19-02-2012 07:20 A review of thyroid pathology. Come for the knowledge, stay for the art and music, and observe humanity's suffering. Please leave suggestions, comments, and subscribe.
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Endocrine pathology 101-Thyroid lesions.mov - Video
Educator Kathy Harrison helps her patients manage diabetes at the new QML Pathology care clinic.
Sarah Harvey
A NEW diabetes care clinic in Ipswich will help cut the average six-month wait for patients needing to see an educator.
QML Pathology has opened several fully bulk-billed clinics around Queensland to meet the demand for treatment relating to Australia's fastest growing chronic disease.
Medical director Dr Debra Norris said the clinics would dramatically slash waiting times for both new and existing patients.
"QML's diabetes care clinics will provide welcome relief for the public health system," Dr Norris said.
"Working in collaboration with the patient's own GP, early action following a diagnosis is crucial to a patient's long-term health.
"All new patients can be seen within two weeks, with priority given to newly diagnosed patients.
"This is great news for the one in 10 Queenslanders who suffer from diabetes."
Credentialed diabetes educator Kathy Harrison has been working with QML Pathology for more than 12 months.
Ms Harrison has noticed that younger patients are developing diabetes.
"I've seen people in their 20s," she said.
"It's not just because of diet - it's family and history.
"There are a lot of complications with untreated diabetes.
"It's one of the leading causes of blindness, and the risk of heart disease and stroke increases."
Ms Harrison said men and women with type 2 diabetes might not have symptoms, or be sick enough to go to their doctor.
"People with type 2 diabetes, they account for 85% of people we see," she said.
"Diabetes is problems to do with your insulin. There are lots of treatment options. We can help them manage it easily.
"Our patients are referred by the GP and at our first meeting we will run through their medical background, look at their glucose levels and pathology tests.
"For newly diagnosed patients, we'll answer any questions and ensure they are equipped with all the information they need to manage their condition."
For details about the diabetes care clinics, visit diabetes.medway.com.au or phone 5441 0200.
FAST FACTS
An estimated 275 Australians develop diabetes every day. Almost one million Australians are currently diagnosed with diabetes. Up to 60% of type 2 diabetes cases can be prevented. Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in Australia. Symptoms include frequent urination and tiredness.
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New clinic to speed up advice
19-02-2012 07:53 A review of pituitary pathology. Come for the knowledge, stay for the art and music, and observe humanity's suffering. Please leave suggestions, comments, and subscribe.
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Endocrine pathology 101 - Pituitary lesions.mov - Video
WHISTLEBLOWERS claim they may have exposed the full scale of the number of serious errors made by Bristol's pathology service.
The South West Whistleblowers Health Action Group believes as many as 6,800 patients may have been wrongly diagnosed when their tissue samples were tested for cancer and other diseases at the Bristol Royal Infirmary between 2000 and 2008.
Former breast cancer patient Daphne Havercroft, who leads the South West Whistleblowers Health Action Group
The group claims the true scale of the mix-ups in diagnosis were not made clear in a report published in December 2010, at the end of an 18-month inquiry into the hospital's histopathology service.
The inquiry concluded that while there were some serious errors in diagnosis there was no evidence to show that the hospital did not offer a safe service.
Independent doctors reviewed 26 specific allegations of misdiagnosis, and found only three of the samples represented serious errors. However, the whistleblowers' group says it has now discovered more figures in an annexe to the inquiry's report.
The group says there is an admission that an audit of a further 3,500 cases found that in 3.4 per cent of them independent pathologists who re-examined the samples believed the wrong diagnosis had been made. With the hospital examining more than 20,000 specimens a year, the figure could represent up to 6,800 errors over a decade.
Among the tissue samples wrongly diagnosed were those of Catherine Calland, of Hotwells, who is now terminally ill after her cancer was missed.
Former breast cancer patient Daphne Havercroft, left, who leads the whistleblowers' group, has written a letter to the chairman of the inquiry to question the figures. She fears plans to merge the BRI's pathology service with services across the city at Southmead Hospital could put a larger population at risk.
Ms Havercroft believes the problems at the pathology service have still not been properly investigated.
She said: "We think patients are being put at risk. If we get expert evidence to say that the figures we have come up with are wrong, then that's fine.
"We are saying 'This is our hypothesis – can you disprove it?'"
University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the BRI, told a national newspaper that it had accepted the inquiry's findings and focused on implementing the recommendations. A spokesman said the inquiry's independent panel found no evidence to suggest the department was not safe.
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Bristol Evening Post commented Wrong diagnoses by Bristol's pathology service 'could hit 6,800'
GLOSTRUP, DENMARK--(Marketwire -02/20/12)- Dako, a world leading independent cancer diagnostic supplier with 45 years of experience in pathology, announced today that it has entered into a new collaboration agreement with Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN - News) on the development of a diagnostic test for an Amgen cancer drug candidate in clinical development.
"It is Dako's mission to fight cancer. Hence, we are pleased to be chosen as Amgen's partner once again for the development of companion diagnostics linked to Amgen's investigational targeted therapies," says Lars Holmkvist, Dako's chief executive officer.
