Monthly Archives: March 2014

Researchers discover ancient virus DNA remnants necessary for pluripotency in humans

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8 hours ago by Bob Yirka Human embryonic stem cells in cell culture. Credit: Wikipedia.

(Phys.org) A team of Canadian and Singaporean researchers has discovered that remnants of ancient viral DNA in human DNA must be present for pluripotency to occur in human stem cells. In their paper published in the journal Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, the team describes how they disabled a viral remnant in stem cell samples and discovered that doing so prevented the stem cell from being able to grow into all but one type of human cell.

All of the cells in the human body start out as stem cellsthe ability of such cells to do so is known as pluripotency. Scientists don't really understand how individual stem cells know which type to become but are working hard to find outit could lead to the development of cures for many diseases or the regeneration of lost limbs. In this new effort, the researchers wondered about the role of remnant viral DNA in stem cell DNA and pluripotency in general.

Scientists have known for some time that viral DNA exists in human DNA, the result of retrovirus infections millions of years ago. Retroviruses reproduce by injecting their own DNA into the DNA of a hostif it occurs in sperm or egg cells, the virus DNA can end up in the DNA of the host. Until now, scientists have thought that remnant viral DNA was simply "junk" DNAmeaning it didn't do anything at all. Now it appears clear that at least one type of such DNAHERV-Hactually plays a very important role in pluripotency.

The researchers treated some human stem cells with a small amount of RNA designed to suppress HERV-H. Doing so, they found, removed the stem cell's ability to develop into any human cellinstead they would only grow into cells that resembled fibroblastscells normally found in connective tissue. A closer look revealed that suppressing HERV-H also suppressed the production of proteins necessary for pluripotency. Thus, at least in humans, the remnant viral DNA appears to be necessary for normal human developmentwithout it, human life would be impossible.

Because of the role HERV-H plays in pluripotency, its possible other remnant viral DNA plays a role in human development as well, thus it's very likely that other research efforts will focus on testing each to see if they are more than just junk left over from infections over the course of human evolution.

Explore further: Critical factor (BRG1) identified for maintaining stem cell pluripotency

More information: The retrovirus HERVH is a long noncoding RNA required for human embryonic stem cell identity, Nature Structural & Molecular Biology (2014) DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2799

Abstract Human endogenous retrovirus subfamily H (HERVH) is a class of transposable elements expressed preferentially in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Here, we report that the long terminal repeats of HERVH function as enhancers and that HERVH is a nuclear long noncoding RNA required to maintain hESC identity. Furthermore, HERVH is associated with OCT4, coactivators and Mediator subunits. Together, these results uncover a new role of species-specific transposable elements in hESCs.

2014 Phys.org

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Researchers discover ancient virus DNA remnants necessary for pluripotency in humans

ALIEN COVERUP ET DISCLOSURE 2014 Greater Community Spirituality (Chapter Fourteen) Part Four – Video

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ALIEN COVERUP ET DISCLOSURE 2014 Greater Community Spirituality (Chapter Fourteen) Part Four
https://www.newmessage.org/nmfg/Greater_Community_Spirituality.html Greater Community Spirituality presents a prophetic new understanding of God and human sp...

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ALIEN COVERUP ET DISCLOSURE 2014 Greater Community Spirituality (Chapter Fourteen) Part Four - Video

Greater Community Spirituality (Chapter Fourteen) What Must Be Avoided? Part Three – Video

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Greater Community Spirituality (Chapter Fourteen) What Must Be Avoided? Part Three
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Greater Community Spirituality (Chapter Fourteen) What Must Be Avoided? Part Three - Video

Greater Community Spirituality (Chapter Fourteen) Part Three What Must Be Avoided? – Video

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Greater Community Spirituality (Chapter Fourteen) Part Three What Must Be Avoided?
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WWIII RUSSIA NATO CHINA Greater Community Spirituality (Chapter Fifteen) Part Two – Video

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Quebec | Jean-Sbastien Morin | Bishop Thomas Dowd | Spirituality | Religion | 1326 | 3 – Video

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Quebec | Jean-Sbastien Morin | Bishop Thomas Dowd | Spirituality | Religion | 1326 | 3
http://www.ContextwithLorna.com | With us now to look at the life of the church in Quebec is Jean Sebastien Morin. Jean-Sebastien is an Evangelical theologian and a...

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Religion + Spirituality = Healthier Aging

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Religion and spirituality have distinct but complementary influences on health as we age, according to research done at Oregon State University and published in March 2014 in the journal Psychology of Religion and Spirituality.

