Monthly Archives: March 2012

Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) Connects With ESOs and Partners at 2012 Council of College and Military Educators (CCME …

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TAMPA, Fla., March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) recently presented its online healthcare degree programs and military education services at the 2012 Council of College and Military Educators (CCME) Symposium, which was held Feb. 13-16 in Orlando. Nearly 900 people attended this year's symposium, including Education Services Officers (ESOs) and other military educators, civilian educators, post-secondary educational institutions and providers of education products and services.

Brian Braggs, Director of Military and Veteran Affairs, greeted attendees to the UMA booth in the exhibit hall, where he provided visitors with information about the school's healthcare programs and military education initiatives. Braggs and Cristine Kreplick, UMA Military Academic Advisor, also co-hosted a special evening reception for ESOs and military partners. The event was attended by 130 guests, who enjoyed cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, music and videos as they connected with UMA representatives and students in a more informal and intimate setting.

During the reception, Army veteran Braggs highlighted the resources and services available to military students at UMA, while Kreplick spoke about her Navy career supporting the Marine Corps as a Hospital Corpsman, EMT and medic, and explained how the military played an important role in her healthcare education achievements. In addition, Lynn Steilow - a military veteran who is currently enrolled in UMA's Medical Billing and Coding program - discussed her experiences as a military student and the support she has received from UMA faculty and staff.

"UMA has made significant strides in the military education section over the past year," remarked Braggs. "In addition to implementing numerous policies and programs to serve the needs of military students, we were approved to accept military tuition assistance benefits and were recently designated as a Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs. Today, we have nearly 1,000 students affiliated with all branches of the military. It was gratifying to be able to share our progress and future plans with ESOs and our valued partners. Our guests were very enthusiastic about UMA's education services and online healthcare degree programs, and I found their feedback both encouraging and enlightening."

Braggs noted that UMA is committed to supporting U.S. servicemembers, reservists, guard, veterans, spouses and eligible family members who aspire to pursue healthcare education and allied health careers. He cited UMA's recent agreement with the Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education Program, as well as the school's sponsorship of computer-based testing for the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) through the new UMA/U.S. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg National Test Center. Most recently, the DoD presented UMA with a statement of support signed by Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta in recognition of the school's continued support of U.S. Guard and Reserves.

ESOs and military educators will have an another opportunity to learn more about UMA and speak with Braggs and his colleagues at the upcoming DoD Worldwide Education Symposium 2012, which will be held July 23-27 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The triennial event is billed as the most-attended conference focused on voluntary education, and is expected to draw approximately 2,600 attendees. "I look forward to reconnecting with the ESOs and military partners we formed relationships with at the CCME Symposium, and I'm excited to meet many others among the large delegation attending the Worldwide Education Symposium in Nevada," said Braggs. "I expect UMA will be making additional announcements about our military education initiatives in the coming months, and I am eager to share that news with my fellow conference attendees in July."

For more information on Ultimate Medical Academy, including details on its online healthcare degree programs and military-friendly policies, visit http://military.ultimatemedical.edu.

About Ultimate Medical Academy

Founded in 1994 and located in Florida, Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) offers dynamic healthcare training and degree programs that empower students to enter and advance within the growing allied health field. UMA is accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and dedicated to providing a superior education in a supportive, professional and ethical environment. With locations in Tampa and Clearwater as well as online healthcare programs, UMA has helped thousands of students launch healthcare careers in Florida and beyond.

Media Inquiries: Tricia Wong Director of Marketing Ultimate Medical Academy Phone: 813-676-1646

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Medical interns form their own union

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Following last summer's protest by medical residents and other physicians, some of whom were not satisfied with the long-term pact brokered between the Israel Medical Association and the government, medical interns and medical school students at the end of their studies are now taking steps to organize their own labor organization. They are calling it "Asli," a Hebrew acronym for "Medical Interns in Israel."

Interns are considered an important part of the personnel that staff hospitals, but because they are not yet at a stage in their training when they are considered physicians, they are not regular members of the Israel Medical Association.

By signing up about half of Israel's interns as members, Asli has achieved official status according to labor laws. The status means that the group is recognized as officially speaking for the country's interns.

Last week Asli's chairman, Elad Ben-Artzi, officially notified the entities that employ the country's interns - the state, the Clalit health maintenance organization and Hadassah and Ichilov hospitals - that the organization will be speaking for the interns. He also asked that a meeting be set up with the employers to discuss the full range of employment terms that apply to the interns.

There are about 600 interns in Israel, working at a number of the country's hospitals. They work as interns for a year during their seventh year of medical school. The year is divided between rotations that they are required to do, in specialties such as internal medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine and surgery, and elective specialties.

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Harvard, Stanford top biz school charts

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Daniel Acker/Bloomberg

Columbia was no. 8 in the national rankings for business.

Harvard and Stanford Universities top the charts as the countrys best business schools, according to U.S. News and World Report.

Harvard was also the no. 1 medical school for research, and Yale was tops for law in the 2013 rankings for graduate programs released Tuesday.

SEE FULL LIST OF U.S. NEWS GRADUATE SCHOOL RANKINGS

The U.S. News rankings weigh a school's reputation, selectivity and other factors such as graduates employment opportunities.

Columbia Universitys business and law schools were best in New York State.

