Chandra Wilson, Kevin McKidd to direct more 'Grey's Anatomy' episodes

Posted on by

Chandra Wilson and Kevin McKidd are to direct new episodes of Grey's Anatomy, it has been announced.

The duo are set to helm upcoming episodes of the ABC medical drama's ninth season, reports TV Line

Wilson will mark her seventh time in the directing chair, while it will be the fourth time for McKidd, who voiced Lord MacGuffin in Pixar's latest animated film Brave.

The last episodes directed by the stars aired during season eight - McKidd helming episode 21 and Wilson overseeing episode 22.

Grey's Anatomy's ninth season will see the return of its series regulars with the exception of Eric Dane, Chyler Leigh and Kim Raver.

Grey's Anatomy will return on Thursday, September 27 on ABC.

Watch a clip from season eight of Grey's Anatomy below (US only):

Read more:
Chandra Wilson, Kevin McKidd to direct more 'Grey's Anatomy' episodes

Juice from potato cures heartburn and ulcers

Posted on by

Juice from potato cures heartburn and ulcers

(IANS) / 10 August 2012

Juice from the humble potato could treat gastric ulcers, thanks to its unique anti-bacterial properties, says a new research.

A Manchester University microbiology team now hopes the compound, dubbed 'potato juice' could go into production as a daily diet supplement. Inspiration came as one of the department's scientists tucked into a spud for Sunday lunch.

It led to the discovery of a key molecule which could both cure and prevent the bacteria that lives in the stomach and causes stomach ulcers and heartburn.

Uniquely, unlike with anti-biotics, the gut bug cannot develop resistance to the 'potato juice' which also does not cause any side-effects. Scientists even carried out the test on different types of potatoes -- discovering that Maris Piper and King Edward varieties worked the best.

The process to extract the as yet unnamed molecule has now been patented, with hopes it could one day be sold as a supplement similar to pro-biotic yoghurt drinks, the Daily Mail reported.

Ian Roberts, professor of microbiology at the Faculty of Life Sciences, who worked on the discovery, said: "When I first heard about the idea of using potatoes to treat stomach ulcers I have to admit I was a bit sceptical. But on another level I wasn't surprised - a lot of botanical products have very interesting compounds and we just have to find them."

"We see this 'potato juice' as a preventative measure to stop stomach ulcers developing that people would take as part of a healthy lifestyle. It could be a huge market if we can get it developed," added Roberts.

Continued here:
Juice from potato cures heartburn and ulcers

Longevity Protein Has Diabetes-Prevention Qualities

Posted on by

Editor's Choice Main Category: Diabetes Also Included In: Seniors / Aging Article Date: 10 Aug 2012 - 10:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Longevity Protein Has Diabetes-Prevention Qualities

More than ten years ago, Leonard Guarente, a biology professor at MIT, discovered that the protein SIRT1 had properties that boosted longevity. Since then Guarente has investigated how the protein works in several different body tissues.

In this study, Professor Guarente set out to determine what happens when the protein is missing from adipose cells, which made up body fat.

Guarente fed mice a high-fat diet and discovered that mice lacking SIRT1 started to develop metabolic disorders, such as diabetes, significantly faster than normal mice consuming a high-fat diet.

Guarente, the Novartis Professor of Biology at MIT, explained:

Results from the study indicate that medications designed to enhance SIRT1 activity may help protect against diseases associated to obesity.

The effects of SIRT1 and other sirtuin proteins were discovered by Guarente while he was studying yeast in the 1990s. According to the researchers, these proteins have been shown to help keep cells alive and healthy, coordinate a variety of hormonal networks, regulatory proteins and other genes.

In order to examine the effects of the gene more precisely, the researchers deleted the gene from organs such as the brain and liver. In earlier studies, the team found that SIRT1 protects against neurodegeneration in the brain observed in diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases.

SIRT1 removes acetyl groups from other proteins by modifying their activity. According to Guarente "the possible targets of this deacetylation are numerous, which is likely what gives SIRT1 its broad range of protective powers."

