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New DNA method tracks fish and whales in seawater

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ScienceDaily (Aug. 30, 2012) Danish researchers at University of Copenhagen lead the way for future monitoring of marine biodiversity and resources by using DNA traces in seawater samples to keep track of fish and whales in the oceans. A half litre of seawater can contain evidence of local fish and whale faunas and combat traditional fishing methods. Their results are now published in the international scientific journal PLOS ONE.

"The new DNA-method means that we can keep better track of life beneath the surface of the oceans around the world, and better monitor and protect ocean biodiversity and resources," says PhD student Philip Francis Thomsen from the Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen.

Marine ecosystems worldwide are under threat with many fish species and populations suffering from human over-exploitation, which greatly impacts global biodiversity, economy and human health. Today, marine fish are largely surveyed using selective and invasive methods mostly limited to commercial species, and restricted to areas with favourable conditions.

However, researchers at Centre for GeoGenetics now lead the way for future monitoring of marine biodiversity. They have shown that seawater contains DNA from animals such as fish and whales. The species leave behind a trace of DNA that reveals their presence in the ocean based on water samples of just half a litre.

From freshwater to seawater

The development of the novel DNA monitoring approach was accomplished by PhD student Philip Francis Thomsen and Master's student Jos Kielgast from the Centre for GeoGenetics headed by Professor Eske Willerslev. In December last year, they showed that small freshwater samples contain DNA from several different threatened animals, and after having published these results they began to focus on seawater. Here it also proved possible to obtain DNA directly from the water, which originated from local species living in the area.

"We analysed seawater samples specifically for fish DNA and we were very surprised when the results started to show up on the screen. We ended up with DNA from 15 different fish species in water samples of just a half litre. We found DNA from both small and large fish, as well as both common species and rare guests. Cod, herring, eel, plaice, pilchard and many more have all left a DNA trace in the seawater," says Philip Francis Thomsen.

In the other study the researchers showed that it is also possible to obtain DNA from harbour porpoise in small water samples taken in the sea, so the approach is not only limited to fish, but can also track large marine mammals.

A new and efficient method

The study also compares the new DNA method with existing methods traditionally used for monitoring fish such as trawl and pots. Here, the DNA method proved as good as or mostly better than existing methods. Moreover, the DNA method has a big advantage that it can be performed virtually anywhere without impacting the local habitat -- it just requires a sample of water. Associate Professor and fish expert Peter Rask Mller from the National History Museum of Denmark, who also participated in the study, is optimistic.

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New DNA method tracks fish and whales in seawater

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Cancer 'turns off' important immune cells, complicating experimental vaccine therapies

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Public release date: 30-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Cody Mooneyhan cmooneyhan@faseb.org 301-634-7104 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

Bethesda, MDA research report published in the September 2012 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology offers a possible explanation of why some cancer vaccines are not as effective as hoped, while at the same time identifies a new therapeutic strategy for treating autoimmune problems. In the report, scientists suggest that cancer, even in the very early stages, produces a negative immune response from dendritic cells, which prevent lymphocytes from working against the disease. Although problematic for cancer treatment, these flawed dendritic cells could be valuable therapeutic tools for preventing the immune system from attacking what it should not, as is the case with autoimmune disorders and organ transplants.

"Immunotherapy of cancer has been an elusive research target that, though promising, never seems to 'get there,'" said Jos Alexandre M. Barbuto, Ph.D., from the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology, Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences at the University of So Paulo, in So Paulo, Brazil. "This study helps us to better understand the mechanisms by which tumors avoid immune recognition and rejection and may, therefore, teach us how to actually engage effectively the immune system in the fight against tumors, thus achieving much better clinical responses and, consequently, quality of life, in our therapeutic approaches."

To make this discovery, researchers obtained a small sample of blood from breast cancer patients, and from healthy volunteers. The blood cells were then separated and induced to become dendritic cells. Researchers then used these laboratory-generated dendritic cells to induce responses from other immune system cells, namely lymphocytes. While dendritic cells from the healthy donors induced vigorous lymphocytic responses, dendritic cells from cancer patients induced mainly the activation of a specific type of lymphocyte, a regulatory lymphocyte that works as a "brake" for other types of lymphocytes.

"Understanding why the immune system does not recognize and eliminate cancer is critical to developing effective immunotherapies to fight the disease," said John Wherry, Ph.D., Deputy Editor of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology. "Immunologists have been trying to unravel the answer to this question for decades and have realized that the problem is both on the immune system side, and because cancer cells appear to actively 'fly under the radar' avoiding immune system detection. This article offers insights into the underlying mechanisms regulating a key immune cell type, the dendritic cell, involved in initiating anti-tumor responses."

