Daily Archives: January 9, 2014

New study finds extreme longevity in white sharks

Posted: January 9, 2014 at 6:44 am

13 hours ago White sharks are considered vulnerable worldwide. Since individuals are slow growing and mature late, white shark populations could be even more sensitive to fishing, environmental and other pressures. Credit: Greg Skomal, MA Marine Fisheries

Great white sharkstop predators throughout the world's oceangrow much slower and live significantly longer than previously thought, according to a new study led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

In the first successful radiocarbon age validation study for adult white sharks, researchers analyzed vertebrae from four females and four males from the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. Age estimates were up to 73 years old for the largest male and 40 years old for the largest female.

"Our results dramatically extend the maximum age and longevity of white sharks compared to earlier studies," said Li Ling Hamady, MIT/WHOI Joint Program student and lead author of the study published in PLOS ONE. "Understanding longevity of the species, growth rate, age at sexual maturity, and differences in growth between males and females are especially important for sustainable management and conservation efforts."

Age determination in fish relies primarily on analyzing growth increments in mineralized tissue, such as otoliths (ear bones), vertebrae, and fin rays. These grow throughout a fish's life, adding annual rings, similar to growth rings in trees.

Estimating age in white sharks can be challenging. While vertebrae are constructed of layers of tissue, laid down sequentially over an individual's lifetime, the alternating light/dark banding patterns can be narrow and less distinct than in other species, and the bands don't necessarily signify annual growth.

"Traditionally, ageing sharks has relied on the assumption that band pairs are annual. In many cases this has been proven correct for part or all of a species life, however in more and more cases this is being disproven," said coauthor Lisa Natanson, a fisheries biologist at NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) lab in Narragansett, R.I.

In previous studies, which assumed annual deposition of growth bands, the oldest white shark individuals identified were from the southwestern Pacific Ocean at 22 years old and the western Indian Ocean at 23 years old.

For this study, researchers took advantage of radiocarbon produced by thermonuclear device testing done during the 1950s and 1960s. Radiocarbon mixed from the atmosphere into the ocean, and was incorporated into the tissues of marine organisms living during that time period. The rise in radiocarbonmeasured as 14Cgave researchers a specific spot in time pinpointed in the vertebra layers, which can be used as a "time stamp" to help determine the age of an animal.

The National Ocean Sciences Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Facility at WHOI conducted radiocarbon analysis on collagen in the white shark vertebrae. All of the vertebrae samples came from white sharks caught in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean from 1967 to 2010 that were archived at the NEFSC lab in Narragansett, which has the largest collection of this kind. The samples were also digitally photographed with a camera attached to a stereomicroscope using reflected light for counting growth bands.

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New study finds extreme longevity in white sharks

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Second buyout offer: NORCE facility sheds clients

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ENID, Okla. NORCE employees have received a second buyout offer, just one month after the first 27 voluntarily left their jobs on mutually agreeable terms at the state facility.

Administrators met with workers Wednesday at Northern Oklahoma Resource Center of Enid to give them a chance to leave state employment before their jobs are eliminated. NORCE is expected to close by August 2015.

This time around, the offer is the same. Up to 30 employees will be given a chance to resign and receive several benefits. Like the first buyout, the first 30 who volunteer for it can leave and receive the following:

Payment equal to their current health insurance premium for 18 months. This applies to the employee only.

A longevity payment that would have been paid on their next anniversary.

One week of pay for each year employed with a minimum of $5,000 and, at most, $26,000.

A payout of accumulated sick leave equal to one-half of the employees hourly wage.

Shut-down slowdown

Since a state oversight panel voted to shut down NORCE more than a year ago, the number of residents there has rapidly diminished. Parents and guardians now are forced to make plans for community-based care, which often has several developmentally disabled people living together or living with family. This model relies on private health care providers to take over daily nursing and care in place of state-paid workers.

The number of residents at the state-run facility has fallen by half in six months. According to data provided by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, there were 92 residents at NORCE in July.

