Archive for the ‘Female Genetics’ Category

Last week, The Daily Wire reported that author J.K. Rowling was smeared as a transphobe and threatened with being canceled because she spoke out in support of researcher Maya Forstater, who was fired from her job with the Centre for Global Development for saying that while transgender individuals can change their outward appearance, male-to-female transgenders remain male and can never be, biologically, women.

What I am so surprised at is that smart people who I admire, who are absolutely pro-science in other areas, and champion human rights & womens rights are tying themselves in knots to avoid saying the truth that men cannot change into women (because that might hurt mens feelings), Forstater said, originally.

Dress however you please, the Harry Potter author replied on social media. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult wholl have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill

Forstaters case is particularly egregious. Not only was she terminated from her position for articulating scientific facts, but when she brought a case against her former employer to a tribunal in the U.K., which found not just that CGD was justified in firing Forstater, but that Forstaters basic beliefs that men can never become biological women was harmful, even if Forstater was simply saying what she believed.

Paying due regard to the qualified right to freedom of expression, people cannot expect to be protected if their core belief involves violating others dignity, the court said. Forstaters absolutist views on the subject of gender were actually violent, the court found, and her opinion violates their dignity and/or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.

Rowling met with a torrent of abuse for her statement, with LGBTQ+ activists and their allies across the spectrum, threatening Rowlings livelihood, and demanding that she apologize and admit that she was in error when she spoke out in support of someone who merely acknowledges biological and genetic reality.

GLAAD has been among Rowlings most vocal critics, often saying on social media that Rowling is putting transgender individuals at risk because she refuses to believe men can be considered women for the purposes of things like privacy and sport. On Friday, the pro-LGBTQ rights group put out a statement blasting Rowling and challenging her to meet with transgender activists and cherry-picked scientists in order to expand her worldview.

In other words, Rowling should submit to indoctrination and bullying until she agrees that male-to-female transgender individuals are, indeed, women.

J.K. Rowling, whose books gave kids hope that they could work together to create a better world, has now aligned herself with an anti-science ideology that denies the basic humanity of people who are transgender, the groups head of talent said in a statement, according to Variety. Trans men, trans women and non-binary people are not a threat, and to imply otherwise puts trans people at risk. Now is the time for allies who know and support trans people to speak up and support their fundamental right to be treated equally and fairly.

Rowling, of course, never said trans men, trans women, or non-binary people are a threat. She merely spoke out in support of those who acknowledge biology and genetics, suggesting that they shouldnt be punished for their lack of wokeness.

In a move that must have been shocking to GLAAD, Rowling herself ignored them. Her representatives declined GLAADs offer of re-education.

If Rowling continues to stand firm against the wokescolds, she may strike a significant blow for freedom of speech. Although ordinary researchers, writers, and comedians can often be forced to apologize for their wrong opinions Star Wars Mark Hamill, for example, apologized for merelyliking Rowlings tweet Rowlings net worth is well into the billions. People are unlikely to stop consuming Harry Potter books and merchandise simply because some on social media, who once lauded Rowling as a heroine of the Resistance, are now left disappointed and ignored.

But once the pressure has little effect on one person, it may lose its tooth altogether.

Go here to see the original:
GLAAD Tried To Force JK Rowling To Apologize For 'Transphobic' Comments. She Refused. - The Daily Wire

Before social media, if you wanted to learn the beauty secrets of celebrities and fashionistas, your only option was to go out and get a magazine. How quaint.

These days, learning the tips and tricks of the 'beautiful' (as judged by the media and advertising industries) is as simple as logging onto YouTube or Instagram.

So-called Get Ready With Me (or in internet speak, GRWM) videos have become incredibly popular, and despite my better judgement, I find myself watching as many random videos as the algorithms throw up (most of which feature women or non-binary people.)

So you can imagine my delight when I recently came across American actress (and music legend Diana Ross' daughter) Tracee Ellis Ross' GRWM routine.

In the 13-minute video, Ross describes in detail the many, MANY products she uses to keep her skin looking good: multiple serums, eye cream, face cream, moisturiser (yes, that's different to a cream), some odd 'face vibrating' tool, a cold face massager, and finally, a lip mask. If you hadn't guessed, hers is a very expensive skin care regime, costing upwards of $1,000. One cream alone costs more than $500.

Ross completes her 'everyday look' by applying red lipstick and grooming her eyebrows. She proudly states that at 46 years old, she's not a "big make-up girl". "It doesn't bother me" to not wear foundation or concealer. "I feel like I've earnt these stripes," she says as she points to the wrinkles around her eyes. The video has now been watched over a million times in less than a month.

While I applaud Ross for some level of transparency into what it takes to look good (lots of products and lots money, apparently), watching the video, I couldn't help but think she'd reinforced the beauty myth that with the right products, you too could leave your house with minimal make-up and look fabulous.

Whether it's the lotions or potions, treatments or access to the best doctors money can buy, 'healthy' skin isn't cheap.

Then there's the other factor that influences 'good skin': genetics.

Alexa Boer Kimball, a researcher and the chief executive officer at Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, told Popular Science that when it comes to ageing, there are two important factors.

"First, the genes you are born with affect how you age But also, which genes are turned on over time matter, too. That can be affected by your inherent characteristics but also what you are exposed to and what you do" like pollution, stress or smoking.

These days, I'm fortunate to be able to wear my hair as I please without retribution. And it's for that reason that I braid my hair, Santilla Chingaipe writes.

Dr Kimball told the publication that while sunscreen and certain products like moisturisers can make a difference, how much of a difference depends on genetics and environmental factors. In the best-case scenario, you can reduce the signs of ageing by years but not decades, she says.

What does this all mean for those that can't afford to 'look good' and haven't won the genetic lottery? I think these questions are important, and as superficial as beauty may seem, it is an industry worth billions of dollars. It cashes in on selling aspiration: if you buy this face cream that promises to rid your face of all the wrinkles, then success and happiness are plentiful.

I've often fallen for this kind of messaging.

Growing up, I felt the pressure to look a certain kind of beautiful because most of the women I saw on television or magazines looked that way straight hair, flawless skin. I thought if I made myself fit that beauty mould, then job opportunities and love would surely follow.

What I didn't understand was the role race, gender and class play in determining who is considered 'beautiful' and that no matter how much I straightened my hair, black women aren't generally viewed as 'beautiful' because beauty standards are typically rooted in western and Eurocentric ideals.

If it's not youthfulness we're chasing (which requires spending money), it's a certain body type or hair style. At every turn, the patriarchy and capitalism asks us to bend to the myth of beauty.

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In her book, Thick: And other essays, American sociologist Tressie McMillan Cottom writes that beauty can be political:

"It can exclude and include one of the basic conditions of any politics. Beauty has it all. It can be political, economic, external, individualized, generalising, exclusionary. Our dominant story of beauty is that it is simultaneously a blessing, of genetics or gods, and a site of conversion. You can become beautiful if you accept the right prophets and their wisdoms with a side of products thrown in for good measure."

Beauty ideals can make us all self-conscious for some, race complicates the issue.

What happens if you refuse to conform to patriarchal definitions of beauty?

British classicist and broadcaster Mary Beard has talked about the abuse and harassment she's experienced from people over her appearance.

Known for television appearances and fronting history documentaries in the UK, the 64-year-old has chosen to focus on her work rather than what she looks like eschewing make-up and keeping her natural hair colour. The New Yorker has described her as being an avatar for middle-aged and older women, who appreciate her unwillingness to fend off the visible advancement of age.

This act of free will and choice was been met with much vitriol, with some of her critics calling her "too ugly for television". A few years ago, she responded to her bullies by saying, "Grey is my hair colour. I really can't see why I should change it. There clearly is a view of female normative beauty, but more women of 58 do look like me than like Victoria Beckham."

It's clear beauty isn't achievable for everyone. Not in the way we're told to aspire for it no matter how much money we spend trying to buy our way into this ideal, very few people attain it.

Understanding that helped me to stop chasing an ideal that I'd never be able to meet, and instead embrace the body (and face) I was born with.

In many ways, it's easier said than done, because let's be honest it's hard to tune out the constant bombardment of images that push perfection. But if you can recognise how subjective, market-driven and narrow beauty ideals usually are, you can, perhaps, start letting go of some of the pressure to conform.

Read the rest here:
Why we need to stop buying into the beauty myth - ABC News

Looking to learn something new this festive season, or just get a break from revision or coursework? Check out these science book recommendations from the writers and editors of Epigram SciTech!

The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee (Esme Hedley, SciTech and Sport Subeditor)

This book is a comprehensive account of the history, science, and implications of our understanding of genes. Mukherjee walks us through genes rich history, fleshing out the lives of key scientists to show how recognition, influence, and legacy drive the race to a scientific breakthrough. He highlights how efforts to produce homogeneity in humans, seen in the eugenics movement, runs counter to evolution and natural selection. Not just for biology students, this book will appeal to those who want a richer understanding of one of the key concepts of science and how it has affected not only scientific and medical advances, but social policy. Although Mukherjee makes us realise the true power of our genes, he is careful to direct the reader away from any simplistic notion that our identities are determined by our genes.

Factfulness by Hans Rosling with Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Rnnlund (Vilhelmiina, SciTech Editor)

This is one of my favourite non-fiction books, and one that got me interested in global health. Known to many from his 'bubble' graphics explaining international development, the late Hans Rosling was a dedicated champion of 'factfulness'; avoiding making assumptions without factual basis. The book covers ways in which our perspectives of development around the world are distorted, and most importantly, how we can correct ourselves. Factfulness is a wonderfully uplifting read, and has something to teach everyone about the world we live in.

| Holiday reads at home

Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking (Isabel Bromfield, Second year, Mathematics)

Published posthumously, Brief Answers to the Big Questions is a collection of essays drawn from Hawkings personal archives that attempts to answer some of humanitys most pressing questions such as 'is there a God?' and 'how do we shape the future?'. More relaxed and less cerebral than Hawkings famous A Brief History of Time, this book lends a heart and a humour to otherwise intimidating subject matters and leaves the reader with a feeling of hope.

| Can reading and writing help mental health?

The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins (Annie La Vespa, Third year, Biology)

The Selfish Gene is a classic, which explores how individuals are merely vessels helping to facilitate a genes quest for eternity. Dawkins uses many examples to illustrate how genes have the power to control our future which may seem initially unsettling to some readers. However, the book does go onto describe how mankind has the capacity to reclaim this power back through conscious rebellion. This exciting read powerfully articulates fundamental ideas of Neo-Darwinism to a wide audience and has prompted extensive further research in the biology community.

The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli (Isobel O'Loughlin, Deputy SciTech Editor)

Translated from Italian just last year, The Order of Time is a wonderfully poetic exploration into the physics and philosophy of time. Rovelli - a theoretical physicist - guides the reader through general relativity and quantum theory in a way that is not only accessible, but beautiful. He draws on centuries of science, art and philosophy to show us how far our perception of time is from the reality.

Inferior by Angela Saini (Jenna Ram, PhD Chemistry)

As you read Inferior it becomes glaringly obvious how the scientific community's approach to the sex differences debate has been totally biased. Saini suggests we re-examine what we have accepted as fundamental truths in sex science as she presents a mountain of counter-research across fields such as neuroscience, evolutionary biology, anthropology and primatology revealing just how patriarchal the current foundations are. The new evidence shatters the gender stereotypes that science has told us to accept as biological truths; eye-opening examples calls into question the idea that male and female brains are just wired differently, that sex differences are just inherited and unchangeable thanks to genetics. It considers the possibility of females in the hunter-gatherer epoch taking part in hunting and not just sitting pretty waiting for the man to bring home the bacon, and crucially it addresses the possibility of females not being the primary caregiver in the family. Written in a balanced way examining all theories, new and old, it approaches the debate on sex differences as it should be - fairly.

All book cover photos courtesy of Waterstones

Featured image: Flickr /

What's your favourite book? Let us know!

Read more here:
Brainy books for the winter break - Epigram

Why are we so secretive about this normal part of aging?

Perimenopause hit me like a ton of bricks.

One month, everything was steady and predictable. I knew when to expect my period and exactly how long it would last, and I had a pretty good idea of how I would feel throughout my 28-day cycle.

Then everything changed. The predictability ceased. For my period, the term heavy flow took on a whole new meaning. I experienced mid-cycle spotting in addition to all my other new menstrual cycle woes. Hot flashes, perhaps the most infamous of all the perimenopause symptoms, became a regular thing.

I went to see my gynecologist just to make sure there wasnt some other reason for my symptoms. There was not. At 46, Ive simply become perimenopausal, and there is no way to predict how long Ill stay this way.

That's because perimenopause, officially defined as the season in which the body makes its transition to menopause, can last for years and years (and years).

Only when you have gone twelve consecutive months without a period have reached menopause. Average age for menopause? 51 years old. Despite menopause and perimenopause being totally normal for anyone who has ovaries, it's a women's health issue that nobody seems to discuss.

In our society, aging is treated like something to be ashamed of and based on the profound lack of research into menopause, it can feel like the medical industry agrees.

If this feels like new information, you are not alone.

I had never even heard the term perimenopause until a couple of years ago and that is only because a nurse friend who specializes in womens health told me about it.

My similar-in-age pals report that they, too, were somewhat in the dark.

We knew menopause signified the end of menstrual periods but we didnt really understand that it followed a potentially lengthy transitional phase. Or that said transitional phase would, at times, feel more annoying than PMS. Or that perimenopause could be just plain embarrassing, thanks to gushers (a.k.a. extremely heavy periods that soak through tampons in less than an hour) and hot flashes that strike at the most inconvenient moments possible.

In middle school, we learned a lot about menstruation in health class. We also learned a lot about it from Judy Blume didnt every Gen X woman read Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret at some point?

Where are the health classes or relatable novels for people entering the perimenopause phase? Do they even exist?

I dont know. But I do know that people like me especially those of us nearing an age where perimenopause is likely need more information and more resources about this significant transition.

Most people dont know about the changes that can occur, says Ingrid Cherrytree, M.D., a gynecologist at Providence Womens Clinic in Portland, Ore. They tolerate a lot of symptoms for a long time before they decide to seek help for it.

And shes not just talking about heavy periods, irregular cycles and hot flashes. Those are just the tip of the iceberg. Perimenopause also brings the potential for loads of other undesirable symptoms, thanks to wildly fluctuating estrogen levels (technically speaking, estrogen production is slowing down and tapering off during perimenopause, but it can go down and up and back down again with seemingly no rhyme or reason).

According to WebMD, were talking about perimenopause symptoms like breast tenderness, vaginal dryness, urine leakage, sleep disturbances, low sex drive, migraines, mood swings, brain fog and weight gain. Splendid!

RELATED: 10 Disturbing Things Nobody Told Me About Going Through Menopause

Fortunately, despite the fact that we have a long way to go, the subject of perimenopause is not nearly as taboo as it used to be in part because women are talking about it more openly, rather than suffering in silence.

Since learning about perimenopause, Ive had several gab sessions with friends about our shared symptoms in recent months, and just the other day I mentioned perimenopause to a much-younger friend and her eyes didnt glaze over (at 33, mine would have).

Even more importantly, the topic is being addressed with greater frequency by researchers, doctors and professional organizations.

Last year, for example, the Journal of Womens Health published the first-ever guidelines for treating depression in perimenopausal women and in June the North American Menopause Society released a study indicating a possible explanation for frequent hot flashes in some women.

There was even study published in March that looked at the relationship between perimenopause and body composition/weight changes.

If you're surprised to learn that this research is new, you're not alone.

An August 2019 article in The Guardian asked the question, "The menopause: why so little research on the middle-aged ovary?"

As the article explains:

"Some scientists say they are met with puzzlement when trying to justify new research into possible treatments. Hormone replacement therapy has long been the most widely used intervention, but there is still a lack of basic understanding about how HRT interacts with a womans body."

To me, this is all very encouraging (not necessarily the results of the studies; just the fact that they even exist).

Maybe by the time my daughter reaches this stage perimenopause wont be so mysterious or humiliating. And, yes it can definitely be humiliating when, at the age of 40-something, heavy bleeding keeps you from your daily routine.

RELATED: 6 Sneaky Reasons Why Your Sex Drive Is Non-Existent

In the meantime, every woman experiencing perimenopause deserves to have her symptoms acknowledged and her feelings about the transition validated, says Dr. Cherrytree.

They are not making it up in their head(s), they are not going crazy, she says. It is true; all of these (symptoms) are happening.

And even though perimenopause is inevitable, suffering through it doesnt have to be. There are fixes, Dr. Cherrytree says.

Hormones are a great option, she says, referring to prescription-based hormone replacement therapy, like pills, patches and creams. They are safe for a lot of women and help control symptoms.

And how about natural alternatives to HRT, like soy or black cohosh, known for their estrogen-like properties? Some women I know swear by them.

Dr. Cherrytree says it is perfectly acceptable to give natural alternatives a try first. However, she also points out, from a medical standpoint these products havent really panned out to be all that helpful. Some may even produce dangerous side effects, so proceed with caution.

The most important thing about hormone replacement or the addition of hormones is that it is done in a safe manner with the correct balance (of estrogen and progesterone), she says, urging women to speak to their doctor before introducing any type of hormone replacement to their regimen.

RELATED: 1 in 5 Women Suffer In Silence With This Uncomfortable Condition

Unfortunately, there is no way to predict when perimenopause is coming, how long it will last, or how bothersome symptoms will be for any particular person.

Furthermore, there arent really any tests to confirm perimenopause status, she adds (estrogen and follicle-stimulating hormone levels are sometimes checked when doctors needs to sort out problems associated with perimenopause, but whacky levels are not true indicators, and normal levels don't necessarily rule out perimenopause).

The Guardian article notes that "[s]cientists are yet to decipher the chemical signals that stop ovarian follicles maturing into eggs when the overall egg reserve becomes low or uncover the role that ovarian cells other than eggs play in this process."

The only way to officially diagnose perimenopause is based on the symptoms you are experiencing

Sometimes it is helpful to talk to other female family members to see what they went through, but it doesnt always match up, says Dr. Cherrytree. After all, there has been surprisingly little research into the role genetics play in determining when a person will go through menopause, let alone when they will experience perimenopause.

In other words, everyone is different and there arent many good ways to predict what your experience will be like.

With some women, their period just gradually goes away. They have no hot flashes, no vaginal dryness. Things are just kind of easy and they are like oh, wow, that just kind of stopped and I barely noticed, Dr. Cherrytree says. For other women, it is a complete disaster.

And either end of the spectrum or somewhere in between is perfectly normal, she says.

The key is figuring out how to adapt to your new reality so you can get through perimenopause relatively unscathed.

For me, this means dressing in layers in case of untimely hot flashes and carrying around feminine hygiene products at all times (Ive noticed that gushers can come out of nowhere). Im also considering hormone replacement therapy, experimenting with some dietary changes to avoid weight gain and, most importantly, talking about it like it is a normal thing because it is a normal thing.

Oh, and about that weight gain. This is, naturally, one of the biggest concerns among the women Ive talked to about perimenopause. Excess abdominal fat? No, thank you. Sadly, our hormones are not working in our favor at this point.

