For us, stock picking is in large part the hunt for the truly magnificent stocks. But when you hold the right stock for the right time period, the rewards can be truly huge. One such superstar is CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP), which saw its share price soar 305% in three years. On top of that, the share price is up 62% in about a quarter. But this move may well have been assisted by the reasonably buoyant market (up 30% in 90 days).

View our latest analysis for CRISPR Therapeutics

While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.

CRISPR Therapeutics became profitable within the last three years. That kind of transition can be an inflection point that justifies a strong share price gain, just as we have seen here.

You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

We know that CRISPR Therapeutics has improved its bottom line lately, but is it going to grow revenue? This free report showing analyst revenue forecasts should help you figure out if the EPS growth can be sustained.

Were pleased to report that CRISPR Therapeutics rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 27% over the last year. But the three year TSR of 59% per year is even better. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Take risks, for example CRISPR Therapeutics has 3 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges.

Love or hate this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.

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Shareholders Are Raving About How The CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) Share Price Increased 305% - Simply Wall St

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

(Editors note: This article about a breakthrough technology bootstrapped with a loan from NCBiotech originally appeared Friday, June 12, in the Duke University Medical School online publicationMagnify. Used with permission.)

DURHAM Life scientists love antibodies, not only because these little proteins help protect us all from pathogens, but because antibodies are also a very handy laboratory tool for identifying and marking proteins of interest in their research.

When youre trying to find something very tiny, you need an itty bitty flag to mark it. Thats an antibody.

Like most life science researchers, Duke cell biology chairScott Soderlinghas been reliant on custom antibodies, molecules made-to-order by hundreds of different supply labs that help scientists find and mark specific proteins in cell cultures and living organisms.

But theres a problem, he explains in the small conference room adjacent to his Nanaline Duke office. Fifty percent of the antibodies on the market are junk. Theyre not specific. They might bind what you think they bind, but then they bind to other things you dont know about, or they dont even bind what you want to bind to at all.

Worse than that, one batch of bespoke antibodies may not be the same as the last one. Say you have a perfect antibody that binds exactly what you want and nothing else. And then you order the next lot and theres a different preparation from a different animal, and youre back to square one. It doesnt work.

Scott Soderling. Les Todd photo

Its thought that these bad antibodies lead to a large fraction of the irreproducible results, Soderling says. So it costs money, it costs time and it costs credibility. This is a huge problem for science, both academic and industry. In part, the problem stems from the fact that custom antibody manufacturing techniques date to the 1970s, he says.

But Soderling has founded a Duke spinout company he hopes will solve the reliability problem.CasTag BioSciencesis based on a technology developed in his lab that marks proteins of interest in an entirely new way, using the genome-editing tool CRISPR.

One major thrust of Soderlings research has been identifying proteins in the synapses of the brain, the tiny gaps between nerve cells where signals are transmitted and received. All that signaling is regulated by specific proteins. But identifying all of those proteins in the synapse and interpreting what theyre saying to the cell is a huge problem in a very tiny space. Antibodies are a key tool, but the work has been frustrating and slow, in part because of the difficulty of working with custom antibodies.

About three years ago, as news of the new gene-editing technology called CRISPR spread, Soderling and his team wanted to see if it might give them a better way to label and visualize the hundreds and even thousands of proteins they were detecting in the tiny synapse between neurons.

We had this idea that CRISPR could be a really amazing tool to address the pressing problem of trying to identify and label these hundreds of proteins, Soderling says. What we developed was a new modular method for basically taking the labeling problem and flipping it on its head.

Theyre using CRISPR to edit short sequences into a gene so that every protein it produces carries a tag they have created that is detected by a known, reliable and well-characterized antibody, rather than a shot-in-the-dark custom antibody.

Based on CRISPR gene editing technology, Homology-independentUniversal Genome Engineering, or HiUGE, uses adeno-associatedvirusesto deliver multiple plug and play gene sequencesto a varietyof cellsin a lab dish or a living organism. (The colored neurons in thisimage are in a mouse brain.)

These antibodies recognize a small segment of amino acid sequences, Soderling explains. So we just take the DNA encoding those amino acids the handle and we plop that handle right into the gene in vivo, or in the cell, Soderling says.

After the proof-of-concept experiments produced beautiful protein labeling in the mouse brain, Soderling looked at the images and said, Okay its huge.

Indeed, they dubbed their new system HiUGE (homology-independent universal genome engineering), and it might just be huge indeed.

Theyve taken to calling it plug and play biology, because with just a few of their tags, they can address hundreds of unknown proteins, and they can even put multiple tags into a gene at the same time. Soderling says the system is modular and easy to use, which will enable semi-automated, high-throughput approaches to labeling proteins.

By way of analogy, think of a delivery truck driver going slowly down the block after dark in a downpour looking for house number 2345. What Soderling and his team have done is put a bright sign on every house numbered 2345 that says Hey UPS! Over here!

The HiUGE system is delivered to living cells, either in a dish or in an organism, by a pair of adeno-associated viruses working as a team. One virus carries guide RNA which will mark the spot at which CRISPR should cut the DNA and insert a new piece of code. The second adeno-associated virus carries the payload, a tag or tags theyve devised that will now be built into every protein that gene subsequently produces.

The vectors, including a synthetic guide RNA and HiUGE tags, are agnostic, or homology-independent, as the name implies. They dont care what gene is around them. We designed this guide RNA so that it specifically doesnt recognize anything in the mouse, human, monkey, cat or donkey genomes, Soderling says.

Its a clever way to explore the unknown.

Not only does this approach advance their own work, Soderling began to realize that a fast, flexible, more accurate way to tag proteins might also be a business opportunity. With a little research, he figured out that custom antibodies are a $2.4 billion market again, with products that only work as advertised half the time.

He reached out to Dukes Office of Licensing and Ventures (OLV) to begin the patenting process and to get some advice on starting a company. Then I had to find a way to run the business, because I already have a great day job. In fact, he had also just been named chair of cell biology at about the same time.

At OLVs recommendation, Soderling visited Biolabs North Carolina, a shared workspace in the Chesterfield Building in downtown Durham which leases individual wet-lab benches on a month-to-month basis and provides all the basic equipment a startup would need, including refrigeration, gene-copying PCR machines, centrifuges, etc. He pitched his idea to Biolabs and had a look around.

The next day, BioLabs NC president Ed Field called Soderling and asked if hed like some help running the business. Field, a startup veteran, is now the CEO of CasTag. The firm has raised enough money with a loan from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center to hire a recent Fuqua Business School graduate as the business development lead and a former postdoc for Soderling to run the lab part-time while he looks for a job in industry.

Weve got a website. Weve got orders. Weve got customers. Its up and running, Soderling says, with a measure of wonder in his voice. His conference talks about HiUGE and a July 1, 2019 paper in Neuron attracted some attention. Then the paper was republished as one of the journals best of 2018-2019, drawing still more notice.

And now they also have ideas for new products. Im hoping that this will expand and become even bigger than just tagging proteins, Soderling says.

You know, North Carolina was a manufacturing state back in the day, says Soderling, a soft-spoken native Tennessean. I would love to wake up some day and drive into downtown Durham and see one of the former manufacturing warehouses humming away with people making these reagents to ship out around the world. Thats the dream.

Durham academic research services companyResearch Squarehas producedthis 3 1/2-minute Vimeo videoexplaining the CasTag BioSciences technology.

(c) North Carolina Biotechnology Center

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Duke spinout CasTag BioSciences builds a better protein trap with boost from NCBiotech - WRAL Tech Wire

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Global Molecular Diagnostics Market - Technologies, Products, Applications and End-Use Sectors" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the global market for Molecular Diagnostics has created mixed opportunities for manufacturers all over the world. While some of the application segments, such as infectious diseases, is projected to record the highest growth during the pandemic period of 2019-2022, other applications such as oncology, etc. are estimated to face a reduction in demand during the same period.

The Global Molecular Diagnostics market has generated a revenue of US$10.85 billion in 2019 and is estimated to be just over US$15 billion in 2020. During 2019 to 2022 period, which is said to be influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Infectious Diseases segment is anticipated to gain rapid demand, growing at a robust CAGR of 14.9%. The Infectious Diseases segment, in which Covid-19 testing is a part, is estimated to generate an extra revenue of US$3.8 billion globally in 2020 compared to 2019.

Research Findings & Coverage

Key Topics Covered:

PART A: GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE

1. INTRODUCTION

2. KEY MARKET TRENDS

2.1 Speedier Results Promised by New Test for COVID-19

2.2 COVID-19 Pandemic Takes Korean Testing Kits Demand to New Heights

2.3 New CRISPR-Based Technology Developed for COVID-19 Identification

2.4 Tracing Incidences of Salmonella Food-Poisoning to be Enhanced through New DNA Test

2.5 Molecular Diagnostics of Infectious Diseases Undergo Dramatic Advancements

2.6 Monitoring Treatment of Residual Disease in High-Risk Neuroblastoma Patients Facilitated by Innovative Method

2.7 Time for Diagnosing Sepsis Shortened Significantly Via Novel Next-Generation Sequencing Technique

2.8 Monitoring Antimalarial Drug Resistance Made Easier by Blood Drop Assay

2.9 Silicon Based-Nanostructured Microfluidics - A Novel Molecular Diagnostic Technology for Fetal Aneuploidy

2.10 Creation of Novel and Powerful Adaptive PCR Technique for Rapid Genetic Analysis

2.11 Web Tool Foretells Phenotypes Using little DNA Sample

2.12 Emergence of CRISPR as a Novel Molecular Diagnostic Tool

3. KEY GLOBAL PLAYERS

4. KEY BUSINESS TRENDS

5. GLOBAL MARKET OVERVIEW

PART B: REGIONAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE

REGIONAL MARKET OVERVIEW

6. NORTH AMERICA

7. EUROPE

8. ASIA-PACIFIC

9. REST OF WORLD

PART C: GUIDE TO THE INDUSTRY

PART D: ANNEXURE

Companies Mentioned

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7q2nqy

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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[269 Pages Report] Mice Model Market report categorizes the Global market by Type (Inbred, Knockout, Hybrid), Technology (CRISPR, Microinjection), Application (Oncology, Diabetes), Service (Breeding, Quarantine, Genetic testing) & Care Products (Bedding, Feed) & Geography. COVID-19 impact on Mice Model Industry.

MarketsandMarkets forecaststhemice model marketto grow from USD 1.11 billion in 2016 to USD 1.59 billion by 2021, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.5%during the forecast period. The growth of the market can be attributed to ongoing innovations in mice models, continuous support in the form of investments and grants, and growing demand for humanized mice models.

By Technology, the CRISPR technology segment to account for the largest share of the global mice model market in 2016

Based on technology, the market is segmented into CRISPR/Cas9, microinjection, embryonic stem cell injection, nuclear transfer, and other technologies. The CRISPR technology accounts for the largest share of the global mice model market in 2016.

The large share of this segment can primarily be attributed to the fact that CRISPR is the most widely used technique due to the various advantages associated with it, such as ease of design, high efficiency, and relatively low cost.

Emergence of CRISPR as a powerful tool in the field of biomedical research

CRISPR (clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeat) is seen as a revolutionary technology for gene editing. The use of Cas9 enzyme differentiates CRISPR from other forms of genetic modification.

This technology edits and rearranges genes by cutting out damaged or unwanted parts of the DNA, allowing the remaining DNA to be rearranged in a new way.

Moreover, this fast, precise, and easy-to-use technology is considered as a revolutionary tool in research, and there is an intense interest to validate its therapeutic usage in humans.

CRISPR was first shown to work in mouse and human cells less than three years ago and has already been applied to a range of biological systems and disease areas. CRISPR is used in the development of genetically modified mice strains, making the process not only quicker but also less expensive.

Thus, the emergence of CRISPR as a popular technology is expected to offer potential growth opportunities in the coming years.

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North America to account for the largest market size during the forecast period.

North America is accounted for the largest share of the market. North Americas leadership in the market can be attributed to the increased focus on biomedical research in the U.S., rising demands for monoclonal antibody production, nexus between CROs and pharmaceutical companies, continued and responsible use of animals ensured by animal care organizations, rising preclinical activities by CROs and pharmaceutical companies, and growing stem cell research in Canada.

Asia Pacific is the third-largest market for mice model market and is slated to register the highest CAGR of 7.9% during the forecast period. The high growth in the region can be attributed to less stringent regulations on the use of animal models for research in the region, international alliances for R&D activities in China, growth in regenerative medicine, biomedical, and medical research in Japan, growing presence of global players, development of bioclusters to boost the biotechnology industry in India, ongoing biomedical research activities in Australia, and rising pharmaceutical & biotechnology R&D activities.

Key Market Players

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (U.S.), The Jackson Laboratory (U.S.), Taconic Biosciences, Inc.(U.S.), TRANS GENIC Inc. (Japan), Horizon Discovery Group plc (U.S.), Envigo (U.K.), Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (U.S.), and genOway (France).

Charles River Laboratories is a leading player in the global mice models and services market. The mice models offered by the company include inbred, outbred, hybrid, immunodeficient, congenic, and genetically engineered mice.

The company also offers mice modeling services such as surgical services for rodents, genetic testing services, colony management services, and health monitoring services. The strong portfolio enables the company to increase collaboration with clientsfrom early lead generation to candidate selection.

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Biotech companies from across the globe are posting strong data at the Virtual Edition of the 25th European Hematology Association (EHA25) Annual Congress. Below is a roundup of some of the news coming out of the virtual conference.

bluebird bio Data from a Phase I/II study of Cambridge, Mass.-based bluebird bios gene therapy treatment LentiGlobin in adult patients with sickle cell disease has shown a show a near-complete reduction of serious vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) and acute chest syndrome (ACS), the company said. VOCs are life-threatening episodes that are the primary manifestation of sickle cell disease. A nearly complete elimination of this demonstrates the potential of LentiGlobin in this indication, David Davidson, the chief medical officer at bluebird said in a statement. Data from the Phase I/II study showed a 99.5% reduction in the annualized rate of vaso-occlusive crises (VOC) and acute chest syndrome in patients. Two years after those patients remained free from VOCs and ACS, bluebird said.