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The Journal of Leukocyte Biology publishes peer-reviewed manuscripts on original investigations focusing on the cellular and molecular biology of leukocytes and on the origins, the developmental biology, biochemistry and functions of granulocytes, lymphocytes, mononuclear phagocytes and other cells involved in host defense and inflammation. The Journal of Leukocyte Biology is published by the Society for Leukocyte Biology.

Rodrigo Nalio Ramos, Lilian Sally Chin, Ana Paula S. A. dos Santos, Patrcia Cruz Bergami-Santos, Fbio Laginha, and Jos Alexandre M. Barbuto. Monocyte-derived dendritic cells from breast cancer patients are biased to induce CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells. J Leukoc Biol September 2012 92:673-682; doi:10.1189/jlb.0112048 ; http://www.jleukbio.org/content/92/3/673.abstract

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Cancer 'turns off' important immune cells, complicating experimental vaccine therapies

‘Promiscuous’ enzymes still prevalent in metabolism

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Enzymes are often thought to be specific, catalyzing only one reaction in a cell (left). However, some more promiscuous enzymes have many functions and catalyze many reactions in a cell. This study shows that promiscuous enzymes play a larger part in cell growth than previously thought. Credit: Courtesy of Systems Biology Research Group, UC San Diego, Jacobs School of Engineering

Open an undergraduate biochemistry textbook and you will learn that enzymes are highly efficient and specific in catalyzing chemical reactions in living organisms, and that they evolved to this state from their "sloppy" and "promiscuous" ancestors to allow cells to grow more efficiently. This fundamental paradigm is being challenged in a new study by bioengineers at the University of California, San Diego, who reported in the journal Science what a few enzymologists have suspected for years: many enzymes are still pretty sloppy and promiscuous, catalyzing multiple chemical reactions in living cells, for reasons that were previously not well understood.

In this study, the research team, led by Bernhard Palsson, Galetti Professor of Bioengineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, brought together decades of work on the behavior of individual enzymes to produce a genome-scale model of E. coli metabolism and report that at least 37 percent of its enzymes catalyze multiple metabolic reactions that occur in an actively growing cell.

"We've been able to stitch all of the enzymes together into one giant model, giving us a holistic view of what has been driving the evolution of enzymes and found that it isn't quite what we've thought it to be," said Palsson.

When organisms evolve, it is the genes or proteins that change. Therefore, gene and protein evolution has classically been studied one gene at a time. However in this work, Palsson and his colleagues, introduce an important paradigm shift by demonstrating that the evolution of individual proteins and enzymes is influenced by the function of all of the other enzymes in an organism, and how they all work together to support the growth rate of the cell.

Enlarge

Each gene and protein in a cell has a function, and many of these functions are linked to each other. Thus, as organisms evolve, the collective functions of all genes and proteins in the cells influence the evolution of each gene or protein. Credit: Courtesy of Systems Biology Research Group, UC San Diego, Jacobs School of Engineering

"Our study found that the functions of promiscuous enzymes are still used in growing cells, but the sloppiness of these enzymes is not detrimental to growth. They are much less sensitive to changes in the environment and not as necessary for efficient cell growth," said Nathan Lewis, who earned a Ph.D. in bioengineering at the Jacobs School in March and is now a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School.

This study is also a triumph in the emerging field of systems biology, which leverages the power of high-performance computing and an enormous amount of available data from the life sciences to simulate activities such as the rates of reactions that break down nutrients to make energy and new cell parts. "This study sheds light on the vast number of promiscuous enzymes in living organisms and shifts the paradigm of research in biochemistry to a holistic level," said Lewis. "The insights found in our work also clearly show that fine-grained knowledge can be obtained about individual proteins while using large-scale models." This concept will yield immediate and more distant results.

"Our team's findings could also inform other research efforts into which enzymes require further study for overlooked promiscuous activities," said Hojung Nam, a postdoctoral researcher in Palsson's lab. "Besides testing and characterizing more enzymes for potential promiscuous activities, enzyme promiscuity could have far-reaching impacts as scientists try to understand how unexpected promiscuous activities of enzymes contribute to diseases such as leukemia and brain tumors," said Nam.

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'Promiscuous' enzymes still prevalent in metabolism

Leaders' emotional cues may predict acts of terror or political aggression

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Public release date: 30-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Elaine Bible ebible@sfsu.edu 415-405-3606 San Francisco State University

Leaders often use rousing speeches to evoke powerful emotions, and those emotions may predict when a group will commit an act of violence or terrorism, according to new research published in the journal Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression. Analysis of speeches delivered by government, activist and terrorist leaders found that leaders' expressions of anger, contempt and disgust spiked immediately before their group committed an act of violence.