While she stopped short of calling weight gain inevitable, Dr. Cherrytree did say that some people even those with very healthy habits have to figure out a new way of eating and a more efficient exercise routine, and not just in regards to your weight.

It is sort of like you have to reevaluate everything, and that is the hardest part, she says.

As someone going through perimenopause right now, I can confirm that feeling like everything you knew about your body and the way it works can be unsettling. But the more we talk about it and the more the medical and scientific communities work to support us and learn more about perimenopause (and menopause, too, for that matter) the better off we will be.

RELATED: How Menopause Affects Your Mental Health

Dawn Weinberger is a freelance health and business writer in Portland, Oregon. She has written for numerous publications including Glamour, The Checkup, Fundbox and many others. Find more at ;dawnweinberger.com.

See the original post:
How The Symptoms Of Perimenopause Sneak Up On Women & How To Deal With Irregular Periods, Heavy Bleeding And Hot Flashes - YourTango

The value of a bull is a variable equation to variable producers. But much like a piece of machinery or a tract of land, it is relatable to return on investment. A basic requirement of the cow-calf business is to make sure each female has a healthy calf that weighs to its full potential every calendar year.

But before that can happen, a calculated investment in a well-managed virile bull and the infrastructure and management to maintain him properly and safely through the offseason is necessary. This is nothing new or earth shattering, but if the bull is defective, becomes damaged goods or is otherwise mishandled, there can be large financial consequences.

Related: We must account hidden losses from subfertile bulls

Winter can be a stressful time for cattle. In colder areas of the country, it is essential to provide protection from extreme and volatile weather as the opportunity for frost-bitten testicles is always high. Brett Andrews of Burwell Nebraska Veterinary Hospital encourages producers to keep bulls where shelter, trees or man-made windbreaks are available to block the north winds that can cause frost or freeze damaged scrotums.

Provide bedding during the severest cold or blizzard conditions so the scrotums wont be on the bare, cold ground. The producers who do this have very few permanent testicular injuries due to extreme cold. However, I have seen bulls that were left out with no or minimal shelter and they suffered permanent testicular injury.

Related: So many bulls, so little time

Hypothetically, consider that a single herd bull sires 120 calves in his working life over the course of four years, improving the weight yield of calves sold at weaning by a 15-pound average at $1.50 per pound. This scenario will increase the bottom line by $2,700 over the bulls productive lifetime. On top of this is the value of any females kept as replacements during the four years.

If a third of the approximately 60 heifers are kept from a 100-head female herd, the derivative economic effect of the bull buying ability is 20% of the annual profit and loss statement. Not to be forgotten, of course, an average salvage value for a mature bull should yield in the $2,000 range.

On the negative side, if the bull is the cause of one cow going un-bred through her first cycle and becoming pregnant during her next estrus cycle, on an average year, it can cost the producer close to $100 on lost weaning weight of that calf alone. Factored over numerous cows, the losses become exponentially large. When running the numbers, it is undeniable that the management of this bull is a vital component of the operations overall health.

With bulls that are held over, it is extremely important to complete the normal procedures of the breeding soundness exam (BSE), vaccination, feet trimming and a trichomoniasis test. Pencil out the bull power needed per cow and beyond that, the focus should be on body conditioning.

Tom Troxel Ph.D., at the University of Arkansas, states it is important to divide bulls into management groups in order to more effectively meet dietary needs. Separating younger and older bulls may be particularly important in preventing injuries and meeting nutritional requirements.

Younger bulls are growing rapidly and will need a different diet to compensate their growth rate and to replace the condition they lost during a previous breeding season. He suggests that herd bulls be kept in a separate location away from cows, heifers and younger bulls, with plenty of exercise room, clean water and mineral supplements.

A body conditioning score of 5 or slightly higher is optimal before bulls are turned out, as during the breeding season, bulls can lose up to 3 pounds per day. Thus it is essential for all ages to enter this period in peak physical condition.

As winter retreats and spring approaches, the smell of females in the air can once again destroy the tentative peace and confrontations may begin. The readiness to rearrange existing bulls by ages, size or personalities, along with the facilities to accommodate this, are vital.

Bulls that will later be combined in multi-sire breeding pastures should be penned together for several weeks before the season begins to allow the inevitable re-establishment of the social pecking order. This will create a large enough cushion of time should injuries occur and a replacement bull be required. Bulls WILL establish and re-establish social order, but a producer can manipulate the process to avoid a damaged goods situation.

Unfortunately, no system is perfect, so it is important to have a Plan B, but it should never be the unknown hold-over bull dumped at the local auction barn. The negatives of this mystery bull could be very costly.

If possible, having an extra suitable bull is wise, or pencil in a potential quality replacement that might be available at short notice. These days there is no reason to purchase inferior and unknown bulls.

For all involved, it is the goal to have fit and healthy bulls ensuring pregnant females as early in the breeding season as possible, plus have these bulls in optimal condition throughout the off season, ensuring their readiness when called upon in the upcoming year.

Derksen is a freelance writer and feedyard pen rider in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada.

Originally posted here:
Maintaining the value of bulls through the off-season - Beef Magazine

A Campus meeting in November reviewed the arguments for and against donor conception, and the sometimes difficult ethical arguments raised by the prospect of a donor-conceived child. About the latter, opinion now seems universally in favour of early disclosure of biological origins.

Defining 'success' as a single healthy birth delivered at term, ESHRE's senior research specialist Nathalie Vermeulen presented indisputable evidence (from SART and ESHRE registries) that success rates decline terminally with age; by contrast, LBR with donor eggs at 35 years and over is almost 30%, and continues at this steady rate to age 40 and beyond, while the rate with non-donor eggs declines to below 5%. Although this considerably improved outcome in women over 35 should be balanced by an added risk of maternal hypertension during pregnancy, such risk rates do little to explain the continuing attraction of autologous cycles.

Is it simply that patients are not adequately informed? Consultant Meena Choudhary from Newcastle, UK, was quite categorical about what patients should be told: that the risk of birth defects increases with rising female age; IVF treatment cannot reverse the effect of ageing; the chance of having a healthy baby becomes much lower as mothers age; and PGTA will not increase the chance of live birth. Moreover, de novo mutations are more common with paternal than maternal ageing (although paternal age on its own does not affect the chance of success), and, as with PGT-A, there is no robust evidence to suggest that DNA fragmentation testing will improve results. And echoing Nathalie Vermeulen, Choudhary reaffirmed that egg donation 'surpasses' the effect of female age in live birth rate (while sperm donors up to age 45 have not been shown to reduce that chance in older women).

This Campus meeting was jointly organised by the SIGs Andrology and Psychology & Counselling and it was clear from many presentations that psychological factors - what Mariana Martins of the latter SIG described as 'concerns' - explain the value of genetic parenthood for many couples, especially those faced with the option of third-party donation. However, said Martins, many of the concerns associated with third-party donation, or more accurately the wish for a fully genetically related child, are the result of misconceptions about the importance of genetics. For example, disposition to a range of psychological traits cited by Martins - from depression to hyperactivity - can be clearly attributed to experience and the environment. There is also strong evidence that, while heritability of personality traits decreases over the life-span, environmental influence increases. Martins also suggested, particularly with reference to poor prognosis patients, that, in assuming option one is always IVF with your own genes and gametes, years may actually pass by before option two (donor gametes) is even considered. 'We may unintentionally be delaying a live birth, or even promoting dropout,' said Martins, 'so leaving patients with an unfulfilled child wish.'

However, Kirkman-Brown named disclosure to the future child about their origin of conception as 'probably the most studied and controversial subject' governing decisions about donor treatment. Despite the 'harms' associated with secrecy and non-disclosure, fewer than half the parents of 10-year and older children reported disclosure to them in one 2016 study. Petra Thorn, a former co-ordinator of the SIG Psychology & Counselling, listed several commonly cited reservations about third-party donation, including 'abnormal' family composition, the possibility of stigmatisation, the contrast between 'social' and biological parenthood, and of course disclosure and access to information. These, said Thorn, were important concerns for many couples, which makes counselling at the earliest stage - and certainly before any treatment begins - imperative. 'We must ensure that both partners fully support the type of treatment,' she insisted, 'and avoid any risk of ambivalences during pregnancy.' This might be achieved through exploring the new family boundaries implied by donation, disclosure, the role of the donor, and legal implications. Moreover, said Thorn, all the evidence suggests that, if children are informed of their conception early with the opportunity to access their biological origins, if parents feel comfortable with the idea of third-party conception and if donors are well informed and prepared for offspring to contact them, the children, parents and donors will do well.

Direct-to-consumer DNA testingNear the surface of this presentation was a view shared by all speakers at this meeting, that donor children should be informed of their origins at an early stage. 'No-one should go into treatment with a view that they will not tell their children,' said Marilyn Crawshaw from the University of York, UK, after describing the implications of direct-to-consumer DNA testing. As Focus on Reproduction has already reported, the huge DNA databanks now assembled by genealogy discovery companies have already rendered donor anonymity an unsustainably impossible concept. Our reporta few months ago noted DNA samples in storage of around 30 million people, with traceability going back three or four generations. However, this burgeoning increase, said Crawshaw, is likely to reach 100 million samples by 2021, with countless internet-based forums and support groups for donor-conceived individuals, their donors and their parents. 'Everything will change,' said Crawshaw. Or has changed already? Indeed, 37% of donor-conceived children in one recent study said they found out about their origins from results of a commercial DNA test (against 51% from their parents when a child or adult).

The shift in attitude towards donor anonymity - and reflected in more relaxed attitudes to fertility treatment in single and lesbian women with donor sperm - was already evident in so many jurisdictions switching their policies from anonymity to formal information release mechanisms. Even France, which has long protected the anonymity of sperm donors in its CECOS system, will with new legislation switch to an identity release system.

Of course, for those discovering unexpected information about their biological origins, the consequences can be devastating. Citing one parent quoted in BioNews, Crawshaw reported: 'More support is needed, urgently, as the tidal wave of unanticipated disclosure is only beginning. The future for social justice in donor conception leads towards openness and support, not bans and anonymity. And where will that 'support' come from? From the fertility clinics, the ancestry industry, the state?

The vulnerability of donor-conceived people to such surprises has prompted calls for greater openness and inclusivity, argued Eric Blyth, a veteran researcher in gamete donation and families. He too saw a shift in the narrative - from an exclusively medical perspective (treatment for infertility/childlessness) to a broader familybuilding paradigm, reflected in more widespread disclosure legislation, greater use of sperm donation treating singles and lesbians, in increasing number of jurisdictions, and in direct-to-consumer genetic testing. And he too looked to the 'family-building' approach to donor conception as the way forward in accommodating a child's genetic heritage and integrating donor relationships within existing family ties.

1. Much of the content of this Campus meeting has now been summarised. See when published: Kirkman-Brown J, Martins MV. 'Genes versus children': If the goal is parenthood, are we using the optimal approach? Hum Reprod 2019; doi:10.1093/humrep/dez256.

See more here:
CAMPUS: EGG DONATION - Biological or donor parenthood in the treatment of infertility - ESHRE

Commercial surrogacy, the practice of paying a woman to carry and birth a child whom she will not parent, is largely unregulated in America. Its illegal, with rare exceptions, in three states: New York, Louisiana, and Michigan. But, most states have no surrogacy laws at all. Though the technology was invented in 1986, the concept still seems, for many, a bit sci-fi, and support for it does not follow obvious political fault lines. It is typically championed by the gay-rights community, who see it as the only reproductive technology that allows gay men to have biological children, and condemned by some feminists, who see it as yet another business that exploits the female body. In June, when the New York State Assembly considered a bill that would legalize paid surrogacy, Gloria Steinem vigorously opposed it. Under this bill, women in economic need become commercialized vessels for rent, and the fetuses they carry become the property of others, Steinem wrote in a statement.

In a new book, Full Surrogacy Now: Feminism Against the Family, the author Sophie Lewis makes a forceful argument for legalization. Lewis takes little interest in the parents. Its the surrogates who concern her. Regulation, she says, is the only way for them to avoid exploitation. Lewis frequently, if reluctantly, compares surrogacy to sex work, another industry that persists despite being illegal. Banning these jobs is pointless, Lewis says, aside from giving privileged feminists something to do, and making the work more dangerous. Surrogacy bans uproot, isolate, and criminalize gestational workers, driving them underground and often into foreign lands, where they risk prosecution, she writes. As with sex work, the question of being for or against surrogacy is largely irrelevant. The question is, why is it assumed that one should be more against surrogacy than other risky jobs.

Lewis does not offer straightforward policy suggestions. Her approach to the material is theoretical, devious, a mix of manifesto and memoir. Early in the book, she struggles to understand why anyone would want to get pregnant in the first place, and later she questions whether continuing the human race is a good idea. But she is solemn and unsparing in her assessment of the status quo. A portion of the book studies the Akanksha Fertility Clinic, in India, a surrogacy center that, according to Lewis, severely underpays and mistreats its workers. (Nayana Patel, who runs the clinic, has argued that Akanksha pays surrogates more than they would make at other jobs.) All of the Akanksha surrogates are required to have children of their own already, ostensibly because they know how difficult it is to raise a child and are therefore less likely to want to keep the ones theyre carrying.

According to Lewis, Akanksha surrogates have to live at the clinic and leave their children in the care of family. Its unclear how much money the surrogates take home afterwardespecially once the scouts take their cut. What especially frustrates Lewis is that, despite the obvious sacrifices of pregnancy and of being away from family, the Akanksha clinicians and clients are still skittish about referring to surrogacy as work. Akanksha offers surrogates classes in embroidery and candle-making, and its promotional literature assures prospective parents that surrogacy is more than a jobits a ladder to a new life. According to Lewis, the surrogates usually deliver via C-section when they are thirty-six weeks pregnant, shaving five weeks or so off production time, delivering the baby just-in-time for collection. These clinics are factories, Lewis writeswhy pretend otherwise?

Lewiss occasionally blithe humor belies a surprisingly earnest argument. She wants to legitimate surrogacy in order to legitimate a more communal way of raising children. One could say that shes ready to cancel the family unit. Unabashedly interested in family abolition, I want us to look to waged gestational assistance specifically insofar as it illuminates the possibilities of its imminent destruction by something completely different, she writes. Gestational surrogacy makes it more difficult to name the biological mother with complete certainty, and this sort of murkiness strikes Lewis as the best possible world in which to raise children. The polymaternal ideal, Lewis argues, already exists for rich children, whose parents are able to purchase full surrogacy by hiring wet nurses, nannies, ayahs, and mammies. Lewis thinks that such a childhood should be available to all.

Lewis fantasizes about replacing the modern family with a classless commune, where children dont belong to anyonea commune that would eventually render commercial surrogacy obsolete. Another surrogacy is possible, she writes. India recently banned commercial surrogacy; now all surrogacy in the country must be unpaid, or altruistic. Volunteer surrogacy may sound like a perfect way to encourage communal child-rearing, but Lewis says that, in practice, altruistic surrogacy usually has the same dynamic as commercial surrogacy, insofar as a woman still gets pregnant with a wealthier womans baby. (She writes that unpaid surrogacy should concern those who understand how Indian class society works.) And, for Lewis, even in the most open-minded arrangement, where the surrogate remains in the childs life, the basic family structure remains the same. The surrogate is an appendage of the nuclear family, relegated to the fringe.

Lewis wants something else, something far more sweeping. Lets prefigure a way of manufacturing one another noncompetitively. Lets hold one another hospitably, explode notion of hereditary parentage, and multiply real, loving solidarities. Let us build a care commune based on comradeship, a world sustained by kith and kind more than by kin, she writes. In other words, if it takes a village to raise a child, then why dont we will such a village into existence? Why are we so committed to the traditional biological family when so many children feel stymied and exhausted by their parents, and so many parents feel stymied and exhausted by their children? Lewis blames capitalism, a system in which, she argues, everyone needs a home teampeople to root for, and to fall back on when things go south. She implores her reader not just to redraw the teams but to reinvent the game entirely: We are the makers of one another. And we could learn collectively to act like it. It is those truths that I wish to call real surrogacy, full surrogacy. Nowhere in her book does she mention maternity leave or affordable child care. These are merely concessions to a systema system that she hopes to uproot.

Lewis rigorously argues for the world she wants to create, but her book is too polemical to rigorously imagine it. That task is handled, in part, by Joanne Ramoss dbut novel, The Farm. The Farm is a largely naturalistic book set in a modern-day New York, where the immigrants live in Flushing and the rich live on Park Avenue. But theres one speculative twist: surrogacy is legal, and the Hosts, as Ramos calls them, have no regulatory protections. The books premise appears to be loosely based on Gloria Steinems nightmares.

Most of the story takes place at Golden Oaks, an upscale surrogacy clinic in upstate New York where the Hosts, most of them black or Filipina, live in seclusion while they attend to the fetuses growing inside them. Gestation is considered a full-time job; the days at Golden Oaks have the same intense orderliness of a factory floor. Many of the women are former domestic workers or nannies or health aides, and have found that caring for a fetus is more lucrative than caring for a person. They have little, if any, interaction with the clients. A client may be a war lord or a Nobel Prize winner; she may be perfectly capable of getting pregnant but would rather have someone else do it. The Hosts are not allowed to care. They must deliver a healthy baby if they want to receive their bonusthe big money, as the women call it.

Like the surrogates at Akanksha, most Hosts at Golden Oaks have only signed on because they need that money to support families of their own, whom they are not allowed to see for the duration of their contract. The Farm is an ensemble book, told from the perspective of four different characters, but its hero is Jane, a Filipina-American woman in her early twenties, who turns to Golden Oaks after shes fired from her baby-nurse job and can find no better way to support her infant daughter.

For a novel about the ruthlessness of capitalism, Ramos demonstrates remarkable tenderness for her characters. In another writers hands, Mae, the director of Golden Oaks, would be wholly diabolical, but in Ramoss depiction she is only moderately soa perky middle manager obsessed with earning the trust of her bosses and the respect of the rich white kids she met at Harvard Business School, where she was among the minority of students who paid their own tuition. Mae is biracial (her father is Chinese), and she sees the Hosts as co-travellers on her journey of upward mobility. When she describes a job at Golden Oaks as a gateway to a better life, she appears to mostly believe what shes saying. She sees surrogacy as work, but, unlike Lewis, who believes that work is inherently oppressive, Mae thinks that work can set you free. Its isnt like we force our Hosts to be Hosts, she tells a prospective surrogate in an early scene. They choose to work for us freelyId argue: happily.

The prospect, Reagan, is something of a special case. In Golden Oaks parlance, Reagan is a Premium Hostcollege-educated and white. But it doesnt take much to get her onboard. She could use the moneyher father is too conventional to pay for an M.F.A. in photographyand shes a restless spirit, desperate for moral clarity and the knowledge that she is doing something inarguably worthwhile. Shes drawn to the purity of being a Host. Life, the very act of it, is blindingly, stupendously courageous, Reagan thinks. Lewis, of course, would disagree with the idea that creating new life is inherently valuable. The fact that gestation makes an economic contribution or makes the world go round is nothing much to be proud of, given the state of the world, she writes. Im more impressed by contributions gestating might make to this worlds destruction.

