Heart Disease Stem Cell Therapies – Development Must Come From Several Specialties

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Editor's Choice Academic Journal Main Category: Heart Disease Also Included In: Cardiovascular / Cardiology;Stem Cell Research Article Date: 09 Mar 2012 - 4:00 PST

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The paper's lead author, Kenneth Chien from Harvard University in the USA explains:

Until now, clinical trials have been based on heart attacks, chronic heart failure as well as dilated cardiomyopathy, but regardless of the fact that regenerative therapies that are based on various non-cardiac cell types seem to be safe, their efficacy has not yet been tested in a clinical trial.

However, possible new targets and treatment strategies are now emerging due to recent progress in cardiac stem cell research and regenerative biology.

Scientists used to think that the heart only has a minimal capacity for self-renewal and saw no prospect in reversing the loss of healthy heart muscle and function. This perception has been altered because of recent findings, such as the discovery of several distinct embryonic progenitor cell types of which some are found in the heart.

A certain number of these cells can be activated in people with cardiac injuries and are now targeted by scientists to develop novel cardiac regenerative therapeutics either by delivery of the cells, or by new methods that activate expansion and conversion of functioning heart cells.

For instance, clinical studies conducted a short while ago demonstrated that scar formation following a heart attack can be reduced by taking cells from the patient's own heart tissue. Even though it remains uncertain whether the delivered cells are indeed stem cells, these studies nevertheless demonstrate that this is a small, educational step towards the goal of utilizing the heart's potential for self-healing.

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Heart Disease Stem Cell Therapies - Development Must Come From Several Specialties

Philip Morris International, IBM Launch Industry-Focused Systems Biology Verification Challenge

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By Bernadette Toner

Tobacco giant Philip Morris International is partnering with IBM in an effort to advance the industrial applications of systems biology and computational modeling.

The initiative, called Industrial Methodology for Process Verification in Research, or IMPROVER, kicked off this week with the Diagnostic Signature Challenge the first of several challenges planned over the next four years.

IMPROVER builds upon similar challenge initiatives in the academic world such as the IBM-led DREAM (Dialogue on Reverse Engineering Assessment and Methods) project and the CASP (Critical Assessment of Protein Structure Prediction) initiative but is intended to focus on the verification of processes that would be of use in the industrial setting, according to the project organizers.

Hugh Browne, R&D scientific spokesperson for PMI, told BioInform that the effort grew out of the company's internal systems biology research, which is directed toward the aim of developing new tobacco products that are "less risky" than those it markets today.

PMI views systems biology and computational modeling as a promising method for predicting the health risks of these products as a complement to clinical studies, but the company's scientists have been frustrated that there is currently no "standard method of verifying their conclusions," Browne said.

As a result, he said the company began working with IBM in 2009 with the aim of organizing something along the lines of DREAM, but targeted specifically toward the needs of industry.

Browne noted that systems biology approaches have applications in a range of industrial fields, including biopharmaceuticals, nutrition, environmental safety, and consumer product development. As such, he believes that any effort to help companies assess their methods would be of great interest in the commercial world, since such tools have been lacking to date.

"Although industry shares many of the same needs for validation as academia, a methodology for verifying research is needed in the industrial setting that recognizes both speed and protection of proprietary data constraints, as well as the importance of market considerations and consumer protection," researchers from PMI, IBM, and elsewhere noted in a paper describing their vision for IMPROVER, which was published in Nature Biotechnology last September.

Browne explained that IMPROVER participants will not be required to disclose the fine details of their methods if they fear that it will compromise their intellectual property position. "We want to attract the broadest possible community," including commercial firms who may consider one another to be competitors, he said. "IP is important, so if participants feel they need to protect that, then they should do that."

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Philip Morris International, IBM Launch Industry-Focused Systems Biology Verification Challenge

Kony 2012: The Anatomy Of A Viral Success

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Funny thing about the internet: you cant smell anything on it, but certain stories sure can cause a stink.

Two days ago, we told you about the meteoric rise of the latest viral video, Kony 2012, that didnt make the rounds on the internet so much as it grabbed the internet by the eyeballs and forced everybody to look directly at it. In the four days since it was uploaded to YouTube, the video has amassed nearly 58 million views while viral news of it has no doubt permeated your Facebook and Twitter feeds.

The video, in the impossible case it that hasnt yet osmosis-ed itself into your brain from at least one kind of media outlet, was created and released by Invisible Children, an organization thats been trying for years to draw worldwide attention toward Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony and his Lords Resistance Army. The Lords Resistance army is a special breed of awful because, aside from being Konys personal army, its made up of kidnapped children-turned-soldiers responsible for horrors ranging from hacking apart victims bodies to using abducted girls as sex slaves.

At any rate, you can see how theres high emotional appeal that would likely resonate with most people containing even a sliver of sympathy. More, as with all things that finally have A Moment in the media, there is now the inevitable backlash against Kony 2012 criticizing Invisible Childrens approach.

So it goes.

Whats odd about Kony 2012s success, though, isnt that it went viral so quickly but rather why it went viral in the first place. Invisible Children has been trying to raise awareness about Kony since 2004 when the eponymous Invisible Children film was released, the groups first attempt to bring attention to Konys atrocities. Invisible Children have released 11 films in all yet this is the first one to truly achieve a viral, nigh-zeitgeist status. In fact, its taken Invisible Children so long to finally land a hit with their films that Joseph Kony isnt even in Uganda anymore (he reportedly left in 2006).

Some of the success has been attributed to Invisible Childrens goal of enlisting the help of culturemakers. Others have asserted that Kony 2012 succeeded due to clever marketing on social media. Both of these belie Invisible Childrens previous efforts by assuming such endorsements and technologies werent used to propel their videos into the limelight. For one, Lady Gaga endorses a ton of things but not nearly all of them catch on the way Kony 2012 has. She and others have got a magic, but its far from being a true Midas touch.

The most salient difference between Kony 2012s world and the world of Invisible Childrens previous videos, I believe, is something far more simple: timing. The towering success of the anti-SOPA movement, Planned Parenthood supporters organizing to turn back Susan G. Komens decision to de-fund the organization, or even the recent backlast that has sent supporters fleeing from Rush Limbaugh due to his misogynistic remarks about Sandra Fluke all have helped build and fortify the edifice of social medias power. It could be argued that Kony 2012 was a beneficiary of those previous campaigns that, one, established the social media political infrastructure, and two, demonstrated that it works.

As these movements cycle more regularly and enjoy an ever-quickening ascent-descent with the worlds favor, though, do we run the risk of diminishing the potency of the viral campaign-as-political device the more these campaigns happen? Im in no way saying that itll be Invisible Childrens fault were viral campaigns to falter in the future whatever your feelings about the groups methods, good on IC for finally getting the world to pay attention to how horrible Kony is but rather highlighting the fact that these viral campaigns seem to be happening an awful lot lately.

Indeed, you can have too much of a good thing and so I fear that, after eventually growing tired of the endless parade of Next Big Things from the internet, instead of catching wind of political campaigns that really deserve our attention, the public will begin to simply hold their breath until the trend passes along and disappears into the trunks of internet fads.

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Anatomy of an upset

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Friday, March 9, 2012 10:34 PM EST

By Evan Macy Staff Writer

HARTFORD The New Britain boys basketball team pulled off an upset for the ages Thursday night in Hartford, coming from behind repeatedly in a magical 66-61 overtime win over Hartford Public.

The Owls were unbeaten in regular season play. They were taller, more accomplished and held home court advantage.

So how exactly did the Hurricanes pull off the victory, advancing to face Fairfield Prep Monday in the quarterfinals?

Emotions in check

There is no denying New Britain is a team that plays with emotion. The key Thursday was not letting those it the better of them.

We had to stay composed, Stigliano said. Weve been talking about it all the time. I told them the team we played on Tuesday [Danbury] is much different than this team. This team is disciplined; they work hard and have a great coaching staff. Theyre going to come at us and they arent going to roll over and die. We need to make sure that if they make a run we stay composed. Its a long game, our back was against the wall and we just found a way to do it.

There were several points in the game where New Britain could have faltered, but they were able to keep it all business while on the hardwood.

