generate large quantities of GABA neurons from human embryonic stem cells. The team's goal was to determine whether these cells would safely integrate into the brain of a mouse model of Huntington's disease.

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Huntington's Disease - Stem Cell Therapy Potential

Huntington's Disease – Stem Cell Therapy Potential

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Editor's Choice Academic Journal Main Category: Huntingtons Disease Also Included In: Stem Cell Research Article Date: 19 Mar 2012 - 10:00 PDT

email to a friend printer friendly opinions

Current Article Ratings:

4.5 (2 votes)

3 (1 votes)

However, according to a study published March 15 in the journal Cell Stem Cell, a special type of brain cell created from stem cells could help restore the muscle coordination deficits that are responsible for uncontrollable spasms, a characteristic of the disease. The researchers demonstrated that movement in mice with a Huntington's-like condition could be restored.

Su-Chun Zhang, a University of Wisconsin-Madison neuroscientist and the senior author of the study, said:

In the study Zhang, who is an expert in creating various types of brain cells from human embryonic or induce pluripotent stem cells, and his team focused on GABA neurons. The degradation of GABA cells causes the breakdown of a vital neural circuit and loss of motor function in individuals suffering from Huntington's disease.

According to Zhang, GABA neurons generate a vital neurotransmitter, a chemical that helps support the communication network in the brain that coordinates movement.

Zhang and his team at the UW-Madison Waisman Center, discovered how to generate large quantities of GABA neurons from human embryonic stem cells. The team's goal was to determine whether these cells would safely integrate into the brain of a mouse model of Huntington's disease.

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Huntington's Disease - Stem Cell Therapy Potential

Cryo-Save Group N.V.: Revenue up 4% to €41.9 million

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Cryo-Save Group N.V. (Euronext: CRYO, `Cryo-Save`, or `the Group`), the leading international stem cell storage brand and the largest family stem cell bank in Europe, has published its financial results for the year ended 31 December 2011.

Financial highlights

Revenue up 4% to 41.9 million (2010: 40.4 million) Operating expenses before depreciation and amortisation increased with 1.6 million mainly due to further investments in Cryo-Lip (0.8 million) and acquisition impact (0.7 million) EBITDA*: 6.3 million (2010: 7.3 million) EBITA**: 4.5 million (2010: 5.8 million) Operating profit: 2.9 million (2010: 4.5 million) Profit before taxation: 3.0 million (2010: 3.9 million) Net profit: 2.3 million (2010: 2.6 million) Basic earnings per share 25.0 euro cents (2010: 27.6 euro cents) Robust net cash from operating activities 6.2 million (2010: 2.8 million) Solid cash position of 7.0 million as at 31 December 2011 (2010: 6.0 million) Dividend per share of 0.08, up 14% (2010: 0.07)

* EBITDA is defined as Earnings Before Interest, Taxation Depreciation and Amortisation ** EBITA is defined as Earnings Before Interest, Taxation and Amortisation of identified intangible assets

Operational highlights

39,900 new samples stored in 2011, up 4% compared to previous year (2010: 38,300). Of these, 25,200 were new cord blood samples and 14,700 new cord tissue samples 204,000 samples have been stored in total at 31 December 2011 67% of new customers opt for combined service of cord blood and cord tissue storage Acquisition of Serbian distributor Life R.F. for 2.3 million in cash and 30,000 Cryo-Save shares Cryo-Save USA founded, to commercialize and develop the Cryo-Lip service in North America Cryo-Save South Africa joint venture established and stem cell processing and storage laboratory opened in Cape Town together with John Daniel Holdings and Lazaron Biotechnologies A six-year-old girl from Portugal with Cerebral Palsy was treated at Duke University in the US with her own cord blood stem cells, which were stored and released by Cryo-Save

Outlook

Revenue increased with 1.4 million to 41.9 million, largely due to increased sales volumes in several countries, acquisitions and increased number of new cord tissue samples, partly offset by lower business volume in mainly Southern Europe. The impact of the economic crisis also resulted in a significantly lower number of births in almost all countries. An increasing demand for discounts on the service fee and instalment plans to facilitate the payment of the service fee has been another factor affecting revenue growth.

The gross profit margin decreased with 1% to 66.6%, among others due to an increased demand for higher reimbursements of the collection of the umbilical cord blood and cord tissue in the hospitals. The gross profit margin remained at the same level compared to the second half of 2010 (66.5%).

