1. category
  2. Transhuman News

Page 4,103«..1020..4,1024,1034,1044,105..4,1104,120..»

Category Archives: Transhuman News

Genome sequencing reveals what puts the ‘heat’ in hot peppers

Posted: January 21, 2014 at 5:46 pm

The genome of the hot pepper, the worlds most widely grown spice crop, has been sequenced by a large international team of researchers, including scientists at the University of California, Davis.

The new reference genome sheds light on the biology of the peppers hallmark pungency, or spiciness, as well as its fruit-ripening and disease-resistance mechanisms.

It also reveals new information crucial for improving the horticultural, nutritional and medicinal qualities of these peppers, whose annual global production has grown more than 40-fold during the past two decades and now exceeds $14.4 billion.

Highlights from the sequencing effort were reported Jan. 19 as an Advanced Online publication of the journal Nature Genetics.

The pepper genome is one of the largest genomes assembled to date, said plant scientist Allen Van Deynze, director of research at UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center and a co-author on the study.

The quality of this genome assembly and linkage to the high-density genetic map for peppers makes the genes and genome immediately available to the genetics community, he said.

Hot peppers, one of the oldest domesticated crops in the Western Hemisphere, are members of the Solanaceae plant family and thus cousins to an extensive group of plants including potato, tomato, eggplant, petunia and tobacco. The hot-pepper plants are popular ornamentals and produce fruits that are major vegetables in most global cuisines, as well as rich sources of vitamins and nutrients, pharmaceuticals, natural coloring agents, cosmetics and defense repellants.

The researchers sequenced a hot pepper landrace, or domesticated variety, from the Mexican state of Morelos. The variety, known as Criolo de Morelos 334, has consistently exhibited high levels of disease resistance and has been extensively used in hot-pepper research and breeding. The research team also provided sequencing data for the Perennial and Dempsey cultivated pepper varieties and for the related habanero pepper species (Capsicum chinense.)

Not surprisingly, the new sequencing project revealed that blocks of genes appear in much the same chromosomal position in the hot pepper as in its closest relative, the tomato. The pepper genome, however, was found to be 3.5-fold larger than the tomato genome.

The sequencing also uncovered evidence suggesting that the pungency, or heat, of the hot pepper originated through the evolution of new genes by duplication of existing genes and changes in gene expression after the peppers evolved into species.

See the rest here:
Genome sequencing reveals what puts the ‘heat’ in hot peppers

Posted in Genome | Comments Off on Genome sequencing reveals what puts the ‘heat’ in hot peppers

Silk May Be The Answer To Eczema Treatment

Posted: at 5:45 pm

Photo: Silk from Shutterstock

A new study being conducted overseas could change the everyday lives of those suffering from eczema. And yes, it involves fashion. In an off-shoot way.

Eczema, the uncomfortable skin condition that effects 10-20 percent of infants and 3 percent of adults in the US, is caused by an overactive response by the bodys immune system to an irritant. While there are several ways to treat it, all relief is temporary as there is no cure.

Recent findings have led many to think silks protective and antimicrobial properties can provide relief from the skin problem. Existing research evidence is limited to a few small studies, said Professor Kim Thomas, the lead researcher. There have been some impressive claims recently promoting specialist silk clothing as a new treatment option for people with eczema. However, it is still unclear if these garments really do provide additional benefits for patients. We are carrying out the first large-scale independent, randomized controlled trial of silk clothing for the management of eczema in children to establish whether or not these new products live up to the claims that are currently being made.

This study being done by Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology at The University of Nottingham will test 300 children between the ages of one to 15. A portion will be asked to wear silk undergarments for six months to see if theres any change. While the children are permitted to use their usual medication, parents are asked to fill out a weekly questionnaire on any changes.

The results should be interesting, but unfortunately if proven successful, may take some time to come to the United States.

Source

See the original post:
Silk May Be The Answer To Eczema Treatment

Posted in Eczema | Comments Off on Silk May Be The Answer To Eczema Treatment

Possible New Druggable Target in Ewing’s Sarcoma

Posted: at 5:45 pm

Contact Information

Available for logged-in reporters only

Newswise Ewings Sarcoma is an aggressive pediatric cancer, most commonly caused by the improper fusion of the gene EWS with the gene FLI1. Though the cause has long been known, therapeutic targeting of this fusion has to date proven very difficult. A University of Colorado Cancer Center study, recently published in the journal Oncogene, looked downstream from this fusion to discover other links in the chain of events that leads to cancer this fusion puts in motion microRNA-22, which regulates another gene, KDM3A, and this signaling chain helps ensure that the outcome of the EWS/FLI1 fusion is cancer. Researchers suggest that these new targets may provide more easily druggable alternatives to the EWS/FLI1 fusion itself.