In January 2012, Dako announced a collaboration agreement with Amgen Inc. introducing a new business model which supports the concurrent development of drug and diagnostics for a rare but deadly cancer - something that up to this point has been difficult to achieve in the industry.
"This new collaboration with Amgen underlines Dako's commitment to advance personalized medicine in cancer treatment as the selection of patients most likely to benefit from a specific treatment will increase the probability of therapeutic success for cancer patients suffering," Lars Holmkvist adds.
Today's news comes on the heels of several pharmDx™ collaborative agreements recently announced by Dako.
The demand for personalized medicine is increasing with the recognition that it may provide a way to improve patient care and manage healthcare costs by targeting treatments to individuals more likely to benefit from specific therapies.
About Dako
Dako, based in Denmark, is a global leader in tissue-based cancer diagnostics. Hospital and research laboratories worldwide use Dako's know-how, reagents, instruments and software to make accurate diagnoses and determine the most effective treatment for patients suffering from cancer. Employing more than 1,000 people and being present in more than 80 countries, Dako covers essentially all of the anatomic pathology markets globally. Dako is owned by private equity fund EQT V. http://www.dako.com
This announcement is distributed by Thomson Reuters on behalf of Thomson Reuters clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that: (i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other applicable laws; and (ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Dako Denmark A/S via Thomson Reuters ONE
[HUG#1587603]
Original post:
Dako Enters into an Additional Collaboration with Amgen on Developing a Companion Diagnostic Test (pharmDxTM) for an ...
WHISTLEBLOWERS claim they may have exposed the full scale of the number of serious errors made by Bristol's pathology service.
The South West Whistleblowers Health Action Group believes as many as 6,800 patients may have been wrongly diagnosed when their tissue samples were tested for cancer and other diseases at the Bristol Royal Infirmary between 2000 and 2008.
Former breast cancer patient Daphne Havercroft, who leads the South West Whistleblowers Health Action Group
The group claims the true scale of the mix-ups in diagnosis were not made clear in a report published in December 2010, at the end of an 18-month inquiry into the hospital's histopathology service.
The inquiry concluded that while there were some serious errors in diagnosis there was no evidence to show that the hospital did not offer a safe service.
Independent doctors reviewed 26 specific allegations of misdiagnosis, and found only three of the samples represented serious errors. However, the whistleblowers' group says it has now discovered more figures in an annexe to the inquiry's report.
The group says there is an admission that an audit of a further 3,500 cases found that in 3.4 per cent of them independent pathologists who re-examined the samples believed the wrong diagnosis had been made. With the hospital examining more than 20,000 specimens a year, the figure could represent up to 6,800 errors over a decade.
Among the tissue samples wrongly diagnosed were those of Catherine Calland, of Hotwells, who is now terminally ill after her cancer was missed.
Former breast cancer patient Daphne Havercroft, left, who leads the whistleblowers' group, has written a letter to the chairman of the inquiry to question the figures. She fears plans to merge the BRI's pathology service with services across the city at Southmead Hospital could put a larger population at risk.
Ms Havercroft believes the problems at the pathology service have still not been properly investigated.
She said: "We think patients are being put at risk. If we get expert evidence to say that the figures we have come up with are wrong, then that's fine.
"We are saying 'This is our hypothesis – can you disprove it?'"
University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the BRI, told a national newspaper that it had accepted the inquiry's findings and focused on implementing the recommendations. A spokesman said the inquiry's independent panel found no evidence to suggest the department was not safe.
Read more here:
Bristol Evening Post published Wrong diagnoses 'could hit 6,800'
Monday February 20, 2012
GREAT BARRINGTON -- With two larger South County health care providers now hosting their own nutrition counseling, a nutrition nonprofit is closing its Great Barrington headquarters and directing its efforts fully to Pittsfield.
The Nutrition Center on West Avenue has seen its counseling clientele decline since its former partner, Fairview Hospital, began offering independent nutrition services about four months ago, according to director Peter Stanton, who noted that counseling accounts for about half of the center’s budget; Community Health Programs stopped its affiliation with the center three years previously to begin its own services.
The Nutrition Center’s newer offices on Summer Street in Pittsfield, meanwhile, have seen a burgeoning number of patients.
While it’s a relatively simple calculus, Stanton said, the closing of the hub -- which also housed a community garden, teaching kitchen and formerly a farmers market -- means giving up, at least temporarily, a specific nutrition model.
"Usually when you go for nutrition counseling, you go into an environment more like a medical office, and this was a place where you could smell food, and classes, and a community garden with 22 plots. It was nutrition with a food component," Stanton said. "I feel like it’s very hard to make the recommendations of a dietitian become practical without that component, and for lots of people that’s probably
more important than talking -- so that’ll be missing."
The Nutrition Center is still searching for real estate in Pittsfield that would allow counselors to teach cooking to their patients.
Stanton, who owns the West Avenue building, has put it on the market for $410,000. He rents out space to several other private businesses and said it was not clear what would happen to those spaces.
Since Fairview Hospital ended its affiliation with The Nutrition Center, Stanton said, its monthly patient load has decreased from a high of around 70 down to 15, while in Pittsfield counselors are now seeing about 60 a month.