Operational expenses increased with 1.6 million due to incremental expenses related to Cryo-Lip (0.8 million), and the impact of the acquisitions of Tissue Bank Cryo Center Bulgaria AD ("TBCCB") and Life R.F. doo, Serbia ("Life") (0.7 million).

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Cryo-Save Group N.V.: Revenue up 4% to €41.9 million

California's stem cell agency ponders its future

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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The creation of California's stem cell agency in 2004 was greeted by scientists and patients as a turning point in a field mired in debates about the destruction of embryos and hampered by federal research restrictions.

The taxpayer-funded institute wielded the extraordinary power to dole out $3 billion in bond proceeds to fund embryonic stem cell work with an eye toward treatments for a host of crippling diseases. Midway through its mission, with several high-tech labs constructed, but little to show on the medicine front beyond basic research, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine faces an uncertain future.

Is it still relevant nearly eight years later? And will it still exist when the money dries up?

The answers could depend once again on voters and whether they're willing to extend the life of the agency.

Several camps that support stem cell research think taxpayers should not pay another cent given the state's budget woes.

"It would be so wrong to ask Californians to pony up more money," said Marcy Darnovsky of the Center for Genetics and Society, a pro-stem cell research group that opposed Proposition 71, the state ballot initiative that formed CIRM.

Last December, CIRM's former chairman, Robert Klein, who used his fortune and political connections to create Prop 71, floated the possibility of another referendum.

CIRM leaders have shelved the idea of going back to voters for now, but may consider it down the road. The institute recently submitted a transition plan to Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature that assumes it will no longer be taxpayer-supported after the bond money runs out. CIRM is exploring creating a nonprofit version of itself and tapping other players to carry on its work.

"The goal is to keep the momentum going," board Chairman Jonathan Thomas said in an interview.

So far, CIRM has spent some $1.3 billion on infrastructure and research. At the current pace, it will earmark the last grants in 2016 or 2017. Since most are multi-year awards, it is expected to stay in business until 2021.

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California's stem cell agency ponders its future

California’s stem cell agency ponders its future

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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The creation of California's stem cell agency in 2004 was greeted by scientists and patients as a turning point in a field mired in debates about the destruction of embryos and hampered by federal research restrictions.

The taxpayer-funded institute wielded the extraordinary power to dole out $3 billion in bond proceeds to fund embryonic stem cell work with an eye toward treatments for a host of crippling diseases. Midway through its mission, with several high-tech labs constructed, but little to show on the medicine front beyond basic research, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine faces an uncertain future.

Is it still relevant nearly eight years later? And will it still exist when the money dries up?

The answers could depend once again on voters and whether they're willing to extend the life of the agency.

Several camps that support stem cell research think taxpayers should not pay another cent given the state's budget woes.

"It would be so wrong to ask Californians to pony up more money," said Marcy Darnovsky of the Center for Genetics and Society, a pro-stem cell research group that opposed Proposition 71, the state ballot initiative that formed CIRM.

Last December, CIRM's former chairman, Robert Klein, who used his fortune and political connections to create Prop 71, floated the possibility of another referendum.

CIRM leaders have shelved the idea of going back to voters for now, but may consider it down the road. The institute recently submitted a transition plan to Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature that assumes it will no longer be taxpayer-supported after the bond money runs out. CIRM is exploring creating a nonprofit version of itself and tapping other players to carry on its work.

"The goal is to keep the momentum going," board Chairman Jonathan Thomas said in an interview.

So far, CIRM has spent some $1.3 billion on infrastructure and research. At the current pace, it will earmark the last grants in 2016 or 2017. Since most are multi-year awards, it is expected to stay in business until 2021.

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California's stem cell agency ponders its future

Committee Calls for Framework to Assess the Safety of Nanotechnology Materials [Medical News & Perspectives]

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Nanotechnology develops materials at the molecular level, creating structures with the potential to dramatically advance a variety of fields such as energy, electronics, and medicine. But such materials may also have the potential to harm the environment and humans. In the meantime, only small steps have been taken in developing risk assessment tools and manufacturing standards.

In this uncertain environment, a committee created by the National Research Council (NRC)which is administered jointly by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicineissued a report January 25 providing an approach for developing the research strategies and scientific infrastructure needed to address potential health and environmental risks of nanomaterials (http://tinyurl.com /6w7fd4v). The report was requested by Congress and sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Innovations in nanotechnologysuch as these arrays of nanowires, which can be used for biosensing and manipulating cellsare expected to bring advances in

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Committee Calls for Framework to Assess the Safety of Nanotechnology Materials [Medical News & Perspectives]

Denver Zoo polar bear Soosha euthanized

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Soosha takes an interest in a photographer using the underwater observation area. The 25-year-old polar bear came to Denver in 1987. (Denver Post file)

A 25-year-old polar bear at the Denver Zoo was euthanized last week because of "severe" declining health, zoo officials announced Tuesday.