SEE FULL LIST OF U.S. NEWS BEST BUSINESS SCHOOL RANKINGS

Columbia was also the best local medical school for research.

Columbia is a great and remarkably broad research university, said Dr. Lee Goldman, dean of the faculties for health sciences and medicine. All parts of the university benefit from the excellence of the other parts.

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Harvard, Stanford top biz school charts

Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Ranked #2 Medical School in the Nation, According to U.S …

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PHILADELPHIA The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has ranked second among the nation's research-oriented medical schools, according to the annual survey by U.S. News & World Report. This marks the 15th consecutive year that the School of Medicine has ranked as one of the top five medical schools in the United States.

"The Perelman School of Medicine's outstanding ranking is a tribute to the the exemplary efforts of our faculty and staff, and their tireless commitment to provide an exceptional educational experience for the next generation of physicians and scientists," said J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine and Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System.

The Perelman School of Medicine also ranked among the nations top medical schools in five areas of specialty training, including Pediatrics (#2), Women's Health (#4), Internal Medicine (#5), Drug/Alcohol Abuse (#5), and AIDS (#9).

Established in 1765 as the nation's first medical school, Penn's School of Medicine, now the Perelman School of Medicine, continues a rich tradition of providing pre-eminent training and education. The School of Medicine is an internationally recognized leader in the discoveries that advance science and pave the way for new therapies and procedures to improve human health. In the 2011 fiscal year, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including stimulus funds, awarded the Perelman School of Medicine $479.3 million in research funding.

The U.S. News medical school rankings, released annually in the U.S. News & World Report "Best Graduate Schools" issue, are based on statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research, and students. Information is obtained through surveys of program directors, academics, and professionals. Criteria used in the rankings include peer assessment surveys, research activity, grade point averages, MCAT scores, and NIH funding.

The complete survey is available online, and will be on newsstands April 3. For more information on the Perelman School of Medicine, see our annual Facts and Figures information.

Penn's Perelman School of Medicine is currently ranked #2 in U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools and among the top 10 schools for primary care. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $507.6 million awarded in the 2010 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania -- recognized as one of the nation's top 10 hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; and Pennsylvania Hospital the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Penn Medicine also includes additional patient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2010, Penn Medicine provided $788 million to benefit our community.

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Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Ranked #2 Medical School in the Nation, According to U.S ...

Maria Rodale: Clear the Clutter: Organization Boosts Health and Vitality

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by guest blogger Isaac Eliaz, MD, MS, LAc, integrative medicine pioneer, researcher, clinical practitioner, author, and lecturer

As a holistic medical doctor and licensed acupuncturist, I draw heavily on the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for guidance and inspiration across numerous aspects of life. TCM provides us with a comprehensive lens through which we can view the intricate relationships between our health and our environments, among other energetic connections. This ancient approach to life offers practical everyday guidelines to promote optimal health. And in today's modern society, these guidelines may be more important than ever. A cornerstone jewel of TCM wisdom speaks greatly to the importance of deeply cleaning and organizing your environment for greater health and happiness.

According to TCM, the spring and fall seasons are the best times for releasing and letting go on all levels. In the spring, we can gently detoxify our bodies, minds, and spirits, as well as our environments, preparing for the abundance of new growth that comes with this energetic and vibrant season. This release of excess baggage--whether it's accumulated weight from a sedentary winter or piles of clutter in our living space--allows us to create spaciousness, energy, and inspiration on all levels. In turn, our innate healing potential can arise, unobstructed.

Physical and Mental Effects of DisorganizationWe are all products of our environments, and vice versa, since the environments we create reflect and affect our physical, mental, and emotional health. When life becomes messy or disorderly, our physical as well as mental/emotional health can also get muddled and we become less energetic and less efficient.

An excellent example of this is the digestive system. When digestion is functioning optimally, it is a highly efficient and meticulously organized sorting process. A strong and healthy digestive system dictates what to keep as nourishment, where to send nutrients, and what to excrete as waste. As an integrative physician, I find that when patients describe their lives as messy, disorganized, or inefficient, they often experience symptoms of bloating, congestion, inflammation, and poor digestion. If left untreated, these symptoms can progress to more serious health conditions. When people clear their clutter, discard unnecessary items, and detoxify their surroundings, the spaciousness and resulting efficiency they create can offer more energy, in addition to improved digestion, detoxification, and overall vitality.

This process involves not just the physical clearing of "stuff," but a much more subtle process of quieting down the mind and allowing for self-reflection. By doing this, we can reach a heightened level of clarity and insight, as well as deeper compassion for ourselves and others. In this space, we can have a better understanding of where our disorganization may stem from and how to overcome it in order to create a life that is peaceful, spacious, and functional.

The Stress FactorOver time, being surrounded by clutter slows us down, makes us feel mentally and physically fatigued, and causes stress and anxiety. If we have a cluttered, disorganized living space, letting go of the stresses of work, finances, relationships, and other areas of our lives can be virtually impossible. Similarly, if a workplace is in disarray, it can be difficult to complete tasks well and on time. Just sitting in a cluttered room can create stress, as the clutter provides a great deal of information for the eyes to process and visual reminders of how much work is left unfinished. This constant, low-grade stress can subtly and steadily drain our energy, leaving us overwhelmed, exhausted, and ultimately, physically ill.

