Monthly Archives: April 2014

Gene therapy successfully regenerates an old organ inside a living animal

Posted: April 10, 2014 at 3:47 am

In a landmark study sure to provoke interest, researchers from the University of Edinburgh have regenerated an aged organ in vivo, inside a living animal to its youthful state though noninvasive manipulation of genes. Its a breakthrough that not only brings hope for a wide variety of age-related ailments, but which fundamentally challenges our idea of what aging is. This study treats the natural impacts of of time like symptoms of a disease and by treating those symptoms it seems to have tracked the cells back to their pre-disease (youthful) state.

The organ in question is the thymus, a small immune node that sits near the heart. It produces T-cells, one of the bodys most important immune response units, but over the course of a lifetime the thymus shrinks and T-cell production slows. This is thought to be one big reason (one of many) that elderly people suffer decreased immune response relative to younger people. This study used1- and 2-year old mice, and saw the typical drop in both thymus size and T-cell production with age.

The thymus is one of the most important parts of the immune system, especially in younger people.

Prior research had already identified a protein called FOXN1 as likely linked to thymus degeneration; its expression levels in the thymus seem linked to that organs fate. The mice in this study were bred with a specific genetic sensitivity, however, so that when exposed to the drug tamoxifen they would begin producing fully youthful levels of FOXN1, regardless of their actual age. It should be pointed out that the fact that these were genetically engineered mice is more crucial to the experimental setup than the therapeutic one; without the need to control for variables, scientists could plausibly increase FOXN1 levels through less convoluted measures.

The results? Mutant mice treated with tamoxifen showed total or near-total regeneration of their youthful thymus, while control mice also given tamoxifen showed predictable thymus function for their age. This held true for both the size of the organ itself and the abundance of the T-cells it produces. The regeneration seems to arise from the fact that FOXN1 is a transcription factor that controls expression of several other genes, and that these genes activate stem cell-like action in some thymus cells. By restoring FOXN1 levels, the researchers seem to have convinced the thymus to de-age itself at least, in this one very specific way.[DOI:10.1242/dev.103614]

The researchers are quick to point out the possible benefits to elderly people, or those afflicted by immune diseases. Increasing the ability to fight infection could also revolutionize hospital medicine, helping vulnerable patients fight infection by overclocking the thymus to produce a boost of white blood cells. Restoring the immune response of sick and elderly people would be, without an ounce of hyperbole, one of the most important medical advances in all of human history.

A separate study found that improper FOXN1 function causes a wasting immune disease. Sad

But this study is a far cry from proof that such utility could actually exist. If nothing else, it stands as an uncomfortable challenge to our ideas about just what agingis. Has the thymus really been regenerated or is it simply bigger and more active than it used to be?We do have a few relatively non-arbitrary measures of cell age, in particular measurements of telomere decay. Telomeres are long stretches of inactive DNA that cap our chromosomes on either end, and which seem to fray and shorten as cells live and replicate. A functional regeneration such as this one, coupled with genetic implants to re-lengthen telomeres and undo other sources of aging damage, could be difficult to distinguish from literal reversal of the aging process. (Read:What is transhumanism, or, what does it mean to be human?)

Thats a long way out, however. In the extreme long term, patchwork replacement of organs and body parts is even prophesied to allow immortality, and this study shows that we might be able to supplement grown organs with regenerated ones. Theres no telling how many tissues might be usefully regenerated with such a simple molecular switch but theres also currently no telling if these regenerated thymuses will continue to function well, or if such manipulation could cause unintended side-effects.

A lot more research is needed before human applications could even be discussed, but its an enticing goal. Any tool that could maintain the bodys own immune system could end up saving both lives and healthcare costs immensely of course, as weve discussed previously though, there could be some massive problems if we all start living to 100 or more.

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UN picks for Palestinian post allegedly anti-Semitic

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Makarim Wibisono of Indonesia (l.) and Christine Chinkin, a professor at the London School of Economics, both have a history of anti-Semitic statements.Reuters

Under pressure from Arab nations, the United Nations Human Rights Council has rejected a U.S.-backed choice to replace its outgoing point man on Palestine, and is now eyeing two candidates who share a long history of alleged anti-Israel bias.