Soosha, a female bear, "began to show increased joint pain, decreased mobility and lethargy the past few months," the Denver Zoo said in a statement. "Although she received medications for her joint pain, she did not return to her normal self."

Eventually, Soosha began declining food and quit eating.

"It is always difficult to make this type of decision," Dr. Scott Larsen, the zoo's vice president of veterinary medicine, said in the statement. "As hard as it is, this was the right thing to do."

The typical longevity of polar bears is 20 to 25 years, the zoo said.

Multiple

View photos of polar bear Soosha's life at the Denver Zoo.

In 1987, Soosha arrived in Denver from Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, S.C., and she was one of the first residents of the Northern Shores exhibit.

The Denver Zoo remains home to Soosha's niece, Cranbeary, and Cranbeary's mate, Lee.

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Denver Zoo polar bear Soosha euthanized

Reality check on 'Hunger Games' tech

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Murray Close / Lionsgate / Everett Collection

Peacekeepers escort Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in a scene from "The Hunger Games."

By Alan Boyle

The technological divide between the rulers and the ruled is at the heart of "The Hunger Games": While the good guys struggle to survive, the bad guys employ fictional gee-whiz technologies inspired by real-life frontiers. And just as in real life, technology gets tripped up by unintended consequences.

That's not to say the post-apocalyptic North America of the book series and the much-anticipated movie, opening Friday, is anything close to real life. On one level, the technologies used by the villainous government of the nation known as Panem, ranging from force fields to extreme genetic engineering, serve as science-fiction plot devices and special effects. But on another level, the contrast between bows and arrows on one side, and death-dealing hovercraft on the other, accentuates the saga's David vs. Goliath angle or, in this case, Katniss vs. the Capitol.

Here are a few of the technological trends that provide the twists in "The Hunger Games," along with real-world analogs:

What? No cellphones? Much has been made of the fact that the starving, downtrodden residents of Panem's districts don't seem to have access to cellphones or the Internet. Instead, they have to huddle around giant television sets to find out what their overlords in the Capitol want them to see. But if you think of Panem as a fictional tweak of modern-day North Korea, "The Hunger Games" might not be that far off the mark: You've got a leadership capable of long-range missile launches, exercising virtually total control over what its impoverished populace sees and hears. Cellphones were outlawed until 2008, and even today they're confiscated from international visitors upon arrival. Internet access and international calling are limited to the elite.

The outlook for change is mixed: Today, a million North Koreans are said to be using mobile phones, but the State Department's Alec Ross told the Korea Times during a recent visit to Seoul that "it will be very difficult for technology to drive change in North Korea, given the extreme measures that North Korea has taken to create a media blackout." That's life in Panem ... er, Pyongyang.

Genetic engineering The most vivid special effects are connected to genetic engineering of various organisms, including humanized animals. To minimize the plot-spoiler effect, the only "muttation" I'll mention in detail is the mockingjay, which figures so prominently in the advance publicity and provides the title for the third book in Suzanne Collins' "Hunger Games" trilogy. The geniuses at the Panem high command created genetically modified birds known as jabberjays that were able to listen in on rebel conversations and report them back to the authorities. When the rebels caught onto this, they started feeding the jays false information. And when the Capitol figured this out, they left the jabberjays to fend for themselves. Male jabberjays mated with female mockingbirds, resulting in birds that could learn and repeat musical notes but not human speech.

The twist illustrates a time-honored movie maxim about genetic engineering, enunciated in the first "Jurassic Park" film: "Life will not be contained." That may be putting it too simply, but the field has certainly raised a lot of questions about how to keep genetic genies in the bottle. This month, more than 100 groups issued a call to hold back on synthetic biology until new guidelines are drawn up.

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Reality check on 'Hunger Games' tech

Collaboration rapidly connects fly gene discovery to human disease

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Public release date: 20-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Bryan Ghosh bghosh@plos.org 44-122-344-2837 Public Library of Science

A collaborative study by scientists at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and the Montreal Neurological Institute of McGill University, and published March 20 in the online, open access journal PLoS Biology, has discovered that mutations in the same gene that encodes part of the vital machinery of the mitochondrion can cause neurodegenerative disorders in both fruit flies and humans.