"When leaders express a combination of anger, contempt and disgust in their speeches, it seems to be instrumental in inciting a group to act violently," said David Matsumoto, professor of psychology at San Francisco State University.

As part of a five-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Defense's Minerva Initiative, Matsumoto and colleagues studied the transcripts of speeches delivered by the leaders of ideologically motivated groups over the past 100 years. The analysis included such speeches as Osama bin Laden's remarks leading up to the bombings of embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

The researchers analyzed the pattern of emotions conveyed when leaders spoke about their rival group and examined speeches given at three points in time before a specific act of aggression. They compared the results with the content of speeches delivered by leaders whose groups engaged in nonviolent acts of resistance such as rallies and protests.

Among leaders of groups that committed aggressive acts, there was a significant increase in expressions of anger, contempt and disgust from 3 to 6 months prior to the group committing an act of violence. For nonviolent groups, expressions of anger, contempt and disgust decreased from 3 to 6 months prior to the group staging an act of peaceful resistance.

Matsumoto says the findings suggest a leader's emotional tone may cause the rest of the group to share those emotions, which then motivates the group to take part in violent actions.

"For groups that committed acts of violence, there seemed to be this saturation of anger, contempt and disgust. That combination seems to be a recipe for hatred that leads to violence," Matsumoto said.

Anger, contempt and disgust may be particularly important drivers of violent behavior because they are often expressed in response to moral violations, says Matsumoto, and when an individual feels these emotions about a person or group, they often feel that their opponent is unchangeable and inherently bad.

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Leaders' emotional cues may predict acts of terror or political aggression

Low-calorie diet not linked with longevity in monkeys, study finds

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In a long-awaited study, underfed monkeys didnt have longer life spans, raising doubts that severe calorie restriction could result in extended lives for most animals and possibly humans.

In research going back more than 75 years, a sharp reduction in caloric intake has been associated with increased longevity. The initial work was done with mice and rats but was later corroborated in other laboratory subjects such as fruit flies and worms, raising hopes that it would apply to humans.

But those hopes are being dimmed by the results published Wednesday online by the journal Nature. The National Institute on Aging study, begun in 1987, involved rhesus monkeys, which are much closer to humans, both genetically and in average longevity, than previous test subjects.

The scientists, led by Julie Mattison, were surprised to find that calorie restriction the treated monkeys ate 30percent fewer calories than those in the control group didnt affect life spans.

It did confer some health benefits, reducing the incidence of cancer and diabetes. It slightly raised the incidence of cardiovascular diseases.

The monkeys were started on their restricted diets either when the animals were young or in middle age. Now, more than two decades later, about half the monkeys that were underfed from a young age are still alive the same as in the control group. The scientists calculated, with a probability of 99.9percent, that the calorie-restricted animals will not survive longer than the animals in the control group. The monkeys that were already older when they were put on the diet have all died. The oldest died at 40, the same as for the corresponding control animals.

These results conflict with a 2009 study, conducted at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center. Although scientists there did not find that calorie restriction had a significant effect on life span, they did report a trend toward longer life and healthier aging for some of the treated monkeys.

Things were going well for the treated monkeys at the beginning of the National Institute on Aging study, but around the time the Wisconsin researchers published their work, we noticed that for our monkeys, things were not going so well, Mattison said. The treated animals started dying at the same rate as the controls.

Both Mattison and Ricki Colman, the researcher who was the lead author of the 2009 paper, stressed that their studies werent meant to compete with each other and that they had many differences, including diet composition, treatment of diseases and ages of the animals at the beginning of the experiments. Both studies will keep going until all the animals die.

But Mattison acknowledged that the primate research hadnt fulfilled the high expectations of the rodent research. In the rodent studies, you would reduce caloric intake by 10 or 20percent and increase life span by the same amount, she said. But in primates and probably humans, things seem to be much more complicated.

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Low-calorie diet not linked with longevity in monkeys, study finds

DNA project unlocks potter's field secrets

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NEW YORK On a wind-swept island off New York City, the remains of 850,000 people rest in pine boxes in a grid of covered trenches but many are not resting in peace.

They are the unidentified or unclaimed dead who have been found around the nation's largest city often with little hope of a loved one ever knowing their fate. Now, with advances in DNA technology and anthropology and with new federal funding, the city medical examiner's office has exhumed dozens of the bodies in a new push to identify several decades' worth.

It's how Ben Maurer's family finally learned that the 17-year-old had jumped to his death from a Manhattan building on June 25, 2002.