These results illustrate the type of outcomes we believe are needed to provide truly meaningful improvements for people living with sickle cell disease. In addition, the improvement of laboratory measures of hemolysis and red cell physiology, with nearly pan-cellular distribution of the anti-sickling HbAT87Q, suggest LentiGlobin for SCD may substantially modify the causative pathophysiology of SCD, he said.

Based on these results, bluebird said it plans to seek an accelerated approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for LentiGlobin in this indication.

Additionally, bluebird released data from its Phase III study of betibeglogene autotemcel (formerly LentiGlobin gene therapy for -thalassemia) in transfusion-dependent -thalassemia. Data showed the majority of patients achieved transfusion independence and were able to maintain it with near-normal hemoglobin levels, bluebird said.

CRISPR Therapeutics Working with its partner Vertex Pharmaceuticals, CRISPR Therapeutics presented new clinical data for CTX001, an investigational CRISPR/Cas9 gene therapy, from the CLIMB-111 and CLIMB-121 Phase I/II trials in transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia (TDT) and severe sickle cell disease, respectively. In the CLIMB-111 trial, data demonstrated clinical proof-of-concept for CTX001 in TDT based on the first patient dosed. Updated data presented at the conference showed that 15 months following treatment with CTX001, the patient was transfusion independent. Data from the second patient treated with CTX001 was also promising. After five months, the patient was transfusion independent. Both patients experienced serious adverse events, but they were determined to not be related to the treatment.

In the CLIMB-121 trial, the data showed that nine months after CTX001 infusion, the patient was free of VOCs, transfusion independent and had improved hemoglobin levels. The patient that formed the basis for this early study also experienced SAEs, but they were determined to not be related to the treatment.

ADC Therapeutics Less than a month after it closed on a $267 million IPO, ADC Therapeutics announced updated data from its pivotal Phase II study of the companys lead candidate loncastuximab tesirine (Lonca) in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) at the conference. The company also presented interim results from its Phase I/II trial of Lonca in combination with ibrutinib. In the Phase II LOTIS 2 study, ADC said Lonca demonstrated anti-tumor activity and durability in a broad population of difficult-to-treat patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL. Data showed that Lonca provided an overall response rate of 48.3% and a complete response rate of 24.1%. The study also showed a median duration of response of 10.25 months. The company said Lonca had a manageable toxicity profile. ADC Therapeutics is on track to submit a BLA to the FDA for Lonca in the second half of this year and, if approved, the company plans to launch the product sometime in mid-2021.

ADC also noted at the conference that interim results from the Phase I/II LOTIS 3 study of a combination of Lonca and Janssens Imbruvica (ibrutinib) demonstrate the potential of Lonca to be used for earlier lines of therapy in combination with other therapies in patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL or mantle cell lymphoma. Interim data showed an ORR of 66.7% and a CRR of 50%, ADC noted.

Apellis Pharmaceuticals Waltham, Mass.-based Apellis presented results from its Phase III PEGASUS study at the conference that showed detailed data from the results first released in January, which showed superiority for pegcetacoplan over eculizumab in improving hemoglobin levels in adults with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). New data from the pivotal study showed that pegcetacoplans effect was seen consistently across the study population, both in patients who had low or no transfusion requirements and high transfusion requirements. Pegcetacoplan also demonstrated a robust response across several key hematologic and clinical measures for PNH. The study showed that 71% of pegcetacoplan-treated patients achieved LDH normalization in comparison to 15% of eculizumab-treated patients. Additionally, 73% of pegcetacoplan-treated patients achieved a clinically meaningful improvement in FACIT-fatigue score in comparison to 0% of eculizumab-treated patients, the company said.

With the strong results in hand, Apellis plans to submit a New Drug Application to the FDA and a Marketing Authorization Agreement to the European Medicines Agency for pegcetacoplan for the treatment of PNH in the second half of 2020.

Takeda Takeda Oncologyannouncedpositivedata from two studies of Ninlaro,an oral proteasome inhibitorthatis being studied across the continuum of multiple myeloma treatment settings. Phase III data from theTOURMALINE-MM4trialdemonstrate thattreatment with NINLARO resultedin a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement inprogression-free survival (PFS).This corresponds to a 34% reduction in the risk of progression or death in patients treated with Ninlaro.

Additionally, Takeda reported that real-world data from theUS MM-6studyrevealed thein-class transition from treatment with parenternal bortexomibto an oralNinlaro-based treatment resulted in an increase in overall response rate from 62% to 70% and an increase in complete response from 4% to 26%.These data suggest promising efficacy without impacting patients quality of life, with treatment taken by patients at home, the company said.

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European Hematology Association Meeting Kicks Off with Strong Data Presentations - BioSpace

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The Michigan State University Graduate Employees Union and its coalition partners in the STEM community are calling for MSU to remove Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation Stephen Hsu in a Twitter thread denouncing scientific racism, sexism, eugenicist research and conflicts of interest.

As of 9:00 a.m. Monday, a general petition has about 370 signatures and a separate petition of Michigan State professors has about 300 signatures.

Hsu was hired to lead the university's research enterprise, administering faculty and student research across the university as the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies under ex-MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon in 2012.

Scientific racism and sexism

Scientific racism is the belief that pseudoscientific evidence can support or justify racism, racial inferiority or racial superiority. The GEU compared Hsu's views to white supremacist Stefan Molyneux, including clips from a podcast between Hsu and Molyneux to support these claims.

"A video from a 2017 podcast interview with Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation Stephen Hsu has offended many people," MSU President Samuel L. Stanley said in a statement. "Regardless of his intent, the impact of his remarks was significant, insensitive and divisive.We areincredibly sorry to those who felt that impact."

Hsu responded to these accusations in a June 12 blog post, saying these clips were taken out of context and that Molyneux was, "not a controversial figure in 2017, although he has since become one."

"The attacks attempt to depict me as a racist and sexist, using short video clips out of context, and also by misrepresenting the content of some of my blog posts. A cursory inspection reveals bad faith in their presentation," he wrote. "The accusations are entirely false I am neither racist or sexist. The Twitter mobs want to suppress scientific work that they find objectionable. What is really at stake: academic freedom, open discussion of important ideas, scientific inquiry. All are imperiled and all must be defended."

The GEU's thread linked to other blog posts from Hsu that support "cognitive differences" between races such as a 2008 post about intelligence based on race, and a 2016 post about brain morphology based on race.

In wake of the national unrest to anti-Black police brutality, Hsu posted a blog entry about a 2019 study by psychology professor Joseph Cesario, concluding, "contrary to activist claims and media reports, there is no widespread racial bias in police shootings."

Hsu has also expressed his support for GRE & SAT testing concluding that they measure cognitive ability and that lack of Black and Hispanic representation in higher education reflects lower ability.

Addressing the sexism in his studies, the GEU linked a series of 2017 posts discussing hiring differences based on sex at Google and former Google employee James Damore, who dropped a lawsuit last month alleging discriminatory practices against conservative white men as part of the company's efforts to increase diversity.

In one post, Hsu argued that women were not incapable, but fewer of them were qualified to hire in the general population.

Hsu said in a different post that, "Damore is pointing out that pro-diversity objectives may incentivize managers to discriminate by gender or race in hiring and promotion.

Hsu's views on genetics do not reflect the views of the broader scientific community, according to multiple meta-analyses on the topic.

Comments under Hsu's blog posts acknowledge that the research, while showing biological differences between the sexes, was ignoring the social factors at play.

People in support of Damore stated that there were biological reasons why there were less women opting for the positions, and those against Damore claimed it was unjust for them to only focus on biological differences when there was clear societal bias.

Eugenics and conflicts of interest

The accusations tie back to Hsu's outspoken advocacy for eugenics or discouraging reproduction from those with genetic defects and disabilities with the intent of improving the quality of the human species.

In 1927, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Buck v. Bell case that forced the sterilization of female inmates did not violate the Due Process clause of theFourteenth Amendment, because the court argued that imbecility, epilepsy, and feeblemindedness are hereditary, and the inmates should be prevented from passing these defects to their children, according to The Embryo Project Encyclopedia.

This American eugenics movement helped facilitate the rise of the Nazism in the 1930's, according to The Guardian.

Nazis on trial after the war used the precedent of Buck v. Bell in their defense, according to Encyclopedia Virginia.

Supporters of the letters to remove him see Hsu as a modern eugenicistas he co-founded start-up business Genomic Prediction that aims to select embryos based on intelligence in 2007.

Maybe the bottom 1% embryo will grow up to be a great person even be a scientist, but the odds are against it, Hsu said in an article by The Guardian referenced in the thread. I honestly feel if we can calculate that score and find a real negative outlier theres an ethical responsibility for us to report that.

Additionally, he posted support of breeding super-intelligent humans, and embryo selection specifically to remove those with the possibility of developing an illness, disease or disability.

A 2019 paper on DNA trait predictions, "Genomic Prediction of 16 Complex Disease Risks Including Heart Attack, Diabetes, Breast and Prostate Cancer" had to be corrected to add Hsu's sharehold and position on board of directors for Genomic Prediction, Inc., a conflict of interest which he did not previously disclose.

Similarly, they added he did not disclose a conflict of interest in a paper on height predictions from DNA.

The administration's response

The GEU's thread, which can be read in full here, was met with support from members of the MSU community.

An open letter to the university urges Hsu's removal because he does not uphold the university mission or itscommitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

The faculty led letter was sent to Stanley on June 11, and an updated letter was sent Saturday. The letter details that Hsu's views ignore social science research and that it is disturbing for someone to have those views in a role with authoritative input to allocate funding.

Hsu wrote in his blog post, "Regarding my work as Vice President for Research, thenumbers speakfor themselves. MSU went from roughly $500 million in annual research expenditures to about $700 million during my tenure. We have often been ranked #1 in the Big Ten for research growth. I participated in the recruitment of numerous prominent female and minority professors, in fields like Precision Medicine, Genomics, Chemistry, and many others."

"Until this Twitter attack there has beennot even a single allegation(over 8 years) of bias or discrimination on my part in promotion and tenure or faculty recruitment," he said. "These are two activities at the heart of the modern research university, involving hundreds of individuals each year. Academics and Scientists must not submit to mob rule."

Supporters of his removal continue to express that this is not an issue of academic freedom, rather, that MSU's promotion of diversity and inclusion is inconsistent with allowing power to be held by someone who does not believe in it.

Stanley added the importance of the mandatory diversity, equity and inclusion training that will be implemented this fall following these claims and other incidents.

"The core mission of higher education is the advancement of knowledge, people and society including, at times, research on controversial topics," Stanley wrote. "This incident, and the many bias incidents that have negatively impactedour community, reinforce the needforall MSU faculty, staff and studentstoparticipate in education and professional development on diversity, equity and inclusion."

Michigan State also has an ongoing search for a new Chief Diversity Officer position within the administration.

The GEU finalized the thread with this statement:

"The GEU recognizes that academic freedom entitles a scholar to express ideas without professional disadvantage. However, the VP of Research and Graduate Studies has tremendous power in determining research budgets and therefore tremendous responsibility in doing so in agreement with University values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Hsu has been clear in his belief in innate group IQ differences & that systemic racism & sexism are not issues. He has demonstrated a lack of ethics by failing to disclose conflicts of interest & using his position as VP of Research to fund research that furthers systemic racism.

"Hsus belief that the lack of representation of Black and Hispanic students at universities is due to lower group ability will affect the ways the graduate school and MSU as a whole work to increase representation at the student and faculty level. Hsu's views minimize the true causes of the lack of Black students in higher education and instead lay the fault at group genetic differences. Given these views we believe it is not possible for Hsu to uphold university values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. When held by someone in charge of directing research funds and direction of graduate study, these racist beliefs deeply affect to the MSU community. MSUs credibility as a research institution is at risk if Hsu continues to influence research funding. For these reasons, we demand that @michiganstateu #FireStephenHsu."

Hsu's prior experience in academic administration was serving as director of the University of Oregons Institute for Theoretical Science, where he had been critiqued for his views.

Prior to MSU, his research and primary work had been in applications of quantum field theory, particularly to problems in quantum chromodynamics, dark energy, black holes, entropy bounds and particle physics. He also co-founded Silicon Valley companies SafeWeb and Robot Genius Inc.

The MSU Graduate Employees Union, or GEU, began this thread of Hsu's blog posts and statements in lieu of June 10's #ShutDownAcademia #ShutDownSTEM, created by Brian Nord and Chanda Prescod-Weinstein to shed light on how systemic racism has affected Black academic and STEM professionals and for non-Black allies to commit to eliminating anti-Black racism in these fields.

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Captive-bred Mexican gray wolf pups are brought to their new home in the wild by wildlife biologists in April 2020. Arizona Republic

The Mexican gray wolfrecovery effortgot a new genetic boost with the release of 20 wolf pupsinto litters of wildwolfpacks.

Over a six-week period in April and May, 12 tiny pups from captive facilities across the U.S. were fostered into four different densin eastern Arizona and eight were fostered into three dens in western New Mexico.

With only 163 Mexican gray wolves in the wild, thats potentially good news for the endangered predator. Lack of genetic diversity leads to deformities, worsens reproductive successand generally hurts survival.

The real key to recovery is managing genetics, said Jim deVos, assistant director for wildlife management at the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Numerically, there's a lot of excitement. We added 20 hand-selected pups into this population. That's a huge infusion of genetic material. And it's more important when the population is smaller than it ultimately will be.

Since the cross-fostering program was established in 2014, the state agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which areresponsible for the recovery of the wolf in Arizona and New Mexico, had released at most 12 pups at a time. The release of 20 is the most yet.

The recovery effort involves acollaboration between Mexico and the states of Arizona and New Mexico and the White Mountain Apache Tribe. With the release happening at the height of the COVID-19 shutdown, officials said bringing 20 pups to their new homes in the wild was even more of an accomplishment.

The captive-born pups are flown in from all over the country: Missouri, Kansas, California,New York, with some bred in Arizona and New Mexico. The agencies raced to adjust their protocol to adhere to safety standards and the New Mexico governors directive that anyone flying into the state must quarantine for 14 days.