We know that long-term stress contributes to many chronic illnesses. Some of the most common conditions aggravated by chronic stress include:

Getting ThereThe first step in organizing for better health is clearing clutter from your external environment. Making small, daily steps to clean and organize can provide you with the space to engage in stress-management activities, such as yoga or meditation, while also bringing about a sense of satisfaction. Studies show that mild to moderate exercise--yes, even in the form of housework--boosts mental health, reduces stress and anxiety, and promotes healthy circulation. Getting organized in our physical world will carry over into other parts of our lives as well, facilitating the ability to make changes in areas like exercise and diet, which tend to need some revising after a winter spent mostly indoors.

With the rising energy of spring, we often feel a sense of regeneration and renewal, coupled with increased motivation and enthusiasm. This renewed energy is reflected in the budding of trees and the sight of the first flower bulbs emerging to show their colors. So take advantage of this naturally arising internal energy to engage in a mild body cleanse, and give all of your living and work spaces a spring cleanse as well.

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Maria Rodale: Clear the Clutter: Organization Boosts Health and Vitality

GMO Foods Exposed-Jeffrey M. Smith – Video

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24-02-2012 05:57 Jeffrey M. Smith, a leading consumer advocate promoting healthier, non-GMO foods. Smith is the author of Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies About the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You're Eating and Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods. Smith is also featured in Scientists Under Attack: Genetic Engineering in the Magnetic Field of Money, a 60 minute, award winning film by Bertram Verhaag. Smith's books and Verhaag's film are available at the Infowars Store. http://www.seedsofdeception.com [Seeds of Deception] Your Price: $17.95 http://www.infowarsshop.com _________________________________________ http://www.infowars.com http http://www.infowars.net http http://www.youtube.com (New Section Added to Prisonplanet.tv) http://www.prisonplanet.tv twitter.com SIGN UP FOR A MEMBERSHIP (FULL ACCESS to all files and content on PrisonPlanet.tv) prisonplanet.tv _________________________________________ The Light of the World,Movie(Full Length) http://www.youtube.com

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DNA finding could mean new gene therapies

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Published: March. 12, 2012 at 9:30 PM

LOS ANGELES, March 12 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've identified, for the first time, a way to fix mutations in human DNA, a finding with implications for treating a host of diseases.

Currently, there is no way to successfully repair or compensate for these mutations in the human mitochondrial genome, implicated in neuromuscular diseases, metabolic defects and aging, researchers at UCLA said.

Scientists at the UCLA stem cell center, and the departments of chemistry and biochemistry and pathology and laboratory medicine, said targeting corrective, or messenger RNAs may correct mutations in human mitochondrial DNA.

RNA molecules play an active role in cells by catalyzing biological reactions, controlling gene expression and directing the synthesis of proteins.

"I think this is a finding that could change the field," Dr. Michael Teitell, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, said. "We've been looking to do this for a long time and we had a very reasoned approach, but some key steps were missing.

"Now we have developed this method and the next step is to show that what we can do in human cell lines with mutant mitochondria can translate into animal models and, ultimately, into humans."

Mitochondria generate most of the energy supply within a cell and are also are involved in other cellular processes, including signaling, differentiation, death, control of the cell cycle and growth, the researchers said.

The findings could lead to a form of gene therapy by compensating for mutations that cause a wide range of diseases, study co-senior author Koehler.

"This opens up new avenues to understand and develop therapies for mitochondrial diseases," researcher Carla Koehler said. "This has the potential to have a really big impact."

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DNA finding could mean new gene therapies

Drew Sharp: MSU has incredible chemistry, but is that enough?

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E AST LANSING -- Tom Izzo begged Branden Dawson to stay home to rest his surgically repaired knee. But Dawson heard the revelry in the background on the Michigan State bus Sunday night. He wanted to be part of a resurrection that would have amazed even Lazarus.

Dawson told Izzo that he would meet the team when it returned from the Big Ten tournament. When the bus pulled into the Breslin Center tunnel near midnight, a car followed, with the recuperating Dawson in the passenger's seat.

The players immediately greeted their fallen teammate. They had a surprise for him.

Dawson couldn't make the trip to Indianapolis, so the players arranged their own net-cutting ceremony in their Breslin Center locker room, giving the freshman the opportunity to experience that most treasured college tournament ritual: taking scissors to twine.

"It was all the players' idea," Izzo said Monday. "But that's what this team is all about. There's such a special bond, a special connection. I know it's a clich calling a team a family, but that's what this team really is."

This was a family in mourning a week ago. They choked away the chance to have the regular-season Big Ten title all to themselves. There's no other way to phrase it. Izzo called the home loss to Ohio State on the final day his most heartbreaking defeat -- and the man has endured more than his share of emotional coaching torture -- not just because of the conference consequences, but also because he lost his most athletic player, Dawson, for the remainder of the season.

But once again, the Spartans offered a lesson in resilience.

"I didn't think a No. 1 seed was possible at this same time last week," Izzo conceded.

Everyone searches for that epiphany, that moment of clarity when all external forces, mystical and real, align. But when searching for an impetus Monday, Izzo reverted back to what he called "the power of chemistry." Some teams simply heal faster emotionally than others. Some teams see adversity as an opportunity for growth. Some teams simply refuse to fall apart when fate challenges their fortitude.