Vafa Bayat in Dr. Hugo Bellen's lab at BCM, examined a series of mutant fruit flies for defects leading to progressive degeneration of photoreceptors in the eye. They identified mutations in the fruit fly gene that encodes a mitochondrial enzyme known as the mitochondrial methionyl-tRNA synthetase (Aats-met). These mutations also shortened life span and caused other problems, including reduced cell proliferation.

Mitochondria are the power plants of the cell, and have their own mechanism for producing proteins, separate from the main cellular protein-producing machinery. Defects in genes that encode mitochondrial proteins have been previously associated with human metabolic and neurological disorders.

Dr. Bayat, a recent graduate from the Program in Developmental Biology at BCM, searched the medical literature for genetic neurological disorders that were thought to be caused by defects in the region of our genome that contains the human version of the Aats-met gene, MARS2. One such disease, Autosomal Recessive Spastic Ataxia with frequent Leukoencephalopathy (ARSAL), had already been mapped to this region of the genome by Dr. Bernard Brais and his colleagues, but the precise gene responsible was not known. Ataxias such as ARSAL are progressive neurodegenerative diseases that cause coordination problems, leading to modified gait and speech as well as other problems.

Dr. Isabelle Thiffault from the Montreal team identified complex rearrangements of the genetic material in the MARS2 gene of ARSAL patients. These unusual rearrangements resulted in reduced levels of the MARS2 enzyme, reduced synthesis of proteins by the mitochondria, and impaired mitochondrial function. As with the fruit fly mutants, the patients' cells also had increased levels of reactive oxygen species, which can damage cells and their genetic material, and slow cell proliferation.

"We found the same defect in the mitochondrial respiratory chains in the human cells, which produced a lot of reactive oxygen species," said Dr. Bayat. "When we feed the fly larvae antioxidants, they suppress the degenerative phenotypes in flies." The ability of antioxidants to counteract the negative consequences of the mutant gene in flies raises the possibility that a related approach might have beneficial effects in human patients, though this remains to be determined.

"While the discovery of mutations in fly genes has been linked to human disease before, it has often taken many years to decades to accomplish this," said Dr. Bellen. "This was a relatively quick process. In summary, we have shown that you can use flies to identify fly mutants with neurodegenerative phenotypes and that these mutants can assist in the identification of human disease genes."

###

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Collaboration rapidly connects fly gene discovery to human disease

Old storyline, new chemistry and comedy in 'Bent'

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LOS ANGELES -- It's a tale as old as time: A tough, type A lawyer hires a surfer-dude contractor to remodel her kitchen. OK, the type A lawyer and surfer-dude characters aren't that classic, but the story of two very different people finding a connection has been around forever.

NBC is banking that a new spin on this old plot will create enough sparks to make the new comedy "Bent" a hit. It will be up to Amanda Peet, the lawyer, and David Walton, the surfer, to generate those sparks.

"I think chemistry, in real life, it's hard to put words around it. You either have it with someone or you don't," Walton says. He thinks viewers will see -- and be attracted to -- the chemistry between he and Peet.

Both actors credit executive producer Tad Quill with writing a script that has enough sexual tension and sexual suspense to make it easy to create the needed sexual electricity.

"It's not something that I think about or that I set out to accomplish. It's just play the scene," Peet says of the connection she has to her co-star.

She has played those kind of scenes in TV and film projects before, from "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" to "The Whole Nine Yards." The key to making the audience believe there is some type of connection is believable casting.

Peet and Quill knew immediately Walton was the guy for "Bent."

"When Tad and I were looking for a co-star, we definitely wanted to find something that would make the show really sexy. We wanted to create a real kind of lifestyle rift between these two people. And when David Walton came in, it was obvious that he was our guy. And, frankly, from the bottom of my heart, I am shocked that I get to be with him and not Reese Witherspoon or Jennifer Lopez or some movie star right now because he's just a really crazy genius combination of being really funny and really gorgeous and kind of a dork," Peet says. "I feel very lucky that we found him."

Walton is a veteran of situation comedies, having starred in "Perfect Couples," "100 Questions" and "Cracking Up."

Quill, who worked as a producer on "Scrubs," "Spin City," "Good Morning, Miami" and "Samantha Who?," wants "Bent" to have the same romantic comedy elements of those shows while being just a little different.