To stay safe, the pilots never left the planes, and biologists handed pups over one at a time, decked out in appropriate personal protective gear.

We got it done in a really tough time, deVos said. We only have a very small window to get all of this done.

Wolves start giving birth to pups in late April and early May. Wolf pups grow quickly once they hit two weeks, which gives wildlife biologists a narrow window to introduce the pups to wild mothers.

When biologists bring the pups to the wild den, they rub them in the feces and urine of their new adopted brothers and sisters, so they all smell the same.Mother wolvesdont notice if the litter has expanded from five to eight as long as they all smell like her offspring.

Newborn Mexican gray wolf pups await release into a "foster den" of a wild wolf mother in wolf recovery habitat.(Photo: Courtesy of Interagency Field Team)

Still, the pups have to be almost thesame age, a logistical challenge for researchers as theyidentify wild packs that are both a fit for the captive pups genetics and are the same age.

While mom can't count, she can tell a giant one from a little one, deVos said. The rule of thumb is that the pups can be no more than 14 days old, so both the wild and captive litters have to be born very close in time to each other so we don't see this giant size differential. Things change pretty quickly at about 14 days.

This strategy has been successful so far, with survival rates as high or higher than for the wild pups that are naturally born, deVos said. Of the 90 pups born and released in 2019, at least52 survived their first year a 58% survival rate, higher than the average pup survival rate of 50%.

Awild mother has never rejected a captive-bred pup sincethe program in 2014.

MORE: Feds look for next chapter in wolf recovery

Thousands of Mexican gray wolves once roamed the Southwest. When European settlers arrived and increasingly hunted the wolves native prey, deer and elk, wolves turned to livestock for sustenance, putting them in the way of settlers bullets too.

Between 1915 and 1925, under pressure from the livestock industry, the U.S. Biological Survey, which would later become the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, exterminated hundreds of wolves in Arizona and New Mexico. By 1970, Mexican gray wolves faced extinction due to hunting and habitat loss.

But in 1973, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act, which was signed into law by President Richard Nixon. In 1976, the Mexican wolf was listed as endangered and the the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was tasked with returning the predator to its historic range in the Southwest.

From just seven survivors, Mexican wolves have clawed their way back to a population of 163 in the wild today.

Thoughthe population has increased an average of about 15% for the past 10 years, the Mexican gray wolf remains the most endangered subspecies of gray wolf in the world.

TheU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2017 recovery planaims to take the wolf off the endangered species list by getting the population to an average of 320 wolves over an 8-year period.

Their return will drastically help the ecosystem as a whole, scientists say.

They're a top predator so there's going to be a chain reaction in the ecosystem where they're going to control, for instance, the elk population from exploding, they're going to control the coyote population from exploding, said Heather Vetter, carnivore senior keeper at the Phoenix Zoo, which houses a pack of ten Mexican gray wolves, including a new litter of pups.

Mexican gray wolves housed at the Phoenix Zoo on May 10, 2020. Arizona Republic

And that's just going to trickle down and benefit the whole ecosystem to the point that even things like your Aspen trees and your willow trees are going to be more lush and abundant because they're not being overgrazed by the elk, which are overpopulated.

On a recent morning, the Phoenix Zoo pack played together, a way for yearlings to practice hunting. The alpha female stayed close to her den, which has two pups that were born at the beginning of May. Two of their siblings were relocated this yearbystate and federal wildlife agencies and their partners to a den in New Mexico.

While the Fish and Wildlife Servicecould decide to release the wolves at the zoo at any time, it likely won't happen because of pushback from ranchers and rural communitieswithin the bounds of wolf territory.

For Vetter, the exhibit is a way for people to appreciate the predators, which still have stigma in the American imagination.

I think it's absolutely amazing that I can come up here every day and actually view a pack of wolves, Vetter said. In the wild,you are lucky to see a wolf. They're going to stay away from you. You're lucky if you hear a wolf howl, much less see one.

MORE: 12 zoo-born wolves released into the wild

If all 20 of the recently-released pups survive, the population will be at more than 50% of the target goal in the U.S.

Still, there are challenges. Some environmentalists say the agencies are not doing enough to aid wolf recovery.

Furthermore, as more wolves have been released into the wild, there has been an increase in livestock deaths, deVos said. Though the people who live in the same areas as wolves are generally accepting of wolf pups being released, its been more difficult to get the public on board with releasing adults.

Trying to develop management concepts for livestock that reduce depredation that'sour biggest challenge that we have now with wolf recovery in the United States, deVos said.

The pups are usually more successful than adults released into the wild, because most adult captive-bred wolves become somewhat habituated to humans no matter the steps taken by the facilities to avoid that.

A biologist with Arizona Game and Fish Department holds a Mexican gray wolf pup before placing it in its new den in the wild.(Photo: Courtesy of Arizona Game and Fish Department)

For those who support wolf recovery,now is a moment to take pause and celebrate, deVos said.

There are a lot of divergent views about the wolf program, deVos said. The re-introduction of a top predator is a hard job. There are so many different opinions. But we seldom, as a conservation community, really sit back and say, wow, 163 wolves. In 1997, there was not a single one in the wild. The job's not done. But we've made a lot of progress.

Erin Stone covers the environment for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Send her story tips and ideas aterin.stone@arizonarepublic.comand follow her on Twitter@Erstone7.

Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Follow The Republic environmental reporting team atenvironment.azcentral.comand @azcenvironmentonFacebook,TwitterandInstagram.

Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2020/06/15/mexican-gray-wolf-pups-released-into-wild-aid-recovery-effort/3178610001/

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20 Mexican gray wolf pups are released into the wild, aiding the species' recovery effort - AZCentral

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Most people know that the novel coronavirus has killed older people in far higher numbers and disproportionatelyaffected people of color. But the gender gap in COVID-19 deaths is less well knownand understood.

It is being reported across China, Italy, Spain, Iran, and Germany that the number of men testing positive and dying from COVID-19 is double that of women, said Cummings School associate professorJanetrix Hellen Amuguni, VG11. In Italy, men have accounted for 71 percent of the deaths.

But why are men dying in higher numbers than womenand are both sexes being similarly affected?

This question requires an extensive analysis from both a gender and sex perspective, said Amuguni, an expert on the relationship between gender roles and infectious disease in global health.

It might be that the mens immune systems are built in a different way from womens, she said. Or it could be that gender roles linked to behaviors of men and womenaccess and control over resources and opportunities, power dynamics, and cultural norms that determine what men or women do dailyare playing an underlying role in determining who contracts this infection.

To study the many factors potentially at play, Amuguni has assembled a team of researchers from Cummings School and the Tufts School of Medicine. The scientists have been awarded $50,000 inCOVID-19 Rapid Response Seed Fundingfrom Tufts University and Tufts Medical Center to study sex differences and gender disparities in COVID-19.

Michael R. Jordan, A94, M98, an assistant professor at the School of Medicine, has cared for scores of people with COVID-19 as an attending physician in the Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Tufts Medical Center.

Several studies suggest that men with COVID-19 do less well, and we know that many diseases can affect men and women differently, said Jordan. He noted that biological differences between men and women may affect how severe or deadly COVID-19 is for them.

Higher fatality rates were seen in men than women with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), two other deadly infections caused by coronaviruses, said Tess Gannaway, V16, a Ph.D. candidate in infectious disease and global health at Cummings School and member of the Tufts research team.

One hypothesis about COVID-19s higher fatality rates in men is that the female hormone estrogen may be protective in some way, said Jordan. And some scientists suspect that male hormones called androgens, such as testosterone, may be to blame for mens poorer outcomes.

Genetic differences linked to the X chromosomeof which women inherit two versus mens onealso may lead to different immune responses or host environments for the infection in men and women, Jordan said.

Gannaway noted that a 2017 study of mice infected with the virus that causes SARS pointed to important sex differences. The male mice were more likely to die than female mice when infected with that coronavirus.

Higher amounts of virus accumulated in the lungs of the males. And the male mice had a different immunological response to the SARS virus that ended up making them more susceptible to the development of disease, said Gannaway.

Estrogen appeared to counter both these mechanisms in the female mice infected with SARS, she said. When scientists reduced or eliminated estrogen levels in female mice, for example, the female mice had mortality rates from SARS that were closer to the rates of the male mice.

With that in mind, its really important to characterize how the immune system is responding to COVID-19 in the two sexes, so you can target interventions more accurately for males and females, Gannaway explained. It may even help determine what we need to target within the male subset for better drug development and other new therapies.

To isolate any sex-based differences for SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, the Tufts researchers will conduct studies in mice at the Tufts New England Regional Biosafety Laboratory. The team also plans to draw on a new Tufts resourcethe Tufts Medical Center/Tufts University COVID-19 Biorepository and Comprehensive COVID-19 Database.

The biorepository is collecting blood and other samples from up to 400 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who consent to have these used for research. Meanwhile, the database will collect anonymous data on all individuals testing for COVID-19 at Tufts Medical Center, regardless of their results.

Specimens for the biorepository are taken from patients at multiple time points, said Jordan, the director of the COVID-19 biorepository and database. So well be able to look at the viral loads in the nose and throat, as well as the evolution of antibodies over time in male and female human patients, and we can compare that with what we see in the mice.

The Tufts researchers also will investigate gender-based factors that may contribute to increased susceptibility and mortality in COVID-19.

Mens increased susceptibility and mortality may reflect other diseases or health conditions, said Jordan. Theres likely an interplay between the overall health and genetics. For example, men may be more likely than women to be overweight or to have high blood pressure.

Theres speculation that mens lifestyles might predispose them to develop COVID-19, explained Amuguni. For example, in China men are more likely to be smokers than women, and so have more compromised lungs. Theres also evidence that men take longer than women to seek necessary health care.

Men may tend to work in occupations that put them at higher risk, too, noted Marieke Rosenbaum, V14, MG14, VG14, another member of the Tufts research team. Perhaps men are more likely to greet someone by putting their hand on their shoulder or shaking hands, she said.

If we can identify what gender-specific behaviors make men at higher risk for COVID-19, we can identify what precautions might help curb transmission and what behavioral changes would reduce other gender-based impacts, said Rosenbaum.

Even though the early data suggests that men typically have a higher risk of dying from COVID-19 overall, the coronavirus has killed more women than men in Massachusetts. Scientists suspect this may be because women tend to live longer than men, and people living in long-term care facilities were the population hit hardest by COVID-19 in the state.

The pandemic may also be disproportionately harming women and other individuals in other ways, Amuguni said.

There are gender-related consequences as a result of confinement related to stay-at-home advisories and orders, and these would differ across the world, she explained. We need to consider simple questions such as, has the workload increased for men or women? What does this mean for decision making, access, control over resources, and power dynamics? And if there an increase in domestic violence, who is affected the most?

Gannaway noted that women may be at higher risk losing their jobs or of contracting COVID-19 as a result of the pandemic. For example, seventy percent of the care force working within the health-care sector are women, and these women have more exposure to the coronavirus and greater risk of getting the disease, she said.

Gender roles, distribution of labor, and resources historically have played an important role in the spread of other infectious diseases, as well as in their control and prevention, noted Amuguni.

Therefore, these issues need to be addressed to understand better the risks for COVID-19and to develop adequate prevention and control strategies, she said.

Amuguni pointed to Ebola as one example. When this deadly virus spill overs from animals to people, the first person infected is usually a male. Thats because the index case, as it is called, is often someone who has been going into animals habitatand in Africa, hunters are typically men.

However, Amuguni said that over the first forty-five days of the Ebola outbreak in Liberia, 75 percent of the people who died were women.

Ebola was being transmitted primarily among women because of their important role in their communities, she said. When someone was sick, women cared for that person. And when people died, women were the ones cleaning their bodies and cooking and serving food at their funerals.

Of course, like the sex differences, the possible gender-related risk factors for COVID-19 are just hypotheses until theyve been rigorously studied. Thats why the second component of the Tufts teams study will include interviews to gather more qualitative data on what gender-based factors may increase susceptibility or spread of the infection.

We need to really dig in and listen to the experiences of all these people to understand their situations and to look for trends, said Rosenbaum.

With the help of Tufts Medical Center, the researchers will administer online surveys and hold focus groups with people who have recovered from COVID-19.

For example, public-health policies and programs also may have different impacts on straight men and women, the lesbian, gay and bisexual community, and people who identify as non-binary, Jordan said. We want to explore if these affect individuals decision-making around health-seeking behavior or testing, or their access to testing and ability to isolate safely at home.

Its a different way to approach health care and medical research during an outbreak, said Amuguni. Most of the time we approach infectious diseases as a medical emergency and focus solely on treating people.

But we have to look at other social determinants to figure out what other factors are actually related to the pandemic, she added. What role did gender factors play to get us to this situationand what role can they play to help the response and get us out of this situation?

Genevieve Rajewski can be reached at genevieve.rajewski@tufts.edu.

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Why Is There a COVID-19 Gender Gap? - Tufts Now

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Our ancestors domesticated the wild jungle fowl, the ancestor of the modern chicken, sometime before 2,000 B.C. By 450 B.C. cockfighting was a major sport in ancient Rome. In Alabama, cockfighting remains a major sport even though it was outlawed here as early as 1896.

On Thursday, Animal Wellness Action and the Animal Wellness Foundation held a press conference to announce that they have asked U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town to investigate possible illegal cockfighting after their recent investigation produced evidence that the illegal activity is not only still practiced in Alabama, but that Alabama gamebird breeds are trafficking game birds to Guam, a U.S. Territory.

The investigation by AWA and AWF that revealed that several Alabamians are among the top shippers of fighting birds to Guam.

The AWA and AWF named: Jerry Adkins of Slick Lizard Farms; Royce Flores, and the late Jason Campbell, all of Nauvoo as being top breeders of gamebirds and of shipping gamecocks to Guam. They allege that Adkins and Flores breed and train birds and then ship them around the world for the purpose of cockfighting.

The animal welfare groups told reporters that these individuals, according to shipping records, packed birds in boxes and sent them through the U.S. Postal Service to Guam for later use, allegedly, in fights. AWA and AWF claim to have detailed information on a host of other major cockfighting operations in Alabama, with thousands of birds raised for fighting and shipped to Mexico, the Philippines, and other far-flung jurisdictions. Many of the cockfighting enthusiasts, whose operations dot many parts of the state, appear to be affiliated with the Alabama Gamefowl Breeders Association.

The AWA says that Alabama is the cockfighting capital of the Southeast. Filipino TV recently visited a number of Alabama farms where they interviewed breeders and showed how the animals are raised. Cockfighting is both very legal and very popular in the Philippines. Many of the birds were allegedly bred in Alabama.

Possessing and shipping birds for cockfighting have been banned under federal law. since 2002 and has been a felony since 2007, when President George W. Bush (R) signed the enhanced penalty provisions into law and also criminalized the sale of cockfighting implements.

It is a federal felony to buy, sell, deliver or possess any bird with the intent to engage the bird in a cockfight, and thats clearly what were seeing, said Marty Irby, executive director of Animal Wellness Action and a native of Mobile. Alabama has become a launching point for global trafficking of fighting animals, and its time for authorities to crack down on this criminal conduct.

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Through public records requests to the Guam Department of Agriculture, AWF and AWA obtained nearly 2,500 pages of avian shipping records dated November 2016 to September 2019. These records detail approximately 750 shipments of birds by 71 individuals from more than a dozen states to Guam.

Alabama cockfighters had the fifth highest total number of shipments to Guam. Mr. Flores was the top shipper to Guam from Alabama and the sixth biggest shipper in the U.S., selling more than 400 birds to Guam during the three years.

The shipping records show that the nearly 8,800 birds were sold and shipped as brood fowl. The AWA and AWF however claim that Guam does not have a significant animal agriculture industry or a show-bird circuit. Additionally, the ratio of roosters to hens in these shipments was nearly 10 to 1 with some shipments being over 100 to 1. Cockfighters fight the roosters. Hens, which are more social and less violent than their brothers, arent used for fighting. Chickens also are not monogamous so one rooster can service two dozen hens easily; thus a normal chicken breeder is going to normally prefer hens 20:1 and someone raising chickens for eggs may purchase only pullets (juvenile hens).

Its nonsensical to think of any animal agriculture enterprise requiring more males than females, Irby said. Standard breeding protocols would have the ratio of male to female birds to be inverted, but male birds are used in cockfighting. Any reasonable person would conclude that these shipments was primarily for the cockfighting industry, which is robust on the island.

The AWA and AWF claims that their investigation shows the Alabama operators to be running their illegal operations in full view of law enforcement and the public.

Adkins claimed in videos produced by the Philippines-based cockfighting broadcaster BNTV in April 2020 that he ships 6,000 birds a year from his Nauvoo farm to destinations for fighting purposes, including 700 birds to a single buyer in Mexico.

Selling 6,000 birds for the fighting trade would likely yield $1 million to $3 million in gross sales, Irby claimed.

Federal authorities have busted major dogfighting operations in the state, but the state law against cockfighting is so weak its unusable. In 2016, the FBI broke up a fighting operation in Mobile County, but very modest penalties were imposed in the case at the recommendation of the Department of Justice, which was led at the time by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. When he served as a U.S. Senator, Sessions opposed efforts to make it a crime to attend a dogfight or cockfight or to bring a child to such a spectacle (Roll Call Vote # 154).

Jonathan Buttram, president of the Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association has previously expressed concerns about cockfighters spreading avian influenza.

Cockfighters ship birds very long distances, and engage in very intimate contact with the birds, sometimes sucking fluids from the air passages of the birds in order to keep an injured bird fighting, noted Buttram. The shipments and the fighting birds would allow an avian disease to spread far and wide very fast and potentially to spread to humans. This kind of twisted entertainment does not warrant the disease risks.

The chicken breeds used in cockfighting are highly specialized. The chicken bloodlines used in modern commercial laying chickens (normally White Leghorns) and broiler chickens (normally a line combining genetics from White Rocks with Broadbreasted Cornishs) are useless in cockfighting.

Wayne Pacelle, president of AWA, called on Alabama state legislators to upgrade the state law against cockfighting, in order to better align that law with the states tough anti-dogfighting law and the strong federal anti-animal fighting statute.

While dogfighting is a felony, cockfighting warrants less in the way of penalties than a parking ticket, Pacelle noted. The law imposes no jail time for perpetrators, a minimum fine of $20, and a maximum fine of $50. The law has not been upgraded since it was enacted in 1896.

Theyre everywhere now, Buttram said of the Alabama cockfighting farms, When they have these derbys theres drugs, prostitution, and betting going on. Its unbelievable all thats going on.

Buttram said that our food biosecurity is at risk here due to the threat of avian influenza and puts Alabamas multi $billion poultry industry potentially at stake.

If AI gets in here it would be devastating, Buttram said. In my area here it is chicken house after chicken house there would be millions of dead birds and if it mutates into humans there could be millions of dead humans also.

The groups want a federal animal fighting unit created to investigate cockfighting and dog fighting fulltime.

Buttram warned that cockfighting is, A very good way for AI to come into the United States,

Animal Wellness Action (Action) is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) organization with a mission of helping animals by promoting legal standards forbidding cruelty.

The Animal Wellness Foundation (Foundation) is a Los Angeles-based private charitable organization with a mission of helping animals by making veterinary care available to everyone with a pet, regardless of economic ability.

Read the original:
Fourth Alabama inmate dies with COVID-19, 13 others from same prison test positive - alreporter.com

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The global Male Hypogonadism Therapy Market is showing promising signs that can be explored well in the coming days to achieve a notable valuation by the end of 2020. The process would also witness a growth by % CAGR in between 2020 to 2026. The report is expected to consider the time-frame as the forecast period and it would deal with the market accordingly. Growth-inducing factors have been monitored closely in the report to gauge well the progress of the market. Each factor can play a significant role and has been given proper space on the basis of which the market can devise strategies. It has tracked various associated fields as well to get a proper map of how these end user industries are impacting the market and can take the market forward. The report has credibility as it banks on the expertise of adept researchers who fetch numbers from a pool of information and sieve them as per the requirement. In the process, they have gone through the market by having it analyzed on top-down and bottom-up basis.

The major player in global Male Hypogonadism Therapy market includes:

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Get a free sample copy @ https://www.reportsandmarkets.com/sample-request/global-male-hypogonadism-therapy-market-size-status-and-forecast-2020-2026?utm_source=farmersledger&utm_medium=39

The segmentation plays a prominent role in dealing with the growth of the Male Hypogonadism Therapy Market where various types and applications are promoting better understanding of the market. This segmentation has a strong foundation in volume-wise and value-wise data which backs the process of understanding the market scenario with numbers. The market has been combed through properly to get all the factors in line. The report has been enriched interviews as a first hand method of getting data. These interviews include chats with top market players, market analysts, distributors, people in the field of research and development and others owing to which the reliability of the report has increased significantly.

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Inquire more about this report @ https://www.reportsandmarkets.com/enquiry/global-male-hypogonadism-therapy-market-size-status-and-forecast-2020-2026?utm_source=farmersledger&utm_medium=39

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Male Hypogonadism Therapy Market Business Analysis 2020 by Leading Industrial Source, Statistics, Gross Margin, Upstream Analysis, Downstream Analysis...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

New data from phase 3 clinical trials provide further evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness of the first-to-market oral testosterone undecanoate treatment for hypogonadism (Jatenzo), reported Stanton Honig, MD.

Honig presented results for secondary end points from 2 randomized studies comparing the lipoprotein-coated testosterone undecanoate formulation with topical testosterone treatments showing that both the oral and gel products were associated with statistically significant improvements in psychosocial well-being and bone and body composition parameters. Safety analyses showed the oral testosterone undecanoate was associated with a modest increase in blood pressure, which was slightly higher in men with hypertension at study entry than in men with normal blood pressure and that neither the oral nor gel testosterones had any significant effect on liver function test results.

This novel formulation of testosterone undecanoate is a first-in-class oral testosterone replacement that does not have liver issues, said Honig, professor of clinical urology and director, Mens Health, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.

Taken twice daily, it provides hypogonadal men with total testosterone concentrations in the mid-eugonadal range. Its safety profile is generally consistent with injectable and topical testosterone preparations, although the product labeling for oral testosterone undecanoate includes a black box warning about the potential for increased blood pressure. The data collected in the oral testosterone undecanoate studies underscore the need to check blood pressure at some point in men who are started on this therapy, especially those who are hypertensive at baseline.

The 2 trials comprised a 4-month study and a 12-month investigation. Eligibility criteria were similar in the 2 trials. Men ages 18 to 65 years (to 75 years in the 12-month study) were included if they had hypogonadism (serum testosterone <300 ng/dL on 2 morning samples approximately 7 days apart), had signs and symptoms consistent with hypogonadism, and were either naive to or underwent washout from testosterone therapy.

The 4-month study randomized 222 men 3:1 to oral testosterone undecanoate 237 mg twice daily or once-daily topical testosterone solution. A total of 325 men were randomized 1:1 to oral testosterone undecanoate 200 mg twice daily or topical testosterone gel in the 12-month trial. Dose adjustments were allowed based on serum testosterone levels.

The 4 treatment groups were similar with respect to demographics and clinical characteristics in terms of baseline age, body mass index, comorbidities (prediabetes, diabetes, and hypertension), and mean baseline testosterone levels. Time-weighted average testosterone concentration increased to reach mid-eugonadal levels in all 4 treatment groups, with values ranging from 425 ng/dL to 524 ng/dL across all 4 study groups.

Data on psychosocial well-being were collected in both trials using the Psychosexual Daily Questionnaire. Results showed statistically significant improvements from baseline to study completion in mood, sexual desire, weekly sexual activity, and sexual energy with and without a partner with both the oral and topical treatments, Honig reported.

General well-being was evaluated in the 12-month study using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey questionnaire. In the individual domains, statistically significant improvements were achieved in both the oral testosterone undecanoate and testosterone gel group and occurred in physical functioning, physical and emotional role limitation, social functioning, and bodily pain.

Changes in body composition parameters were also investigated in the 12-month study. The results for the oral testosterone undecanoate group showed spine bone mineral density, hip bone mineral density, lean body mass, and fat mass all improved significantly from baseline at 6 months with further improvements achieved at month 12.

Both the oral testosterone undecanoate and topical testosterone treatments were associated with minimal increases in serum prostate-specific antigen. Overall, the oral and topical treatments were associated with an increase of hematocrit in approximately 5% to 6% of patients.

Importantly, there were no clinical events associated with the hematocrit increases in the oral testosterone undecanoate or the testosterone gel group, nor did any patient discontinue treatment because of elevated hematocrit, Honig said.

Changes in blood pressure were followed using ambulatory monitoring. Among men treated with oral testosterone undecanoate, mean changes in 24-hour systolic and diastolic blood pressure were approximately 5 mm Hg and 2.5 mm Hg, respectively. Comparisons between men with and without hypertension at baseline showed that the average change was slightly higher in the hypertensive group.

Honig said, It is unclear whether the blood pressure rise is just for oral testosterone undecanoate or a general class effect, as it has been seen with subcutaneous testosterone preparations as well. Most importantly, both oral testosterone undecanoate and topical gel groups showed no significant changes in liver enzyme measurements over a 12-month period.

Disclosure: Honig is a consultant to Clarus Therapeutics and Endo.

Originally posted here:
QOL and body composition benefits seen with novel oral T treatment - Urology Times

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

A novel lymphatically delivered oral testosterone undecanoate (Tlando) is a fixed-dose, well-tolerated, and effective treatment for hypogonadism with liver health benefits that clearly differentiate it from the potentially hepatotoxic oral methyltestosterone, reported Irwin Goldstein, MD, at the American Urological Association 2020 Virtual Experience.

This innovative product has exciting, paradigm-shifting potential for treating men with low testosterone, said Goldstein, director of Sexual Medicine at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego, California, and clinical professor of surgery at the University of California San Diego.

It offers the opportunity to provide safe, effective, and well-tolerated testosterone replacement through the oral route that is the generally preferred method for medication administration. In addition, available data indicate that it not only avoids the adverse hepatic effects that have historically limited use of oral testosterone, but it improves markers of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD] that is a serious and prevalent condition. Low testosterone (ie, hypogonadism) is common in males with NAFLD.

Methyltestosterone is prone to cause liver toxicity with oral ingestion because it is directly transported to the liver through the portal vein, Goldstein said. In contrast, the lymphatically delivered oral testosterone undecanoate is a nonmethylated prodrug of endogenous testosterone, found in Tlando, that avoids first-pass metabolism in the liver and enters the systemic circulation via the lymphatics.

The safety and efficacy of Tlando for treating men with low testosterone was investigated in the 1-year SOAR trial that included 210 men who received the investigational product and a control group of 105 patients treated with topical testosterone gel.

Results from SOAR showed that the oral testosterone undecanoate was associated with a significantly greater increase in free testosterone levels compared with the topical product, and it improved key mental and sexual domains, reported Goldstein, who was an investigator in SOAR and an earlier dosing study.

Safety data in the study included measurement of liver enzymes and showed that reductions were consistently achieved in alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and -glutamyl transferase among men who had elevated levels of those markers of liver injury at baseline. Rates of normalization for those 4 enzymes ranged from 31% for -glutamyl transferase to 67% for alkaline phosphatase.

40% reduction in liver fat at 4 months

Additional data on the liver effects of the novel testosterone undecanoate product were obtained in a smaller separate trial of men with hypogonadism. Using the objective Magnetic Resonance Imaging Proton Density Fat Fraction technique to measure liver fat percentage, it found that after 4 months, men with NAFLD at baseline achieved an approximately 40% reduction in liver fat. In addition, more than 75% of men who entered the study with NAFLD were considered responders to the oral testosterone undecanoate based on achieving a 30% or greater reduction in the percentage of liver fat.

In addition, the percentage of patients categorized as NAFLD-free rose during the study and nearly doubled by its conclusion, increasing from 34% at baseline to reach 63% at 16 weeks.

Interestingly, the higher the baseline body mass index, the greater the reduction in liver fat achieved with Tlando treatment, and it appears that the improvement in liver fat does not appear to be explained by any decrease in body weight, Goldstein said.

Disclosures: Lipocine Inc provided funding for the study. Goldstein is on the consultant/advisory board of Lipocine Inc, does research for AbbVie Inc and Marius Pharmaceuticals LLC, is on the Clarus Therapeutics, Inc speakers bureau, and receives writing support from Endo International.

See the original post here:
Novel oral testosterone therapy shows liver health benefits - Urology Times

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Many companies push testosterone-boosting supplements, but experts say theyre helpful only for certain conditions.

The popular ad features graying men whose female partners gaze longingly at them.

They proclaim: "Men: Feel younger and stronger," "Boost performance" and "Have sex again!"

The ads promote pills, creams and injections, and guide those yearning for their youth to clinics that can offer life-changing results.

Critics say the testosterone replacement therapy industry relies on aggressive marketing, touts some dubious claims and targets men who lack real medical needs.

Gahannas Low T Center has heard the good and the bad, and staff members must help new patients overcome objections and myths. Many customers are drawn in by ego and societys view of male virility.

"One of the main things that keeps guys from coming in is that they may think its like a hit to their man card," said Kortney Doss, a nurse at the Gahanna clinic.

The clinic and its sister location in Dublin each serves about 100 men daily, providing their weekly testosterone injections. The coronavirus pandemic has cut the visits in half, said Doss.

Its customers who continue coming, even during a health emergency, that clinics say are proof of the treatments effectiveness.

The same is true at Restorative Health in Dublin, which has as many as 900 regular patients many of them women, said Don Hale, the companys business consultant and spokesman.

Whether treating men or women, the marketing is driven by the male role in relationships, he said.

"A man will do anything to get and maintain an erection," he said. "I think it comes down to a mans ego."

A clinic typically performs a full physical, blood analysis and consultation at the first visit.

Even though testosterone is a natural hormone in both men and women, it can decline 1% per year after age 30 in men.

That "low normal" is not enough alone to prescribe testosterone, said Dr. Robert Murden, a geriatric specialist at Ohio State Universitys Wexner Medical Center.

Among his many patients, only six are doing TRT due to hypogonadism, an abnormally low hormone level, resulting in either low libido, erectile dysfunction, or loss of facial or body hair.

"Its specifically not recommended for people who are just tired. You shouldnt just try it. You dont give these things, with downsides, without clinical indications."

The risks include elevated red blood cell count, elevation in estrogen, acne or other skin reactions, testicular atrophy, and cardiovascular or liver complications.

Testosterone levels below 300 nanograms per deciliter put you in Low T territory, said Dr. Gregory Lowe, an OhioHealth urologist. That might cause fatigue, lack of sexual desire, worsening erections, issues with concentration and memory, or diminished recovery from workouts.

Some men come to him after seeing the ads.

"The main thing I hear from guys is to be able to put on muscle in the weight room and to be 18 again in the bedroom," he said.

But not all symptoms are caused by low testosterone. Lowe said they might instead be remedied by exercise, stress reduction, more sleep or improved diet.

"I always want my patients to be very critical of the therapy were providing, to tell me how it is helping," he said.

Lowe said he has no major complaints with private clinics where testosterone treatments include gels, patches or pellets injected in the buttocks to release the hormone slowly.

Dr. John Oliver DeLancey, an assistant professor of urology at Wexner Medical Center, said patients should first check with their primary care physicians before seeking treatment elsewhere.

"Testosterone replacement therapy gets sort of a bad rap for being overused and without appropriate testing and monitoring," he said.

"As long as you follow appropriate guidelines and put thoughtful care into why you are doing so and for the right reasons, it can be very safe and effective," DeLancey said.

Asked whether slowing down, and some of these changes, might not be just a normal part of aging, Hale, of Restorative Health, responded: "Is it normal to lose your teeth or hearing when you age, and do nothing about it?

"If so, I dont want to be normal."

Thirteen years ago, he and his wife, then both 57, began testosterone treatments and havent stopped.

"Weve been on a honeymoon ever since," Hale said.

The cost of treatment at the Dublin clinic is $3,950 per year for men and $2,950 for women. Some insurance plans reimburse up to half of that, whats considered routine blood work.

Dee Miller, a standout wide receiver for the Ohio State University football team (1994-98), said he was lethargic, overweight and often stressed out before beginning treatments in 2016.

"My wife even thought I was cheating on her" due to his lack of energy and romance, he recalled, laughing.

Since then, he said, "I feel mentally better. As for your libido, most honestly, yes."

An insurance agent, Miller is a paid endorser of Low T Center.

The treatments, he said, "are hitting all three facets: physical, emotional and socially."

dnarciso@dispatch.com

@DeanNarciso

The rest is here:
Ego might drive men to testosterone therapy, but it helps with certain conditions - The Columbus Dispatch

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

COVID-19 has been a really exhausting time for all Australians and people across the world. Particularly for those worrying about general health and limited or changed hours for medical services for anything other than directly COVID related medical issues.

These concerns are compounded within the transgender community.These patients require specialist one on one care required for their hormone replacement treatment, mental health and blood tests. All of which must be monitored regularly to ensure hormone levels are within the desired range.

These are requirements not just to ensure everything is going okay, not just for the doctor, but for the Australian government. As these prescription only medications are strictly controlled and monitored.

The Star Observer spoke with a number of members from the transgender community about their experience with medical services during this time.

Oestrogen which comes in three forms; oral pills, gel sachets and patches to put on the individuals skin.

Trans woman Jenny Doll, who relies on the oral pills for her transition, said, Due to COVID I couldnt get an appointment with the GP and it was cancelled twice. I started looking for another GP where I can get my hormones. One doctor in Burwood, NSW totally rejected me as soon as I said I am a trans woman. His opinion was to wait for my appointment with my regular specialist. I am on blood pressure medication so I also requested this GP to check my blood pressure and he suggested I can go to a chemist for that.

I am so shocked with this GP behaviour during a pandemic. But my main aim was to find my hormones scripts. I had reduced my dosage into half already so I dont run out completely. Then after two weeks I got hold of my specialist GP and asked for my scripts. She sent me an email and I didnt know it wouldnt be acceptable in the chemist. I went to at least Six chemists to get my medication for HRT. It was so shocking that the doctor didnt tell us that the email copy wont be accepted. Later I asked for another physical appointment with the same specialist later in mid-May. I was so depressed without my HRT medication.

Finn who is a trans man said, I have severe anxiety, and normally having to leave the house for an appointment or something is really a way of helping me deal with it. Since COVID, I havent had that, and that has meant I havent engaged with my trans-related medical care. The less I leave the house, the less I want to leave the house. This has meant that I am actually late for my testosterone shot, which makes me feel worse, and the cycle continues.

When I realised my mental health was affecting getting my T-shot, that was really upsetting. I felt worse, which made me want to leave the house less, and so on.

Non-binary person Olly Lawrence said, I only go to LGBTQI specific clinics like Northside. They have been booked out for weeks in advance recently which makes seeing my doctor difficult. I have a current script for Primoteston but as of April its again out of stock in pharmacies across the state. To get a new script for Reandron would mean being referred to a new Endocrinologist and having multiple appointments with my GP which arent easily available right now. Ive also had my six-month follow up for top surgery postponed for an indeterminate amount of time and havent been able to see my surgeon about revisions.

Its really frustrating and makes me feel rather helpless. My biggest concern is menstruation returning if Im off testosterone for a long period, as that would stir up my dysphoria and mental illnesses.

Another person from the community, Zoe Anne who is a trans woman, was meant to have voice feminisation surgery in April, which was put off indefinitely, meaning she will not be able to have this surgery.

My voice is a massive source of dysphoria for me and Ive been on the waiting list for this surgery since August 2019. I cried a lot. The downtime of isolation would have been the perfect recovery time too.

From speaking with these members of the community is seems that the biggest toll that this pandemic is having on the trans and non-binary community is the mental health and the lack of access to hormones administration or even access to the hormones in the first place.

Thorne Harbour Healthsupports the LGBTQI community to make sure everyone who fits under the acronym are treated with nothing but dignity and to have them participate in-full within society.

Services that are run by Thorn Harbour Healthcare include; Equinox, PRONTO! and The Centre Clinic.

Peter Locke from Thorne Harbour Health commented, Equinox has been able to continue providing nursing support for hormone injections and patients have access to tele health appointments where the doctors provide scripts, pathology requests and referrals as usual. However, there has been considerable concern in the community that these services are no longer available.

In general there is a shortage of transgender and non-binary affirmative medical services in Victoria, a situation that is being addressed by Thorne Harbour Healths participation in the Victorian Government funded The Trans and Gender Diverse in Community Health consortia. Thorne Harbour Health has developed an excellent clinician training and support package that is free for any Victorian based GP, nurse, or allied health professional to access. Unfortunately, due to physical distancing restrictions, the Equinox GP observation aspect of this package has been temporarily paused. However, the other training services remain available via video link platforms. We look forward to having GPs visit and observe our practice again when physical distancing restrictions are lifted and it is safe to do so.

We would like to be able to offer telehealth appointments into the future, however this all depends on ongoing MBS funding. At this time, it is expected that telehealth bulk billing item numbers will end at the end of September. If these benefits arent extended beyond this time, we will be unable to offer bulk billed telehealth services.

See more here:
COVID-19 Meant My Transition Needs Were Put On Hold! - Star Observer

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

"I know that I am making the right decision because whenever I think about changing my gender role, I am flooded with feelings of relief."

By: Ben Barres

Shortly before Ben Barres death in December 2017, the pioneering neuroscientist sent his friend Nancy Hopkins a heartbreaking email in which he told her hed been diagnosed with advanced metastatic pancreatic cancer and probably only had a few months left to live.

Barres, who was known as much for his advocacy for gender equality in science as for his groundbreaking work on glial cells, the unsung heroes of the brain, spent his final months writing The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist, which was posthumously published in 2018. In the excerpt featured below, Barres candidly describes making the transition from female to male in the late 1990s and shares a coming-out letter he wrote to friends and colleagues. This has been a difficult decision because I risk losing everything of importance to me: my reputation, my career, my friends and even my family, he tells them. I know that I am making the right decision because whenever I think about changing my gender role, I am flooded with feelings of relief.

After about four years at Stanford, I was promoted to associate professor with tenure. One morning, I was reading a local newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle, and came across and read with astonishment a four-page article about Jamison Green, a female to male transgender person and transgender rights activist. He was one of few openly transgender people at the time. In the article, Green described in detail his personal experiences with gender identity and to my surprise they mirrored my own very closely. This was the first time that I understood that there were others who had the same gender identity discordance that I had. It was also the first time that I had heard the word transgender.

The article mentioned the clinic of Don Laub, a Stanford plastic surgeon who was a Bay Area pioneer in helping transgender people. As I started to read more about other transgender people, I realized that I was likely transgender. I made an appointment to be evaluated at his clinic. It was the first time I was able to discuss my gender confusion with anyone. I met with Dr. Laub, as well as with an experienced psychologist who had worked with him for many years. The clinic concluded that I was transgender and offered to help me to transition from female to male.

At that time, transsexuality was still listed as a mental illness in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a classification of mental disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association. Proponents of this view argued that it was wrong and harmful to help people change their sex. Did I have a mental illness? I did not think so. Moreover, reflecting on my experiences during psychiatry rotations during my neurology training days, my impression was that the incidence of serious mental illness was likely far higher in psychiatrists than in transgender people. So I did not see why they should get to categorize me as mentally ill! Moreover, I had been exposed to a testosterone-like drug during fetal development and my masculinization was consistent with relevant animal and human data.

I felt an irresistible desire to transition from female to male from the moment I was offered that possibility. But I thought about it for several weeks because I was worried about what the repercussions might be for my career. Even though I was already tenured and so did not have to worry about being fired a frequent outcome for transgender people in other professions at the time (in many states, transgender people are still not legally protected from being fired) there was much to consider.

Would new students or postdocs wish to join my lab? Would my colleagues reject me? Would I still be invited to meetings and so forth?

I did not know of any successful transgender scientists, and I worried whether, if I transitioned, I would be able to get any more grants (it was already nearly impossible). Would new students or postdocs wish to join my lab? Would my colleagues reject me? Would I still be invited to meetings and so forth? Reading about the experiences of other folks in other professions who had transitioned, I strongly feared that a transition would end my career. For about a week, I was almost unable to sleep from the stress as I pondered whether I should transition or commit suicide. I finally decided to open up to three friends whose opinion I valued very much: David Corey, Martin Raff, and Louis Reichardt. For the first time, I opened up to them about my gender confusion and told them that I was considering changing sex. Did they think that the repercussions would be so bad that it would harm my career? To my great relief, all three were immediately and strongly supportive. Based on their support, I decided to transition. I sent out the following letter to my colleagues, family, and friends late in December of 1997 to let them know of my gender dysphoria and my decision to transition.

Dear friends,

I am writing to disclose a personal problem that Ive been struggling with for some time. It is important for me to talk about it now in order that I can finally move forward.

Ever since I was a few years old, I have had profound feelings that I was born the wrong sex. As a child I played with boys toys and boys nearly exclusively. As a teenager, I could not wear dresses, shave, wear jewelry, makeup, or anything remotely feminine without extreme discomfort; I watched amazed as all of these things came easily to my sisters. Instead I wanted to wear male clothing, be in the boy scouts, do shop, play sports with the guys, do auto mechanics and so forth. Since childhood, I have been ridiculed and shunned by women and by men. At the age of 17, I learned that I had been born without a uterus or vagina (Mullerian agenesis), and that I had been exposed prenatally to masculinizing hormones. Despite plastic surgical correction of my birth defect, throughout my life I have continued to have intensely strong feelings of non-identity with women. Perhaps most disturbingly I feel that I have the wrong genitals and have had violent thoughts about them. My lack of female identity was brought home vividly to me recently after having bilateral mastectomies for breast cancer. This surgery, rather than being an assault on my female identity as it was for my mother, felt corrective as my breasts never seemed like they should be there anyway; the thought of reconstructive surgery has been repellent to me. Since the surgery, people who do not know me often call me sir, but that doesnt bother me either. It is not that I wish I were male, rather, I feel that I already am.

It would be difficult to describe the mental anguish that this gender confusion has caused me. Although I have never been clinically depressed, it has been the source of strong feelings of worthlessness, intense isolation, hopelessness and self-destructive feelings. I have never been able to talk to anyone about it because I felt so ashamed and embarrassed by it. It seemed that it must be my fault, that somehow I should be able to make myself be a woman. This is how things stood until two months ago, when I read in the newspaper about the existence of a gender clinic at Stanford. They found that I have a condition known as gender dysphoria. To my amazement, I learned that I am not alone and that my story is stereotypical of all of those who have this condition.

So what is gender dysphoria (also known as being transgendered or as gender identity disorder)? Those who have it feel from childhood a strong mismatch between their anatomical sex and their brain sex (gender identity). The cause is unknown but is thought to be biological, as some cases are clearly associated with a history of hormone exposure during development. Although it is not treatable by psychotherapy, the dysphoria is substantially lessened by a change in gender role. Treatment with testosterone induces normal male secondary sexual characteristics within 6 to 12 months. Most patients also opt for mastectomies, which I have already had, and hysterectomy, which nature has already done for me. In my case, testosterone treatment would have the added benefits of substantially lowering my chance of new or recurrent breast cancer, because it lowers estrogen levels, and would block the osteoporosis and menopausal symptoms that will otherwise follow when I have my ovaries removed because of my cancer susceptibility mutation.

After much reflection, I have made the decision to take testosterone. I will thus become a female to male transsexual. This has been a difficult decision because I risk losing everything of importance to me: my reputation, my career, my friends and even my family. Testosterone is a far from perfect solution; Im still not going to be normal and social isolation will undoubtedly continue. But testosterone treatment offers the possibility that for the first time in my life I might feel comfortable with myself and not have to fake who I am anymore. I know that I am making the right decision because whenever I think about changing my gender role, I am flooded with feelings of relief. I will begin taking testosterone in February. A change in my appearance will not be visible for several months. By summer, I will begin to dress in mens clothes and will change my name to Ben. Throughout this process I will continue to work normally and to conduct myself in all ways as usual (except that I will only use single occupancy bathrooms). Although the idea of my changing sex will take some time for you to get used to, the reality is that Im not going to change all that much. Im still going to wear jeans and tee shirts and pretty much be the same person I always have beenits just that I am going to be a lot happier.

Many transsexuals change jobs after their sex change in order to retain anonymity, but anonymity is obviously not an option for menor is it one I desire. I am tired of hiding who I am. More importantly I owe it to others who unknowingly endure this condition, as I did, to be visible. Despite my 7 years of medical training, which I undertook to understand what was wrong with me, until 2 months ago I had never heard of gender dysphoria (oddly I somehow picked the right organ to study!). Had it not been for the transsexual who allowed himself to be the subject of the news piece I read, I would still not know about it. Sure I knew that sometimes there were male to female transsexuals but I had thought that these people were perverts. I am not a pervert; I dont seek pleasureonly relief from pain. Most transsexuals hide because of shame and fear, perpetuating ignorance and oppression about their condition. Their suicide rate is so high that some experts have called gender dysphoria a lethal disease. This is why I cannot hide.

In my heart I feel that I am a good scientist and teacher. I hope that despite my trans sexuality you will allow me to continue with the work that, as you all know, I love. I am happy to answer any questions.

Sincerely,

Barbara A. Barres

Despite support from David, Martin, and Louis, sending out this letter was still very scary. I found that my family was immediately supportive and so were all of my colleagues. I heard back from many of them very quickly. Here is the very first response that I received. It is from Chuck Stevens at Salk, a colleague I had long admired for his science and his wonderfully generous mentorship of so many young scientists).

Dear Barbara,

Thanks for the letter and the personal info. I have always been fond of the person in there and the gender makes zero difference to meI expect you will find the same with all of your friends. Let me know when to change to Ben.

Best regards,

Chuck

All of the other responses I received were similarly supportive. And there it was: this shameful secret I had held inside of me for forty years was out, and within a few months I had transitioned to Ben simply by taking testosterone (mastectomies had already been done, but I did have my ovaries removed soon thereafter as they were a cancer risk because of my BRCA2 mutation; the testosterone prevented menopausal symptoms). My career went on as before without a hitch. I am not aware of a single adverse thing that has happened to me in the past twenty years as a result of my being transgender, but there was the immediate relief of all emotional pain as a result of my transition. Never did I think of suicide again and I felt much happier being myself (Ben), no longer having to pretend to be a woman. It is hard to explain how much relief I felt and how much happier I became. It was as if a huge weight had suddenly been lifted from my shoulders.

I should also say that Stanford as a whole was very supportive, including the provost, dean, and all my faculty colleagues. To be honest, I feared that some of the faculty in my department might be embarrassed by my transition. Back then the internet had only recently come into existence and there was still much ignorance about transsexuality. If they had any qualms they did not mention them and they were all completely supportive even the curmudgeonly clock is ticking guy!

I am not aware of a single adverse thing that has happened to me in the past twenty years as a result of my being transgender, but there was the immediate relief of all emotional pain as a result of my transition.

I would like to think that I eventually accomplished enough to fit in. I was elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 2013. I was proud to be the first transgender scientist to be elected to NAS and was upset when the academy president refused to mention this in the NAS press release on the grounds that the academy had to deal with religious people. I was deeply disturbed by this as it denies LGBT people proper attribution for their accomplishments, particularly given the great need of LGBT students to be aware of successful role models. Fortunately other news writers soon mentioned it in pieces about me.

How did taking testosterone affect me? It is powerful stuff! There were some of the expected side effects such as increased sex drive for a while (almost like going through a second puberty) and the development of a male hair pattern. I was delighted to be able to grow a mustache and beard, but less thrilled with the rapid onset hair loss that began almost immediately upon start of testosterone (my photograph shows the extent of these effects). All cellulite quickly disappeared. Fat distribution changed from hips and buttocks to abdomen (but a lot stayed everywhere else too). I became much stronger even without doing any exercise. I had never been able to do a single pushup as Barbara, but after about six months of taking testosterone, I noticed that my triceps were beefing up. To my surprise, I was able to do ten pushups (and soon thirty, although I never really worked at it).

I did not particularly notice any change in mathematical, spatial, or verbal abilities, although I did notice on a test that was given to me before and after testosterone that my verbal abilities seemed a little worse and my spatial abilities seemed a bit improved. I still get lost every time I get in a car. Perhaps the most surprising and unexpected effect, though, was that I largely lost the ability to cry. Before testosterone I cried easily, and often cried myself to sleep because of the gender anguish. But after testosterone I found that I was almost entirely unable to cry any more. In response to some very strongly sad stimulus, perhaps I would shed a tear, but the feeling would almost instantly pass. Many other transgender men have told me this has happened to them also, whereas transgender women gain the ability to cry much more easily.

I hope that kids who are able to transition early will be spared the anguish of growing up in the wrong gender with the wrong body, will be able to have more normal social and romantic interactions, and will not have to keep shameful secrets from their families.

When I transitioned in 1997, it was thought that only one in about 20,000 people were transgender, but now, in 2017, it is thought that at least one in 200 people are transgender. LGBT people are often high achievers. Many LGBT people in my generation share growing up with a shameful secret and consequent low self-esteem. Perhaps this may drive us to work hard to succeed in order to prove our self-worth. Things are changing fast for transgender people. The internet has enabled relevant information to be easily researched and accessed, and the public is now being rapidly educated. TV shows often feature transgender characters, and transgender people can now serve openly in the military. There are still some battles being fought, such as gaining protection from being fired for being transgender, as well as bathroom protections, but the public is mostly sympathetic to and supportive of LGBT people, so I believe these battles will soon be won.

Most important, clinics are popping up to help trans children. As a result of public education, trans kids often self-identify, or are identified by their parents, even at grade school age. As they approach puberty, if their transgender identity persists, these kids can be treated with puberty blockers so they do not undergo permanent bodily changes inconsistent with their gender identity. Then when they are of age, at about sixteen years old, they can make the decision about whether they wish to transition. Up to now at least 40 percent of transgender people attempt suicide. I hope that kids who are able to transition early will be spared the anguish of growing up in the wrong gender with the wrong body, will be able to have more normal social and romantic interactions, and will not have to keep shameful secrets from their families. How I envy them!

I am happy to be an openly transgender scientist and to serve as a role model for young LGBT scientists. I hope that I have helped ease their way a little bit. LGBT students and postdocs at Stanford and other institutions frequently contact me to discuss whether or not to be open in their applications to various training programs. I always counsel them to be open about who they are, as it seems to me that currently the advantages far outweigh the risks. The vast majority of academics are highly supportive. It is very difficult to live life in a closet. It does not make sense to do this because of an occasional bigot. I have yet to have anyone tell me they regretted their decision to be open.

Ben Barres (19542017) was Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology at Stanford University and one of the worlds leading researchers on the role of the brain cells known as glia. This article is excerpted from his book The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist.

Read the rest here:
The Coming Out of a Transgender Scientist - The MIT Press Reader

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

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Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

With all the advice out there about leading a healthy lifestyle, staying hydrated is one of the basics that's repeated again and again. But you may be wondering what all the fuss is about.

The effects of dehydration can be seen across your entire body, from your brain to your skin.

Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative

If you get everything else right, how important is hydration, really? In a word: very.

"From a structural or functional standpoint, water is a detergent and cleaning agent for our bodies," says Zach Bush, MD, a physician who specializes in internal medicine, endocrinology and hospice care. Water is needed by every cell in your body to function properly, he explains, and is vital in helping our bodies work through the toxins we all breathe and eat every day.

Read on to discover dehydration's effects on your body and tips on how to keep your fluid intake where it needs to be.

When your body becomes dehydrated, your cells send a signal to your brain, which tells you that you're thirsty. But dehydration affects your brain in more surprising ways, too.

Although the mechanism isn't fully understood, dehydration is linked to a decrease in mood and cognitive performance. A June 2013 review in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition revealed that a dehydration level of just 2 percent was enough to impair performance in tasks that required attention, psychomotor and immediate memory skills.

And although it was small, a February 2012 study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that even mild dehydration was enough to cause mood disturbances.

Dehydration can also cause problems in the brain when electrolyte levels fall too low. Electrolytes are minerals like potassium and sodium that help the electrical signals pass between cells. If you are too low in electrolytes, you can experience a breakdown or disruption in these signals, which can cause involuntary muscle twitching and even seizures, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Your Kidneys and Urinary System

When you're dehydrated, your cells send a signal to your hypothalamus, which releases a hormone called vasopressin, known as the antidiuretic hormone (ADH). This hormone tells the kidneys to remove less water from the blood, which leads to peeing less and a darker, more concentrated urine.

The kidneys are the main filter for your blood, and without adequate fluid, they can't expel the natural breakdown products and toxins from your bloodstream, Dr. Bush says. "Amazingly, your kidneys are capable of moving as much as 55 gallons of fluid a day."

If you are consistently dehydrated over long periods of time, your kidneys have to work extra hard. This can cause something called acute kidney injury, a form of damage that puts you at higher risk for kidney disease, according to the National Kidney Foundation.

What's more: "Lack of fluid intake can be a major contributor to kidney stone formation," Julie Stefanski, RDN, LDN, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, tells LIVESTRONG.com. People who live in warm, dry climates and those who sweat a lot may be at higher risk than others, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Need a way to easily track your daily water intake? Download the MyPlate app to do the job, so you can stay focused and achieve your goals!

Your body needs fluid to make blood, so when your fluid levels drop, so does your blood volume.

"The bloodstream needs adequate fluid within the body to maintain an appropriate blood pressure," says Stefanski. Dehydration can lead to hypotension, or low blood pressure, which can cause you to faint.

At an extreme level, this can lead to an emergency condition called hypovolemic shock, where low blood volume leads to a big drop in blood pressure and the amount of oxygen in the blood, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. The heart is unable to pump enough blood around the body, which can lead to organ failure.

As your blood gets thicker, your body increases your heart rate and respiratory rate to compensate, essentially putting the body into a stress state.

"It's not unusual to then experience things like headache, fatigue, eye strain, decreased sex drive and decreased sleep quality, because the brain is in the fight-or-flight state," Dr. Bush says.

Your gut needs adequate hydration to function properly. Water is needed for optimal motility (the movement of waste through your digestive system) and gut health.

"Without regular intake of fluids, bowel movements can be hard and difficult to pass," Stefanski says.

Dehydration can also damage the mucosal lining of the gut and your microbiome, which are important to both your digestion and your overall health.

Although you may not realize it, your skin is actually the largest organ in your immune system, Stefanski says. Healthy skin acts as a natural barrier against germs from our environment, but insufficient fluid intake can cause cracked lips and dry skin, where pathogens can enter.

Good hydration is essential for healthy skin. Although a small sample size, an August 2015 study in Clinical Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology found a positive correlation between skin health measurements and hydration.

A typical adult woman needs 11.5 cups of water a day, while a man needs 15.5 cups, per the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The average person takes in around 20 percent of their water needs through food, which means women should drink about 9 cups a day and men should drink 12.5.

1. Don't Wait to Be Thirsty

Stefanski says everyone has differing levels of thirst instinct, which can mean you drink less than you need. "Rather than relying on thirst, schedule times throughout the day to drink a large glass of water," she says.

Remember: If you feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated.

Take cues from your bathroom breaks.

"Experts recommend that we should all be drinking enough to urinate every three to four hours. Urine should be a light yellow color," Stefanski says. "If you're not urinating at all or your urine is dark in color, you may not be drinking enough."

Any fluid counts toward your overall fluid intake, so if you don't like plain water, mix it up. Add lemon slices and cucumber to plain water to make it more interesting, or make a cup of tea. Herbal tea makes a good replacement for plain water, but Stefanski warns that it's important to check for interactions if you take medications or have a chronic medical condition.

4. Watch Out for Caffeine and Alcohol

Although that cup of coffee or cocktail technically count towards your daily quota, caffeine and alcohol are diuretics, meaning they can cause you to actually lose water. So make sure to balance your boozy drinks with at least the same amount of H2O.

It's not just about water. "A lot of the effective hydration we get is actually through our food," says Dr Bush. "So things like cucumber, celery these are powerful ways to get water into the body more effectively than a glass of water."

Consuming water-rich fruit and vegetables is a good way to increase your hydration levels while boosting your vitamin, mineral and fiber intake.

6. Paleo or Keto? Add More H2O

High-protein diets can be dehydrating, so it's especially important to hydrate regularly if you're following a paleo or keto plan.

"If you are on a protein-rich diet, you need to really work to increase the amount of water-carrying veggies in your diet to offset the potential dehydrating effect of protein," Dr. Bush says.

Tracking your water intake on an app like LIVESTRONG.com's MyPlate can help you make sure you're getting enough.

Read the original:
What Really Happens to Your Body When You're Dehydrated - LIVESTRONG.COM

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Avoid Sex for 30 Days, Thai Expert Advises Coronavirus Survivors

Many government health workers along with vehicles in Indonesia began to appear in towns and cities in May to announce "You can have sex. You can get married. But don't get pregnant." The government officials in the Asian country announced it while reading scripts that read, "Dads, please control yourself. You can get married. You can have sex as long as you use contraception."

The announcement may sound extremely weird and could be a topic to laugh about, but the fact is that the officials are concerned about a possible unintended consequence of Indonesia's Coronavirus restrictions.

In April, while people across Indonesia stayed at home due to the nationwide restrictions, around 10 million married couples stopped using contraception, revealed the National Population and Family Planning Agency, which collects data from clinics and hospitals that distribute birth control pills.

The agency noted that many Indonesian women failed to get their contraceptives as the healthcare providers were closed due to the pandemic restrictions, while others did not want to risk their health by getting outside their residents. Because of this, the Indonesian government is now expecting a wave of unplanned birth in 2021.

An obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Hasto Wardoyo, who heads the family planning agency have estimated that there could be 370,000 to 500,000 extra births early next year. If a massive amount of childbirth takes place, it will be a disadvantage to the country's effort to promote small families that are required to fight against child malnutrition.

But, this is not the first time the country is making such efforts, Indonesian authorities' involvement in the family planning program dates back to 1970 when it was under the military dictatorship run by President Suharto. At that time soldiers promoted the use of contraception, while army doctors performed vasectomies and tubal obligations.

To encourage people for birth control, the government representative distributes free contraceptives to Indonesia's poor, and young married couples of various incomes. The government agency said that half of the country's women who use contraceptives, also receive hormone injections monthly or every three months.

It explains that while condoms are available but unpopular, mostly among the married couples, 20 percent of Indonesia women use birth control pills which they have to collect monthly if they were on government insurance.

But the regular clinic visits have disrupted due to the Coronavirus pandemic, which already killed 2,134 people. While in Jakarta, mosques, malls, and offices have been gradually reopening this month, cases are still rising in other parts of the country, including the provinces of East Java and Papua. As of now, Indonesia has reported more than 38,200 cases.

The Indonesia agency has planned to deliver the contraceptives to women at their residents and to let each one of them obtain more than a month's supply of birth control pills at a time. The government has already started home deliveries along with the emergency food supplies, which many families were receiving due to the Coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

See original here:
Why did Indonesian Healthcare Workers Announce 'You Can Have Sex, But Don't Get Pregnant' in Public? - International Business Times, Singapore Edition

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Stephen Raffone had difficulty breathing. He coughed up sputum and was wheezing. Doctors told him he had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition that causes blocked airflow from the lungs.

As a result, he was being treated for stage 4 COPD.

His doctor was also treating him for cellulitis, an inflammatory and painful bacterial skin infection where extremities appear red and swollen and the area can feel hot and tender to the touch, as well as poor circulation.

My legs were beginning to get ulcerated and they were breaking down, said Raffone.

He was administered the Roman Catholic Churchs Last Rites three times several years ago when he was a patient in Richmond University Medical Center.

Raffone, who is now 63, was in need of a lung transplant.

He was a heavy smoker and it took its toll. However, because he was in a weakened state due to other serious health conditions, doctors told him hed never survive the surgery.

The Westerleigh resident, who has been in need of 24-hour care for the last several years, requires the assistance of two nurses who rotate 12-hour shifts.

One, a close family friend, suggested Raffone see a medical specialist who performs stem cell therapy, a procedure where the patients own stem cells are removed, treated and returned to his or her own body after a conditioning regimen.

She contacted Dr. Alexandre M. Scheer of Scheer Medical Wellness and he agreed to see Raffone.

Dr. Alexandre M. Scheer (Courtesy/Stephen Raffone)Staten Island Advance

But since Raffone was unable to leave his home, Scheer visited Raffone for a consultation and to evaluate his condition.

Fast forward a year and a half and Scheer has continued with those visits almost every Saturday free of charge also underwriting the cost for treatments, as well as Uber rides from Manhattan to Staten Island, in order to perform the stem cell procedure.

RAFFONES NURSE SPEAKS

One of Raffones nurses recounted Raffones journey.

She explained that when they started to explore stem cell therapy she placed calls to several doctors, but the biggest thing that jumped out at her was the astronomical cost.

But there was something about Dr. Scheer. And I just knew he was the right one, said the registered nurse for more than 30 years. "He wasnt interested in money. His goal is his patients outcome. Stephen did pay for the first set of treatments, but since then, Dr. Scheer has not taken a dime.

When the patient began treatments, the first therapy was a tremendous boost and then every week after that he was treated for seven weeks. In the beginning, the doctor visited every week and brought whatever supplies was needed. The PRP (platelet rich plasma) treatments are daily.

I draw the blood, I spin the blood," she said. We have a small centrifuge here so it separates the blood. The PRP is given by a nebulizer. It takes about 30 minutes. And once a week he gets a protein enriched plasma, which takes about a half hour, she added.

He has chronic venous ulcerations of the both lower extremities from the knee down, she said.

Raffone has end stage COPD. But since he started the treatments, hes gone to the hospital only once. And he has tested negative for antibody COVID-19.

RAFFONES TREATMENT BEGINS

Raffone was required to install the centrifuge machine with needles and plasma tube, a laboratory device used for the separation of fluids, gas or liquid, based on density. Separation is achieved by spinning a vessel containing material at high speed.

Initially, Dr. Scheer sent a plastic surgeon to my home to perform liposuction, a type of fat-removal procedure used in plastic surgery, where they separate the fat and preserve the stem cells, Raffone said. They did this four times weekly at the beginning. Dr. Scheer has been visiting my home pretty much each week since Sept. 22, 2018. But right now the stem cell therapy is done once a month."

They draw blood out and spin it. Its all done through IV. Right now stem cell infusion is done once a month and daily through a nebulizer. Dr. Scheer does it on Saturday and my nurse and dear friend to Dr. Scheer does it during the week. My house looks like a hospital. Dr. Scheer is keeping me alive and everything is healing up so well, said Raffone.

Stephen Raffone's left leg before stem cell treatment. (Courtesy/Stephen Raffone)Staten Island Advance

Raffone says he wanted to come forward with his account at this time because hes so grateful and especially today when so many negative stories are in the news.

We need some good stories. There are very few people like Dr. Scheer, especially now during the COVID-19 crisis, he said.

My nurse draws the blood and puts it in a centrifuge when the doctor cant make it from the city. But Dr. Scheer is still coming to my house in spite of the COVID-19 crisis," Raffone continued.

Raffone has been confined to a bed one that he says turns you from side to side and upside down. But Dr. Scheer is confident that when restrictions are lifted and physical therapy sessions resume, Raffone will be able to walk.

The stem cell therapy is not only helping to combat Raffones COPD, but it has also helped him with cellulitis on his leg.

Stephen's Raffone healed left leg after stem cell therapy. (Courtesy/Stephen Raffone)Staten Island Advance

Scheer, a staunch supporter of stem cell therapy, has a background in neurosurgery and regenerative medicine. He performs surgery at several surgical centers in Manhattan.

It has to do with the amount of cells your bone marrow," he said. What we do is . . . saturate the body with stem cells. It suppresses the inflammatory response. COVID-19 also is an inflammatory disease. The COVID-19 kills the lungs. So you dont have oxygen going through. The stem cells protect, so you have continual oxygen transfer.

Dr. Scheer, who practices at Sheer Medical Wellness in Manhattan, says you can regenerate yourself.

I want my patients to be fine. I will pay for the patient. Im happy Stephens alive. And then my life is made. Stephen will now be able to walk after physical therapy. He was on 12 liters of oxygen daily. Hes now on two liters. I know his nurse very well and thats how we connected. The stem cell treatment is the appropriate treatment for him. I pay out of pocket because I know the right treatment for his condition," he added.

Dr. Scheer points out in China and in Israel stem cell therapy is the treatment they use for COVID- 19.

Its where you take Eastern and Western medicine and put it together. The patients body and will to live and having the right outlook on life has a lot to do with proper health. Our group is so big. We have 40 different doctors in my practice. Im the medical director, he said. Stem cell treatment is the future of medicine. At $10,000 a treatment, its very expensive. And the number depends on the issue at hand.

THE INITIAL CALL

When Scheer spoke to Raffone, He said I cant get out of bed,' the doctor said. "I drove to Staten Island and I got to know Stephen and his family very well. Its not a one-time treatment. Im seeing him on a weekly basis. There is a relationship that occurs. And thats what matters and thats what keeps people alive. Hope is what keeps them alive. And Im doing this since 2001. The treatment involves platelet enriched plasma that suppresses inflammatory reactions in the lungs. Whats happening is youre able to suppress the inflammatory reaction. His legs and his heart are getting better as well. This is a treatment until we can get him walking.

Scheer says Raffone must undergo physical therapy in oder for him to walk around freely.

And hell be able to travel to my office. Im not giving up on him. Im paying out of pocket. A quarter of my patients, I pay for. Stephen has gone through so much. Hes alive because of stem cell therapy. And due to his lung condition with COVID, he has not contracted it."

Scheer says its been a team effort, with multiple doctors coming into play.

Stephen is keeping himself alive. Im just the tool that can help. I just do the best I can for as many people as I can.

Original post:
Westerleigh resident is alive because of stem cell therapy by his doctor -- for free. Heres his story. - SILive.com

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Beijing-based Sinovac has posted a positive preliminary snapshot of human data from the Phase I/II study of their vaccine for coronavirus, showing that the jab was able to safely spur protective antibodies in more than 90% of the volunteers involved.

The biotech reported Saturday that they had recruited 743 patients for the two-step trial, with 143 in Phase I and the rest in Phase II.

The neutralizing antibody seroconversion rate is above 90%, the company states, which concludes the vaccine candidate can induce positive immune response. Thats about all youre getting at this stage of the process, though, with little hard data in their statement to decipher.

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Sure, Bit Bio got some significant cash for its cell coding work. But it's the insiders who are backing them that will garner the attention -...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Taking care of your neck is important for any anti-aging skincare routine. If neglected, wrinkles and sagging skin on your neck can be a major giveaway for your age. With that in mind, its important to not only focus on your face (especially forehead lines, eyes bags and crows feet, and smile lines), but also to pay attention to your neck when it comes to skincare.

Keep reading for neck creams dermatologists swear by!

Key Ingredients And Benefits

-Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Vera, Citric Acid, Vitamin C, and Collagen: supports cell renewal, boosts elasticity and skin radiance, and reduces signs of aging

Promising Review

"I've only used this collagen cream from Maryann Organics for 3 days now which is only a short amount of times but noticed some amazing changes in my skin. I love that it is not greasy, nor shiny, and absorbs very quickly. The best part was the push pump to dispense the cream without getting your fingers into the cream. I'm 43 years old and started seeing lines from all areas of my face. Since I used the cream, my lines are less noticeable and my complexion is clearer and more brighter. I LOVE this cream! I cant wait to see more amazing results!!! I highly recommend trying this product." -Amazon Reviewer

Key Ingredients And Benefits

-Retinol: helps diminish the look of fine lines and wrinkles

-Vitamins A and E, Hyaluronic Acid, Green Tea, and Aloe Vera: helps improve texture and tone and increases skin's firmness and elasticity

Promising Review "Ive never used a moisturizer that works this well this fast! I was worried that it would be drying or sensitive because of the retinol but it feels so good on the skin and makes your skin look and feel amazing. It actually works so well that I only use it at night and for my skin it doesnt need to be used in the morning. My mother introduced me to it after I noticed how good her skin was looking lately. Cant believe how inexpensive this is for how high quality the ingredients and results are! The design of the container and pump is really cool too. It helps control the amount you want to use and insures that no product gets wasted. All in all I highly recommend this for any one at any age! My mom is in her 50s and Im in my 20s and it works well for the both of us!" -Amazon Reviewer

Key Ingredients And Benefits

-Peptides, Stem Cells, Collagen, and Elastin: helps tighten and rejuvenate the skin of the neck and dcolletage

-Vitamins C, Vitamin E, and Hyaluronic Acid: help restore firmness and elasticity and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

Promising Review

"I really didnt have high expectations for this product. I panicked when I noticed my neck was making these crepe-y folds when I turned my head. I am so not happy about aging. Anyway, I shopped around and came upon this fabulous product and saw all the high ratings and great testimonials. This cream works! Im not even halfway through the bottle and I see a noticeable reductions in the folds and crepey-ness! My dcollet was fine before but now I notice the skin is more supple. Full disclosure: at night, I add a few drops of Vitamin E oil for extra oomph. In the morning, I apply sunscreen over it. Will definitely buy again." -Amazon Reviewer

Key Ingredients And Benefits

-Retinol SA: helps renew the surface of your skin

-Hyaluronic Acid: helps plump and hydrate the skin

-Glucose Complex: strengthens skin barrier

Promising Review

"This cream is amazing and best of all its easily absorbed and you can see the positive effects in a few days! I have been using it on my neck specifically at the back and sides where I have gotten these extremely deep and rough wrinkles. Its always embarrassed me that my skin is like this and Ive never been able to wear ponytails because its just too embarrassing to have my skin seen like this by others. Well, not anymore thanks to this cream! Now my neck area has made an incredible improvement, my deep wrinkles/creases have diminished incredibly and my double chin seems tighter/firmer and for a cream that I just recently started using- its improved my confidence so much already!" -Amazon Reviewer

SheFinds receives commissions for purchases made through the links in this post.

See original here:
4 Neck Creams Dermatologists Swear By To Get Rid Of Wrinkles And Sagging Skin - SheFinds

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

This was reprinted with permission from Joe Boggs, OSU

Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) and wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) are two of our nastiest non-native weeds found in Ohio. Poison hemlock is one of the deadliest plants in North America. Wild parsnip can produce severe, painful blistering. Both are commonly found growing together.

Poison hemlock and wild parsnip are members of the carrot family, Apiaceae. The old name for the family was Umbelliferae which refers to the umbel flowers. They are a key family feature with short flower stalks rising from a common point like the ribs on an umbrella.

Poison hemlock produces white flowers on stalks that create a more rounded look; perhaps a bit more like an umbrella. Wild parsnip has intense yellow flowers with the stalks producing a more flat-topped appearance.

Both are biennial weeds meaning that it takes two years for plants to produce seed. The seeds currently being produced will give rise to plants that spend their first year as low-growing basal rosettes. The plants produce a long, thick taproot while in this stage.

During their second year, plants "bolt" by producing erect, towering stalks and multi-branched stems topped with umbel flowers. Mature wild parsnip plants may top 6' tall while poison hemlock plants can tower to as much as 8 - 10' tall. Both are prolific seed producers

Wild parsnip plants have leaves that look vaguely like celery, another member of the carrot family. Mature plants have a single, thick, deeply grooved, greenish-yellow stem that sprouts lateral branches topped with flowers.

All stages of poison hemlock plants have bluish-green leaves that are 3-4 times pinnately compound. The deeply cut parsley-like leaflets have sharp points. Flowering plants have hairless, light-green to bluish-green stems that are covered with obvious reddish-purple blotches. However, the blotches may occasionally coalesce to cause stems to appear an almost solid color.

What are the Risks?

Poison hemlock plants contain highly toxic piperidine alkaloid compounds which cause respiratory failure and death in mammals. The roots are more toxic than the leaves and stems; however, all parts of the plant including the seeds should be considered dangerous.

The toxins must be ingested or enter through the eyes or nasal passages to induce poisoning; they do not cause skin rashes or blistering. Regardless, this plant should not be handled because sap on the skin can be rubbed into the eyes or accidentally ingested while handling food.

Wild parsnip sap contains psoralen which presents a completely different mode of action compared to the piperidine alkaloids in poison hemlock sap. Psoralen acts as a photosensitizing compound by inhibiting DNA synthesis in epidermal cells which kills these light-shielding cells responsible for protecting us from long-wave ultraviolet radiation (LWUVR) bombarding us in sunlight.

Severe blistering occurs when affected skin is exposed to LWUVR. The synergistic effect is called phytophotodermatitis (a.k.a. Berloque dermatitis) and the burn-like symptoms, as well as skin discoloration, may last for several months.

However, connecting skin blistering to exposure to wild parsnip sap can be a challenge. It takes around 24 hours for symptoms to first appear after exposure to LWURV and severe blistering typically doesn't peak until 48 -72 hours. The time required for symptoms to appear after exposure to the sap means the effect may be disconnected from the cause.

Another challenge with connecting the dots is that wild parsnip commonly grows in and around other weeds, particularly poison hemlock (Conium maculatum). Gardeners who are exposed to wild parsnip sap while weeding a mixed-patch may mistakenly blame the poison hemlock for their ultimate misery.

To Mow, or Not to Mow

The potential for poisonings from poison hemlock sap and the extreme skin reaction to the wild parsnip sap means these non-native invasive weeds should not be allowed to grow where they can be easily contacted by people. However, mechanical control through mowing, weed trimming, or hand-pulling is problematic. Certainly, wild parsnip presents a much higher risk with reports of sap spattered by mowers and string trimmers producing phytophotodermatitis on exposed arms and legs of equipment operators.

Still, mowing provides one option for managing poison hemlock and to a lesser degree wild parsnip. However, timing is everything: plants should be mowed in the spring once they've bolted but prior to the appearance of flowers. Waiting until after flowering presents a risk the cut flowers will still mature to seed.

Chemical Control: Case Study

A strong case can be made for herbicides providing the most effective and safest approach to managing both poison hemlock and wild parsnip.

Wild parsnip and poison hemlock are both susceptible to non-selective post-emergent herbicides such as glyphosate (e.g. Roundup). However, "non-selective" means all plants - both good and bad - may be killed and there is a considerable downside to killing the competition as well as the targeted weeds.

Post-emergent herbicides do not affect seeds. Thus, "herbicidal openings" that occur when all plants are killed provide the perfect opportunity for more wild parsnip and/or poison hemlock to spring forth from previously deposited seed. Thus, it's important to have a plan for establishing competitive plants after the wild parsnip dies off such as over-seeding with grasses.

Selective post-emergent herbicides that will preserve competitive plants, particularly grasses, while removing poison hemlock and wild parsnip include 2, 4-D, clorpyralid (e.g. Transline), metsulfuron (e.g. Escort XP), and some 2 and 3-way products such as Triamine (2,4-D + MCPA). However, timing is equally important. Apply after the spring emergence of the targeted weeds but before flowering.

For more information, contact the Pulaski County Extension Service at 606-679-6361. Learn about timely events or things to do in your home gardens by becoming a fan of Pulaski County Horticulture on Facebook, or following @hortagentbeth on Twitter, kyplants on Instagram, and Pulaski County Horticulture YouTube channel.

The Pulaski Co Extension office is open to the public by appointment only through the month of June. Extension employees are still on the job and can be reached via office phone. Read the entire directive on the Pulaski County Cooperative Extension website at pulaski.ca.uky.edu.

The Lake Cumberland Master Gardeners are temporarily out of pine straw. Another load will be coming soon.

Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.

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More here:
Poison hemlock and wild parsnip, A couple of bad actors - Commonwealth Journal's History

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

When Eoin OBrien found out he had a rare form of cancer, he was told he would have died within a week had he not gone to hospital.

Now, five years on, the dad of four is remarkably free of the disease.

Eoins life changed in May 2015 when he went to A&E with chest pains.

He was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma, which causes abnormal growth of cells in the lymphatic system.

Due to fluid build-up, Eoins heart would have suffocated within days had he not been treated.

And after half a decade of pain and suffering, he is finally in remission.

The news came on his wife Karens birthday, making it all the more special for the pair and their daughters Sophie, 13, Abbie, 11, Maddie, eight, and three-year-old Emelie.

Karen said: To say that that was the best news ever would be an understatement, I would rather be told that 10 times over than even win the lotto.

Eoin was only 31 when he was diagnosed following a hospital visit after he started getting pains in his chest.

Doctors drained three-and-a-half litres of fluid from his chest and found a tumour between his lungs and heart.

After his first round of chemo didnt work, Eoin found a lump on his neck.

He was started on a higher dose of chemo which was, in his wife Karens opinion, the hardest one on him.

She explained: Eoin got the moon-face, he got the cancer look. Darkness under the skin of his eyes and that.

The pair hoped this treatment was working but were disappointed again when doctors told them it hadnt.

Two years later in 2017, when Karen was pregnant with Emelie, Eoin still wasnt responding to treatments.

He was due to go into hospital after his daughter was born for a planned stem cell transplant which was later cancelled.

The pair fought to get Eoin immunotherapy, which slowed down but didnt cure his cancer.

In 2019, he was told he could get an allogeneic stem cell transplant from a donor. Karen explained: So on the 6th of November, which we now class as Eoins re-birthday, he was given the transplant and he became so, so bad.

Eoin was at the stage where he wanted to give up. He didnt want to live anymore, he didnt want to go through it anymore.

Results of a scan in February had alarming results which left the two terrified the cancer had spread.

Thankfully, it was only an infection.

Eoin was hospitalised for six weeks and due to the coronavirus, wasnt allowed outside or to have visitors.

In May, the pair were given the news his transplant worked.

Karen said: Theres been a lot of ups and a lot of downs but were finally out the other side, so hopefully we can look forward to many, many years cancer-free.

Originally posted here:
Irish dad with rare form of cancer would have died within a week if he didn't go to hospital - Irish Mirror

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

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Vitamin C Face Serum - Triple Strength Anti Aging, Wrinkle & Brightening Facial Care - Antioxidant Rich, Hydrating, Softening & Even Skin Tone...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Womens Hospital have recommended that 31 papers from a former lab director be retracted from medical journals.

The papers from the lab of Dr. Piero Anversa, who studied cardiac stem cells, included falsified and/or fabricated data, according to a statement to Retraction Watch and STAT from the two institutions.

Last year, the hospital agreed to a $10 million settlement with the U.S. government over allegations Anversa and two colleagues work had been used to fraudulently obtain federal funding. Anversa and Dr. Annarosa Leri who have had at least one paper already retracted, and one subject to an expression of concern had at one point sued Harvard and the Brigham unsuccessfully for alerting journals to problems in their work back in 2014. Anversas lab closed in 2015; Anversa, Leri, and their colleagueDr. Jan Kajstura no longer work at the hospital.

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While the Brighamsettled with the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Office of Research Integrity, which oversees research misconduct investigations involving National Institutes of Health funding, has not made a finding in the case. The university and the hospital have not said which journals the 31 papers appeared in, but the journal Circulation retracted a paper by Anversa and colleagues in 2014, and The Lancet issued an expression of concern about another in the same year.

It is not clear how, or whether, the call for retractions by Harvard and the Brigham is related to the Brighams settlement with the government.

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Following a review of research conducted in the former lab of Piero Anversa, we determined that 31 publications included falsified and/or fabricated data, and we have notified all relevant journals, Harvard and the Brigham told STAT and Retraction Watch.

Anversa has previously corrected eight of his papers, many for failures to disclose conflicts of interest. He practically invented the field of cardiac stem cell therapy when he first reported that cardiac cells were capable of regeneration, Cardiobrief and MedPage Today wrote about him last year.

Anversas work was based on the idea that the heart contains stem cells that could regenerate cardiac muscle. He and his colleagues claimed that they had identified such cells, known as c-kit cells. When various research teams tried to reproduce the results, however, they failed. Still, some scientists have tried to inject c-kit cells into damaged hearts, with mixed results at best.

For 10 years, he ran everything, said Jeffery Molkentin, a researcher at Cincinnati Childrens whose lab was among the first to question the basis of Anversas results in a 2014 paper in Nature. It really is a relief that this has been corrected. I think this is good for everybody.

For the most part, the field has already worked this in, Molkentin told STAT and Retraction Watch. Its like when Wall Street has worked in the next two interest rate hikes.

There are no stem cells in the heart. Quit trying to publish those results.

Jeffery Molkentin, Cincinnati Children's

Still, he said, a small number of researchers continue to publish findings that agree with Anversas. Maybe these 31 retractions will keep pushing the pendulum a little further to the right and these people will slowly start to back off even more, he said.

Its just discouraging when you see these papers keep popping up, Molkentin said. There are no stem cells in the heart. Quit trying to publish those results.

Anversa published at least 55 papers that listed Harvard as an affiliation. In 2014, a former research fellow described an atmosphere of fear and information control in his lab.

Anversa, who according to publications was most recently affiliated with the Cardiocentro Ticino and University of Zurich, could not be reached for comment. An email to his address at Cardiocentro Ticino bounced back. A number of Anversas co-authors either did not immediately respond to a request for comment, or declined.

We are committed to upholding the highest ethical standards and to rigorously maintaining the integrity of our research, Harvard and the Brigham said. Any concerns brought to our attention are reviewed in accordance with institutional policies and applicable regulations.

Anversa was born in Parma, Italy, in 1940 and received his medical degree from the University of Parma in 1965. He gained prominence as a stem-cell researcher at New York Medical College in Valhalla, N.Y., where he worked before moving to Harvard Medical School and the Brigham in 2007. Anversa became a full professor in 2010.

Throughout his career, Anversa has received several commendations, including a research achievement award from the American Heart Association, which in 2004 also named him a distinguished scientist.

Although journals often act on retraction recommendations by universities, they do not always do so, and it sometimes takes a while. Journals retract roughly 1,400 scholarly papers each year, out of some 3 million total publications.Anversas total would put him in the top 20 list of scientists with the most retractions in the world. The 10 scientists worldwide with the most retracted papers have at least 39, and in one case Japanese anesthesiologist Yoshitaka Fujii 183 such articles.

So what do the calls for retraction mean for cardiology?

What seems obvious to me is a need for transparency, Yale cardiologist Dr. Harlan Krumholz told STAT and Retraction Watch. The scientific community needs to know what was found, why papers were retracted, and what is recommended with regard to his work going forward. Also, what has happened to work that was based on his work. Without this knowledge it is hard to know what it means.

Some of Anversas work has already been retracted or corrected.

Suzanne Grant, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, said that one 2012 paper published in the journal Circulation and co-authored by Anversa was retracted in 2014. The AHA has corrected a number of other Anversa papers, mostly by adding additional disclosures.

Grant said the AHA was evaluating Harvards findings and would again take appropriate action if needed.

Harvard also flagged two Anversa papers one from 2001 and the other from 2011 to the New England Journal of Medicine, and the publication is separately investigating images published in a 2002 paper, spokeswoman Jennifer Zeis said.

Seil Collins, a spokesman for the Lancet journals, said the publication group was investigating the 2011 paper that had already been tagged with an expression of concern after receiving new information from Harvard.

This story is a collaboration between STAT andRetraction Watch. It has been updated with information from some journals. Reporter Andrew Joseph contributed.

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Harvard and the Brigham call for 31 retractions of cardiac ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith