Monthly Archives: April 2013

Genome of 'living fossil' sequenced

Posted: April 18, 2013 at 1:44 am

17 April 2013 Last updated at 13:54 ET By Rebecca Morelle Science reporter, BBC World Service

The genetic secrets of a "living fossil" have been revealed by scientists.

Researchers sequenced the genome of the coelacanth: a deep-sea fish that closely resembles its ancestors, which lived at least 300 million years ago.

The study found that some of the animal's genes evolved very slowly, giving it its primitive appearance.

The work also shed light on how the fish was related to the first land-based animals.

The coelacanth has four large, fleshy fins, which some scientists believe could have been the predecessors of limbs.

It had been suggested that this fish was closely related to early tetrapods - the first creatures to drag themselves out of the ocean, giving rise to life on land.

But the study, published in the journal Nature, suggested that another fish called the lungfish, which also has four limbs, had more genes in common with land-based animals.

Slow to change

The coelacanth can reach up to 2m-long and is found lurking in caves deep beneath the waves.

See more here:
Genome of 'living fossil' sequenced

Posted in Genome | Comments Off on Genome of 'living fossil' sequenced

Genome of ancient-looking fish gives clues to first limbed landlubbers

Posted: at 1:44 am

Aquamarine Fukushima

An African coelacanth, photographed using a Remotely Operated Vehicle off the coast of Tanga, Tanzania.

By John Roach, Contributing Writer, NBC News

The genome of the coelacanth, an ancient-looking lobed-finned fish, has been sequenced and is already providing insight to the evolutionary changes that allowed the first four-limbed animals, called tetrapods, to crawl out of the water and on to land.

The sequence and preliminary analysis, reported Thursday in the journal Natureby a team spanning 40 research institutions and 12 countries,is a "massive piece of work," Xiaobo Xu, a paleontologist at Kean University who was not involved in the effort, told NBC News in an email.

"The paper really provides rare and valuable genomic data for offering heavy-weight opinions on issues bearing on the fish (to) tetrapod transition," he said.

It also settles a debate that has long raged amongst evolutionary biologists: what fish is the closest relative of tetrapods: the coelacanth or the equally odd-looking lobed-finned lungfish. The winner, according to analysis of the newly-published genome, is the lungfish.

"We think we have definitively shown it now," Jessica Alfldi, a research scientist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and co-first author of the paper, told NBC News. "They are very close, which is why it took so much data to figure it out."

Slow evolving genes Scientists thought coelacanths went extinct about 70 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period. That changed when a fish trawler off the South African coast delivered a fresh-caught coelacanth to a local natural history museum in 1938, proving that the fish are alive and well.

The coelacanths' odd, ancient-looking looks raised eyebrows and earned it the nickname "living fossil" much to the chagrin of evolutionary biologists, noted Alfldi. ("It makes people think there was no evolution," she explained.)

Read more:
Genome of ancient-looking fish gives clues to first limbed landlubbers

Posted in Genome | Comments Off on Genome of ancient-looking fish gives clues to first limbed landlubbers

Facial eczema risk 'insanely high'

Posted: at 1:43 am

Okato variable order sharemilker Anthony Neil has a lot on his mind.

Facial eczema on the farm where he is milking has killed four cows and has made half the 330-cow herd ill. It has all happened just as his partner, Nicole Beattie, is due to give birth.

The baby has yet to arrive. "It's waiting until things on the farm settle down," she said yesterday.

At least nine dairy cows in the Okato area have died of facial eczema this week.

Neil said almost half the herd he was milking had lost a lot of condition. "Hopefully they'll recover, but [the disease] could affect calving and cause milk fever next season."

He knew facial eczema would make skin raw or make cows' udders sensitive, but he had seen no symptoms. "It was full-blown eczema in two days. There was nothing I could do."

A count of 540,000 facial eczema spores on the farm last week rose to 770,000 by Tuesday. "That's insanely high," said Neil, who is Okato Young Farmers president. Spore counts above 50,000 are considered to be the trigger for the disease in unprotected stock exposed to that level for a length of time.

He had been putting full doses of zinc in the water for two months and half doses for the previous six to eight weeks. But water treatment was only 70 per cent effective and was insufficient when spore counts were extreme.

He is now spraying the pasture and hopes yesterday's rain will lower the spore count.

Neighbours had helped him administer zinc to the entire herd and to herds on nearby farms.

More:
Facial eczema risk 'insanely high'

Posted in Eczema | Comments Off on Facial eczema risk 'insanely high'

Taranaki cows killed by facial eczema

Posted: at 1:43 am

Facial eczema has killed at least nine dairy cows in the Okato area of coastal Taranaki.

Six cows have died on one farm and about 12 are sick. On another farm one cow has died and clinical cases number about 18.

Okato vet Graeme Charteris said 770,000 facial eczema spores were recorded yesterday just hours after the count was 540,000.

Counts in the district were averaging 300,000 yesterday after being between 60,000 and 120,000 on Friday, Charteris said.

He's warning farmers the facial eczema season is not over.

"Rain and warmth are a hotbed for facial eczema spores," he said. "Farmers need to be vigilant with protection. Counts could stay high until well into May, so don't stop treatment."

This week's counts were significant and farmers needed to ensure their cows were receiving the right dose of zinc to combat facial eczema.

Zinc could be given as a drench, added to stock water supplies, or applied to pasture as a spray.

At such high numbers, zinc capsules were the most effective form of treatment at 95 per cent, while water treatment was about 70 per cent effective.

Spore counts above 50,000 are considered to be a trigger level for the disease for unprotected stock exposed to that figure for a length of time.

Read the original:
Taranaki cows killed by facial eczema

Posted in Eczema | Comments Off on Taranaki cows killed by facial eczema

Walk to Cure Psoriasis April 7 2013 – Video

Posted: at 1:43 am


Walk to Cure Psoriasis April 7 2013
South Florida Walk to Cure Psoriasis just completed its 7th year! Andrew Henschel is the Founder and Chairman of the South Florida Walk for the Cure. To date...

By: Karen Ann

Go here to read the rest:
Walk to Cure Psoriasis April 7 2013 - Video

Posted in Psoriasis | Comments Off on Walk to Cure Psoriasis April 7 2013 – Video

People with psoriasis suffer social stigma

Posted: at 1:43 am

Dubai: People who have psoriasis, a chronic skin condition marked by raised, red bumps covered with white, flaking scales, may feel stigmatised socially and emotionally, said specialists in dermatology on Wednesday.

Patients with psoriasis are prone to social discrimination and humiliation, and have an increased risk of depression, anxiety, fatigue, sleep impairment, and suicide, they said.

During the ongoing Dubai World Dermatology and Laser Conference and Exhibition Dubai Derma at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, which concludes on April 18, specialists spoke of how psoriasis can have a significant emotional toll on patients.

According to the international advocacy organisation National Psoriasis Foundation, psoriasis is a non-contagious, chronic, inflammatory, painful, disfiguring and disabling disease for which there is no cure.

Article continues below

The organisations research links patients with psoriasis as feeling self-conscious and embarrassed. It also links the condition to social discrimination and humiliation.

Speaking to Gulf News on the psychosocial impact of psoriasis, Dr Anwar Al Hammadi, Consultant and Head of Dermatology at the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and chairperson of the conference said that apart from the physical impact, psoriasis can have adverse emotional effects, leading to a cycle of despair.

Some patients are unable to cope because the condition has no cure, often resulting in depression and anxiety. They may feel stigmatised when rejected due to their skin disease in various settings and among family members. The social isolation further impacts levels of physical activity, increasing the risk of obesity and other related complicatons, he said.

Dr Al Hammadi stressed the importance of family, social and emotional support for patients. He explained that patients with psoriasis need support to help them deal with the adverse effects of the condition.

The lack of knowledge and misunderstanding about the disorder adds to the stigma and emotional stress. Treatment involves topical creams, oral therapy and/or phototherapy, he said.

See the original post here:
People with psoriasis suffer social stigma

Posted in Psoriasis | Comments Off on People with psoriasis suffer social stigma

Emotional scar weighs psoriasis patients down

Posted: at 1:43 am

Emotional scar weighs psoriasis patients down

Staff Reporter / 18 April 2013

A significant percentage of people afflicted with psoriasis, a severe skin condition, suffer from the emotional impact of the disease, said a top dermatologist at the Dubai Derma 2013 conference which is taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre.

Dr Anwar Al Hammadi, chairperson of the conference and head of dermatology at the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), said because large patchy flakes and skin flare-ups can be seen in patients with the disease, many of them are conscious of the disease and do not properly integrate themselves in society.

In 2012, of the 12,000 patient visits at the DHA dermatology centre, 966 patients had psoriasis. Of them, 1.2 per cent were new patients and 7.3 per cent were follow-up patients: In terms of the UAE, we still are within the worldwide range in terms of prevalence of the disease. However, I would advocate awareness as a means to tackle this problem and early intervention for better patient outcomes, Dr Al Hammadi said.

According to the American hospital Johns Hopkins, psoriasis is a persistent skin disorder characterised by patches of raised, red bumps covered with white, flaking scales. It generally develops on the scalp, knees, or elbows, although it may affect any area of the skin. The production of skin cells at affected sites is accelerated, and the accumulation of excess cells causes scaly plaques. First attacks usually begin between the ages of 10 and 30.

While psoriasis cannot be cured, its symptoms can be greatly controlled, providing relief for patients. However, early intervention is important for the management of the disease, Dr Al Hammadi said.

He also said that people who are obese and have psoriasis, tend to have stronger symptoms of the disease and thus healthy eating and weightloss are important in the fight against the disease.

Latest research shows that psoriasis is a systematic disease which means that patients with the disease are at a higher risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes etc and regular health checks are important, he added.

He also said that if one parent has the disease, the chances of children developing it is 17 per cent, but if both parents have the disease, the chances are 42 per cent.

Read more:
Emotional scar weighs psoriasis patients down

Posted in Psoriasis | Comments Off on Emotional scar weighs psoriasis patients down

Internet Censorship in Russia – Video

Posted: at 1:43 am


Internet Censorship in Russia
In Soviet Russia, domains register YOU!! Russia created a unified register to block domain names of sites distributing illegal information.

By: Easy Life

Follow this link:
Internet Censorship in Russia - Video

Posted in Censorship | Comments Off on Internet Censorship in Russia – Video

Bipartisan Anti-War Lawmakers On Board at New Ron Paul Institute

Posted: at 1:43 am

By Julie Ershadi Posted at 7:31 p.m. on April 17

Reps. Walter B. Jones, R-N.C., and John J. Duncan Jr., R-Tenn., and ex-Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, will help steer the direction of the newRon Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity as members of its board, they announced Wednesday at a Capitol Hill event.

Its a natural instinct for people to want peace and prosperity, ex-Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, the institutes CEO, said during the event. The institute is a nonpartisan educational organization aimed at capitalizing on the groundswell of young people who have supported Pauls presidential bids and anti-war position.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who also spoke at the event, counted himself a member of that young population and said Pauls appeal stems from his honesty and principles, particularly in the votes he took as a congressman.

More than once weve stood on the floor, I think, since Congressman Paul left and wondered, What would Ron Paul do in this situation? Massie said.

Duncan discussed the pressure he faced to vote for authorization of the invasion of Iraq in 2003, including a White House briefing with then-National Security Adviser CondoleezzaRice, CIA Director George Tenet and CIA Deputy Director John McLaughlin. Duncan said that at the time, they could not convince him that Saddam Hussein was a threat to the United States.

I think it is so sad what weve done through the years, so Im in very strong support of what Dr. Paul is trying to do here, he said.

Daniel McAdams, executive director of the Ron Paul Institute and foreign policy adviser to Paul during his time in Congress, said the institute will monitor lawmakers votes and issue assessments in the form of a Peace and Prosperity Scorecard.

The institute will also award student writing on foreign affairs and hopes to launch a Peace and Prosperity summer school, McAdams said.

Go here to see the original:
Bipartisan Anti-War Lawmakers On Board at New Ron Paul Institute

Posted in Ron Paul | Comments Off on Bipartisan Anti-War Lawmakers On Board at New Ron Paul Institute

Ron Paul event raises some concerns

Posted: at 1:43 am

Did anyone notice anything strange at the Ron Paul speech Monday night?

Although I appreciate Accent for bringing the former congressman to UF, I am a little concerned about the way the event was structured.

I admit that I havent attended too many Accent events during my time at UF, being a graduate student and all, and Ive never attended one in the Stephen C. OConnell Center.

However, I have a few questions I would like to ask Accent about this event.

Whats up with the exclusivity?

There was plenty of room for more chairs on the floor of the OConnell Center, yet it seemed only members of Accent, Student Government and what I assume was Florida Blue Key sat at ground-level for the event.

Yes, because Accent sponsored the event, they should have had seats closer to Paul. But its not like they worked extremely hard to raise all of the money necessary to bring him to UF we paid the fees Accent used to pay Paul to come.

They could have fit at least 50 to 100 more chairs on the floor instead of making all of us lowly, regular (unconnected) students sit in the stands. Of course, not everyone would be able to sit on the floor for the event, but it should have been first come, first served.

Admittedly, I probably would not have been able to sit on the floor given the time I arrived, but I would have rather seen more enthusiastic students who actually wanted to see Paul speak seated there.

Instead, many of the students sitting on the floor appeared to be disinterested in what the speaker had to say. A few even left before the Q-and-A portion of the event.

More here:
Ron Paul event raises some concerns

Posted in Ron Paul | Comments Off on Ron Paul event raises some concerns