Clinicians who treat patients with acromegaly commonly show a lack of awareness of the severity and pattern of patient symptoms that can occur even when treatment suggests the condition is under control, according to new research.

"Compared with patients, medical providers tended to report fewer acromegaly symptoms and injection site reactions, and rated general health higher [than patient reports]," write the authors of the study, recently published in the journal Pituitary.

Acromegaly, an endocrine disorder characterized by changes in facial appearance and enlargement of the hands and feet, is typically treated with somatostatin receptor ligands (SRLs).

However, even when the over-production of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) that cause the disorder are brought to normal levels with the medication, patients may continue to experience symptoms.

In the first study of its kind to evaluate concordance regarding symptoms, treatment satisfaction, and general health between clinicians and patients with acromegaly, Eliza B. Geer, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, and colleagues, conducted an online survey with 47 pairs of patients with acromegaly who were on a stable dose of SRLs and their medical providers. Patient self-reports were compared with those of their physician.

The patients and clinicians in the cross-sectional study were recruited by the US-based Acromegaly Community, a patient support group, through social media and at clinical practices in the United States. The study was funded by Chiasma, which is developing an oral formulation of maintenance therapy for adults with acromegaly.

Nicholas Tritos, MD, DSc, who was not involved in the study, told Medscape Medical News the new research points to the need for a heightened focus on communication in the treatment of acromegaly.

"The findings of the present study are intriguing and suggest that there may be lack of sufficient communication between patients with acromegaly and their healthcare professionals at least in some cases," said Tritos, an associate professor in the Neuroendocrine and Pituitary Clinical Center and Neuroendocrine Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, in Boston.

"Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings, however," he said. "The use of validated symptom scores may help improve communication between patients with acromegaly and their healthcare professionals."

In acromegaly, a rare but severe disease that is often diagnosed late, morbidity and mortality rates are high, particularly as a result of associated cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory disorders and malignancies.

Of the adult patients surveyed, 83% were women and the mean age was 49 years. Patients had a mean duration of acromegaly of 10 years, and 47% were being treated with octreotide and 53% with lanreotide, with most receiving low to middle doses.

Their mean medical provider-reported IGF-1 level was 0.85 upper limit of normal (ULN), with 79% of patients having an IGF-1 level of 1 ULN or lower.

For the online survey, patients were asked about disease characteristics and management, and they also completed the Acromegaly Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (Acro-TSQ). The latter is an acromegaly-specific patient-reported outcomes assessment of symptoms and gastrointestinal interference, treatment satisfaction, injection site interference, emotional reaction, and treatment convenience.

The medical providers were interviewed about their practices and perceptions of the patients' symptoms, level of control, and general health, and they also completed relevant sections of the Acro-TSQ.

The most common symptoms reported by patients were "acro-fog,"described as a general forgetfulness or short-term memory loss, and joint pain (81% for both), soft tissue swelling (79%), fatigue/weakness/tiredness (77%), and headache (72%).

However, the most common patient symptoms reported by medical providers differed, led by fatigue/weakness/tired (92%) followed by joint pain (75%)and headache (62%).

Symptoms most often viewed by patients as severe were joint pain (described as severe by 34%), headache (29%), fatigue/weakness/tired (28%), and acro-fog (26%).

With the exception of carpal tunnel syndrome, clinicians were less likely than patients to rate any of the other symptoms as severe.

In addition, although patients specified a worsening of multiple symptoms toward the end of the treatment cycle, clinicians commonly reporting being "not sure" of when patients experienced symptoms.

Patients and clinicians both reported various injection site reactions; however, the medical providers reported fewer injection site reactions than patients and were often unaware of the severity of the reactions.

The largest discrepancies involved nodules (43% reported by medical providers vs 68% by patients) and pain during injection (66% vs 90%).

When asked about their general perception of symptom control, 38% of patients indicated their symptoms were "well controlled,"43% reported they were "partially controlled,"and 17% reported they were "not controlled."

Comparatively, 28% of medical providers indicated their patient's symptoms were well-controlled, 64% said they were "partially controlled,"and 6% said they were "not controlled."

Although the patient and clinician differences were not evaluated for statistical significance, the authors note that "the low kappa statistics reflect the generally poor agreement between medical providers' and patients' responses of symptom frequency, severity, and pattern."

Current treatment guidelines recommend that when patients receiving SRLs achieve IGF-1 levels of 1 ULN or less, adjustments to treatment are not necessary, and data are lacking on whether SRL dose titration can reduce symptom burden when IGF-1 levels are 1 ULN or less.

However, thenew results suggest "these patients are still symptomatic and that the frequency and severity of symptoms is often unrecognized by their treating physician," the authors write.

"This suggests an unmet need," they state.

Tritos told Medscape Medical Newsthe current study has some limitations. In addition to the relatively small sample size, he cited the use of social media in patient selection.

"These observations may limit the external validity (generalizability) of the findings reported in the present study," he noted. "Larger studies in unselected populations of patients with acromegaly would be helpful to confirm and extend these findings."

In the meantime, efforts to prevent symptoms early on could be beneficial, he said.

"Earlier detection and treatment of acromegaly before complications ensue may be helpful in mitigating the development of such symptomatology," he said.

"Clinicians should spend sufficient time eliciting the extent and severity of patient symptomatology," Tritos added.

"Use of validated symptom scores in patient care and clinical research (including clinical trials) may improve both routine care and the evaluation of investigational therapies," he concluded.

Pituitary. Published December 5, 2019. Full text

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Patients and Doctors on Different Pages for Acromegaly Symptoms - Medscape

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Known as the "pregnancy hormone," human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a type of hormone that is produced in large amounts during pregnancy, with levels peaking during the first 8 to 11 weeks of pregnancy, and can be detected in the urine of pregnant women with at-home pregnancy tests.

However, pregnant women aren't the only ones who produce it. Certain cancers and other medical conditions can lead non-pregnant women and men to produce moderate to high levels of hCG.

Here's what you need to know about hCG, whether you're pregnant or not.

"HCG in its regular form is produced almost exclusively by a pregnant woman by special cells which become a part of the placenta, called the syncytiotrophoblast which is why we see it in such high levels in pregnancy," says Dr. Kristina Mixer, MD with Spectrum Health.

She explains that during pregnancy, hCG's primary role is to support the production of the hormone progesterone by the ovaries until the placenta is sufficiently formed and can produce adequate amounts of progesterone on its own, typically by 10 weeks gestation.

That's important because progesterone is absolutely vital for healthy reproduction. It's responsible for facilitating the successful attachment of the embryo within the uterine cavity, modulating the immune system to prevent miscarriages, and for suppressing uterine contractions. In certain situations of recurrent pregnancy loss, healthcare providers will sometimes prescribe progesterone or hCG as a way to support the pregnancy early on.

Once you've conceived, the body begins to produce hCG as soon as a fertilized egg implants into the uterine wall, and it typically takes another 8 to 14 days before the hCG levels rise enough to be detected by an at-home pregnancy test. Most urine pregnancy tests will detect a pregnancy at the time of your first missed period.

A woman can exhibit elevated hCG levels after a molar pregnancy, as well. Molar pregnancy happens after an egg is fertilized, but the tissue that usually grows into the placenta forms an abnormal growth, instead. So the egg never develops into an embryo.

Women often have the molar tissue removed, but sometimes it can return and develop into a uterine tumor. This can lead to certain types of cancer like choriocarcinoma and malignant gestational trophoblastic disease. Since these tumors involve the same cells that produce hCG, women with these conditions often have elevated hCG levels, as well, even though they're not pregnant.

"In non-pregnant women or men, levels are usually very low and do not play an important role in daily hormone function," Mixer says. However, there are some situations that could lead to moderate to high hCG levels in a non-pregnant woman or man, such as:

"All of these conditions should be discussed with and managed by a physician or healthcare provider," says Mixer.

In addition to medical conditions that could lead to elevated hCG levels, some cases of high hCG are the result of hCG injections. "We often see this in male athletes in an effort to boost testosterone production," Mixer says. This occurs because hCG is very similar to the pituitary hormone LH, which stimulates the production of testosterone in the testes.

HCG can also be used as an identifying marker during pregnancy to detect Down's Syndrome. "A certain subtype of hCG can be measured to predict the likelihood of Down Syndrome affecting the fetus," Mixer says.

Certain types of cancerscan produce higher-than-normal levels of hCG in both men and women. The types of cancers that can lead to elevated hCG levels include:

Measuring hCG levels in the above types of cancers can help identify tumors in the body, diagnose cancer, or evaluate how well a cancer treatment is working.

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What you need to know about hCG, the 'pregnancy hormone' - INSIDER

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You will feel better in the morning if you had a good night sleep. But it wont be a good morning if you dont get inadequate amount of sleep. Dear busy people! Take your sleep quality seriously. Because sleep disorders may lead to health problems, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and depression.

Many people suffer from insomnia, which may be due to psychiatric and medical conditions, unhealthy sleep habits, specific substances, and/or certain biological factors. Lifestyle changes may help lessen the severity of insomnia. But several naturopathic solutions have also been found effective in lessening the severity of insomnia. If youre also having sleepless nights, these below naturopathic approaches may help you get the sleep you need.

It is an age-old healing practice of traditional Chinese medicine and inserting very thin needles through the skin at specific points in the body. Its primarily used to relieve pain but also used for a wide range of other complaints. In a study, acupuncture treatment helped participants recover their normal sleep patterns.

Many studies have suggested that taking valerian extract help fall asleep easier and get better quality sleep. A study also found a combination of valerian and lemon balm as effective as the prescription sleeping pill Halcion.

In a study, older adults who drank eight ounces of tart cherry juice twice a day were able to sleep 90 more minutes per night. Researchers explained that compounds that give the cherries their colour increased the availability and inhibited the degradation of L-tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid that interacts with brain chemicals that are important to sleep and the timing of our biological clocks sleep-wake cycle.

Inhaling the aroma of lavender oil before bedtime may help you sleep better. Onset of menopause may cause sleep disturbances. If you are near your menopause, lavender aromatherapy may help improve your sleep. The positive effects of lavender oil have been shown in studies.

Taking melatonin supplement under the supervision of an experienced naturopathic physician may also help sleep well at night. Melatonin is a hormone that plays a role in your natural sleep-wake cycle. Researchers suggest that melatonin supplements might help provide some relief from insomnia.

Published : January 8, 2020 3:14 pm | Updated:January 8, 2020 3:16 pm

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Sleepless nights: Some naturopathic solutions that may help relieve insomnia - TheHealthSite

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Professor Ed Tadem and Dr. Victor Philip Delos Reyes after the laparoscopic surgery at the Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City, Philippines. CONTRIBUTED

I stared at the computer monitor looking at my organs my gall bladder, kidney, spleen, pancreas and uterus. I never thought of myself as a walking set of organs. I had always detached myself from the things I loved to eat papaitan (cow innards), bopis (cows lungs) and those sweet meats my Ilocano grandfather cooked for us. The surgeon interrupted my reverie.

This is your gall bladder and that is a gallstone, he pointed at the sac-like image.

How big is the stone? I asked him.

It is 2.37 centimeters, he said as a matter of fact.

My 2020 seemed bleak.

Routine check-ups

Ive been in and out of the hospital since October due to various ailments. On December 10, I had bronchitis. I was in medication for 10 days. After two days, I had difficulty urinating. I was back to the hospital for a series of tests. I got kidney stones, but very minute, just 0.31 millimeter. I was given antibiotics to flush this out. My attending physician recommended an Intravenous pyelogram (IVP) for further evaluation. IVP is an x-ray exam that uses an injection of contrast material to evaluate kidneys, ureters and bladder and helps diagnose blood in the urine or pain in the side or lower back. I fasted for 48 hours, and given an enema before the procedure. After waiting for more than 6 hours, the result showed a mass located in my bladder.

