Political filing season opens; Elvis is in the building

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Election filing begins at noon today, with state office candidates filing at the Capitol, and local candidates going to county courthouses.

The secretary of state's office will be posting candidates on-line at this link.

Filing runs through noon March 3. Politicking is well underway, with a sum exceeding $1 million already spent in the U.S. Senate and governor's races.

Green and Libertarian Parties have qualified for the state ballot and are choosing candidates by convention. The Libertarian Party announced a slate, down to Pulaski County JP, over the weekend. It follows. It includes a famous name, Elvis Presley, for Arkansas land commissioner, which guarantees an opponent for incumbent Republican John Thurman. No Democrat has yet indicated an interest in running.

LIBERTARIAN NEWS RELEASE

The Libertarian Party of Arkansas nominated 26 candidates, the largest number in its history, for the 2014 election ballot at its state convention, held this weekend in Little Rock.

Heading the state Libertarian ticket is Frank Gilbert, running for Governor of Arkansas. Gilbert currently serves as constable of Dekalb Township in Grant County, attending to the rural areas of northwest Grant County. Gilbert also served as mayor of Tull, Arkansas, for eight years, coroner of Grant County for two years, and is a former president of the Bauxite Education Association.

"I am excited by the opportunity, as the Libertarian Party's nominee for Governor, to carry the message that free men and women have an absolute right to conduct their lives in any way they choose, so long as they don't infringe on the equal rights of others," Gilbert said, "as well as our absolute responsibility to bear the result of our actions. The Libertarian Party is the only political entity that has that message for the voters of Arkansas. I believe it will be a refreshing change from the politics-as-usual of the old parties. I intend to campaign vigorously throughout the state."

If the Libertarian Party candidate for Governor receives at least 3% of the vote, the party will be automatically certified to run candidates in the next election cycle, without having to petition for a spot on the ballot.

Libertarian candidates nominated for other statewide races are Nathan LaFrance, U.S. Senate; Christopher Olson, Lt. Governor; Jacob Holloway, Secretary of State; Brian Leach, Auditor; Chris Hayes, Treasurer; and Elvis D. Presley, Land Commissioner.

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Political filing season opens; Elvis is in the building

Libertarian, Green parties post write-in candidates for primary in hopes of reaching November ballot

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Two Libertarian Party candidates, including the party's chairman, and a team from the Green Party have qualified as write-in candidates for the statewide primary election with the hope of reaching the November ballot.

The Green Party's Anita Rios and Bob Fitrakis filed as write-ins for the gubernatorial race. Rios is the candidate for governor, while Fitrakis is her lieutenant governor running mate.

Rios, of Toledo, previously has run for local offices in that city and for U.S. Senate in 2012. Fitrakis, from Columbus, ran as a Green Party candidate for governor in 2006 and for Congress in 2012.

Republican Gov. John Kasich and Libertarian Charlie Earl are unopposed in the May primary. Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald and Larry Ealy of suburban Dayton both filed as Democratic candidates.

Bob Bridges of Columbus filed as a Libertarian candidate for state auditor. Bridges is the political director for the Libertarian Party of Ohio.

Republican Auditor Dave Yost and Democratic state Rep. John Patrick Carney qualified for the primary ballot and are unopposed.

Kevin Knedler, the state chairman for the Libertarian Party, filed to run as secretary of state.

Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted and Democratic state Sen. Nina turner both qualified for the primary ballot and are unopposed.

In all three contests, the Green and Libertarian parties had filed petitions with the Ohio secretary of state by the Feb. 5 filing deadline to place candidates on the May primary ballot. But each of those candidates failed to have the required 500 valid signatures from registered voters to qualify.

These candidates will have to reach that 500 vote threshold to qualify for the November ballot, said Matt McClellan, Husted's press secretary.

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Libertarian, Green parties post write-in candidates for primary in hopes of reaching November ballot

Falkland Islands Radio Service (Port Stanley, Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas) – 530 kHz – Video

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Falkland Islands Radio Service (Port Stanley, Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas) - 530 kHz
Reception of Falkland Islands Radio Service (Port Stanley, Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas) on 530 kHz by CX2ABP in Jaureguiberry, Uruguay (GF25hf) (1892 km)...

By: CX2ABP

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Falkland Islands Radio Service (Port Stanley, Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas) - 530 kHz - Video

10 islands to love–none in the latest TripAdvisor list

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The other day, when TripAdvisor listed the ten top islands in its new Travelers Choice poll, I decided I needed to get out more. Id been to only three.

Then I noticed what was missing.

So to Hellas (thats Greece) with their list. Since these things are just arbitrary conversation-starters anyway, Im pretending to be incensed and making my own. No crowd-sourced wisdom, just my memory.

I should admit it's been 20 years since I've laid eyes on some of these places, but I have seen them all. One of the reasons we love islands, I think, is that the way they hold onto their own cultures, even as the surrounding world changes by the day.

Also, these are not all swimsuit destinations. I don't blame East Coast folk for spending their February days imagining warm distant beaches, but out here in the hot, dry West, we're willing to fantasize about islands of all stripes.