Izzo admitted that, if given the option, he probably would take the outright regular-season championship over the Big Ten tournament. He called himself a "regular-season guy" but conceded that how the Spartans won the tournament -- and thus earned a No. 1 seed in NCAA tournament -- was probably the best thing for the program.

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Drew Sharp: MSU has incredible chemistry, but is that enough?

Ireland name squad for Chemistry Cup

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Irish head coach Billy Walsh has confirmed a nine-man squad for the 39th Chemistry Cup which gets underway in Halle, Germany on Wednesday.

The Irish team arrived in Halle on Friday last following an intensive training camp in Hennef, Germany.

Irish 2012 Olympians Michael Conlan and Darren O'Neill are included in the Irish Chemistry Cup panel along with 2010 and 2011 European champions Paddy Barnes and Joe Ward.

David Oliver Joyce, Ross Hickey, Adam Nolan, Steven Ward and Con Sheehan will wear the Irish lightweight, light-welterweight, welterweight, heavyweight and super-heavyweight vests by the banks of the river Saale.

John Joe Nevin, who has also qualified for the 30th Olympiad, has withdrawn from the tournament after picking up a facial injury boxing for Paris United against Milano Thunder in the World Series of Boxing on Monday week last.

Hosts Germany, Algeria, Austria, Brazil, China, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Romania, Russia and Uzbekistan have registered to compete in Halle.

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'Smash' Recap: 'Chemistry'

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by Erin Strecker

Uh-oh. There's just one week until the workshop goes live before an audience, and as you might have expected, there were problems galore on last night's episode of "Smash." Julias script, and her affair with Michael, still werent totally finished, Karen realized she had only about $300 in her bank account (yikes!) and, worst of all, Ivy lost her voiceand possibly her claim as Marilyn?

One minute Ivy was fine, making catty comments and strutting around the studio, and the next, she was on vocal rest, and Julia, Eileen and Derek flirted with the idea of replacing her with Karen if she didnt improve, an idea that unbeknownst to them, Karen overheard.

At home, Ivy was resting and took some medicine, which everyone repeatedly explained would help with her voice, but would have a bunch of weird side effects. No one mentioned that the weirdest side effect would be her singing, alone in her room, and then going full "Black Swan" on everyone, seeing Marilyn Monroe and Karen behind her over her shoulder. Time to try and sleep it off.

Meanwhile, Eileen and Ellis formed a weird partnership that will definitely implode before the season is done. Ellis helped her out while she was apartment searching, and then she wound up at a downtown bar with him. You havent seen the last of this newly formed duo. I dont think its going in this direction, but Im just putting it out there: I wouldnt be too surprised if those two started hooking up. Eileen is newly single, and Ellis is determined to claw his way to the top, and nothingnot Julia, not his obnoxious personality and certainly not the idea of age-appropriate relationshipsare going to get in his way.

For those that thought Julia and Michaels porch make out would be the end of the Affair Round Two, youve clearly never seen a TV drama before. Obviously, things were about to get way dicier. Julia felt pretty bad about the whole thing, or at least extremely nervous her husband would find out, and tried to keep her distance from Michael during the next rehearsal. But no good deed make-out session goes unpunished, and Michael wanted more. So he called her (and her newly returned husband!), texted her and then finally, went for the always-romantic move: Casual stalking. He snuck up to the studio at night for some impromptu topless making out that presumably led to them shacking up on the couch in the studio. Convenient!

While Julia was ruining her personal life, Karen was attempting to improve her professional one, since the $200 a week she was getting paid for the Marilyn musical certainly wasnt paying the bills. Ivy had previously booked a bar mitzvah, which she gave away to one of the ensemble girls, who gave it away to Karen. Karen had never done a bar mitzvah before, and spent most of the time waiting for a follow-up text from Derek after he let her know her Marilyn moment might be happening sooner than expected if Ivys voice didnt improve. (Might need you tomorrow. Must be discreet.)

Her obsessive phone checking didnt get in the way of her performing a totally random Florence + the Machine "Shake It Out" cover against a backdrop of awkward 13-year-olds dancing. While she sounded lovely, the scene seemed totally tacked on to the show, simply to have Katharine McPhee sing a sell-able song available for download. Thats "Glee"s move, "Smash." But at least one audience member was impressed, and afterwards, Karen got the business card of Bobby Raskin, a big-time Broadway producer. She wont be a chorus girl for long.

At practice the next day (six days until the big workshop!) the other girls explained what Bobby Raskin's interest means to Karen, and she gave him a callwell have to wait to find out what exactly he told her, but the mere fact Ivy gave up a gig and now Karen is on the phone with Mr. Raskin was simply too much for Ivy, and during the run-through, when Derek made a typically snide comment, she snapped, and yelled at him that he had to be nicer, hes not that cute, and, per usual for explosive fights with drama queens, announced to the whole cast that the two were sleeping together and he wasnt that great in bed. She then stormed out with Tom close behind her. End scene.

Crushers: What do you think about the new friendship between Eileen and Ellis? Do you think Karen will have her workshop moment in the spotlight as Marilyn? After her rehearsal outburst, how much longer will Ivy and Derek be an item? Sound off in the comments and on Twitter!

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'Smash' Recap: 'Chemistry'

Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. and BP Biofuels to Conduct Demonstration Field Trial of PowerCane™ Miscanthus

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HAYWARD, Calif., March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. (MBI) and BP Biofuels have signed a four-year agreement to conduct a demonstration field trial of Mendel's PowerCane Miscanthus and evaluate its performance as feedstock for biofuel production at BP Biofuels' demonstration plant at Jennings, Louisiana.

"This agreement is an important next step in our long-standing partnership with BP Biofuels," said Don Panter, president, Mendel BioEnergy Seeds, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MBI."BP Biofuels will evaluate our new PowerCane Miscanthus product in large field trials and test it at demonstration scale in their biofuel conversion process."

A total of 100 acres of PowerCane Miscanthus will be planted in early 2012 near BP's Jennings facility and the first biomass harvest from these fields is expected in 2013.

"As we move toward commercial production of cellulosic biofuels and work to bring costs in line with conventional fuels, agricultural advancements such as this will be a critical factor," said Sue Ellerbusch, president of BP Biofuels North America.

PowerCane Miscanthus represents a new chapter in biomass production. While the current publicly available miscanthus varieties have outstanding agronomic and biomass performance characteristics, they must be planted as a rhizome or live plug, which requires additional investment and equipment for growers.

"PowerCane Miscanthus varieties are the first miscanthus products specifically developed for biomass production that can be planted as a seed," said Panter. "The PowerCane Miscanthus system will be significantly more economical and efficient for growers, and will allow the industry to scale up more quickly to meet renewable energy goals."

BP Biofuels currently operates a biofuels demonstration facility in Jennings, La that is used to test new cellulosic technologies in the biofuels production process. BP is also constructing a 20,000 acre energy grass farm in Florida that will supply a 36 million gallon a year conversion facility. Construction on the facility is expected to commence later this year.

About Mendel Biotechnology, Inc.Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. (MBI) is a premier independent corporation developing new genetic and chemical solutions for improvement of crop yield and resource use efficiency. It is also dedicated to becoming the leading seed company serving the bioenergy industry. MBI has expertise in the application of functional genomics in studying plant genes and is a pioneer in the production of dedicated energy crops critical for second generation biofuels. MBI has identified and patented the use of genes that control many aspects of plant growth and development, and is applying these inventions to develop or co-develop new plant varieties with improved productivity and quality. MBI has relationships with leading agricultural, energy, forestry and horticulture companies for the commercialization of improved seed and plant products, and is developing new seed and feedstock products for the emerging bioenergy markets. For more information, visit: http://www.mendelbio.com.

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Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. and BP Biofuels to Conduct Demonstration Field Trial of PowerCane™ Miscanthus

UTHSCT researchers receive five seed grants totaling $115,000

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UTHSCT researchers receive five seed grants totaling $115,000

Five seed grants totaling $115,000 have been awarded to researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. The locally raised money will help UTHSCT researchers explore new cures for serious diseases, saidSteven Idell, MD, Ph.D., UTHSCTs vice president for research.

Hong-Long Ji, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry, was awarded a $40,000 grant to study the relationship between abnormal genes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Usha Pendurthi, Ph.D., professor of molecular biology, received $40,000 to fund her work into how certain proteins that curb blood clotting affect the growth of cancerous tumors.

Proteins are required for the structure, function, and regulation of the bodys cells, tissues, and organs; each protein has unique functions. Hormones, enzymes, and antibodies are all examples of proteins.

Buka Samten, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology, and Malini Madiraju, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry, were awarded $20,000 for preliminary research that could lead to a better vaccine against tuberculosis. Thats important, because TB kills more than a million people each year, according to the World Health Organization.

Anna Kurdowska, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry, received $10,000 for her research into a new way to treat acute lung injury, also known as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). And Amir Shams, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology, received $5,000 to examine how to keep treatments for injured lungs inside those lungs.

These grants enable our scientists to pursue new and exciting research that could change our understanding of how serious diseases develop, as well as transform how we treat them. They help our researchers acquire the preliminary data they need to successfully compete for funding from the National Institutes of Health, the gold standard in biomedical research, Dr. Idell said, calling this years projects outstanding.

Funding for the seed grants comes from UTHSCs Research Council and the Texas Lung Injury Institute. Since 2002, scientists in the Center for Biomedical Research have been awarded $118.6 million in research dollars.

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UTHSCT researchers receive five seed grants totaling $115,000

‘2 steps’ ahead in cystic fibrosis research

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Public release date: 12-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Allison Flynn allison.j.flynn@mcgill.ca 514-398-7698 McGill University

A recent study led by Gergely Lukacs, a professor at McGill University's Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, and published in the January issue of Cell, has shown that restoring normal function to the mutant gene product responsible for cystic fibrosis (CF) requires correcting two distinct structural defects. This finding could point to more effective therapeutic strategies for CF in the future.

CF, a fatal genetic disease that affects about 60,000 people worldwide, is caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a membrane protein involved in ion and water transport across the cell surface. As such, CF is characterized by impaired chloride secretion causing the accumulation of viscous mucous that may cause multiple organ dysfunctions, including recurrent lung infection.

The most common mutation in CFTR, known as deltaF508, is caused by a single amino acid deletion and results in a misfolded version of CFTR that is retained within the cell and quickly degrades rather than being trafficked to the cell membrane where it would function as a chloride channel.

In 2005, Lukacs and his lab suggested that deltaF508 mutation effect is not restricted to the domain (the nucleotide binding domain 1 or NBD1, one of five building blocks of CFTR) where the deltaF508 is located. Specifically, his team found that the mutation destabilizes the NBD1 as well as the NBD2 architecture, suggesting that domain-domain interaction plays a critical role in both normal and pathological CFTR folding.

Building on his team's previous work and computer generated models of CFTR, Lukacs and his team set out to determine whether it was possible to correct both NBD1 stability and domain-domain interaction defect. Using a combination of biophysical, biochemical and genetic techniques, the team found that only simultaneous correction of both folding defects was able to ensure normal-like cell surface expression and function of the mutant.

"These findings offer a plausible explanation for the limited efficiency of the available correctors currently under clinical trial. If there are two different folding steps to correct, it is difficult to envision how a single drug could work," explained Lukacs. "The proposed two-step folding model points to the fact that the correction strategy has to be reconsidered."

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The study was funded in part by The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Canada, The Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), Canada Research Chair (CRC) program and the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

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'2 steps' ahead in cystic fibrosis research

With eye on nutrition, Tex seeing results

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TAMPA, Fla. -- Once a week this spring, a special delivery has arrived at George M. Steinbrenner Field with Mark Teixeira's name on it. It is what the Yankees first baseman solely credits for his lighter frame and increased energy.

Teixeira fell in love with fruit and vegetable juices over the offseason, having been introduced to a New York company called Juice Press, and it is a major reason why the slugger showed up for camp with a body that deleted 15 pounds.

"There's all these diets and fads out there, but no one has ever said, 'You're eating too many vegetables,'" Teixeira said. "That's really the only thing I changed in my diet, substituting juice for what I would call normal snacks or unhealthy food."

Teixeira didn't perform a complete overhaul of his diet, like Prince Fielder did a few years back with the Brewers, when the burly slugger opted to become a vegetarian. Teixeira still enjoys his share of meat, fish and potatoes, so he looks at this as more of a healthy supplement or substitution.

"You can eat too much meat, too many carbs -- there's even too much fish with mercury," Teixeira said. "There's all these things that if you eat too much of them, there are all these negative effects. No one has ever said that you can eat too many vegetables. It has been a great thing for me, and I'll continue to do it as long as I feel good."

Teixeira said that he grabs two or three of the cold-pressed juices from his shipment per day, taking them to the ballpark and freezing the ones he doesn't need right away. He can often be found chugging one after batting practice, opting for the juice instead of his old stand-by processed energy bar.

Teixeira said that his favorite drinks contain mostly vegetables like carrots, kale, spinach or cucumber, with apples or pineapples blended in to provide sweetness. He also likes the options with cayenne pepper or ginger to add variety.

"I'm not a huge vegetable lover, but I eat a normal diet and just make better choices on the side and in between meals," Teixeira said.

The results have been apparent following a winter in which Teixeira did most of his baseball training at Bobby Valentine's Sports Academy in Stamford, Conn., and a season in which he batted .248 with 39 homers and 111 RBIs.

Teixeira is trying to consciously raise his batting average this year by hitting the ball with more authority to left-center field and center, and the Yankees don't believe Teixeira's new look will rob any of his home run power.

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With eye on nutrition, Tex seeing results

Manuel Villacorta: The Nutrition Month Challenge: Get Acquainted With Your Kitchen

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March is Nutrition Month, and you might think that means I'm going to talk about what you should eat. But instead of talking about what we eat, I want to talk about how we eat it. In the late 1970s, just 18 percent of an average individual's daily caloric intake was consumed away from home. By the mid-1990s it was 32 percent. All that food eaten away from home hides calories, salt, sugar, fat, heaven knows what else. It's making us gain weight, and more than that, it's making us feel uprooted, distanced from our origins and our communities. The solution: Let's start cooking.

Last week I met a lady who came to the U.S. from Yemen 10 years ago. Since living here, she has gained 30 pounds. As I was talking to her, I asked myself why everyone who moves here seems to gain weight -- in fact, the same thing happened to me when I first came to this country from Peru. So, I asked her why she thought this had occurred, and she said it was the fast pace of American life. In Yemen, she said, cooking smells often filled the house beginning at breakfast, and meals were enjoyed with family. In the U.S., away from all that family and community, she would just open a box of cereal in the morning. No aromas, no shared meals, no community -- and pretty soon, food was eaten processed, in a hurry, on the run. The pounds packed on.

According to some experts, smells of food cooking are part of creating a sense of satiation, so eating pre-made food can contribute to overeating. But the importance of cooking goes even farther, says Karen Ansel, spokeswoman of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, contributor to Woman's Day magazine and co-author of The Calendar Diet: A Month by Month Guide to Losing Weight While Living Your Life, "Cooking isn't just about the food or even nutrition, it's the glue that holds families together. Cooking your own meals ingrains a greater connectedness to family and home, something that's so elusive in many of our hectic, fast-paced lives." But what about that fast-paced life that my Yemeni friend, and all the rest of us, deal with? Says Ansel, "Making your own meals doesn't have to mean hours slaving over a hot stove. With a little advance planning you can easily get a healthy, homemade meal on the table in 15 to 20 minutes."

It's the "advanced planning" part that's key. You need to have the right tools (knives and cutting boards, baking or roasting pan, skillet and saucepan), and a bit of Sunday afternoon to pre-cook. Plan to roast a chicken. Cut up a batch of vegetables (peppers, eggplant, sweet potatoes), toss them with a little olive oil and roast them in another pan alongside the chicken. Boil a batch of brown rice. Do all of this simultaneously and it takes no more than an hour. What do you have? The makings for Monday's burritos. For Tuesday's stew. For Wednesday's pasta sauce. Each working evening, you only need a quarter of an hour in the kitchen to put it together -- less than you might spend heating up a fat-, salt- and sugar-filled frozen pizza.

March is the month of no excuses. Start cooking!

For more by Manuel Villacorta, click here.

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For more on personal health, click here.

Manuel Villacorta is a registered dietitian in private practice, MV Nutrition, award winning weight loss center in San Francisco. He is a national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the founder and author of Eating Free.

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Manuel Villacorta: The Nutrition Month Challenge: Get Acquainted With Your Kitchen

Audubon center in Algiers logs another breakthrough in genetic engineering of endangered cats

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A year after introducing the first pair of rare African black-footed kittens conceived through in vitro fertilization, the scientists at the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species in Algiers have announced the arrival of another kitten that, genetically, is their sister, and the first kitten of her type to be carried in the womb of a domestic cat. The same parents contributed to the frozen embryos that produced the two males born last year and this year's female.

A black-footed cat served as the surrogate mother for last year's litter. Researchers next sought to show that vastly more plentiful domestic cats can serve as surrogate mothers in efforts to save the small wild cat from extinction.

"Being able to use domestic cats adds another extra dimension to that, being able to produce more," said Earle Pope, acting director of the center. Only 53 of the cats, which are native to South Africa, live in zoo collections in the United States.

Domestic and African black-footed are different species of cat but members of the same group of felines. Their similar sizes and gestation lengths, Pope said, appear to be what made the pregnancy and birth physically possible even though the genetic makeup of the kitten differed from the mother.

"They're considered to be of the same lineage," he said. "Somewhere back a couple of million years ago, they're descended from the same ancestor."

The kitten, named Crystal, was born on Feb. 6 to domestic cat Amelie without any human assistance in the birth itself. It exhibits all the characteristics of a black-footed cat despite being nurtured by a domestic cat mother, Pope said.

"It's not changed genetically in any way," from other black-footed cats, he said. "It is totally a black-footed cat in behavior."

Researchers handle the kitten almost every day as they study it, but she remains decidedly unadapted to human contact.

"It just wants you to leave it alone and stay away from it," Pope said. "It gets along beautifully with the domestic cat mother. They don't know, or do not care, that it's a different species."

Scientists started gathering the genetic material that eventually created the kitten in 2003, when they collected and froze a sperm sample from a black-footed cat named Ramses that lived at a research center in Nebraska. In 2005, they thawed the sperm and combined them with eggs from Zora, a cat living at Audubon. That produced 11 embryos, which went into deep freeze.

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Audubon center in Algiers logs another breakthrough in genetic engineering of endangered cats

Simple test reveals DNA percentages

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CLEVELAND - Saturday is St. Patrick's Day, a celebration of ancestry. Theres a company based in Ohio that can show you where your DNA comes from. All you need are some cotton swabs and this envelope.

NewsChannel5 traveled to the Cincinnati area to visit the lab of the DNA Diagnostics Center. With its AncestrybyDNA test, the company can actually tell you your ethnic make-up down to the percentages.

Dr. Michael Baird is the chief science officer of the company.

The four broad ethnic groups we're looking at are European, Sub-Saharan African, East Asian, and Indigenous American," Baird said.

Indigenous American means Native American. So, how does the AncestrybyDNA test work? Baird said they look for whats called ancestry informative markers.

And these are markers in the DNA that have been around for 10,000 years or more. So we look at a battery of those and determine what percentage of those you have in your genome, and we can determine what your ethnicity is, Baird said.

"Desperate Housewives" actress Eva Longoria took a similar test on Dr. Henry Louis gates' PBS program called "Faces of America." She thought the test would show that she was mostly Native American.

But, her ethnic pie chart showed that she's 70 percent European, 27 percent Native American and three percent African.

Oprah Winfrey took a DNA ancestry test and it turns out that the queen of talk is 89 percent African, 8 percent Native American and 3 percent East Asian. On "The George Lopez Show," actor and comedian Larry David found out hes 63 percent European and 37 percent Native American.

Dr. Michael Baird was curious about his ancestry.

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Simple test reveals DNA percentages

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Man Beats Machines In DNA Alignment Computer Game [VIDEO]

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Here's one instance when man triumphs over the visually-impaired machine. The online game Phylo lets gamers solve the multiple sequence alignment (MSA) problem by finding the best possible DNA sequence match between up to eight species at a time --- and, amazingly, beating out a computer, according to a study reported in the journal PLoS One.

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We have shown that humans game-playing visual talents can do some things better than a computer algorithm, the study's lead author Jrme Waldisphl, a computational biologist at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, said in Nature.com.

If a player's score beats the MULTIZ, a computer alignment program hosted by the University of California, Santa Cruz, their scores will be displayed in the game's hall of fame. To play, gamers shift the sequences one block at a time to find alignments before time runs out. Players who align similar sequences before their time is up, get their sequences entered into Phylo's database.

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So far, Phylo has 12,252 registered users and almost 3,000 regular players. But it does take some biology know-how to play the game. So far, gamers have come up with about "350,000 solutions to various MSA problems, beating the accuracy of alignments from MULTIZ in roughly 70% of the sequences they manipulated," notes the article.

There are many fascinating innovations for decoding and studying DNA. Just last month scientists unveiled a biological computer that could extract DNA from a chip. The biological computer acts like computer software to extract images.

What was once a subject only scientists and academics were concerned with, the idea of DNA and what unraveling it means for humans, is becoming an increasingly known and tangible concept.

This isn't the first time gamers have played a role in helping scientists find answers and solutions to complex problems. Last year online gamers helped to discover an enzyme of an AIDS-like virus that had been a mystery for years.

Have you, by chance, played Phylo or any other biology-based games? Tell us about your experience in the comments.

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Man Beats Machines In DNA Alignment Computer Game [VIDEO]

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Repairing mutations in human mitochondria

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LOS ANGELES Researchers at the UCLA stem cell center and the departments of chemistry and biochemistry and pathology and laboratory medicine have identified, for the first time, a generic way to correct mutations in human mitochondrial DNA by targeting corrective RNAs, a finding with implications for treating a host of mitochondrial diseases.

Mutations in the human mitochondrial genome are implicated in neuromuscular diseases, metabolic defects and aging. There currently are no methods to successfully repair or compensate for these mutations, said study co-senior author Dr. Michael Teitell, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and a researcher with the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.

Between 1,000 and 4,000 children per year in the United States are born with a mitochondrial disease and up to one in 4,000 children in the U.S. will develop a mitochondrial disease by the age of 10, according to Mito Action, a nonprofit organization supporting research into mitochondrial diseases. In adults, many diseases of aging have been associated with defects of mitochondrial function, including diabetes, Parkinson's disease, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease and cancer.

"I think this is a finding that could change the field," Teitell said. "We've been looking to do this for a long time and we had a very reasoned approach, but some key steps were missing. Now we have developed this method and the next step is to show that what we can do in human cell lines with mutant mitochondria can translate into animal models and, ultimately, into humans."

The study appears today in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The current study builds on previous work published in 2010 in the peer-reviewed journal Cell, in which Teitell, Carla Koehler, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry and a Broad stem cell research center scientist, and their team uncovered a role for an essential protein that acts to shuttle RNA into the mitochondria, the energy-producing "power plant" of a cell.

Mitochondria are described as cellular power plants because they generate most of the energy supply within a cell. In addition to supplying energy, mitochondria also are involved in a broad range of other cellular processes including signaling, differentiation, death, control of the cell cycle and growth.

The import of nucleus-encoded small RNAs into mitochondria is essential for the replication, transcription and translation of the mitochondrial genome, but the mechanisms that deliver RNA into mitochondria have remained poorly understood.

The study in Cell outlined a new role for a protein called polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPASE) in regulating the import of RNA into mitochondria. Reducing the expression or output of PNPASE decreased RNA import, which impaired the processing of mitochondrial genome-encoded RNAs. Reduced RNA processing inhibited the translation of proteins required to maintain the mitochondrial electron transport chain that consumes oxygen during cell respiration to produce energy. With reduced PNPASE, unprocessed mitochondrial-encoded RNAs accumulated, protein translation was inhibited and energy production was compromised, leading to stalled cell growth.

The findings from the current study provide a form of gene therapy for mitochondria by compensating for mutations that cause a wide range of diseases, said study co-senior author Koehler.

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Repairing mutations in human mitochondria

Can Statins Prevent Parkinson's Disease?

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MONDAY, March 12 (HealthDay News) -- People taking popular cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins may have a slightly lower risk than others of developing Parkinson's disease, new research suggests.

This effect may be even more pronounced among people younger than 60, according to the study published in the March issue of Archives of Neurology.

However, the risk reduction was modest and may have been due to chance, the authors said, noting that more research is warranted, especially because statins can cause adverse side effects.

"There is no clear verdict," said Dr. Stuart Isaacson, director of the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center of Boca Raton, who was not involved in the study.

"Right now we don't have any good evidence that there is anything we can do to reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's disease, but research is ongoing," added Isaacson, also an associate professor of neurology at Florida International University's Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine in Miami.

For the study, researchers led by Dr. Xiang Gao, of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard University School of Public Health in Boston, analyzed data on more than 38,000 men and almost 91,000 women enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and the Nurses' Health Study in 1994.

During 12 years of follow-up, 644 people were diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. People taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, especially those younger than 60, were less likely to develop the neurological disorder than those not using cholesterol drugs, the researchers found.

Nearly one million people in the United States have Parkinson's disease, a chronic and progressive movement disorder, and no one knows what causes it.

The researchers can't say exactly how -- or even if -- statins reduce the risk of Parkinson's. It's thought these drugs may have potent anti-inflammatory effects, which could protect the brain.

The study had some limitations, the authors acknowledged. For example, only about 70 percent of people who were taking drugs to lower cholesterol were actually on statins at the study's start.

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Can Statins Prevent Parkinson's Disease?