Original post:
Longevity Protein Has Diabetes-Prevention Qualities

'Selfish' DNA in animal mitochondria offers possible tool to study aging

Posted on by

ScienceDaily (Aug. 9, 2012) Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered, for the first time in any animal species, a type of "selfish" mitochondrial DNA that is actually hurting the organism and lessening its chance to survive -- and bears a strong similarity to some damage done to human cells as they age.

The findings, just published in the journal PLoS One, are a biological oddity previously unknown in animals. But they may also provide an important new tool to study human aging, scientists said.

Such selfish mitochondrial DNA has been found before in plants, but not animals. In this case, the discovery was made almost by accident during some genetic research being done on a nematode, Caenorhabditis briggsae -- a type of small roundworm.

"We weren't even looking for this when we found it, at first we thought it must be a laboratory error," said Dee Denver, an OSU associate professor of zoology. "Selfish DNA is not supposed to be found in animals. But it could turn out to be fairly important as a new genetic model to study the type of mitochondrial decay that is associated with human aging."

DNA is the material that holds the basic genetic code for living organisms, and through complex biological processes guides beneficial cellular functions. Some of it is also found in the mitochondria, or energy-producing "powerhouse" of cells, which at one point in evolution was separate from the other DNA.

The mitochondria generally act for the benefit of the cell, even though it is somewhat separate. But the "selfish" DNA found in some plant mitochondria -- and now in animals -- has major differences. It tends to copy itself faster than other DNA, has no function useful to the cell, and in some cases actually harms the cell. In plants, for instance, it can affect flowering and sometimes cause sterility.

"We had seen this DNA before in this nematode and knew it was harmful, but didn't realize it was selfish," said Katie Clark, an OSU postdoctoral fellow. "Worms with it had less offspring than those without, they had less muscle activity. It might suggest that natural selection doesn't work very well in this species."

That's part of the general quandary of selfish DNA in general, the scientists said. If it doesn't help the organism survive and reproduce, why hasn't it disappeared as a result of evolutionary pressure? Its persistence, they say, is an example of how natural selection doesn't always work, either at the organism or cellular level. Biological progress is not perfect.

In this case, the population sizes of the nematode may be too small to eliminate the selfish DNA, researchers said.

What's also interesting, they say, is that the defects this selfish DNA cause in this roundworm are surprisingly similar to the decayed mitochondrial DNA that accumulates as one aspect of human aging. More of the selfish DNA is also found in the worms as they age.

Visit link:
'Selfish' DNA in animal mitochondria offers possible tool to study aging

Posted in DNA

DNA of cancer-stricken hibakusha preserved

Posted on by

Saturday, Aug. 11, 2012

NAGASAKI Nagasaki University has been preserving DNA from cells extracted from cancer-stricken A-bomb survivors since 2008 in an effort to identify tumors caused by radiation exposure.

"It may become possible to find distinctive features in DNA mutated by radiation through a detailed investigation of cancer cells from hibakusha," said Masahiro Nakashima, professor of pathology at the university's Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

With patients' consent, both cancerous and healthy cells are extracted from the affected region. DNA and RNA are then taken from the cells, frozen at minus 80 degrees and stored in a DNA bank at the university. The work is being conducted at Nagasaki University Hospital and the Japanese Red Cross Nagasaki Genbaku Hospital.

So far, the university has collected 365 samples not enough to reveal any distinctive features of cancers related to radiation. The situation is further complicated by the city's aging atomic bomb survivors, whose average age now stands at 77 years.

Nakashima said it is necessary to "devote all energy" to the research, despite a lack of manpower.

According to a survey conducted by the Radiation Effects Research Foundation on 94,000 hibakusha in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, a high possibility exists that radiation exposure was connected to cancer in 61 percent of patients exposed to 2 or more sieverts of radiation from the A-bombings.

It has not yet proved possible, however, to identify the causes of individual cases of cancer.