Anyway, here (with photo gallery above) are 10 islands the Trip Advisor voters missed.

10. Krk, Croatia. Despite an appalling lack of vowels, this Adriatic island has a wealth of pebbly beaches, deep blue sea, low-key atmosphere and small-scale affordable lodgings. But be careful of the home brew. Plenty of islanders make it (fig schnapps, for instance), and many are so generous that theyll offer you some. You need to stop at one shot, if not sooner.

9. Moorea, French Polynesia. Glass-bottomed hotel rooms (not the whole floor, just a bit under the coffee table). An amazing array of fish that are easy to see, even if you snorkel on the surface. You can circle the island by bike in half a day. It was here that a waiter once beckoned my wife and me by saying: Live music tonight. American girl. Autoharp. Interesting.

8. Paros, Greece. Santorini and Mykonos get most of the attention, but their lazier neighbors in the Cyclades have much to offer. Naxos (beloved by the TripAdvisor people) is one, but I preferred the windmills and whitewashed walls of Paros.

7. Santa Cruz Island, California. This is part of Channel Islands national Park, off Ventura -- no restaurants, no hotels, no retail, just a raw reminder to kayakers and campers of what coastal California looked like 200 years ago. If you camp on a slow night, itll feel as though you have the island to yourself.

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10 islands to love--none in the latest TripAdvisor list

Deportation to cyclone-ravaged islands must stop – Sio

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Immigration New Zealand must immediately stop deporting Tongan overstayers to the cyclone-ravaged islands of Haapai on humanitarian grounds, Labours Pacific Islands Affairs spokesperson Sua William Sio says.

"It is inhumane for immigration authorities to deport a Tongan woman with a heart and thyroid condition whose doctor has said she is unfit to fly.

"The woman, who doesnt want to be named, has told media the nearest hospital to her Haapai home doesnt have the facilities to treat people with heart problems.

"Immigration New Zealand is putting her life at risk.

"The Tongan Advisory Council has described the situation in the Ha'apai islands - where 5000 people were displaced and 800 homes destroyed by Cyclone Ian - as bleak.

"Island residents are surviving on donations from the New Zealand Tongan community which has sent 10 container loads of food and water.

"Pacific Islands Affairs Minister Sam Lotu-Iiga needs to step in and order Immigration New Zealand to call a temporary halt to deporting people back to the Ha'apai islands.

"When Labour first called for a halt to these deportations last week, the Minister said he needed genuine examples before he took action. He now has no excuse and should do the right thing," Sua William Sio says.

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Deportation to cyclone-ravaged islands must stop - Sio

Deportation to cyclone-ravaged islands must stop

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Sua WilliamSIO

Pacific Islands Spokesperson

25 February 2014 MEDIA STATEMENT

Deportation to cyclone-ravaged islands must stop

Immigration New Zealand must immediately stop deporting Tongan overstayers to the cyclone-ravaged islands of Haapai on humanitarian grounds, Labours Pacific Islands Affairs spokesperson Sua William Sio says.

It is inhumane for immigration authorities to deport a Tongan woman with a heart and thyroid condition whose doctor has said she is unfit to fly.

The woman, who doesnt want to be named, has told media the nearest hospital to her Haapai home doesnt have the facilities to treat people with heart problems.

Immigration New Zealand is putting her life at risk.

The Tongan Advisory Council has described the situation in the Ha'apai islands where 5000 people were displaced and 800 homes destroyed by Cyclone Ian as bleak.

Island residents are surviving on donations from the New Zealand Tongan community which has sent 10 container loads of food and water.

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Deportation to cyclone-ravaged islands must stop

New tumor suppressor gene will facilitate detection of people susceptible to skin cancer

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The human genome contains approximately 20,000 protein coding genes which are responsible for the formation, development and functioning of the human body. A similar number of genes exists in the mouse genome. In this pool only some genes -- called tumor suppressors -- can initiate the production of proteins having anti-cancer properties. Polish-Australian team of researchers from the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw .and Monash University Central Clinical School in Melbourne showed that one of the genes, known as GRHL1, displays anti-cancer effects which is protective against skin cancer of non-melanoma type.

"In humans, we know more than 700 tumor suppressor genes, but only a few of them prevent the development of skin cancer. We have identified yet another tumor suppressor gene, whose damage certainly increases the risk of skin cancer, at least in a mouse model," says Dr. Tomasz Wilanowski from the Nencki Institute.

Cancer is currently one of the deadliest and most common diseases. According to statistical data from the World Health Organization, annually more than 8 million people die of cancer worldwide. Therefore understanding the causes of this disease and development of effective methods of prevention and therapy of cancer are of great social importance.

In 1998, Dr. Wilanowski identified, cloned and described a new human gene. GRHL1 (Grainyhead-like 1) proved to be a factor co-responsible for the formation of the largest human organ: the skin. This allowed the Polish-Australian research team to carry out experiments on the influence of this gene on the incidence of skin cancer.