An ultrasound was scheduled on the 27th of December. The mass is actually a large gallstone.

Gallstone and its symptoms

My doctor, a Thai specialist and a surgeon at PorPhat 2 Hospital in Nakhon Ratchasima, explained that the presence of a gallstone does not always manifest in patients. Usually it is discovered during routine check-ups.

Out of 100 people with gallstones, only 16 people showed symptoms, and those are the ones needing operations, he explained.

At the same time that I was in the hospital, Ed Tadem, a retired University of the Philippines professor of Asian Studies was also at the Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City. Unlike me, Professor Tadem showed symptoms.

I had intense abdominal pain and a bloated tummy. There were about twenty-five tiny stones found in my gall bladder, Prof. Tadem says.

According to the Bangkok Hospital website, Gallstones are one of the most common digestive diseases which small stones are formed in the gallbladder. If a gallstone lodges in a bile duct and causes a blockage, it eventually results in severe life-threatening complications such as bile duct inflammation and infection, pancreatitis or cholecystitis (an inflammation of gallbladder).

I am quite lucky because I only have one. Some people can have several tiny pieces. Gallstones can also be as large as a golf ball!

Bangkok Hospital categorizes three types of gallstones. The cholesterol type is very common. It is chalk-white or greenish-yellow due to undissolved cholesterol as the main component. Pigment gallstones are dark brown or black containing bilirubin, which is caused by liver diseases. Mixed gallstones are a mixture of both cholesterol and pigment gallstones with a sticky mud-like appearance. This is due to secondary infection of the biliary tract, liver and pancreas.

Gender, diet and gallstone

As part of the routine questions, the doctor asked about my diet. Like most Filipinos, my diet is high in fat. Fortunately, I do not feel discomfort when I eat even fatty foods and dairy products.

Professor Tadem admits having had a high-fat and oily diet when he was younger. Though in the past ten years he has been diet-conscious; but the damage has been done.

Gender plays a role in the formation of gallstones. More females age 40 and above are prone to develop gallstones. It is attributed to medications that contain estrogen, or to hormone replacement therapy. Drastic weight loss and obesity are also factors. Family history is also considered. My grandmother had her gallbladder removed in her 40s.

Since the diagnosis came during the holidays, I promised my doctor to have a healthy diet after New Year. I was not given any medication. After four months, I will have an ultrasound again.

Alternative cure?

Upon posting my ultrasound result, well-meaning friends sent messages to me not to go under the knife. A friend shared how she flushed out three large gallstones by drinking radish juice before going to bed. Eating apples and drinking a particular apple juice brand are also recommended. Sambong (Blumea balsamifera) is also a known herbal medicine endorsed by some doctors. But its efficacy is only tested for kidney stones.

My Thai doctor did not recommend any drugs or alternative medicine since it is dangerous if the gallstone moves out of the bladder due to its size.

The authors lower abdominal ultrasound. CONTRIBUTED

Professor Tadem did not try herbal medicine either.

I was advised by my doctor that these are not effective, he says.

Gallstone removal procedure and costs

At this stage, my doctor does not advise me to undergo laparoscopic gallbladder surgery because the stone does not bother me yet. He further mentioned that usually, surgery is performed when the stone is 2.5 cm or larger.

According to Healthline, laparoscopic gallbladder surgery or(cholecystectomy) removes the gallbladder and gallstones through several small incisions in the abdomen. The surgeon inflates the abdomen with air or carbon dioxide in order to see clearly. This type of surgery takes lesser time to recover. After 12 hours, the patient can be discharged. Usually, the patient can go back to normal activities after a week or two. No special diet is required. But I guess, when a part of you is taken out, you have to think twice before eating particular foods again.

In the Philippines, after Philhealth insurance and Senior Citizens discount, Professor Tadem spent 190,000 pesos ($3,700) for laparoscopic cholecystectomy at the Capitol Medical Center.

Dr. Victor Philip de los Reyes, my surgeon was trained at the World Laparoscopy Hospital in New Delhi. He performed a complicated surgery, which took one hour instead of the normal 30 minutes, Professor Tadem says.

Professor Tadem shares that complications arose because of other factors such as the blood thinning medication he was taking, adhesion of previous operation, and the gall bladder was thicker than normal that it stuck to his intestine.

In Thailand, surgery costs around $3,000, with insurance, tests, medications included. Under the Social Security (SS) or PhraGansangkhom, members can avail of medical benefits such as hospitalization (in accredited hospitals), maternity benefits, cremation, and repatriation. I have been paying SS for the past seven years.

Ive always considered myself healthy. My cholesterol level is within the normal range. I exercise every day. But my diet may not be really healthy. I look at the mirror, seeing my abs, shoulders, and arms developing into muscles. I look better than 10 years ago. At this stage, I am not really healthy. But I will not allow myself to get sick.

Meanwhile, Im contemplating whether to eat the sisig (pork cheeks) I ordered last week. It is still sitting in the freezer.

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What we need to know about gallstones - INQUIRER.net

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Cara Gormallys pregnancy was shadowed by grief. As a queer woman wanting to have a baby, the biology professor had figured finding a sperm donor would be the only obstacle she and her partner faced. But thanks to Gormallys organizational skills and love of making lists, the couple landed on a donor with relative ease.

Then, Gormally struggled to conceive. Each month brought fresh disappointment and loss.

So much of the process depended on random, heart-breaking chance, she says. The emotional and financial roller coaster was exhausting.

But it wasnt the hardest part. The couple had accepted that, as much as they wanted a baby, their child wouldnt be biologically related to Gormallys spouse.

I grieved that our child wouldnt be genetically related to both of us, Gormally says. I longed for the biologically impossible.

But now, a new set of technologies have the potential to change whats possible allowing same-sex partners to have kids who share their genetic material, just like straight couples.

In mammals, pretty much every cell in the body carries two sets of genetic material. One set comes from mom and the other from dad. Eggs and sperm are the only exceptions; they have just one set. Then, when a sperm fertilizes an egg, those two sets combine, restoring the usual number to two sets per cell.

Gormally and other same-sex partners are currently barred from their dreams by a phenomenon called genomic imprinting. It uses a distinct tag from each parent to mark the DNA that mammals pass on to their offspring. The process ensures that, for a small percentage of genes, we only express the copy of genetic material provided by our mother or our father. When this imprinting process goes awry, kids can end up with inactive gene regions that cause miscarriages, developmental defects and cancer.

(Credit: Jay Smith/Discover)

During this genomic imprinting, moms distinct collection of tags typically turns off certain genes, so that just dads copy is expressed. And dad imparts his own marks that leave only the maternal copy on. (Most imprints silence gene expression, but some activate it.) Thats a problem for same-sex couples who want to have a baby. If both sets of an offsprings genes come from maternal DNA, for example, then both copies of imprinted genes will be off. So, the embryo cant make any of the genes products.

We dont get the full set of [gene] products that we need to undergo proper development unless we have both a maternal and paternal contribution to a fertilized egg, says Marisa Bartolomei, a geneticist at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, who discovered one of the first imprinted genes in mice.

Scientists discovered genomic imprinting in mammals about 30 years ago. During experiments in the mid-1980s, researchers removed either the maternal or paternal genetic contributions from newly fertilized mouse eggs. Then, they transferred in a second set of genes from another mouse to create embryos with either two sets of female genetic material or two sets of male genetic material. A surrogate mouse was able to gestate the embryos, but none survived. The finding showed normal development requires genetic material from both a father and the mother. More than that, the outcomes revealed that maternal and paternal genetic material differ from each other in meaningful ways.

Later experiments revealed mice developed differently depending on whether they happened to receive both copies of certain regions of DNA from one parent (rather than one copy from each parent).

Mice with hairpin-shaped tails were telling examples. When researchers deleted the gene region responsible for a hairpin tail from a mothers genome, mice embryos grew large and died partway through gestation. In contrast, deleting the same region from the paternal genome had no effect on the rodents growth or development.

In the three decades since, researchers have found more imprinted genes (they suspect there are between 100 and 200 such genes) and the molecular tags that silence them. Scientists have also taken strides connecting imprinting defects to developmental disorders in humans. But all along, researchers have known that imprinting prevents same-sex parents from having children.

In October 2018, researchers overcame this impossibility in mice. By deleting imprinted regions, Wei Li and a team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing produced healthy mice from two moms. The researchers also created mouse pups from two dads for the first time. However, the offspring died just a few days after birth.

Despite the loss, Li is optimistic. This research shows us what is possible, he says.

To overcome the imprinting barrier, Li and his fellow researchers turned to CRISPR, a gene-editing technique thats made altering genomes easier than ever. They used the tool to delete gene regions from embryonic stem cells from mice mothers. The researchers then injected these modified stem cells into the egg of a female mouse and then used a third surrogate female mouse to carry the fetus to term.

The team had already seen some success two years earlier when they created mouse pups with two genetic mothers by deleting two imprinted regions. Although these bimaternal mice also grew to adulthood and produced pups of their own, they developed growth defects. On average, the bimaternal mice were 20 percent lighter than their hetero-parental counterparts. In their latest study, Li and his team also deleted a third region from the mothers genes, which restored the animals growth to normal.

But the scientists had to clear a few more hurdles to generate mice with two genetic fathers. They found, through a process of trial and error, that they needed to remove twice as many imprinted regions in the bipaternal mice as the bimaternal mice. In total, the team deleted seven imprinted regions to successfully create mice from two dads.

Still, the numbers were not in their favor. Only two and a half percent of embryos made it to term and less than half of one percent lived for two days. None made it to adulthood.

The produced bipaternal mice are not viable, which implies more obstacles are needed to cross to support their postnatal survival, if possible, Li says. The lower birth rate, on the other hand, implies the existence of an unknown barrier hindering the development of bipaternal embryos.

In contrast, the bimaternal mice fared much better. These mice grew to adulthood and were healthy enough to have pups of their own by mating with typical male mice. They also behaved the same as the control mice. As far as the researchers could tell, the bimaternal mice appear as healthy and normal as any other laboratory mice.

It does not mean that they are normal in every aspect, Li cautions. One cannot investigate all the aspects under restricted experimental conditions with a limited number of animals.

Despite the researchers success, Li says the technique is not ready for use in humans. It is never too much to emphasize the risks and the importance of safety before any human experiment, he says, particularly in regard to the bipaternal offspring, which currently are severely abnormal and cannot survive to adulthood.

The bimaternal offspring hold more promise. The team is now working to translate their findings to monkeys. And that work could bring the impossible one step closer to feasible for humans.

Lis research is encouraging but its a long way from helping Gormally and her spouse. However, its also not the only shot for same-sex couples. Another new technology called in vitro gametogenesis, or IVG, may be an alternative potential path for same-sex couples to have their own kids.

Scientists use the technique to make eggs and sperm from other cells in the body. To do so, biologists first reprogram adult skin cells to become stem cells. Then, they stimulate the skin-derived stem cells to develop into eggs or sperm.

Researchers from Japan have now perfected the technique in mice. And in groundbreaking work, Katsuhiko Hayashi and Mitinori Saitou and their team generated functional eggs from mice tail cells.

The researchers then fertilized the eggs with sperm from male mice and implanted the embryos into surrogate mothers. The offspring grew up healthy and fertile. In principle, this approach could allow a womans skin cells to be engineered into sperm and used to fertilize her partners egg.

IVG could transform same-sex couples ability to have their own children. If it had been possible at the time, we definitely wouldve have tried to do it, says Gormally, who is now a proud parent to a toddler thanks to her and her spouses sperm donor. [Its] a total game-changer.