On the risk of developing cancer from small amounts of radiation emitted during the Fukushima nuclear crisis, Nakashima said "the investigation may open a door to research the effects of low-level exposure."

JIJI

See the rest here:
DNA of cancer-stricken hibakusha preserved

Posted in DNA

Stem cells may prevent post-injury arthritis

Posted on by

Public release date: 10-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Mary Jane Gore mary.gore@duke.edu 919-660-1309 Duke University Medical Center

DURHAM, N.C.-- Duke researchers may have found a promising stem cell therapy for preventing osteoarthritis after a joint injury.

Injuring a joint greatly raises the odds of getting a form of osteoarthritis called post-traumatic arthritis, or PTA. There are no therapies yet that modify or slow the progression of arthritis after injury.

Researchers at Duke University Health System have found a very promising therapeutic approach to PTA using a type of stem cell, called mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), in mice with fractures that typically would lead to them developing arthritis. Their findings could lead to a therapy that would be used after joint injury and before signs of significant osteoarthritis.

The scientists thought the stem cells would work to prevent PTA by altering the balance of inflammation and regeneration in knee joints, because these stem cells have beneficial properties in other regions of the body.

"The stem cells were able to prevent post-traumatic arthritis," said Farshid Guilak, Ph.D., director of orthopaedic research at Duke and senior author of the study.

The study was published on August 10 in Cell Transplantation.

The researchers also thought that a type of mice bred for their super-healing properties would probably fare better than typical mice, but they were wrong.

"We decided to investigate two therapies for the study, said lead author Brian Diekman, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in the Guilak lab. "We thought that stem cells from so-called superhealer mice would be superior at providing protection, and instead, we found that they were no better than stem cells from typical mice. We thought that maybe it would take stem cells from superhealers to gain an effect as strong as preventing arthritis after a fracture, but we were surprised and excited to learn that regular stem cells work just as well."

See the article here:

Stem cells may prevent post-injury arthritis

NASA Sets Radiation Belt Storm Probes Mission Launch Events Coverage

Posted on by

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) are set to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket Aug. 23. The 20-minute launch window for the twin probes at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41 begins at 4:08 a.m. EDT.

Launch commentary coverage, as well as prelaunch media briefings, will be carried live on NASA Television and the agency's website.

RBSP will explore space weather -- changes in Earth's space environment caused by the sun -- that can disable satellites, create power grid failures and disrupt GPS service. The mission also will allow researchers to understand fundamental radiation and particle acceleration processes throughout the universe.

Prelaunch News Conference

A prelaunch news conference on NASA TV will be held at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site at 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 20.

Briefing participants are:

-- Michael Luther, deputy associate administrator for programs, NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington

-- Tim Dunn, NASA launch director, Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

-- Vernon Thorp, program manager, NASA Missions, United Launch Alliance, Denver, Colo.

-- Richard Fitzgerald, RBSP project manager, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md.

Here is the original post:

NASA Sets Radiation Belt Storm Probes Mission Launch Events Coverage

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover to get software upgrade

Posted on by

As NASA's Curiosity Mars rover prepares for its surface mission, it will download the latest version of its operating system.

With NASA's Mars rover Curiosity safely on the Red Planet, mission controllers are now preparing the robotic explorer to begin its mission on the Martian surface.

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition

Engineers have been testing theCuriosity rover's instruments and systems ever since the spacecraft touched down on Mars on Sunday (Aug. 5 PDT; Aug. 6 EDT). So far, Curiosity is performing flawlessly, NASA officials said, and the next major procedure is to send the rover new software for its transition from its landing phase into the two-year long haul on the surface of the Mars.

"We're about to upgrade our software on the rover," Mike Watkins, Curiosity mission manager Mike at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., told reporters in a news briefing Thursday (Aug. 9). "Just like we upgrade our operating system on our home computer or laptop or something, we're going to do the same thing."