Reagan is the only character in the book who insists on the sanctity of her job. We never meet her clientor, indeed, any of the clients. We get only their rsums: fashion tycoon, tech giant, the richest woman in China. They could be decent people, and even remarkable parents. Ramoss richly ambivalent novel leaves the possibility open, even as she details how the Hosts at Golden Oaks are denied basic rights. At one point, a Catholic surrogate is forced to have an abortion after a doctor discovers that the fetus has a possible birth defect. (The reader does not witness the procedure; Ramos is almost too devoted to her characters to linger on their pain, and the novel skips over any childbirth scenes.) Whats apparent at the novels end is that, while a life-altering thinga baby!has entered the clients lives, their surrogates, even after earning the big money, are in similar circumstances to those they were in at the storys beginning. The Farm does not take a clear stance on the ethics of surrogacy itself, but, like Lewiss book, it makes a mockery of Maes claim that such a job is a gateway to a better life. For the Hosts at Golden Oaks, surrogacy is merely a new way to tread water.

In her 2002 memoir, Love Works Like This, the writer and psychologist Lauren Slater discovers that she is pregnant and decides to list the pros and cons of parenthood. Under cons, she writes: Less time for friends, less time for work, less money, famous women writers who had children? The list goes on. Under pros, she has just one item: Learning a new kind of love. She ends up keeping the baby.

The pull of this mysterious variety of love is not something Lewis contends with in her book. For the sake of her argument, she focusses on the system, rather than the people who compose it. Parental love is many things: devotional, magnificent, demented, myopic. Its a love that motivates terrific sacrifice and heroism, as well as terrible acts of greed. It drives otherwise prudent people to discard caution, whether by emigrating to another country or by bribing a childs way into college.

While Lewis would like to replace this inherited love with a more logical kind of affection, one based on earned affinity or kith and kind, Ramoss novel explores the warped devotion of parents. One character in The Farm, Ate, tirelessly works as a cook, a maid, and a baby nurse to support her disabled adult son in the Philippines, whom she hasnt seen for more than twenty years. Everything Ate did was for him, Jane observes. Jane is quarantined at Golden Oaks when her one-year-old, Mali, takes her first steps and speaks her first words. She, too, would do anything for Mali. And the clients, of course, are willing to do anything for their unborn childrenthats why theyve come to Golden Oaks in the first place.

But the question, for both Ramos and Lewis, isnt about what wed do for our children. Its about what wed do for other peoples children. At one point in Full Surrogacy Now, Lewis recalls a memory from her own childhood. One afternoon, driving in the car with her father, she insouciantly asked how he would feel if it turned out that she wasnt histhat they werent biologically related after all. There was a stony, awkward silence that made clear to me I was not going to get the answer I needed, Lewis writes. I felt so devastated that, for the rest of the drive, I could not speak. Her fathers love, she realized, was contingent on their shared genetics. This was a profound betrayal. Her book, like Ramoss, tries to depict a new conception of lovea love freed from structures of biology or circumstance, a love that recognizes that children belong to everyone.

Originally posted here:
Can Surrogacy Remake the World? - The New Yorker

Editor's note: Among this week's top stories were four powerful female Houston innovators, a generous donation to the University of Houston, and more. Scroll through to see what Houston innovation stories trended this week.

This week's set of who's who include a startup founder trying to change the world, a passionate PhD with a story of failure to tell, and a biomedical engineer enhancing health tech in Houston. Courtesy photos

Another set of female innovation leaders are making headlines as we move into another week of innovators to know.

This week's set of who's who include a startup founder trying to change the world, a passionate PhD with a story of failure to tell, and a biomedical engineer enhancing health tech in Houston. Continue reading.

UH has maintained its spot on the top 100 global universities for number of patents issued. Photo courtesy of University of Houston

University of Houston's C.T. Bauer College of Business has received its second largest donation to benefit its entrepreneurship program.

The Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship, which was recently ranked the top undergraduate entrepreneurship program in the country, received the $13 million gift from its namesake foundation The Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Family Foundation and the state of Texas is expected to match an additional $2 million, bringing the total impact to $15 million.

"Our family is deeply committed to the ideals of entrepreneurship," says Cyvia Wolff in a news release. "Our business personified everything that it means to be an entrepreneur. The skills, the thinking, the mindset are fundamental to success for business leaders today and in the future. On behalf of my late husband, we are truly honored to ensure the entrepreneurial legacy not only endures but remains accessible for students. We are truly honored to be part of this program and university." Continue reading.

Houston-based Roovy Technologies has created a mobile app where people can control their dining experience completely from their phones. Photo via roovy.io

Imagine going into a popular restaurant, sitting down at an open table and controlling the entire dining experience from a smartphone. That's food, drinks, and even dessert all ordered and paid for on a phone.

Prolific Houston-area restaurateur Ken Bridge had the vision to converge dining with technology by creating a digital solution to combat chronic wait times in restaurants. That vision became the Roovy Technologies mobile app, a platform designed to create the ultimate convenience for gastronauts everywhere. Continue reading.

Houston, home to the largest medical center in the world, was ranked the second in the nation for emerging life science clusters. Photo by Dwight C. Andrews/Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau

Editor's note: As 2019 comes to a close, InnovationMap is looking back at the year's top stories in Houston innovation. Within the health category, top stories included new details from the Texas Medical Center's ongoing TMC3 project, health tech and medical device startups in Houston, and more. Continue reading.

Roberta Schwartz is leading the innovation initiative at Houston Methodist. Courtesy of Houston Methodist

It may come as no surprise to anyone who's met Roberta Schwartz that she's a self starter. Schwartz, who is the executive vice president and chief innovation officer for Houston Methodist, was among the group that organized to create what is now the Center for Innovation within the hospital system.

But one of her earlier moments of innovation leadership came when she was diagnosed with cancer at a young age. She co-founded the Young Survival Coalition to help connect young breast cancer patients like herself.

"I was 27 when I was unexpectedly diagnosed with breast cancer I have no family history, no cancer in the family. It certainly was a shock to my system," Schwartz says on this week's episode of the Houston Innovators Podcast. "Once I was diagnosed, and through some of the original surgery and care I had to do, I knew that I wanted to reach out and find a larger community of young women." Continue reading.

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5 most popular innovation stories in Houston this week - InnovationMap

Its that time of year again an avalanche of ads urging us to drool into tubes so companies can spit back verdicts on our pasts, presents, and futures. Judging from my emails, those unceasing ads have inspired many questions about genetics in general.

Among the emails that pinged in recently:

So I started a list of my e-mails, with apologies to Hillary, and extracted three recurring themes: transgender identity, when a human life begins, and by far the largest group: interpreting DNA test results, either consumer or clinical.

What do you think about a new studythat found 20 genetic markers of transgender identity? asked a reporter from The Times of London In March 2018. Id suggested just such a study a year earlier, which hed found here.

Impressed with the study, I agreed to comment. But the reporter forgot to distinguish me from the researcher, and so throughout Europe, I was suddenly an expert on transgender genes. And that inspired some telling emails.

The first, from a trans woman born in 1948, shared her 70-page story:

As far back as I can remember I thought nothing of going into my mothers closet, pulling down her nightgowns, and putting them on. They were soft, they smelled of her, and they felt so perfect. This was me. Everything feminine fascinated me. Anything male repelled me. I wanted to emerge myself in the female world. But no matter what I did, I just couldnt look like Mommy.

Another transgender woman wrote:

I would love to have that degree of certainty that a genetic study would show. Parents would be able to perhaps work with their children instead of ignoring it either intentionally or out of ignorance.

A recent email from 58-year-old Edith brought up nature v nurture:

Two of my nine nieces and nephews are transitioning. My family has an overall fluid concept of gender identity, which we discussed with each other before either child made it known they were trans. I find myself wondering if this is true in other families.

Me too.

I repost 17 timepoints whenever womens reproductive rights are threatened, or I read or hear a comment that indicates ignorance of biology. The idea of the list came to me when considering that an embryos genome turns on at day 5, but it cant possibly exist at that point outside of a womans body.

One woman asked about fetal rights. Her ex had given her an herbal abortion tea without her knowledge when she was pregnant. Her baby so far is healthy, but she wants a court to recognize the tea-poisoning as child abuse. At what point in utero does a fetus have rights? It seems to vary state to state, she wrote.

Celia Collias, a statistics major at the University of North Carolina, offered a compelling perspective: distinguishing two types of viability. Natural ability to be physiologically independent for a human fetus is around 24 weeks. Technologically assisted viability for a human fetus is 21 weeks.

If we dont use natural viability as the cut off for reproductive rights, Ms. Collias argues, then those rights will erode as technology sets back the age of assisted viability:

Technologically assisted viability is not free. If we allow that to be the benchmark, its going to cost society a lot to care for all those fetuses where would that money come from?

Good question.

Is he really my brother? asked the woman who sent me scanned columns of genetic markers. I circled 16 of 38 that they share and sent it back: Yes.

I dont have mutations in BRCA1 or 2, so Im ok, right? I do have a mutation in ATM (or p53 or CHEK2 or PTEN or RAD51 or a few dozenothers). Inherited mutations for cancer risk go beyond the most common ones in the BRCA pair, and altogether they account for only 5 percent of cases. Yes, shes at high risk.

BRCA brings up the limited variant problem. Consumer DNA tests, for cancer or single-gene diseases, are likely to check for only the most common variants, such as a handful of mutations in the CFTR gene behind cystic fibrosis, which has more than 1,700. These health reports may provide a false sense of reassurance and should not be used for making any health decisions without confirmation testing, said Edward Esplin, MD, of Invitae, a clinical testing company, at the American Society of Human Genetics conference in October, catalyzing a flood of headlines.

I had a prenatal screen for 125 genes and one is a variant of uncertain significance. What the heck is a VUS? Do I have a mutation or not?

A VUS is a gene variant that isnt common, but hasnt shown up in someone with a disease and reported in the medical literature. Yet. I explain here.

My ethnicity estimate changed overnight. Huh? When an ancestry company adds a new group to its database of reference populations, the sections of those pie charts can shift, or a new one appear.

Im 20 weeks pregnant. The fetus has a microduplication of chromosome 18. Is that a problem? The healthy dad-to-be also had the tiny extra bit of DNA. So, no.

I just found out that I have an extra Y chromosome. Ive had severe acne since my early teens, and today Im 62 and weigh 295 pounds. Im a biker, football player, and served time for selling pot. Did my extra chromosome get me arrested?

Probably not. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time, before decriminalization, was more likely at fault.

Because most of my email brings up medical matters, heres a short guide to getting help in making sense of DNA test results related to health. (For interpreting ancestry findings, the International Society of Genetic Genealogy is an excellent resource.)

Its important to distinguish consumer DNA tests, which anyone can take by purchasing a kit and spitting or swizzling a cheekbrush, from clinical DNA tests, which a health care provider orders and the FDAs Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) regulate.

Like mushrooms materializing after a warm rain, articles, websites, books and companies are springing up to help consumers navigate test-taking and interpretation.

Finding an expert specifically trained at the graduate level in genetics a genetic counselor, PhD geneticist, or MD with genetics/genomics training is challenging because their priorities are in clinical testing, not the entertainment/education space that the consumer companies so ceaselessly promote. Other scientists may be helpful molecular biologists, biochemists but genetics as a discipline transcends DNA, including developmental, transmission, and population and evolutionary genetics too. Ancestry testing in particular melds these levels of genetics.

Assuming a sit-down with an expert to intrepret consumer DNA data isnt happening easily, here are some places to turn.

A longstanding helpful website is Genetics Home Reference, from the NIH.

A newer resource is this report from ConsumersAdvocate.org. Their researchers recently sent DNA anonymously to 9 leading consumer DNA testing companies, interpreted the data, and then wrote a detailed, clear analysis that compares the services, privacy/security measures, online resources, and cost of tests.

Consumer DNA testing is a fast-growing industry with over 26 million users worldwide. That number is expected to grow to 100 million by 2021, Sam Klau, Community Outreach at the organization, told me.

An excellent new book is DNA Nation: How the Internet of Genes is Changing Your Life, by PhD molecular biologist Sergio Pistoi. And my human genetics textbook will be out in a new edition in September. Ive added a chapter called The Genetics of Identity, inspired by having my past rewritten recently thanks to ancestry testing.

The testing company websites, like that of 23andme, provide clear and well-written info on interpreting test results. But without any prior knowledge of genetics, misinterpretation and misplaced angst can arise.

Does the average person know the difference in significance between revealing a pattern of genome-wide single-base variations (SNPs) associated with elevated risk of a trait or illness, and detecting a well-studied mutation in a single gene?

The raw data dump from consumer DNA testing can be overwhelming, and to paraphrase Elizabeth Warren: Theres a company for that. A consumer can pay to avoid bushwhacking through dense SNP forests.

Strategene, for example, is a genetic reporting tool that uses 23andMe data to identify SNPs in a few dozen well-studied, health-related genes, and not every SNP under the sun. The $45 is a sound investment; it would take hours to sort through Google Scholar to DIY. But the client needs to know about the limited variant issue of checking only for common SNPs.

(I was briefly fooled into confusing the company with 1980s biotech giant Stratagene, but its off by one letter and one capitalization. The only person named on the company website is a naturopath referred to many times as Dr., which wouldnt necessarily denote a genetics expert.)

Im curious to see how soon the medical profession catches up. Right now, genetic counselors in the US number only about 5,000. But professional organizations are stepping in. The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, for example, offers online continuing medical education, ACMG Genetics 101 for Healthcare Providers.

But doctors Ive encountered recently still go deer-in-the-headlights when I ask a genetics question, just to be obnoxious. And so a company like ActXmakes sense in helping medical professionals keep pace with the growing tide of patients coming in waving consumer DNA test results. The company helps physicians and patients apply 23andMe raw data to select drugs, order clinical tests to help diagnose specific conditions, and to confirm carrier status for single-gene diseases.

When I started my career as a Drosophila geneticist, mutating flies to grow legs out of their heads, I never imagined at-home DNA testing. When I started my career as a science writer and textbook author, I still couldnt have predicted at-home DNA testing. Now that its here, Im thrilled that DNA science has become so much more tangible and practical. Yet we must use the information in our strings of A, C, T, and G wisely.

Ricki Lewis is the GLPs senior contributing writer focusing on gene therapy and gene editing. She has a PhD in genetics and is a genetic counselor, science writer and author of The Forever Fix: Gene Therapy and the Boy Who Saved It, the only popular book about gene therapy. BIO. Follow her at her website or Twitter @rickilewis

Read the rest here:
Does the 'genetics revolution' unsettle you? Here is a guide, and reasons to be hopeful - Genetic Literacy Project

GLEN MILLS, Pa., Dec. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --SmartSolutions RX, Inc. announces the launch of a new scientifically based, drug-free hair support system LOCKrx, which includes both ingestible and topical Healthy Hair Programs that create the ideal environment to maintain hair follicle cycle and growth.

Hair thinning and hair loss are a pervasive problem, affecting an estimated 80 million men and women in the U.S. Smoking, diet, stress, environment and genetics all contribute to hair loss, as well as the hormone DHT which shrinks the hair follicle and is the primary cause of loss in male and female pattern baldness. The current treatments often come with unwanted side effects and take months to generate results.

LOCKrx is a drug-free hair treatment system that addresses scalp health, both internally and externally, that directly impacts hair growth and quality.

"When formulating LOCKrx, we meticulously designed and tested both ingestible and topical ingredients that are scientifically proven to reduce the inflammation associated with damaged hair follicles and thereby improve quality of the hair," said Cynthia Rager, President and COO of Vision Medical, Inc. "Our topical LOCKrx solutions include specific growth factors clinically shown to play a key role in the hair follicle growth pathway as well as to enhance wound repair and skin regeneration, all of which improve scalp skin health, while also playing a vital role in the proliferation of skin and hair cells."

LOCKrx is available as both internal and external treatment plans, designed to work synergistically to promote healthy scalp skin and hair growth.

"Growthfactors possess the ability to stimulate hair growth through variousmechanistic pathways," said Richard Jin, M.D., Ph.D., Hair Regeneration Specialist, RJClinical Institute. "We have experienced very positive results when combiningthese with platelet rich plasma therapy to promote new and existing hairgrowthas well as using it as an alternative to PRP. This has helped us treat the mostcommon form of hair loss known as androgenetic alopecia, as well as increasethickness and density of hair in post-transplant patients."

LOCKrx Inside Healthy Hair Programis a 3-step, 6-week ingestible plan that uses unique marine and botanical ingredients, amino acids, and vitamins to address total body inflammation.

1. DEFENSE Gut Health - Prebiotic supplement that includes mineral-rich blue green algae and proven anti-inflammatory botanicals curcumin, aloe, licorice and beta-glucan to address gut health in powdered form.

2. BLOCK Hair Loss- Follicle-enrichment supplement formulated with the LOCKrx proprietary blend of botanicals, adaptogens, marine collagen, and saw palmetto to help support hair growth and block conversion of testosterone to DHT, one of the major causes of hair loss in male and female pattern baldness.

3. GUARD Healthy Hair Tabs- Premier blend of complexed Vitamin B plus biotin in the most bio-available form.

LOCKrx Outside Healthy Hair Programis a combination of clinical and at-home applications of growth factor solutions that support and balance the scalp microbiome, while enhancing the environment for healthy hair growth:

VisionMedical, Inc. has exclusive physician distribution rights for LOCKrx.

Smart Solutions RX, Inc.

Smart Solutions RX, Inc. formulates, develops, manufactures and distributes products for medical aesthetic applications to hair and skin. A blend of scientific research and innovative formulation and delivery systems are the hallmark, as evidenced in the LOCKrx brand for healthy hair support. Medical aesthetic protocols and workshops are integrated into the superior customer support program. http://www.smartsolutionsrx.com

Vision Medical, Inc.

Founded in 2013, VisionMedical, Inc. develops, manufactures, and marketsmedical and aesthetic technology for the medical and aesthetic marketsfor worldwide distribution.Vision Medical's first commercial product, theSmartGraft Hair Restoration System, incorporates an award-winning Automated Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) system for men and women.Featuring theindustry's first closed harvesting system, SmartGraft allows physicians to harvestgrafts more efficiently while keeping grafts moist prior to implantation. http://www.SmartGraft.com.

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SmartSolutions RX Launches LOCKrx, A Drug-Free Support System Fighting To Keep Hair Thick and Healthy - P&T Community

Only recently have scientists applied such techniques to bringing endangered wildlife species back from the brink of extinction.

December 8, 2019 by EarthTalk Leave a Comment

By Doug Moss and Roddy Scheer

Dear EarthTalk: Can fertility techniques pioneered for humans or other animals be used to try to bring back endangered wildlife species?

James E., Richmond, VA

No doubt, humans have come a long way in engineering medical solutions to our own fertility problems. The most common techniques to help people have babies today include: using medication to stimulate unresponsive ovaries to develop mature eggs; artificial insemination whereby healthy sperm is placed directly into a womans uterus and conception happens normally thereafter, and In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), which entails combining eggs and sperm outside the body and then inserting one of the resulting fertilized embryos (so-called test tube babies) into the womans uterine cavity and letting the rest of the pregnancy proceed to term naturally.