His mother, Germaine, submitted his DNA to the medical examiner in 2009, when the first phase of the project began. The DNA was entered into a public database containing information on thousands of cases of missing and unidentified people and matched a John Doe buried in the potter's field on 101-acre Hart Island on Long Island Sound.

He was given a proper funeral near the family's home in Piscataway, N.J., shortly after his remains were returned to them in 2009.

"It meant everything," said Jared Maurer, Ben's 28-year-old brother. "It finally gave us closure to what had happened to Ben."

Jared Maurer said he frequently visits his brother's grave site. "I tell him I miss him, I tell him I love him," he said.

At any given time, there are 40,000 active missing and unidentified person cases in the United States. New York State accounts for 25 percent of those cases, most of them in New York City.

The identities of some of the bodies in the potter's field are known, but their families are too poor to have them buried elsewhere.

DNA samples weren't regularly taken from all bodies until about 2006, so the only way to identify many bodies is to exhume them, once DNA samples can be matched up with a description of a corpse, as in Maurer's case.

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Senior Focus: New imaging device helps detect brain changes

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Brain imaging helps to understand how the brain works, aids in the diagnosis of neurological diseases and guides treatments. Positron emission tomography or PET is an imaging technique that uses trace amounts of radioactive drugs to visualize the function and biochemistry of the brain.

Imaging researchers now have developed new PET tracers to detect changes in the brain caused by Alzheimer's dementia and other neurodegenerative disease. These diseases damage and ultimately kill large numbers of brain cells (neurons) and thus lead to severe disability and death.

Neurodegenerative diseases cause specific patterns of injury and biochemical abnormalities in the brain. Until recently, these changes could only be measured after death by examining brain tissue using a microscope. One of the exciting developments in PET imaging is the availability of new agents that can detect beta-amyloid plaques, one of the key abnormalities in Alzheimer's disease, in the living human brain. Plaques may develop in the brain over a decade before Alzheimer's symptoms develop.

Neurologists and other dementia specialists currently rely primarily on information gathered from the patient and family, physical examination and cognitive tests to diagnose Alzheimer's dementia. In some cases, determining the cause of a patient's cognitive problems can be challenging, and now PET imaging can help doctors and patients be more confident in the diagnosis.

Two clinically used PET imaging tests for patients are being evaluated for dementia. A PET tracer called FDG measures the brain's use of glucose, a simple sugar that serves as the brain's major source of energy. In dementia due to Alzheimer's disease, decreased glucose metabolism in specific brain regions supports a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

The other PET imaging test for patients with cognitive impairment uses a different PET tracer, florbetapir, which binds to beta-amyloid plaques that occur in Alzheimer's disease. This PET tracer was approved for clinical use by the Food and Drug Administration in April 2012. Amyloid PET imaging can show the presence or absence of abnormally increased plaques in the brain. Low plaque levels (a negative amyloid PET study) reduce the likelihood that a patient's cognitive problems are due to Alzheimer's disease. Higher plaque levels are present in Alzheimer's disease, but a positive amyloid PET scan can occur with other neurologic diseases and in older people without cognitive problems.

Both FDG and amyloid PET are only part of the evaluation of patients with dementia or other cognitive disorders. Neither of these tests alone can make specific diagnoses. PET imaging in patients with cognitive impairment should be ordered by physicians experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of patients of these conditions when the results will help in clinical decision making.

Dr. Jonathan McConathy is an assistant professor of radiology at Washington University who is board certified in diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine. For information about brain PET studies at Washington University, call 314-362-4738.

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Senior Focus: New imaging device helps detect brain changes

[SENDEX 2012] Synthesis Welfare Contents Expo in preparation for aging society

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SEOUL, South Korea, Aug. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Synthesis Welfare Contents Expo in preparation for aging society,'Senior & People with Disabilities Expo (hereafter SENDEX)' is held from 30th Aug. to 1st Sept. at KINTEX, KOREA.

SENDEX aiming at Korea's largestSynthesis Welfare Contents Expo has to sectors. One is 'Smart Aging Expo', 120 companies exhibit varied old age related products including health,dwelling andfinance. The other is 'International Assistive Technology Fair' to exhibit Assistive Technology Devices.

After opening ceremony, Awards ceremony and Minister Prize were run by 'The Ministry of Knowledge and Economy' and 'The Ministry of Health and Welfare'.

In particular, visitors can take a view of medical industry and welfare industry at one spot since 'Anti-Aging of Medical field Exhibition' and 'Integrating Medicine Health Care' were held together.

Above this, 'The 6th InternationalAssistive TechnologySymposium' is held torevitalize R&D ofAssistive Technology. Figures of reputation includingJerry Weisman, a chair mam of RESNA(Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America) participate in this symposium to exchange varied information and advanced trend.