The new software will help mission controllers drive the $2.5 billion Mars rover, use its science instruments and operate its robotic arm.

"We want to switch to this new flight software that's optimized for surface operations," Watkins said.

Mission managers count Curiosity's days in "Sols," which are the number of full Martian days the rover has spent on the Red Planet. [Gallery: 1st Mars Photos by Curiosity Rover]

Curiosity will begin this software transition on Sol 5, which translates to Saturday (Aug. 11) on Earth. The software upgrade process is expected to last roughly four days, Watkins explained. During this time, all other activities, including science, will temporarily be put on hold.

Go here to see the original:

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover to get software upgrade

NASA's 'Green' Test Lander Crashes

Posted on by

Earlier this week NASA safely landed a robotic rover on Mars about 150 million miles away. But on Thursday here on Earth, a test model planetary lander crashed and burned at Kennedy Space Center in Florida just seconds after liftoff.

The spider-like spacecraft called Morpheus was on a test flight at Cape Canaveral when it tilted, crashed to the ground and erupted in flames. It got only a few feet up in the air, NASA said.

NASA spokeswoman Lisa Malone said it appears that the methane-and-liquid oxygen powered lander is a total loss. Nobody was hurt in the unmanned experiment and the flames were put out, she said.

NASA suspects a mechanical device that is part of its GPS navigation system, spokeswoman Brandi Dean said.

So far NASA has spent $7 million on the Morpheus program, but that includes parts for a still-to-be-built second lander.

Morpheus is a prototype for a cheap, environmentally friendly planetary lander. Thursday was the first time it had been tested untethered in a free flight. It had performed 19 flights at Johnson Space Center in Houston, where it was designed and made, and one more in Florida, but it was always tethered to a crane, Dean said.

AP

The testing moved from Texas to Florida last week and Morpheus had a successful tether test on Friday. NASA had planned to run tests for three months. The plan was for flights over a specially created field designed to mimic the surface of the moon, with boulders, rocks, slopes and craters.

The lander was built mostly with low-cost, off-the-shelf materials. It was an attempt by NASA to use cheaper, more readily available and environmentally friendly rocket fuel. The space agency was considering it as a potential lander for places like the moon or an asteroid, figuring it would carry a human-like robot or small rover.

NASA promoted Morpheus as a "green" project because methane is more environmentally friendly than the toxic rocket fuels it uses. Methane, which is the main component of natural gas, is also cheaper and could even be made from ice on the moon or Mars, NASA figured.

See more here:

NASA's 'Green' Test Lander Crashes

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover to get software upgrade (+video)

Posted on by

As NASA's Curiosity Mars rover prepares for its surface mission, it will download the latest version of its operating system.

With NASA's Mars rover Curiosity safely on the Red Planet, mission controllers are now preparing the robotic explorer to begin its mission on the Martian surface.

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition

Engineers have been testing theCuriosity rover's instruments and systems ever since the spacecraft touched down on Mars on Sunday (Aug. 5 PDT; Aug. 6 EDT). So far, Curiosity is performing flawlessly, NASA officials said, and the next major procedure is to send the rover new software for its transition from its landing phase into the two-year long haul on the surface of the Mars.

"We're about to upgrade our software on the rover," Mike Watkins, Curiosity mission manager Mike at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., told reporters in a news briefing Thursday (Aug. 9). "Just like we upgrade our operating system on our home computer or laptop or something, we're going to do the same thing."

The new software will help mission controllers drive the $2.5 billion Mars rover, use its science instruments and operate its robotic arm.

"We want to switch to this new flight software that's optimized for surface operations," Watkins said.

Mission managers count Curiosity's days in "Sols," which are the number of full Martian days the rover has spent on the Red Planet. [Gallery: 1st Mars Photos by Curiosity Rover]

Curiosity will begin this software transition on Sol 5, which translates to Saturday (Aug. 11) on Earth. The software upgrade process is expected to last roughly four days, Watkins explained. During this time, all other activities, including science, will temporarily be put on hold.