This story is part of "The Future of Fertility" a new series on Discover exploring the frontiers of reproduction.

Read more:

Can Humans Have Babies in Space?

George Church Wants to Make Genetic Matchmaking a Reality

Human Gene Editing is Controversial. Shoukhrat Mitalipov Isn't Deterred

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The Slow March Toward the First Same-Sex Couple to Have a Baby - Discover Magazine

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Researchers say theyve discovered six genetic variants associated with the development of anxiety disorders in what they call the largest study of anxiety traits to date.

In a study published Tuesday in the American Journal of Psychiatry, researchers examined genetic and health data from 200,000 U.S. veterans. The data was compiled by a research program, the Million Veteran Program, funded by the government to determine how genes, lifestyle and military exposures affect health and illness.

While there have been many studies on the genetic basis of depression, far fewer have looked for variants linked to anxiety, disorders of which afflict as many as 1 in 10 Americans, Murray Stein, a staff psychiatrist in the VA San Diego Healthcare System, said in a statement.

In the analysis, researchers discovered six genetic variants associated with higher risks of developing anxiety disorders. The variants related to anxiety disorders were found on chromosomes 1,3,6,7 and 20. The studys authors called it an important step forward in understanding how genes contribute to mental conditions.

The variant on chromosome 7 is identified to be correlated with higher occurrences of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Its also associated with the reception of estrogen, but researchers were reluctant to draw the conclusion on if this could explain perhaps why women are twice as likely than men to be affected by anxiety disorders. Thats because while women veterans were included in the study, more than 90 percent of the participants were male. The studys authors say more research is needed on the issue.

The study also found five of the genetic variants were found in white Americans, while an additional variant was found in African Americans.

Minorities are underrepresented in genetic studies, and the diversity of the Million Veteran Program was essential for this part of the project, Dan Levey, of the VA Connecticut Healthcare Center and Yale University said in a statement.

The genetic variant we identified occurs only in individuals of African ancestry, and would have been completely missed in less diverse cohorts.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, nearly 40 million people in the U.S. experience an anxiety disorder in any given year.

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Scientists discover six genetic links to anxiety - The Hill

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A new collaborative research study of over 200,000 military veterans has discovered six genetic variants that are linked to anxiety.According to statistics from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses in the U.S., affecting a staggering 18.1% of the population each year.

Suffering from an anxiety disorder can have major adverse effects on an individual's quality of life; it may prevent them from being able to socialize, to work, or to engage in relationships, for example. Individuals with an anxiety disorder are three to five times more likely to go to the doctor, and six times more likely to be hospitalized when compared to those who do not suffer from an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety disorders like all psychiatric conditions are complex in their pathophysiology. We don't know exactly what causes them, and therefore, our knowledge on how to treat them is somewhat incomplete. A variety of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options are available; however, they are often limited in success and may only benefit certain individuals.

An increasing amount of research is focusing on the contribution of genetics to the development of mental health conditions. Murray Stein, San Diego VA staff psychiatrist and Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and of family medicine and public health at UCSD points out "While there have been many studies on the genetic basis of depression, far fewer have looked for variants linked to anxiety, disorders of which afflict as many as one in ten Americans."

Stein is the senior author of a new study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, that explores the contribution of certain genetic variants to the development of anxiety disorders.

The research, a genome wide association study (GWAS), analyzed the genomes of approximately 200,000 military veterans from the Million Veteran Program (MVP). From the data, they discovered six genetic variants linked to anxiety. Five were identified in European Americans and one was identified in African Americans.

A selection of these variants has also been previously linked to other conditions such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and posttraumatic stress disorder.

"This is the richest set of results for the genetic basis of anxiety to date," said co-lead author Joel Gelernter, the Foundations Fund Professor of Psychiatry, professor of genetics and of neuroscience at Yale. "There has been no explanation for the comorbidity of anxiety and depression and other mental health disorders, but here we have found specific, shared genetic risks."

The MVP offers the opportunity to study a large data set that would otherwise be difficult to gather and collate. Thus far, several studies have utilized the MVP data to make interesting discoveries relating to genetics and psychiatric disorders. Gelernter says, "This is a rich vein we have just begun to tap."

Also of note is the fact that some of the genetic variants identified were linked to genes that regulate hormonal activity, specifically in relation to the sex hormone estrogen. As more females are affected by an anxiety disorder than males, this is an intriguing finding. However, the scientists emphasize that the research sample from the MVP largely consists of men, which could be considered a study limitation.

Nonetheless, the research serves as a contributor to the pool of research expanding our knowledge of the molecular underpinnings of psychiatric disorders.

"One of the goals of this research is to find important risk genes that are associated with risk for many psychiatric and behavioral traits for which we don't have a good explanation," Yale's Daniel Levey, a postdoctoral associate and co-lead author of the study, concludes.

Reference: Leveyet al. (2020). Reproducible Genetic Risk Loci for Anxiety: Results from ~200,000 Million Veteran Program Participants. The American Journal of Psychiatry. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1101/540245.

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Richest Set of Results to Date Pinpoint Six Genes That Are Linked to Anxiety Disorders - Technology Networks

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Are humans basically good kind, generous and peaceful? Or are we essentially evil cruel, selfish and aggressive? Evolutionary science is uncovering the answer, and it provides important guidance about how we can best live together.

But it should not be oversimplified.

In a recent column on evolution (Could our real advantage be survival of the friendliest? Nov. 28), Cass Sunstein discussed the human self-domestication theory. Summarizing a recent article by Duke anthropologist Brian Hare and a book by Hares former teacher, Harvards Richard Wrangham, Sunstein presents their findings that we homo sapiens are a domesticated version of earlier, more aggressive, human species, just as dogs are a docile version of wolves.

Like dogs, we evolved to have lower levels of reactive aggression toward those around us, which enabled the cooperation and communication that have propelled our species to world domination.

Sunsteins column was a feel-good piece about how we are hard-wired to get along with each other. Thats great and ought to be celebrated.

The story of human domestication is much more interesting than Sunstein let on, however, and it has troublesome implications.

Hares and Wranghams answer to the age-old puzzle about human nature is that we have separate neurological pathways for good and evil, and they come to the fore in different contexts and for different reasons. Hitler was kind to his secretary and inconsolable at the death of his dog.

Hare shows that whether people are helpful or hurtful to others depends on how similar the others in question seem to themselves. Instinctive antagonism toward outsiders co-evolved through the same biological mechanisms that molded group solidarity. Think of parents, who are the soul of gentleness with their own children, but would readily kill to protect them.

Thus, armed conflict with neighbors usually sneaky night raids and ambushes is a feature of nearly every human society ever studied. And recent brain imaging studies confirm that we literally think differently about infractions committed by members of our group than about those committed by an out-group.

Wranghams book isnt called Human Goodness but The Goodness Paradox. The paradox is that domestication has a dark side it evolved through lethal violence against bullies, nonconformists and outsiders. Once language developed, coalitions of subordinate males could plot to oust the aggressive alpha males of the kind that dominate groups of apes. And once male coalitions discovered their overwhelming power, they could employ it against all kinds of troublemakers.

Some 12,000 generations of capital punishment that is, homicide systematically culled from the gene pool the tendencies to domineer or deviate.

Indeed, in nomadic hunter-gatherer societies people have been killed by male coalitions for a wide range of social transgressions things as seemingly trivial as a woman treading on the mens secret path. The moral sense itself could be considered the instinct to look over our shoulders we survivors of this culling process have a healthy vigilance about who might be watching. Simply putting up a picture of human eyes has been shown to deter bicycle theft and littering.

Sunstein briefly acknowledges that while domestication reduced reactive aggression, it did not affect our unique capacity for proactive aggression. But he implies that sort of behavior consists only of aggression that involves a lot of advance planning. In fact, it is the threat of aggression by groups of males that underlies all the coercive, hierarchical institutions of human history.

Thus, the truth is far from Sunsteins rosy picture: We evolved to be nervous conformists who get together to murder troublemakers and outsiders.

Heres the important thing. Genes dont determine behavior, they create tendencies that can be countermanded by culture and choice. Recognizing our dark tendencies, there are things we can do to curb and control them.

To start with, the self-domestication theory provides a lens through which to see more clearly our nations important challenges.

Take immigration. We must recognize that our views on immigrants are not entirely rational but are subtly influenced by a genetically based hostility toward outsiders.

Or consider the intolerance toward unpopular speakers that is infecting college campuses. We need to be alert that our instinctive, nervous herd mentality may be operating there.

And anyone who listened to any of the congressional deliberations on impeachment has to have seen that the adversaries were literally thinking with different parts of their brains.

Be aware that nationalism is a mixed bag. It brings out our best instincts for loyalty and service, but it will always stimulate a genetic threat to international peace.

The thought experiment for how group solidarity is forged in response to an adversary is to imagine what would happen if hostile alien spaceships appeared over major cities. Those sneaky Russians and monolithic Chinese would quickly start to feel like our kin. Climate change is another kind of worldwide threat which, depending on how we address it, could forge bonds across boundaries or could lead to the mind-set of every man for himself.

As for our nations history of persecuting nonconformists and reformers, we need to take to heart the language of a case that new law students study, Papachristou v. City of Jacksonville.

Back in 1972, Jacksonville had a vagrancy ordinance so broad that it allowed the police to sweep up just about anyone they considered undesirable. Supreme Court Justice William Douglas, a bit of a nonconformist himself, would have none of it. He wrote that the choices to be a nightwalker or a loafer are unwritten amenities of American life that have dignified the right of dissent and have honored the right to be nonconformists and the right to defy submissiveness. They have encouraged lives of high spirits, rather than hushed, suffocating silence.

Dare I offer the best vision for the future for a domesticated species? It would be a time when we are all citizens of the world with robust protections for individuality and nonconformity.

Evolution built us. All in the service of promoting the most base reproductive success, it engineered beings capable of great love and loyalty, works of beautiful creativity and worldwide collaboration, and awe and wonder at the mysteries of the universe. But it also endowed us with the pain of guilt and shame, anxiety about our reputations, insatiable acquisitiveness and the potential for intolerance and cruelty.

Still, the story can be more empowering than discouraging. Knowledge is power. We are finally at the point in history where we can start to see our own evolution. And seeing it, we can refuse to be its slaves and start being its master.

Bruce Peterson is a senior district court judge who teaches a course on Lawyers as Peacemakers at the University of Minnesota Law School.

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OPINION EXCHANGE | We mustn't be naive about evolution - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Childhood exposure to the air pollutant nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is associated with an increased risk of developing schizophrenia, according to the findings of a recent study which appeared in JAMA Network Open.

This population-based cohort study comprised of 23,355 individuals (51.3% male) with schizophrenia and a randomly selected sub-cohort.Using national registry data, all individuals born in Denmark between May 1, 1981, and December 31, 2002, were followed up from their 10th birthday until the first occurrence of schizophrenia (the primary endpoint), emigration, death, or December 31, 2012, whichever came first. Statistical analyses were conducted between October 24, 2018, and June 17, 2019 using adjusted hazard ratios (AHRs) for schizophrenia with 95% Cis according to NO2 exposure. Polygenic risk scores were calculated as the weighted sum of risk alleles at selected single-nucleotide polymorphisms based on genetic material obtained from dried blood spot samples from the Danish Newborn Screening Biobank and on the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium genome-wide association study summary statistics file.

According to the results of the study, during the period of the study, 3,531 subjects were diagnosed with schizophrenia. The researchers observed that higher polygenic risk scores were linked with higher childhood NO2 exposure (=0.0782; 95% CI, 0.065 to 0.091; P <.001). Moreover, they found that a 10-g/m3increase in childhood daily NO2 exposure (AHR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.15 to 1.32) along with a 1-SD increase in polygenic risk score (AHR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.23 to 1.35) were both independently correlated with an augmented risk of developing schizophrenia.