A release from OSU quotes gerontology professor Carolyn Aldwin, director of OSUs Center for Healthy Aging Research, as saying, Religion helps regulate behavior and health habits, while spirituality regulates your emotions, how you feel.

Aldwin and colleagues have been working to understand and distinguish the beneficial connections between health, religion, and spirituality. The result is a new theoretical model that defines two distinct pathways.

The release explains that religiousness, including formal religious affiliation and service attendance, is associated with better health habits, such as lower smoking rates and reduced alcohol consumption. Spirituality, including meditation and private prayer, helps regulate emotions, which aids physiological effects such as blood pressure.

There can be some overlap of the influences of religion and spirituality on health, Aldwin said.More research is needed to test the theory and examine contrasts between the two pathways. The goal is to help researchers develop better measures for analyzing the connections between religion, spirituality, and health and then explore possible clinical interventions.

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Religion + Spirituality = Healthier Aging

Religion, Spirituality Have Dual Roles in Better Health

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By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on March 31, 2014

Emerging research suggests religion and spirituality have distinct but complementary influences on health.

Oregon State University researchers looked at the relationship between health, religion, and spirituality and developed a theoretical model that defines two distinct pathways.

Religion helps regulate behavior and health habits, while spirituality regulates your emotions, how you feel, said Carolyn Aldwin, Ph.D., a gerontology professor at Oregon State University.

Religiousness, including formal religious affiliation and service attendance, is associated with better health habits, such as lower smoking rates and reduced alcohol consumption.

Spirituality, including meditation and private prayer, helps regulate emotions, which aids physiological effects such as blood pressure.

The findings were published recently in the journal Psychology of Religion and Spirituality.

No one has ever reviewed all of the different models of how religion affects health, said Aldwin. Were trying to impose a structure on a very messy field.

There can be some overlap of the influences of religion and spirituality on health, Aldwin said.

Still, more research is needed to test the theory and examine contrasts between the two pathways.

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Religion, Spirituality Have Dual Roles in Better Health

OSU study: religion, spirituality differ in effects on health

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Religion and spirituality have distinct but complementary influences on health, new research from Oregon State University indicates.

Religion helps regulate behavior and health habits, while spirituality regulates your emotions, how you feel, said Carolyn Aldwin, a gerontology professor in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at OSU.

Aldwin and colleagues have been working to understand and distinguish the beneficial connections between health, religion and spirituality. The result is a new theoretical model that defines two distinct pathways.

Religiousness, including formal religious affiliation and service attendance, is associated with better health habits, such as lower smoking rates and reduced alcohol consumption. Spirituality, including meditation and private prayer, helps regulate emotions, which aids physiological effects such as blood pressure.

The findings recently were published in the journal Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. Coauthors were Crystal L. Park of the University of Connecticut, and Yu-Jin Jeong and Ritwik Nath of OSU. The research was supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation.

No one has ever reviewed all of the different models of how religion affects health, said Aldwin, the Jo Anne Leonard Endowed Director of OSUs Center for Healthy Aging Research. Were trying to impose a structure on a very messy field.

There can be some overlap of the influences of religion and spirituality on health, Aldwin said. More research is needed to test the theory and examine contrasts between the two pathways. The goal is to help researchers develop better measures for analyzing the connections between religion, spirituality and health, and then explore possible clinical interventions, she said.

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OSU study: religion, spirituality differ in effects on health

Kim shines on temple visit in bridal-inspired gown

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31 MARCH 2014 Kim Kardashian has got in touch with her spiritual side and felt compelled to share her experience with her fans.

The queen of reality TV is currently in Thailand, enjoying the Kardashian-Jenner annual family holiday, and took to Instagram to post photos of her trip.

In a series of snapshots, Kim is pictured visiting a beautiful temple. The small-screen star, who is engaged to rapper fianc Kanye West, looked ready to walk up the aisle as she donned a stunning white gown for her photos.

Before entering the temple, Kim, 33, showed her respect by taking off her gold sandals. The Los Angeles resident sat on the marble steps, with her dark brunette waves carefully parted to the side. "#etiquette," she wrote alongside the photo.

In another image, Kim soaked in the serene atmosphere as she stood in front of a giant Buddha. Her white dress shone through against the backdrop of brightly coloured murals and heavy gold decor.

Kim looked graceful and completely at peace, which showed as she captioned the picture "#blessed."

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Kim shines on temple visit in bridal-inspired gown