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Home Remedies for Eczema – My Home Remedies – Home Remedy Forum

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WARNING: No information on this website is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This home remedies site is intended to be archival in nature. The natural remedies here are submitted by numerous people from around the world, and it is impossible to verify every remedy. As such these home remedies should be used for academic purposes only. Never use any home remedy or other self treatment without being advised to do so by a physician. 239 home remedy submissions for Eczema Submitted by Leslie at 2013-12-04 18:04:03 I had a very bad flair up of eczema on my hands. I have used prescription cortico-steroids in the past. They are prohibitably expensive. I have discovered a cream called Bye Bye Dry, by BabyGanics, in the baby section at Walgreens. Less than a week after I began using the cream the cracks are gone and are not bleeding anymore. Give it a try. Submitted by Katie at 2013-11-05 08:24:04 In recent months I have had a bad case of eczema around my eyes, mouth and all over my hands and arms, I have tried many products and natural remedies and I thought I'd share the ones that worked for me.

Facial eczema:-

Eyes - many websites that I have searched through recommended the Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream, but for such a small amount it was costing over 25 in Boots. As an alternative I went to Holland and Barratt, they have a brand called Burt's Bees, I got a 50g pot of their sensitive night cream (another 8 hour cream) for around 14 and within 2-3 days my eyes were almost healed. I used the cream as often as necessary and after a week my eyes were no longer red and blotchy, just a little dry, which cleared up with the continued use of this cream.

Mouth - around my mouth I used the Burt's Bees cream, also a very small amount of Fucidin hydrocortisone cream on my lips and at the corners. This was the first area to heal.

Hands and arms - my hands have been a long term eczema sore spot, especially my palms which crack and bleed. The creams that were prescribed to me were; Cetraben emollient cream (used as much as needed, general moisturiser, especially good to use in cotton gloves at night), Fucidin hydrocortisone cream. However, the cream that has healed my hands completely is Mometasone Furoate Cream (0.1% w/w). Improvement to my hands was apparent overnight! If you cannot get these creams on prescription, other things that I have tried include, Aveeno daily moisturising lotion around 5 in Boots, Badedas shower and bath gels, my eczema is aggravated by water, I found I could soak in the bath for as long as possible using Badedas. Also porridge oats work when used in the bath (cut off the foot of a pair of tights and fill with porridge oats then tie it up, either attach to the tap or just dropped in the bath while it fills, the porridge oat moisture really soothe the skin). I really hope these ideas work for you as well as they have done for me!

Someone else please please please try and vote my reply if it works for you. I work for neither Boots nor Bio-Oil, just want to share to help someone else.

It truly has been a miracle for our son. Because he takes such a small dose, it it not too expensive. $5-10 a month, since one bottle lasts 4-8 months. I do not sell this product but I can tell you where to get it. šŸ™‚

We have also had success with Body By Vi Shake Mix. Froggzzz@gmail.com

-While things that make you sweat like sports may do well to be avoided remember that exercise helps reduce stress, and I know a lot of us find our conditions are aggravated by stress. This is the most stressful my life has ever been and my eczema is awful. I don't like to, but I've resorted to prednisone just to get some relief. I ride my bike everywhere though and while the sweating doesn't help the workout does. Exercise reduces stress which reduces eczema.

-Activated quercetin has been extremely helpful in managing my allergies, asthma and eczema during lower-allergy-activity seasons. During spring and summer I often have to be on benadryl and sudafed and inhalers and prednisone. But the rest of the year I rely on activated quercetin. It's extremely effective in supporting histamine response and immune response. And it's not a drug (find it in natural stores in the supplements section).

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Come in from the cold: Shelters open additional spaces for homeless on Tues. Jan. 7

Posted: at 6:43 am

(WTVM) -

With the low temperatures we've seen over the last few days, many organizations around the Chattahoochee Valley have lent a helping hand to people in need of a warm place to stay.

Five shelters opened their doors, some to anyone in need. A warming station was also set up at one shelter allowing the homeless a place to come in and warm up from the bitter cold.

At least 20 other deaths around the country are being blamed on the frigid weather.

Since the weather has returned to normal, the warming station at the SafeHouse closed at 5 p.m. Wednesday evening. The following shelters in the city have resumed their normal operations:

Valley Rescue Mission - Shelter for Men 2093 2nd Ave., Columbus, Ga. (706)322-8267 On Wednesday evening, Valley Rescue will have 6-10 additional beds of emergency shelter for men.

Salvation Army - Shelter for Men 1718 2nd Ave., Columbus, Ga. (706)327-0275 The Salvation Army will provide additional bed space on Wednesday. A limited number of blankets and sleeping bags have been available for distribution.

House of Mercy - Shelter for men, women and children 1532 3rd Ave., Columbus, Ga. (706)322-6463 House of Mercy will open their chapel for men, women and children to provide for additional emergency shelter on Wednesday evening.

Trinity House - Shelter for Women and children On Wednesday evening, Trinity will provide additional bed space for homeless women and children. Please call (706)641-8485 for information and assistance.

Damascus Way - Shelter for women and children. 1200 11th Ave., Columbus, Ga. (706)653-2061, ext. 3.

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Psoriatic arthritis – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Posted: at 6:43 am

Psoriatic arthritis (also arthritis psoriatica, arthropathic psoriasis or psoriatic arthropathy) is a type of inflammatory arthritis[1][2] that will develop in up to 30 percent of people who have the chronic skin condition psoriasis.[3] Psoriatic arthritis is said to be a seronegative spondyloarthropathy and therefore occurs more commonly in patients with tissue type HLA-B27.

Common symptoms of psoriatic arthritis include:[4]

Along with the above noted pain and inflammation, there is extreme exhaustion that does not go away with adequate rest. The exhaustion may last for days or weeks without abatement. Psoriatic arthritis may remain mild, or may progress to more destructive joint disease. Periods of active disease, or flares, will typically alternate with periods of remission. In severe forms, psoriatic arthritis may progress to arthritis mutilans. [5]:1096

Because prolonged inflammation can lead to joint damage, early diagnosis and treatment to slow or prevent joint damage is recommended.[6]

The exact causes are not yet known, but a number of genetic associations have been identified in a genome-wide association study of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis including HLA-B27.[7][8]

There is no definitive test to diagnose psoriatic arthritis. Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis may closely resemble other diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. A rheumatologist (a doctor specializing in diseases affecting the joints) may use physical examinations, health history, blood tests and x-rays to accurately diagnose psoriatic arthritis.

Factors that contribute to a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis include:

Other symptoms that are more typical of psoriatic arthritis than other forms of arthritis include inflammation in the Achilles tendon (at the back of the heel) or the Plantar fascia (bottom of the feet), and dactylitis (sausage-like swelling of the fingers or toes).[9]

There are five main types of psoriatic arthritis:

The underlying process in psoriatic arthritis is inflammation; therefore treatments are directed at reducing and controlling inflammation. Milder cases of psoriatic arthitis may be treated with NSAIDS alone; however there is a trend toward earlier use of Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or biological response modifiers to prevent irreversible joint destruction.

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Psoriasis: MedlinePlus en espaƱol

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La psoriasis es una enfermedad de la piel que causa picazn o parches dolorosos de piel engrosada y enrojecida con escamas plateadas. Suele aparecer en los hombros, las rodillas, el cuero cabelludo, la espalda, la cara, las palmas de las manos y las plantas de los pies, pero tambin puede presentarse en otras partes del cuerpo. Algunas personas con esta condicin pueden adquirir una forma de artritis conocida como artritis psorisica.

La causa de la psoriasis es un problema en el sistema inmunolgico. En un proceso llamado recambio celular, las clulas de la piel que crecen en la parte ms profunda de la piel avanzan hacia la superficie. Normalmente, esto demora un mes. En la psoriasis, ocurre en algunos das debido a que las clulas avanzan demasiado rpido.

La psoriasis puede persistir por mucho tiempo, incluso durante toda la vida. Los sntomas aparecen y desaparecen y los factores que pueden empeorarlos incluyen:

La psoriasis suele ocurrir entre los adultos. Algunas veces es hereditaria. Los tratamientos incluyen cremas, medicinas y fototerapia.

NIH: Instituto Nacional de Artritis y Enfermedades Musculoesquelticas y de la Piel

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Psoriasis – My Home Remedies

Posted: at 6:43 am

WARNING: This home remedies site is intended to be archival in nature. The natural remedies here are submitted by numerous people from around the world, and we have no way to test or verify every remedy. As such these home remedies should be used for academic purposes only. Never use any home remedy or other self treatment without being advised to do so by a physician.

NOTICE: This page was generated previously and may not be up to date. To view the most recent page, go to the dynamically generated version of the Psoriasis home remedies page.

Psoriasis Home Remedies:

Submitted by Jason at 2012-06-25 03:00:11 Recently on a trip, I noticed my psoriasis reduced dramatically. When I got back home I showed my wife and asked what she thought the cause was.....within a day however, it was back in full force.

I began to back track and see what was different and low and behold I found it. At our house, we have big jugs of juice in our fridge that we all drink from. I drink on an average 5-10 glasses per day.

I realized that was the only thing missing from my trip. I stopped drinking the juice.....and within one week, the redness, flaking, cracking, and hurting in my fingers is 95% better. Almost completely gone in fact for the first time in several years.

I then began to research the juice and psoriasis relationship. It was the ASPARTAME!!!!!!!!! I have eliminated it completely and I am all (dare I say) but psoriasis free..... My fingers show little signs of anything. In fact, at a normal glance, you can't see a drop of psoriasis.

This may be an all too overlooked contributor to the horrible red appearance, painful cracking, and flare ups.

While trying ointments, medicine, ultraviolet therapy, and spending $$ with no success, I found the answer literally under my nose in the cup I was drinking from. I hope this works for you!!! DOWN WITH ASPARTAME!!! rating: 9 (140 votes)

Submitted at 2012-05-23 23:16:52 steroids,enbrel,humira,petroleum jelly bleach !!!!!!!!! are you kidding me. i've had 'p' for 25 years. everything i recommend or say is my own opinion and works for me you will have to do your own research and experimentation.

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Stem cell research identifies new gene targets in patients with Alzheimer’s disease

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

8-Jan-2014

Contact: David McKeon DMckeon@nyscf.org 212-365-7440 New York Stem Cell Foundation

NEW YORK, NY (January 8, 2014) Scientists at The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute in collaboration with scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) successfully generated a stem cell model of familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD). Using this stem cell model, researchers identified fourteen genes that may be implicated in the disease and one gene in particular that shows the importance that inflammation may play in the brain of Alzheimer's patients.

In this study, published today in PLOS ONE, the team of scientists produced stem cells and neural precursor cells (NPCs), representing early neural progenitor cells that build the brain, from patients with severe early-onset AD with mutations in the Presenilin 1 (PSEN1) gene. These NPCs had elevated Abeta42/Abeta40 ratios, indicating elevation of the form of amyloid found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. These levels were greater than those in adult cells that did not have the PSEN1mutation. This elevated ratio showed that these NPCs grown in the petri dish were accurately reflecting the cells in the brains of FAD patients.

"Our ability to accurately recapitulate the disease in the petri dish is an important advance for this disease. These genes provide us with new targets to help elucidate the cause of sporadic forms of the disease as well provide targets for the discovery of new drugs," said Susan L. Solomon, Chief Executive Officer of The New York Stem Cell Foundation.

"The gene expression profile from Noggle's familial Alzheimer's stem cells points to inflammation which is especially exciting because we would not usually associate inflammation with this particular Alzheimer's gene. The greatest breakthroughs come with 'unknown unknowns', that is, things that we don't know now and that we would never discover through standard logic," said Sam Gandy, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry and Director of the Center for Cognitive Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a co-author on the study. Gandy is also Associate Director of the NIH-Designated Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

The researchers generated induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from affected and unaffected individuals from two families carrying PSEN1 mutations. After thorough characterization of the NPCs through gene expression profiling and other methods, they identified fourteen genes that behaved differently in PSEN1 NPCs relative to NPCs from individuals without the mutation. Five of these targets also showed differential expression in late onset Alzheimer's disease patients' brains. Therefore, in the PSEN1 iPS cell model, the researchers reconstituted an essential feature in the molecular development of familial Alzheimer's disease.

Although the majority of Alzheimer's disease cases are late onset and likely result from a mixture of genetic predisposition and environmental factors, there are genetic forms of the disease that affect patients at much earlier ages. PSEN1 mutations cause the most common form of inherited familial Alzheimer's disease and are one hundred percent penetrant, resulting in all individuals with this mutation getting the disease.

The identification of genes that behaved differently in patients with the mutation provides new targets to further study and better understand their effects on the development of Alzheimer's disease. One of these genes, NLRP2, is traditionally thought of as an inflammatory gene.

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AML score that combines genetic and epigenetic changes might help guide therapy

Posted: at 6:43 am

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

8-Jan-2014

Contact: Darrell E. Ward Darrell.Ward@osumc.edu 614-293-3737 Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

COLUMBUS, Ohio Currently, doctors use chromosome markers and gene mutations to determine the best treatment for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). But a new study suggests that a score based on seven mutated genes and the epigenetic changes that the researchers discovered were also present might help guide treatment by identifying novel subsets of patients.

The findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, come from a study led by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC James).

The epigenetic change used in the study is DNA methylation. It involves the addition of methyl groups to DNA, which can reduce or silence a gene's activity, or expression. Abnormal DNA methylation alters normal gene expression and often plays an important role in cancer development.

Overall, the findings suggest that patients with a low score indicating that one or none of the seven genes is overexpressed in AML cells had the best outcomes, and that patients with high scores that is, with six or seven genes highly expressed had the poorest outcomes.

"To date, disease classification and prognostication for AML patients have been based largely on chromosomal and genetic markers," says principal investigator Clara D. Bloomfield, MD, Distinguished University Professor, Ohio State University Cancer Scholar and Senior Adviser.

"Epigenetic changes that affect gene expression have not been considered. Here we show that epigenetic changes in previously recognized and prognostically important mutated genes can identify novel patient subgroups, which might better help guide therapy," says Bloomfield, who is also the William Greenville Pace III Endowed Chair in Cancer Research at Ohio State.

The seven-gene panel was identified in 134 patients aged 60 and older with cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (CN-AML) who had been treated on Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB)/Alliance clinical trials.

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German School Comedy ‘Fack Ju Gohte’ Tops $60 million

Posted: at 6:42 am

A politically incorrect comedy that mocks current debates about school reform, immigration and economic disparity has become the biggest hit in years in Germany. Bora Dagtekin's Fack Ju Gohte, produced by Munich-based production house Rat Pack and distributed by Constantin Film, has sold more than six million tickets since its release late last year, earning more than $60 million at the German box office so far.

The film's German title, rendered as Suck Me Shakespeer in English, is a German phonetic transcription of "F-- You, Goethe." It's a tidy summing up of both the poor spelling skills of the lead character -- a ex-con turned substitute teacher -- and the film's irreverent tone.

Fack Ju Gohte is on track to become one of the top ten German films of all time. The success proves Dagtekin's freshman effort, 2012's Turkish For Beginners, wasn't a fluke. Both he and Elyas M'Barek -- star of both Turkish for Beginners and Fack Ju Gohte -- are now firmly established on Germany's A-List.

There is good news all round for German films as 2014 kicks off. In addition to Fack Ju Gohte, medieval period drama The Physician and romantic comedy Buddy, from hit maker Michael "Bully" Herbig, also grace the country's top ten. Universal is distributing The Physician while Warner Bros. is handling Buddy in Germany.

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