While such techniques have helped millions of couples around the world bear healthy babies, only recently have scientists applied such techniques to bringing endangered wildlife species back from the brink of extinction. The genetics of human fertility can give a better understanding of fertility in more exotic species, reports Dr. Sherman Silber, a pioneering human fertility expert at St. Lukes Hospital in Chesterfield, Missouri who has had success applying the lessons learned on humans to animals.

To date, Silber and his colleagues have helped a half dozen leading U.S. zoos maintain healthy populations of chimpanzees, gorillas, South American bush dogs, Mexican wolves, orangutans and Mongolian wild horses using surgical techniques, artificial insemination, IVF and gestational surrogacy (whereby another female besides the genetic mother carries the pregnancy to term).

We have frozen ovaries in animals that are destined to die off for later ovary transplantation back to related species to be able to increase their population, reports Silber, who has of late been ramping up efforts to bring back dwindling populations of still-wild endangered species.

Another leading light in the field is Thomas Hildebrandt, who heads the reproduction management program for Berlins Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research and is well known among wildlife veterinarians for his pioneering work in endangered species insemination. Hildebrandt, who helped conceive upwards of 50 endangered elephant calves by artificially inseminating their mothers is now focusing his attention on trying to rescue the Northern White Rhino using IVF techniques. Rampant poaching in the 1970s and 1980s and surging demand in Asia for rhino horns decimated the animals populations in Africaonly two individuals, Fatu and Najin (both female and incapable of carrying babies due to health complications) remain alive today; the last male, Sudan, died in March 2018.

Now Hildebrandt and colleagues want to bring them back. They froze the sperm from Sudan and four other males before they died and hope to combine it with eggs harvested from Fatu and Najin while using less endangered but genetically similar Southern White Rhino females as pregnancy surrogates. While this baby step wont be enough to achieve the genetic diversity required to create a sustainable long-term population, Hildebrandt hopes it can open funders eyes to the possibility of actually reviving populations of Northern White Rhinos and other species through stem cell research and other techniques researchers havent even dreamed up yet.

This post was previously published on earthtalk.org and is republished here with permission from the author.

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(Reuters Health) - Babies who are born too early may be more likely to develop diabetes as children and young adults than full-term infants, a new study suggests.

In a study of children up to age 18, those born before 37 weeks gestation were 21% more likely that those born at full term to develop type 1 diabetes, the less common form of the disease that typically appears in childhood or young adulthood. Kids born prematurely were also 26% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes in childhood.

And preemies were 24% more likely to develop type 1 diabetes and 49% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes by the time they were 43 years old.

Preterm birth interrupts normal development of multiple organ systems, including the pancreas where insulin-producing cells are formed, which may potentially contribute to later development of diabetes, said lead study author Dr. Casey Crump of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

Pregnancy normally lasts about 40 weeks, and babies born after 37 weeks of gestation are considered full-term. Babies born prematurely - earlier than 37 weeks - often have difficulty breathing and digesting food in the weeks after birth. Preemies can also encounter longer-term challenges such as impaired vision, hearing and cognitive skills, as well as social and behavioral problems.

Some previous research suggests that preemies have an increased risk of developing so-called insulin resistance, a failure to respond normally to the hormone insulin.

In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas cant produce insulin. In the type 2 form of the disease, which is often linked to obesity and aging, the body cant properly use or make enough insulin to convert blood sugar into energy.

For the current study, researchers examined data on almost 4.2 million babies born in Sweden from 1973 to 2014. Most were followed until they were at least 22 years old.

Overall, 0.7% of the babies in the study population went on to develop type 1 diabetes and just 0.1% developed type 2 diabetes, the researchers report in Diabetologia.

Parents should know that most children who were born preterm will have good health in childhood and adulthood, Crump said by email. However, they also have modestly increased risks of diabetes that persist into adulthood.

Overall, the risk tended to be higher for preemie girls. Boys who arrived early were about 20% more likely to develop type 1 diabetes during the study, while girls had about a 30% greater likelihood.

With type 2 diabetes, female preemies were 60% more likely to develop this disease during childhood than full-term babies, while preemie males didnt have an increased risk. For young adults in the study, women who were preemies had a 75% increased risk of type 2 diabetes and men who were preterm had a 28% increased risk.

Many people in the study had siblings included in the analysis. Shared genetics and family circumstances appeared to explain some, but not all, of the increased risk of diabetes for preemies.

The study wasnt designed to prove whether preterm birth influences susceptibility to diabetes.

Even so, the results underscore that preemies need to take steps to prevent diabetes later in life, said Ciaran Phibbs of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System and Stanford University School of Medicine in California.

The home environment is an important factor, especially for type 2 diabetes, Phibbs, who wasnt involved in the study, said by email. This includes things like diet and exercise habits, which can impact the risk of obesity, which is higher for preemies than for full-term babies and is a risk factor for diabetes, he said.

Individuals who were born preterm can help prevent diabetes by following a healthy lifestyle across the life course, including a healthy diet, regular physical activity, and maintaining a normal weight, Crump advised.

SOURCE: bit.ly/2LCQrpq Diabetologia, online December 3, 2019.

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Preemies face higher risk of diabetes as children and young adults - Reuters

Another set of female innovation leaders are making headlines as we move into another week of innovators to know.

This week's set of who's who include a startup founder trying to change the world, a passionate PhD with a story of failure to tell, and a biomedical engineer enhancing health tech in Houston.

A Houston mom is working hard on her startup so that next summer, breastfeeding moms can swim in style and worry free. Courtesy of Orolait

On the surface, it may seem that Houston mom Ana Carolina Rojas Bastidas has a passion for fashion, as she's created and is fundraising for a new-mom specific line of swimwear. But really, she's on a mission to give breastfeeding women back their dignity with her startup, Orolait.

"I decided to build this company to challenge and change the way we depict one's breastfeeding journey," Bastidas says on the website. "I stand on the pillars of advocacy, education, and inclusion. You will see the sizing and advertising featuring all shapes, sizes, and shades because each of us is so different and that is what makes us so incredible and I am going to unapologetically celebrate that in the most ethical way I know how." Read the story.

Brittany Barreto founded the first nationwide DNA-based dating app, and she shares her story of its unexpected, and unavoidable, downfall. Photo courtesy of Pheramor

After dedicating three long years to her startup that began as an idea in college, Brittney Barreto is saying goodbye to Pheramor. Barreto explains how her DNA-based dating app got pulled from the Apple app store following policy changes, and how it left her with no choice but to shutter the operation.

Now, Barreto has big plans for funding femtech, and is learning a lot in her new role at Capital Factory. She's already able to do more for other founders and create a bigger impact.

"I realized that over the past two years, I had already been ad hoc coaching and mentoring founders and loving it," Barreto says. "Now, I was doing it and getting paid for it, on a bigger scale, and with more resources. I knew it was the journey I wanted to continue down." Read the full story.

From robots and accelerator programs to her favorite health tech startups, Emily Reiser of the TMC Innovation Institute joins the Houston Innovators Podcast. Photo courtesy of Emily Reiser

Emily Reiser has known for most of her life that she's wanted to work in health tech in some capacity. On the Houston Innovators Podcast, she explains how she combined her early interest in health care with her affinity with engineering inspired by her parents.

Now, she continues to check both those boxes at the Texas Medical Center's Innovation Institute, which has evolved a ton over the past year.

"In 2019, we had a lot of big changes around our team and our leadership," she says on the podcast. "That enabled us to take a bigger breath and a bigger pause to say, 'How are we really doing? And how could we be doing better?'" Read the full story and stream the podcast.

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3 Houston female innovators to know this week - InnovationMap

As the total number of e-cigarette and vaping-related injuries (EVALI) reaches2,291 across all 50 states, researchers in California are unveiling a new potential danger of vaping: cobalt lung.

The news comes from acase studypublished in the European Respiratory Journal this week which focuses on a 49-year-old woman in California who developed the rare disease after vaping for just six months. The woman, a dog trainer by trade, sought out medical help when she began experiencing symptoms like shortness of breath and coughing which aligned with the pneumonia-like cases of EVALI.

Although doctors initially thought she may have had vaping illness, the womans lungs showed something else, the distinct scarring of lung tissue that is typically only seen in those who work with hard metals. The condition technically known hard-metal pneumoconiosis is a rare but serious disease of the lungs associated with inhalational exposure to tungsten or cobalt dust, according to the NIH.

After observing her lung tissue, the researchers from the University of California, San Francisco performed tests on her vaping product, which contained the hard metal cobalt, among others. In a statement released to reporters, the researchers expressed shock at the development.

"Exposure to cobalt dust is extremely rare outside of a few specific industries, Rupal Shah MD, assistant professor of medicine in the division of pulmonary, critical care, allergy, and sleep medicine at the University of California, San Francisco,said. This is the first known case of a metal-induced toxicity in the lung that has followed from vaping and it has resulted in long-term, probably permanent, scarring of the patient's lungs.

In an interview with Yahoo Lifestyle, Kirk Jones MD, clinical professor of pathology at the University of California, San Francisco said hes only seen three previous cases of cobalt lung in his entire career, including one involving a sawmill worker and another in a dental worker. Its always been kind of a work-related disease so it was peculiar in this patient because they didnt have any exposures that we knew of, Jones tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Until we tested the vaping device.

The vaping device the woman was using, called the ZenPen, was found to have e-cigarette liquid containing nickel, aluminum, manganese, and lead and a metal coil used to heat the liquid. As a result of inhaling this, Jones says the white airspaces of the lung that allow oxygen to flow had been filled up with inflammatory cells.

She had less room in her lungs to breathe, says Jones. The woman was reportedly treated with steroids and has regained half of the function she lost in her lungs, but will likely have permanent scarring.

Jones says EVALI and cobalt lung develop differently. With the EVALI cases, patients suffer an acute collapse and damage of the lung that comes on pretty quickly, probably over a few hours, he explains. Whereas our case is more of an immune reaction. It's kind of an allergic reaction...to the metal found in people who are susceptible to cobalt and the disease would develop over the course of weeks or months.

The researchers are spreading the word about the case of cobalt lung in part because they fear its not the only one. I think that cobalt is probably in a lot of these e-cigarettes, says Jones. Maybe a small percentage of patients that use them will end up with the disease and probably already have, but it hasn't been recognized yet.

Related Video: It Is Not Harmless: Dentists Voice Concern Over Vaping

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Woman's e-cigarette habit leads to her 'cobalt lung' diagnosis an incurable disease found only in metal workers - Yahoo Lifestyle

"These guidelines are as inclusive as possible, wherever there's strong, unbiased evidence to back up our recommendations," said Mary B. Daly, MD, PhD, FACP, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Chair of the NCCN Guidelines Panel for Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic. "The guidelines include genes that have been found to increase cancer-susceptibility. These NCCN Guidelines still have a strong focus on BRCA1 and 2 mutations, but also now include other high and moderate penetrance genes associated with breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancer. We continuously review any new data on genes that might increase a person's risk of getting cancer or impact the effectiveness of their treatment."

The updated guidelines are concentrated around simplified criteria to clarify the genetic testing process. For example, in a newly-added guide for individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry who have not been diagnosed with cancer, genetic testing may be offered for the three Ashkenazi Jewish founder mutations in the context of a long-term research study, regardless of family history. These individuals should be encouraged to consult with a cancer genetics professional.

The NCCN Guidelines for Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment are organized by both disease and syndrome type, and also now include streamlined information on appropriate subsequent steps for persons who meet criteria for genetic testing. The panel acknowledges that genetic mutations can impact the approach to cancer treatment, and the guidelines now state that testing may be clinically indicated if it will aid in systemic therapy decision-making.

"Genetic testing is becoming increasingly utilized in oncology because of its potential to impact surgical decisions and chemotherapy," explained Robert Pilarski, MS, LGC; MSW, Licensed Genetic Counselor, Professor, Clinical Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Vice-Chair of the NCCN Guidelines Panel for Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic. "At the same time, the complexity of this testing is increasing, with a growing number of genes and tests available,a limited understanding of the management implications of some of the newer genes, and even uncertainty over the implications of mutations in well-established genes in some situations (for example in a condition known as 'mosaicism,' in which the mutation is not present in all of the cells of the body). Because of this, the NCCN Guidelines continue to highlight the critical importance of genetic counseling for patients prior to undergoing genetic testing to ensure that patients are fully informed of the test implications."

Pilarski also offered an important word of caution about the potential risks from direct-to-consumer genetic testing: "More and more patients are presenting to clinic having already had themselves tested through direct-to-consumer labs. Providers need to be aware that the tests offered by many of these labs are not equivalent to traditional genetic testing, and the results may need to be confirmed in another laboratory before being used for clinical care."

The guidelines recommend all pancreatic cancer patients get genetic testing, and the recent update now includes more information about which genes are associated with pancreatic cancer recommendations. Genetic testing in pancreatic cancer can help determine which treatments would be most effective (e.g. PARP inhibitors) and if family members would benefit from screening and preventive action.

"There's been an explosion of recent data showing that roughly 4-10% of individuals with pancreatic cancer harbor inherited genetic mutations, including BRCA1, BRCA2, ATM, the Lynch syndrome genes, and others," said Matthew B. Yurgelun, MD, Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, Member of the NCCN Guidelines Panel for Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic. "Such data have, surprisingly, shown that classic 'high-risk' features of inherited cancer risk (e.g. young age at diagnosis, strong family histories of cancer) are often absent in individuals with pancreatic cancer who carry these mutations. Based off of these data, there is now a compelling reason for all individuals with pancreatic cancer to be offered genetic counseling and germline testing for such variantsparticularly given the possibility that their at-risk family members could greatly benefit from known, effective cancer risk-reducing interventions (e.g. surgical removal of the ovaries for female BRCA1/2 mutation carriers). Emerging data have also begun to suggest possible benefits to pancreatic cancer screening in select high-risk individuals who harbor such mutations. These new guidelines address many of the important nuances and limitations of this exciting and rapidly evolving body of literature."

The NCCN Guidelines for Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment are created and maintained by an interdisciplinary panel of experts from the alliance of 28 leading cancer centers that comprise NCCN. NCCN panels also include patients and advocates to make sure treatment recommendations meet the needs of people with cancer and their caregivers.

"Participating on the NCCN panel allows FORCE to share the real-world experiences of patients making complex, and often agonizing medical decisions about hereditary cancer treatment and risk management," said Sue Friedman, DVM, Executive Director, Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE), Member of the NCCN Guidelines Panel for Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic. "As an advocacy organization for people and families affected by hereditary cancer, we see the importance of having standardized guidelines. These guidelines are a critical piece of informed decision-making; we frequently direct our community to NCCN for up-to-date, clear, and credible information developed by experts in the field."

NCCN Guidelines are the recognized standard for clinical policy in cancer care and are the most thorough and frequently updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The intent of the NCCN Guidelines is to assist in the decision-making process of individuals involved in cancer careincluding physicians, nurses, pharmacists, payers, patients and their familieswith the ultimate goal of improving patient care and outcomes. In addition to covering at least 97 percent of cancers affecting patients in the United States, there are also NCCN Guidelines for detection, prevention, risk-reduction (including smoking cessation), supportive care (including the management of pain, distress, and fatigue), and guidelines for specific populations (including children and young adults).

NCCN Guidelines are available free-of-charge for non-commercial use at NCCN.org, or via the Virtual Library of NCCN Guidelines App.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer NetworkThe National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) is a not-for-profit alliance of 28 leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to improving and facilitating quality, effective, efficient, and accessible cancer care so patients can live better lives. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. By defining and advancing high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers around the world.

The NCCN Member Institutions are: Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, NE; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center/University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, OH; City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA; Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center | Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA; Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC; Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA; Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ, Jacksonville, FL, and Rochester, MN; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Columbus, OH; O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB, Birmingham, AL; Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY; Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; St. Jude Children's Research Hospital/The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN; Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA; UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA; University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, CO; University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN; and Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital, New Haven, CT.

Clinicians, visit NCCN.org. Patients and caregivers, visit NCCN.org/patients. Media, visit NCCN.org/news. Follow NCCN on Twitter @NCCN, Facebook @NCCNorg, and Instagram @NCCNorg.

Media Contact: Rachel Darwin267-622-6624darwin@nccn.org

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Four-Year Data Continue to Show Superior Progression-Free Survival of ADCETRIS in Combination with AVD when Compared to ABVD in Frontline Advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma with 31 Percent Reduction in the Risk of Progression or Death

Additional Analysis from ECHELON-2 Phase 3 Clinical Trial Evaluating ADCETRIS Plus CHP Chemotherapy Also Featured at ASH Annual Meeting

BOTHELL, Wash. & CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & OSAKA, Japan Seattle Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:SGEN) and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) today announced additional analyses of results from the ECHELON-1 and ECHELON-2 frontline phase 3 trials of ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin). These analyses were presented at the 61st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) taking place December 7-10, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. ADCETRIS is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) directed to CD30, a defining marker of classical Hodgkin lymphoma and expressed on the surface of several types of peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL).

The ECHELON-1 analysis highlighted a four-year update of the phase 3 clinical trial in a poster presentation. ECHELON-1 is evaluating ADCETRIS in combination with AVD (Adriamycin [doxorubicin], vinblastine and dacarbazine) compared to ABVD (Adriamycin [doxorubicin], bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine) in patients with Stage III or IV frontline classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

The ECHELON-2 phase 3 clinical trial data were presented in an oral session at ASH and focused on the outcomes of the subset of patients who underwent consolidative stem cell transplant. ECHELON-2 is evaluating ADCETRIS in combination with CHP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, prednisone) compared to CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) in frontline CD30-expressing PTCL.

For decades, the standard of care for the treatment of frontline Hodgkin lymphoma has been combination chemotherapy, called ABVD. Unfortunately, approximately 30 percent of patients with advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma do not respond or relapse following treatment with this therapy, said Roger Dansey, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Seattle Genetics. The four-year update from the ECHELON-1 trial continues to support the robust and durable frontline treatment benefit of ADCETRIS plus AVD, including in both Stage III and IV disease settings, compared to ABVD across subgroups, regardless of PET2 status. These data reinforce ADCETRIS plus AVD as a treatment option that should be offered to all newly diagnosed advanced stage patients with Hodgkin lymphoma.

Updated data from the ECHELON-1 trial and further insights from ECHELON-2 build upon our continued understanding of the potential ADCETRIS offers patients with CD30-positive lymphomas, said Phil Rowlands, Ph.D., Head, Oncology Therapeutic Area Unit, Takeda. Were especially encouraged by the promising four-year follow-up ECHELON-1 results being presented at ASH, as approximately one in three patients with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma do not achieve long-term remission after standard frontline therapy.

Brentuximab Vedotin with Chemotherapy for Stage 3/4 Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma (cHL): 4-Year Update of the ECHELON-1 Study (Abstract #4026, poster presentation on Monday, December 9, 2019)

As previously reported, the ECHELON-1 trial achieved its primary endpoint with the combination of ADCETRIS plus AVD resulting in a statistically significant improvement in modified progression-free survival (PFS) compared to the control arm of ABVD as assessed by independent review facility (IRF; hazard ratio (HR), 0.77; p=0.035). A four-year post-hoc exploratory analysis was conducted to examine PFS outcomes per investigator assessment in the intent-to-treat population of 1,334 patients, including results by PET2 status, age, stage and prognostic risk scores. Results include:

More than 45 countries and regions have approved ADCETRIS in combination with AVD for the treatment of patients with previously untreated Stage III or IV Hodgkin lymphoma. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ADCETRIS in combination with AVD for the treatment of adult patients with previously untreated stage III or IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma in March 2018, based on the results of the ECHELON-1 phase 3 clinical trial in which the primary endpoint was modified PFS. In February 2019, the European Commission (EC) approved ADCETRIS for the treatment of adult patients with previously untreated CD30+ Stage IV Hodgkin lymphoma in combination with AVD.