The current front-runner to replace Richard Falk, a 9/11 truther who once praised Ayatollah Khomeinei and was reliably anti-Israel while serving as the council's special rapporteur on Palestinian rights, is Christine Chinkin, a law professor at the London School of Economics. Chinkin authored the Goldstone report, an infamous UN study on the Gaza conflict that was repudiated by Israel. A dark horse candidate is Indonesias former UN envoy, Makarim Wibisono, who has long been an outspoken critic who has a history of making one-sided remarks on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Either choice will ensure the 47-member council employs a monitor with a built-in, anti-Israel bias, said UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer.

"The real issue is not the nominees, but the biased position itself," Neuer said. "This is the only council mandate that requires the examination not of a given region, but of only one side, with the specific instruction to investigate 'Israel's violations of international law' in the territories, while completely disregarding human rights abuses against women, Christians and dissidents that are being committed by Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad or others."

Georgetown Law Prof. Christina Cerna, who the U.S. backed for the job, was rejected after several Arab nations balked. Neuer said they sent letters to UNHRC President Remigiusz Henczel objecting to her candidacy. Critics of Cerna -- who received a unanimous recommendation from the councils five-member vetting panel -- said she had not been on record in the past with any statements on Palestinian issues.

The impartiality of Chinkin, who has accused Israel of war crimes, was questioned by foreign policy academics as well as then-Human Rights Committee Chair Sir Nigel Rodley.

The panel also is believed to be considering Wibisono, who has long been an outspoken critic who has a history of making one-sided remarks on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Neuer's group said Wibisono should be excluded from consideration because of a 2010 trip to Gaza, where he allegedly met with the leader of Hamas, and several past statements. Wibisono has accused Israel of unconscionable use of force against the Palestinians, "untenable acts of aggression," and of having a "policy of retribution against the entire Palestinian nation. In addition, he has often and openly supported what he calls the sacred Palestinian cause.

Appointments of all special rapporteurs have been postponed another month. Falk, an 83-year-old Princeton University professor, is set to leave May 1. Falk has accused Israel of of slouching toward nothing less than a Palestinian Holocaust. Last month, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power left no doubt about how the White House feels about Falk.

"The United States welcomes Mr. Falk's departure, which is long overdue," Power said in a statement. "Falk's relentless anti-Israeli bias, his noxious and outrageous perpetuation of 9/11 conspiracy theories [and] his publication of bizarre and insulting material has tarnished the U.N.'s reputation and undermined the effectiveness of the Human Rights Council.

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NASA plans: Throwing asteroid at moon, sending people to Mars

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Screenshot from the video from the Huffington Post

At a US Senate hearing focused on intermediate space missions, NASA disclosed some of its ambitious plans, including the goal to send human missions to Mars and a manned spacecraft to the asteroid, the Huffington Post reported April 9. "Our architecture is designed for long-term human exploration of our solar system, including the goal of human missions to Mars," William Gerstenmaier, an associate administrator at NASA, was quoted as saying during testimony before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Science and Space. "We're going to grab a piece of the solar system, we're going to deflect it around the moon and insert it into a distant retrograde orbit around the moon where our crews can go visit." NASA hopes to have the Mars trip by 2030s.

Read the full story on the Huffington Post

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Future-University Futurology Futures-Studies Futurism – The Big Thing (part 2) – Video

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Future-University Futurology Futures-Studies Futurism - The Big Thing (part 2)
all about futures-sciences to science-fiction.

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Hamish McRae – Economic Commentator and Futurist – Video

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Hamish McRae - Economic Commentator and Futurist
Hamish McRae is one of Europe #39;s foremost speakers on global future trends in economics, business and society. He is Associate Editor of The Independent Newsp...

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Future Trends Demand 20/20 Vision: Futurist Jack Uldrich to Keynote the Chu Vision Annual Conference

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Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) April 09, 2014

Jack Uldrich, global futurist and bestselling author has been selected to deliver the keynote at the Chu Vision Foundation Optometric Clinical Update 2014 in Minneapolis, MN.

Chu Vision Institute is a state-of-the-art ophthalmology practice dedicated to utilizing the most advanced technologies and treatments to improve quality of life for patients. Their clinic subspecialties include cataract, refractive, corneal surgery, glaucoma and oculoplastics. At the conference Uldrich will address the new trends that are fast approaching in the ophthalmology industry. (A sample of his writing on the future of ophthalmology can be viewed in this article: The Future of Ophthalmology: 10 Trends Transforming Tomorrow.)

Jack Uldrich is a renowned global futurist, independent scholar, sought-after business speaker, and bestselling author. Uldrich, who has been a keynote speaker for the American Medical Association, United Healthcare, Fairview Hospitals, and St. Jude Medical is noted for his ability to deliver stimulating, new perspectives on competitive advantage, organizational change, and transformational leadership, while helping businesses to adapt.

His keynotes on topics such as future trends, emerging technologies, innovations, change management, leadership and unlearning are captivating and thought provoking. He is highly regarded for his unique ability to present multifaceted information in an entertaining and understandable manner that leave his audiences reflecting on his topics long afterwards.

In addition to health care, Uldrich is considered to be an expert futurist in a variety of areas. He has served as an advisor to Fortune 1000 companies and has spoken to hundreds of businesses and organizations, including General Electric, General Mills, the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), Pfizer, Fiatech, Invitrogen, The Million Dollar Round Table, AG Schering, Imation,Touchstone Energy, the Insurance Service Organization, the National Kitchen & Bath Association, the National Paint & Coatings Association and the European Association for International Education in Istanbul.

Jack Uldrichs bestselling and award-winning books include, Unlearning 101: 101 Lessons in Thinking Inside-Out the Box, Higher Unlearning: 39 Post-Requisite Lessons for Achieving a Successful Future, The Next Big Thing is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business, and Jump the Curve: 50 Essential Strategies to Help Your Company Stay Ahead of Emerging Technologies. He is also the author of Green Investing: A Guide to Making Money through Environment-Friendly Stocks. An excerpt from his most recent work Foresight 20/20: A Futurist Explores the Transformational Trends of Tomorrow can be found here.

Parties interested in learning more about Jack Uldrich, his books, his daily blog or his speaking availability are encouraged to visit his website at: http://www.jumpthecurve.net. Media wishing to know more about the event or interviewing Jack can contact Amy Tomczyk at (651) 343.0660.

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Future Trends Demand 20/20 Vision: Futurist Jack Uldrich to Keynote the Chu Vision Annual Conference

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The Internet of Things–Transforming Tomorrow's Business Today: Global Futurist Jack Uldrich to Deliver Keynotes on …

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Austin, TX (PRWEB) April 10, 2014

What impact will the "Internet of Things" have on your future? Verizon Wireless says, "Let's get together and talk about it." Starting on April 16th in Austin, TX., Verizon Wireless is kicking off their Connected to Technology Tour--Verizon will be hosting sixteen events across the US, ending in Detroit on June 17th. And global futurist Jack Uldrich will be featured as a keynote at eleven of those events.

Uldrich, whose speech, "Transforming Business with the Internet of Things" plans to build on Verizon's mission to teach participants how businesses and public agencies are leveraging the accelerated growth of connected devices to increase operational efficiencies, enhance safety, and security and in some cases even generate new revenue streams.

Sharing highlights from his recent book, "Foresight 20/20: A Futurist Explores the Transformational Trends of Tomorrow" (an excerpt from which can be found here;) his upcoming book, "Business as Unusual: How to Future-Proof Yourself Against Tomorrow's Trends Today;" and his recent article on the Internet of Things; Uldrich will discuss how technology, specifically machine to machine (M2M,) and social media are quickly merging to create a plethora of opportunities in the years to come.

Uldrich has served as an adviser to Fortune 1000 companies and has spoken to hundreds of businesses and organizations on future trends, emerging technologies, innovations, change management, leadership and unlearning. His most recent clients include Fiatech, The American Medical Association, TEXPERS, the 2014 ATEA Conference, The Allan P. Kirby Lecture Series at Wilkes University and The Million Dollar Round Table in Kuala Lumpur, Maylasia.

From health care, to energy and education Uldrich is known around the globe for his engaging style and thought provoking insights surrounding emerging technologies and their impact on each industry he addresses. Here's a look at his address to the European Association for International Education in Istanbul last summer.

In addition to his public speaking, Uldrich is also a consultant and author, his books include: "Unlearning 101: 101 Lessons in Thinking Outside the Box", "Higher Unlearning: 39 Lessons for Achieving a Successful Future," The Next Big Things is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business," and Jump the Curve: 50 Essential Strategies to Help Your Company Stay Ahead of Emerging Technologies." He is also the author of "Green Investing: A Guide to Making Money Through Environment-Friendly Stocks."

Parties interested in learning more about Jack Uldrich, his books, his daily blog or his speaking ability are encouraged to visit his website at: http://www.jumpthecurve.net. Media wishing to know more about the event or interviewing Jack can contact Amy Tomczyk at (651) 343.0660.

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"Gaia Hypothesis" Originator James Lovelock Reflects on His Career

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The scientist and futurist talks about self-regulating Gaia, climate change and peer review, as an exhibition featuring him opens April 9 in London

The new exhibition features some of scientist James Lovelock's inventions, including this homemade gas chromatography device. Credit:Bruno Comby via Wikimedia Commons

A new exhibition at the Science Museum in London features the personal archives of one of the most influential modern scientists; James Lovelock. Unlocking Lovelock: Scientist, Inventor, Maverick tells the story of the British scientist's work in medicine, environmental science and planetary science, and displays documents ranging from childhood stories, doodle-strewn lab notebooks and patents to letters from dignitaries such as former UK prime minister (and chemist) Margaret Thatcher. Also included are several of Lovelocks inventions, such as the electron-capture detector that enabled the measuring of ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere in the 1970s.

Lovelock, born in 1919, is best known for the Gaia hypothesis, which proposes that the Earth functions as a self-regulating system, similar to a living organism. The idea sparked controversy when Lovelock and microbiologist Lynn Margulis proposed it in the 1970s, but environmental and Earth scientists now accept many of its basic principles. In 2006, his bookThe Revenge of Gaiapredicted disastrous effects from climate change within just a few decades, writing that only a handful of the teeming billions now alive will survive.

This week Lovelock spoke toNatureabout his career, his earlier predictions and his new book,A Rough Ride to the Future(reviewed last week inNature).

Is climate change going to be less extreme than you previously thought?

The Revenge of Gaiawas over the top, but we were all so taken in by the perfect correlation between temperature and CO2in the ice-core analyses [from the ice-sheets of Greenland and Antarctica, studied since the 1980s]. You could draw a straight line relating temperature and CO2, and it was such a temptation for everyone to say, Well, with CO2rising we can say in such and such a year it will be this hot. It was a mistake we all made.

We shouldnt have forgotten that the system has a lot of inertia and were not going to shift it very quickly. The thing weve all forgotten is the heat storage of the ocean its a thousand times greater than the atmosphere and the surface. You cant change that very rapidly.

But being an independent scientist, it is much easier to say you made a mistake than if you are a government department or an employee or anything like that.

So what will the next 100 years look like?

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25 Incredible Pictures Of Space Taken By NASA – Video

Posted: April 9, 2014 at 12:45 am


25 Incredible Pictures Of Space Taken By NASA
From exploding supernovas to the northern lights flickering behind the International Space Station these are 25 incredible pictures of space taken by NASA. h...

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NASA suspends ties with Russia over Ukraine, sticks to ISS – Video

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NASA suspends ties with Russia over Ukraine, sticks to ISS
NASA is freezing virtually all ties with the Russian Space Agency - apparently as part of the White House #39;s response to the absorption of Crimea. Contracts, ...

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