"The tests that we conducted recently in our laboratory, leave no doubt. In the control mice, severe skin cancers developed in 7% of the population. In knockout mice, that is, in mice lacking the functional GRHL1 gene, such tumors appeared in as many as 33% of cases," says PhD student Michal Mlacki of the Nencki Institute, lead author of the paper that was just published in a well-known scientific journal PLOS ONE.

Researchers from the Nencki Institute emphasize that these numbers cannot be automatically applied to the human population. "Although mouse and human are very similar in terms of genetics and physiology, they are still different organisms. Mice are only research models of human disorders and facilitate better understanding of disease processes," says Michal Mlacki.

"Today we cannot yet unequivocally answer the question whether people with a defective GRHL1 gene will be five times more likely to develop non-melanoma skin cancer, as it happens in mice, or whether the risk of this disease will increase fourfold, or sixfold. Studies on the determination of the scale of the increased risk in human population have only just begun," notes Dr. Wilanowski.

Finding of a new tumor suppressor gene is the first step towards the development of tests to detect defective GRHL1 gene in children and adults. In the future, people aware of their genetic defect could take preventive measures to reduce the risk of skin cancer, for example, by avoiding tanning salons, suitably dressing on a sunny day or using creams effectively blocking ultraviolet radiation.

"Gene itself is only the vehicle of information. It is the encoded protein that is responsible for anti-cancer effect of the GRHL1 gene. Now that we know the functions of this protein, we would like to find a way to stimulate its activity in the human body. And this is the way not only to prevention, but also to future drugs that can be administered to patients," says Dr. Wilanowski.

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New tumor suppressor gene will facilitate detection of people susceptible to skin cancer

ASK DOCTOR K: Progress in genetics will lead to better diagnosis

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Dr. Anthony Komaroff/Universal Uclick

In last week's column, a reader asked whether she should be tested for genes linked to Alzheimer's disease. Today, I thought I'd give you my view on the larger question: Will studies of our genes change the practice of medicine and improve our lives?

My answer: During my career, progress in human genetics has been greater than virtually anyone imagined. However, human genetics also has turned out to be much more complicated than people imagined. As a result, we have not moved as rapidly as we had hoped in changing medical practice.

I graduated from medical school in the late 1960s. We knew what human genes were made of -- DNA -- and we were beginning to understand how genes work. We had even identified a handful of genes that were linked to specific diseases. We assumed that disease resulted from an abnormality in the structure of a gene.

If I had asked any biologist on the day I graduated, Will we ever know how many genes we have, and the exact structure of each gene? I'll bet the answer would have been: Not in my lifetime, or my children's lifetime.

They would have been wrong. Today we do know those answers. Indeed, some diseases are caused by an abnormality in the structure of genes. In fact, sometimes it is very simple: one particular change at one particular spot in just one particular gene leads to a specific disease. Sickle cell anemia is an example.

Unfortunately, with most diseases it's far from that simple. The first complexity: Most diseases are influenced by the structure of multiple genes, not just one. Examples are diabetes and high blood pressure.

The second complexity: Many diseases are explained not by an abnormal gene structure, but by whether genes are properly turned on or off. Most cancers fall into this category.

What do I mean by that? Every cell in our body has the same set of genes. Yet, a cell in our eye that sees light is different from a cell in our stomach that makes acid. Why? Because different genes are turned on in each type of cell.

Similarly, if a gene with a normal structure is not properly turned on or off, a cell can malfunction -- it can become diseased. Whether a gene is turned on properly is proving to be a more important cause of disease than we once imagined.

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ASK DOCTOR K: Progress in genetics will lead to better diagnosis

Plaque On 1000-Year-Old Human Teeth Could Unlock Secrets Of Medieval Diet And Disease

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Details Published on Tuesday, 25 February 2014 16:53

Hardened plaque discovered on the teeth of 1,000 year old human skeletons has revealed not only their diets but the diseases they faced.HARDENED plaque discovered on the teeth of 1,000-year-old human skeletons has revealed the world's oldest case of gum disease.

Described as a 'microbial Pompeii', the plaque preserved bacteria and microscopic particles of food on the surfaces of teeth, effectively creating a mineral tomb for microbiomes.

And it revealed that our ancestors had gum disease that was caused by the same bacteria that plagues modern man, despite major changes in diet and hygiene.

They found that the ancient human oral microbiome already contained the basic genetic machinery for antibiotic resistance over eight centuries before the invention of antibiotics in the 1940s.

DNA testing of the tartar also showed some of the things ancient humans had been eating, such a vegetables, which do not show up in fossil records.

Gum disease is caused by a build-up of plaque on the teeth and is thought to affect over half of adults in the UK.

The teeth were taken from skeletons found at a site in Dalheim, Germany.Plaque is a sticky substance that contains bacteria and when it hardens it forms tartar.

Unlike bone, which rapidly loses much of its molecular information when buried, calculus grows slowly in the mouth and enters the soil in a much more stable state, helping it to preserve biomolecules.

Researchers from the University of York, along with Swiss and Danish colleagues, said studying plaque will be more important than teeth in discovering the lifestyles of our past ancestors.

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Plaque On 1000-Year-Old Human Teeth Could Unlock Secrets Of Medieval Diet And Disease