An Exploratory Analysis of Brentuximab Vedotin plus CHP (A+CHP) in the Frontline Treatment of Patients with CD30+ Peripheral T-Cell Lymphomas (ECHELON-2): Impact of Consolidative Stem Cell Transplant (Abstract #464, oral presentation on Sunday, December 8, 2019)

As previously reported, the ECHELON-2 trial met its primary endpoint with the combination of ADCETRIS plus CHP resulting in a statistically significant improvement in PFS versus the control arm of CHOP per blinded independent central review (HR, 0.71; p=0.0110). In addition, the overall survival benefit in the ADCETRIS plus CHP arm was statistically significant compared to CHOP (HR, 0.66; p=0.0244). A post-hoc exploratory analysis evaluated the impact of consolidative stem cell transplant in the ECHELON-2 study for the patients who achieved CR treated with ADCETRIS plus CHP. In the ADCETRIS plus CHP arm, this included 38 patients in CR who received a stem cell transplant and 76 patients in CR who did not. Key findings of this analysis include:

About Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma

Lymphoma is a general term for a group of cancers that originate in the lymphatic system. There are two major categories of lymphoma: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Classical Hodgkin lymphoma is distinguished from other types of lymphoma by the presence of one characteristic type of cell, known as the Reed-Sternberg cell. The Reed-Sternberg cell expresses CD30.

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 8,110 cases of Hodgkin lymphoma will be diagnosed in the United States during 2019 and 1,000 will die from the disease. Approximately half of all newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma patients have Stage III/IV disease. According to the Lymphoma Coalition, over 62,000 people worldwide are diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma each year and approximately 25,000 people die each year from this cancer.

About T-Cell Lymphomas

There are more than 60 subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphomas which are broadly divided into two major groups: B-cell lymphomas, which develop from abnormal B-lymphocytes, and T-cell lymphomas, which develop from abnormal T-lymphocytes. There are many different forms of T-cell lymphomas, some of which are extremely rare. T-cell lymphomas can be aggressive (fast-growing) or indolent (slow-growing). PTCL accounts for approximately 10 percent of non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases in the U.S. and Europe and may be as high as 24 percent in parts of Asia.

About ADCETRIS

ADCETRIS is being evaluated broadly in more than 70 clinical trials in CD30-expressing lymphomas. These include three completed phase 3 trials: ECHELON-2 trial in frontline peripheral T-cell lymphomas, ECHELON-1 in previously untreated Hodgkin lymphoma, and ALCANZA in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

ADCETRIS is an ADC comprising an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody attached by a protease-cleavable linker to a microtubule disrupting agent, monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), utilizing Seattle Genetics proprietary technology. The ADC employs a linker system that is designed to be stable in the bloodstream but to release MMAE upon internalization into CD30-expressing tumor cells.

ADCETRIS injection for intravenous infusion has received FDA approval for six indications in adult patients with: (1) previously untreated systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL) or other CD30-expressing peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL), including angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma and PTCL not otherwise specified, in combination with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone, (2) previously untreated Stage III or IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), in combination with doxorubicin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine, (3) cHL at high risk of relapse or progression as post-autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) consolidation, (4) cHL after failure of auto-HSCT or failure of at least two prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimens in patients who are not auto-HSCT candidates, (5) sALCL after failure of at least one prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimen, and (6) primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (pcALCL) or CD30-expressing mycosis fungoides (MF) who have received prior systemic therapy.

Health Canada granted ADCETRIS approval with conditions in 2013 for patients with (1) HL after failure of autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) or after failure of at least two multi-agent chemotherapy regimens in patients who are not ASCT candidates and (2) sALCL after failure of at least one multi-agent chemotherapy regimen. Non-conditional approval was granted for (3) post-ASCT consolidation treatment of patients with HL at increased risk of relapse or progression in 2017, (4) adult patients with pcALCL or CD30-expressing MF who have received prior systemic therapy in 2018, (5) for previously untreated patients with Stage IV HL in combination with doxorubicin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine in 2019, and (6) for previously untreated adult patients with sALCL, peripheral T-cell lymphoma-not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS) or angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL), whose tumors express CD30, in combination with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, prednisone in 2019.

ADCETRIS received conditional marketing authorization from the European Commission in October 2012. The approved indications in Europe are: (1) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory CD30-positive Hodgkin lymphoma following ASCT, or following at least two prior therapies when ASCT or multi-agent chemotherapy is not a treatment option, (2) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory sALCL, (3) for the treatment of adult patients with CD30-positive Hodgkin lymphoma at increased risk of relapse or progression following ASCT, (4) for the treatment of adult patients with CD30-positive cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) after at least one prior systemic therapy and (5) for the treatment of adult patients with previously untreated CD30-positive Stage IV Hodgkin lymphoma in combination with AVD (Adriamycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine).

ADCETRIS has received marketing authorization by regulatory authorities in 73 countries for relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma and sALCL. See select important safety information, including Boxed Warning, below.

Seattle Genetics and Takeda are jointly developing ADCETRIS. Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, Seattle Genetics has U.S. and Canadian commercialization rights and Takeda has rights to commercialize ADCETRIS in the rest of the world. Seattle Genetics and Takeda are funding joint development costs for ADCETRIS on a 50:50 basis, except in Japan where Takeda is solely responsible for development costs.

About Seattle Genetics

Seattle Genetics, Inc. is an emerging multi-product, global biotechnology company that develops and commercializes transformative therapies targeting cancer to make a meaningful difference in peoples lives. ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) utilizes the companys industry-leading antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology and is currently approved for the treatment of multiple CD30-expressing lymphomas. Beyond ADCETRIS, the company has a late-stage pipeline including enfortumab vedotin for metastatic urothelial cancer, currently being reviewed for approval by the FDA, and tisotumab vedotin in clinical trials for metastatic cervical cancer, which utilize our proprietary ADC technology. In addition, tucatinib, a small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is in late-stage development for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer and in clinical development for metastatic colorectal cancer. We are also leveraging our expertise in empowered antibodies to build a portfolio of proprietary immuno-oncology agents in clinical trials targeting hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. The company is headquartered in Bothell, Washington, and has a European office in Switzerland. For more information on our robust pipeline, visit http://www.seattlegenetics.com and follow @SeattleGenetics on Twitter.

About Takeda Pharmaceutical Company

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) is a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, committed to bringing Better Health and a Brighter Future to patients by translating science into highly-innovative medicines. Takeda focuses its R&D efforts on four therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Diseases, Neuroscience and Gastroenterology (GI). We also make targeted R&D investments in Plasma-Derived Therapies and Vaccines. We are focusing on developing highly innovative medicines that contribute to making a difference in peoples lives by advancing the frontier of new treatment options and leveraging our enhanced collaborative R&D engine and capabilities to create a robust, modality-diverse pipeline. Our employees are committed to improving quality of life for patients and to working with our partners in health care in approximately 80 countries.

For more information, visit https://www.takeda.com

ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) U.S. Important Safety Information

BOXED WARNING

PROGRESSIVE MULTIFOCAL LEUKOENCEPHALOPATHY (PML): JC virus infection resulting in PML and death can occur in ADCETRIS-treated patients.

Contraindication

ADCETRIS concomitant with bleomycin due to pulmonary toxicity (e.g., interstitial infiltration and/or inflammation).

Warnings and Precautions

diabetes mellitus, and ketoacidosis (including fatal outcomes) have been reported with ADCETRIS. Hyperglycemia occurred more frequently in patients with high body mass index or diabetes. Monitor serum glucose and if hyperglycemia develops, administer antihyperglycemic medications as clinically indicated.

Most Common (20% in any study) Adverse Reactions: Peripheral neuropathy, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, neutropenia, upper respiratory tract infection, pyrexia, constipation, vomiting, alopecia, decreased weight, abdominal pain, anemia, stomatitis, lymphopenia and mucositis.

Drug Interactions

Concomitant use of strong CYP3A4 inhibitors or inducers has the potential to affect the exposure to monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE).

Use in Specific Populations

Moderate or severe hepatic impairment or severe renal impairment: MMAE exposure and adverse reactions are increased. Avoid use.

Advise males with female sexual partners of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during ADCETRIS treatment and for at least 6 months after the final dose of ADCETRIS.

Advise patients to report pregnancy immediately and avoid breastfeeding while receiving ADCETRIS.

Please see the full Prescribing Information, including BOXED WARNING, for ADCETRIS here.

ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) Important Safety Information (European Union)

Please refer to Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) before prescribing.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

ADCETRIS is contraindicated for patients with hypersensitivity to brentuximab vedotin and its excipients. In addition, combined use of ADCETRIS with bleomycin causes pulmonary toxicity.

SPECIAL WARNINGS & PRECAUTIONS

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML): John Cunningham virus (JCV) reactivation resulting in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and death can occur in patients treated with ADCETRIS. PML has been reported in patients who received ADCETRIS after receiving multiple prior chemotherapy regimens. PML is a rare demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that results from reactivation of latent JCV and is often fatal.

Closely monitor patients for new or worsening neurological, cognitive, or behavioral signs or symptoms, which may be suggestive of PML. Suggested evaluation of PML includes neurology consultation, gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis for JCV DNA by polymerase chain reaction or a brain biopsy with evidence of JCV. A negative JCV PCR does not exclude PML. Additional follow up and evaluation may be warranted if no alternative diagnosis can be established Hold dosing for any suspected case of PML and permanently discontinue ADCETRIS if a diagnosis of PML is confirmed.

Be alert to PML symptoms that the patient may not notice (e.g., cognitive, neurological, or psychiatric symptoms).

Pancreatitis: Acute pancreatitis has been observed in patients treated with ADCETRIS. Fatal outcomes have been reported. Closely monitor patients for new or worsening abdominal pain, which may be suggestive of acute pancreatitis. Patient evaluation may include physical examination, laboratory evaluation for serum amylase and serum lipase, and abdominal imaging, such as ultrasound and other appropriate diagnostic measures. Hold ADCETRIS for any suspected case of acute pancreatitis. ADCETRIS should be discontinued if a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis is confirmed.

Pulmonary Toxicity: Cases of pulmonary toxicity, some with fatal outcomes, including pneumonitis, interstitial lung disease, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), have been reported in patients receiving ADCETRIS. Although a causal association with ADCETRIS has not been established, the risk of pulmonary toxicity cannot be ruled out. Promptly evaluate and treat new or worsening pulmonary symptoms (e.g., cough, dyspnoea) appropriately. Consider holding dosing during evaluation and until symptomatic improvement.

Serious infections and opportunistic infections: Serious infections such as pneumonia, staphylococcal bacteremia, sepsis/septic shock (including fatal outcomes), and herpes zoster, and opportunistic infections such as Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia and oral candidiasis have been reported in patients treated with ADCETRIS. Carefully monitor patients during treatment for emergence of possible serious and opportunistic infections.

Infusion-related reactions (IRR): Immediate and delayed IRR, as well as anaphylaxis, have been reported with ADCETRIS. Carefully monitor patients during and after an infusion. If anaphylaxis occurs, immediately and permanently discontinue administration of ADCETRIS and administer appropriate medical therapy. If an IRR occurs, interrupt the infusion and institute appropriate medical management. The infusion may be restarted at a slower rate after symptom resolution. Patients who have experienced a prior IRR should be premedicated for subsequent infusions. IRRs are more frequent and more severe in patients with antibodies to ADCETRIS.

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS): TLS has been reported with ADCETRIS. Patients with rapidly proliferating tumor and high tumor burden are at risk of TLS. Monitor these patients closely and manage according to best medical practice.

Peripheral neuropathy (PN): ADCETRIS treatment may cause PN, both sensory and motor. ADCETRIS-induced PN is typically an effect of cumulative exposure to ADCETRIS and is reversible in most cases. Monitor patients for symptoms of neuropathy, such as hypoesthesia, hyperesthesia, paresthesia, discomfort, a burning sensation, neuropathic pain, or weakness. Patients experiencing new or worsening PN may require a delay and a dose reduction or discontinuation of ADCETRIS.

Hematological toxicities: Grade 3 or Grade 4 anemia, thrombocytopenia, and prolonged (equal to or greater than one week) Grade 3 or Grade 4 neutropenia can occur with ADCETRIS. Monitor complete blood counts prior to administration of each dose.

Febrile neutropenia: Febrile neutropenia has been reported with ADCETRIS. Complete blood counts should be monitored prior to administration of each dose of treatment. Closely monitor patients for fever and manage according to best medical practice if febrile neutropenia develops.

When ADCETRIS is administered in combination with AVD, primary prophylaxis with G-CSF is recommended for all patients beginning with the first dose.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS): SJS and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) have been reported with ADCETRIS. Fatal outcomes have been reported. Discontinue treatment with ADCETRIS if SJS or TEN occurs and administer appropriate medical therapy.

Gastrointestinal (GI) Complications: GI complications, some with fatal outcomes, including intestinal obstruction, ileus, enterocolitis, neutropenic colitis, erosion, ulcer, perforation and haemorrhage, have been reported with ADCETRIS. Promptly evaluate and treat patients if new or worsening GI symptoms occur.

Hepatotoxicity: Elevations in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) have been reported with ADCETRIS. Serious cases of hepatotoxicity, including fatal outcomes, have also occurred. Pre-existing liver disease, comorbidities, and concomitant medications may also increase the risk. Test liver function prior to treatment initiation and routinely monitor during treatment. Patients experiencing hepatotoxicity may require a delay, dose modification, or discontinuation of ADCETRIS.

Hyperglycemia: Hyperglycemia has been reported during trials in patients with an elevated body mass index (BMI) with or without a history of diabetes mellitus. Closely monitor serum glucose for patients who experiences an event of hyperglycemia. Administer anti-diabetic treatment as appropriate.

Renal and Hepatic Impairment: There is limited experience in patients with renal and hepatic impairment. Available data indicate that MMAE clearance might be affected by severe renal impairment, hepatic impairment, and by low serum albumin concentrations.

CD30+ CTCL: The size of the treatment effect in CD30 + CTCL subtypes other than mycosis fungoides (MF) and primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (pcALCL) is not clear due to lack of high level evidence. In two single arm phase II studies of ADCETRIS, disease activity has been shown in the subtypes Szary syndrome (SS), lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP) and mixed CTCL histology. These data suggest that efficacy and safety can be extrapolated to other CTCL CD30+ subtypes. Carefully consider the benefit-risk per patient and use with caution in other CD30+ CTCL patient types.

Sodium content in excipients: This medicinal product contains 13.2 mg sodium per vial, equivalent to 0.7% of the WHO recommended maximum daily intake of 2 g sodium for an adult.

INTERACTIONS

Patients who are receiving a strong CYP3A4 and P-gp inhibitor, concomitantly with ADCETRIS may have an increased risk of neutropenia. If neutropenia develops, refer to dosing recommendations for neutropenia (see SmPC section 4.2). Co-administration of ADCETRIS with a CYP3A4 inducer did not alter the plasma exposure of ADCETRIS, but it appeared to reduce plasma concentrations of MMAE metabolites that could be assayed. ADCETRIS is not expected to alter the exposure to drugs that are metabolized by CYP3A4 enzymes.

PREGNANCY: Advise women of childbearing potential to use two methods of effective contraception during treatment with ADCETRIS and until 6 months after treatment. There are no data from the use of ADCETRIS in pregnant women, although studies in animals have shown reproductive toxicity. Do not use ADCETRIS during pregnancy unless the benefit to the mother outweighs the potential risks to the fetus.

LACTATION (breast-feeding): There are no data as to whether ADCETRIS or its metabolites are excreted in human milk, therefore a risk to the newborn/infant cannot be excluded. With the potential risk, a decision should be made whether to discontinue breast-feeding or discontinue/abstain from therapy with ADCETRIS.

FERTILITY: In nonclinical studies, ADCETRIS treatment has resulted in testicular toxicity, and may alter male fertility. Advise men being treated with ADCETRIS not to father a child during treatment and for up to 6 months following the last dose.

Effects on ability to drive and use machines: ADCETRIS may have a moderate influence on the ability to drive and use machines.

UNDESIRABLE EFFECTS

Monotherapy: The most frequent adverse reactions (10%) were infections, peripheral sensory neuropathy, nausea, fatigue, diarrhoea, pyrexia, upper respiratory tract infection, neutropenia, rash, cough, vomiting, arthralgia, peripheral motor neuropathy, infusion-related reactions, pruritus, constipation, dyspnoea, weight decreased, myalgia and abdominal pain. Serious adverse drug reactions occurred in 12% of patients. The frequency of unique serious adverse drug reactions was 1%. Adverse events led to treatment discontinuation in 24% of patients.

Combination Therapy: In the study of ADCETRIS as combination therapy with AVD in 662 patients with previously untreated advanced Hodgkin lymphoma, the most common adverse reactions ( 10%) were: neutropenia, nausea, constipation, vomiting, fatigue, peripheral sensory neuropathy, diarrhoea, pyrexia, alopecia, peripheral motor neuropathy, decreased weight, abdominal pain, anaemia, stomatitis, febrile neutropenia, bone pain, insomnia, decreased appetite, cough, headache, arthralgia, back pain, dyspnoea, myalgia, upper respiratory tract infection, alanine aminotransferase increased. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 36% of patients. Serious adverse reactions occurring in 3% of patients included febrile neutropenia (17%), pyrexia (6%), and neutropenia (3%). Adverse events led to treatment discontinuation in 13% of patients.

Seattle Genetics Forward-Looking Statements

Certain of the statements made in this press release are forward looking, such as those, among others, relating to the therapeutic potential of ADCETRIS for patients with previously untreated stage III or IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma and patients with previously untreated systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL) or other CD30-expressing peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL). Actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements due to factors such as utilization and adoption of the approved treatment regimen by prescribing physicians, competitive conditions including the availability of alternative treatment regimens, the availability and extent of reimbursement, the risk of adverse events and adverse regulatory action. More information about the risks and uncertainties faced by Seattle Genetics is contained under the caption Risk Factors included in the companys Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2019 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Seattle Genetics disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Takeda Important Notice

For the purposes of this notice, press release means this document, any oral presentation, any question and answer session and any written or oral material discussed or distributed by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Takeda) regarding this release. This press release (including any oral briefing and any question-and-answer in connection with it) is not intended to, and does not constitute, represent or form part of any offer, invitation or solicitation of any offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, exchange, sell or otherwise dispose of, any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction. No shares or other securities are being offered to the public by means of this press release. No offering of securities shall be made in the United States except pursuant to registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption therefrom. This press release is being given (together with any further information which may be provided to the recipient) on the condition that it is for use by the recipient for information purposes only (and not for the evaluation of any investment, acquisition, disposal or any other transaction). Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of applicable securities laws.

