Daily Archives: September 20, 2012

Pacific Oyster Genome Shows Stress Adaptation And Complexity Of Shell Formation

Posted: September 20, 2012 at 10:12 pm

September 20, 2012

Brett Smith for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

An international teams sequencing of the Pacific oysters genome has produced pearls of wisdom regarding the structure and adaptability of the tasty mollusk.

The accomplishment is a major breakthrough in the international Conchological research, with great advancement in the fields of conchology and marine biology. said team member Fusui Zhang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The study will provide valuable resources for studying the biology and genetic improvement of mollusks and other marine species.

According to their report in the journal Nature, the researchers analysis of the genetic code provided more details on how Pacific oysters build their shells and cope with a potentially hostile environment.

Previous theories on oyster shell construction were not heavy on details, but the new study identified 259 shell proteins and revealed the complexity of the formation process. Some proteins such as Laminin and different collagens were highly expressed in shells, suggesting some relation to animal connective tissues.

As oysters are not only soft-bodied, but also sedentary, a hard exterior would not be sufficient protection if the environment around it were to rapidly change. Extreme shifts in temperature, large amounts of toxic detritus, or prolonged exposure to open air are all potential threats to a mollusk that inhabits tidal zones.

To identify the genetic mechanism responsible for the oysters temperature durability, the researchers located 88 different genes that code for heat shock protein 70, which guards sensitive tissue against extreme temperatures. By comparison, humans 17 genes that are responsible for the production of this protein and sea urchins, the oysters tidal zones companions, have just 39. Scientists said this amount of genes might explain why sun-baked oysters can tolerate temperatures up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Oysters toxic tolerance and filtration is so well-known, New York City officials have proposed putting them in waterways around Manhattan to filter undesirables out of the harbor. The genetics team found that the oysters cope with potential pathogens through the intensive immune system in their gut. According to the report, the amount and types of genes dedicated to protecting the oysters digestive gland indicate that the digestive system of this filter feeder is an important first-line defense organ against pathogens.

The research team was also looking into the sea creatures ability to survive in the open air during low tide and finding out why the oysters could survive prolonged exposure to air provided a window into just how adaptable these mollusks are. The researchers noted that over 4,400 different genes altered their expression when the animal was exposed to air. They also found a large number of duplicate genes, or paralogs, which suggested genetic repetition could be the key to the animals adaptability.

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Devangshu Datta: What's in a genome

Posted: at 10:12 pm

Devangshu Datta: What's in a genome The results of the Encode project may not be sensational but will clearly accelerate research in several key areas Devangshu Datta / New Delhi Sep 21, 2012, 00:55 IST

In early September, several teams working on the human genome published a flood of papers detailing their findings. The Encyclopaedia of DNA Elements Projects (Encode) has made great progress in detailing human genome functions.

This is the biggest set of breakthroughs since the human genome project (HGP) mapped the DNA sequence between 2000 and 2003. However, Encodes results have caused some controversy within the scientific community. The results are not being disputed. But several scientists have stated the press releases were misleading or misinterpreted.

Unusually, for a collaborative project of this scale, the papers were embargoed to ensure coordinated release. The raw data were made available for use, however. All data and papers are now freely available with a special search application on the portal, http://nature. com/encode/.

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) carries the information that offers inheritable characteristics. The HGP identified 20,000-plus DNA genes that carried protein-coded information unique to individuals. The coded sequences are responsible for most cell functions. If that set of protein-coded genes is replicated, it produces a clone, or identical twin.

But the coded DNA sequences are a very small proportion roughly 1 to 1.5 per cent of the entire genome. The genome contains many more DNA sequences that possess no protein-coding. It also has RNA (ribonucleic acid) sequences. RNA is required to copy and replicate DNA. RNA passes through the nuclear membrane of cells carrying selective DNA information to be replicated.

It was known that non-coded DNA sequences included switches that controlled and regulated the activity of coded sequences. However, many non-coded sequences also seem redundant. Some are broken bits of discarded genes and disabled viruses. Even some coded DNA is redundant. One hypothesis is that these bits of useless DNA are leftovers from evolutionary history.

Since functions of specific bits of non-coded DNA werent known and since some bits were apparently useless, these sections were misleadingly labelled junk. They are also referred to as dark matter.

Encode has figured out the biochemical activity in much of the junk and also confirms that there are many switches controlling the coded sections. The switches tell coded genes when to switch on and off and determine, for example, which cells become muscles, and which pancreas cells, or neurons.

Encode claims that at least 80 per cent of the junk is biochemically active. This is where confusion has arisen. It was reported that 80 per cent of junk was useful. But biochemically active doesnt necessarily translate to useful. Carrying a useless, disabled gene doesnt hurt the organism and most such sequences are biochemically active.

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Oyster genome mystery unravelled

Posted: at 10:12 pm

20 September 2012 Last updated at 04:13 ET By Helen Briggs BBC News

A detailed map of the Pacific oyster genome has been unveiled by scientists.

The research, published in the journal Nature, shows how oysters manage to survive the harsh environment of the estuary and sea shore.

The mollusc has scores of genes that protect it from extremes of temperature and saltiness, where the land meets the sea.

Oyster farming is a multi-million dollar industry, centred around China, Japan, Korea and the US.

There's clearly been adaptations over millions of years to allow these animals to cope with an incredibly harsh environment

The genome map gives an insight into how the oyster became adapted to marine life, and how it formed its complex shell.

It also reveals secrets that may help scientists breed faster-growing oysters with a better survival rate.

A team of international scientists, from China, the US, and Europe, carried out the genome sequencing work.

Peter Holland, professor of zoology at the University of Oxford, and a co-author of the research, says the oyster has more than 80 genes that protect the oyster from stress.

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Kiwi Company Provides Scalp Relief For Coeliac Community

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Kiwi Company Provides Scalp Relief For Coeliac Community

TAURANGA, Thursday 20th September 2012: Psoriasis and dandruff are the lesser known but irritating side effects of coeliac disease - for which New Zealand has one of the highest rates globally and a leading brand of hair formulations is offering the gluten-free community some welcome respite.

Mediceuticals specialist scalp and hair loss formulations proved extremely popular at the recent Auckland and Wellington Gluten Free Food and Allergy shows for those suffering from psoriasis and associated scalp conditions.

Mediceuticals NZ Ltd spokesperson, Geoff Grace says, When your digestive system is out of balance, your scalp and skin can also show sensitivity. For some people a flaky, itchy scalp can be a socially worrying health problem associated with coeliac disease. Our natural plant-based dermatological products have provided welcome relief to coeliac sufferers with scalp concerns.

There are an estimated 14,000 undiagnosed cases of coeliac disease in New Zealand, with Canterbury in particular having one of the highest rates in the world (1.2 per cent).

At the upcoming Christchurch Gluten Free Food and Allergy show on October 27th and 28th, Mediceuticals will be demonstrating its Scalp Therapies range, specifically designed to treat and control a broad spectrum of common scalp and skin disorders.

Both genetic and environmental factors play important roles in coeliac disease and those who attended the recent Gluten Free Food and Allergy shows were a very health-focused, educated audience actively seeking solutions for their health concerns, Grace says.

They quickly understood how Mediceuticals products worked and were excited about the benefits we could offer coeliac disease sufferers who struggle with psoriasis and other scalp and skin conditions.

Grace says Mediceuticals Scalp Therapies range has been developed to treat and control scalp and skin disorders like dandruff, psoriasis, oily scalp and dry scalp. Products within the range are designed to be mixed & matched depending on the specific scalp concern.

X-Folate is a specialist shampoo for persistent dandruff and psoriasis that reduces cell production whilst removing the flaky, yellow dead cells associated with dandruff. It is a gentle cleanser that also provides important UV protection.

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$1.8M Grant Supports Investigation of Psoriasis Link to CVD

Posted: at 10:12 pm

Newswise Armed with a new $1.8 million grant from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, dermatology researcher Nicole Ward, PhD, assistant professor of dermatology and neurosciences at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, will lead a study examining the link between psoriasis and heart attack and stroke.

The work will advance research conducted earlier this year in Dr. Wards lab. She and colleagues at the University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute published a major discovery that psoriasis could cause the development of cardiovascular disease in mouse models. The team of researchers also found that aggressive treatment of the skin disease reversed the cardiovascular disease.

Prior to our recent publication, the evidence linking these two diseases was entirely at the epidemiological level and didnt show mechanistic insight for why this occurred, says Dr. Ward, who is also a scientist with the Murdough Family Center for Psoriasis at University Hospitals Case Medical Center. Our goal was to examine whether psoriasis influences cardiovascular disease. Psoriasis was previously thought of as a disease that severely affected skin appearance as well as the patients quality of life. We now know it decreases a patients life span by seven years.

Dr. Ward and colleagues will work to identify intrinsic changes in the skin cells and the subsequent cascade of events that leads to blood-clot formation in either heart attack or stroke. By identifying this trigger, the researchers hope to provide first-ever evidence that cell-specific events in psoriasis can be targeted for treatment.

This preclinical evidence will impact the approach to patient clinical care, as doctors will need to be more aggressive in monitoring for cardiovascular disease and other co-morbidities in those with moderate to severe-plaque psoriasis. By treating and keeping the skin disease in check, the risk for heart-related inflammation is reduced as well. In addition, they will conduct preclinical testing of the efficacy of current psoriasis medication on cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Ward's research discovery is quite exciting, says Kevin Cooper, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Dermatology at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and University Hospitals Case Medical Center, It demonstrates for the first time that a mouse model of psoriasis exhibits a cardiovascular co-morbidity often seen in human psoriasis patients. Importantly, the basis of Dr. Ward's grant demonstrates that aggressively treating the skin disease improved the cardiovascular complications associated with psoriasis. The work supported by this grant will help to pinpoint how current therapeutics for psoriasis may also improve co-morbidities associated with chronic skin inflammation.

This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Psoriasis Foundation, and the Murdough Family Center for Psoriasis.

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About Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Founded in 1843, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine is the largest medical research institution in Ohio and is among the nation's top medical schools for research funding from the National Institutes of Health. The School of Medicine is recognized throughout the international medical community for outstanding achievements in teaching. The School's innovative and pioneering Western Reserve2 curriculum interweaves four themes--research and scholarship, clinical mastery, leadership, and civic professionalism--to prepare students for the practice of evidence-based medicine in the rapidly changing health care environment of the 21st century. Eleven Nobel Laureates have been affiliated with the school.

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$1.8 million grant supports investigation of psoriasis link to cardiovascular disease

Posted: at 10:12 pm

Public release date: 20-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jessica Studeny jessica.studeny@case.edu 216-368-4692 Case Western Reserve University

Armed with a new $1.8 million grant from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, dermatology researcher Nicole Ward, PhD, assistant professor of dermatology and neurosciences at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, will lead a study examining the link between psoriasis and heart attack and stroke.

The work will advance research conducted earlier this year in Dr. Ward's lab. She and colleagues at the University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, published a major discovery that psoriasis could cause the development of cardiovascular disease in mouse models. The team of researchers also found that aggressive treatment of the skin disease reversed the cardiovascular disease.

"Prior to our recent publication, the evidence linking these two diseases was entirely at the epidemiological level and didn't show mechanistic insight for why this occurred," says Dr. Ward, who is also a scientist with the Murdough Family Center for Psoriasis at University Hospitals Case Medical Center. "Our goal was to examine whether psoriasis influences cardiovascular disease. Psoriasis was previously thought of as a disease that severely affected skin appearance as well as the patient's quality of life. We now know it decreases a patient's life span by seven years."

Dr. Ward and colleagues will work to identify intrinsic changes in the skin cells and the subsequent cascade of events that leads to blood-clot formation in either heart attack or stroke. By identifying this trigger, the researchers hope to provide first-ever evidence that cell-specific events in psoriasis can be targeted for treatment.

This preclinical evidence will impact the approach to patient clinical care, as doctors will need to be more aggressive in monitoring for cardiovascular disease and other co-morbidities in those with moderate to severe-plaque psoriasis. By treating and keeping the skin disease in check, the risk for heart-related inflammation is reduced as well. In addition, they will conduct preclinical testing of the efficacy of current psoriasis medication on cardiovascular disease.

"Dr. Ward's research discovery is quite exciting," says Kevin Cooper, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Dermatology at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and University Hospitals Case Medical Center, "It demonstrates for the first time that a mouse model of psoriasis exhibits a cardiovascular co-morbidity often seen in human psoriasis patients. Importantly, the basis of Dr. Ward's grant demonstrates that aggressively treating the skin disease improved the cardiovascular complications associated with psoriasis. The work supported by this grant will help to pinpoint how current therapeutics for psoriasis may also improve co-morbidities associated with chronic skin inflammation."

###

This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Psoriasis Foundation, and the Murdough Family Center for Psoriasis.

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Freedom High School boys soccer team wins fifth straight Lehigh Valley Conference contest

Posted: at 1:14 pm

The surprise team of the Lehigh Valley Conference so far this season has no superstar scorer but a lot of offensive weapons including underrated ones like senior midfielder Brendan Kaulius.

The team has no clamp-down defender, although the core five in the backfield rotation are pretty solid and play in front of a good goalie in Josh Wasilick.

The squad also has a five-game LVC winning streak and remains in first place in the East Division following today's 2-0 win over Northampton.

Say hello to the Freedom High School boys soccer team, which won a total of four games last season and set a school record with 13 losses.

"I'm a little surprised myself," said beaming Freedom coach Michael O'Connell, who inherited a good portion of last year's team and in eight games has completely turned around its attitude. "We're playing a team game and supporting each other and not relying on one player."

Freedom (6-2 overall, 5-1 LVC) immediately took control of play on its home field. Northampton (4-4, 4-2) was flat even though it came riding a four-game winning streak. Only three Konkrete Kids teams, in 29 years, ever won as many as five games in a row.

"Our touches were rough, we had our heads down, we were not anticipating well and we were playing slow," Northampton coach Craig Carvin said. "I'm not sure why. Maybe we thought it was going to be as easy as some of our other games."

Junior midfielder Nigel Long gave the Patriots a 1-0 lead 7:34 into the contest with his second goal of the season. He scored from 15 yards out with a low shot after taking a pass from Baidy Ba.

Freshman Stephen Gabor scored his team-leading fifth goal of the season to make it 2-0 just 1:52 into the second half on a pass from Brendan Kaulius.

"That's how we score a lot of our goals," Kaulius said. "Dribbling it down and laying it off and somebody putting it in."

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Liberty Global To Offer To Buy Rest Of Telenet For EUR1.96 Bln – Update

Posted: at 1:13 pm

(RTTNews.com) - Cable firm Liberty Global, Inc. (LBTYA, LBTYB, LBTYK) Thursday said it plans to launch a voluntary and conditional cash offer for all Telenet Group Holding NV shares and other securities, thus giving access to voting rights that it does not already own or that are not held by Telenet. Separately, Telenet said its Board of Directors would review and analyze the offer.

The offer will be based on a price of 35.00 euros per ordinary share. The offer values all the outstanding voting securities of Telenet not currently owned by Liberty Global or held by Telenet at about 1.96 billion euros ($2.54 billion).

Liberty Global said Telenet is one of its most successful operations and a core part of its growing pan-European platform. The firm said it would continue its focus on investments and product innovation in Belgium.

Mike Fries, President and CEO of Liberty Global, said: "We believe this is the right time for Telenet to become a wholly-owned part of Liberty Global's pan-European platform in its next stage of development, particularly in light of the competitive and regulatory outlook in Belgium."

If Liberty Global proceeds with a formal and binding offer, it plans to finance it by using available cash on its balance sheet and incremental borrowings.

Liberty Global has been the controlling shareholder in Telenet since February 2007. The firm currently owns, through its unit Binan Investments B.V., 50.4 percent of Telenet's outstanding issued share capital excluding treasury shares.

The offer represents a premium of about 14 percent over the adjusted average volume weighted closing price of around 30.67 euros for the one-month period to September 18 pro forma for the 3.25 euros capital reduction paid by Telenet on August 31.

The offer will be subject to customary and normal conditions including Liberty Global and its affiliates having acquired or holding at least 95 percent of the outstanding Telenet shares and voting rights after the offer's completion.

The conditions include no material adverse change having occurred with respect to the financial situation or prospects of Telenet and in the financial markets in general. The offer will possibly be followed by a delisting of Telenet and a squeeze-out offer. Liberty Global has advised Telenet's board members of its plans.

Liberty Global is being advised by Morgan Stanley & Co. Limited and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP in connection with the offer.

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Liberty Global Said Planning Offer for Rest of Telenet

Posted: at 1:13 pm

By Joseph de Weck - 2012-09-20T10:50:36Z

Liberty Global Inc. (LBTYA) offered to buy the remaining 49.6 percent of Belgiums Telenet Group Holding NV (TNET) for 1.96 billion euros ($2.5 billion), allowing the John Malone- led cable company to forge closer ties between European units.

Telenet investors will get 35 euros a share in cash, Liberty Global, based in Englewood, Colorado, said today in a statement. The offer is 13 percent higher than yesterdays closing price for Mechelen-based Telenets shares. Telenet jumped to 34.97 euros at 12:46 p.m. Brussels time.

Liberty Global Chairman Malone and Chief Executive Officer Michael Fries are expanding in Europe, where demand for TV, Internet and phone services delivered over cable is increasing. Liberty Global has controlled Telenet since 2007, and it bought German cable provider Kabel Baden-Wuerttemberg for 3.16 billion euros last year and its larger competitor, Unitymedia, for 3.5 billion euros in 2009.

The deal will let Malone push for stronger collaboration and synergies with his other European operations, said Marc Hesselink, an analyst with ABN Amro Bank NV in Amsterdam. The premium he paid on the Telenet share is also not excessive, which makes it a good deal.

The offer values Telenet at 5.6 times its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. That compares with a median multiple of 5.3 for 114 telecommunications deals in Western Europe in the past year.

Telenet shares had advanced 5.5 percent this year through yesterday. Liberty Global, which owns a 50.4 percent stake in Telenet, fell 0.2 percent to $57.28 yesterday in New York and has climbed 40 percent this year. Ziggo NV (ZIGGO), a Dutch cable company, rose as much as 5.4 percent in Amsterdam.

Europe is Liberty Globals biggest market, and the company also has assets in Latin America. Its European customers total 18.4 million. With Telenets 2.15 million cable-TV users, Belgium is Liberty Globals second-biggest market after Germany.

Demand for cable services in Europe is increasing, with customers migrating to digital connections from analogue. Digital cable penetration among German households is projected to rise to 23.7 percent in 2016 from 11.6 percent in 2011, according to researcher IHS Screen Digest. Total TV, Internet and phone subscriptions with cable companies in the country are forecast to rise by 24 percent to 32 million in 2016.

Telenet today raised its sales and profit forecasts for 2012, helped by growth in the number of subscribers that use multiple services such as digital TV and mobile-phone connections. Sales will probably rise 7 percent to 8 percent, compared with a prior range of 5 percent to 6 percent, and Ebitda growth should match that rate, it said.

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Liberty Global launches voluntary, conditional cash offer for Telenet Group

Posted: at 1:13 pm

Liberty Global announced that it is intending to launch a voluntary and conditional cash offer, for all of the Telenet Group Holding NV shares and other securities giving access to voting rights that it does not already own or that are not held by Telenet. Liberty Global has been the controlling shareholder in Telenet since February 2007 and currently owns, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Binan Investments B.V., 50.4% of Telenets outstanding issued share capital. The Intended Offer will be based on a price of EUR35.00 per ordinary share. A price of EUR35.00 per ordinary share represents a premium of approximately 14% over the adjusted average volume weighted closing price of approximately EUR30.67 for the one-month period to Sept. 18, 2012 pro forma for the EUR3.25 capital reduction paid by Telenet on Aug. 31, 2012. The Intended Offer values all the outstanding voting securities of Telenet not currently owned by Liberty Global or held by Telenet at approximately EUR1.96B. No further regulatory approvals are required.

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