Also, there are various useful event including 'Assistive Technology Device Zone' to repair and clean visitors'Assistive Technology Device likewheelchair.

"SENDEX is held toinvigorateAssistive Technology Industry and Senior-friendly industry which are getting lots of attention as the elderly population increases" and "This Fair will be an opportunity which can experience and think concerning preparing healthy old age at one spot."

Go to 'SENDEX 2012' Special Page (tshow.aving.net/sendex)

Pictures : http://image2.aving.net/2012/08/30/201208301151256940.jpg http://image2.aving.net/2012/08/30/201208301151259091.jpg http://image2.aving.net/2012/08/30/201208301151251512.jpg http://image2.aving.net/2012/08/30/201208301151254813.jpg http://image2.aving.net/2012/08/30/201208301151251264.jpg http://image2.aving.net/2012/08/30/201208301151259735.jpg http://image2.aving.net/2012/08/30/201208301151256236.jpg http://image2.aving.net/2012/08/30/201208301151253717.jpg http://image2.aving.net/2012/08/30/201208301151251358.jpg

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[SENDEX 2012] Synthesis Welfare Contents Expo in preparation for aging society

ACCC delays Sonic decision Save

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Aug. 29, 2012, 10:53 a.m.

The competition regulator has again delayed its decision on whether to allow Sonic Healthcare to take over Healthscope's east coast pathology businesses, raising expectations the $100 million deal might be rejected.

The long-awaited decision was expected to be announced tomorrow, but the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says it is still seeking information from relevant parties and a decision will be made "in due course."

Sonic Healthcare, the international medical centre, pathology and radiology company, announced in May its intention to buy private equity-owned Healthscope's pathology businesses in Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

The ACCC, in a statement of issues released earlier this month, said it was its "preliminary view" that the proposed acquisition might raise competition concerns in the Qld, NSW/ACT and WA community pathology services market.

Sonic chief executive Colin Goldshmidt told BusinessDay this month that the deal was "one of those things that we're optimistic it will happen, but if it doesn't happen, then Sonic is big enough that it's not really going to make a whole lot of difference".

Its shares reached a two-year high recently of $13.43, after reaching guidance with a 7.3 per cent increase in full-year profit to $316 million and offering cautious guidance for the 2013 fiscal year.

mheffernan@fairfaxmedia.com.au

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ACCC delay feeds doubts on pathology takeover

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Sonic Healthcare's CEO Colin Goldschmidt.

THE competition regulator has again delayed its decision on whether to allow Sonic Healthcare to take over Healthscope's east coast pathology businesses, raising expectations the $100 million deal might be rejected.

The long-awaited decision was expected to be announced today, but the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said yesterday it was still seeking information from relevant parties and a decision would be made ''in due course''.

Sonic Healthcare, the international medical centre, pathology and radiology company, announced in May its intention to buy private equity-owned Healthscope's pathology businesses in Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

The ACCC, in a statement of issues released this month, said it was its ''preliminary view'' that the proposed acquisition might raise competition concerns in the Queensland, NSW/ACT and WA community pathology services market.

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Sonic chief executive Colin Goldschmidt said this month that the deal was ''one of those things that we're optimistic it will happen, but if it doesn't happen, then Sonic is big enough that it's not really going to make a whole lot of difference''.

Its shares reached a two-year high this week of $13.43, after reaching guidance with a 7.3 per cent increase in full-year profit to $316 million.

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ACCC delay feeds doubts on pathology takeover

ACCC delays Sonic decision

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The competition regulator has again delayed its decision on whether to allow Sonic Healthcare to take over Healthscope's east coast pathology businesses, raising expectations the $100 million deal might be rejected.

The long-awaited decision was expected to be announced tomorrow, but the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says it is still seeking information from relevant parties and a decision will be made "in due course."

Sonic Healthcare, the international medical centre, pathology and radiology company, announced in May its intention to buy private equity-owned Healthscope's pathology businesses in Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

The ACCC, in a statement of issues released earlier this month, said it was its "preliminary view" that the proposed acquisition might raise competition concerns in the Qld, NSW/ACT and WA community pathology services market.

Advertisement

Sonic chief executive Colin Goldshmidt told BusinessDay this month that the deal was "one of those things that we're optimistic it will happen, but if it doesn't happen, then Sonic is big enough that it's not really going to make a whole lot of difference".

Its shares reached a two-year high recently of $13.43, after reaching guidance with a 7.3 per cent increase in full-year profit to $316 million and offering cautious guidance for the 2013 fiscal year.

mheffernan@fairfaxmedia.com.au

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ACCC delays Sonic decision

RSP Nutrition is Nominated for 2012 New Brand of the Year by Bodybuilding.com. Vote for RSP Nutrition Now!