Potential biological mechanisms for the association between air pollution and schizophrenia remain uncertain, but air pollutants have been purported to cause inflammation of the tissue of the nervous system, oxidative stress, microglial activation, protein aggregation, subclinical cerebrovascular disease, and disruption of the blood-brain barrier, the study authors wrote.

With the complex clinical features of schizophrenia, it is likely that genetic variation may play a role in determining an individuals susceptibility to the damaging effects of air pollution. However, our findings suggest that a polygenic risk score based on common variants related to schizophrenia cannot account for the association between childhood NO2 exposure and schizophrenia.

They added that these results demonstrate the utility of including polygenic risk scores in epidemiologic studies.

Read the rest here:
Childhood Exposure to Air Pollution Linked to Increased Risk of Schizophrenia - DocWire News

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Its not King Herod decreeing that male children should be killed, but it certainly is eyebrow-raising: Chinas ever-growing, totalitarian surveillance state is now requiring blood samples from boys in provinces across the nation.

This is according to Bitter Winter (BW), a magazine on religious liberty and human rights in China. BW reports that one explanation given to concerned parents of schoolboys was that the program was designed to prevent children from being lost or abducted. Of course, though, since girls can be abducted, too, this excuse only further raises suspicions.

Providing background, BW wrote yesterday that since the beginning of 2016, the government ofXinjiangUyghurAutonomous Regionhas been collecting DNA samples fromUyghursand other Muslims to build databases fortracking and monitoring them. As this measure in the name of maintaining social stabilityspreads across mainland China, theCCP [Chinese Communist Party]is collecting biometric data on an ever-increasing scale. All males, including young children, are now mandated to give blood samples.

BW continues:

Residents of Guigang, Guilin, Hechi, and Cenxi cities in southern Chinas Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region reported toBitter Winterthat local police uniformly collected blood samples from primary and middle school boys in November. This has been done without informing their guardians.

Isnt it the doctors duty to take blood? Why did the police do it? a parent of a primary school student asked. Blood samples have been taken from students in many schools, as part of the governments massive operation. No notice or written communication has been issued to parents. We felt very unsafe.

When parents demanded to know the reasons for the collection of blood samples from their children, the schools explained that it was needed to prevent children from being lost or abducted and sold.

If it is to prevent children from being lost or abducted, why have samples been taken only from boys and not girls? Because girls wont be lost? Its really strange!

Reporting on the program in October, shortly after a government announcement relating to it was made, the Epoch Times wrote that China is building a massiveDNAdatabase on its citizens.

The announcement stated that the effort is part of the public securitys basic information work to improve the precision and controllability of population management, and the samples would be collected either by group or door-to-door, the Times related.

The program is just one of the most recent compulsory DNA collection initiatives, which critics of Chinese authorities say are a gross violation of privacy and serve to further the regimes plan to control the genetic makeup of its population, the Times continued.

The Times also informs that the goal of the male-oriented program is to develop a comprehensive Y-STR database. Y-STR stands for Y-chromosome short tandem repeat analysis, which relates to DNA information passed down along the male descendants of families, the Times tells us.

Bitter Winter reports on the most plausible explanation for the current program, quoting a teacher from Guilin. The collection of blood samples is demanded in a government-issued document, which proclaims that they will be used by law enforcement to find criminals, related BW. No matter where they escape, the police can locate them.

Since boys and men are not only more likely to commit violent crimes but, note, are also more likely to be the revolutionaries opposing state tyranny the current focus on a Y-STR database may make sense.

On an even darker note, BW writes that because schools were secretive and couldnt provide adequate explanation for the blood-collection program, some parents worried thatDNA samples will be used for organ harvesting.

(Note: It could occur to a person that since Chinas recently scrapped one-child policy led to a sex imbalance in which males notably outnumber females, the Beijing government may view boys as more expendable. Just a wild thought.)

This said, the latest initiative is apparently just part of a wider effort to collect DNA on Chinas entire population. The purposes, though, would still largely be nefarious.

Bitter Winter writes that one motivation is to facilitate religious persecution. For example, In July, the police harassed the parents of a member ofThe Church of Almighty Godwho has been on the run to escape persecution and forcibly collected their blood samples, claiming that this will help them to track down the believer, the site relates.

As to another motivation, Steven Mosher, an expert in population control [and] president of U.S.-based think tank Population Research Institute said the term population control has always had an eugenics element, the Epoch Times reports.

The regime wants to ensure quality births, Mosher told The Epoch Times, adding that one way to achieve that is by tracing who is related to whom, so authorities can eliminate those carrying recessive genes that produce birth defects.

With the advent of genetic testing, [this practice] is about to get a high-tech boost and become much more comprehensive, he said, the site further related.

Eugenics, the science of improving the human gene pool via selective breeding (and now genetic engineering), gained much credence in the early 1900s, especially in Britain and the United Sates. It was later discredited when the Nazis in Germany pursued it, killing innocents and violating human rights in the process.

The Chinese authorities are similarly disposed, using deception, threats, and even physical force to collect reluctant subjects blood. Yet this is just part of Beijings wider development of an all-encompassing surveillance state that seems to mistake George Orwells 1984 for an instruction manual. As Sarah Cook, a senior China analyst at U.S. human rights advocacy group Freedom House, put it while addressing the massive DNA collection program, the fascistic Beijing regime treats the Chinese population as nothing more than slaves, with whom you can do exactly as you please.

Yet is this surprising? China is not only the worlds most irreligious country, but atheism is its governments official position. This matters because atheism has a certain corollary: that we have no souls and then are, essentially, mere organic robots, some pounds of chemicals and water.

And, of course, what could be wrong with altering an organic robots software (social engineering) or, more to the point here, its hardware (genetic engineering)? For that matter, what could be immoral about terminating an organic robots function? Material things are there to be used, after all and discarded when no longer needed.

It really is no surprise that men who believed our rights come from God forged the United States and that a godless state proceeds as if people are objects that have no rights.

Selwyn Duke (@SelwynDuke) has written for The New American for more than a decade. He has also written for The Hill,Observer,The American Conservative, WorldNetDaily, American Thinker, and many other print and online publications. In addition, he has contributed to college textbooks published by Gale-Cengage Learning, has appeared on television, and is a frequent guest on radio.

More:
Bleed the Males? China Currently Demanding DNA from Boys and ONLY Boys - The New American

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then its probably...Brad Pitt.

The Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood star and genetic experiment in perfection has done the remarkable. Hes taken a hairstyle associated with 60-year-old male radio show hosts and college freshman who dont yet know how to make their own barber appointments and made it red carpet-worthy.

Frazer Harrison

The ducktail hairstyle, also known as the ducks ass, peaked in popularity in the late 1950s with the rise of the bad-boy Greaser look (Think: Elvis Presley and Sodapop from The Outsiders.) It's styled by slicking back shaggy hair on both sides of your head to create a ridge at the back, allowing the bottom edges to subtly flip out at the ends. Its almost moving into mullet territory, with a bit of Donald Trump at the edges. Joe Dirt would find the style aspirational.

Carl Iwasaki

Beautiful Brad wasnt alone in his efforts at the Golden Globes Sunday night. Famous men like Ansel Elgort, Adam Driver, and Joaquin Phoenix added to the hairsanity. We're a mere week into 2020, and several Hollywood dudes have started sporting the style, with a slight update: the new version includes less duck and more tail, creating a neck curtain of sorts. These are men of flair, drama, and panache: the curtain rises and falls even on their distinguished necks.

Daniele Venturelli

Daniele Venturelli

Steve Granitz

Michael Kovac

This is the kind of hair that makes you believe if you went home with these grown men, you might wake up on a futon. It's a style for men who think basketball shorts are formal wear, who eat from the communal nuts at a bar, rub their noses, then grabs another handful. It is, in short, the hair of men who used to fart and claim Safety immediately after. It is not at all the 'do of a movie star, which is perhaps exactly its point: We dare you to still find us attractive, Pitt and his A-list cohorts seem to be saying. Unfortunately, in spite of their best efforts, we do.

Read this article:
Are Male Celebrities Trying to Ruin Their Hotness With Bad Hair? 'Cuz It's Not Working - ELLE.com

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

This is not a good time to be a wolverine.

The infamously scrappy, snow-adapted mustelid a relation of badgers, martens and otters is barely hanging on in the contiguous United States, where its population has dipped to mere hundreds. Decades of habitat loss and trapping reduced the wolverines numbers, and now diminishing snowpack from climate change is adding insult to injury.

And we can add one more surprising threat to the list: roads.

Yes, even though wolverines (Gulo gulo) thrive in remote, snowy wildernesses, roads can still pose a problem but perhaps not in the way you might think.

Researchers studying wolverine populations in Canada found that roads serve to diminish the animals genetic diversity, because females refuse to cross them, although young males still readily disperse and find new territories.

This has important consequences for U.S. wolverines, which may depend on Canadian travelers for their genetic health and future population growth.

Anthony (Tony) Clevenger, a scientist at Montana State Universitys Western Transportation Institute and an expert in the field of road ecology, was one of three researchers involved in the study.

We talked to him about the challenges facing wolverines and whats being done to boost their recovery.

What attracted you to the field of road ecology?

Pure chance. I was out of work, living in Europe where I did my Ph.D. on a small population of brown bears in northern Spain, and I heard Banff National Park was hiring a conservation biologist to study underpasses and overpasses for wildlife. I got the job [in 1996] and became fascinated with studying how roads affect nature around us. It opened up a new world for me.

Your recent study focused on wolverines and the Trans-Canada Highway. What prompted this? What were you hoping to learn?

The final twinning [from two to four lanes] of the Trans-Canada Highway ends at the Continental Divide. This stretch of the highway enters subalpine areas home to wolverine and lynx species that we knew very little about.

We knew in the lower 48 some 2-lane highways limited wolverine movement. Little was known about wolverines in the Canadian Rockies and much less about how a major 4-lane highway may affect movements and gene flow.So this was a unique opportunity given the number of interstate highways and expanding roads in the southern part of wolverine range.

What did you find out about how roads affect wolverines, and is it different from how roads affect other animals?

After three years of noninvasive genetic sampling within our 3,088 square-mile study area [around Banff, Kootenay and Yoho national parks], we found that the Trans-Canada Highway is not a barrier to male wolverine movement but is a strong barrier to female wolverine movement.Females are more sensitive todisturbance, particularly human activity.

This is important since females need to cross the highway, survive and breed for there to be functional connectivity.

This is the same response that others have found for grizzly bear movements and genetic structure across highways, and also jaguars in Central America. Getting breeding females to cross and connect subpopulations is key, and we hope that crossing structures can help that function.

What are the implications for wolverine populations in North America, and specifically in the United States, where numbers are low?

The prospects are not good in the lower 48 where the population is [currently] estimated at 300 but we all believe that is far too high. Habitats are highly fragmented, unlike wolverine range in southern Canada (Alberta and British Columbia). The population in Canada is in the thousands.

Trapping still occurs in southern Canada and we published a paper recently that demonstrates that the trapping of wolverines in southeast British Columbia and southwest Alberta is not sustainable. Governments there are starting to change trapping regulations.

These populations are the lifeline for wolverine populations in the United States. We lose that and we lose everything.

What is being done or can be done to help? Are there particular kinds of crossing structures that would be most beneficial for wolverines?

Crossing structures have been built in the Canadian Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway, which will help the mountain park wolverines. The critical piece of the puzzle is located in multi-use lands between the mountain national parks and the United States border (near Glacier and Waterton Lakes national parks).