The companies in which Takeda directly and indirectly owns investments are separate entities. In this press release, Takeda is sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Takeda and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words we, us and our are also used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These expressions are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies.

Takeda Forward-Looking Statements

This press release and any materials distributed in connection with this press release may contain forward-looking statements, beliefs or opinions regarding Takedas future business, future position and results of operations, including estimates, forecasts, targets and plans for Takeda. Without limitation, forward-looking statements often include words such as targets, plans, believes, hopes, continues, expects, aims, intends, ensures, will, may, should, would, could anticipates, estimates, projects or similar expressions or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements in this document are based on Takedas estimates and assumptions only as of the date hereof. Such forward-looking statements do not represent any guarantee by Takeda or its management of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including but not limited to: the economic circumstances surrounding Takedas global business, including general economic conditions in Japan and the United States; competitive pressures and developments; changes to applicable laws and regulations; the success of or failure of product development programs; decisions of regulatory authorities and the timing thereof; fluctuations in interest and currency exchange rates; claims or concerns regarding the safety or efficacy of marketed products or product candidates; the timing and impact of post-merger integration efforts with acquired companies; and the ability to divest assets that are not core to Takedas operations and the timing of any such divestment(s), any of which may cause Takedas actual results, performance, achievements or financial position to be materially different from any future results, performance, achievements or financial position expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. For more information on these and other factors which may affect Takedas results, performance, achievements, or financial position, see Item 3. Key InformationD. Risk Factors in Takedas most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and Takedas other reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, available on Takedas website at: https://www.takeda.com/investors/reports/sec-filings/ or at http://www.sec.gov. Future results, performance, achievements or financial position of Takeda could differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. Persons receiving this press release should not rely unduly on any forward-looking statements. Takeda undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or any other forward-looking statements it may make, except as required by law or stock exchange rule. Past performance is not an indicator of future results and the results of Takeda in this press release may not be indicative of, and are not an estimate, forecast or projection of Takedas future results.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191209005169/en/

Contacts

Seattle Genetics: Media Monique Greer (425) 527-4641 mgreer@seagen.com

Investors Peggy Pinkston (425) 527-4160 ppinkston@seagen.com

Takeda: Japanese Media Kazumi Kobayashi kazumi.kobayashi@takeda.com +81 (0) 3-3278-2095

Media outside Japan Sara Noonan sara.noonan@takeda.com +1-617-551-3683

Read more here:
Seattle Genetics and Takeda Announce Additional Analyses of ADCETRIS (Brentuximab Vedotin) ECHELON-1 and ECHELON-2 Phase 3 Clinical Trials at the 2019...

A new study from theNational Institutes of Healthfinds that women who use permanenthairdye and chemical hair straighteners are at a higher risk of developingbreast cancer and the risk is particularly high for black women.

The study, published on Dec. 4 in theInternational Journal of Cancer, looked at hair product use over a 12-month period in more than 46,000 women ages 35-74 all of whom have asisterdiagnosed with breast cancer. The researchers found that permanent hair dye use in black women was associated with a 45 percent higher risk of breast cancer, while white women had a 7 percent higher risk, according to the study.

Using these hair dyes more frequently upped that risk: Black women using permanent hair dye every five to eight weeks or more was associated with a60 percent higher riskof breast cancer, compared to an 8 percent increased risk for white women.

Chemical hair straighteners were also associated with a greater risk of breast cancer. Women who used the treatment every five to eight weeks or more were about 30 percentmore likelyto develop breast cancer; the risk was similar in both black and white women.

Its not entirely clear why breast cancer risk is especially elevated in black women using permanent hair dye. In general, black women have higher rates of the disease than white women before age 40, and are more likely to die from breast cancer at every age, according to theAmerican Cancer Society.

But hair dye alone is likely not at fault. Elizabeth Arena, MD, a surgical oncologist specializing in breast cancer atSurgery Group of Los Angeles, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that there are multiple factors that affect breast cancer risk. It cannot be attributed to one specific cause, so I would not attribute the difference in cancer rates seen in this study to use of hair products alone, Arena says.

She adds: The study did not describe in detail the products that the participants used so it is difficult to fully compare. In theory, different products, with different chemical components, may be designed for people of different racial backgrounds, which could contribute to the different cancer rates, while different hair types may take up the dyes differently as well.

Hair dyes a popular product used by more than one-third of women over age 18 and about 10 percent of men over age 40 contain more than 5,000 different chemicals, some of which are reported to be carcinogenic (cancer-causing) in animals, according to theNational Cancer Institute.

Many hair products contain endocrinedisrupting compounds and carcinogens potentially relevant to breast cancer, the study authorsnoted. Products used predominantly by black women may contain more hormonallyactive compounds.

They added: These results suggest that chemicals in hair products may play a role in breast carcinogenesis.

However, more research is needed to determine which chemicals are problematic. It is very difficult to say if there is a specific chemical in hair dye or hair straighteners that increases the risk of breast cancer, Arena says. This observational study is just a starting point for investigating potential cause and effect. It does not show a direct link at this point, and the study participants did not identify which hair products were specifically used. Past studies in animals have shown concern for ammonia in hair products, whileparabens, which are found in some dyes, are concerning for potential hormonal, estrogen-like effects.

Several studies have looked at possible connections between cancer and hair dye. However, according to theNCI, the research is mixed: Although some studies have linked the personal use of hair dyes with increased risks of certain cancers of the blood and bone marrow, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) andleukemia, other studies have not shown such links. Studies ofbreastand bladder cancer have also produced conflicting results.

Added the NCI: Researchers who reviewed data from 14 studies of female breast cancer and hair dye use published between 1977 and 2002 found that dye users had no increase in the risk of breast cancer compared with nonusers.

That said, the institute also noted that, given the widespread use of hair dye products, even a small increase in risk may have a considerable public health impact.

First, its worth noting that the women in the study all have a family history of breast cancer (a sister diagnosed with the disease), which puts them at a higher risk in general. In many patients, it is related to their genetics and family history rather than environmental exposures, says Arena.

"I think it's important for women, particularly African American women, not to panic every time a study comes out,"Doris Browne, MD, a medical oncologist and former president of the National Medical Association, tellsNPR. "But it should raise questions for our primary care providers."

Arena agrees, adding, Based on this observational study alone, I do not think women should be overly concerned. This study is an interesting starting point for further research, but you cannot draw any final conclusions from a preliminary study like this.

For those who are concerned particularly for women (and men) with a family history of breast cancer they should have a conversation with their primary care physician. For women at higher risk for breast cancer, it is always good to speak with a breast specialist further to discuss your risk factors and lifestyle modifications further, says Arena.

If youre considering stopping the use of permanent hair dyes, the study also found that semi-permanent hair dye, as well as temporary dyes, did not up the risk of breast cancer.

There are also several ways that women can reduce their breast cancer risk namely, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, which is similar health advice to what doctors recommend for other diseases, such as eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, limiting alcohol intake and reducing stress.

Arena adds, I also strongly recommend regular screening for breast cancer because early detection is the most effective way to treat the disease should it occur.

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Study links permanent hair dye to increased risk of breast cancer, particularly among black women - Yahoo News

Dec. 7, 2019 19:00 UTC

BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Seattle Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:SGEN) today announced updated and long-term follow-up analyses from two clinical trials evaluating ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) and OPDIVO (nivolumab) in frontline Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients aged 60 years and older and in relapsed or refractory classical HL. ADCETRIS is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) directed to CD30, a defining marker of classical HL. ADCETRIS and OPDIVO are not approved in combination for the treatment of HL. Results were presented today at the 61st American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition taking place December 7-10 in Orlando, Fla.

We continue to evaluate ADCETRIS in combination with novel therapies, such as checkpoint inhibitors, with the goal of identifying new options for CD30-expressing lymphomas where there is high unmet need, said Roger Dansey, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Seattle Genetics. These data presentations at ASH reinforce our strong commitment to the ADCETRIS clinical development program, potentially moving into new patient populations and novel combination treatment strategies.

Phase 2 Study of Frontline Brentuximab Vedotin Plus Nivolumab in Patients with Hodgkin Lymphoma Aged 60 Years (Abstract #237, oral presentation at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 7, 2019) Data were presented from an updated analysis from the phase 2 clinical trial evaluating ADCETRIS in combination with OPDIVO as frontline therapy for HL patients aged 60 years and older. Data were reported from 21 patients, and the median age was 72 years. The majority of patients (76 percent) had stage III/IV disease at the time of diagnosis. These results will be highlighted in an oral presentation by Christopher A. Yasenchak, M.D., Willamette Valley Cancer Institute and Research Center/US Oncology Research, Ore., and include:

Two-Year Follow-up Results from the Phase 1-2 Study of Brentuximab Vedotin in Combination with Nivolumab in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma (Abstract #238, oral presentation at 2:45 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 7, 2019) Data were reported from 93 patients with relapsed or refractory classical HL after failure of frontline therapy who received the combination regimen of ADCETRIS plus OPDIVO. After completion of the fourth cycle of treatment, patients were eligible to undergo an autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). The median age of patients was 34 years. These results will be highlighted in an oral presentation by Alison J. Moskowitz, M.D., Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NY, and include:

About Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma Lymphoma is a general term for a group of cancers that originate in the lymphatic system. There are two major categories of lymphoma: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Classical Hodgkin lymphoma is distinguished from other types of lymphoma by the presence of one characteristic type of cell, known as the Reed-Sternberg cell. The Reed-Sternberg cell expresses CD30.

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 8,110 cases of Hodgkin lymphoma will be diagnosed in the United States during 2019 and 1,000 will die from the disease. Approximately half of all newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma patients have Stage III/IV disease. According to the Lymphoma Coalition, over 62,000 people worldwide are diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma each year and approximately 25,000 people die each year from this cancer.

About ADCETRIS ADCETRIS is being evaluated broadly in more than 70 clinical trials in CD30-expressing lymphomas. These include three completed phase 3 trials: ECHELON-2 trial in frontline peripheral T-cell lymphomas, ECHELON-1 in previously untreated Hodgkin lymphoma, and ALCANZA in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

ADCETRIS is an ADC comprising an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody attached by a protease-cleavable linker to a microtubule disrupting agent, monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), utilizing Seattle Genetics proprietary technology. The ADC employs a linker system that is designed to be stable in the bloodstream but to release MMAE upon internalization into CD30-expressing tumor cells.

ADCETRIS injection for intravenous infusion has received FDA approval for six indications in adult patients with: (1) previously untreated systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL) or other CD30-expressing peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL), including angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma and PTCL not otherwise specified, in combination with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone, (2) previously untreated Stage III or IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), in combination with doxorubicin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine, (3) cHL at high risk of relapse or progression as post-autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) consolidation, (4) cHL after failure of auto-HSCT or failure of at least two prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimens in patients who are not auto-HSCT candidates, (5) sALCL after failure of at least one prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimen, and (6) primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (pcALCL) or CD30-expressing mycosis fungoides (MF) who have received prior systemic therapy.

Health Canada granted ADCETRIS approval with conditions in 2013 for patients with (1) HL after failure of autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) or after failure of at least two multi-agent chemotherapy regimens in patients who are not ASCT candidates and (2) sALCL after failure of at least one multi-agent chemotherapy regimen. Non-conditional approval was granted for (3) post-ASCT consolidation treatment of patients with HL at increased risk of relapse or progression in 2017, (4) adult patients with pcALCL or CD30-expressing MF who have received prior systemic therapy in 2018, (5) for previously untreated patients with Stage IV HL in combination with doxorubicin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine in 2019, and (6) for previously untreated adult patients with sALCL, peripheral T-cell lymphoma-not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS) or angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL), whose tumors express CD30, in combination with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, prednisone in 2019.

ADCETRIS received conditional marketing authorization from the European Commission in October 2012. The approved indications in Europe are: (1) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory CD30-positive Hodgkin lymphoma following ASCT, or following at least two prior therapies when ASCT or multi-agent chemotherapy is not a treatment option, (2) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory sALCL, (3) for the treatment of adult patients with CD30-positive Hodgkin lymphoma at increased risk of relapse or progression following ASCT, (4) for the treatment of adult patients with CD30-positive cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) after at least one prior systemic therapy and (5) for the treatment of adult patients with previously untreated CD30-positive Stage IV Hodgkin lymphoma in combination with AVD (Adriamycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine).

ADCETRIS has received marketing authorization by regulatory authorities in 73 countries for relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma and sALCL. See select important safety information, including Boxed Warning, below.

Seattle Genetics and Takeda are jointly developing ADCETRIS. Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, Seattle Genetics has U.S. and Canadian commercialization rights and Takeda has rights to commercialize ADCETRIS in the rest of the world. Seattle Genetics and Takeda are funding joint development costs for ADCETRIS on a 50:50 basis, except in Japan where Takeda is solely responsible for development costs.

About Seattle Genetics Seattle Genetics, Inc. is an emerging multi-product, global biotechnology company that develops and commercializes transformative therapies targeting cancer to make a meaningful difference in peoples lives. ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) utilizes the companys industry-leading antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology and is currently approved for the treatment of multiple CD30-expressing lymphomas. Beyond ADCETRIS, the company has a late-stage pipeline including enfortumab vedotin for metastatic urothelial cancer, currently being reviewed for approval by the FDA, and tisotumab vedotin in clinical trials for metastatic cervical cancer, which utilize our proprietary ADC technology. In addition, tucatinib, a small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is in late-stage development for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer and in clinical development for metastatic colorectal cancer. We are also leveraging our expertise in empowered antibodies to build a portfolio of proprietary immuno-oncology agents in clinical trials targeting hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. The company is headquartered in Bothell, Washington, and has a European office in Switzerland. For more information on our robust pipeline, visit http://www.seattlegenetics.com and follow @SeattleGenetics on Twitter.

ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) U.S. Important Safety Information

BOXED WARNINGPROGRESSIVE MULTIFOCAL LEUKOENCEPHALOPATHY (PML): JC virus infection resulting in PML and death can occur in ADCETRIS-treated patients.

Contraindication ADCETRIS concomitant with bleomycin due to pulmonary toxicity (e.g., interstitial infiltration and/or inflammation).

Warnings and Precautions

Most Common (20% in any study) Adverse Reactions: Peripheral neuropathy, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, neutropenia, upper respiratory tract infection, pyrexia, constipation, vomiting, alopecia, decreased weight, abdominal pain, anemia, stomatitis, lymphopenia and mucositis.

Drug Interactions Concomitant use of strong CYP3A4 inhibitors or inducers has the potential to affect the exposure to monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE).

Use in Specific Populations Moderate or severe hepatic impairment or severe renal impairment: MMAE exposure and adverse reactions are increased. Avoid use.

Advise males with female sexual partners of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during ADCETRIS treatment and for at least 6 months after the final dose of ADCETRIS.

Advise patients to report pregnancy immediately and avoid breastfeeding while receiving ADCETRIS.

Please see the full Prescribing Information, including BOXED WARNING, for ADCETRIS here.

Forward Looking Statements Certain of the statements made in this press release are forward looking, such as those, among others, relating to the potential uses and benefits of ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) in combination with OPDIVO (nivolumab) in frontline Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients age 60 years or older and in relapsed or refractory classical HL under staggered and concurrent dosing schedules, the therapeutic potential of ADCETRIS in these indications and the companys clinical development plans. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such a difference include potential lack of efficacy or risk of adverse events associated with the use of ADCETRIS in certain clinical settings and the difficulty and uncertainty of pharmaceutical product development. More information about the risks and uncertainties faced by Seattle Genetics is contained under the caption Risk Factors included in the companys Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2019 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Seattle Genetics disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Opdivo is a registered trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191207005021/en/

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Seattle Genetics Announces Updated Data of ADCETRIS (Brentuximab Vedotin) in Combination with OPDIVO (Nivolumab) in Frontline and Relapsed or...

I have a few goals in mind when I put together an outfit, and looking polished is one of my main sartorial objectives. So when I shop, I tend to gravitate toward those inherently sophisticatedseparatesto keep my wardrobe as elevated as possible. While I have a slew of go-to items in my arsenal to incorporate into my "refined, grown-up-feeling" looks (like sleek turtlenecks and tailored trousers), there's actually a range of 2020 trends that have polished-feeling qualities that I'm interested in testing out.

And believe it or not, some of the most stylish and sophisticated fashion people are actually already on board with these must-try trends because I've been spotting many in question all over my Instagram feed over the last few weeks.On that note, keep scrolling to check out the next-wave refined trends I'm lovingas seen on some of the chicest women. And because I strongly believe said looks will bring a polished spin to any of your outfits, I also shopped out each trend for all of you elegant ladiesout there.

A tailored silhouette will bring a sophisticated feel to any vibe, and the almighty vest is one of those old-school yet seemingly fresh pieces to achieve that look. Whether worn as part of a three-piece suit or worn on its own with a blouse, the waistcoat is one piece Im looking forward to spotting more and more in 2020.

Pixie Market Vest ($98)

Topshop Blush Vest ($75)

Iro Holz Belted Leather Vest ($1400)

Pointed pumps and sleek ankle boots can act as the finishing touch to an especially refined look, but non-basic loafersthose with chunky block heels and with glossy details like patentwill no doubt rise up to be the It shoe silhouette amongst the fashion crowd. While I love the idea of wearing the footwear style with cropped trousers and a jacket, Im also into these loafers because they can bring that unexpected polish to a cool denim-and-sweater vibe as well.

Michael Michael Kors Declan Kilte Fringe Pumps ($129)

Halogen Isabelle Pointy Toe Pumps ($100)

Louise Et Cie Lanton Loafer Pump ($83)

While the upgraded trench coat isnt necessarily a new trend, its one thats entering the spotlight in an even more noteworthy way next year. Designers from Sacai to Oscar de la Renta showcased a range of reimagined cuts with asymmetrical designs, unexpected pattern-blocking, and more. Fashion girls (and myself) are champions of this look for its classic yet modern sensibilities.

ASOS DESIGN Trench Coat ($119)

Leandra x Mango Detachable Gilet Trench ($300)

Court & Rowe Plaid Lined Double-Breasted Trench Coat ($299)

Its no secret that tossing on a blazer will add polish to an outfit. While the slouchy styles of the 2010s will hold their own, theres one micro-trend Im particularly feeling as an alternativethe collarless blazer. Cropping up among the cool set, this updated silhouette feels modern and a bit more relaxed than a traditional blazer paired with a tee and trousers or over a turtleneck with a midi skirt.

Bevza Olive Jacket ($626)

Pixie Market Square Neckline Jacket ($139)

H&M Textured-Weave Jacket ($55)

This bold trend is clearly incredibly popular now, but as designers from Khaite to Tory Burch proved on the S/S 20 runways, the look will be bigger (literally) than ever next year as a statement-making way to enhance a silhouette. Fashion girls seem to lean into the trend in the form of colorful cardigans or in playful midi dresses.

& Other Stories Square-Neck Jacquard Top ($89)

ASTR the Label Ruched Front Midi Dress ($85)

Tibi Cozette Sweater ($350)

Yes, a standard white button-down is timeless in theory, but Bevza, Pyer Moss, and more made a strong case for the reworked white shirt in their S/S20 collections. Here Im talking about cuts with extra-long sleeves, cropped hems, and so on. Like I just mentioned, the white shirt will always bring sophistication, but the amped-up versions will bring that forward polish that just feels so right.

Topshop Layered Ruffle Blouse ($55)

Ganni Statement Collar Poplin Shirt ($145)

New Look Peplum Shirt ($37)

Fashion people embraced leather separates this season, and the lookone typically reserved for fall and winterwill have a moment come spring 2020 as well. While the classic black moto jacket will be a forever-staple in my eyes,Im gravitating towardthose leather trenches and wrap jackets in rich hues.

Leith Faux Patent Leather Trench Coat ($149)

Club Monaco Ohwen Leather Jacket ($595)

Eloquii Trench Coat ($180)

Next, check out four cheap and chic outfits to test out this winter.

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Choline is a nutrient that supports various bodily functions, including cellular growth and metabolism. The body makes some choline, but the majority comes from dietary sources.

In 1998, the Institute of Medicine officially recognized choline as an essential nutrient. However, some research suggests that most people do not get enough of it.

Continue reading this article to learn more about choline, including the recommended daily intake, its sources, and how it can benefit people's overall health.

Choline is an essential nutrient that supports vital bodily functions and people's overall health. Although the body makes some choline, people need to incorporate choline-rich foods into their diet to get enough of it.

Choline supports numerous vital bodily functions, including:

Choline exists as both water-soluble and fat-soluble molecules. The body transports and absorbs choline differently depending on its form.

Water-soluble choline molecules go to the liver, where the body converts them into a type of fat called lecithin.

Fat-soluble choline usually comes from dietary sources, so the body absorbs it in the gastrointestinal tract.

Choline supports several vital bodily functions and may offer a wide range of other health benefits, such as:

Choline is an essential nutrient for brain development.

In one observational study of 2,195 participants aged 7074 years, those with higher choline levels had better cognitive functioning than participants with low choline levels.

Another observational study from 2019 found that inadequate levels of choline, vitamin C, and zinc were associated with poorer working memory in older men.

The authors of a 2018 study found an association between higher dietary intakes of choline and a lower risk of ischemic stroke.

The study looked at nearly 4,000 African American participants, with an average 9 year follow-up period.

Some research has shown that choline plays a role in metabolizing fats.

The authors of a small 2014 study found that female athletes who took choline supplements had lower body mass indexes (BMIs) and leptin levels than the control group. Leptin is a hormone that controls body fat.

Choline can affect fetal development and may influence pregnancy outcomes. In one 2013 study, for example, women in their third trimester of pregnancy received either 480 milligrams (mg) or 930 mg of choline per day.

Those who took higher doses had reduced markers of preeclampsia. Symptoms of preeclampsia include high blood pressure, swelling, and severe headaches.

One 2018 study found that choline supplementation improved lung function and reduced symptoms of fatty liver disease in 10 adult males with cystic fibrosis.

The precise amount of choline a person needs depends on the following factors:

The following table lists the estimated adequate intakes (AI) for choline based on age, biological sex, and pregnancy and lactation status:

However, most people do not meet the recommended AIs for choline.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, males aged 2059 consume an average of 406421 mg of choline per day, while females in the same age group consume around 290303 mg per day.

Pregnant women, those who are lactating, and people who have genetic alterations that increase the body's demand for choline may also have a higher risk of choline deficiency.

Although some people believe that vegetarians and vegans may be at risk of choline deficiencies, there is only mixed evidence to support this.

In fact, some of the foods with the highest choline content include soybeans, potatoes, and mushrooms. Eating a nutritious diet that focuses on whole foods should be enough to prevent deficiency.

Choline deficiency can contribute to the following health conditions:

Although choline deficiencies can lead to adverse health effects, too much choline can also cause problems, including:

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) provide the following upper intake levels for choline based on age:

People can get choline from various dietary sources. Infants require lots of choline during the first few months of life, most of which they get from breast milk or fortified formula.

After infanthood, most people get choline from their diet.

Dietary sources of choline include:

Some multivitamins and dietary supplements, as well as prepackaged and fortified foods, may contain choline in the form of lecithin.

People can also find supplements that contain only choline. The exact amount of available choline varies, so it is vital that people read labels before taking any dietary supplements.

Choline supplements are available in pharmacies, health food stores, and online.

Healthcare professionals can test a person's choline levels by taking a blood sample and looking at how much choline is present.

However, the authors of one 2018 article state that different testing procedures can affect the choline concentration in blood samples.

For this reason, blood tests may not be a good indicator of whether or not a person is getting enough choline.

Choline is an essential nutrient that regulates vital bodily functions, such as forming cell membranes and aiding communication between neurons.

The body does not produce enough choline on its own, so people need to get it from food sources, such as meat, eggs, and vegetables.

Current scientific studies suggest that choline may improve memory and cognition and reduce the risk of ischemic stroke.

Choline supports brain development and growth in newborn babies. Research also suggests that choline may reduce the risk of preeclampsia and congenital irregularities.

Though the recommended intake for choline is relatively low (125550 mg per day), most people do not get enough.

Choline deficiency can cause muscle and liver disease and contribute to cardiovascular disease, dementia, and neural tube irregularities in infants.

We picked linked items based on the quality of products, and list the pros and cons of each to help you determine which will work best for you. We partner with some of the companies that sell these products, which means Healthline UK and our partners may receive a portion of revenues if you make a purchase using a link(s) above.

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Sherrie Wallington, an assistant professor of nursing, will study why black female D.C. residents screened for breast cancer dont pursue follow-up treatment with a grant from the Children's National Hospital.

A nursing professor received a $50,000 grant to study breast cancer mortality rates among black women in D.C., according to a release on the nursing school website last week.

The Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Childrens National Hospital awarded Sherrie Wallington, an assistant professor of nursing, a grant to study why black female D.C. residents screened for breast cancer dont pursue follow-up treatment. Breast cancer mortality experts said black women face financial pressures, like requesting time off from work and access to transportation to health care facilities, which could lead to disparities in breast cancer mortality.

Women are coming in to get screened and then, after diagnosis, were somehow losing them, Wallington said in the release. Theyre not coming back for recommended treatment or follow-up.

The research team will begin conducting focus groups and reviewing electronic health data of cancer treatment outcomes this June, according to the release. Wallington said in the release that she hopes to gain insight into why breast cancer mortality rates are higher among black women, despite the fact that white women are 20 percent less likely to undergo breast cancer screenings.

This study may tease out factors that impede women from coming back to seek the recommended treatment after theyve been diagnosed, Wallington said in the release.

Wallington was not available for comment.

Breast cancer mortality experts said economic barriers could contribute to why black women dont receive recommended follow-up treatments.

Lucio Miele, department head of the Department of Genetics at Louisiana State University, said making time to receive follow-up treatments and getting to and from appointments are problems that black women experience disproportionately to other populations and could keep them from attending follow-up appointments after the initial screening.

For instance, to get radiation therapy you need to be able to show up for your treatments, and if you cant because youre working or because you dont have money for transportation, then youre not going to be compliant with radiation therapy, Miele said.

He said researchers should take an interdisciplinary approach involving experts in biostatistics, epidemiology and clinical data analysis to study breast cancer mortality rates because several factors could contribute to the racial disparity in mortality rates.

Its actually a group of multiple diseases that are heterogeneous, both in terms of the types of genetic lesions that these tumors have and in terms of response to treatment and prognosis, so you cant lump everything under one category, he said.

Christopher Louis, an assistant professor of health law, policy and management at Boston University, said researchers should use several methods like health data analyses, surveys and patient interviews to gain a comprehensive understanding of why black women face higher breast cancer mortality rates.

He said late-stage cancer diagnoses and lower screening rates could put black women at a higher risk of mortality than other populations. Louis said factors like transportation expenses and insurance costs, which black women face at higher rates than other populations, could contribute to why some black women typically dont go to their doctors for follow-up treatments.

A 2018 study from the American Cancer Society found that a lack of private and Medicare insurance and unfavorable tumor characteristics were the most important factors contributing to disparities in breast cancer mortality rates.

Some women lack trust in clinicians or health care providers, costs of care and transportation issues are among the most commonly referenced reasons for a lack of follow-up after a positive screening for breast cancer, he said in an email.

John Cawley, a professor of policy analysis and management at Cornell University, said researchers have proven that black women face higher rates of breast cancer mortality than other populations but have not agreed on a clear reason for the disparity.

Whats needed is research that better explains why these disparities exist and gives us better information about how to address them, how to reduce them, he said.

This article appeared in the November 25, 2019 issue of the Hatchet.

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Nursing professor conducts research on breast cancer mortality rates - GW Hatchet

As Black Thanksgiving quickly approaches, it may be necessary for some people who are unfamiliar with this holiday to understand the black genealogy. In black culture, the family dynamic is not dictated by genetics, DNA or blood. Instead, much like race, family is a social construct.

To help our readers understand this subject, we assembled a team of experts to rank the importance of black family members. Our panel included a geneticist (although he isnt licensed, he has watched more episodes of Maury than anyone on earth), a Ph.D. student (Phil da Emcee, a who is studying Meghan Thee Stallions Knees) and Louisa Perkins, a board-certified babysitter.

While subject to individual variations, this familial hierarchy determines everything from funeral seat placement to Thanksgiving plate fixing. Here are the top 10 family members in descending order

As we mentioned earlier, familial status is not determined by blood. In black communities, all pastors are considered members of the family. To be clear, pastors, are different from preachers because anyone can be a preacher but a family pastor is passed down through generations. Even if a family doesnt attend a church, they are assigned a pastor by the ancestors. When introducing oneself at black gatherings, one must always mention ones pastor.

One of the reasons pastors are considered family members is because they keep their position even after death. My grandfather died before I was born, but he is still my grandfather. Similarly, I havent attended church in years, but my pastor is still Bishop R.O. Johnson, who passed away in 1989.

As one of the greatest uncles in African-American history, I am qualified to say that nephews are slightly more bothersome, but not less important than nieces. Nephews are bad as fuck and they require you to do shit. I had to wrestle with my nephews, teach them how to ride a bike and show them how to use a socket wrench.

Nieces, on the other hand, are easy. As long as you buy them shit, let them ride in the front seat and pretend their boring-ass tea parties are interesting, they are cool. When my niece turned 6, I took her to the mall and let her ride the escalators. She still talks about that shit all the time.

I can uncle like a motherfucker

Not to be confused with siblings, these are people whose Holy Ghost credentials has elevated them to special titles. Even if they dont attend your church, everyone knows at least one head deacon or usher board president who everyone in the neighborhood refers to as Sister Wilma or Brother Jay.

Sisters have some of the best selections of pocketbook candy one can find and always have a real handkerchief in their purse. Brothers always have a lot of shit in their wallet and can fix a lawnmower in a three-piece suit. Sisters and brothers only listen to gospel music, usually on a.m. radio. These are the proverbial prayer warriors. They are the source of 73 percent of prayers in the black community.

They fucking love Joe Biden.

To qualify as a playcousin, one must live within one-quarter mile of the family home and should also be granted carte blanche spend-the-night privileges. playcousins can go in your refrigerator and if they are at your house at dinnertime, they eat, too.

These are your real sisters and brothers, although it is still not determined by DNA. In black families, there is only one kind of sibling while Caucasian families have multiple varieties. I still dont understand the difference between a step-sister, a half-brother and a regular sibling but thats white people shit. Ive only known one black stepsister in my life, my next-door neighbor who, along with her older sibling Stephanie, also qualified as a playcousin.

If you asked her her name, shed always say:

Im Steps sister.

Uncles are the male siblings of your mother or father; the male friends of your mother or father; or any relative more than 20 years older than you. Therefore, in black families, a 42-year-old nephew of a 12-year-old is technically the younger childs uncle. Uncles are skilled in alternator repair, can shine shoes with spit and are the only family members allowed to light a barbecue grill.

All uncles have chest hair.

Periodt.

Aunts rank higher than uncles simply because they are responsible for:

Contrary to popular belief, cousins are not the same as playcousins. A playcousin could elevate themselves to a real cousin but a blood cousin can never be demoted. And according to the Black Bylaws, cousins are required to fight for all coequal cousins, regardless of fault or blame.

What kind of white nonsense is this cousin-ranking bullshit? There is just one level of black cousins. I dont even know what a second cousin is, much less a third cousin, once removed? Who removes their cousins? Where are they removed from and why?

My female cousin once broke up with a guy because he disparaged another cousin. Then she keyed his car. Then the rest of her girl cousins jumped him. They were definitely wrong, but they were legally right according to Article I, Section 4 of the Cousin Constitution.

Look, I dont make the rules.

The importance of parents is understood, but in black culture, a grandmother can also be a mama and a grandfather can be a daddy if they raised the child. There are daddies who are uncles and aunts who are mamas. If two children are childhood friends for more than 10 years, the parents of the children become each mutual mamas and daddies. In fact, even before America acknowledged same-sex relationships, a lot of children in black communities grew up with two mamas.

They rank No. 1. These are the ancestors, the prayer-givers, the babysitters and the backbone of the black family.

When you get in trouble, a grandmother is the lawyer who petitions your parents for leniency. I dont quite know how this works, but all grandmothers are born with an unabridged Bible, a full arsenal of seasonings and two shawls. Grandmothers love shawls and high beds. Their mattresses must be, on average, 11 feet off the ground and covered by a fitted sheet, a top sheet, a blanket, a quilt, a cover and a comforter.

Grandfathers know shit. They know how to fish, fix plumbing and they know the shortcut to everywhereeven places they have never beenbut they only know the former names of the road. If a street is named David Jenkins Memorial Boulevard, your grandfather still calls it Old Canton Road. Grandfathers are immune to gluten and like their bacon fried hard.

These familial names are very important and you can only understand them if you live in the black community.

For instance, my mother raised her niece, Nikey, since birth, so Nikey calls my mother mama. So, even though, in white genealogy, Im Nikeys second cousin, Im her brother in blackology, which makes her son, who is my second cousin, my nephew (who I had to teach how to ride a bike in 95-degree weather). My mothers sister, Marvell, is not Nikeys aunt. Thats her grandmama. And her grandmother. Nikeys great-grandmother, who is my grandmother, died. She was also Nikeys grandmama. Her name was Marvell, too.

See how it works?

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Family Members, Ranked - The Root

Its hard to imagine an animal with giant in its name going unnoticed for decades. But two such species make our list of near missescreatures once believed to be gone forever. (Most species considered extinct arent so lucky.)

Here are the tales of eight underdogs that clawed, buzzed, and scampered their way back onto the radar:

With rounded ears, a short muzzle, and big, dark eyes, the black-footed ferret is the only ferret species native to North Americaand its downright adorable. Perhaps surprisingly, this once-presumed-extinct animal owes its recovery to a dog named Shep, an unlikely ally that helped saved the species by killing one of its members.

In the early 1900s, black-footed ferret numbers plummeted when grassland habitats in the western U.S. were converted to farmland. In addition to habitat loss, this change led to severe declines in the ferrets favorite food: prairie dogs. Several infectious diseases, including sylvatic (bubonic) plague, which ferrets contract from infected prairie dog prey, also hit the species hard. Because black-footed ferrets are found only in North America, declines in the U.S. meant the dwindling of the entire global population.

By 1979, these fuzzy carnivores were considered extinct.

But just two years later, in 1981, Shep brought a dead black-footed ferret home to her owners, Lucille and John Hogg, a pair of Wyoming cattle ranchers. The Hoggs then took the ferret to their local taxidermist, who confirmed its identity.

Conservationists soon found the remnant population on a nearby ranch and brought the 18 survivors into captivity to help increase their numbers. Today, thanks to careful captive breeding and strategic releases, about 300 to 400 black-footed ferrets scamper about North America.

A New Zealand storm-petrel sails over the sea. Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Aviceda

With nearly 100 different species of seabirds breeding on its shores and islands, New Zealand is sometimes called the Seabird Capital of the World. But habitat loss and predation by invasive mammals have caused the nations seabird numbers to plummet.

For the entire twentieth century, there was not a single recorded observation of a New Zealand storm-petrela species only known to science because of three specimens collected in the nineteenth centuryand so it was presumed extinct. (The New Zealand storm-petrel is one of about two-dozen storm-petrel species.) The situation shifted in 2003, when birders photographed a member of the long-lost storm-petrel species. Two years later, one of these sparrow-sized birds flew onto the boat of a conservation ranger-turned-fisher who was able to identify the species.

With these two encounters assuring scientists that the storm-petrels were out there, Chris Gaskin, a founding member of the Northern New Zealand Seabird Trust, and his collaborators spent years trying to find more of them and figure out where they nest.

The birds are small, nocturnal, and spend most of their lives at seaall of which made them difficult to track down. They largely eluded the scientists until 2013, when Gaskin and his team finally found a nesting site. Theyve since captured 400 birds, but Gaskin believes there could be a few thousand alive. Still, the storm-petrels situation remains precarious, Gaskin says, since the team only knows of a single site where they breed and nest. Chances are theyre on other islands, Gaskin says. We just havent discovered them.

The worlds biggest bee seems like it would be hard to overlook. But following heavy deforestation in its native habitatthe North Molucca Islands in IndonesiaWallaces giant bee went missing for nearly 40 years.

Dwarfing your average honeybee, Wallaces giant bee has enormous mandibles (jaws) and a 2.5-inch wingspanabout the width of a tennis ball. The species was named for its discoverer, Alfred Russel Wallace, a British naturalist and entomologist, who published a joint paper with Charles Darwin in 1858 arguing the theory of evolution through natural selection. Aside from Wallaces first identification, the only other recorded sighting of this outsize insect occurred in 1981 when entomologist Adam Messer collected a few specimens. Wallaces giant bee then went MIA until earlier this year.

In January 2019, a search team found a single female. The teams photographs and videos are the first-ever documentation of a live specimen of Wallace's giant bee.

Because species this rare can become targets for collectors, Simon Robinson, an Australian biologist on the trip, told Douglas Quenqua at The New York Times that he and his team are keeping the exact location of their discovery quiet. They hope they can learn more about this ultra-rare species and how to help its numbers buzz back.

The Fernandina giant tortoise was extinct for more than 100 years. But on February 17, 2019, researchers found one. Washington Tapia, director of the Galpagos Conservancys Giant Tortoise Restoration Initiative, and his team discovered the female tortoise on the island of Fernandina in the Galapagos, the first of her kind spotted since 1906.

The team had found a clue suggesting the species still roamed Fernandina Island several years prior. In 2015, Galpagos National Park ranger Jeffreys Malaga and Charles Darwin Foundation researcher Patricia Jaramillo spotted feces they believed belonged to the species. Because Fernandina Island is an active volcano, its terrain is challenging to navigate, so it took Tapia years to finally track down the poo-producing (or so he presumes) tortoise. She is now the only known survivor of her kind.

But, based on tracks found it the area, it looks like there may be more Fernandina giant tortoises out there. It created hope for people to know conservation is possible and that changing human activities is necessary for it to continue, Tapia told National Geographic. This female is estimated to be 100 years old, but she could live to be 200. If more tortoises are found, she could have another century to breed and help her species rebound.

The crested gecko is now one of the most popular species of lizard in the reptile pet trade. Image Credit: Sukee Bennett, WGBH

The crested gecko is unique in many ways. It can lick its own eyeballs and use electromagnetism to stick to walls. Its coloration and scale patterns vary wildly between individuals, and it has a spiky fringe that fans out above its eyes, earning it the nickname eyelash gecko. It also has the distinction of going unseen by humans longer than any other species on this list.

After its identification in 1866 by a French zoologist named Alphone Guichenot, the crested gecko was not seen again for nearly 130 years. In 1994, this little reptile, which at around 35 grams weighs about the same as 7 nickels, was rediscovered. During an expedition led by German herpetologist Robert Seipp, scientists found the crested gecko on its native islands of New Caledonia, a French territory in the South Pacific.

Soon after the crested geckos reemergence, several live specimens were collected on the islands and brought to Europe and the United States for research. Some specimens were also bred in captivity. While the export of crested geckos from the wild is now prohibited, captive breeding has been very successful: This species is now one of the most commonly owned pet lizards in the world.

Its not just fauna that sometimes reappear on our radar. Some plants only grow in incredibly remote locations, meaning its difficult for humans to know if theyre still around.

One such plant, a hibiscus relative known as Hibiscadelphus woodii, wasrediscovered in January 2019 on a remote cliff in the Kalalau Valley in Kauai, Hawaii: It wasnt spotted by an extreme expeditioner, but rather a drone surveying the cliff face. The found specimen was not flowering, but its species produces bright yellow blooms that transform to purple over time.

First discovered by botanist Kenneth R. Wood and his colleagues in 1991, this hibiscus relative was listed as presumed extinct in 2016 after seven years without a single sighting. Until, that is, a team of researchers flew a drone to scour the hidden ridges deep within the Kalalau Valley. They captured images of a shrub that resembled H. woodii peeking out of the steep rocks that line the Kalalau Valley. This location is home to many threatened plant species, but because they grow so far down on the steep cliff, they are largely inaccessible.

Though researchers were unable to reach the plant by hiking or rappelling, in February, drones once again helped them confirm the sighting. Now, drones may even be sent back into the valley to collect clippings that scientists could use to learn more about the plant, and potentially help it recover by growing cuttings in a greenhouse.

Ben Nyberg, who worked with National Tropical Botanical Garden on this rediscovery project, told Zo Schlanger at Quartz this is the first instance he knows of in which a drone was used to rediscover a presumably extinct plant species.

A Takah sports an antenna so that scientists can monitor its movements. Data like this can better help researchers protect endangered species. Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons, russellstreet

Along with its namesake storm-petrel, New Zealand is home to another bird that famously surprised scientists with its reemergence: the takah. Like most birds in New Zealand, takah numbers were hit hard when Polynesian voyagers, and then European settlers, introduced rats, stoats, possums, and other predators to a country with no native land mammals.

Faced with a host of new threats, nearly 60 of New Zealands bird species went extinctand for about 50 years the large, flightless takah was believed to be among them.

At the turn of the nineteenth century, its iridescent blue and green feathers were scarcely seen. But in 1948, driven by promising tracks and photographs, an expedition set out to see if any takah had somehow survived. Physician Geoffrey Orbell and his team uncovered a small population of the birds in the remote Murchison Mountains, to the delight of the nation.

Scientists still dont understand how this population escaped predation. But they have since helped takah numbers increase through captive breeding and release onto pest-free islands and fenced-in sanctuaries cleared of mammalian predators. Today, there are approximately 350 takah in New Zealand.

A Lord Howe stick insect at the Melbourne Museum in Melbourne, Australia. Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Peter Halasz

Nicknamed the tree lobster, the Lord Howe stick insect is about the size of a human hand. It inhabits Lord Howe Island, about 350 miles off Australias east coast. And like many island-dwelling species, the Lord Howe stick insect was no match for rats, which invaded the island when a ship crashed nearby in 1918. Just a few years later, the insects were difficult to find. In 1960, experts declared them extinct.

Unlike the other species on this list, the reemergence of the Lord Howe stick insect came down to genetics. In 2001, scientists found similar-looking stick insects on nearby islands. They looked different enough, though, that many experts doubted they could be tree lobsters.

To find out, scientists sequenced the genome of the newly discovered insects (a massive genome about 25 percent larger than the human genome) and found that the variation was small enough for them to be considered the same species. Scientists have since bred more from this population. They hope to one day reintroduce the tree lobster to Lord Howe Islandif theyre able to reduce or eliminate invasive rat populations.

Go here to read the rest:
Scientists use animals and technology to rediscover eight extinct species | NOVA - NOVA Next

Every generation of the Pokmon games can be defined by its starters. These are the three Pokmon that the player gets to choose from at the beginning of the game. They are always of the Fire, Water, and Grass types and are usually strong enough to remain by the players side throughout the game. The original starters Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle remain some of the most iconic Pokmon after over 20 years.

Leading up to the release of Pokmon Sword and Shield, the fandom was divided (all in good fun this time) among players who planned to start with the gregarious Grass-type Grookey, the weepy Water-type Sobble, and the flamboyant Fire-type Scorbunny. But regardless of which starter everyone chose, the next big question on everyones minds was: What will their evolutions look like? Because starter Pokmon always evolve twice throughout the game from a small, cute pocket monster to a big, scary final evolution. Evolved Pokmon are stronger than their lesser forms, able to learn the most powerful moves and hold their ground against the other legendary monsters that populate their world.

In the real world, just like in Pokmon, evolution refers to the process whereby one species transforms into another species. However, in nature evolution occurs via a process that Charles Darwin called natural selection. In short, new species arise as the result of small inherited genetic variations that convey survival advantages. These variations build up over time until a new species has differentiated from its predecessor. The variations are the result of genetic mutations, which can be caused by a variety of mechanisms such as errors in DNA replication and exposure to mutagenic substances. Suffice to say, the natural process of evolution takes many generations of being exposed to specific natural selection pressures.

In Pokmon, however, the term evolution is used in the broadest sense not to describe the specific process of evolution by natural selection, but rather as a catch-all term for the transformation of one Pokmon species into another. The choice to use the word evolution goes back to the original Japanese versions of the game, which used the Japanese word shinka literally evolution. Yet while Pokmons evolution does not map one-to-one to the scientific concept of evolution, it does map strongly to another biological concept: the life cycle.

In biology, life cycle refers to the series of major biological changes an organism goes through during its lifetime. The butterfly provides an elegant example: It starts life as an egg that then hatches to become a caterpillar. That caterpillar eats and grows until it can grow a chrysalis around itself. Within the chrysalis, it goes through metamorphosis and transforms into a beautiful butterfly. That butterfly grows, mates, and lays eggs, and the cycle begins again. Thats a life cycle.

There are multiple Bug-type Pokmon that go through this exact life cycle. Caterpie, the caterpillar Pokmon, evolves into a glorified chrysalis called Metapod and then soon after evolves again into the butterfly Pokmon Butterfree. Caterpies evolution maps one-to-one to the life cycle of real-world butterflies.

All of this makes a lot of sense once you learn a bit about Pokmons creator, Satoshi Tajiri of Game Freak. In a 1999 interview, Tajiri revealed that he had a deep interest in bug collecting as a child. Tajiri lamented seeing urbanization of his hometown reduce the number and variety of bugs for children to collect, and this directly inspired Pokmons game design.

Tajiri was not asked about the choice to use the word shinka (evolution) specifically, but it seems evident that the word is used in the broadest possible sense. Rather than mapping to the scientific concept of evolution by natural selection, evolution in Pokmon describes the transformation from one species into another species by any mechanism. Even the term species is used in a not-quite-biological way it is applied to the different stages of the life cycle of a single Pokmon. In biology, we consider organisms at different stages of their life cycle to be the same species, but in Pokmon theyre called different species.

We can even note Pokmons representation of evolution-as-life-cycle in the context of the game systems. Pokmon is a Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) and uses a system whereby experience points (XP) are earned by battling Pokmon against each other. Once enough XP is accrued, the Pokmon gains a level, which makes it stronger. Many Pokmon evolve once they hit a certain level in the game. Its almost like the levels actually represent age. If imagined in this hypothetical light, once a Pokmon hits a certain age, it evolves and advances along its life cycle.

While a lot of the Bug-type Pokmon evolve in a way reminiscent of a butterfly, starter Pokmon evolution looks a lot like the life cycle that mammals go through. Think about the human life cycle humans start out as babies (the first stage), then go through a period of rapid growth (adolescence, the second stage), and finally become adults (the third stage). The evolution of the starter Pokmon in each generation follows this same path. In fact, the visual design of the starter Pokmon is often directly inspired by the toddler-adolescent-adult transformation many animals undergo during their natural life cycle in the real world.

While a lot of Pokmon evolve upon hitting a certain level of experience, there are others who only evolve after being exposed to certain items. Take Pikachu, for example. Pikachu is without a doubt the most famous of all Pokmon, but many outsiders may not realize that Pikachu can evolve into a bigger, stronger Pokmon named Raichu. In order to evolve into Raichu, Pikachu needs to be exposed to an item called a Thunder Stone. No matter how much experience and how many levels Pikachu has earned, the Thunder Stone is the key to reaching the next stage of its life cycle. There are many other Pokmon that require an elemental stone to evolve as well, but they all basically follow the same life cycle as Pikachu.

It might be hard to imagine theres a real-world equivalent to this kind of life cycle in nature, but it does indeed exist. To find it, we must look to Tajiris beloved world of insects once again. The closest real-world life cycle that matches the evolution of Pikachu and the other elemental stone Pokmon is the honey bee! Yes, the very same honey bee species that is responsible for making that sweet treat we all love.

Honey bees have three different forms they can take. There are worker bees, who are all infertile females and are responsible for, well, doing all the work such as gathering pollen, taking care of the hive, and so forth. Then there are the drones, all of whom are male, who mainly exist for the purpose of mating. And finally, there are the queen bees. Queen bees are all female just like worker bees, but they are larger and they are fertile. Their job is, essentially, to mate with the drones and lay tons of eggs.

Any fertilized honey bee egg has the potential to become a queen bee. In fact, a worker bee and a queen bee could be genetic clones, but they are very different anatomically, physiologically, and behaviorally. These differences arise because the queen bee is fed large amounts of a special food the worker bees produce called royal jelly. While all honey bee larvae eat small quantities of royal jelly, the queen bee larvae are literally swimming in it. There is evidence that the royal jelly has an effect on the epigenetic state that is, the activation and deactivation state of various genes of the queen bee larvaes genome. These changes prioritize metabolism and maintain fertility while deprioritizing features queen bees dont need, like pollen-collecting baskets. The end result is a completely different type of bee from the workers, all because the larvae were exposed to a large amount of royal jelly.

So perhaps, in the Pokmon world, a Thunder Stone behaves like royal jelly for a Pikachu activating and deactivating genes and leading to a transformation into another, more advanced form. And that may also explain why the elemental stones cause multiple different Pokmon to evolve into their final forms. Perhaps the epigenetic effect works on more than one species.

In a recent interview, Pokmon Sword and Shield director Shigeru Ohmori and producer Junichi Masuda admitted that they werent sure how evolution works biologically in the Pokmon world. Masuda even said that the science of how Pokmon work isnt really set in stone. But even if the scientific details of how it works in the Pokmon world arent clear, its certainly true that a lot about Pokmon evolution is inspired by real-world biological life cycles.

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The Real-World Science That Underlies Pokmon Evolution (and Thunder Stones) - The Escapist

Two-and-a-half weeks after elite runner Mary Cain aired allegations of forced weight loss and public shaming in a Nike-supported running program, she is still calling for a third-party investigation into the matter.

Her op-ed video I Was the Fastest Girl in America for The New York Times had more than six million views as of Monday afternoon. Cain, who signed up with the now-disbanded Nike Oregon Project in 2013, claimed the programs coach Alberto Salazar publicly shamed her for not being thin enough and bred an eating disorder culture. She exited the program in 2016 after allegedly telling Salazar she has been cutting herself as a form of a self-harm, essentially getting no reaction and phoning her parents to share her problems.

In late September, Salazar was handed a four-year ban from the U.S. Anti-Doping Association for orchestrating and facilitating prohibited doping conduct at Nikes Oregon Project. Nike Inc. executives initially stood by Salazar and then back-peddled days later, cutting ties with the former Olympian. In response to Cains video, Nike challenged Cain in a statement issued earlier this month for not raising her concerns in April when she was looking to rejoin the program. The company also announced plans to launch an immediate investigation to hear from former Oregon Project athletes.

But Cain said Friday, I havent heard much more beyond [that and] they dont seem willing to do a third-party investigation even though I called for it. There really hasnt been much change from their platform and position, so there really hasnt been from mine either.

Should Nike commit to a third-party investigation, Cain said she would happily cooperate. As for whether there will be any legal ramifications against Nike, she said, I dont really know going forward. The truth is a lot of that Im keeping closer to my chest.

A Nike spokesman did not acknowledge requests for comment Monday about the status of the investigation, with specific questions including whether there will be a third-party investigation.

Speaking in broader terms, the recent Fordham grad said she is a big believer in Corporate Social Responsibility in that companies are not people. They are made up of people. The individuals within a company should step up in situations like this and really demand change. If they really believe in a product that they are trying to sell, then they should make sure they are doing it responsibly. And they should make sure that the people they are using for advertising and to sell that product are being treated properly.

She added, In situations like this, a brand should step up and say, Hey, we messed up. Lets do a third-party investigation and make sure that we get this right for the future. Thats the responsible thing to do.

From her perspective, internal investigations inhibit athletes from speaking openly because thats their sponsor and how they make money. Cain said. The company has kind of victim-blamed me in a lot of their statements so that will breed mistrust and a little bit of confusion as to what they plan on doing within an investigation and whether it will be taken seriously.

On a typical day Cain runs between six and 14 miles. Her 30-hour weekly training schedule is comparable to her training at the Oregon Project time-wise, but it is more balanced. She spends 10 hours running with the remaining 20 hours related to recovery. Back then it was 30 hours of heavy training. Now there is more recovery work, physical therapy and things that are less intensive, but that are still time commitments, she said.

Asked if she has signed any new endorsement deals, Cain said, Oh, no, no, this is not why I did this. But after the op-ed broke, various brands sent her running gear. Cain declined to identify any of the companies. She said, The biggest thing that Ive appreciated is that a lot of brands have stepped up and sent me stuff. As a professional runner, for many years Ive been given Nike clothes. Its been kind of cool and fun to try something new and to do something that I havent done in six years train in non-Nike gear.

In a study of Division 1 NCAA athletes, more than one-third of female athletes reported attitudes and symptoms placing them at risk for anorexia nervosa, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. Non-athletes are also suffering from eating disorders more than 10 million American women alone. The issue has been an area of great concern in fashion where models livelihoods are tied to their physiques. Council of Fashion Designers of America first zeroed in on the problem in 2007, by circulating its Health Initiative.

All in all, Cain said she never imagined her story would break past the track world, she said. I just honestly assumed that most people were so ingrained within the system that the reaction would be 50-50 positive and negative. I just genuinely did not expect it to have such an international and national reach. Its really hopeful that it did, because it means theres more opportunity for change. But its almost sad that it did, because it shows how systemic it is and how broadly people can empathize and sympathize with such and experiences. It really does transcend sport.

Allowing that being lean and strong can be desirable for performance, Cain emphasized that taking arbitrary numbers just to be skinny does not create strength and power. And it doesnt make a good athlete. The issue with my story was not the fact that I had a coach who wanted me to lose weight. Sometimes athletes are expected to lose weight over the course of the season. But usually they work with a professional nutritionist. Theres not some arbitrary target thats trying to be reached. Its more go through the process train hard, eat well. Maybe weight would fall off, maybe it wont. Rather than almost targeting a look, she said.

Competitive sports like gymnastics, wrestling, long-distance running, figure skating, diving and dancing may have greater risks of eating disorders, since body size is highly scrutinized among some competitors. With figure skaters, ballerinas and runners, there is very much a picturesque view that the coach will put on the board to say you have to look like that. Genetics dont work like that, Cain said. Societal pressures can really force girls to look one specific way, when in reality theres not one way to be good.

Kara Goucher, Yoder Begley and other world-class runners substantiated Cains claims and pledged their support earlier this month. Goucher offered to share her own experiences via social media. Cain has yet to meet with any of them in the past few weeks, due to geographical challenges. It is really cool to know now that I have this almost second team. Ive obviously made a lot of great connections through this, said Cain, adding she periodically receives texts from supporters to see how she is doing.

While some in the media and via social media have challenged The New York Times for not recognizing Cains struggles when she was profiled for a 2015 magazine piece, Cain defended the new outlet. I was so in the system. They kept the door closed on the reporter [Lindsay Crouse], who I worked with so tightly. I was in college at the time and they made it so difficult for her to get in touch with me. Any time they were going to sit down and talk, a coach or somebody had to be in the room. The process was very difficult. The truth is it was a cult and we really didnt let people in behind the closed doors ever, Cain said. I absolutely dont hold anybody accountable for having not known what was going on. At that time, I wasnt even fully vocal with my parents let alone a reporter I didnt know.

She continued, In any situation like this, theres a tendency to cast blame whether its on the victim, family, friends, the sports world, media anything. But its most important to reflect on the fact that this is systemic and yes, in my case, there were certain bad eggs. But the truth is so much of what I went through so many people do. Its about rewriting the general, societal and cultural pressures that we put on people to make sure this doesnt happen again.

Cultural awareness, as in high school and NCAA coaches discussing the issue with their teams to make people feel comfortable about being more open and talking about their experiences, would be a good starting point, according to Cain. Longer-term, educational programs for coaches and athletes are needed, perhaps along the lines of sexual abuse awareness ones that have proven to be effective, she said. By doing so, athletes would recognize instances of abuse before they escalate to remove themselves or to cause the abuser to be removed sooner.

With an undergrad degree in business and having completed her premed requirements, Cains short-term career plans are to pursue running. On a broader sense, she aims to take on advocacy roles for women in sports with the hope of changing the system. Longer-term, Im not quite sure. In so many ways, I just love athletics. It would be really hard for me to pivot outside of the sports world. But I have so many aspirations in that regard that Im just going to let the next few years play out and take it one step at a time, Cain said.

As for whether Cain has any regrets, she said there are always regrets after situations like this. But she reminds herself that some of the issues that she suffered from at the Oregon Project are systemic throughout running. I cant say with confidence that had I not been in the NCAA or gone to another program that some of these issues wouldnt have still been a problem, she said. Based on the reaction of my piece, its really clear that a lot of girls on so many different levels within the sport go through this. My experience was particularly egregious, based on the nature of it being a professional program. But nonetheless, that does not mean it was a one-off take. Its easy to look back and say, Oh, I should have done something sooner or I shouldnt have listened to them. But I believe that everything happens for a reason. Its incredibly sad to reflect upon what happened. But I cant live my life with regret because then you can never move forward.

Originally posted here:
Mary Cain Still Calling on Nike to Hold Third-Party Probe Into Disbanded Oregon Project - WWD