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MIAMI BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

RSP Nutrition, the creators of Sports Performance Nutrition, was recently nominated for New Brand of the Year for 2012 by Bodybuilding.com. Bodybuilding.com is the Internets most-visited bodybuilding and fitness site and largest online retailer of nutritional supplements. Nominees were determined based on 2012 sales volume.

According to Victor Davanzo, RSP Nutritions Managing Director, We are honored to receive this nomination as it is a testament to the quality of our brand, products and team. Every day we strive to add value to the lives of our customers and help them lead healthier, more active lifestyles. Nominations such as this reinforce our efforts and continue to grow our presence on an international level.

The Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards have set the standard for recognition of the best products and brands in the fitness and supplement industry. Last year, over one million votes from across the world helped decide what products would become instant top-sellers out of the 8,000+ products Bodybuilding.com carries. Being nominated for a Bodybuilding.com Supplement Award is quite an accomplishment! Since the public chooses the final winners, winning this award positions a company to be one of the most trustworthy out there, explains Bodybuilding.com CEO Ryan DeLuca.

Winners will be decided by customer vote via an online voting system running July 13, 2012 to August 31, 2012 on Bodybuilding.com and from a top health and nutrition industry panel. Winners will be announced live on the Olympia Main Stage as part of Joe Weiders Olympia Weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 28-29, 2012. Please cast your vote for RSP Nutrition as New Brand of the Year at: http://www.bodybuilding.com/awards

Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FastFuel Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/FastFuelOnline

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RSP Nutrition is Nominated for 2012 New Brand of the Year by Bodybuilding.com. Vote for RSP Nutrition Now!

Bacterial cause found for skin condition rosacea

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Scientists are closer to establishing a definitive bacterial cause for the skin condition rosacea. This will allow more targeted, effective treatments to be developed for sufferers, according to a review published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology.

Rosacea is a common dermatological condition that causes reddening and inflammation of the skin mostly around the cheeks, nose and chin. In severe cases skin lesions may form and lead to disfigurement. Rosacea affects around 3% of the population usually fair-skinned females aged 30-50 and particularly those with weak immune systems. The condition is treated with a variety of antibiotics, even though there has never been a well-established bacterial cause.

A new review carried out by the National University of Ireland concludes that rosacea may be triggered by bacteria that live within tiny mites that reside in the skin.

The mite species Demodex folliculorum is worm-like in shape and usually lives harmlessly inside the pilosebaceous unit which surrounds hair follicles of the face. They are normal inhabitants of the face and increase in number with age and skin damage for example, following exposure to sunlight. The numbers of Demodex mites living in the skin of rosacea patients is higher than in normal individuals, which has previously suggested a possible role for the mites in initiating the condition.

More recently, the bacterium Bacillus oleronius was isolated from inside a Demodex mite and was found to produce molecules provoking an immune reaction in rosacea patients. Other studies have shown patients with varying types of rosacea react to the molecules produced by this bacterium exposing it as a likely trigger for the condition. What's more, this bacterium is sensitive to the antibiotics used to treat rosacea.

Dr Kevin Kavanagh who conducted the review explained, "The bacteria live in the digestive tracts of Demodex mites found on the face, in a mutually beneficial relationship. When the mites die, the bacteria are released and leak into surrounding skin tissues - triggering tissue degradation and inflammation."

"Once the numbers of mites increase, so does the number of bacteria, making rosacea more likely to occur. Targeting these bacteria may be a useful way of treating and preventing this condition," said Dr Kavanagh. "Alternatively we could look at controlling the population of Demodex mites in the face. Some pharmaceutical companies are already developing therapies to do this, which represents a novel way of preventing and reversing rosacea, which can be painful and embarrassing for many people."

More information: Dr Kavanagh's review "The potential role of Demodex folliculorum mites and bacteria in the induction of rosacea," will be published online ahead of print on Thursday 30 August in the Society for General Microbiology's Journal of Medical Microbiology. dx.doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.048090-0

Journal reference: Journal of Medical Microbiology

Provided by Society for General Microbiology

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Research and Markets: Food Microbiology: An Introduction, Third Edition Includes Expert Perspectives on Parasites …

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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8kkjwc/food_microbiology) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new report "Food Microbiology: An Introduction, Third Edition" to their offering.

Authoritative coverage presented in a format designed to facilitate teaching and learning

The newly updated and expanded third edition:

- Incorporates instructors' input to further clarify complex topics in the field of food microbiology.

- Encourages students to venture beyond memorization and think critically to gain a broader conceptual understanding of food microbiology and acquire the understanding and skills necessary to ensure the safety of tomorrow's food supply.

- Presents explicit learning goals to focus students on the core principles of food microbiology.

- Introduces the genetics and molecular mechanisms important for the understanding of foodborne microbes

Key Topics Covered:

I. Basics of Food Microbiology

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Research and Markets: Food Microbiology: An Introduction, Third Edition Includes Expert Perspectives on Parasites ...

Lake Erie experts fear DNA spike is sign of Asian carp

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John Flesher | Associated Press

An Asian carp, jolted by an electric current from a research boat, jumps out of the Illinois River. The fishs DNA was detected in 20 of 150 water samples taken July?30-31 from Sandusky Bay in Lake Erie.

The Columbus Dispatch Wednesday August 29, 2012 8:15 AM

The discovery of additional Asian carp DNA in Sandusky Bay has state and federal wildlife officials increasing efforts to see whether the invasive fish has entered Lake Erie.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources reported yesterday that Asian carp DNA had been detected in 20 of 150 water samples taken July 30-31.

In earlier tests, four of 325 water samples in Sandusky Bay and two of 92 samples taken from Maumee Bay were positive. State and federal officials swept the area over three days this month but found no actual Asian carp.

We are going to go out and do more electro-fishing and netting to see what we can find, said Bethany McCorkle, an agency spokeswoman. We wont know until we actually have a live fish.Jeffrey Reutter, the director of Ohio Sea Grant and Ohio State Universitys Stone Laboratory on Lake Erie, called the latest test results disappointing.

At this point, that is definitely worrisome, he said.

Finding breeding carp would signal a huge threat to the lakes $1-billion-a-year fishing industry and its $10-billion-a-year tourism industry. The carp out-compete native fish for food. After escaping fish farms during massive floods in 1993, they now dominate several stretches of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers.

Sandy Bihn, the director of the Toledo-based Lake Erie Waterkeeper advocacy group, expressed hope that the fish havent set up housekeeping.

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Lake Erie experts fear DNA spike is sign of Asian carp

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DNA test confirms cantaloupe from Chamberlain Farms of Indiana a source in 21-state salmonella outbreak

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Chamberlain Farm Produce Inc. in Owensville, Ind. is the source of at least some of the salmonella that has infected 178 people in 21 states.

The Salmonella bacteria collected from Chamberlain Farms matches the "DNA fingerprint" of the salmonella strain responsible for sickening 178 people, including 62 who were hospitalized, FDA spokeswoman Shelly Burgess said.

73 sickened by salmonella-tainted mangoes, say California health officials Cantaloupe-linked salmonella kills two FDA: Avoid cantaloupes grown in southwestern Indiana

She stressed that federal and state agencies were still investigating whether there might be other sources of the salmonella involved in the outbreak.

"Just because we've identified this as one source, things just don't stop here," she said. "We're still assessing the full scope of this."

Salmonella bacteria typically live in animal and human intestines and are shed through feces, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Salmonella infection, or salmonellosis, may cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps within eight to 72 hours of exposure. Most people recover without treatment, but it can be deadly for some. In some cases, diarrhea associated with the infection can be so dehydrating that medical attention is necessary. If salmonella spreads beyond infected people's intestines, they risk death.

Amy Reel, a spokeswoman for the Indiana State Department of Health, said samples have been collected from multiple southern Indiana farms. The FDA is handling analysis of those samples, she said.

Gary Zhao, an attorney for the southwestern Indiana farm, said Tuesday in response to a message seeking comment that the farm would release a statement later this week.

Last week, Tim Chamberlain, who runs the 100-acre (40-hectare) Chamberlain Farms, said it had stopped producing and distributing cantaloupe on Aug. 16, when the FDA alerted him that the fruit could be tainted.

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DNA test confirms cantaloupe from Chamberlain Farms of Indiana a source in 21-state salmonella outbreak

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Biology Course at WHS Earns AP Designation

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Washington High School has learned its biology course syllabus is now authorized to use the AP (Advanced Placement) designation for the 2012-13 academic year.

The AP program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college.

Participating colleges grant credit to students who obtained high enough scores on the exams to qualify.

WHS Principal Dr. Frank Wood said it also signifies the course is more rigorous than the general course offerings.

Were real pleased to learn of the AP approval, said Wood, adding that about 16 students are currently enrolled in that particular class, which includes a lab.

A letter from the AP program states that WHSs syllabus was reviewed by experienced college and university faculty, who have confirmed that it outlines how you provide a college-level learning experience for your students.

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Biology Course at WHS Earns AP Designation

Bio-Rad Launches a Digital Biology Center to Develop Products for Research and Diagnostics Markets Based on the …

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HERCULES, CA--(Marketwire -08/29/12)- Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (BIO) and (BIO.B), a multinational manufacturer and distributor of life science research and clinical diagnostic products, today announced the launch of a Digital Biology Center to focus on the development of innovative new products based on the company's recently acquired droplet partitioning technology. The first product based on this technology, Bio-Rad's QX100 Droplet Digital PCR system that was introduced last year, applies a sample partitioning technology to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and offers a new approach to nucleic acid quantification.

PCR is widely used to amplify and quantify nucleic acids. Droplet digital PCR offers researchers a new level of precision in the quantification of target nucleic acid molecules, providing accurate determination of copy number variation as well as the detection of rare mutation events such as those seen in certain tumors. Applications of these capabilities have the potential to provide new strategies for diagnosis of inherited disorders, cancer, and infectious disease.

"We believe the digital droplet partitioning technology, which is at the heart of our recently launched QX100 Droplet Digital PCR instrument, has potential far beyond the digital PCR market," said Annette Tumolo, Director, Digital Biology Center. "Our mission is to provide innovative products that deliver powerful, accessible solutions for digital biology and expand the reach of our digital droplet PCR technology."

About the QX100 Droplet Digital SystemThe QX100 Droplet Digital PCR system (ddPCR) provides an absolute measure of target DNA molecules with unrivaled performance in precision, accuracy, and sensitivity for quantitative PCR applications. The Droplet Digital PCR system is the third generation of PCR technology and provides a new approach to target DNA quantification. The QX100 droplet generator partitions samples into 20,000 nanoliter-sized droplets. After PCR on a thermal cycler, droplets from every sample are streamed in single file on the QX100 droplet reader. The PCR-positive and PCR-negative droplets are counted to provide absolute quantification of target DNA in digital form, detecting rare DNA target copies with unmatched sensitivity and determining copy number variation with unrivaled accuracy.

About Bio-Rad Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (BIO) and (BIO.B) has remained at the center of scientific discovery for more than 50 years, manufacturing and distributing a broad range of products for the life science research and clinical diagnostic markets. The company is renowned worldwide among hospitals, universities, major research institutions, as well as biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies for its commitment to quality and customer service. Founded in 1952, Bio-Rad is headquartered in Hercules, California, and serves more than 100,000 research and industry customers worldwide through its global network of operations. The company employs over 7,100 people globally and had revenues exceeding $2 billion in 2011. For more information, visit http://www.bio-rad.com.

This release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, "believe," "expect," "may," "will," "intend," "estimate," "continue," or similar expressions or the negative of those terms or expressions. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by the forward-looking statements. For further information regarding the Company's risks and uncertainties, please refer to the "Risk Factors" in the Company's public reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. The Company cautions you not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect an analysis only and speak only as of the date hereof. Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

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Bio-Rad Launches a Digital Biology Center to Develop Products for Research and Diagnostics Markets Based on the ...

Could Your Genes Influence How You Vote?

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By Carina Storrs HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) -- With the U.S. presidential campaign season heating up and Election Day drawing nearer, political science experts are saying that campaigns could one day benefit from having a deeper understanding of voters, all the way down to their DNA.

"Since about 2005, there has been a turning of the tide that genes can influence political traits," said Peter Hatemi, an associate professor of political science, microbiology and biochemistry at Pennsylvania State University.

"Most social scientists had viewed the world as a blank slate, whatever your family is, whatever you run into and your experiences, is how you develop your attitudes," he added.

Research into the genetic underpinnings of political views has grown significantly in the past eight years, Hatemi said. His comprehensive review of previous research on the role genes play in attitudes, ideologies and voting behavior, is co-authored by Rose McDermott, a professor of political science at Brown University, and appears online Aug. 27 in Trends in Genetics.

Political scientists have borrowed pages from the geneticists' book of techniques for studying medicine and psychology, but it may be how political scientists are using these approaches that will have the biggest impact on public health.

"The world revolves around politics, it doesn't revolve around schizophrenia. It's important to study because the biggest determinant of public health is going to be politics," Hatemi said.

One technique in particular involves studying identical and fraternal twins. Researchers can compare how often identical twins, who share all of their genes, and fraternal twins, who share half their genes on average, give the same answers to political questions to gauge how big of a role genes play in different categories.

Hatemi and McDermott reviewed previous twin studies and reported that about half of the variation in political traits could be explained by genetics, the other half by upbringing and environment.

Categories such as political knowledge and liberal versus conservative ideology were more likely to be influenced by genetics, whereas political party identification was strongly affected by upbringing, the researchers said.

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Could Your Genes Influence How You Vote?