This area is still trapped for wolverines, and forest cutting and motorized recreation are extensive and in some places there is oil and gas exploration activities that limit wolverine movement, reproductive success and survival. The provincial government of British Columbia is changing trapping regulations and we hope Alberta will follow suit its a good thing and necessary.

Overpasses and underpasses are also being planned for the British Columbia section of Highway 3, a critical linkage zone in the Yellowstone-to-Yukon ecoregion. The public is more informed of the plight of wolverines in this critical area, as are trappers.

Working together we can help provide a more viable future for one of our icons of wilderness and intact ecosystems.

Originally posted here:
Road to Nowhere: Highways Pose Existential Threat to Wolverines - The Revelator

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Cincinnati's thousand-pound toddler turns 3 years old this January, overcoming every obstacle thrown her way.Fiona the hippo will celebrate her third birthday this month. It's a big deal for the half-ton of pure hippo sass, considering she weighed a fifth of what a normal baby hippo should weigh when she was born Jan. 24, 2017."Fiona is remarkable for being unremarkable now," said Cincinnati Zoo curator of mammals Christina Gorsuch. "She's just like most other 2-year-old hippos, except for the fact that she's a celebrity in Cincinnati and beyond!"Fiona weighed 29 pounds when she was born, which is about 25 pounds lighter than the lowest recorded birth weight for this species. The normal range is 55-120 pounds.She has become an ambassador for her species and a great example of why zoos exist. She survived because of her animal care team's tireless efforts to save her and has inspired many to care about her species and wildlife, which is Cincinnati Zoo's mission.She now weights well over 1,000 pounds. Once Cincinnati's little baby, the hippo has reached a certain level of maturity as she nears three as her tusks begin to come in.But don't worry, Cincinnati. She's not old enough to date yet.She needs to be at least 5 before she starts thinking about boys, according to Wendy Rice, the head keeper at Cincinnati Zoo's Africa Department.And although she has hippo admirers across the country, Rice said Fiona is still a few years away from picking up a boyfriend.Of those hippo admirers, one such hippo is still laying it on thick. Timothy, a 3-year-old hippo from San Antonio, still pens Fiona weekly love notes on Facebook.But what ultimately will decide Fiona's potential future romance? It may not be cute love notes."The genetics are basically what's going to matter most," Rice said. "If and when Fiona were to get a breeding recommendation someday, it would be based entirely on who was genetically the best match for her -- that may or may not be Timothy."Fiona's genes are valuable in the world of Nile hippopotamuses. And eventually, Rice said the goal is to have Fiona breed if she can. But we're talking way down the road, when Fiona is at least 5 years old.What happens then?"We obviously don't want her going anywhere," Rice said. "We love her. She's our baby and this hometown loves her. We're fairly certain people would riot if we said Fiona was leaving. We're hopeful that if she gets a breeding recommendation, that a male would be brought here for her so she wouldn't have to leave Cincinnati."

Cincinnati's thousand-pound toddler turns 3 years old this January, overcoming every obstacle thrown her way.

Fiona the hippo will celebrate her third birthday this month. It's a big deal for the half-ton of pure hippo sass, considering she weighed a fifth of what a normal baby hippo should weigh when she was born Jan. 24, 2017.

"Fiona is remarkable for being unremarkable now," said Cincinnati Zoo curator of mammals Christina Gorsuch. "She's just like most other 2-year-old hippos, except for the fact that she's a celebrity in Cincinnati and beyond!"

Fiona weighed 29 pounds when she was born, which is about 25 pounds lighter than the lowest recorded birth weight for this species. The normal range is 55-120 pounds.

She has become an ambassador for her species and a great example of why zoos exist. She survived because of her animal care team's tireless efforts to save her and has inspired many to care about her species and wildlife, which is Cincinnati Zoo's mission.

She now weights well over 1,000 pounds. Once Cincinnati's little baby, the hippo has reached a certain level of maturity as she nears three as her tusks begin to come in.

But don't worry, Cincinnati. She's not old enough to date yet.

She needs to be at least 5 before she starts thinking about boys, according to Wendy Rice, the head keeper at Cincinnati Zoo's Africa Department.

And although she has hippo admirers across the country, Rice said Fiona is still a few years away from picking up a boyfriend.

Of those hippo admirers, one such hippo is still laying it on thick. Timothy, a 3-year-old hippo from San Antonio, still pens Fiona weekly love notes on Facebook.

But what ultimately will decide Fiona's potential future romance? It may not be cute love notes.

"The genetics are basically what's going to matter most," Rice said. "If and when Fiona were to get a breeding recommendation someday, it would be based entirely on who was genetically the best match for her -- that may or may not be Timothy."

Fiona's genes are valuable in the world of Nile hippopotamuses. And eventually, Rice said the goal is to have Fiona breed if she can. But we're talking way down the road, when Fiona is at least 5 years old.

What happens then?

"We obviously don't want her going anywhere," Rice said. "We love her. She's our baby and this hometown loves her. We're fairly certain people would riot if we said Fiona was leaving. We're hopeful that if she gets a breeding recommendation, that a male would be brought here for her so she wouldn't have to leave Cincinnati."

Excerpt from:
Fiona's greatest hits: 3 years of sassy hippo bliss - WLWT Cincinnati

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The clotting disorder hemophilia A may become the third gene therapy that the US Food and Drug Administration approves, joining treatments for a form of retinal blindness in 2017, and spinal muscular atrophy in 2019.

Biomarin Pharmaceutical Inc. has submitted a biologics license application to FDA and documentation of clinical trial results to the European Medicines Agency, with reviews slated to begin early this year at both organizations.

An article in the January 2 New England Journal of Medicine from a UK research team presents the findings of a phase 3 analysis of continuing success of a phase 1/2 trial (instead of a new phase 3 trial). The hemophilia gene therapy called valoctocogene roxaparvovec for now can mean a one-time infusion that replaces the more than 100-150 infusions of clotting factor a patient takes each year, and can also alleviate the painful joint bleeding that is the hallmark of the disease.

The different clotting disorders result from mutations in different genes in the pathway that knits a clot from protein fibrils. Hemophilia A is a deficiency of clotting factor VIII, and is also called classic hemophilia. It accounts for 80 percent of people with the disease. The clotting disorder that threaded through the royal families of Europe was hemophilia B, which is a deficiency of factor IX.

Both hemophilias are transmitted by genes on the X chromosome, and therefore affect only males. One in 10,000 males has hemophilia A, and it arises as a new mutation (rather than being inherited), in about a third of cases.

The world focused on hemophilia A with the sad case of Ryan White. Born in 1971, Ryan was diagnosed at 3 days of age when his circumcision wound wouldnt stop bleeding.

Like many people with hemophilia A at the time, Ryan received weekly factor VIII pooled from donors. That would prove tragic, as President Reagan was late to the game of testing the blood supply for viruses. He refused to even utter the word AIDS until actor Rock Hudson died of it in 1985.

That was too late for Ryan White.

HIV as the cause of the mysterious new epidemic was identified in 1983, although for a time it was known by different names.

In 1984, Ryan had a lung biopsy to diagnose severe pneumonia that revealed that he was HIV positive. Nearly 90% of people with hemophilia who received clotting factors from pooled donor blood between 1979 and 1984 contracted HIV and/or hepatitis C.

Ryan survived longer than predicted, until the end of 1990. In the intervening years he catalyzed AIDS activism when he was denied admittance to school, and he and his family fought the discrimination and ignorance.

Hemophilia A gene therapy has been twenty years in the making.

By the end of the decade that began with Ryan Whites death, the first gene therapy for hemophilia A was being tested in a clinical trial in Pittsburgh. I was fortunate to interviewthe first patient soon after he received the gene therapy.

Like Ryan White, Don Miller had nearly bled to death when he was circumcised. He recalled other frightening incidents.

I fell at my grandmothers house and had a one-inch-long cut on the back of my leg. It took five weeks to stop bleeding. It leaked slowly, so I didnt need whole blood replacement. But if I moved a little the wrong way, it would open and bleed again.

Millers treatments paralleled the history of countering hemophilia, from whole blood infusions, to plasma replacement, to cryoprecipitate (a frozen plasma product containing clotting factors). Then he injected pooled factor VIII three times a month. But somehow he never contracted HIV, and thats what got him into the gene therapy clinical trial.

I lucked out, Miller told me. Besides his good fortune at dodging the HIV bullet, he was in the right place at the right time. Hed been a librarian at the University of Pittsburgh, where the clinical trial was to take place.

On June 1, 1999, Don Miller received the first of three injections of retroviruses engineered to carry factor VIII. Chiron Corp., one of the original wave of big biotech companies that was absorbed into Novartis in 2006, designed and manufactured the vector.

The goal of this first round of hemophilia A gene therapy wasnt to cure the disease, but to boost factor VIII levels a scant 2 to 7 percent, which was expected to dampen bleeds.

Don Miller hadnt had any side effects when I spoke with him, but I dont know how he fared. At the time, he spoke freely to the media, but I contacted his physician and she couldnt provide an update due to HIPAA regulations.

But that first hemophilia A gene therapy was safe. Some patients had transient increases in factor VIII, and for 5 of the 13, bleeds became less frequent.

When the gene therapy field emerged from several setbacks that began with the death of Jesse Gelsinger in 1999, the hemophilia strategy changed to a safer and more efficient vector. The clinical trial leading to the current FDA submission began with 15 patients who received the factor VIII gene delivered in adeno-associated virus serotype 5, starting in June 2015. A year later, 13 of the men treated with a single infusion had normal or near-normal levels of factor VIII.

The AAV5 vector coaxes greater expression of the gene than does the retrovirus used in the earlier trial. Plus, an added bit of control DNA (a promoter) directs the vector to the types of cells that normally make the factor in the liver and to white blood cells.

AAV5s capacity is only about 4,700 DNA bases, so the big factor VIII gene is trimmed a bit (as it was for the earlier trial too). Still, it had to be delivered in two viral shipments, with some assembly required, like sending a cell phone and its charger in separate Amazon prime boxes.

Unlike other vectors (lentivirus and retroviruses), AAV remains separate from the cells chromosomes, forming a DNA circle called an episome.

Two of the 15 patients received doses too low (6 or 20 trillion viruses per kilogram of body weight) to have an effect. But six men receiving an intermediate dose of 40 trillion viruses had no bleeding events; the annual number of needed factor VIII infusions for the three-year study period fell from 155 to 0.5, and only one man had a bleed in a large joint.

The high-dose (60 trillion viruses) men did the best: none required factor VIII infusions, bleeding events, or large joint bleeds.

Analysis of factor VIII levels and various biomarkers of the gene indicated that of the 13 men who responded, one is considered to no longer have hemophilia, eleven have mild disease, and one has moderate disease.

It all adds up to what the researchers call a sustained, clinically relevant benefit. Said lead author John Pasi, from the Royal London Haemophilia Centre, Barts Health NHS Trust:

Our 2017 paper showed that gene therapy could significantly boost factor VIII levels in men with hemophilia A. Our new data are critical in helping the scientific and medical communities understand this pioneering technology. This latest study confirms both safety and long-term beneficial impact. A long-term treatment that effectively ends the life-long regular injections can transform care and massively improve the quality of life of hundreds of thousands of people born with this challenging genetic condition.

Once an advisory committee to FDA agrees, valoctocogene roxaparvovec will debut with a catchier brand name. It may cost in the $400,000 to $1 million range (or higher) of other gene therapies in the US and Europe, but considering that current therapies for hemophilia A are about $270,000 annually without complications and can exceed $1 million if there are, a one-and-done gene therapy for hemophilia A sounds like a good deal.