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Old storyline, new chemistry and comedy in 'Bent'

CHEMGEN Pharma International, a Dr. Kali Pradip Chaudhuri Company, Appoints Dr. Debasis Das as General Manager of …

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KOLKATA, India--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

CHEMGEN Pharma International, solely owned by Dr. Kali Pradip Chaudhuri, a Contract Research Organization serving the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with innovative chemistry expertise, announced the appointment of Dr. Debasis Das as the company's General Manager of Business Development. Dr. Das will be heading the business development department with focus on driving economic growth including acceleration of sales and marketing initiatives to expand the company's footprint in the global market.

With extensive experience in both the pharmaceutical industry and academia, Dr. Das brings to Chemgen Pharma expertise in the fields of medicinal chemistry, synthetic organic chemistry, custom synthesis and custom manufacturing. Dr. Das' knowledge gained from supporting a wide range of projects around the world and his overall capabilities to help create innovative solutions to meet customers' expectations will be a great asset to Chemgen Pharma.

Before joining Chemgen Pharma, Dr. Das returned to India from Shanghai after his four years of service at Wuxi AppTec Co. Ltd. where he served as Associate Director in the medicinal chemistry department. Prior to WuXi, Dr. Das held various positions in contract research organizations and pharmaceutical companies in India including Dr. Reddys Research Foundation, Chembiotek Research International and Jubilant Chemsys. His impressive experience includes management, mentoring and training a large number of Ph.D. and M.Sc. scientists and chemists, overseeing research and development, managing integrated drug discovery and collaboration projects with partners from the USA and Europe.

Dr. Das holds a Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry from Jadavpur University and was engaged in a post doctoral research at Duke University with international publications. Dr. Das is also involved with the University colleges as a guest faculty and teaching postgraduate students on the topics of Bioactive organic compounds, Antibiotics and Aromaticity.

About CHEMGEN Pharma International

CHEMGEN Pharma International is a Contract Research Organization serving the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with innovative chemistry expertise, reliable and flexible resources. Since its inception in 2004, Chemgen Pharma has built a state-of-the-art infrastructure with highly experienced and committed team members to deliver superior quality services and competitive pricing to its customers worldwide - enabling them to operate efficiently and profitably.

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CHEMGEN Pharma International, a Dr. Kali Pradip Chaudhuri Company, Appoints Dr. Debasis Das as General Manager of ...

Anatomy of a heat wave

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OTTAWA A warm, dry winter set up conditions to turn a warm spell into a March heat wave like nothing Ottawa has ever seen.

The heat came from the south of us, but weve had south winds before in March, and the temperature has never risen past 17 C.

On Tuesday it reached 25.1, continuing the weeks pattern of smashing records by eight or nine degrees each day. The old record was 14.6 C, in 1995.

Even David Phillips, who has published 24 weather trivia calendars with 365 daily weather anecdotes each, has seen nothing like this.

Summer has arrived here, not spring, he said.

He has a point. Ottawas average high temperature for June is 23.6 C. Yes, June.

The first ingredient in our heat wave: The wind. For day after day after day, its been southerly air, he said.

Normally we get north winds coming in to jostle the southern airstream. Not this year: By his count, Tuesday was the thirteenth straight day of air from down south.

Its just standing its ground, kind of a monotonous situation.

This kind of heat cannot be produced in Canada at this time. It has to come from the United States.

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Parents Television Council study: Anatomy of a trend

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In case you hadn't noticed, there are an awful lot of lady parts being discussed on broadcast TV these days. And they aren't the only ones exposed the male anatomy is explicitly mentioned on prime time as well, markedly more than even a few years ago.

So says a new study from the conservative watchdog group the Parents Television Council that tracks the number of times the words "vagina" and "penis" are spoken in dramas, comedies, TV movies and reality shows.

The research found that in just nine fall episodes of CBS' hit sitcom "2 Broke Girls," characters said the word "vagina" more times than anyone did on broadcast TV across all networks in an entire season a decade ago.

In fact, the anatomical term gets tossed around eight times more frequently on TV now than it did during the 2001-2002 season, which served as a benchmark. The word "penis" was used nearly four times as often in a recent season as it was in the relatively tame early 2000s.

With tallies for individual series, the study cites CBS' "2 Broke Girls" and "Two and a Half Men," NBC's "The Office" and "30 Rock," Fox's "American Dad" and "Family Guy," and ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" as those that invoke the words most frequently.

"It's a broader reflection of the progression of raunch," said Tim Winter, president of the PTC, which took up the study after TV critics and industry watchers noticed the trend. "So many shows and networks seem to think they need it to be funny or successful."