Weve been preaching it, the coach said. The tournament is all about emotion. The environment is hostile. The team that stays composed the longest wins the game. The only way you can make a big play is if your mind is in the right place. As a coach, you try to teach it but you have to let them do it, and they did it. I give them all the credit in the world. They deserved it.

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Anatomy of an upset

Kony 2012: The anatomy of a viral campaign

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A particularly savvy media campaign by a nonprofit group called Invisible Children has pushed a debate about Uganda and rebel leader Joseph Kony into a very bright spotlight.

Without getting into the arguments about the political motivations of the nonprofit and the consequences of its campaign check out coverage from The Washington Posts Elizabeth Flock for more information on the situation and its history its astonishing that the groups members have been able to draw this much attention now to a conflict thats been going on since the 1980s.

So how did they do it?

The group launched a campaign called Kony 2012, an effort to raise awareness about Kony and the small force the Obama administration sent to Uganda in October with the intent of killing or capturing him and combating his Lords Resistance Army (LRA).

To get the campaign off the ground quickly, the group had users send messages to 20 culturemakers and 12 policymakers with influential Twitter accounts urging them to support the effort. The list included names such as U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and former President George W. Bush, as well as celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Mark Zuckerberg and Lady Gaga.

The message that users could send to those people included a hashtag, #Kony2012, that gave the Twitter community something to galvanize around. It read: Help us end #LRA violence. Visit kony2012.com to find out why and how. @rickwarren Join us for #KONY2012

The group also made a well-produced short film that encouraged people to use social media to raise awareness about the movement, which spread quickly over Vimeo and YouTube, where it has garnered more than 57 million views.

The video boils down this complicated issue into a simple one, with a compelling narrative that tugs on the heartstrings and prompts outrage. And it gives users an easy way to take action: Share the video, share the story and dont stop speaking up until they get the result they want.

The group was also able to tap into an already strong social media presence on Facebook and other sites to get the message out in a big, noticeable burst.

And it certainly has worked. The hashtags #stopkony and #kony2012 have been on the list of trending topics worldwide on Twitter ever since launched its campaign Tuesday. Its been a fixture on Googles list of trending topics, and even the debate over the groups methods and message have kept its message afloat.

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Kony 2012: The anatomy of a viral campaign

Patient dies during procedure

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(CNN) -

A Florida cardiologist could have his medical license revoked by state authorities who have accused him of performing illegal stem cell therapy on a patient who died during the procedure.

Florida's Department of Health ordered the emergency suspension of Zannos Grekos' medical license Wednesday, accusing the Bonita Springs doctor of violating an emergency order against using stem cell treatments in Florida and causing the death of an unidentified elderly patient. Grekos can appeal the order.

According to the license suspension order, Grekos performed a stem cell treatment this month on the patient, who was suffering from pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary fibrosis. Both diseases restrict blood flow to the heart.

"During said stem cell treatment, patient R.P. suffered a cardiac arrest and died," the suspension order said.

CNN first investigated Grekos' activities in 2009, when he said he was using stem cell therapy for a company called Regenocyte Therapeutic. His profile, listed on the company's website, describes Grekos as having "extensive experience in the field of stem cell therapy" and says he "was recently appointed to the Science Advisory Board of the United States' Repair Stem Cell Institute."

At the time of CNN's interview, Grekos said he extracted stem cells from patients and then sent the blood to Israel for laboratory processing. That processing, he said, resulted in "regenocytes," which he said would help heal crippling diseases, mostly associated with lung problems.

The president of the International Society of Stem Cell Research, Dr. Irving Weissman, told CNN at the time that "there is no such cell."

"There is nothing called a regenocyte," he said.

After CNN's initial report, Grekos said the name was "advertising" and was not intended to be scientific.

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Patient dies during procedure

Using horses to study asthma [Life Lines]

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Image source: Burlington Equine Veterinary Services, LLC.

Talk about comparative physiology! Some older horses develop a condition called equine heaves, which is similar to asthma in humans. Horses that live in more humid environments that promote mold growth are more prone to the disorder than horses that have lived in dry environments. It is also common in stabled horses fed hay as a result of prolonged exposure to dust particles released while eating. Similar to humans with asthma, there seems to be a genetic link to the disorder in horses.

The treatment of horses with heaves is similar to humans: changing the environment to have fewer dust particles or mold as well as treatment with anti-inflammatory medications and sometimes bronchodilators (image above). This makes the horse an ideal model in which to study asthma. Dr. Virginia Buechner-Maxwell at Virginia Tech University says the condition is actually easier to study in a horse because larger samples of blood can be collected for testing and the animals comply with treatments for their condition better than humans. Her lab is also able to collect samples from the larynx of horses which requires only light sedation, whereas collecting similar samples from humans requires anesthesia since our larynx is more prone to spasms.

To read more or listen to the podcast from Virginia Public Radio, click here.

If you are planning on attending Experimental Biology 2012, don't forget to enter the contest to win a free Dr. Dolittle "What's New in Comparative Physiology" t-shirt and try your chance at also winning free coffee at the meeting! To learn more, click here.

Sources: Virginia Public Radio

Camargo FC, et al., Heaves in Horses. Cooperative Extension Service, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.

Burlington Equine Veterinary Services, LLC

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Using horses to study asthma [Life Lines]

NovoPathTM Continues Support of Alzheimer’s Association: Anatomic Pathology Leader Encourages Giving Back

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Wally Soufi, CEO of NovoPath a leader in Anatomic Pathology Software Solutions, continues his companys multi-year commitment to the Alzheimer's Association and encourages CEOs across the country to join him in finding and supporting the causes about which they feel passionate.

Princeton, NJ (PRWEB) March 09, 2012

In 2011, an estimated 5.4 million Americans of all ages had Alzheimers disease. For those 65 and over, this translates to one in eight people, and for individuals age 85 and over, nearly half had Alzheimers disease. As the proportion of the U.S. population over age 65 continues to increase in the coming years, these ratios will continue to escalate. NovoPaths community-minded focus ensures that key programs, services and the latest research are available to the millions of individuals affected by Alzheimers disease.

Wally Soufi, CEO of NovoPath stated, As with many people reading this, our family has been personally touched by this devastating, poorly understood disease. In addition to the companys commitment to the Alzheimer's Association, NovoPath supports national cancer research efforts, and celebrates their employees volunteer efforts at soup kitchens and a host of NGOs in their local community. Mr. Soufi encourages CEOs across the country to join him in finding and supporting the causes about which they feel passionate. He added, We each have an obligation, and NovoPath looks forward to fulfilling that commitment by continuing in its support of the Alzheimers Association.

About NovoPathTM, Inc.:

NovoPath, Inc.TM develops and markets software solutions for the Anatomic Pathology Laboratory market segment that includes local, regional, national, in-house laboratories as well as community and university teaching hospitals and medical centers. Since the release of its flagship product in 1999, NovoPath, Inc. has focused exclusively on Anatomic Pathology. NovoPath's mission is to provide unique and unparalleled solutions and services to all aspects of the Anatomic Pathology sector in a way that improves workflow, reduces the probability of human error, ensures results accuracy for greater patient safety, protects patient confidentiality, and above all, produces more precise and informative diagnostic outcomes. More information is available at http://www.NovoPath.com.

About the Alzheimer's Association:

The Alzheimers AssociationTM is the only national health and social service organization dedicated to research, and to providing support and assistance to people with Alzheimers disease, their families and caregivers. Founded in 1980, the association works through a network of more than 80 chapters across the country. The Alzheimers Association Desert Southwest Chapter provides programs and services to tens of thousands of families including Helpline a 24/7 assistance line, MedicAlert+Safe Return, Family Care Consultation, Support Groups, Education, Early Stage Programming and Legislative Advocacy. For additional information on Alzheimers disease or any of our programs, please call the Desert Southwest Chapter at 800.272.3900 or visit us online at http://www.alz.org/dsw.

###

Susan Holland/Public Relations Specialist NovoPath INC 336.693.9101 201 Email Information

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NovoPathTM Continues Support of Alzheimer’s Association: Anatomic Pathology Leader Encourages Giving Back

Nutrition – The First Line of Defense

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To: HEALTH AND STATE EDITORS

BLOOMINGTON, Minn., March 8, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The first line of defense in maintaining good health is proper nutrition. During "Nutrition Awareness Month" the Minnesota Chiropractic Association (MCA) encourages you to adopt healthy eating habits that have a positive impact on your health now and in the future.

The MCA offers the following lifestyle changes:

Dietary Changes

Lifestyle Changes

Good nutrition combined with regular chiropractic adjustments can help return the body to its natural state of health and wellness. Chiropractors are uniquely trained in identifying and correcting spinal subluxations and dysfunction, which can be the root of 'dis-ease' and long-term health problems.

Simple changes in your diet and lifestyle can have a positive impact on your health and can also aid in preventing a variety of health problems in the future. If you have questions about nutrition or other health care concerns, contact the MCA or visit our website (www.mnchiro.com ) to find a Doctor of Chiropractic near you.

CONTACT: Minnesota Chiropractic Association, +1-952-882-9411

SOURCE Minnesota Chiropractic Association

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Sodexo Celebrates National Nutrition Month with Eat Well & Win Contest

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Sodexo celebrates National Nutrition Month with Eat Well & Win contest (CNW Group/Sodexo)

BURLINGTON, ON, March 8, 2012 /CNW/ - Sodexo Canada is celebrating Nutrition Month, which is recognized each year in March by the dieticians of Canada, to raise awareness about the benefits of healthy eating. Sodexo has designed a fun promotion for our restaurant customers. The aim is to inspire sensible dietary choices by offering information on healthy eating and its benefits, taking into account today's food trends.

"Sodexo's Eat Well & Win contest is an excellent initiative because it manages to combine a fun game with the important messages around healthy eating and making the right choices," explained Isabelle Huot, Nutritionist and host of conseilnutrition.tv in Quebec. "It's a fun way to show that you can eat healthy and still enjoy delicious meal choices."

Nutrition, Health & Wellness are at the core of Sodexo's Better Tomorrow Plan, our commitment to Corporate Citizenship. Our commitments to Nutrition, Health & Wellness include developing and promoting health and wellness solutions for our customers, clients and employees; providing and promoting varied and balanced food options; and providing and promoting choices with reduced intake of sodium, sugar and fat.

By purchasing healthy food options during Nutrition Month, customers can participate in our contest for instant prizes and a chance to win our grand prize of a trip for two to the Caribbean. The contest is running in select restaurants across Canada from March 1st to March 31st, 2012.

About Sodexo

Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Daily Life Services Quality of Life plays an important role in the progress of individuals and the performance of organizations. Based on this conviction, Sodexo acts as the partner of companies and institutions that place a premium on performance and employee well being, as it has since Pierre Bellon founded the company in 1966. Sharing the same passion for service, Sodexo's 413,000 employees in 80 countries design, manage and deliver an unrivaled array of Quality of Life services. Sodexo has created a new form of service business that contributes to the fulfillment of its employees and the economic, social and environmental development of the communities, regions and countries in which it operates.

Key figures (as of August 31, 2011)

Image with caption: "Sodexo celebrates National Nutrition Month with Eat Well & Win contest (CNW Group/Sodexo)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120308_C2983_PHOTO_EN_10976.jpg

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Sodexo Celebrates National Nutrition Month with Eat Well & Win Contest

Registered Dieticians are the nutrition experts

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BY ELISABETH D'ALTO, R.D.

D'Alto

In addition to celebrating National Nutrition Month this March, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics also highlights the role of registered dietitians as the food and nutrition experts. This Wednesday, March 14, the Academy will celebrate its fifth annual Registered Dietitian Day, reminding Americans that registered dietitian's are the best source of practical, reliable, and credible food and nutrition information. Registered Dietitian Day celebrates the commitment of R.D.s, during National Nutrition Month and throughout the year, as strong supporters of improving the nutrition and health of Americans and people all over the world.

Registered dietitians translate nutrition science into practical and applicable ways for people to bring nutritious foods into their daily lives.

When you need food and nutrition information based on fact or need to know how a healthy diet improves health and fights disease rely on qualified professionals in the field. Registered dietitians use an individualized approach to develop nutrition plans for their clients.

They are able to separate facts from fads and translate nutritional science into information you can use.

Registered dietitians are highly qualified food and nutrition experts who meet academic and professional requirements, including earning at least a bachelor's degree, completing a supervised practice program and passing a national registration examination.

Registered dietitians know the science of nutrition. They have degrees in nutrition, dietetics, public health or a related field from well-respected, accredited colleges and universities.

Registered dietitians work in diverse areas throughout the community.

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Registered Dieticians are the nutrition experts

Top 10 Hotspots for Human Longevity

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In 1513, Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Len set sail in search of Bimini, a mythical land said to house a spring that restored youth to anyone who drank from it. After scouring the Caribbean and Florida, he returned empty-handed, and the Fountain of Youth remained undiscovered. Perhaps he was just looking in the wrong place.

As part of their data collection for the World Factbook, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) combs through death certificates, recording race, gender, cause of death, and other factors to estimate the life expectancy of a nation's entire population. Calculating the average life expectancy of the world's total population at 67.59 years, the CIA has determined which societies live longer.

[See: 11 Health Habits That Will Help You Live to 100]

In the United states, average life expectancy is 78.49 years, well above the world's norm. Many experts attribute this to ongoing medical developments, which have dealt with conditions that used to mow us down early. Meanwhile, nations without advanced medical care report a much shorter life expectancy. For instance, citizens of the Republic of Chad in central Africa are only expected to live until their late 40s.

Despite the fact that the average American lives into his or her late 70s, the United States ranks 50th on the CIA's life expectancy list. According to the World Factbook, these 10 nations seem to have discovered the secret to longevityno magical spring water required.

10. Italy

Average Life Expectancy: 81.86 years

Italians live an average of 3.37 years longer than Americans. Many experts draw a connection between their longevity and dietwhich is more than just pasta, meat, and cheese. The Mediterranean diet is credited with lowering the risk for all sorts of diseases. The antioxidants found in olive oil and red winetwo key features of an Italian mealcan improve cholesterol, prevent blood clots, and stave off heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. Italians also rely on spices like basil, oregano, and garlic to flavor their cuisine, while Americans depend heavily on salt. As such, Italians improve their odds against high blood pressure and stroke.

[See: Mediterranean DietWhat You Need to Know]

9. Australia

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Top 10 Hotspots for Human Longevity

Texas A&M Researchers Create Goat With Malaria Vaccine In Her Milk

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Over at the Texas A&M Reproductive Sciences Complex, you'll find several animals with unique capabilities.

Goat number 21 is one of those creatures.

"This project is one of the most interesting that we've been involved with because it has so much potential world wide," said Texas A&M researcher Charles Long.

Long & fellow A&M researcher Mark Westhusin keep a careful eye on goat number 21 because her milk holds a vaccine for malaria.

"There are lots of different things that one can think about producing in the milk. Malaria vaccine is one that's really important because there's a big demand for it in a lot of impoverished countries," said Westhusin.

Through genetic engineering, this goat could be the golden goose when it comes to preventing malaria in third world countries. A disease that kills a child in Africa every minute according to the World Health Organization.

"What you'd have is an animal that could be in any village around the world and all natives would have to do is drink some of that milk and be immunized against malaria," said Long.

But before any of that happens, this goat has to jump through a lot of hoops.

"We'd love to start air dropping goats into Africa but the reality is we're not going to be able to achieve that objective for another five or 10 years at least," joked Long.

"What we have to do is milk the goat, purify the protein, then we'd have to do all kinds of clinical testing and safety testing. Just like as if we were to take any drug and go to market with it," said Westhusin.

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DNA blunder rape case is dropped

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9 March 2012 Last updated at 07:32 ET

A rape case is being reopened after a DNA mistake which led to a man being wrongly accused of a sex attack in Manchester.

The man was due to stand trial accused of raping a woman at Plant Hill Park in Blackley last October.

But it has emerged that the DNA sample was contaminated in the laboratories of a company called LGC Forensics.

Greater Manchester Police is reviewing some cases in which the same company processed forensic evidence.

GMP Assistant Chief Constable Steve Heywood said the force was made aware on Tuesday that the DNA profile provided by LGC Forensics was "contaminated during the testing process in their laboratories".

The force contacted the Crown Prosecution Service which dropped the case.

Mr Heywood said: "Our sympathies and thoughts are with the victim who has been through a traumatic ordeal.

"This is clearly an upsetting time and we are doing all we can to support her.

"The exact circumstances of how the sample was contaminated at the laboratory are yet to be established but I am determined to discover what has occurred.

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DNA blunder rape case is dropped

Posted in DNA

Exercise and caffeine have beneficial effects on DNA

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While our DNA is determined at conception, researchers reporting in the March issue of Cell Metabolism, say that we can beneficially alter our DNA molecules in a matter of minutes, simply by exercising. Furthermore, caffeine may also offer similar effects.

The research highlighted that, while our underlying genetic code remains the same, exercise does chemically and structurally alter the DNA molecules within our muscles. "Our muscles are really plastic," said Juleen Zierath of Sweden's Karolinska Institutet. "We often say 'You are what you eat'. Well, muscle adapts to what you do. If you don't use it, you lose it, and this is one of the mechanisms that allows that to happen."

The precise DNA changes are known as epigenetic modifications, which are modifications to the genome that do not involve a change in the nucleotide sequence of DNA (A, G T, and C), but result in changes in function by altering the expression of certain genes. In this case, it involves the gain or loss of chemical marks on DNA.

The study revealed that after a burst of exercise, our DNA bears fewer chemical marks (specifically methyl groups) than it did before exercise. The researchers say the changes occur in stretches of DNA that are involved in turning "on" genes important for muscles' adaptation to exercise.

The researchers also witnessed a similar loss of DNA methyl groups when making muscles contract in lab dishes. Surprisingly enough, they also observed the same effect when exposing the muscle to caffeine. Zierath explained that the effect of caffeine classically mimics the muscle contraction that occurs when we exercise.

This doesn't mean we should start drinking jugs of coffee and quit our gym subscription, however mixing the two may prove a worthy result. It is more likely that, however, that the findings could lead to new caffeine-based medicines that provide benefits similar to that of exercise.

Source: Cell Metabolism

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Exercise and caffeine have beneficial effects on DNA

Posted in DNA

Economics and Human Biology Journal Now Hosted by Duke Department

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Economics and Human Biology Journal Now Hosted by Department

02 March 2012 4:49AM

The Economics and Human Biology journal is devoted to the exploration of the effect of socio-economic processes on human beings as biological organisms. The Department of Economics will now be the official host of the interdisciplinary journal.

When Komlos, an economic historian, started the journal in 2003, he wanted to broaden the concept of living standards by giving health a more prominent place in thinking about welfare.

Health is listed as one of our basic and intrinsic rights in the UNs Universal Declaration of Human Rights, mentioned Komlos.

Despite being relatively new, the journal already has the 24th highest impact factor in economics partly because of the recent popularity of obesity literature and also due to its interdisciplinary nature.Contributions are welcome from auxology, anthropometry, biocultural anthropology, demography, development economics, economic history, epidemiology, health economics, human biology, human nutrition, health sciences, medicine, physical anthropology, public health and sociology.

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Bite the hand that feeds…

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Public release date: 9-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Barbra Gonzalez barbgo@rsmas.miami.edu 305-421-4704 University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science

LONDON (March 8, 2012) -- Ecotourism activities that use food to attract and concentrate wildlife for viewing have become a controversial topic in ecological studies. This debate is best exemplified by the shark dive tourism industry, a highly lucrative and booming global market. Use of chum or food to attract big sharks to areas where divers can view the dwindling populations of these animals has generated significant criticism because of the potential for ecological and behavioral impacts to the species. However, the debate has been largely rhetorical due to a lack of sufficient data to make any conclusions either way.

Five University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science researchers, Drs. Neil Hammerschlag, Jerald S. Ault and Jiangang Luo, and graduate students Austin Gallagher and Julia Wester, combined efforts to tackle this issue. In a paper published in the British Ecological Society's Functional Ecology titled, "Don't bite the hand that feeds: Assessing ecological impacts of provisioning ecotourism on an apex marine predator," the team conducted the first satellite tagging study to examine the long-term and long range movement patterns of tiger sharks (the largest apex predator in tropical waters) in response to dive tourism. Video commentary is available at http://youtu.be/9iFl7BxbnXQ.

"We studied two separate populations of tiger sharks: one that originated in Florida and the other in the Bahamas," says Hammerschlag. At the Bahamas site, nicknamed Tiger Beach, chum is widely used to attract sharks for dive tourism purposes. In contrast, shark feeding for ecotourism in Florida waters is illegal.

The team hypothesized that Tiger Beach sharks would exhibit restricted movements around the dive site, especially when compared to tiger sharks tagged in Florida. However, what they discovered was totally different -- Tiger Beach sharks did not exhibit restricted movements near the dive site. Instead, the Bahamas sharks occupied an area over 8500 km2 in size almost five times greater than Florida tiger sharks.

"Not only did we discover that ecotourism provisioning did not affect tiger shark behavior, we found that tiger sharks undergo previously unknown long-distance migrations up to 3,500 km into the open Atlantic. These apparent feeding forays follow the Gulf Stream, an area of high biological productivity that concentrates shark prey," said Ault.

"Given the economic and conservation benefits we believe managers should not prevent shark diving tourism out of hand until sufficient data were to demonstrate otherwise," added Hammerschlag.

Shark finning, the practice of catching a shark, slicing off its fins and then disposing of the body at sea, is resulting in immense shark population declines worldwide. Fins are sold to support the growing demand for shark fin soup, an Asian delicacy. In a 2011 study by UM's Gallagher & Hammerschlag, they showed that shark dive tourism generates more money to local economies than does killing the sharks.

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Continued here:
Bite the hand that feeds...

EXCLUSIVE: Anatomy of a rescue plan – Rangers administrators are close to a deal

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By John Mcgarry

PUBLISHED: 20:52 EST, 8 March 2012 | UPDATED: 20:53 EST, 8 March 2012

When Dave King opined on Wednesday that the liquidation of Rangers was now 'inevitable', the task of saving the club from going under seemed akin to doing a jigsaw puzzle while blindfolded.

Whether the Rangers director simply saw no reason to hide his honest opinion any more or was attempting to light a fuse under someone, only he will know.

Regardless of his motives, he will have felt the shockwaves emanating from his powderkeg message all the way back to his temporary base in China.

Sign of the times: Rangers are in crisis and are fighting to save themselves from liquidation

As ashen faces digested the words throughout the world, perhaps for the first time the prospect of the club actually ceasing to exist in the near future finally hit home.

A man who has built up a reputed personal fortune of 200million in South Africa, King could scarcely be accused of being naive. It's just conceivable, though, that the man who made the doomsday prediction did so without being privy to everything that is currently going on behind the scenes.

Yet, for all the journey to a safe harbour still has a long way to go, Rangers are by no means holed below the water line.

Indeed, developments on Thursday and several that look set to come to fruition in the coming days, can only be seen as positives by Paul Murray and other interested parties as they seek to successfully take over the club.

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EXCLUSIVE: Anatomy of a rescue plan - Rangers administrators are close to a deal

Anatomy of a crash: Mock accident motivates teens

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It's prom night for students at Community High School. Earlier this week, juniors and seniors witnessed a carefully orchestrated tableau, carried out by dozens of emergency and law enforcement personnel.

An annual tradition at many high schools, Prom Promise presents a graphic reminder to young drivers, through the use of staged accident scenes, of the dangers of driving while distracted or intoxicated.

'Tickets' issued

The storyline began several weeks ago as the Tennessee Highway Patrol ticketed Viking drivers for minor traffic offenses. So many, in fact, that Judge Charles Rich scheduled a court date in the school library to accommodate all the offenders.

Parents were required to attend court with their children on Wednesday, where Rich offered leniency. Charges would be dismissed if the group would agree to attend a safety class.

"The whole purpose behind this, it's prom time -- and the [highway patrol] can tell you, the last several years in this county, around this time of year ... we have lost one or more of our students here," said Rich.

Grim statistics

According to the THP, teen drivers account for more than 50,000 accidents each year in Tennessee, with fatalities occurring in over 200.

Once released from the mock court, students joined their peers just behind the school where an accident scene had been staged. The car and van selected for use had been wrecked in separate accidents involving Community students this year.

Horrific 'crash'

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Anatomy of a crash: Mock accident motivates teens