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

Read the rest here:
Will 2020 see the debut of promising gene therapy for hemophilia A? It's up to the FDA. - Genetic Literacy Project

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Oil giant BP (LON:BP) sprung a surprise on Tuesday (January 7) by announcing the sale of some of its iconic North Sea assets to Premier Oil (LON:PMO), one of the U.K.'s most indebted oil and gas companies.

The deal worth 474 million ($625 million) will see a package of North Sea assets, including the Andrew platform and BP's controlling stake in five surrounding fields, as well as its minority stake in the Shell-operated Shearwater field, transferred to Premier Oil.

The five fields - Andrew, Arundel, Cyrus, Farragon and Kinnoull - all produce via the Andrew platform, which is about 140 miles (225km) north east of Aberdeen, and has been run by BP since 1994, coming onstream in 1996. The oil giant's minority stake in the Shell-operated Shearwater field stands at 27.5%.

The Andrew platform and BP's controlling stake in five surrounding fields, as well as its minority ... [+] stake in the Shell-operated Shearwater field will be sold to Premier Oil.

BP said the move was aimed at "reshaping" its North Sea asset portfolio under an ongoing 7.6 billion divestment program.

The sale marks a continuing trend of North Sea divestments by BP. In 2017, it sold its interests in the Bruce, Keith and Rhum fields to Serica Energy for 300 million. Earlier that year, the oil giant also sold its Forties Pipeline System (FPS) to Ineos in 250 million deal. The 235-mile pipeline system, which links 85 North Sea oil and gas assets belonging to 21 companies, was first opened in 1975.

BP is by no means alone in divesting mature North Sea assets. Rival Royal Dutch Shell (LON:RDSB) sold half of its U.K. production base to private equity-backed Chrysaor the same year as BP sold the FPS, and other majors such as Chevron (NYSE:CVX) and ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) have also divested from the region.

Ariel Flores, North Sea regional president at BP, said: "BP has been reshaping its portfolio in the North Sea to focus on core growth areas. As a result of this focus, we have also now decided to divest our Andrew and Shearwater interests, believing them to be a better strategic fit for another owner.

"We are confident that Premier Oil, already a significant operator in the North Sea, is the right owner of these assets as they seek to maximize their value and extend their life."

The midcap buyer of BP's assets is one of the most indebted oil companies in the U.K. with a debt pile of 1.5 billion. But Premier Oil said it would be paying for the assets via combination of existing cash, an acquisition bridging facility of 228 million and a fresh equity raise of 380 million.

Tony Durrant, Chief Executive of Premier Oil, said: "These acquisitions are in line with our stated strategy of acquiring cash generative assets in the UK North Sea.

"We look forward to realizing the significant long-term potential of the Andrew and Shearwater assets through production optimization, incremental developments and field life extension projects."

A total of 69 BP staff working on the divested assets are expected to move to Premier Oil. Following announcement of the divestment, as of 12:07 GMT on Tuesday, BP's shares were trading down 0.93% or 4.70p in London at 499.40p, while Premier Oil's were up 16.81% or 17.05p at 118.71p.

See the original post:
BP Agrees To $625 Million Sale Of North Sea Assets With One Of U.K.s Most Indebted Oil Companies - Forbes

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Growing emphasis on the food safety and longer shelf life has played an important role in the development of ingredients that aid in food preservation. These ingredients vary from simple water content to salt or sugar to chemicals like antioxidants and are used to prevent growth of microorganisms, thereby delaying the spoilage process. In terms of origin, food safety and shelf life extension ingredients can be synthetic or natural in nature.

Food preserving ingredients have been an integral part of kitchen aisles in the form of lemon, ginger, vinegar, spices, salt and sugar. Their traditional utilization was replaced by synthetic ingredients with increasing commercialization of the food industry in past decades. However, with the dissemination of knowledge related to harmful effects of synthetic ingredients, currently, the industry is witnessing a prominent shift toward natural ingredients for food safety and shelf life extension.

Shelf Life Extension Ingredients Market Notable Developments

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Shelf Life Extension Ingredients Market Dynamics

Clean-Label Trend Fuels Synthetic to Natural Transition in Food Ingredient Landscape

Naturally sourced ingredients have gained significant traction as consumer preference for natural products continues to surge. In terms of effectiveness, natural preservatives are superior in delivering greater protection and longer shelf life. As they work with equivalent efficiency and are healthful in nature, adoption of naturally sourced ingredients is increasing consistently as compared to the synthetic options.

Natural ingredients such as antimicrobials or antioxidants have additional potential health benefits also. Well aware of the increasing consumer demand for natural food products that are without artificial ingredients, manufacturers in the food ingredient market are introducing bio-based or naturally sourced food safety ingredients.

Frozen Foods Drive Demand for Specialized Food Safety Ingredients

Ranging from salads to sauces or ready meals to rice, a plethora of food products are available in frozen forms. As the demand for fresh and frozen foods increase across the globe, food manufacturers are seeking innovative ways to introduce novel food safety ingredients to extend the shelf life of frozen foods.

Manufacturers in the food safety and shelf life extension ingredient market are introducing ingredients specific to refrigerated products. Along with providing safety, these ingredients are label friendly and help in reducing sodium content while enhancing consumers sensory experience.

Shelf Life Extension Ingredients Market Regional Outlook

North America presents lucrative opportunities for the Shelf Life Extension Ingredients Market on the back of buoyancy in regions the food and beverage industry and presence of leading F&B companies.

The market is likely to witness increasing opportunities in the developing countries of Asia pacific. These countries are witnessing huge demand for frozen foods, RTD food and beverages and processed food, thereby presenting higher potential for the market in the future.

Shelf Life Extension Ingredients Market Segmentation

The Shelf Life Extension Ingredients Market is segmented into following,

Based on type, Shelf Life Extension Ingredients Market can be segmented in,

Based in function, Shelf Life Extension Ingredients Market can be segmented in,

Based on application, Shelf Life Extension Ingredients Market can be segmented in,

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Read more:
Shelf Life Extension Ingredients Market Competitive Landscape Analysis with Forecast by 2028 - BulletintheNews

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Anki, which shuttered in April after burning through almost $200 million in venture capital financing, could have a new lease on life or a life extension, at least. As first spotted by The Verge, Pittsburgh-based educational tech startup Digital Dream Labs this week announced it will pick up development of Vector, Ankis most recent robot, in the coming months.

Digital Dream Labs plans to kick off a Kickstarter campaign to fund the launch of two new products for Vector owners. The first an Escape Pod will enable the robot to work offline sans internet connection to Ankis cloud datacenters, while the second an open source development kit and a custom bootloader will allow Vector owners to create and make available new features and functionality.

The most important part of this update is to let you know we have taken over the cloud servers and are going to maintain them going forward, wrote Vector CEO Jacob Hanchar in a blog post. This is just the beginning and subject to change, but because you have shown such loyalty and got this project off the ground in the first place, I felt it was necessary to communicate these developments as soon as possible!

Anki, the San Francisco startup behind AI-imbued robotics toys like Overdrive, and Cozmo as well as Vector, shut down immediately after laying off its workforce of just over 200 people. A failed round of financing was reportedly to blame. CEO Boris Sofman told employees that a deal failed to materialize at the last minute, as did acquisition interest from companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Comcast.

Anki claimed to have sold 6.5 million devices total, and 1.5 million robots last August alone. (Cozmo was the top-selling toy on Amazon in 2017 with a community of more than 15,000 developers.) And in fall 2018, the company revealed that revenue was close to $100 million in 2017, a figure it expected to beat the subsequent year.

Anki, which was founded by Mark Palatucci, Sofman, and Hanns Tappeiner in 2010 with the mission of bring[ing] artificial intelligence and robotics into [users] daily lives, made a splash six years ago with its smartphone-controlled car setAnki Drive(alternatively Anki Overdrive), which was demonstrated onstage at Apples 2013 WorldWide Developer Conference. Anki later became an Apple retail partner and introduced several Overdrive accessories, including a series with Hot Wheels branding.

Cozmo a cute robot toy that made use of Ankis companys deep artificial intelligence research and team of Pixar and Dreamworks animators debuted in October 2016, ahead of Vector. But despite their novelty and sophistication, the robots shared relatively high launch price points ($180 for Cozmo and $249 for Vector), which likely contributed to their slow uptake in the notoriously unforgiving consumer robotics space.

Ankis closure followed the shuttering of Bosch-backed startup Mayfield Robotics, which was developing a larger, pricier ($700) home robot dubbed Kuri. Robotics companyJibo, which engineered a social robot featuring a bespoke conversational assistant, shut down earlier this year. In somewhat related news, industrial robotics companyRethink Roboticsclosed its doors seven months ago after attempting unsuccessfully to find an acquirer.

See more here:
Digital Dream Labs will revive shuttered startup Ankis Vector robot - VentureBeat

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

A terminally ill childs death should not be determined by a panel of doctors and a judge. Parents should have a say in the decision to maintain life-extending care. But in Texas, Fourth District Court of Appeals Chief Justice Sandee Bryan Marion went along with the determination of doctors at Cook Childrens Medical Center in Fort Worth to pull life support from 11-month-old Tinslee Lewis, despite her familys wishes to keep her alive.

The Jan. 2 ruling was made based on arguments during a Dec. 12, 2019, hearing. Tinslee Lewiss family intends to appeal the decision.

Tinslee was born in February 2019 with a host of medical ailments. She was premature and suffered from Ebsteins anomaly, a serious heart defect, chronic lung disease, and high blood pressure. Tinslee has been breathing with the help of a ventilator since July, when she went into respiratory arrest, and is deeply sedated and medically paralyzed. Her mother, Trinity Lewis, maintains hope.

Doctors in Texas possess the legal right to determine when a patients life ends because of the Texas Advanced Directives Act, passed in 1999. The law requires that before physicians can terminate life support, an ethics or medical committee must vet their decision. The patient is informed at least 48 hours in advance about the meeting to end his life, and receives the information in writing. The patient and his family then have 10 days to transfer to a facility where he wont be removed from life support, should he so desire.

After an October Ethics Committee meeting, doctors at the Cook Childrens Medical Center invoked the 10-day rule, wherein they determined they can remove life support, regardless of what the patients family wants. In this case, Tinslees mother desperately wants her baby to live.

A temporary restraining order was filed to prohibit the removal of care, but it expired Dec. 10. The family tried to find a different facility that wouldnt remove Tinslee from life support, but none could offer further life extension, and the case went to court for a temporary injunction hearing Dec. 12.

Typically, the process of ending life-extending care does not reach the court system. Families and doctors are usually able to come to an agreement about the best course of action, which is especially difficult for a mother to a baby who hasnt even reached her first birthday. If the family cannot find adequate placement for their loved one, the hospital may cease life-extending care. Lewis is trying to keep Cook Childrens from terminating Tinslees ventilator while the mother seeks an appeal of Judge Marions decision.

Texas Right to Life advocates for continuing care, and Fort Worth Catholic Diocese Bishop Michael F. Olson has offered to help obtain care for Tinslee at a Catholic hospital. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a joint statement saying, The state will continue to support Ms. Lewis exhaustion of all legal options to ensure that Tinslee is given every chance at life. The AGs office said it would ensure Tinslees right to life all the way to the Supreme Court.

After Marions ruling, the doctors released a statement that said, Our medical judgment is that Tinslee should be allowed to pass naturally and peacefully rather than artificially kept alive by painful treatments. Even with the most extraordinary measures the medical team is taking, Tinslee continues to suffer. To keep her alive, doctors and nurses must keep her on a constant stream of painkillers, sedatives, and paralytics.