We started with all the microRNAs downstream from the EWS/FLI1 fusion and narrowed in on microRNA-22. But then we looked even further downstream from there and found that microRNA-22 works through another gene, KDM3A, to cause this cancer. When we turned down this gene (KDM3A) in lab studies, we observed a profound inhibition of the tumorigenic properties of Ewing Sarcoma cells, says Paul Jedlicka, MD, PhD, CU Cancer Center investigator and assistant professor of pathology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

This study highlights the complex cascade of events that cause cancer. Even in seemingly simple cancers like Ewing Sarcoma with known oncogenic drivers, cancer-causing action tends to depend on a cascade of events the oncogenes initiate. In other words, oncogenes may sit at the head of long, complex strings of cellular events, all of which are needed to cause cancer.

Likewise, genes arent the only level at which this string of events can be interrupted between a gene and its expression as a (potentially dangerous) protein lies all the mechanics of transcription, including the involvement of chemicals that transport a genes information to the machinery that makes proteins (RNA), and chemicals that decide how often a gene should be manufactured into a protein (e.g. microRNA). Understanding of the mechanics of this complex cascade, in turn, can yield new therapeutic targets.

In this study, Jedlicka and colleagues used another form of RNA called shRNA to mute the expression of the tumor-promoting gene KDM3A. But Jedlicka points out that, in general, while shRNA is an extremely useful tool in the laboratory, its use as a therapeutic agent is thus far limited.

We can design shRNA to silence nearly any chosen gene, but then in cell studies we use a virus to carry this shRNA inside cells. There are a number of challenges to this approach in humans, Jedlicka says.

However, since KDM3A has an enzymatic activity it modifies the cells genetic material to affect how other genes are expressed it could potentially be targeted with small-molecule inhibitors, similar in structure to many drugs currently in use. Such inhibitors could theoretically be taken in pill form and would be able to cross into cancer cells where they could inhibit tumor growth. Importantly, genetic studies in model organisms suggest that KDM3A is not needed in most normal cells, so its possible that its targeting could be well tolerated as a therapy.

In the meantime, Jedlicka and colleagues demonstrate a strong case for KDM3A as a new target in Ewings Sarcoma: they demonstrate that the gene is overexpressed in human samples of the cancer, that depletion of the gene inhibits the growth of tumors in patient-derived cell lines, and that depletion of the gene in mouse studies results in the inability of mice to grow tumors.

Read the original:
Possible New Druggable Target in Ewing's Sarcoma

Posted in Gene Medicine | Comments Off on Possible New Druggable Target in Ewing’s Sarcoma

Politically incorrect views and potentially dangerous rhetoric Blog #2 – Video

Posted: at 5:45 pm


Politically incorrect views and potentially dangerous rhetoric Blog #2
I #39;d like this to be more than just a video you watched. I really would like for people to help me understand why peopled do this. So please feel free to rate...

By: Miller David

Read more from the original source:
Politically incorrect views and potentially dangerous rhetoric Blog #2 - Video

Posted in Politically Incorrect | Comments Off on Politically incorrect views and potentially dangerous rhetoric Blog #2 – Video

UNDERGROUND EDUCATION – 002 – Censorship: A Four Letter Word – Video

Posted: at 5:44 pm


UNDERGROUND EDUCATION - 002 - Censorship: A Four Letter Word
Censorship: A Four Letter Word: http://www.futureofeducation.com/forum/topics/censorship-should-be-a-four-letter-word/ http://fabiano.magic-city-news.com/ Na...

By: Native Speakers Academy - Official Page

See the original post here:
UNDERGROUND EDUCATION - 002 - Censorship: A Four Letter Word - Video

Posted in Censorship | Comments Off on UNDERGROUND EDUCATION – 002 – Censorship: A Four Letter Word – Video

Lost In Censorship | Beyond Zotte Park – Video

Posted: at 5:44 pm


Lost In Censorship | Beyond Zotte Park
NSFW. Wherein Stephen talks about masturbation and losing himself in censorship. NEXT VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff0rpAvyjtw PREVIOUS: http://www....

By: Zotte Park

Follow this link:
Lost In Censorship | Beyond Zotte Park - Video

Posted in Censorship | Comments Off on Lost In Censorship | Beyond Zotte Park – Video

Cui Jian Refuses CCTV New Year Show Because of Censorship – Video

Posted: at 5:44 pm


Cui Jian Refuses CCTV New Year Show Because of Censorship
Follow us on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/cnforbiddennews Like us on FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/chinaforbiddennews China #39;s "father of rock", Cui Jian, ...

By: ChinaForbiddenNews

More here:
Cui Jian Refuses CCTV New Year Show Because of Censorship - Video

Posted in Censorship | Comments Off on Cui Jian Refuses CCTV New Year Show Because of Censorship – Video

Medicine of Immortality

Posted: at 5:44 pm

Here are some quotes for Fr. John J.Pasquinis book Medicine of Immortality. This book can be ordered from Shepherds of Christ Ministries.

Fr. John Pasquinis Medicine of Immortality is a wonderful source of inspiration for priests, and all who read it, to gain a deeper appreciation of the healing power of the Eucharist. His clear, succinct presentation of the Mass offers a pastorally insightful explanation of the mystery we believe, we celebrate and which we are called to live out in our lives. The prayers and meditations compiled in his book offer opportunities for spiritual reflection which will assist the reader in growth toward a deeper understanding of the mystery of the Eucharist.

Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua, Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia

In Medicine of Immortality, Father John Pasquini offers his readers the richness of Catholic devotional prayer, the wisdom of the Fathers and, most of all, the fruits of his own prayer and meditation before the Blessed Sacrament. I recommend this book to all who wish to grow in their love for the Lord, who sustains the life of His Church through the precious gift of His Body and Blood.

Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I., Archbishop of Chicago

The work of Father John Pasquini in writing the book Medicine of Immortality is evidence of his own great love for Christ in the Holy Eucharist, and of his determination to teach what Christ has taught and the Church has reiterated since her beginning.

The Most Reverend Fabian W. Bruskewitz, Bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska, author of The Catholic Church: Jesus Christ Present in the World.

Go here to read the rest:
Medicine of Immortality

Posted in Immortality Medicine | Comments Off on Medicine of Immortality

Human Resources Manager

Posted: at 5:43 pm

New This Week, Posted 15/01/2014

Human Resources Manager, Islington

The City of London Academy Islington was judged by OFSTED to be a 'Good' school with 'Good' awarded for every category in November 2012. Ofsted acknowledged the Academy as making rapid progress and our 2013 summer examination results are the best the Academy has ever had. Over 80% of our Year 13 students secured a place at university and our GCSE results almost doubled, with 61% of our students achieving 5 A*-C grades with English and Mathematics; and 81% achieving 5 A*-C grades. Clear and crucial ongoing improvements are being made to secure our students' future here at the Academy and we are determined to continue to improve to an "outstanding" judgment at the next Ofsted inspection. Our Ofsted 2012 reads:-

We are looking to appoint an operationally and strategically motivated Human Resources Manager to lead on all aspects of Human Resources within a busy Academy environment. The ideal candidate will have strong Human Resources Management, excellent organisation, administration and communication skills. They will develop and manage the Human Resources function, providing support and guidance to management and employees. They will be CIPD qualified with a sound background in Human Resources policy and processes. A solid knowledge of employment law is also essential. For the right person, this post will offer you variety in your work, challenge, professional development and the opportunity to become Human Resources Director within two years.

We are committed to safeguarding the welfare of young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to enhanced DBS checks and excellent references.

Apply for this role

Please refer to the vacancy for application contact information

View original post here:
Human Resources Manager

Posted in Post Human | Comments Off on Human Resources Manager

Human rights in M’sia: ‘A tale of two Najibs’

Posted: at 5:43 pm

Malaysia in 2013 was marked by Najib promising legal reforms before the GE and restoring repressive laws after it.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian government backtracked significantly on human rights after the May 2013 general election returned the ruling coalition to power with a significantly smaller majority, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2014.

The passage of new repressive laws, arrests of opposition activists, and greater repression of political speech marked the apparent end to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razaks proclaimed reform agenda.

Malaysia in 2013 was marked by a tale of two Najibs promising legal reforms before the election and restoring repressive laws after it, said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

Since May the government has cracked down on basic rights, curtailed free speech, and charged activists for organizing peaceful protests.

In the 667-page world report, its 24th edition, Human Rights Watch reviews human rights practices in more than 90 countries.

Syrias widespread killings of civilians elicited horror but few steps by world leaders to stop it, Human Rights Watch said.

A reinvigorated doctrine of responsibility to protect seems to have prevented some mass atrocities in Africa.

Majorities in power in Egypt and other countries have suppressed dissent and minority rights. And Edward Snowdens revelations about US surveillance programs reverberated around the globe.

In Malaysia, previous progress on human rights was reversed by the passage of repressive new legislation, Human Rights Watch said.

See more here:
Human rights in M’sia: ‘A tale of two Najibs’

Posted in Post Human | Comments Off on Human rights in M’sia: ‘A tale of two Najibs’

Page 4,103«..1020..4,1024,1034,1044,105..4,1104,120..»

  1. category
  2. Transhuman News