Fairview Hospital has been ramping up its nutrition programs over the past several years, according to Doreen Hutchinson, vice president of operations.
"It wasn’t like we just got up one morning and said, ‘OK, this what we want to do to Peter and his nutrition services,’ " Hutchinson said. "It became a natural next step ... because this now makes sense with all the things we’re trying to do as an organization."
Hutchinson did not expect that the loss of The Nutrition Center’s anchor in South County would pose any dearth of counseling opportunities for patients.
"We think it’s not going to be a gap, that we’re going to be able to fill and meet the needs of the people there," she said.
To reach Amanda Korman:
akorman@berkshireeagle.com
(413) 496-6243
The rest is here:
The Nutrition Center closing Great Barrington site
by Franklin P. Gomapon
DIPOLOG CITY — City and municipal nutrition officers of Zamboanga del Norte are now urging the parents to give their children fortified foods.
Alarmed by the latest results of the national nutrition survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST) showing that 32.4 percent of children aged 5-10 years old were underweight and 33.9 were under-height, the nutrition officers have recommended that the parents give their children foods fortified with iron, iodine and vitamin A.
Dr. Domiciano Talaboc, municipal nutrition action officer of Polanco town, disclosed that “micronutrient deficiency is prevalent among children aged 5-10 years old.”
“Children, who lack essential nutrients and vitamins such as iron, iodine, vitamin A and others, do not perform well in school,” Talaboc said.
He explained that people who lack iron usually feel tired and sleepy because of insufficient supply of oxygen to the brain. Similarly, iodine plays a very important role in the human nervous system as it is responsible for bringing signals to the brain.
Talaboc also urged the public to always look for “Sangkap Pinoy” seals when buying canned goods or processed foods. Food stuffs with “Sangkap Pinoy” seals indicate that they are fortified with essential nutrients and vitamins.
The government agencies advocating for proper nutrition like the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Agriculture (DA), National Nutrition Council (NNC), DOST and others are one in saying that “nutrition plays a vital role in preventing diseases for poor nutrition limits the body’s ability to resist infection.”
For the latest Zamboanga City and Philippine news stories and videos, visit ZamboTimes.com
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Zambo Norte nutrition officers eye fortified foods to combat malnutrition
This year's nutrition advice from Patricia Chuey, senior nutrition consultant at SportMedBC, comes at you in the form of a Sun Run play list - 13 "songs" worth of tips to make 2012 the year you master healthy eating forever.
HOME FOR A REST
Song 7 on our Sun Run nutrition playlist is one familiar to locals: Home for a Rest from '80s band Spirit of the West. Not only will its beat keep us running, it serves as a fantastic reminder about good recovery. During training, the body loses fluids and uses muscle glycogen. Carbohydrates and water are needed to recover and perform well in subsequent training sessions.
This week, ask yourself three key recovery questions: 1. How recovered do I feel before I start my next workout?
2. Do I have a recovery plan in place after each workout?
3. How's my energy overall?
The one-hour period following a hard bout of exercise is known as the "recovery window." In this time slot, blood flow is greater and muscle cells are more insulin-sensitive, making it the ideal time to replace used energy.
An optimal recovery plan addresses 3 elements:
1. Rehydration.
2. Replacement of carbs along with a little protein.
3. Replacement of lost electrolytes.
In that first hour after exercise, drink one to two cups of water. If you like sports drinks, this is a good time to use them as they will replace fluids while supplying carbs and electrolytes. Electrolytes are potassium, magnesium, sodium, calcium, chloride and bicarbonate found in the body that help control fluid balance and the conduction of nerves. Chocolate milk is thought to be an ideal recovery beverage as it covers all three desired elements of a good recovery plan.
Recovery snacks include:
. A banana + whole wheat crackers + peanut butter + water.
. Turkey sandwich + water.
For a snack, check out the oatmeal energy bars at SportMedBC.com.
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Originally posted here:
Nutrition tips: week 7
Pfizer, which is based in Manhattan but has units in the Philadelphia area, said last year it would explore options for its animal health unit and the group that makes infant nutrition products.
The hope was to then concentrate attention on the core pharmaceutical business.
There is some basic logic in that, though the logic gets squishier when those units continually are among the most profitable within the company.
Regardless, there are reports of progress on what Pfizer is doing with both units.
Monday morning, the Financial Times was among those that said Pfizer was discussing plans for what is called a "partial flotation," of the animal health unit. In that scenario, the company would offer up to 19.9 percent of the stock in a separate business unit, hoping to raise $3 billion. Financial analysts suggest that is a way to measure interest in an eventual sale of the whole unit.
The animal health business could be worth about $18 billion.
Meanwhile, two European-based food companies - Danone and Nestle - have put in first-round bids of about $10 billion for the infant-nutrition unit, according to Bloomberg News.
Bloomberg said Nestle is considering buying all of Pfizer’s infant-nutrition assets and then auctioning enough pieces to negate anti-trust concerns. Danone is reportedly weighing a joint bid with Mead Johnson Nutrition Co., and may split the business along geographies or brands.
Visit link:
Pfizer working to sell or spin off infant-nutrition, animal-health units
Defensive end Cliff Avril said Saturday that he's open to holding out if the Detroit Lions attempt to resolve his contract situation by applying the franchise tag.
"There's a lot of different possibilities, and that's one of the possibilities -- not showing up," Avril told the Detroit Free Press. "But we don't know. That's not the plan, obviously. But there's a lot of different possibilities, and that's definitely one of them."
The newspaper reported that Avril is likely seeking about $12 million a year in a long-term contract, but did not cite any sources. The franchise tag amount for defensive ends is $10.6 million for the 2012 season.
"I don't want to be franchised," Avril told the newspaper. "That's basically what I got last year. The tender was basically the same thing. I just want security and longevity."
According to the Free Press, Avril wanted a long-term contract last offseason before the Lions signed him to a $2,611,000 tender for one season.
"They basically told me you need to do this, that and third or whatever as far as playing and being productive," Avril said. "I feel like I did that. Obviously it doesn't stop right here, but I do want to be compensated for the work that I'm putting in. That's all."
Avril indicated last week that he won't give the Lions any special treatment if he hits free agency.
The Free Press also reported Sunday that Lions safety Louis Delmas has fully recovered from a knee injury that hampered him at the end of last season.
Originally posted here:
Avril seeking 'security and longevity' from Lions
Global warming has forced alpine chipmunks in Yosemite to higher ground, prompting a startling decline in the species’ genetic diversity, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.
The study, appearing Sunday, Feb. 19, in the advance online publication of the journal Nature Climate Change, is one of the first to show a hit to the genetic diversity of a species because of a recent climate-induced change in the animals’ geographic range. What’s more, the genetic erosion occurred in the relatively short span of 90 years, highlighting the rapid threat changing climate can pose to a species.
With low genetic diversity a species can be more vulnerable to the effects of inbreeding, disease and other problems that threaten species survival, the researchers said.
“Climate change is implicated as the cause of geographic shifts observed among birds, small mammals and plants, but this new work shows that, particularly for mountain species like the alpine chipmunk, such shifts can result in increasingly fragmented and genetically impoverished populations,” said study lead author Emily Rubidge, who conducted the research while a Ph.D. student at UC Berkeley’s Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management. “Under continued warming, the alpine chipmunk could be on the trajectory towards becoming threatened or even extinct.”
Rubidge worked with Craig Moritz, professor of integrative biology and director of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology; James Patton, professor emeritus of integrative biology and curator of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology; and Justin Brashares, associate professor in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management.
The new findings build upon previous research that found major shifts in the range of small mammals in Yosemite National Park since the early 1900s. In 2003, biologists at UC Berkeley began an ambitious resurvey of Yosemite’s birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, retracing the steps originally taken between 1914 and 1920 by Joseph Grinnell, founder and former director of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology.
The Grinnell Resurvey Project, led by Moritz and museum colleagues, found that many small mammals in Yosemite moved or retracted their ranges to higher, cooler elevations over the past century, a period when the average temperature in the park increased by 3 degrees Celsius, or about 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
It is no surprise that the alpine chipmunk (Tamias alpinus) would be more sensitive to the temperature change, since it is a high-elevation species endemic to California’s Sierra Nevada, the researchers said. In the early 1900s, Grinnell and colleagues sighted alpine chipmunks at elevations of 7,800 feet. Now, the alpine chipmunk appears to be sticking to even higher elevations, retracting its range by about 1,640 feet upslope.
To test the genetic impact from that loss of geographic range, researchers compared genetic markers from 146 modern-day alpine chipmunks with those from 88 of their historical counterparts. Samples were collected from seven paired sites throughout Yosemite.
As a control, the researchers also looked at the genetics – both historic and modern – of lodgepole chipmunks (Tamias speciosus), a lower elevation species that had not changed its range over the past century.
The analysis of genetic markers revealed a significant decline in “allele richness” among the recently sampled alpine chipmunk populations compared with their historic counterparts. Moreover, the researchers noted that the modern chipmunks were more genetically differentiated across sites than in the past, a sign of increased fragmentation in the alpine chipmunk population.
In comparison, there were no significant changes in genetic diversity detected among the lodgepole chipmunks, a species found at elevations from 4,900 to 9,800 feet.
“Much of what we read and hear about the effects of climate change on biodiversity is based on model projections and simulations, and these models typically involve many moving parts and lots of uncertainty,” said Brashares. “Thanks to the baseline provided by Joseph Grinnell’s pioneering efforts in the early 20th century, we are able to go beyond projections to document how climate is altering life in California. The research led by Emily is novel and important because it shows empirically that climate change has led to the loss of genetic diversity in a wild mammal over the last several decades.”
Moritz added that this study exemplifies how patterns of change in California’s ecosystems can be uncovered through analyses of fossil, historic and modern records.
“At the heart of this whole enterprise is the incredibly dense historic record and specimens we have at UC Berkeley from 100 years ago,” said Moritz. “These collections allow us to conduct sophisticated analyses to better understand how ecosystems are reacting to environmental changes, and to create more detailed models of future changes.”
Other study co-authors are Marisa Lim, a UC Berkeley undergraduate student in integrative biology; and Cole Burton, former UC Berkeley graduate student in environmental science, policy and management (now a research associate at the University of Alberta in Canada).
Funding for this research was provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, UC Berkeley’s Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, the Yosemite Fund, the National Geographic Society and the National Science Foundation.
—
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Yosemite's Alpine Chipmunks Threatened By Climate Change
ScienceDaily (Feb. 19, 2012) — Global warming has forced alpine chipmunks in Yosemite to higher ground, prompting a startling decline in the species' genetic diversity, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.
The study, appearing Feb. 19, in the advance online publication of the journal Nature Climate Change, is one of the first to show a hit to the genetic diversity of a species because of a recent climate-induced change in the animals' geographic range. What's more, the genetic erosion occurred in the relatively short span of 90 years, highlighting the rapid threat changing climate can pose to a species.
With low genetic diversity a species can be more vulnerable to the effects of inbreeding, disease and other problems that threaten species survival, the researchers said.
"Climate change is implicated as the cause of geographic shifts observed among birds, small mammals and plants, but this new work shows that, particularly for mountain species like the alpine chipmunk, such shifts can result in increasingly fragmented and genetically impoverished populations," said study lead author Emily Rubidge, who conducted the research while a Ph.D. student at UC Berkeley's Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management. "Under continued warming, the alpine chipmunk could be on the trajectory towards becoming threatened or even extinct."
Rubidge worked with Craig Moritz, professor of integrative biology and director of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology; James Patton, professor emeritus of integrative biology and curator of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology; and Justin Brashares, associate professor in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management.
The new findings build upon previous research that found major shifts in the range of small mammals in Yosemite National Park since the early 1900s. In 2003, biologists at UC Berkeley began an ambitious resurvey of Yosemite's birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, retracing the steps originally taken between 1914 and 1920 by Joseph Grinnell, founder and former director of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology.
The Grinnell Resurvey Project, led by Moritz and museum colleagues, found that many small mammals in Yosemite moved or retracted their ranges to higher, cooler elevations over the past century, a period when the average temperature in the park increased by 3 degrees Celsius, or about 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
It is no surprise that the alpine chipmunk (Tamias alpinus) would be more sensitive to the temperature change, since it is a high-elevation species endemic to California's Sierra Nevada, the researchers said. In the early 1900s, Grinnell and colleagues sighted alpine chipmunks at elevations of 7,800 feet. Now, the alpine chipmunk appears to be sticking to even higher elevations, retracting its range by about 1,640 feet upslope.
To test the genetic impact from that loss of geographic range, researchers compared genetic markers from 146 modern-day alpine chipmunks with those from 88 of their historical counterparts. Samples were collected from seven paired sites throughout Yosemite.
As a control, the researchers also looked at the genetics -- both historic and modern -- of lodgepole chipmunks (Tamias speciosus), a lower elevation species that had not changed its range over the past century.
The analysis of genetic markers revealed a significant decline in "allele richness" among the recently sampled alpine chipmunk populations compared with their historic counterparts. Moreover, the researchers noted that the modern chipmunks were more genetically differentiated across sites than in the past, a sign of increased fragmentation in the alpine chipmunk population.
In comparison, there were no significant changes in genetic diversity detected among the lodgepole chipmunks, a species found at elevations from 4,900 to 9,800 feet.
"Much of what we read and hear about the effects of climate change on biodiversity is based on model projections and simulations, and these models typically involve many moving parts and lots of uncertainty," said Brashares. "Thanks to the baseline provided by Joseph Grinnell's pioneering efforts in the early 20th century, we are able to go beyond projections to document how climate is altering life in California. The research led by Emily is novel and important because it shows empirically that climate change has led to the loss of genetic diversity in a wild mammal over the last several decades."
Moritz added that this study exemplifies how patterns of change in California's ecosystems can be uncovered through analyses of fossil, historic and modern records.
"At the heart of this whole enterprise is the incredibly dense historic record and specimens we have at UC Berkeley from 100 years ago," said Moritz. "These collections allow us to conduct sophisticated analyses to better understand how ecosystems are reacting to environmental changes, and to create more detailed models of future changes."
Other study co-authors are Marisa Lim, a UC Berkeley undergraduate student in integrative biology; and Cole Burton, former UC Berkeley graduate student in environmental science, policy and management (now a research associate at the University of Alberta in Canada).
Funding for this research was provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, UC Berkeley's Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, the Yosemite Fund, the National Geographic Society and the National Science Foundation.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - Berkeley.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Emily M. Rubidge, James L. Patton, Marisa Lim, A. Cole Burton, Justin S. Brashares, Craig Moritz. Climate-induced range contraction drives genetic erosion in an alpine mammal. Nature Climate Change, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1415
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
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Yosemite's alpine chipmunks take genetic hit from climate change
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Using a technique called "DNA origami", US scientists have made programmable molecule-transporting nanorobots that can seek out particular cell targets and deliver specific instructions for them to follow. One example of such use could be to tell cancer cells to destroy themselves. The researchers write about their findings in Friday's online issue of Science.
The programmable nanorobots carry cargoes of molecules that are released when aptamers (peptide molecules that bind to a specific target) in their structure bind to specific proteins on the surface of targeted cells.
Researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University modeled the technology on the immune system's white blood cells that patrol the bloodstream, looking for signs of trouble. They hope one day it will be used to program immune responses to treat diseases.
The DNA origami method is one that folds strands of DNA into complex three-dimensional shapes.
This latest study is considered a breakthrough because it brings together recent advances in DNA origami that have been pioneered in research centres around the world, not just at the Wyss Institute, to try and meet the challenge of how to kill cancer cells in a highly selective way.
First author Dr Shawn Douglas, a Wyss Technology Development Fellow when he worked on the study, and colleagues, devised their nanosized robot in the shape of an open barrel made of two halves joined by a hinge. (Douglas is now an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Life Sciences and the Nano-Center at Bar-Ilan University in Israel).
The two halves are held shut by special DNA latches that respond to particular targets by allowing the two halves to swing open and expose their payload.
The targets the latches respond to are particular combinations of cell-surface proteins: for example these could be disease markers.
The DNA barrel can contain various payloads. Examples include molecules with specific instructions that receptors on cell surfaces respond to, causing them to change the signals they send to the cells.
The researchers demonstrated the technology on cells from two types of cancer: leukemia and lymphoma. The message encoded in the payload was to activate the cells' suicide switch. This triggers a standard feature of all cells, called apoptosis, which allows aging or abnormal cells to be eliminated.
Leukemia and lymphoma cells don't speak the same language, so the suicide triggering instructions had to be encoded in different antibody combinations.
Senior author Dr George Church, a Wyss core faculty member and Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, told the press:
"We can finally integrate sensing and logical computing functions via complex, yet predictable, nanostructures -- some of the first hybrids of structural DNA, antibodies, aptamers and metal atomic clusters -- aimed at useful, very specific targeting of human cancers and T-cells."
The versatility of the technology emulates that of white blood cells that have the ability to sense a whole range of cell distress signals, bind to the cells, and then transmit the appropriate self-destruct instructions in the language of that cell type.
The DNA nanorobot uses modular components to achieve a similar range of versatility: different hinges, different molecular payloads. These can be switched in and out of the underlying "chassis", rather like swapping various engines and tires in and out of cars.
Such a system should have the potential to treat a variety of diseases. DNA nanotechnology is widely recognized as a potential way to deliver drugs and molecular signals: another plus is it is biodegradable.
But there are considerable challenges in how to program this tiny machine, never mind how to make the right structure, then get it to open and close, then re-open, insert, carry and deliver the payload.
The study represents a big step forward in meeting these challenges because three new elements have been combined for the first time. One of these is because the DNA barrel has no lids, the payloads can be inserted from the side in one step: there is no need to open and then close the barrel.
The second new element is that this system uses latches that respond to proteins (not DNA or RNA like other systems), which are commonly found on cell surfaces. And the third new element is that it uses antibody fragments to send the molecular signals, so by using different combinations of these, different types of immune responses can be replicated to target specific diseases.
Written by Catharine Paddock PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
Visit our genetics section for the latest news on this subject. "A Logic-Gated Nanorobot for Targeted Transport of Molecular Payloads"; Shawn M. Douglas, Ido Bachelet, and George M. Church; Science 17 February 2012: Vol. 335 no. 6070 pp. 831-834; DOI: 10.1126/science.1214081; Link to Abstract.
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posted by jeremy walls on 19 Feb 2012 at 4:18 pm
It is an interesting challenge, because the white blood cells just don't have a mind glandular yet evolved like our human own!!! Are you teaching a cell 'how' to evolve rather in place of natural thousands of years!? if in so doing, are we ready to just jump ahead and skip to the future viruses that await us? Would our white cells be no longer needed or evolved!?!
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"DNA Origami" Robots Target Cancer Cells
We've seen various experimental approaches that aim to increase the efficacy of chemotherapy while also reducing its damaging side effects by specifically targeting cancer cells. The latest encouraging development comes from Harvard's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering where researchers have created a barrel-like robotic device made from DNA that could carry molecular instructions into specific cells and tell them to self-destruct. Because the DNA-based device could be programmed to target a variety of cells, it could be used to treat a range of diseases in addition to providing hope in the fight against cancer.
The team based their programmable nanotherapeutic approach on the body's own immune system in which white blood cells circulate in the blood ready to attack an infection where it has developed. Just like white blood cells that are able to hone in on specific cells in distress and bind to them, the researchers created a DNA barrel that can recognize and seek out combinations of cell-surface proteins, including disease markers.
By folding strands of DNA in what is known as the "DNA origami" method, the researchers create a three-dimensional open barrel shape whose two halves are connected by a hinge. The container is held shut by special DNA latches that reconfigure when they find their specific target - cancer cells, for example - causing the two halves to swing open and expose the container's payload. These payloads can be of various types, including molecules with encoded instructions that can interact with surface signaling receptors.
Shawn Douglas, Ph.D., and Ido Bachelet, Ph.D., used the DNA barrel to deliver instructions encoded in antibody fragments to two different types of cancer cells - leukemia and lymphoma. Since leukemia and lymphoma speak different languages the messages were written in different antibody combinations. But the message was the same - activate the cell's so called "suicide gene," which will cause a cell to kill itself through apoptosis.
It is the researchers' modular approach, which allows different hinges and different message payloads to be switched and swapped, that gives the system the potential to treat a variety of diseases.
Although DNA nanotechnology has been widely recognized for its potential as a delivery mechanism for drugs and molecular signals because of its natural biocompatibility and biodegradability, there have been significant hurdles concerning its implementation - what type of structure to create; how to open, close, and reopen that structure to insert, transport and deliver a payload; and how to program the device.
The Wyss researchers overcame the first two problems by creating a barrel-shaped structure with no top or bottom lids. This allows the payloads to be loaded from the side while the structure is closed instead of having to first open the structure, insert the payload, and then re-close it. Meanwhile, for the programming problem they developed a mechanism that responds to proteins. While other systems use release mechanisms that respond to DNA or RNA, proteins are more commonly found on cell surfaces and are largely responsible for transmembrane signaling in cells.
The researchers say theirs is the first DNA-origami-based system that that uses antibody fragments to convey molecular messages, offering a controlled and programmable way to replicate an immune system response or develop new types of targeted therapies.
The team's research findings appear in the journal Science and the creators discuss their DNA nanorobot in the video below.
Source: Wyss Institute
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DNA nanorobot could offer targeted treatment of cancer
SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE February 20, 2012 9:12AM
DNA evidence has led to an arrest in connection with a sexual assault that happened nearly a year ago on the Northwest Side.
Moises Alcantara, 39, of the 4000 block of West Melrose Street, was charged with one count of aggravated criminal sexual assault in connection with the March 20, 2011 attack in the 5100 block of North Keating Avenue, police News Affairs Officer Ron Gaines said.
He allegedly sexually assaulted a female victim at that location, Gaines said, but further details on what happened were not immediately available early Monday.
He was arrested Saturday after authorities found a match to DNA evidence in the case, Gaines said.
Alcantara was ordered held on $475,000 bond in a Sunday hearing, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s office.
© 2011 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit http://www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.
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DNA evidence leads to arrest in year-old rape case
Packages constructed of DNA dubbed "DNA origami" might one day be used to create nanorobots capable of finding and destroying cancer cells in the human body.
[More from Mashable: U.S. Army Orders $13.9 Million in Badass Micro Robots [VIDEO]]
The nanorobots mimic a cell's receptor system in order to communicate with cells. The cells can carry materials -- a "payload" -- to cancer cells, and when the nanorobot detects the cells it's hunting for, it will spring into action.
The study was published in Science on Thursday. Researchers Shawn M. Douglas, Ido Bachelet, George M. Church are all affiliated with Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. Douglas developed the open-source software the researchers used called Cadnano to design the structures.
[More from Mashable: XBox-Controlled Military Robot Can Lift 150 Pounds [VIDEO]]
Once the bots were designed, the research team built the tiny barrel-shaped nanobots that measures about 35 nanometers in diameter. Each nanobot can hold molecules that are meant to be delivered to cells. On the outside of the nanobots would be two strands that could help recognize target cells, and release their contents at the right time.
The system has yet to be tested in living organisms, but the researchers are considering testing the nanorobots in mice.
What do you think about this technology? Tell us in the comments.
?Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Palto ?
This story originally published on Mashable here.
Read more from the original source:
'DNA Origami' Nanorobots Could Find and Destroy Cancer Cells [VIDEO]
20 February 2012 Last updated at 10:25 ET
A teacher who forged her qualifications may have over marked GCSE course work at a Devon school, Exeter Crown Court has heard.
Julia Rawlinson faked documents to work as an Edexcel examiner in 2007 and a biology teacher at Westlands School, Torquay, in 2011, the court heard.
Staff at the school became suspicious and called the police.
Sentencing was adjourned on Rawlinson, 44, of Brixham, who admitted false representation and forgery.
Continue reading the main story
The grades of children are likely to be affected”
End Quote Howard Phillips Prosecutor
Prosecutor Howard Phillips told the court Rawlinson had been marking course work and that as a consequence "the grades of children are likely to be affected".
Her forged documents included a masters degree in science psychology and a doctorate of science psychology from the Glasgow Caledonian University and a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa.
No mention was made in court of any impact Rawlinson's employment may have had on exam results marked by Edexcel.
Jolyon Tuck, defending Rawlinson, said she had not marked the course work, saying: "The teacher at the school doesn't mark the course work. It gets passed to an external marker."
He also said there were concerns about her mental health.
Photocopied certificates
Judge Phillip Wassall adjourned sentencing to allow new medical reports to be prepared. The issue of whether Rawlinson marked the course work at the school needed to be clarified, he said.
Colin Kirkman, head teacher at Westlands, said Rawlinson had portrayed herself as chief examiner for A-level biology with Edexcel and had helped the school before summer 2011 with A-level biology project work.
She had been taken on as a temporary part-time staff member on 1 September.
He said: "The normal CRB checks were undertaken and references received prior to employment.
"However, we noticed that her exam certificates were photocopies.
"As a result, we immediately contacted the universities where she 'gained' her qualifications to validate her certificates.
"We found that they were forgeries and reported this to the police."
Rawlinson's employment at Westlands was terminated in early October.
He also said the school understood Rawlinson had also worked in "at least two other schools" in the area.
Edexcel said it had reviewed Rawlinson's work while she was employed as an examiner for them and it was "confident every student received the grade they deserved".
The firm added the application process for markers had been strengthened as a result of the case.
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Fake teacher raises exams concern
Posted: Saturday, February 18, 2012 6:10 pm | Updated: 4:10 pm, Sun Feb 19, 2012.
Students now have an interactive and interesting way to learn about biology through a medium many understand — video games.
"Meta!Blast" is a video game that works to make learning biology more exciting for students.
"I decided if you can go into and explore a cell, it would be more interesting," said Eve Syrkin Wurtele, "Meta!Blast" developer and professor of genetics, development and cell biology.
The game takes place in year 2052, during an ecological crisis. Plants are dying and the expert team of plant scientists has disappeared. The player, a novice undergraduate research student, must shrink to microscopic size, enter the plant cell to discover what is killing the plants and save the world.
"Players of the game are introduced to photosynthesis, cell respiration and the relationship between biochemical reactions and cell structures," Wurtele said.
Throughout the game, players must solve problems and answer questions about the cell and metabolic biology.
So far, "Meta!Blast" has an incredible amount of positive feedback, Wurtele said. It won honorable mention in the 2011 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science and was featured in the Feb. 3 issue of the journal Science.
Wurtele said a video game was the best way to get the attention of the gamer generation because it takes information out of a textbook and into a more interactive form.
"Video games are very accessible to younger generations and they actually want to play them," said Diane Bassham, co-developer and associate professor of genetics, development and cell biology. "Hopefully we can educate students with 'Meta!Blast' by having them do something they actually want to do."
In addition to engaging students in a "tough to entertain" generation, teaching biological concepts is difficult for educators, Wurtele said.
"Biological processes are hard to explain in words because of the multidimensional and difficult-to-visualize concepts," Bassham said. "The video game not only entertains, but it allows students to accurately see what is going on inside a cell."
So far, five or six ISU professors plan to supplement entry-level biology courses with "Meta!Blast" starting next fall.
"Next year, we are hoping to have a trial run in Biol 211 and 212 classes," Bassham said. "It will allow for introduction and assessment of the educational value of the game."
Wurtele stressed that "Meta!Blast" is not a stand-alone teaching method.
"The goal of the game is not to replace textbook use, but to supplement textbooks and lectures," she said.
"Meta!Blast" has recently been implemented in some Iowa and Missouri high school classrooms. It is free for academic use and is downloadable at its official website.
Wurtele and her development team plan to keep developing the game for different educational levels and with different concepts. There will be new editions released almost monthly, she said.
"We want it to be as up to date as possible," Wurtele said. "It will be constantly changing because of new scientific information and new game engine abilities."
Continued here:
'Meta!Blast' video game makes biology more entertaining
Senior biochemistry major Tuyen Tran recently received a $3,000 research scholarship to aid him in his studies on how exposure to secondhand smoke may increase the risk of heart disease for women.
This research project will focus primarily on heart disease among women because, according to his statistical research papers, Tran explained that women tend to have a higher rate of heart disease than men.
Tran moved to the U.S. in 2004 from Vietnam with his family, and didn't speak any English at the time.
He began studying biology during his junior year at Golden West College, and transferred to Cal State Long Beach in 2009.
Tran's desire to become a researcher started at the age of 20, when his father died of cancer.
"I want to find the reason why we have the disease and the source of the reason," Tran said.
Tran's research will be conducted with the use of recombinant plasmid, a gene in vitro, from a rat to see how the smoke affects it.
Since a plasmid is a circular piece of DNA separated from chromosomal DNA that may be used in isolated "test tube" experiments, no live rodents will be used or harmed for Tran's research.
Tran said that he learned from his readings that secondhand smoke could expose people to the same conditions as primary smokers even though they aren't inhaling it directly.
"I think the reason why is because they inhale the smoke from many people, not just one cigarette," Tran said.
Tran explained that if someone walks across campus and passes several smokers, then they could be inhaling smoke from several different types of cigarettes.
He will conduct his research with his mentor Vasanthy Narayanaswami, assistant professor of biochemistry.
Tran has also received a lot of support from his family for his research.
"Sometimes I have to spend a lot of time at the lab, but they still understand and still support me," Tran said.
He said he wants to become a researcher and medical practitioner in pathology, the study and diagnosis of a disease.
He also said this project will give him the research experience necessary to be competitive for graduate school.
"I'm very excited and look forward to working on this project," Tran said. "I really want to find out why smoke relates to heart disease — it's very interesting."
Tran was one of only 11 students awarded the Howell-CSUPERB Research Scholar Award.
CSUPERB (CSU Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology) partnered with the Doris A. Howell Foundation for Women's Health Research to fund promising undergraduate student research projects in topics related to women's health.
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Student to research link between heart disease in women and secondhand smoke