Although the mini-study wasn't timed to the current U.S. Supreme Court deliberations about broadcast standards, it may add fuel to the fire for those arguing against relaxing the existing rules about profanity, sex and nudity on TV.

The Supreme Court, which started debating the issue early this year, has regularly ruled in favor of free speech claims. But justices have spoken publicly about the need to retain Federal Communications Commission guidelines about what can be aired on NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox and the CW.

At the heart of the court case is "fleeting profanity" that was uttered during live awards shows on Fox and a partially visible bare bum shown on an ABC drama. There's no firm date on when the court will issue a judgment, but it's expected within the next month or two.

"Broadcast networks say they have to compete against cable and that's why they're pushing the envelope like this," Winter said. "They're forgetting that they're broadcast networks that use public airwaves and go out to every single person who has a TV."

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Parents Television Council study: Anatomy of a trend

Alzheimer's Biomarkers Unaffected By Antioxidants

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Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia Also Included In: Nutrition / Diet;Neurology / Neuroscience Article Date: 20 Mar 2012 - 3:00 PDT

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First author Dr Douglas R. Galasko, from the Department of Neuroscience at the University of California San Diego, and colleagues describe how they tested for the effects of a combination of vitamin E, vitamin C and alpha-lipoic acid (E/C/ALA) on levels of CSF biomarkers.

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by an abundance of beta-amyloid protein plaques that clog up the spaces between brain cells and tau-based neurofibrillary tangles that clog up the insides of brain cells. Certain proteins in spinal fluid relate to this amyloid and tau pathology and serve as reliable biomarkers for the disease.

Metabolic reactions in the body produce free radicals that interact with other molecules to cause oxidative damage to proteins, membranes and genes. This influences the aging process and is also linked to disease, including cancer and Alzheimer's. In fact, oxidative damage in the brain is widespread among people with Alzheimer's disease.

The body defends against oxidative damage by producing antioxidants to mop up free radicals. Genes, environment and lifestyle (eg diet, smoking, exercise) determine how well it does this.

Increasing intake of antioxidants can boost the body's ability to defend itself against oxidative damage, and Galasko and colleagues write that some observational studies have suggested that a diet rich in antioxidants can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, but randomized clinical trials have shown mixed results.

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Alzheimer's Biomarkers Unaffected By Antioxidants

Theorem Clinical Research Announces Rosenfeld as Vice President of Medical and Scientific Affairs, Medical Device and …

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KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Theorem Clinical Research, a full-service contract research organization (CRO) that provides core clinical research and development services, is pleased to announce the appointment of Evan Rosenfeld, M.D., J.D., F.C.L.M., as vice president of medical and scientific affairs, Medical Device and Diagnostics.

Rosenfeld has more than ten years experience within the medical device and diagnostic industries as both an attorney and medical director.

Evan has a very dynamic background, stated Theorem Clinical Research Chief Executive Officer John Potthoff. He initially worked as a lawyer for medical device clients and then moved into chief medical officer roles within these companies after graduating from medical school. Evan understands this industry from both the legal and strategic leadership perspective, and he will be a great asset to our company.

A cum laude graduate of Harvard University, Rosenfeld also graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He later obtained his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University.

Rosenfeld previously served as the medical director and senior consultant for regulatory and clinical affairs at Emergo Group Inc. At the same time, he founded MDJD Consulting and worked as an independent consultant providing medical, clinical and regulatory analysis, insights and strategic recommendations.

Rosenfeld has also worked as the chief medical officer/senior vice president of regulatory affairs at Microtransponder Inc. and as chief medical officer/vice president of medical and regulatory affairs at Bioness Inc.

Currently, he holds active physician licenses with the Texas Medical Board and the Medical Board of California. A fellow of the American College of Legal Medicine, Rosenfeld also holds membership with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Bar, the United States Patent and Trademark Office Bar, the District of Columbia Bar and the State of Illinois Bar.

About Theorem Clinical Research Theorem Clinical Research is one of the industrys leading full-service, contract research organizations (CRO). Before launching in 2011, Theorem Clinical Research operated for nearly two decades as Omnicare Clinical Research under the Omnicare Inc. parent company. A global organization with 1,000+ employees located throughout 27 countries, Theorem Clinical Research provides core CRO services for Phases I-IV, but with niche business units in the areas of technical services, medical devices and pharmaceutics with speed, flexibility and attention to detail to drive a high-quality performance. For more information, visit http://www.theoremclinical.com.

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Theorem Clinical Research Announces Rosenfeld as Vice President of Medical and Scientific Affairs, Medical Device and ...