Continue reading here:

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover to get software upgrade (+video)

State of Education: Nanotechnology studies

Posted on by

At the UAlbany College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, students and residents from across the state spent their summer doing nanotechnology research. Vince Gallagher has a look at what went on.

To view our videos, you need to enable JavaScript. Learn how. install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now. Then come back here and refresh the page.

"That shape allows it to combine to certain proteins on the cancer cell surface and then we can use that to deliver drugs directly to those cancer cells," explained Brad Sutliff, a student from Syracuse.

Another worthy project is brain tumor research

"I found there's a barrier that surrounds the brain, it's actually a fluid that filters out the toxins in the blood, and certain toxins are thought as drugs so the brain rejects them," said Patricia Massa, a Clifton Park student.

So a solution is in the works. There's also a common theme between three students: nano-economics.

"The first student has focused on the aspects of entrepreneurial technology development, looking at incubation, funding, and other aspects of it. The second student looked at how does that compare to other universities, and what are the factors as to why certain universities succeed and others don't do quite as well," said Michael Fancher, nano-economics associate professor.

The third student applied that knowledge to smart cities technology. But regardless of the project, whether it's nano-engineering, nano-science, or nano-bioscience, this field of study is practically a necessity for the 21st century student.

It's something that puts a point on it to basically to help the economy by using all these researchers and basically help us come up with new products, said Sina Shahrezai, a student.

"You can definitely see the differences in all the posters around here, everybody is very specific about what they're doing, but without and understanding of the broad topic, it becomes very difficult to actually narrow it down," said Massa.

Read this article:

State of Education: Nanotechnology studies

Nanotechnology-enhanced DNA analysis

Posted on by

European researchers enhanced the selectivity of state-of-the-art genetic sequencing methods using nanotechnology. Immediate application in detection of strains of Salmonella and Staphylococcus should facilitate speedy identification and treatment of related illnesses.

The Human Genome Project, completed in 2003 after 13 years of collaborative research, was one of the most ambitious scientific undertakings in the last 50 years. Scientists mapped the entire human genome, identifying all of the genes present in human deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).

Completion of the project resulted in the creation of a genetic database and analysis tools for researchers that spurred the genomic bioscience revolution as well as innumerable medical advances.

One of the latest tools used by genetic scientists is called a DNA microarray, or DNA chip. It consists of a solid surface on which thousands of various DNA sequences (probes) are attached as DNA spots.

Sample genetic material is squirted onto the DNA chip. Only complementary forms of the same sequences (target sequences) bind strongly, much like a lock and key. So, the DNA microarray can be used to identify which genetic sequences are present in samples and to what degree.

European researchers initiated the Nano-biotechnical components of an advanced bioanalytical microarray system (Gensensor-Nanoparts) project to enhance the robustness and reliability of DNA chip techniques.

Among the many achievements, scientists used computer simulations to identify unique DNA sequences highly specific to five different microorganisms including strains of Salmonella and Staphylococcus that can cause health problems in humans.

Locked nucleic acids (LNAs), so called because they are forms of nucleic acids whose structures are sort of locked in place, are often used to increase sensitivity and specificity in DNA microarray experiments.

Project scientists used nanotechnology to develop LNA-coupled magnetic nano-beads for selective extraction of target DNA sequences.

Gensensor-Nanoparts investigators thus enhanced the selectivity and robustness of DNA microarray technology in identifying strains of Salmonella and Staphylococcus. The technology should prove useful not only in identifying specific organisms but in gene expression analysis as well.

See more here:

Nanotechnology-enhanced DNA analysis

Canadian police ban tattoos, piercings

Posted on by

Published: Aug. 10, 2012 at 12:07 PM

MEDICINE HAT, Alberta, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Tattoo advocates are decrying a policy imposed on police officers in an Alberta town requiring them not to have any visible tattoos or piercings.

Medicine Hat Police Chief Andy McGrogan said policy, which was put in place after a Medicine Hat police officer asked for permission to display a tattoo while on duty, is based on the results of a 2011 survey in the town that indicated residents prefer police officers not to display tattoos, piercings or unnaturally colored hair, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Friday.

"It's not what I think, it's what members of the community think," McGrogan said. "At the end of the day, our community has spoken and we just changed our policy to reflect that."

Samantha Barron, who owns a Medicine Hat tattoo shop, said she does not agree with the policy.

"I think it's pathetic that the police officers with tattoos now have to hide who they are," she said. "And it makes them less a part of our community."

McGrogan said the policy may be revisited in the future.

See the rest here:

Canadian police ban tattoos, piercings

Medicine Hat police must hide tattoos, piercings

Posted on by

A new policy banning visible tattoos and piercings for police officers is creating a stir in Medicine Hat, Alta.

Chief Andy McGrogan says he's pleased with the changes, which prohibit his officers from revealing any tattoos, piercings or wearing unnaturally coloured hair.

The changes are well researched thanks to a 2011 community survey that showed residents favoured appearance standards for police, McGrogan said.

Its not what I think, its what members of the community think, McGrogan told CBC News. At the end of the day, our community has spoken and we just changed our policy to reflect that.

McGrogan says the force already has a policy that requires members to cover tattoos, but this new rule ups the restrictions placed on officers.

The biggest change will be for women who wear earrings any piercings around the face, including ears, have been determined to be unsafe.

The policy change stemmed from a tattooed officer requesting to display his tattoos.

Staff Sgt. Brent Secondiak said staff were not surprised by the new policy.

I would say most of the members probably have a small one at one place or another. Very few have sleeves or exposed tattoos on their arms, Secondiak said. Were OK with it. Were really here to serve the community.

In Ontario, the provincial police attempted to place restrictions on tattoos, but that decision was later overturned.

Excerpt from:

Medicine Hat police must hide tattoos, piercings

Grant to benefit Columbia-Bassett Medical School student

Posted on by

August 9, 2012 Grant to benefit Columbia-Bassett Medical School student

Anonymous The Cooperstown Crier Thu Aug 09, 2012, 10:20 PM EDT

The Central New York KeyBank Foundation Committee has awarded Friends of Bassett Healthcare Network a four-year grant of $120,000 to provide scholarship support for one student over the course of their four year Columbia-Bassett Medical School experience beginning this fall, according to a media release from Bassett.

Innovative ways of attracting highly skilled physicians to practice in rural areas are crucial given the changing health care environment, Stephen D. Fournier, president of KeyBanks Central New York District said in the release. The Columbia-Bassett program goes well beyond that by also preparing medical school students to lead the health systems of the future, and thats why KeyBank felt it was important to demonstrate the Foundations support of the program in such a meaningful way.

Columbia-Bassett Assistant Dean for Education Dr. Henry Weil said in the release that the KeyBank grant will be life changing for the student who receives it.

Young physicians coming out of medical school face educational debts that can exceed $200,000, which forces them to make career decisions based upon maximizing their earning potential, Weil said. Our goal has been to make rural practice a more attractive and viable option by limiting future debt through substantial financial assistance, like the scholarship KeyBank will provide to one deserving medical school student.

The Columbia-Bassett Medical School Program is a collaborative endeavor of Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown and the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University in New York City. The program annually recruits 10 exceptional students with an interest in providing care in underserved rural communities and learning how to manage health care systems that promote both quality and cost-effective delivery of care. Bassett Medical Center underwrites the cost of education for the students, providing $30,000 in scholarships per year per student. The students spend their first 18 months learning the basic science curriculum with the rest of their class in New York City, but their clinical training for the following two-and-one-half years is based at Bassett Medical Center.

According to the release, this unique program attracts more than 750 applicants each year for the 10 slots. Applicants are from across the country and are among the most qualified of those applying to medical school.

More here:

Grant to benefit Columbia-Bassett Medical School student