The statement continued, As a result, Tinslee is paralyzed at all times. She currently is suffering from severe sepsis, not uncommon when patients require deep sedation and chemical paralysis to maintain organ function. Even with medication and support, Tinslee has dying events 2-3 times per day. When she is in distress, Tinslee crashes and aggressive medical intervention is immediately necessary, which causes even more pain.

Tinslees mother spoke with dismay after the ruling, saying she is heartbroken over todays decision because the judge basically said Tinslees life is NOT worth living. I feel frustrated because anyone in that courtroom would want more time just like I do if Tinslee were their baby. I hope that we can keep fighting through an appeal to protect Tinslee. She deserves the right to live. Please keep praying for Tinslee and thank you for supporting us during this difficult time.

The case is reminiscent of Charlie Gards story. Gard was born in the U.K. with a need for life-extending care. While his parents were hopeful and medical professionals outside the U.K. offered alternative care to that from the National Health Service, Gards doctors declined to let his parents take him elsewhere. While this is extreme, it is not too far on the horizon for the U.S. health care system once doctors and judges can determine a patients fate rather than the patient or their families.

Tinslees doctors argue that she is in pain and this suffering is reason enough to allow her life to end. But determining the value of a life based on the perceived suffering of that person who cannot speak, and whose family wants desperately to keep her alive, is a mistake. While older, terminally ill patients at the end of their lives have more options and have had a lifetime to decide what they would choose when the worst comes to pass, the consideration for the youngest among us must be different. Parents should be the people responsible for making those determinations, and if courts and doctors can take that power away, there are risks for all of us who enter the medical system.

Not long ago in the United States, hospitals provided no care for premature babies. The majority of American hospitals had nothing to help them. No technology, no special skills. There was no central heat to keep them warm. Doctors would place heated bricks in cribs and cross their fingers, said reporter Katie Thornton in an episode of 99% Invisible.

Treatment for premature babies didnt begin to change until a doctor in France came up with the idea to house premature babies in something like the incubators used to hatch chickens. The life-saving incubators were not even adopted in hospitals, but first featured as part of a sideshow exhibit at the Omaha Worlds Fair and other fairs, hawked on the midway.

Instead of bringing preemies to hospitals, parents would bring them to the fair and hope for the best. These incubators turned out to be the most substantial treatment innovation for premature babies. It was still decades before hospitals adopted the idea and turned it into the concept of the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU.

Why, now that doctors can do so much, are they turning their backs on the patients that need them most, and saying its for their own good? Is it ever compassionate to end a human life if it can be saved or extended, especially in cases where the person is not capable of consent? Tinslees mother is hoping for a miracle. In the absence of that, Trinity Lewis would like just a little more time with her daughter. No judge, doctor, or law should stand in the way of that.

Read the original:
Judges Shouldn't Have More Power Over Tinslee Lewis Than Her Mother - The Federalist

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

BP has agreed terms to sell its interests in the Andrew area in the central UK North Sea and its non-operating interest in the Shearwater field.

Under the terms of the deal, Premier Oil will pay BP USD 625 million.

BP has been reshaping its portfolio in the North Sea to focus on core growth areas, including the Clair, Quad 204 and ETAP hubs. Were adding advantaged production to our hubs through the Alligin, Vorlich and Seagull tieback projects, Ariel Flores, BP North Sea regional president, said. As a result of this focus, we have also now decided to divest our Andrew and Shearwater interests, believing them to be a better strategic fit for another owner. We are confident that Premier Oil, already a significant operator in the North Sea, is the right owner of these assets as they seek to maximise their value and extend their life.

The five fields in the Andrew area all produce through the Andrew platform, which is located about 140 miles north-east of Aberdeen. The hub started production in 1996. In 2019, average daily production has been around 25,000 to 30,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

The Shearwater field is a high pressure, high temperature reservoir produced through a process, utilities and quarters platform, located around 140 miles east of Aberdeen. Shearwaters 2019 production has been in the region of 14,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day gross.

The Andrew assets are expected to transition to Premier Oil as a fully operational entity with 69 staff who operate and support the assets. Their contractual terms and conditions are protected under UK Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE). BP will now begin consultation with in-scope staff.

There is no transfer of staff associated with the Shearwater sale.

The sales are the latest step in BPs planned programme of USD 10 billion divestments by the end of 2020. Subject to the receipt of regulatory and other third-party approvals, BP aims to complete the sale and transfer of operatorship of the assets at the end of the third quarter of 2020.

The deal includes BPs operating interests in the Andrew area comprising the Andrew (62.75%), Arundel (100%), Cyrus (100%), Farragon (67%) and Kinnoull (77.06%) assets as well its non-operating 27.5% interest in the Shell-operated Shearwater.

Premier Oil confirmed the proposed acquisitions of the Andrew Area and Shearwater assets from BP, and an additional 25 per cent. interest in the Premier operated Tolmount Area from Dana for USD 191 million plus contingent payments of up to USD 55 million (together the Acquisitions). Premier also announced the proposed extension of its existing credit facilities to 30 November 2023.

The proposed acquisitions will be funded via a USD 500m equity raise (net of expenses) which has been fully underwritten on a standby basis, existing cash resources and, if required, an Acquisition Bridge Facility of USD 300 million. Premier expects that the equity raise will include both a placing and rights issue component with any shares issued under the placing qualifying for the subsequent pre-emptive rights issue. It expects to confirm the structure and terms in Q1 2020 following consultation with major shareholders.

Lender consent for the proposed acquisitions, related funding arrangements and extension of credit facilities will be sought via two Court-approved schemes of arrangement (the Schemes). Of the creditors subject to the Schemes, 83.3 per cent. of Super Senior Commitments and 72.7 per cent. of the Senior Commitments have already committed to approve the Schemes.

The Andrew and the Shearwater Acquisitions constitute a class 1 transaction. Shareholder approval for all of the acquisitions and the equity raise will be sought at a general meeting expected to be held in Q1 2020. The Directors believe that the acquisitions represent a highly attractive opportunity and recommend that Premiers shareholders vote in favour of the resolutions, as the Directors intend to do in respect of their holdings, at the general meeting. Premier Oil will send a combined prospectus and circular to its shareholders convening the general meeting in due course.

The acquisitions have an effective date of 1 January 2019 and completion of all three acquisitions is expected to occur by the end of Q3 2020.

These acquisitions are materially value accretive for Premier Oil and are in line with our stated strategy of acquiring cash generative assets in the UK North Sea. We look forward to realising the significant long-term potential of the Andrew and Shearwater assets through production optimisation, incremental developments and field life extension projects. We are also pleased to have consolidated our interest in the high return Tolmount development where we see material upside. The cash flow generated from the acquired assets will also accelerate the deleveraging of Premiers balance sheet, Tony Durrant, Chief Executive, commented.

More here:
BP to sell North Sea Interests in Andrew Area and Shearwater to Premier Oil - Energy Industry Review

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Tony Durrant: deals in line with stated strategy

Premier Oil has unveiled three acquisitions in the North Sea worth $871m as it seeks to consolidate assets in the region.

It is acquiring the Andrew Area and Shearwater assets from BP for $625 million, and an additional 25% interest in the Premier-operated Tolmount Area from Dana for $191m plus contingent payments of up to $55m.

Premier has announced the proposed extension of its existing credit facilities to 30 November 2023.

It said the acquired assets will generate more than $1 billion of free cash flow to end 2023

The proposed acquisitions will be funded via a $500m equity raise (net of expenses) which has been fully underwritten on a standby basis, existing cash resources and, if required, an acquisition bridge facility of $300 million.

Premier expects that the equity raise will include both a placing and rights issue. It expects to confirm the structure and terms in Q1 2020 following consultation with major shareholders.

The three acquisitions are expected to complete by the end of Q3 2020.

Tony Durrant, chief executive, commented: These acquisitions are materially value accretive for Premier and are in line with our stated strategy of acquiring cash generative assets in the UK North Sea.

We look forward to realising the significant long-term potential of the Andrew and Shearwater assets through production optimisation, incremental developments and field life extension projects.

We are also pleased to have consolidated our interest in the high return Tolmount development where we see material upside. The cash flow generated from the acquired assets will also accelerate the deleveraging of Premiers balance sheet.

Continued here:
Premier in $871 million swoop on North Sea assets - Daily Business

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Antioxidants are used as vitamin supplements in pharmaceutical industry and help in preserving food products. The global Antioxidant Supplement market is poised to witness significant growth during the forecast period owing to decrease in their costs, increase in investment & product approval by regulatory authorities, and increase in their demand in the food & beverage industry. In addition, developed economies have discovered new growth opportunities by shifting their focus on natural antioxidants such as rosemary extract.

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Top Companies profiled in this Report includes: NOW, Vibrant Health, AST R-ALA, GNC, Jarrow Formulas, Life Extension.

The global Antioxidant Supplement market is analyzed in terms of its competitive landscape. For this, the report encapsulates data on each of the key players in the market according to their current company profile, gross margins, sale price, sales revenue, sales volume, product specifications along with pictures, and the latest contact information. The reports conclusion leads into the overall scope of the global market with respect to feasibility of investments in various segments of the market, along with a descriptive passage that outlines the feasibility of new projects that might succeed in the global Antioxidant Supplement market in the near future.

The report gathers the essential information including the new strategies for growth of the industry and the potential players of the global Antioxidant Supplement Market. It enlists the topmost industry player dominating the market along with their contribution to the global market. The report also demonstrates the data in the form of graphs, tables, and figures along with the contacts details and sales of key market players in the global Antioxidant Supplement Market.

Global Antioxidant Supplement Market Segmentation:

Product Type Segmentation:

Medical GradeFood Grade

Industry Segmentation:

MedicalFoodCosmetics

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The regions which are covered in this report are North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and Latin America. Considering the given forecast period and precisely studying each and every yearly data, a report is been drafted to ensure the data is as expected by client.

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Table of Contents

Global Antioxidant Supplement Market Research Report 2020-2025

Chapter 1 Antioxidant Supplement Market Overview

Chapter 2 Global Economic Impact on Industry

Chapter 3 Global Market Competition by Manufacturers

Chapter 4 Global Production, Revenue (Value) by Region

Chapter 5 Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions

Chapter 6 Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type

Chapter 7 Global Market Analysis by Application

Chapter 8 Manufacturing Cost Analysis

Chapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers

Chapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders

Chapter 11 Market Effect Factors Analysis

Chapter 12 Global Antioxidant Supplement Market Forecast

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Growing Demand of Antioxidant Supplement Market by 2025 with Top Key Players- NOW , Vibrant Health , AST R-ALA , GNC , Jarrow Formulas -...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

BILLINGS Thirty-three Yellowstone bison that had been held in quarantine including 14 females with calves were shipped from their pasture near Gardiner to the Fort Peck Indian Reservation on Dec. 23.

It was an early Christmas present for the tribes.

Im really happy, said Robert Magnan, the tribes bison manager. Were not only taking females and babies, some of the females are pregnant. Its a double batch.

The female bison are the first Yellowstone descendants to leave since a 2014 release of 138 bison that had been quarantined on one of Ted Turners Montana ranches for nearly a decade. They are also the first female bison to be released under a new agreement between tribes, state and federal agencies.

Defenders of Wildlife, a conservation group that paid for the bison to be hauled, hailed the transfer as a sign of increased cooperation between the organizations, as well as an example of how a nonprofit can help out.

This pipeline is starting to happen, said Chamois Andersen, Defenders senior representative for bison.

Although only a trickle now, the group is hoping that the movement of animals will prove to officials that the Fort Peck Tribes can be more engaged in the quarantine and testing of bison, Andersen said. Reaching such a goal would chip away at the number of Yellowstone bison sent to slaughter.

In 2019, more than 300 Yellowstone bison were shipped to slaughter after being captured by park workers. The bison are trucked to slaughter facilities in Montana where they are killed and butchered. The meat is shared among cooperating tribes. Yellowstone officials would like to reduce the number of bison killed in this manner but are constrained by the number of animals the park can hold in quarantine.

The park is collaborating with the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, a federal agency, to optimize available space for quarantined bison, according to Yellowstone spokeswoman Morgan Warthin. APHIS has been using a Corwin Springs pasture to hold bison for brucellosis testing, including Mondays cohort. Warthin wouldnt say whether that pasture would be available to the park to hold bison in quarantine. Fifty-eight bison remain at the facility, according to an APHIS spokesperson.

Female bison face stricter regulations for release because, if infected with the disease brucellosis, their birthing materials are considered the main means of spreading infection. Consequently, immature female bison must test negative for exposure to brucellosis for 2 1/2 years before they can be shipped to join other herds.

We know females are the most scrutinized, Andersen said. And we couldnt do it without APHIS. They are the most concerned about state management and what this program will look like.

Upon arrival at the reservation, the 33 animals trucked on Monday will be quarantined from the tribal commercial herd on the Fort Peck Reservation for another year while being tested again for brucellosis.

The 5- to 8-year-old bison shipped on Monday, which included five bulls, also includes the 14 calves born in the Corwin Springs pasture used by APHIS. The adults have been quarantined since December 2017 or June 2018. Although the Fort Peck Tribes built its facility to meet quarantine requirements, the state of Montana has denied requests to use the corral for anything other than the last assurance test.

Nevertheless, the tribes have steadily built a cultural herd that numbers 400 head as well as a separate commercial herd.

Were at our carrying capacity right now, Magnan said of the cultural herd.

In July, after the calving season, the tribes plan to ship a portion of its herd to the InterTribal Buffalo Council for disbursement. This past June, the tribes shipped five bison to the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming as it builds its buffalo herd.

Yellowstone bison are highly prized by tribes as well as bison ranchers and managers of other conservation herds for their pure genetics, meaning they have never been interbred with cattle.

View original post here:
Female Yellowstone bison shipped to tribes - The Spokesman-Review

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Behnam Kamalidehghan,1,* Mohsen Habibi,2,* Sara S Afjeh,1 Maryam Shoai,3 Saeideh Alidoost,4 Rouzbeh Almasi Ghale,4 Nahal Eshghifar,5 Farkhondeh Pouresmaeili1,6

1Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 2Central Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 3Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; 4Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; 5Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran and Mens Health and Reproductive Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 6Mens Health and Reproductive Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Farkhondeh PouresmaeiliMens Health and Reproductive Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranTel/Fax +98 21-23872572Email pouresfar@gmail.com

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNA) play a key role in the regulation of gene expression through the translational suppression and control of post-transcriptional modifications.Aim: Previous studies demonstrated that miRNAs conduct the pathways involved in human reproduction including maintenance of primordial germ cells (PGCs), spermatogenesis, oocyte maturation, folliculogenesis and corpus luteum function. The association of miRNA expression with infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), premature ovarian failure (POF), and repeated implantation failure (RIF) was previously revealed. Furthermore, there are evidences of the importance of miRNAs in embryonic development and implantation. Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) and miRNAs play an important role in the post-transcriptional regulatory processes of germ cells. Indeed, the investigation of small RNAs including miRNAs and piRNAs increase our understanding of the mechanisms involved in fertility. In this review, the current knowledge of microRNAs in embryogenesis and fertility is discussed.Conclusion: Further research is necessary to provide new insights into the application of small RNAs in the diagnosis and therapeutic approaches to infertility.

Keywords: miRNA, female fertility, male fertility, piwi-interacting RNAs, piRNAs

This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.

Original post:
The Importance of Small Non-Coding RNAs in Human Reproduction: A Revie | TACG - Dove Medical Press

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Mike goes to ScotlandAttending the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh, Scotland, was an opportunity to observe cattle and beef programs unique to the United Kingdom. Cattle tend to be taller, well-muscled with less marbling than Canadian cattle. But thats to be expected as they compete against cattle in the EU. Many heifers calve as three-year-olds, giving them more size before they calve. But a few cattle producers I spoke with were looking at calving their heifers at 2.5 years.The hospitality of the Scottish Simmental Society and all breeds I visited with was second to none. I noted that agriculture is very important to consumers in the U.K. They know what its like for food to be scarce, especially since the countrys experience during the last World War. There were no midways or carnivals at the Royal Highland Show but more urban crowds than what we would see here. They all wanted to know where their food came from and were actively engaged in learning more.

One of the exhibitors we visited with at the show was Neil McGowan of Incheoch Farm. Neil, along with his wife Debbie, son Angus and daughter Tally run Incheoch Farm near Alyth up in the Perthshire hills. I had initially met McGowan in the fall of 2018 when he and Debbie were touring cattle operations in Saskatchewan and Alberta looking for Canadian genetics that would work for their herd back in Scotland. McGowans travels also included Canadian Western Agribition and Farmfair International to see the latest genetics and arrange farm visits with Canadian seedstock producers.

Their farm runs 220 cows and 1,100 sheep. The cattle herd is made up of Simmental and Luing breeds. Luing is a native Scottish breed made up of Shorthorn and Simmental. They sell approximately 20 bulls and 100 rams in their Working Genes on-farm auction sale. The cattle at McGowans farm were impressive as they were well-muscled and the kind of cattle that would work well in Canada. McGowan has a passion for breeding better livestock as referenced by his paper Selection for Efficiency: Breeding Better Beef and Sheep. This paper was a report written as part of his Nuffield Farming Scholarship back in 2016. Part of McGowans research included looking at livestock operations in Canada, the U.S., New Zealand, Australia and parts of the U.K.

Some of McGowans key conclusions included having consistent breeding goals based on profitability, with feed efficiency also playing a part in the profitability equation. In the U.K. as in Canada fertility, longevity and cow size all play a role in improving efficiency.

McGowan family (l. to r.): Finlay, Neil, Debbie, Angus, Judy and Donna Asher.photo: Mike Millar

After a great day taking in a little Scottish mist and walking pastures sorting through a lot of very good cattle, I had the privilege of meeting McGowans parents Finlay and Judy McGowan. You could not ask for a more hospitable couple. Finlay told me about a Canadian bull, AWL Polar 8R, he purchased from Archie Londry in Manitoba. Finlay told me AWL Polar was one of the best bulls they had in their herd.

Archie Londry was breeding cattlemens cattle in the 80s when the rest of Canada was breeding for frame and the show ring, Finlay said. Last time he was in the U.K., Londry was asked his opinion on a cow who won a show a cow of at least a ton with a calf at foot. He said: Well, I guess her calf isnt going to fetch enough in the sale barn to see her through the winter.

I think in our search for progress we sometimes forget the basic principles, Finlay told me. A cow has to rear a decent calf every year one that will leave enough to see the cow through the next winter plus a bit of profit. Increasingly shes going to have to do that without much help, Finlay added.

Wise words from a wise man! Thank you, Finlay.

All in all, a great year to visit with beef producers across our great country and back in the country my grandfather came from. We raise the greatest beef in the world but theres always an opportunity to learn from beef producers the world over.

McKinley Hereford Ranch of Medicine Hat, Alta., won the Top Pen of 10 Hereford Steers at the 23rd Annual British Breed Rancher Calf Sale at Balog Auction Market, Lethbridge, Alta., on October 22. The Top Pen of 10 Crossbred Steers was awarded to Clark and Judy Tucker of Williams Lake, B.C. Norm and Diana Woods of Lac La Hache, B.C., won the Top Pen of 10 Black Angus Steers, and Bill and Travis Duncan of Warner, Alta., took the honours for the Top Pen of 10 Red Angus Steers.

The judging panel awarded the Top Liner Load to three outfits: Denver and Rod Bevans of Cardston, Alta.; Ken and Tyler Haraga of Skiff, Alta.; Brent and Kevin Smith of Champion, Alta.

The Gelbvieh National Junior Show was held in conjunction with the national Gelbvieh show at Farmfair International. It included events such as marketing, judging, photography and grooming done in a format that kids could participate in whether they were able to attend the show or not. Winning junior aggregate was Amber Spray and senior aggregate was Avary Hickman. Congratulations ladies! Thank you to the Canadian Gelbvieh Association, the Man./Sask. Gelbvieh Association, and the Alta./B.C. Gelbvieh Associations for their sponsorship of the event. Congratulations to the following champion exhibitors at the CGA National Gelbvieh show at Farmfair:

Avary Hickman being presented with her buckle by Jessica Pearson.photo: Supplied

The 2018 winners of the Hereford Champion of the World, sponsored by Champion of the World Genetics and Marketing, were recently announced at Farmfair International in Edmonton. The 7th annual competition featured 1,000 champion bulls and females from 77 countries and represented 16 breeds of beef cattle.

The 2018 Hereford Miss World winner was RVP 106A CAMEO GIRL 45C, and is owned by Glenlees Polled Herefords of Arcola, Sask. She qualified by winning the 2018 Canadian Western Agribition. This marks the sixth time a Canadian female has won the competition.

The 2018 Hereford Champion Bull was MLL 10Y ROCKY 225D from MJT Cattle Company, Edgerton, Alta. He also qualified for the world competition by winning the 2018 Canadian Western Agribition.

Cole and Jill Harvie of Olds, Alta., will be participating in next years competition as official judges along with Alejandro Costa from Uruguay, Tom Baker from Australia and Robin Irvine from Northern Ireland.

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Checking out beef cattle operations in the UK - Canadian Cattlemen

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

SANTA ANA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- BLS Pharma, Inc. filed a complaint late last month against Genetronics, Inc. and Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: INO), Case No. 30-2019-01119045, for breaching a contract to supply a needle-free injection system that BLS Pharma was using to develop a drug-device combination (DDC) for testosterone replacement therapy.

Testosterone replacement therapy is a multi-billion-dollar market primarily used to treat male hypogonadism, a condition in which the body fails to produce enough testosterone. It is also a necessary treatment for transgender individuals transitioning and on lifetime hormone therapy from female to male.

Testosterone replacement therapy can make a significant difference for those in need of treatment. Our product would have allowed users to administer their treatments from the comfort of their own homes using a virtually painless needle-free system, said Mark Logomasini, President & CEO of BLS Pharma.

The shareholders of BLS Pharma previously developed the needleless injector technology, called Zetajet, and sold the intellectual property rights for it to Inovio and Genetronics, with the condition that Genetronics would execute a license and supply agreement to supply Zetajet units to BLS Pharma upon request. Under the agreement, BLS Pharma ordered 25,000 Zetajet units to prepare for its clinical trials on the DDC and was assured that the order was in process.

In September, BLS Pharma and Genetronics discussed the logistics of the syringe supply, and BLS Pharmas plan to offer the product for patients with hypogonadism and as a treatment for transgender males. The next business day, Inovio and Genetronics informed BLS Pharma they would not be supplying the syringes. This breach of contract eliminated BLS Pharmas ability to bring the DDC to market.

We are disappointed that we cannot offer this solution for male hypogonadism and to the transgender community, who have historically been marginalized by the medical and pharmaceutical community, stated Logomasini.

The testosterone treatment market is valued at 1.3 to 1.8 billion dollars annually. BLS Pharmas lost profits due to the breach of contract are estimated to be at least $72,900,000. All media inquiries should be directed to Jason Hartley of the Hartley LLP law firm at (619) 400-5822. For a copy of the complaint, email karen@fullkorrpress.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200107005928/en/

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BLS Pharma Alleges Inovio's Breach of Contract Obstructed Ability to Deliver Testosterone Replacement Therapy for Hypogonadism and the Transgender...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith