Often, science moves ahead incrementally. Yet sometimes it advances in dramatic leaps and bounds that can stir new hopes for medical benefits while shaking society to its very core. We saw both in 2019, as work using the gene-editing tool CRISPR gained momentum.

The year opened with the scientific community scrambling to respond to the news that Chinese researcher He Jiankui had used CRISPR technology to edit the genomes of human embryos. The experiments resulted in the November 2018 birth of twin girls, the first humans with genetically altered germline cells which means their genetic changes are heritable and can be passed on to future generations.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a crucial public supporter of biomedical research, is among the many who consider such experiments both irresponsible and unethical. The NIH has not funded any use of heritable gene-editing technologies in human embryos, and it has no intention of doing so.

But NIHs strong stance against heritable gene editing does not mean that we think CRISPR has no role in the future of clinical medicine. This innovative technology possesses enormous potential for therapeutic good if used for making nonheritable genetic changes. In that approach, genetic material is altered only in relevant somatic (nonreproductive) cells, so there is no chance of passing those changes on to future offspring.

NIHs highest priorities in 2019 included supporting research aimed at using nonheritable gene editing to help people with life-threatening disorders, such as sickle cell disease, HIV infection, cancer and muscular dystrophy. Indeed, such applications may offer the best hope not only for treating, but for curing, many of the nearly 6,000 human genetic diseases that still lack treatments.

Now, scientists and leaders around the globe have an obligation to consider the appropriate use if any of heritable human gene editing. This involves scrutinizing the safety of such experiments, including the risk of unintended mutations, as well as a clear-eyed analysis of actual medical need. In our view, the current arguments that the benefits outweigh the risks are surprisingly uncompelling. But our deliberations should not stop there. We must weigh the profound social, ethical and moral issues associated with modifying the germline in ways that could change the human species forever.

Given the significance of these decisions, in March, leading scientists from seven countries led by Eric Lander and including CRISPR pioneers Feng Zhang and Emmanuelle Charpentier called for a five-year international moratorium on the use of gene editing to modify the human germline for clinical purposes. The NIH supports such a moratorium.

Despite the calls for caution, some researchers are forging ahead. In June, Russian molecular biologist Denis Rebrikov announced plans to implant gene-edited embryos into women. Like his Chinese counterpart, Rebrikov planned to use CRISPR to target the CCR5 gene to protect against HIV; he later changed course to focus on GJB2, a gene linked to heritable hearing loss.

Direct editing of embryos is not the only way to alter the human germline in heritable ways: In August, New York-based reproductive biologist Gianpiero Palermo went public with his plans to use CRISPR technology to target a gene that increases cancer risk in human sperm.

But such moves continued to meet vigorous opposition. In August, a number of research groups working on gene-editing therapeutics issued a statement asserting heritable gene editing is currently inappropriate for use in human clinical studies. That same month, a group of international research societies convened to discuss recommendations for appropriate research, which are slated for completion in spring of 2020.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organizations new expert advisory committee, convened in the wake of Hes experiments, sidestepped the issue of a moratorium at its August meeting. It did, however, establish a global registry to track all kinds of human gene-editing research and to offer consultation on governance of such technologies.

A moratorium of at least five years on heritable human gene editing would provide us time to engage in proactive, rather than reactive, discussions about the future of such technology. That discussion has to be inclusive of many societal perspectives. We must never allow our technology to eclipse our humanity. As an interconnected global society, we have a responsibility to ask ourselves some very hard questions about heritable gene editing and the dangers of human hubris. While difficult, this is a debate that we simply cannot afford to postpone.

Francis S. Collins is the director of the National Institutes of Health.

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NIH Director on Human Gene Editing: 'We Must Never Allow our Technology to Eclipse our Humanity' - Discover Magazine

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

NewsScienceThis was the decade designer babies went from concept to feasibility

Saturday, 28th December 2019, 7:02 am

Gene editing

This was the decade when designer babies went from science fiction to fact as a Chinese scientist, He Jiankui, made the shock announcement in December 2018 that the worlds first genetically modified children had been born. He was working illegally and he was widely condemned for not waiting until regulations had been put into place.

But the move showed just how rapidly the Crispr-Cas9 gene-editing technique likened to a find and replace command wasadvancing.

Embryonic and pluripotent Stem Cellresearch

This potentially revolutionary field of medicine has developed to the point where treatments are just around the corner.

Embryonic, or pluripotent, stem cells have extraordinary medical potential because they can develop into any one of the 220 or so mature, specialised cells of the body from insulin-making pancreatic cells to the nerve cells of the brain. In 2018, scientists restored the vision of two UK patients with age-related macular degeneration by inserting a patch of embryonic stem cells into their eyes. The research team hopes an affordable, off-the-shelf therapy could be available to NHS patients within five years.

Treatments for spinal cord injury, heart failure, diabetes, Parkinsons disease and lung cancer are also in advanced trials.

Higgs Boson

Gravitational waves

Scientific history was made in December 2016 as gravitational ripples in the fabric of spacetime, first predicted by Albert Einstein 100 years earlier, were detected, opening new vistas into the dark side of the universe. Physicists around the world confirmed they had detected unambiguous signals of gravitational waves emanating from the collision of two black holes 1.3 billion light years away.

The observations not only confirmed Einsteins general theory of relativity; they also provided the first direct detection of black holes colliding.

Black holes

Neanderthals

The Neanderthals may have been extinct for thousands of years, but in 2010, geneticists mapped their genome using DNA extracted from ancient bones. This led to a startling discovery: our ancestors interbred with other species after they migrated out of Africa.

So in the UK, most of us have a small percentage of Neanderthal genes in our DNA.

Read more:
From gene editing to black holes and the Neanderthals, here's the biggest advances in science over the past decade - inews

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

National Science Foundation via Getty Images

December 28, 2019

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Capturing a black holeScientists this year unveiled the first-ever image of a black hole. One of the universe's most enigmatic phenomena, a black hole is a cosmic abyss so dense with matter that not even light can escape. The picture from Messier 87, a galaxy 55 million light-years away, shows a bright ring of particles heated to billions of degrees, circling a supermassive black hole some 25 billion miles wide. To capture the image, scientists focused eight ultrapowerful radio telescopes around the world on Messier 87 for 10 days. Researchers compared the resulting images to millions of simulations of what the black hole might look like and found a match. "We have seen what we thought was unseeable," says project leader Shep Doeleman.

Fighting EbolaEbola could soon be classified as a curable disease, thanks to a trial of experimental treatments in Congo. An epidemic of the hemorrhagic disease has killed more than 2,200 people in the African nation; about 70 percent of those who catch Ebola die. But the death rate plummeted to 29 percent for patients on one new drug, and 34 percent for those on another. Among patients who began treatment soon after developing symptoms, rates fell to 6 percent and 11 percent, respectively. The drugs use monoclonal antibodies: Y-shaped proteins that call on immune cells to attack the Ebola virus.

The new CRISPRScientists have developed a gene-editing tool that could one day correct 89 percent of the genetic mutations that cause inherited diseases, such as cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia. The most popular existing gene-editing approach, CRISPR-Cas9, uses "molecular scissors" to locate faulty genetic code, then cuts both strands of the DNA double helix and splices in a new section of code. Though cheap and fast, this process often damages nearby code or inserts the new material in the wrong place. The new technology, known as prime editing, cuts only one strand of the double helix minimizing the risk of unintended changes.

Mind-reading robo-suitA quadriplegic man in France can move all four of his paralyzed limbs again, thanks to a pioneering brain-controlled bodysuit. The patient, identified only as Thibault, had two implants surgically placed over the parts of his brain that control movement. His brain signals are sent to a nearby computer, which translates them into movement instructions for the exoskeleton suit. Though years away from being publicly available, the technology could pave the way for mind-controlled wheelchairs and similar equipment. Thibault said taking his first steps felt like being "the first man on the moon."

Previously on The Week: The 34 most memorable looks of the 2010s

Blood test for Alzheimer'sDoctors could soon use a simple blood test to predict if a patient will develop Alzheimer's, years before symptoms appear. An international team of researchers found that people genetically predisposed to the disorder had distinctly higher levels of neurofilament light chain a protein found in the brain and spinal cord seven years before symptoms began, and noticeably faster-growing levels more than 16 years in advance. An early test could help scientists determine whether new Alzheimer's drugs are effective. Study author Mathias Jucker says the reason there is no effective treatment for the condition is "partly because current therapies start much too late."

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The biggest scientific breakthroughs of 2019 - The Week

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

A gene editing technology which utilises special proteins found in the natural defence mechanisms of bacteria which can chop up DNA of invading organisms and destroy them. CRISPR (pronounced "crisper" and standing for "Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats") can quickly and relatively cheaply provide alterations to DNA sequences and correct genetic defects causing diseases ranging from cystic fibrosis to cataracts.

3D printing

This decade has seen 3D printing become more accessible, cheaper and efficient. The manufacturing system allows designers and engineers to perfectly transfer a digital model to a physical three-dimensional part. Accurate models can be created by putting down material a layer at a time which also facilitates intricate and complex structures. This means anything can be created such as tools, boats and even topological maps without additional assembly.

SpaceX reusable launch system

A method that enables space-going rockets to take-off and land without jettisoning any elements of the craft. By maintaining a single reusable structure, SpaceX can drastically minimise the costs of space exploration. Traditional rockets need to release not only the giant external tank but also its solid rocket boosters. Replacing these components can be lengthy and expensive. The technology to land a rocket vertically is very impressive and a must-see.

Power banks

Energy storage devices have the capacity to change the world. Historically it has been difficult to be completely self-sufficient on clean and renewable energies as systems because solar power is reliant on the sun and that source is lost at night. Devices such as Tesla's power wall offer a way to cut emissions for the average household.

Cloud computing

Cloud computing products think Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services allow companies and individuals to access and administer complex services without the hassle of personally maintaining underlying hardware and software. The upshot? We can all enjoy office productivity suites without having any onsite servers.

Read more from the original source:
Technology: Sean Dimmock's top five innovations and advances of the decade - HeraldScotland

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The pancreas is a multi-tasker. Unfortunately, so is its most common cancer.

A pancreatic cancer diagnosis can carry the weight of a death sentence more than nine out of every 10 people dont live to see the 5 year anniversary of their diagnosis. Celebrity diagnoses, like Alex Trebek's, popularize an anxiety felt by the roughly 50,000 people diagnosed each year. The disease progresses so quickly, andfrequently without detection, that treatment is often futile. But, new research reveals how pancreatic cancer cells spread with ease and how we might stop their hostile takeover.

The multitasking pancreas.

Max Levy

Shaped like a comma and nestled atop the small intestine, the pancreas is responsible for a vital arsenal of hormones that help maintain blood sugar levels. But it also spends time working with its downstairs neighbor, the intestine, to help us digest. It produces a thick juice, (actual technical term) that pours down a duct to supply the small intestine with enzymes that break down carbs, fats, and proteins. Cancer of that duct, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, claims over 40,000 lives every year. By the time a doctor breaks the news to their patient, that cancer has likely spread elsewhere and will be difficult to treat.

Most cancers are riddled with avenues of perforated blood vessels. Ambitious cancer cells can use them to spread tumors elsewhere, but those avenues also make it easier to treat the disease with drugs. With this type of pancreatic duct cancer, its the worst of both worlds.

Adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. The dark purple circles in the center of the tumor are the nuclei of cancer cells.

Ed Uthman on Flickr

They escape really early but they dont have a lot of vessels, says Duc-Huy Nguyen, a co-author of the study. A healthy pancreas has far more blood vessels than a cancerous one. According to Nguyen, some doctors have reported diseased pancreases with structures that look likenormal blood vessels, but are in fact nonfunctional tubes lined with cancer cells rather than healthy ones. Nobody knew why or how the cancer could kill and replace healthy cells.

Nguyen knew that the answer likely had to do with a biological competition between different types of cells: cancerous pancreatic cells, and healthy endothelial cells that line nearby bloodstreams.

You have two different cell types and you place them next to one another, says Nguyen, If you ask who is going to win? Id believe the tumor cell is going to.

Nguyen and his team designed a clear plastic chip to support pancreatic cancer cells beside an artificial bloodstream lined with endothelial cells. With total visibility and control, the team could watch cancer cells inch towards their rivals. Nguyen expected to see a typical process called intravasation when cancer cells casually slip past healthy ones to enter the bloodstream. He was surprised to witness something far more destructive.

Alex Trebek's recent diagnosis of pancreatic cancer brought the condition into the limelight

Anders Krusberg/Peabody Awards via Wikimedia Commons

The cancer cells muscle their way into a stronghold over their neighbors. First, they sneak up on the endothelial cells; then they wrap around them like sleeve. Endothelial cells represent a sort of blockade, preventing undesired cells from entering the bloodstream. But this mob of cancer cells isaggressive, and quick to overpower this blockade meant to keep them out of the blood. Before long, this protective barrier of endothelial cells is no more, and cancerous cells fill the channel. The cancer can then juggle a lethal combination of offensive and defensive maneuvers: hijacking blood vessels to isolate itself from attack, and dispatchingeven more cancer cells to spread elsewhere.

Zooming in on the drama was interesting to Nguyen, but the science could leap from interesting to useful ifhe could devise a way to slow the cancer's progression.So we just asked the question: what really happens there? Nguyen and his team set out toeavesdrop on the chemical conversations going on between cells.

They began by tinkering with the cancers main line of communication with the outside world: a horde of chemicals and receptors called the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-) signaling pathway. Finding the right chemical signal that prompts the cancer's outward progression, Nguyen says, could reveal a treatment that stops the takeover in its tracks.

The team quickly confirmed they were on to something. Using a TGF--inhibiting drug in their the chip-model, Nguyen switched off large chunks of the signaling pathway as soon as the cancer reached healthy cells. That change significantly reduced the blood vessel destruction.

Encouraged, the team used CRISPR gene editing to delete individual receptors in both cell types. One by one, Nguyen examined the cancers progress, hoping to pinpoint a secret weapon. He finally found that weapon in the form of a receptor called ALK7. By knocking out the pancreatic cancer cells ALK7, they rescued the endothelial cells from certain defeat. The team then repeated the experiment using mice carrying the genetically modified cancer and found that mouse blood vessels survived far better than those exposed to the unmodified cancer. Hampering that receptor amounted to swapping out the cancers bazooka for a rubber pistol.

I thought this was important work, says Melissa Skala, a cancer researcher at the Morgridge Institute not affiliated with the study. There are very few treatment options for pancreatic cancer, so any development that enables more targeted drugs is very important.

I felt they were actually very careful with their claims, says Shannon Stott, a scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital unaffiliated with this study. Stott creates devices to study how cancer spreads and paid keen attention to the design of the cancer model. She says this experiment has an important balance: it is simple enough to study the disease reliably, and complex enough to obtain potentially critical for real patients. Its a clever, elegant study.

Since cancer is such a diverse disease, this treatment cant treat every type of cancer. But Nguyen believes that some, such as ovarian cancer, may respond to the same treatment.

Were still far from using this work to treat patients. Still, models like this one give us a platform to understand diseases and pinpoint their weaknesses. My takeaway was not, Oh, we can start treating patients with this, says Stott. It opens the door for us to expand upon this to ask interesting questions.

Read the rest here:
To stop pancreatic cancer from spreading, cut out the chatter - Massive Science

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

US Pentagon in Washington DC.

For years, many of us in the genetics community have strongly suggested thatconsumers think long and hard beforeordering recreational genetic test kits for Christmas or any other occasion. But when thePentagon sends a stern warningto its military members, even Santa needs to listen.

Military Mission at dusk

Why would the Pentagon be worried about our military using at-home DNA kits?A memo issued to service membersfrom the Office of the Secretary of Defensestates that recreational genetic kits could give military personnel inaccurate information about their health. These inaccurate results couldhave negative professional consequences,particularly because military members, who are required to report medical problems, are not covered bytheGenetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA),which prohibits genetic discrimination by employers and health insurers.

It is already well known that thesekits should not be usedto answer serious medical questions based on a personal or family history of disease. Anyone with such a history shouldconsult a certified genetic counselorto ensure that an accurate test is ordered and interpreted correctly.The Pentagon concurs, saying they dont advise against genetic testing altogether, but recommend that service members get genetic information from a licensed professional rather than a recreational kit.

But are there other reasons the Pentagon may be warning against recreational genetic test kits? Couldthis genetic information lead to genetic surveillance, tracking, and grave privacy concerns for military personnel and others who use these kits?

China has already demonstratedthat genetic technology and research findings, intended to help people, can instead be used to harm. It is believed that the Chinese government has collected DNA samples from its citizens throughmandatory physicals to create a large databasethats being used to weed out up to one million Uighurs to be sent toconcentration camps. Although U.S. citizens, thankfully, enjoy greater protections than those in China, this example illustrates that our DNA can give insight into ancestry and ethnic origins that can be used for grave harm.

In fact, genetic data can reportedly be usedto determine how gay a person is, and if you are a 23andMe user who shared your data for research, you may have contributed to this study. Could DNA data be used to determine if military personnel may be gay? And if so, could that information beused against them?

And, of course, none of these companies can guarantee that their databases wont be hacked,as has happened in the past. Recently, GEDmatch, the genealogy company used to track down the Golden State Killer, wasacquired by a company created to work with crime labs. Other testing companies have chosen toshare their user data with the FBI.How will all of this consumer data be used, for good or evil? The truth is, we dont know.

finger print with DNA code at background

What we do know is thatundercover military agentscould likely be identified using a small sample of blood or saliva and large DNA databases. This may be true whether or not they personally have undergone recreational genetic testing,since one of their relatives probably has. For our military working undercover, this means that anonymity is likely a thing of the past.

Read more:
Why The Pentagon Is Warning US Military Not To Use Recreational Genetic Test Kits - Forbes

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

When Anne Weber became pregnant with her first child at age 28, little did she suspect that, rather than bringing home a bundle of joy, she would have to contend with a cancer diagnosis that would change the course of her life.

At her first ultrasound, not only did she find out that she had miscarried but also that she had a large cyst on one of her ovaries. That cyst turned out to be cancer.

"Because I didn't have a strong family history of cancer, everyone assumed it would be benign," she recalled in an interview with Medscape Medical News. "We were all very surprised when the pathology report came back with ovarian cancer."

Although the incidental finding may have been heartbreaking, it may also have been lifesaving. Because it was caught early, her ovarian cancer was of stage I. She underwent surgery and is now telling her story, 10 years later.

Weber is now a patient advocate at FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to individuals affected by hereditary breast, ovarian, and related cancers, andpreviously worked for a while at genetic testing company Myriad Genetics.

How Weber developed ovarian cancer at such a young age was initially a mystery. Without a family history and without symptoms or personal risk factors for it, her physician did not suspect a hereditary cancer even though at the time, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines recommended that physicians consider genetic testing for anyone younger than 50 who are found to have ovarian cancer. However, her physician didn't offer genetic testing, or even counsel her about it.

Weber was left with nagging questions. She wanted to know why she'd gotten ovarian cancer and how she could prevent a recurrence. So she started sleuthing around on the Internet.

"When I was diagnosed, I knew nothing about this. Literally, I didn't know what terms to type into the search engine," she said.

When she stumbled onto an online forum that linked her to the NCCN guidelines, the pieces of the puzzle began fitting together.

This was 2009, and she was living in Atlanta at the time. She asked her physician about genetic testing, and her doctor referred her to the only genetic counselor in the city, who was at Emory University. At that time, the wait time for genetic testing was 6 months.

"Six months when you're dealing with something like cancer can be pretty dire," Anne said.

Genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer has not always been straightforward, and fast-moving research means that genetic testing is becoming more and more complex all the time.

The NCCN may have recently provided a step in the right direction. On December 4, the NCCN released updated clinical practice guidelines on genetic/familial high-risk assessment for breast and ovarian cancer.

The guidelines represent a fairly radical shift from previous recommendations, which focused on BRCA genes, according to Robert Pilarski, MS, LGC, MSW, LSW, a genetics counselor and professor of clinical internal medicine at Ohio State University's Comprehensive Cancer Center. He was also vice chair of the NCCN guidelines panel that updated the guidelines.

The NCCN recommendations remain anchored in strong, unbiased evidence and reflect a conservative approach regarding genes for which there is lack of evidence, he said. But the guidelines also acknowledge a shift toward panel testing and include a table of 17 moderate- and high-penetrance genes that should be considered in addition to BRCA genes. They also provide management recommendations for people who carry these genes.

"Most people now are doing panel testing where the panel involves multiple genes besides BRCA," Pilarski said, "This guideline update is the closest that we've got to a consensus [regarding breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancer] because it now specifies a set of genes that are reasonable to include in at least a basic panel."

The use of multigene panels is controversial, as previously reported by Medscape Medical News. A study published in early 2019 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology suggested that roughly half of breast cancer patients who carry a pathogenic or likely pathogenic mutation are missed by current genetic testing guidelines. That study used an 80-gene panel, and the authors recommended expanded panel testing for all patients with breast cancer.

Critics shot back, arguing that universal testing is not warranted and that large, multigene panels may create undue anxiety among patients as well as confusion among physicians. Research is in its infancy for many of these genes, and physicians don't know how or even whether to act on results for some of them. That's especially true for variants of unknown significance, which have not been confirmed to increase risk for disease.

Perhaps in response to this controversy, the NCCN guidelines do not recommend universal testing for breast or ovarian cancer. Instead, they provide clinical scenarios in which genetic testing is clinically indicated, may be considered, or has low probability of clinical utility. The NCCN authors hedge their bets by not endorsing for or against multigene panel testing.

"I think we held back from becoming too definitive because there may be times when other genes are appropriate," Pilarski explained. "We didn't want to lock patients out of insurance coverage, and we didn't want to lock ourselves into a set of genes that could change next week with changing evidence."

This "wishy-washiness" over multigene panels creates a problem for Mehmet Copur, MD, FACP, an oncologist who wrote a critical response to the study published earlier this year. He is affiliated with the Morrison Cancer Center in Hastings, Nebraska, and is an adjunct professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

"I believe they have tried to please both parties, and they have been too nice," he said. "My personal opinion is that I would go for high-penetrance genes in clinically suspicious settings. I would ignore that disclaimer note and say, 'I'm going to do this 17-gene panel.' "

Going one step further, he suggested the creation of commercially available gene panels based on the NCCN recommendations for these 17 genes.

"There are a wide variety of panels available with different genes on different panels. There is a lack of consensus among experts regarding which genes should be tested in different clinical scenarios. If possible, it would be helpful to create commercially available gene panels based on the updated NCCN recommendations," he said.

In another major change, the guidelines now include pancreatic cancer for the first time. But in contrast to breast and ovarian cancer, the NCCN recommends that all patients with newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer receive genetic testing.

"Approximately 1 in 20 patients with pancreatic cancer will have an inherited susceptibility gene. Most people with pancreatic cancer who carry these mutations do not have a family history of pancreatic cancer, so you can't rely on family history to guide you about who should get genetic testing," Michael Goggins, MD, MBBCH, who was also involved in updating the NCCN guidelines, told Medscape Medical News. Goggins is director of the Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.

Advantages of genetic testing for pancreatic cancer include guidance regarding choice of chemotherapy and the possibility of cascade testing for prevention or earlier detection of pancreatic cancer in family members.

Other additions to the guidelines include new recommendations for genetic testing for individuals with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, as well as new or updated recommendations for Li-Fraumeni syndrome and Cowden/PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome.

The guidelines also offer an expanded section on genetics risk assessment and genetic counseling. Genetic testing has become increasingly complex, and the NCCN emphasizes the importance of genetic counseling throughout the testing process.

It has been 10 years since Anne Weber was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Because she was diagnosed at a young age (28 years) and her other ovary was unaffected, she opted for surgery to remove only the ovary with the tumor.

After her own Internet research and at her own request, Weber underwent genetic testing. She found out that she is a carrier of the BRCA2 mutation, which carries high risk for breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancer.

Current recommendations are that people with BRCA2 mutations start breast cancer screening at age 25, so Weber was screened immediately.

Her first breast MRI revealed a mass that was found to be stage I breast cancer. At that point, she chose to have her other ovary removed, as well as both fallopian tubes and both breasts, which significantly reduces her risk for recurrence.

"I'm so incredibly grateful that I found the information. All the guidelines say that I shouldn't even have had my first mammogram at my current age of 39. So there is low likelihood that I would have been diagnosed by now, and it certainly would not have been stage I," she said.

Since her diagnosis, she and her husband have adopted a child.

"Genetic testing isn't right for everyone. People aren't going to make the same decisions I did," she said. "The biggest thing is to understand that being positive doesn't mean that you're going to get cancer. It just allows you to have that circle of care to try to prevent cancer, or at least catch it earlier, when it's more treatable."

NCCN. Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic Version 1.2020. Full text

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Continue reading here:
Heartbreaking News, Then Tumor Find Leads to Genetic Testing - Medscape

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Genetic tests sold directly to consumers have been growing in popularity. And Im not just referring to the tests that show your ethnic ancestry, but also those that claim to identify genetic-based health risks. Experts warn that these tests should not be used to inform health decisions without further scrutiny, as the results of these tests can easily be misinterpreted or unreliable.

Business of Healthcare | December 27, 2019

Most genetic testing is done through healthcare providers such as physicians, nurse practitioners and genetic counselors. These providers determine which test is needed, order the test from a laboratory, collect and send the DNA sample, interpret the test results, and share the results with the patient.

Direct-to-consumer genetic testing is different. These tests can be bought online or in stores. Customers send the company a DNA sample and receive their results directly via a secure website or mailed report. Direct-to-consumer genetic testing provides access to genetic information without necessarily involving a healthcare provider.

Dozens of companies offer these tests for a variety of purposes. The most popular uncover genetic variations to make predictions about health, provide information about common traits, andyesoffer clues about a persons ancestry. While the number of companies providing direct-to-consumer genetic testing is growing, along with the range of health conditions and traits tested for, there is very little regulation of these services.

That means if you do use one of these tests to get genetic information about your health, dont make any decisions based on the results without talking to a medical professional.

Original post:
Business of Health Care: Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing - KWBU

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

As expected, the number of confirmed cases of hepatitis A in Yakima County continues to increase.

There have been 22 confirmed hepatitis A cases in the county as of Thursday, up from 18 on Dec. 3, according to the Yakima Health District, with the majority of the cases tied to people experiencing homelessness and those using illicit drugs.

One confirmed case has no identifiable risk factors, district spokesman Nathan Johnson said in an email Friday.

It is not uncommon to have an occasional hepatitis A case with no identifiable risk factors during an outbreak. However, we are recommending that everyone gets their hepatitis A vaccine if they have not gotten it yet, Johnson said.

The health district, in partnership with the Union Gospel Mission and Yakima Neighborhood Health Services, has been vaccinating people since the outbreak was reported in early November. Health officials also have been working closely with the Camp Hope homeless encampment and offering vaccines at clean needle exchanges.

The number of cases will likely continue to increase and cases will likely continue into spring, health district officials have said. The incubation period for hepatitis A is 15 to 50 days. Someone can be infected and not know they are spreading it, said Melissa Sixberry, director of disease control for the health district.

Hepatitis A is a liver disease usually transmitted when someone unknowingly ingests the virus from touching objects or consuming food contaminated with stool from someone who is infected. It also can be spread by close personal contact.

Symptoms include yellow skin or eyes, dark urine and/or pale stool, loss of appetite, fever, diarrhea, fatigue, vomiting and abdominal pain. Cases often result in overnight hospitalizations.

The best protection is the hepatitis A vaccine and frequent hand-washing, health officials say. Anyone can get the vaccine by contacting their doctor.

Genetic testing found the hepatitis A strain in Yakima County is related to a hepatitis outbreak in Spokane County. As of Dec. 17, the Spokane Regional Health District confirmed 70 cases of hepatitis A since April. Sixberry has said Spokane and King counties still have active outbreaks.

As of Dec. 19, there were 157 hepatitis A cases in Washington state, 82 hospitalizations and two deaths, according to the state Department of Health. The state first announced a multi-county outbreak on July 30. Other states also have reported outbreaks, primarily among persons experiencing homelessness and people who use illicit drugs.

Originally posted here:
Hepatitis A cases at 22 in Yakima County and still rising - Yakima Herald-Republic

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Aytu Bioscience Inc (NASDAQ:AYTU) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of December. As of December 13th, there was short interest totalling 420,100 shares, an increase of 13.2% from the November 28th total of 371,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 132,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.2 days. Currently, 2.6% of the shares of the company are short sold.

NASDAQ AYTU traded down $0.03 on Friday, hitting $0.98. 112,225 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 149,923. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $0.85 and its 200-day moving average price is $1.30. Aytu Bioscience has a 52-week low of $0.65 and a 52-week high of $2.61. The company has a market capitalization of $21.09 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.28 and a beta of 4.53.

Aytu Bioscience (NASDAQ:AYTU) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 14th. The company reported ($0.32) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.30) by ($0.02). Aytu Bioscience had a negative return on equity of 252.42% and a negative net margin of 390.43%. The company had revenue of $1.44 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.45 million. As a group, analysts anticipate that Aytu Bioscience will post -1.3 EPS for the current year.

Several analysts recently issued reports on AYTU shares. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH boosted their target price on shares of Aytu Bioscience from $4.00 to $4.75 in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Aytu Bioscience from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. ValuEngine cut shares of Aytu Bioscience from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Northland Securities assumed coverage on shares of Aytu Bioscience in a research report on Friday, November 15th. They set a buy rating and a $5.00 price objective for the company.

In other Aytu Bioscience news, CEO Joshua R. Disbrow acquired 55,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 19th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $0.83 per share, for a total transaction of $45,650.00. Also, major shareholder Armistice Capital Master Fund acquired 78,788 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 20th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $0.90 per share, for a total transaction of $70,909.20. Company insiders own 5.80% of the companys stock.

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of AYTU. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Aytu Bioscience during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Aytu Bioscience in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in Aytu Bioscience during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $75,000. Finally, Searle & CO. raised its stake in Aytu Bioscience by 24.1% during the 3rd quarter. Searle & CO. now owns 249,848 shares of the companys stock worth $302,000 after acquiring an additional 48,601 shares during the period. 27.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Aytu Bioscience

Aytu BioScience, Inc, a specialty healthcare company, focuses on developing and commercializing novel products in the field of hypogonadism (low testosterone), insomnia, and male infertility in the United States and internationally. The company markets Natesto, a nasal gel for the treatment of hypogonadism (low testosterone) in men; and ZolpiMist, an oral spray for the treatment of insomnia.

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Short Interest in Aytu Bioscience Inc (NASDAQ:AYTU) Expands By 13.2% - Riverton Roll

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

2019 has been a banner year for history, especially for those in the field archaeologists of all stripes, historians, war experts and more had a annus mirabilis a miraculous year, thanks to some innovative technology that they previously couldnt access, and good, old fashioned elbow grease that brought some amazing finds to light.

From a shipwreck in the Arctic to Crusader tunnels, from King Tuts tomb to woolly mammoths, all of this was at the fingertips of historians, all of whom were dazzled by these developments. Heres a roundup of what made the history books and headlines during 2019.

The long lost ship was finally made accessible thanks to underwater drones, that went down to the ship and captured images of rust-laden artifacts for the first time in 174 years. (The video is available for viewing on You Tube). The ship went out to find the elusive Northwest Passage, helmed by Sir John Franklin, but he and his crew of almost 130 died, thanks to cold and starvation. They tried to ward off the latter by resorting to cannibalism, but to no avail; none of the men were ever seen or heard from again.

HMS Terror thrown up by the ice.

In Norway, the 1,000 year-old remains of a female Viking were found, along with weapons, in her burial site. Scientists were to able to do a 3D recreation of her which showed the extent of her combat experience. She looks eerily modern, right down to her long hair, and it gave us evidence that to a certain extent women participated in battle and provides a glimpse of what some women achieved back then right beside their male counterparts.

Viking woman

Although some scientists arent sure of this development in DNA research, all agree that we evolved from hominids who lived in Africa. This theory about this history came to the fore in 2019 thanks to a team led by Vanessa Hayes of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sidney, Australia. Using mitochondrial DNA, it claims to pinpoint the exact location of early human beginnings to an area in Botswana, according to National Geographic. Specifically it refers to the MakgadikgadiOkavango palaeo-wetlands, commonly known as the Kalahari section of northern Botswana. This is where they believe the earliest modern human genetic relationships began, even though the oldest human bones ever found were in eastern Africa.

Location of Botswana in Africa. Image by TUBS CC by 3.0

It took 10 years of hard work, scrubbing away decay and restoring gold in several layers in intricate detail, but the restoration of King Tutankhamens tomb is finally complete. The tomb had been subject to the harsh Egyptian sun while on display, to say nothing of the sweat and moisture left by millions of tourists, but the ancient tomb is now back in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, ready for exhibition. A date for the grand opening has yet to be announced, but it will, officials say, be in early 2020.

Mask on Tutankhamuns innermost coffin

This year archaeologists found 800 miles of tunnels under the city of Acre, in Israel, that are linked to the Knights Templar, who were described by one researcher as warrior monks (that) are the stuff of legend, as is the gold treasure they supposedly hoarded. The legend say that the monks used the ancient tunnels to travel in secret to carry out their deeds, and that work on the tunnels may lead scientists to the mysterious gold. At the time of this writing, no date has been announced on when excavation of the tunnels may begin, but a new documentary series by National Geographic, entitled Lost Cities, was launched with an episode on this discovery.

The Templar Tunnel in Acre, Israel. Photo by Geagea CC BY-SA 2.0 .

Its not surprising that the DNA of a Blackfoot man, who lives near Butte, Montana, has found to have the oldest DNA in America, according to the lab that tested him, CRI Genetics. Scientists have long believed that Native Americans date back thousands of years, when people from Siberia traversed what we now call the Bering Strait to settle in the United States. However, many First Nations people believe they date back further than that, even, saying their ancestors have been on American soil since time immemorial, as one expert called it. The man was found to have DNA that dated back 55 generations, or about 17,000 years!

The Oldest American DNA

A Florida researcher, Bruce Campbell, had no idea the tapes in his basement were so historically significant, until he finally heard them in 2019. Voices from the landing boats at D-Day beaches are audible, and though it took a while for Campbell to realize what the tapes contained, when he did he donated them to the National D-Day Memorial in Virginia. Also on the tapes is the voice of famed broadcaster Edward R. Murrow, who covered the war for several radio stations back home.

June 18, 1944: US Army reinforcements march up a hill past a German bunker overlooking Omaha Beach after the D-Day landings near Colleville sur Mer, France. source

Scientists discovered the remains of at least 14 enormous woolly mammoths caught in man-made traps, in pits, in Tultepec, Mexico this year. Each pit is approximately 82 feet across, and scientists say that they found clear evidence that the creatures were actually hunted. Before this find, archaeologists and anthropologists believed that man only scavenged woolly mammoths when one was sick, or hurt, because they were so massive up to six tons, and they stood as high as 11 feet. But this find proved that humans made calculated hunting attempts at these giant beasts. Most mammoths went extinct about 10,000 years ago; the site in Mexico is thought to be approximately 15,000 years old.

Woolly mammoth

These are just 10 of the headline making, jaw dropping, amazing events, discoveries and advances talked about in 2019 in the field of history. No doubt the year ahead has much more in store; more in science, more in history, more in archaeology, and maybe other fields we havent even mentioned yet.

Related Article: Incredible Historical Coincidences Too Strange to be True?

Who knows where the first big news will come from below the sea, under the ground, in the world of antiquities or perhaps the world of nature? No one can predict that, but we can say one thing with certainty: during the first week of 2020, some bigs news will break on one or all of those fronts. 2019 wont be the only great year for history. Be sure to stay tuned, and keep reading!

Continued here:
What a Year for History! The 8 Biggest Events that made 2019 Amazing - The Vintage News

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

SALT LAKE CITY We leave an invisible trail of it behind us everywhere we go and of late, millions of us have voluntary harvested and submitted it to find out more about who we are and where we come from.

While once only a theoretical mystery, Its been well over a decade since the international Human Genome Project announced reaching the end of its inward voyage of discovery, successfully completing a project that provided the world the ability, for the first time, to read natures complete genetic blueprint for building a human being.

Since then, genomic innovations have advanced at a dramatic rate, including the development of technology that has enabled a new realm of direct-to-consumer genetic testing services that are cheap, fast and ubiquitous. Spit into a tube, send it out the door and in mere weeks you can find out the ethnic and geographic origins of your ancestors and, more personally, some pretty minute details about what physical and psychological anomalies may be coming your way.

A collateral outcome of this new volume of genetic testing are massive new databases holding troves of genetic data, veritable gateways to the most personal information about tens of millions of individuals.

Now civil rights advocates are joining Utah lawmakers in the effort to establish some basic protections on this data as law enforcement and other government agencies are increasingly accessing this information as a genetic blueprint for building the perfect criminal case.

Connor Boyack, president of Utah-based libertarian public advocacy group Libertas Institute, said while the technology is a boon to amateur genealogists, the way it is being leveraged by government agencies raises concerns.

In the past couple of years, law enforcement around the country have identified a new opportunity to use DNA to find and catch bad guys, Boyack said. At first blush, many might think this is an exciting new tool to catch criminals, however, when you look at it more closely, its actually a very profound violation of privacy.

DNA samples harvested by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies have been in use for years via the federally managed Combined DNA Index System, but Boyack said his concerns are focused on law enforcement access to public and privately managed DNA databases. Some DNA testing services like Ancestry.com and 23andMe assert they will staunchly defend unwarranted law enforcement access while other service providers in the sphere of genetic analysis have taken markedly different stances.

One company, GEDMatch, is not a testing service but instead provides a platform that allows consumers who have had their DNA tested elsewhere to upload their results with the hope of connecting with unknown family members or to find out more about their DNA profiles. The company was founded nine years ago with the goal of providing a tool for amateur genealogists.

GEDMatch was acquired by San Diego-based forensic genealogy firm Verogen earlier this month but has previously made its database, which currently includes some 1.3 million samples, accessible to law enforcement. Its a practice thats earned the company headlines for its involvement in helping close outstanding criminal cases like that of Californias Golden State Killer, and closer to home, recently helping Clearfield police apprehend a suspect in a horrific assault case. In May, the company drastically increased restrictions on warrantless law enforcement scanning, limiting access to DNA test results from those users who have expressly issued consent for that purpose. Before that change, however, the site had reportedly been used to solve some 70 criminal cases.

Boyack said the proposal hes been working on with stakeholders, industry experts and lawmakers would create privacy protections around consumer-side DNA databases that would require law enforcement to adhere to the particularity mandate of the Fourth Amendment.

Our bill would allow law enforcement to take their DNA sample and run it through (Combined DNA Index System) as well as other state and local law enforcement DNA databases of known criminals, Boyack said. However, it would prohibit dragnet-style familial searches of consumer databases.

If law enforcement has some blood or evidence obtained from other investigatory methods that identify Bob is a suspect, they can get a warrant for Bobs blood or saliva and even without a warrant collect DNA from Bobs trash. That would still be allowed because, again, theres a suspect. Beyond that our proposal would deny law enforcement the ability to go on fishing expeditions. No mass searching of private or public databases without an individual suspicion.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah is participating in drafting the proposal and, like Libertas, has concerns centered on unfettered law enforcement access to the DNA data of millions of individuals.

This moment in time demonstrates that we really need to try and figure out clear roles around secondary uses (of DNA data), said Marina Lowe, the ACLU of Utahs legislative and policy counsel. People will submit an Ancestry test kit to find about their familys ethnic heritage or help identify health risks in their family lineage. Law enforcement gaining access to this is a secondary use that people may not be expecting. My hope is this legislation will make that clear if you sign up for one of these programs youre doing so for a particular purpose and law enforcement shouldnt have open access to information that was clearly shared for a different purpose.

There is little in the way of existing legislation at either the state or federal level that has sought to specifically regulate how, when and where law enforcement or other government agencies can access DNA data, outside the DNA data already under their purview.

While creating bright line definitions of the circumstances under which this data can be accessed is the focus of the current and still evolving Utah proposal, there could be other ways to limit so-called fishing expeditions.

Teneille Brown is a professor at the University of Utahs S.J. Quinney College of Law and an expert in health law and medical ethics. Brown has had a chance to review the potential Utah legislation and believes there may be other ways to bolster privacy protections as they relate to consumer DNA test data.

Brown noted that the user agreements every consumer consents to when submitting a sample for DNA testing are fungible and the ability for a company to change those agreements, whether motivated by internal policy revisions or via an acquisition or ownership change, is a point of concern.

Law enforcement access (of consumer DNA databases) to identify relatives connected to crime scene DNA is not where I see privacy concerns, Brown said. What the real weak points are is the people who are uploading (DNA) snip profiles. Do they understand what that action means? Theyre downloading their profile and uploading it to a service or website, but they need to be aware of and worried about the consent theyre granting. And how hard it may be to opt out later if and when that agreement changes.

Brown explained that the owners of DNA databases could and should create protections for the deeper, underlying data that can reveal very personal insights about individuals. She noted law enforcement agencies can access the DNA data they need for a familial match for a criminal investigation and dont need and shouldnt get to see the deeper DNA information.

The (genetic test snip) data is the genetic mutation data that could be used to make predictions about someones health, Brown said. But the cops dont have that, and they dont need it. GEDMatch, 23andMe and Ancestry have that raw (snip) data in their databases, and the user can download their own, if they want to, but there would be no reason to share this data with law enforcement.

Law enforcement doesnt need the raw data to make a match with a relative. GEDMatchs algorithm just spits out a match, and does not share the (snip) data of the third or fourth cousin. Similarly, Ancestrys algorithm predicts relationships and if provided by the user, could render a name. Because law enforcement does not need the (genetic snip) data itself to render a name/match to a distant relative, denying them access would just make our DNA privacy better, at very little cost to solving cold crimes.

While the fine-tuning of the proposals specific language is likely to continue, Rep. Craig Hall, R-West Valley City, said hes set to sponsor the effort in the upcoming legislative session. Hall said he believes it is necessary to establish some statutory privacy protections when it comes to law enforcement access to DNA data.

There are certain companies out there that do genetic testing that will strongly fight against any law enforcement searching in their database, Hall said. Ancestry and 23andMe, they resist searches by law enforcement. And there are some databases that are more publicly available ... and some of those individuals using those services may quote-unquote consent to letting the government search their own DNA but the challenge with this is when one person submits their DNA, theyre not only submitting their own information, but that of their family members who not only may not have consented, but who in fact may strongly dissent.

Hall said creating new rules to govern how an individuals DNA data is used requires navigating the territory between appropriate law enforcement procedures and the constitutional rights of every individual.

We all want to hold criminals accountable, but in the balancing act of privacy and due process, the mass search of genetic databases is too problematic to allow, Hall said.

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DNA and crime: When does it cross the line of personal privacy rights? - Deseret News

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Sharks are arguably some of the coolest creatures on Earth. From the magnificent great white shark to the long-extinct megalodon, these ancient predators have always played an important role in their ocean ecosystems, yet scientists still have much to learn about them. Here at Live Science we love writing about sharks. Here are 10 of our favorite shark stories from 2019.

We started the year off with one of the most unusual shark stories we've ever reported on: A California fisherman was convicted of illegally shooting and killing a great white shark. The mysterious death of the 9-foot-long (2.7 meters) great white shark made headlines months earlier when it washed up on Beer Can Beach in Aptos, California, and became the subject of a criminal investigation. Authorities were tight-lipped about the investigation until six months later, when they charged commercial fisherman Vinh Pham for the shark's death. Pham was fined $5,000 and placed on conditional probation for two years.

Read more about the great white shark criminal investigation.

Great white sharks can be ferocious predators, but one of these giant fish overestimated its hunting abilities when it crunched down on a sea turtle and then choked to death. According to one expert, this was a remarkably rare occurrence. Not only is it unusual for a great white to choke on prey, it's even rarer that a great white fits an entire sea turtle in its mouth in the first place.

Read more about this shark's fatal error.

This summer, an underwater remotely operated vehicle from the Okeanos Explorer, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research vessel, filmed an incredible scene of nearly a dozen dogfish sharks feasting on an enormous swordfish carcass that had fallen to the sea floor. As if that wasn't impressive enough, a few minutes into filming, a goliath grouper (a really big fish) slipped into the picture and gulped one of the sharks down, swallowing it whole. The rest of the sharks remained laser-focused on getting as much of the carcass into their bellies as fast as they could, undisturbed by the larger predator in their midst.

Read more about the dining shark that became dinner.

Great white sharks have the seemingly magical abilities to grow very large, live long lives, heal quickly and they probably don't get cancer. How these ocean beasts pull all that off has long been a mystery to scientists, although they're starting to discover clues. Earlier this year, an international team of researchers sequenced the genome of the great white shark and compared it with the genomes of several other vertebrate species. The team discovered a wealth of unusual genetic characteristics that could explain why white sharks are basically the superheroes (or supervillains, if you're a plump sea lion) of the sea.

Read more about the great white shark genome.

A large, female great white shark pregnant with a record 14 pups was accidentally caught by fishers off the coast of Taiwan and sold at a fish market. The enormous 15-foot-long (4.7 m) mamma was reportedly purchased for less than $2,000 by a Taiwanese taxidermy company. Although this shark suffered an untimely death, it provided a rare opportunity for scientists to examine a pregnant great white shark.

Read more about this record-breaking mamma shark.

Scientists described a new species of shark that's so small you could hold it in your hand. Tiny, adorable, blunt-headed sharks called pocket sharks are so rare that until just a few years ago, only one individual had ever been collected from the southeastern Pacific Ocean. Then, in 2010, researchers with NOAA caught a second pocket shark in the Gulf of Mexico. Measuring only 5.5 inches (14 centimeters) in length, the wee male shark was identified as a separate species the American pocket shark, and given the scientific name Mollisquama mississippiensis.

Read more about this adorable pocket shark.

The coast of South Carolina is often blessed with the presence of several great white sharks each year, but two exceptionally large specimens cruised close to shore this past spring. In May, a 15-foot (4.6 m) great white named Luna spent time swimming above an undersea bank about 80 miles (129 kilometers) southeast of Charleston, South Carolina. A smaller shark, Caroline, who clocks in at 12 feet, 9 inches (3.9 m), was hanging out closer to shore at South Carolina's Edisto Beach. At the time, The Charlotte Observer reported that Luna was headed northward to the Outer Banks.

Read more about South Carolina's shark visitors.

A new study suggested that ancient, massive megalodon sharks were outcompeted by a smaller, savvier predator: great whites.

Scientists used to think the megalodon went extinct around 2.6 million years ago as part of a mass extinction event in the ocean. But the fossil record for these sharks between 2.6 and 3.6 million years ago is rather murky, leading scientists to suspect the giant predator may have gone extinct closer to 3.6 million years ago. Great whites arrived in the oceans about 4 million years ago, just 400,000 years before megalodon's revised death date. So, the researchers said it's possible that the great white eventually beat out the megalodon as a top ocean predator.

Read more about how great whites outlived megalodons.

It's a common piece of surfing wisdom that where dolphins swim, there are never sharks. But for oceangoers who take comfort in a pod of dolphins swimming by, shark experts have bad news.

"This is a myth," Andrew Nosal, a shark expert at the University of San Diego, previously told Live Science in an email.

In fact, the opposite is probably true. That's because sharks and dolphins both of whom are carnivores go to the same spots to hunt. That doesn't mean the two species are buddies, but don't be surprised to see them in the same area. If you're concerned about sharks in the area you want to swim, experts told Live Science you should avoid swimming when visibility is poor or near areas where sharks like to hang out, like near cliffs or drop-offs.

Read more about the true swimming habits of dolphins and sharks.

It's depressing to think about, but what would happen if sharks disappeared?

Approximately 25% of all shark, skate and ray species are currently threatened with extinction, according to the Smithsonian Institution's Ocean Portal. In recent decades, some shark populations have declined by up to 90%, reflecting an unsustainable trend of overexploitation in ocean habitats, according to Jenny Bortoluzzi, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Zoology at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland.

If sharks were to disappear, the repercussions on ocean food webs would ultimately affect humans, too.

"Fisheries may collapse, with artisanal fishers being the likely most affected, and popular tourism destinations which rely on sharks to attract tourists will also suffer greatly," Bortoluzzi previously told Live Science.

Read more about what would happen if sharks went extinct.

Originally published on Live Science.

The rest is here:
The 10 Coolest Shark Stories of 2019 - Livescience.com

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Illustration: Damon Dahlen/HuffPost; Photos: Alamy/Getty Images

Farewell To... is an end-of-decade series that explores some of the biggest cultural trends of the last 10 years. HuffPosts culture team says bye to the celebrity feminist litmus test, so long to lily-white and mostly male literary institutions, RIP to the movie star and more.

Vampires: mysterious, manipulative, bloodthirsty, cold creatures of the night or as the last decade illustrated our pretty teenage boyfriends.

Throughout the late 2000s and 2010s, sparkly, vegetarian bloodsuckers made their way into the zeitgeist in the form of morally conscious manpires like Edward Cullen of Twilight, Bill Compton of True Blood and Stefan Salvatore of The Vampire Diaries. But how could a monster once seen as repulsive morph into something so beautiful?

According to experts, particular adaptations of the undead are conjured up as a way to address public needs and process not only current events but also social injustices. Whereas the 1980s and 90s vampire craze consisting of everything from The Lost Boys (1987) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) to Interview With the Vampire (1994) and Blade (1998) was thought to be fueled by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the forbiddenness of blood, as podcaster and author Eric Nuzum noted to HuffPost, real-life crises led to this decades initiation of a more liberated vampire.

Nuzum, who studied vampire lore for his 2007 book, The Dead Travel Fast, said updated versions of these monsters cycle in when we dont know how to confront something as a society or when we need to find a metaphor to help us understand a situation. In his view, the recent vampire trend was ignited by the financial crisis and perhaps sustained by the divisive nature of our political and social environments.

In 2007 and 2008, were finding out about all this fiscal malfeasance and the inability of the government to protect us. The world was becoming a very scary place, filled with people whove done bad things. So we kind of leaned into the vampire ... a fantastical creature with supernatural powers who can confront the forces of reality, Nuzum said. Sometimes the most telling parts of the vampire story arent the vampire. Its everything that happens around them. Thats where you really see the cultural knitting happening between reality and fiction.

Since the literary phenomenon of Bram Stokers Dracula in 1897, vampires have been a fixture in popular culture. But as the 1931 Dracula film or the 1922 classic Nosferatu presented gothic horror tales about murderous nocturnal fanged monsters, the adaptations of the 2010s relied on relatable, humane vampires who lounge in meadows and sparkle in the sun to propel the genre. These iterations speak directly to people who feel like an outsider be it through their sexuality, economic status, race or gender and give them a character to relate to.

John Edgar Browning, a vampire theory scholar and professor of liberal arts at Savannah College of Art and Design, told HuffPost the vampires we saw with, and since, the Vampire Renaissance were, and are, more free to be.

Im not saying that vampires today are gayer or more sexually liberated; it just matters less to us where they are putting their fangs, Browning said. Vampires are us, in a manner of speaking, so how we regulate them is how we regulate ourselves. Freer vampires and monsters are a sign of a healthier culture.

Illustration: Damon Dahlen/HuffPost; Photos: Getty Images

When the HBO series True Blood, based on the Sookie Stackhouse books, premiered in 2008, for example, audiences were introduced to the progressive world of Bon Temps, Louisiana, where vampires attempted to exist peacefully among mortals thanks to a synthetic blood concoction called TruBlood. The vampire-human romance between Bill (Stephen Moyer) and telepathic waitress Sookie (Anna Paquin) explored abstinence and indulgence, while other relationships on the series dissected themes of sexuality, exclusion and intolerance. The show became somewhat of a fantasy allegory for the queer rights movement before it ended in August 2014, less than a year before same-sex marriage was legalized in the U.S.

It took fiction to make the vampire palatable, Browning said. Whereas centuries ago vampires served as conduits through which we could express fear, in fiction they assumed the twofold role of fear and desire a different conduit for a different time. Today were still using vampires to help us express fears and forbidden desires, only now, more often than not, vampires are helping us fight fear and prejudice and liberate in others a host of desires that greater society is finally willing to accept.

If True Blood made the vampire digestible for mature audiences, Twilight gave young adults an outlet to express their own wants and needs. When Stephenie Meyers book series began in 2005, a mascot for the vampire boyfriends was born in Edward Cullen, a fantastically beautiful member of the undead who lives on animal blood and has the porcelain skin of a 17-year-old Nicole Kidman. These are the vampires you can take home to meet your parents, Taekia Blackwell, the chief operating officer of fan convention organization Mischief Management, told HuffPost.

Edward further entranced the adolescent demographic when the five-part film series premiered in 2008, starring Robert Pattinson as the stand-in for the pleasures and perils of teenage desire, a vampire who adamantly fights the urge to kill, and be intimate with, the one mortal hes in love with, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart). Unlike True Blood, virginity is paramount in this made-for-tweens tale, but despite its conservative approach to sex, Nuzum noted that Twilight made that mix of fear and desire accessible to young girls who were confronting the world as adult women for the first time and all the bullshit that comes along with it.

Real life is scary, he said. And you want to live in a fantasy place, even for a moment, that shows theres a way above it and through it.

Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley) of The CWs The Vampire Diaries was another manpire who not only captured the attention of the YA audience but illustrated the drive to be and do better. Stefan, a character from L.J. Smiths 1990s book series, fought every day to follow a moral code in light of his indelible lust for blood. He gravitates toward Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), a high school student grieving the loss of her parents, but his dark past as a ripper and blood-a-holic makes it difficult for him to maintain self-control. Although he tries to live on animal blood, he eventually steals blood bags from the hospital and spirals back into addiction. Still, his desire to protect Elena and her friends from his race ultimately outlasts his thirst for blood, making him one of the redeemable vampires of the 2010s.

I think our modern pop-culture vampire just makes it a little less intense and more relatable, Blackwell said of the allure of the ethical vampire and its rise to prominence. The danger is lessened by the conscience.

Priscilla Frank/HuffPostIllustration of Damon Salvatore, Elena Gilbert and Stefan Salvatore of "The Vampire Diaries."

These stories clearly resonated with viewers, who were not only escaping the daily grind but also ingesting material that spoke to the larger themes of discrimination, hate and love. True Blood ran for seven seasons while The Vampire Diaries aired for eight. And moviegoers flocked to the theaters to see Edward and Bella fight for and defend their fanged family in dreary Forks, Washington. The final installment of the Twilight saga, Breaking Dawn - Part 2, made almost $830 million worldwide, and the film series as a whole garnered $3.3 billion.

And wed be remiss not to mention the countless vampire movies that came out in the 2010s, including Let Me In (2010), Fright Night (2011), Byzantium (2012), The Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) and A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014). By mid-decade, audiences seemed to lose interest in the genre, with the Johnny Depp-fronted Dark Shadows (2012) and Dracula Untold (2014), starring Luke Evans, failing to get high marks at the domestic box office. The zombies of The Walking Dead and the dragons ofGame of Thrones soon took over. Now witches are having their moment with shows like Sabrina andCharmed.

Hot vampires are kind of like the skinny jeans of monsters. I wouldnt say theyve dwindled or disappeared, but theyre definitely not at the forefront of fashion or as talked about as they once were, said Shanyce Lora, the senior marketing manager of Mischief. Monsters really have cycles in pop culture.

Ian Somerhalder, who played Stefans morally conflicted vampire brother Damon Salvatore on The Vampire Diaries, is not giving up on the lore just yet. His new Netflix series fits into the overcrowded genre, but instead of focusing on glittery, wrinkle-free undead beings, V Wars addresses vampirism through climate change and revives scary, toothed fiends. Based on the comics by Jonathan Maberry, the series follows scientist Dr. Luther Swann (Somerhalder), whose best friend (Adrian Holmes) is a victim of a fast-spreading genetic mutation after a millennia-old bacterium is unknowingly exhumed in Antarctica. As far-fetched as it sounds, V Wars drops the romantic, kindhearted vampires or bloods, as theyre known in the show and focuses in on the social and environmental effects that exacerbate an epidemic.

Having done 171 episodes of The Vampire Diaries, I acquired some skill sets that allow me to understand the genre in a really profound way, Somerhalder told HuffPost during a recent Build Series interview. This genre is amazing. It stands the test of time; it transcends generations and demographics, and it can be quite a lesson because, at the end of the day, vampires are the story of the outsider, the ostracized, the alone.

Similar to experts comments about international crises and their connection to on-screen iterations of vampire stories, Somerhalder explained that cancer is an allegory for his new project, which addresses tentpole topics such as diversity, disease and border control. If he had it his way, the actor, director and executive producer would want V Wars to come off as 28 Days Later meets The Handmaids Tale by way of Walking Dead.

What happens when there are so many bloods that airlines cant fly anymore? Somerhalder said. What happens when theres a new mortgage crisis because the banking world is starting to fall apart because millions of people are sick? What happens when telecommunication companies cant function? When society starts to fracture? These are all big, amazing thematics we cant wait to tell.

The series premiered on Dec. 5, and audiences are responding well to its premise, but time will tell if it ushers in another wave of vampirism.

No matter how oversaturated our cultural landscape may be with monsters today, theyll never truly go away. Vampires will just rip those stakes out of their hearts, steer clear of holy water and adapt for a new time. Over the last 120 years, audiences have seen these beings go from pointy-eared goblins to chiseled Adonises. They have murdered innocent bystanders and tackled deer for nourishment. But again, these stories are not necessarily about the vampire itself they address larger themes that relate to the current struggles of todays world. And thats what keeps them relevant.

Vampires and zombies belong to that class of monster we call the undead, and whoever could keep the undead down, for very long anyway? Browning said. A resurgence of fang and decaying matter is, I suspect, on the horizon who better to help fight bigotry.

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One of my guy friends got out of the military a few years ago and needed work. Rather than spending months or years agonizing over what he was passionate about and what his calling was, he took a practical approach.

He went to the library, got out a book about the top 100 professions currently in the highest demand (and predicted to be highly in-demand over the next decade) ... and then went to nursing school.

Just over two years later, he was an orthopedic surgical nurse bringing in $100,000+ a year.

There are lots of ways to decide what to do with your time and your work life. If you're not ready to quit everything and become a nurse (althoughif you aren't sure quite what to do and like helping people, you should think about it), there are other options.

One is setting up a side hustle. And again, instead of just doing something about which you're intensely passionate, you could more targeted and pragmatic in your approach.

Enter a seemingly random industry but one that will only grow in size: fish-free omega-3 supplements.

Yes, it sounds extremely specific (because it is), but it's also big business. In 2018, the fish-free omega-3 industry saw 6.5% year-over-year growth, reaching a market valuation of $550M. It's slated to be a $1B industry by 2029.

Why? Because there are tons of people who want to incorporate omega-3s into their diet but don't want fishy products.

By now, if you're at all educated about health, you know you need omega-3sand omega-6s in your diet. They lower your blood pressure; reduce your likelihood of heart attack and stroke; and improve brain functioning. There's also preliminary evidence that shows that DHA & EPA supplementscan boost your moodand help those suffering from depression.

And you probably alsoyou can find said omega-3s in fish like salmon. You may have even purchased fish-oil supplements in the past, whichtasted ... well, kind of gross.

It turns out a whole lot of people are deterred by that fishyodor--or are vegetarians or vegans who object to the omega-3s in their diet coming from fish. They know they need omega-3s, but they want plant-based options.

In fact, consumers are already hunting for quality, vegetarian sources of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids--to the tune of predictions of this single supplement becoming a billion-dollar industry over the next decade.

Now imagine entering a multi-million dollar industry where you knew there was demand already, and not very much supply to meet it. It would be like shooting fish (oil) in a barrel.

So how do you get started? Well, it's pretty easy to enter the supplements market. There are plenty of companies that can help you white-label your supplements (meaning they provide the actual productand you do the rest.) Of course you want to research those places and ensure that you're getting high-quality, plant-based omega-3s and omega-6s--but that's just a matter of vetting.

Then these companies can help you drop-ship your product, so you don't have a bunch of cases of plant-based omega-3 hanging out in your garage.

Once you've found your white-label supplier, all that's left is to set yourself up as a seller on a platform like Amazon. You can do that in a few hours.

Then you market the hell out of your product. You write blogs, you do videos, you post on social media, you run Facebook or Google ads--whatever you want. If you use key words like "vegetarian omega-3s" or "plant-based omega-6s" you're already slated to succeed. You don't have to guess whether people will buy what you're selling--you know they will.

The search term "side hustle" has spiked in recent years. It's not a new concept, but in an economy that's increasingly comprised of freelancers and less-than-stable job security, it's no wonder.

What would you do with an extra $1,000 a month? Put it towards childcare? Pay down debt? Split it up between self-care activities like getting massages, and contributions to causes in which you believe?

Too many people start side businesses without actually feeling out the market. But if you know ahead of time that there's definitely demand for what you're going to sell ... you're in it to win it.

The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

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Looking for a Side Hustle? Consider This Rapidly-Growing Industry -- It Will Reach $1B by 2029 - Inc.

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The history of the elephants in Borneo is the most interesting of the four sub species of elephants that exist in the wilds of Asia. The four sub species are Elephasmaximusmaximus from Sri Lanka, Elephasmaximusindicus from mainland India, and Elephasmaximussumatranus from Sumatra, Indonesia. The status of the Bornean elephant Elephasmaximusbornensis is yet to be confirmed.

For a long time there was a theory that the Bornean elephants were smaller than the other mainland sub species and were called pigmy elephants. However, now with scientific investigation, it has been established that these elephants are the same as the other Asian elephants. The authorities in Borneo however prefer to continue to refer to them as pigmy elephants. This is because they feel that pigmy elephants would be more attractive to potential tourists. There is a push to promote tourism in Sabah and Borneo in a big way.

There was much speculation as to whether the Bornean elephant is really a wild elephant or whether they were released into the wild by a former Sultan. Dr. Prithiviraj Fernando and some other researchers found that the DNA of the Bornean elephant proved that it was a wild elephant and not feral.

Two different alternative hypotheses have been suggested by researchers. One is that the elephants in Borneo are non-native to Borneo and are a recent introduction, in the 17th century. The introduction hypothesis is based on historical records suggesting that the current population represents the descendants of a domesticated herd that formerly existed on Sulu Island, Philippines, and were introduced to eastern Sabah by the Sultan of Sulu in the 17th century. The original elephants, most likely, came from the Javan elephant population, now extinct. It was further reported that only two elephants were introduced to Jolo (Sulu) Island in the late 13th century, and their descendants were transported to Sabah around 1673.

The other theory is that they are from an ancient colonization several thousand years ago. No fossils have been found, which has led to the theory that it is evidence of a very recent introduction. On the other hand it has been found by researchers, including Dr. Prithiviraj Fernando, that there is DNA divergence of the Borneo sub species in other Asian elephants. This favours the theory of early existence.

The Bornean elephant is morphologically and, in some ways, behaviourally distinct from the elephants of mainland Asia. Their genetic distinctiveness from other mainland Asian elephant subspecies makes them one of the highest priority populations for Asian elephant conservation. It is classified as endangered according to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of threatened species.

The social behaviour of the Bornean elephant is the same as that of the other subspecies of the Asian elephant. The herd is led by the matriarch with all adult males being ejected by the herd when they attain puberty. This is to prevent inbreeding. If the male calves remain after they become adults, they will necessarily have to mate with their close relatives. The males wander around on their own or in small bull groups. Only some of the males carry tusks. The percentage of males with tusks in the Bornean population has not been ascertained as yet.

The Bornean elephant population in Sabah is about 2,000 individuals that are currently restricted mainly to a limited number of forest reserves. The main populations are in the Central Forest and Tabin Wildlife Reserve. Herds of elephants are also found in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary and the North Kinabatangan Reserve.

The main threats to the survival of the species are population fragmentation and isolation of the existing herds. These elephants do not cross from one reserve to another across human-dominated landscapes that separate forest fragments. This means that since there is no movement into new areas and no new blood flowing, there is the possibility of new species developing within the isolated herds. Conservation measures should be taken to maintain current levels of genetic diversity in fragmented habitats.

The conservation of the Bornean elephant should aim at securing connectivity between spatially distinct populations. It may not be easy but elephant corridors have to be established to facilitate the free and secure movement of these elephants from one range to another.

Pics: Benoit Gossens

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It's hard to imagine that season one of The Big Bang Theory aired 11 years ago. That11 years ago, Sheldon got himself a loom, the boys'were senthome without pants and the couples we known and love were not yet formed.

When the sitcom first aired in 2008, little did audiences know what a science-comedic phenomenon it would become. Earlier this year, whenTheBig Bang Theoryendedits run, fanswere polarised.Some had continually called for the show to end,whilst others expressed sadness over its finale.

RELATED:The Big Bang Theory: 10 Parenting Techniques Courtesy Of Dr. Beverly Hofstadter

In general, TheBig Bang Theoryreeked of the wittiest and brilliant writing in its first half, seasons one through six. That being said, season one especially is filled with underappreciated humor. Here are some of those jokes.

In the pilot episode, Sheldon and Leonard visit the 'High IQ Sperm Bank' to donate sperm for money. Originally it's Sheldon's idea because he wants to make a little extra money to get fractional T1 bandwidth in the apartment.

As the two are seated in the clinic, Sheldon comes to the conclusion that it's actually genetic fraud because there's a possibility that a toddler with the same DNA wouldn't come out as smart as him. He says "Some poor woman is going to pin her hopes on my sperm, what if she winds up with a toddler who doesn't know if he should use an integral or a differential to solve the area under a curve?"

After Leonard reassures him the mother would surely still love her child anyway, Sheldon doesn't see it that way, saying "I wouldn't."

You can never sit in Sheldon's spot, that's rule one. In the pilot episode Penny, the new neighbor, makes that mistake. Sheldon, being the gracious host that he is, gives her an earful. By earful we mean, some pretty complicated, science-jargon laced reasons as to why she should move immediately.

The now-legendary reasoning is "In the winter that seat is close enough to the radiator to remain warm, and yet not so close as to cause perspiration. In the summer its directly in the path of a cross-breeze created by open windows there, and there. It faces the television at an angle that is neither direct, thus discouraging conversation, nor so far wide to create a parallax distortion."

Did you know that the concept of Zodiac signs is a mass cultural delusion? At least according to Sheldon Cooper, it is.

In the opening episode, Penny introduces herself as a Sagittarius. Her zodiac sign, according toher, tells the guys way more than they should need to know.

RELATED:The Big Bang Theory: Season Finales, Ranked

But according to Sheldon it only tells them that sheparticipates in the "mass cultural delusion that the Suns apparent position relative to arbitrarily defined constellations and the time ofher birth somehow affectsher personality." Neat.

The show established Leonard's incapacity to flirt and talk with women early on. He calls Penny's waitressing job at the Cheesecake factory as her "acting as like.. a carbohydrate delivery system."

By this point, Penny is very well accustomed to Leonard and Sheldon, so she comes up with a quick-witted answer in no time. "Call it whatever you want, but I get minimum wage."

Dr. Leslie Winkle, an experimental physicist at California Institute of Technology was one of the most quick-witted characters on the show. We are not talking of a mean sense of humor,rather intelligent humor. Remember the time she explained the chemistry of sex?

Penny: "Wow, a girl scientist!" Leslie: "Yep, come for the breasts. Stay for the brains." This was just one of the earlier of Leslie's legendary quips and insults. Every appearance was punctuated with smart comments and quick thinking.

One of the groupmates, Raj Koothrappali is from India,and he adds to the social variation in their dynamics. Audiences are given a peek into Indian culture, every time Rajesh's parents, Doctor and Mrs. Koothrappali, call from India.

In"The Grasshopper Experiment", Rajesh's parents call to inform him they have set him up with some Indian girl Lalita Gupta, practicing dentistry in L.A.

RELATED:The Big Bang Theory: 10 Funniest Jokes You Didnt Notice

Whilst Rajesh tries stopping them from meddling in his life, Sheldon slyly reminds him that his parents don't consider this as meddling and that, "Indian parents continue to have greater than average involvement in their children's love lives." An angry Raj retorts "Why are you telling me about my own culture?" The first of many similar exchanges.

Remember the gigantic time machine from the movie Time Machine in "The Nerdvana Annihilation"? Leonard leads the gang to buy this machine prop, which takes up half the boys' living room. Howard and Raj also pitch in on condition that everyone will take the prop home in turn.

To Howard, this time machine shall serve the purposes of a "chick magnet", something he is going to use to woo the ladies. And he's not shy about it, either. This leads Sheldon to add the rule "In addition to the expected no shoes in the time machine and no eating in the time machine, I propose that we add pants must be worn at all times in the time machine."

In "The Nerdvana Annihilation", Penny is late for work, as the guys' time machine prop has blocked her way. Unable to go down the stairs, Sheldonadvises herto go up the roof,and hop over thesmall gap between this and the otherbuilding.

The small gap turns out to be a three feet wide gap and she slips and skins her knee. And when shedoes manage to take the leap, it turns out the door to the stairwell of the second building is locked. She is thus forced to go down a fire escape which ends on an Armenian Family's floor.

This lovely Armenian family feeds her eight courses of lamb. And, it gets worse. They try to fix her up with their son.

In "The Pork Chop Indeterminacy",Mary Coopersends over her daughter and Sheldon's twinsister, Missy to Sheldon. The immediate purpose is to get Sheldon's signatures on his father'sestate papers.

Missy visits Sheldon's office, causing the males at CalTech tohover around. Because Sheldon is so disconnected from his twin sister, none of his friends have an idea who she is to him.

Leonard asks "So how do you two know each other?" To which Missy replies, "Oh, he once spent nine months with my legs wrapped around his head." This is Missy's eyebrow-raising way of describing the fact she and Sheldon are twins.

Schrdinger's Cat is referenced in "The Tangerine Factor" by Sheldon Cooper. The premise of this joke is that Leonard asks Penny out for a date, which she agrees to. Since Leonard isn't the type of guy Penny usually goes out with, she has second thoughts about the date. As does Leonard.

Before the date, Pennyand Leonard both turn to Sheldon for advice, separately though. And he advises them to go through with it. The date could turn out to be both good and bad, based on the whole premise ofSchrdinger's Cat. Leonard immediately gets it, but Penny requires some classwork.

NEXT:The Big Bang Theory: 10 Reasons Why Mary Cooper Is The Best Guest Character On The Show

NextThe 10 Worst Sci-Fi Action Movies Of The 2000s (According to IMDb)

Bisma Fida thinks pop culture shapes human lives. Sitcoms, dramas, and movies have helped her survive the impact of the geopolitical conflict of her homeland. Every piece she authors is essentially a third-world feminist's take.You can connect to her at bisma.fid@yahoo.com

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The Big Bang Theory: 10 Season 1 Jokes You Didnt Notice - Screen Rant

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In the vast arsenal of animal weaponry, the most exaggerated, elaborate and diverse devices such as tusks, claws and antlers have not been shaped by a need to fend off fierce predators. Rather, these impressive forms are driven by sex.

Everybody understands at a gut level that its usually males that have flashy displays or weapons like tusks and antlers, says Doug Emlen, an animal weapon expert at the University of Montana in Missoula. Biologists say that these fantastic shapesfrom the giant curved tusks of woolly mammoths to the nightmarish jaws of stag beetlesevolved to ward off competition from rival males and to impress females.

Examples of such sexually selected weapons abound throughout the animal kingdom in insects, fish, crustaceans, reptiles and mammals as varied as narwhal, rhinoceros and moose. Even extinct species such as trilobites and dinosaurs sported elaborate projections. The number and variety of examples argue that evolution has turned to weaponry time and again in the race to reproduce successfully.

Its such a common theme that Emlen had to persuade his editors to include seven detailed, full-page line drawings in a survey of natures weapons that he wrote for the 2008 Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, featuring more than 280 examples of fantastical spikes, horns, antlers, pincers, tusks, claws, extended jaws, saws and spears. The illustration above offers a taste.

Scientists still debate the degree to which female choice plays a role in shaping the weapons flair and are still trying to figure out what factors drive the diversity of weapon forms seen among even closely related species. But its clear that the wild array of weapons evolved to aid successful mating.

Like the structures, types of combat vary greatly. Rhinoceros beetles, named for their rhino-like horns, guard access to the oozes of tree sap that females feed upon before laying eggs. Rival males size each other up, and if their horns sizes are similarly matched, a face-off ensues and each uses his horns to try to flip, pry and toss his rival off the tree branch.

Most species of male fiddler crabs guard their burrows, where mating takes place. Dueling males shove and tap on each others single, enlarged clawand, should the fight escalate, they lock claws, secret-handshake style, as if theyre testing the others strength. If one decides he has the upper hand, he flings his opponent away from the burrow.

The fearsome weapons seem to evolve whenever three criteria are met, Emlen says. One: Males must be competing over either resources such as food or over females. Two: Its possible for access to those resources to successfully be guarded. And three: Males of the species compete in one-on-one duels.

But the fighting is almost never to the death and rarely results in serious wounds. Scientists say that this supports the idea that these weapons are built for rivalrytheir designs optimized not for destruction but for power struggles. Indeed, variation in the size of male weaponry is huge, Emlen notes: While overall body size among adult male elk might vary by a factor of 2 at most, their antler racks can vary by a factor of more than 30, he says. And the most dazzling weapons act largely as deterrents, with actual fights breaking out only when males are closely matched.

As the weapons grow bigger and flashier, they come with the cost of producing and lugging around such big structures. (And sometimes other costs: Male fiddler crabs can only stuff algae in their mouths with one claw.) Studies show that the weapons sizes are sensitive to nutrition, parasite load, stress and overall physical conditionand so the healthiest, most fit individuals sport the most impressive weapons.

Researchers consider these ostentatious male weapons to be honest signalsadvertising the owners might and fitness accurately. And not just physical fitness. A study of nearly 200 Iberian red deer stags measured the size and complexity of the animals antlers and found that bigger and more elaborate racks correlated with both bigger testes and faster-swimming sperm. From that and other evidence, many biologists think that bigger weapons can advertise reproductive superiority, too.

And while Emlen believes that male weapons evolved primarily for the purposes of male-male rivalry battles, comparative physiologist Brook Swanson of Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, argues that those signals are almost certainly also being assessed by females choosing mates. Even if a male could beat up all the other males, females almost always have a choice among mates, he says.

Take those fiddler crabs. Males of more than 100 species of the crabs have enlarged claws, and research suggests that the females can be picky. Some will cruise an area of multiple male burrows and size up the weapons being waved at them, among other things, before selecting a mate. We dont know what the females thinking, but shes taking into account a bunch of complicated information, Swanson says.

Though scientists believe that the primary role for these animal weapons is in reproduction, there are cases in which the weapons also serve as deterrents or defenses against predatorslikely as an evolutionary bonus. Elk antlers are a case in point. Unlike many other North American species in the deer family, elk hang onto their antlers until March, long after the mating season has ended in October. When Matt Metz, a PhD student at the University of Montana, and his colleagues tracked wolf kills in Yellowstone National Park they found that during March, wolves are three to four times more likely to attack an antlerless male elk than one still wearing his rack.

Since elk rarely use the antlers in defense, preferring to rear up and kick predators with their front hooves, presumably the structures serve as deterrents, Metz says. Yet if antler weapons had evolved primarily as a defense against predators, it wouldnt make sense to shed them at all, he addsand females should have them, too.

Why nature came up with such a bizarre array of weapon shapes and forms remains a bit of a mystery. But as a general rule, Swanson says, evolution tended to exaggerate structures already in existence. Crabs and lobsters have pincer claws that over evolutionary time became enlarged. And arthropods (spiders, insects and crustaceans) have exoskeletonsthat genetic changes could sculpt to form projections such as the horns or giant mandibles seen in beetles.

Weapons also are probably molded by the type of fighting and where its doneas borne out by work on the shapes of rhinoceros beetle horns by evolutionary biologist Erin McCullough. As a graduate student with Emlen, she spent two summers in Taiwan videotaping battles of the Japanese horned beetle, which has a pitchfork-shaped horn. She compared its fights to those of the Hercules beetle, which sports thick, pinching horns, and a species of Golofa beetle, which has thinner, sword-like horns. Each fights in slightly different ways, all with the goal of flicking their opponent off a tree branch or bamboo shoot.

McCullough, now a postdoctoral researcher at Syracuse University in New York, first measured how much force was needed to dislodge an average-size male from a branch. Next, she CT-scanned the critters horns, built 3-D computer models of the structures and used engineering tools to calculate the stresses and strains that the structures could withstand. She found that each horn performed best under the forces of its species-specific fighting style. This is a big component for why different species have different weapons, she says.

In October, an international group of researchers used the same computer modeling techniques to suggest that the largest antlers ever to existthe 12-feet-across by 5-feet-high rack of the prehistoric Irish elkwere used for male sparring, too.

But McCullough notes that the scariest, showiest weapons are not always very lethal. Some diversity, such as curlicues and extra tines, is probably driven by the display functions of weapons, she says.

Some of the largest animal weapons ever found adorned dinosaur heads. An example is seen in the horns and frills of the triceratops, a type of ceratopsid dinosaurbig-bodied herbivores that lived in large herds in open spaces, not unlike caribou. They had the biggest skulls of land-living animals that ever lived, partly due to these big bony structures on their heads, says Scott Sampson, paleontologist and executive director of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.

Of course, its tricky to study dinosaur behavior, or even determine a skeletons sex, from fossils. Paleontologists continue to debate whether such unusual face decor was used to help dinosaur species recognize their own kind, for male-male mating contests or signals to females, or for defense. But Sampson says several lines of evidence persuade him that these horns were sexual weapons or displays rather than spears to fend off predators.

Importantly, these features werent fully grown until the animals reached adult size and reproductive age. And many of the features of dinosaur horns, spikes and frills were lousy as weapons against carnivorous predators, Sampson says. Some were thin to the point of fragility or curved in seemingly the wrong direction. Take, for example, Kosmoceratops, a flamboyant fossil found in southern Utah that sported 15 horns on its face, the top of its skull and its bony frill, some of which curve back on themselves. Im quite certain this pattern is all about show, Sampson says. Ceratopsids, he says, would have been more likely to use their sheer size as a weapon against predators.

From spines and plates on late Cretaceous behemoths to horns on tiny, modern-day beetles, making and carrying flashy weapons can come at a huge energy cost. An elks antlers are akin to a 180-pound man wearing a 12-pound gold chain around his neck.

But the costs are worth it. In a lot of mating systems, if you dont produce a weapon, then you have zero success, Swanson says. You have no choice but to play the game.

This article originally appeared in Knowable Magazine, an independent journalistic endeavor from Annual Reviews. Sign up for the newsletter.

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The Weapons of Sexual Rivalry - Scientific American

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Representational image: A young science enthusiast peering at the sky using a telescope

Chandrayaan-2 may have dominated popular imagination during 2019 despite the Vikram Lander failing to soft-land on the lunar surface, but the year was marked by several significant developments by Indian scientists in fields ranging from nanotechnology to climate change.

The run-up to the lunar mission with planned landing of the lander-cum-rover, the launch campaign, the journey to the lunar orbit and the landing sequence all attracted national and international attention. The year ended in triumph for citizen science when Chennai-based software engineer, Shanmuga Subramanian, discovered debris of Vikram on the lunar surface using publicly available high-resolution images of the landing site. This development comes close to a rise in citizen science initiatives in the country.

Staying with space and astronomy, star of an exoplanet was named after Indian physicist, Bibha Chowdhury. During the year, Indian software engineers got readied software that will run the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), which is slated to be the worlds largest ground-based telescope operating at optical and infrared wavelengths. Details about TMT and other international Big Science projects in which India is participating were on display in a roving exhibition called Vigyan Samagam which attracted huge crowds.

Climate change: Responding to climate change impacts being seen in the Himalayan region, Indian scientists developed a common framework for assessment of climate change vulnerability in all the states in the region, using an index based on socio-economic factors, demographic and health status, sensitivity of agricultural production, forest-dependent livelihoods, and access to information, services and infrastructure. This knowledge will now be applied to develop a countrywide map of climate vulnerability.

Scientists from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) found a link between warming of the Indo-Pacific Ocean and changing rainfall patterns in many parts of the globe, including India. The warming pools of the Indo-Pacific Ocean are expanding, and this, in turn, is altering a major weather phenomenon known as the Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO). The warming of Indo-Pacific Ocean is occurring due to man-made emissions. Another group from the Indian Institute of Science warned that as many as 55 percent of glaciers in the Satluj basin may disappear by 2050. and 97 percent by 2090, under extreme climate change scenario. Using ice thickness of glaciers as the basis, scientists also estimated that glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayas might contain 27% less ice than previously suggested.

Eco-friendly technologies: The year saw progress towards development of less polluting crackers, with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) releasing first set of green crackers. A national centre to pursue R&D in clean coal technologies was also opened in Bangalore. Eight teams of innovators from different parts of the world were selected for an international competition to develop more efficient and climate-friendly cooling solutions for residential buildings. The team will get seed money to translate their ideas into prototypes. The final winner of the Global Climate Prize will be announced in November 2020.

Representational image: Microscopic bacteria

Indian genomic data: In an important development, Delhi-based Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) and Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) completed whole genome sequencing of 1008 Indian individuals representing diverse ethnic groups in the country. The data will act as baseline information for developing various applications in predictive and preventive medicine.

Scientists from CCMB also found underlying genetic factors for infertility among Indian men. This knowledge could help in developing a genetic test for male infertility in near future. As part of genetic studies to trace the origins of population groups in the Indian sub-continent, it had been seen that sizeable population group of Mundas in central and northeast India shares genetic ancestry with Southeast Asian populations as well. A study revealed how and when this admixture between Mundas and Southeast Asian populations took place.

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) launched a new human atlas initiative called Manav to develop a unified database of molecular network of all the tissues in the human body, and to derive a holistic picture of the working of human body. This mega project will collate and integrate molecular information on human tissues and organs that currently lies hidden in research articles in an unstructured and disorganized form.

Developments in gene editing: Indian scientists developed a new variant of currently popular gene editing tool, CRISPR-Cas9, and showed that it can increase precision in editing genome while avoiding unintended changes in DNA. The researchers showed that this type of gene editing can be used to correct sickle cell anemia, a genetic blood disorder. The experiments were done in human-derived cells from patients of sickle cell anemia, according to findings published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

New nano materials: Continuing their work in nano science and technology in 2019, scientists at the Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) used gold nanoparticles, and by rearranging size and gaps between them, developed a new material with unique properties like capacity to absorb light and carbon dioxide. Gold does not have these properties, and therefore, the new material has been named black gold, dye to its black appearance.

Boosting rice productivity: Scientists at the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR) identified a gene involved in regulating the size of rice grain. The new development represents a new approach towards developing rice varieties that produce bigger and consequently heavier grains. Scientists from the Bose Institute came up with a new salt-tolerant transgenic rice plant by over-expressing a gene from a wild rice called Porteresia coarctata into the commonly used IR 64 indica rice variety.

Other important developments during the year included a new plan to establish a museum for marine archaeology at Lothal, a new satellite-based weather information service for deep sea fishers, grand challenge for cancer research to develop affordable cancer diagnostics and treatment, a white paper on e-cigarettes that led to its ban in India, and new initiative to boost malaria research in the country.

(This article was originally published on India Science Wire.)

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Rewind 2019: A Look Back at Significant Developments in Indian Science This Year - The Weather Channel

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Deep Learning

One of the factors often credited for this latest boom in artificial intelligence (AI) investment, research, and related cognitive technologies, is the emergence of deep learning neural networks as an evolution of machine algorithms, as well as the corresponding large volume of big data and computing power that makes deep learning a practical reality. While deep learning has been extremely popular and has shown real ability to solve many machine learning problems, deep learning is just one approach to machine learning (ML), that while having proven much capability across a wide range of problem areas, is still just one of many practical approaches. Increasingly, were starting to see news and research showing the limits of deep learning capabilities, as well as some of the downsides to the deep learning approach. So are peoples enthusiasm of AI tied to their enthusiasm of deep learning, and is deep learning really able to deliver on many of its promises?

The Origins of Deep Learning

AI researchers have struggled to understand how the brain learns from the very beginnings of the development of the field of artificial intelligence. It comes as no surprise that since the brain is primarily a collection of interconnected neurons, AI researchers sought to recreate the way the brain is structured through artificial neurons, and connections of those neurons in artificial neural networks. All the way back in 1940, Walter Pitts and Warren McCulloch built the first thresholded logic unit that was an attempt to mimic the way biological neurons worked. The Pitts and McCulloch model was just a proof of concept, but Frank Rosenblatt picked up on the idea in 1957 with the development of the Perceptron that took the concept to its logical extent. While primitive by todays standards, the Perceptron was still capable of remarkable feats - being able to recognize written numbers and letters, and even distinguish male from female faces. That was over 60 years ago!

Rosenblatt was so enthusiastic in 1959 about the Perceptrons promises that he remarked at the time that the perceptron is the embryo of an electronic computer that [we expect] will be able to walk, talk, see, write, reproduce itself and be conscious of its existence. Sound familiar? However, the enthusiasm didnt last. AI researcher Marvin Minsky noted how sensitive the perceptron was to small changes in the images, and also how easily it could be fooled. Maybe the perceptron wasnt really that smart at all. Minsky and AI researcher peer Seymour Papert basically took apart the whole perceptron idea in their Perceptrons book, and made the claim that perceptrons, and neural networks like it, are fundamentally flawed in their inability to handle certain kinds of problems notably, non-linear functions. That is to say, it was easy to train a neural network like a perceptron to put data into classifications, such as male/female, or types of numbers. For these simple neural networks, you can graph a bunch of data and draw a line and say things on one side of the line are in one category and things on the other side of the line are in a different category, thereby classifying them. But theres a whole bunch of problems where you cant draw lines like this, such as speech recognition or many forms of decision-making. These are nonlinear functions, which Minsky and Papert proved perceptrons incapable of solving.

During this period, while neural network approaches to ML settled to become an afterthought in AI, other approaches to ML were in the limelight including knowledge graphs, decision trees, genetic algorithms, similarity models, and other methods. In fact, during this period, IBMs DeepBlue purpose-built AI computer defeated Gary Kasparov in a chess match, the first computer to do so, using a brute-force alpha-beta search algorithm (so-called Good Old-Fashioned AI [GOFAI]) rather than new-fangled deep learning approaches. Yet, even this approach to learning didnt go far, as some said that this system wasnt even intelligent at all.

Yet, the neural network story doesnt end here. In 1986, AI researcher Geoff Hinton, along with David Rumelhart and Ronald Williams, published a research paper entitled Learning representations by back-propagating errors. In this paper, Hinton and crew detailed how you can use many hidden layers of neurons to get around the problems faced by perceptrons. With sufficient data and computing power, these layers can be calculated to identify specific features in the data sets they can classify on, and as a group, could learn nonlinear functions, something known as the universal approximation theorem. The approach works by backpropagating errors from higher layers of the network to lower ones (backprop), expediting training. Now, if you have enough layers, enough data to train those layers, and sufficient computing power to calculate all the interconnections, you can train a neural network to identify and classify almost anything. Researcher Yann Lecun developed LeNet-5 at AT&T Bell Labs in 1998, recognizing handwritten images on checks using an iteration of this approach known as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), and researchers Yoshua Bengio and Jrgen Schmidhube further advanced the field.

Yet, just as things go in AI, research halted when these early neural networks couldnt scale. Surprisingly very little development happened until 2006, when Hinton re-emerged onto the scene with the ideas of unsupervised pre-training and deep belief nets. The idea here is to have a simple two-layer network whose parameters are trained in an unsupervised way, and then stack new layers on top of it, just training that layers parameters. Repeat for dozens, hundreds, even thousands of layers. Eventually you get a deep network with many layers that can learn and understand something complex. This is what deep learning is all about: using lots of layers of trained neural nets to learn just about anything, at least within certain constraints.

In 2010, Stanford researcher Fei-Fei Li published the release of ImageNet, a large database of millions of labeled images. The images were labeled with a hierarchy of classifications, such as animal or vehicle, down to very granular levels, such as husky or trimaran. This ImageNet database was paired with an annual competition called the Large Scale Visual Recognition Challenge (LSVRC) to see which computer vision system had the lowest number of classification and recognition errors. In 2012, Geoff Hinton, Alex Krizhevsky, and Ilya Sutskever, submitted their AlexNet entry that had almost half the number of errors as all previous winning entries. What made their approach win was that they moved from using ordinary computers with CPUs, to specialized graphical processing units (GPUs) that could train much larger models in reasonable amounts of time. They also introduced now-standard deep learning methods such as dropout to reduce a problem called overfitting (when the network is trained too tightly on the example data and cant generalize to broader data), and something called the rectified linear activation unit (ReLU) to speed training. After the success of their competition, it seems everyone took notice, and Deep Learning was off to the races.

Deep Learnings Shortcomings

The fuel that keeps the Deep Learning fires roaring is data and compute power. Specifically, large volumes of well-labeled data sets are needed to train Deep Learning networks. The more layers, the better the learning power, but to have layers you need to have data that is already well labeled to train those layers. Since deep neural networks are primarily a bunch of calculations that have to all be done at the same time, you need a lot of raw computing power, and specifically numerical computing power. Imagine youre tuning a million knobs at the same time to find the optimal combination that will make the system learn based on millions of pieces of data that are being fed into the system. This is why neural networks in the 1950s were not possible, but today they are. Today we finally have lots of data and lots of computing power to handle that data.

Deep learning is being applied successfully in a wide range of situations, such as natural language processing, computer vision, machine translation, bioinformatics, gaming, and many other applications where classification, pattern matching, and the use of this automatically tuned deep neural network approach works well. However, these same advantages have a number of disadvantages.

The most notable of these disadvantages is that since deep learning consists of many layers, each with many interconnected nodes, each configured with different weights and other parameters theres no way to inspect a deep learning network and understand how any particular decision, clustering, or classification is actually done. Its a black box, which means deep learning networks are inherently unexplainable. As many have written on the topic of Explainable AI (XAI), systems that are used to make decisions of significance need to have explainability to satisfy issues of trust, compliance, verifiability, and understandability. While DARPA and others are working on ways to possibly explain deep learning neural networks, the lack of explainability is a significant drawback for many.

The second disadvantage is that deep learning networks are really great at classification and clustering of information, but not really good at other decision-making or learning scenarios. Not every learning situation is one of classifying something in a category or grouping information together into a cluster. Sometimes you have to deduce what to do based on what youve learned before. Deduction and reasoning is not a fort of deep learning networks.

As mentioned earlier, deep learning is also very data and resource hungry. One measure of a neural networks complexity is the number of parameters that need to be learned and tuned. For deep learning neural networks, there can be hundreds of millions of parameters. Training models requires a significant amount of data to adjust these parameters. For example, a speech recognition neural net often requires terabytes of clean, labeled data to train on. The lack of a sufficient, clean, labeled data set would hinder the development of a deep neural net for that problem domain. And even if you have the data, you need to crunch on it to generate the model, which takes a significant amount of time and processing power.

Another challenge of deep learning is that the models produced are very specific to a problem domain. If its trained on a certain dataset of cats, then it will only recognize those cats and cant be used to generalize on animals or be used to identify non-cats. While this is not a problem of only deep learning approaches to machine learning, it can be particularly troublesome when factoring in the overfitting problem mentioned above. Deep learning neural nets can be so tightly constrained (fitted) to the training data that, for example, even small perturbations in the images can lead to wildly inaccurate classifications of images. There are well known examples of turtles being mis-recognized as guns or polar bears being mis-recognized as other animals due to just small changes in the image data. Clearly if youre using this network in mission critical situations, those mistakes would be significant.

Machine Learning is not (just) Deep Learning

Enterprises looking at using cognitive technologies in their business need to look at the whole picture. Machine learning is not just one approach, but rather a collection of different approaches of various different types that are applicable in different scenarios. Some machine learning algorithms are very simple, using small amounts of data and an understandable logic or deduction path thats very suitable for particular situations, while others are very complex and use lots of data and processing power to handle more complicated situations. The key thing to realize is that deep learning isnt all of machine learning, let alone AI. Even Geoff Hinton, the Einstein of deep learning is starting to rethink core elements of deep learning and its limitations.

The key for organizations is to understand which machine learning methods are most viable for which problem areas, and how to plan, develop, deploy, and manage that machine learning approach in practice. Since AI use in the enterprise is still continuing to gain adoption, especially these more advanced cognitive approaches, the best practices on how to employ cognitive technologies successfully are still maturing.

See the original post here:
Are We Overly Infatuated With Deep Learning? - Forbes

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Prior to Payne Bauer's arrival, Sherando High School football coach Bill Hall didn't keep track of tackles for losses.

But his middle linebacker's penchant for bringing down ball carriers in the backfield at an astonishing rate changed all of that.

And this season, Bauer kept the calculators whirring at a rate even higher than before. Bauer racked up 41 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including 12 sacks, for the Warriors, who rebounded from injuries to advance to the Region 4C playoffs.

Bauer's phenomenal play earned him several postseason accolades including his second consecutive Winchester Star Defensive Player of the Year honor.

The Payne Train racked up 93 tackles on the season with nearly half of them coming behind the opposition's line of scrimmage.

If you have somebody in the teens that raises an eyebrow at a regional or state meeting, Hall said. You don't ever hear of someone having 20 and he has 41 and he had 36 last year. Things like that are crazy.

But to hear it from Bauer, you'd be crazy to think it was all him. The humble 6-foot-2, 232-pounder gives all of the credit to the guys who play five yards in front of him, often seeming like opposing running backs fell into his lap.

It's mostly the guys in front of you, said Bauer when asked about how he racks up so many tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Everyone always talks about linebackers at Sherando, but usually it's the D-linemen. They don't get any love, but they deserve it more than anyone.

People like Caleb McLee, Skyler Taylor-Goode, he was a monster, and Brett Shockey they absorbed two blockers, he added. When two guys are blocking one dude, that always leaves linebackers free. The defensive linemen to me are the most selfless people on the football team because they eat everything for the linebackers and that's why the linebackers make plays.

While those linemen are excellent football players, Hall says the speedy and powerful Bauer often doesn't give himself enough credit in the equation to success.

He's so modest, Hall said. He just busts things off like it's not a big deal. He's been brought up the right way. He really appreciates people serving each other. He's a service type of kid. It doesn't go unnoticed on him that people are doing stuff that he can be successful. Some kids never get that, but he understands the team component of a ballgame and how it works together.

That being said, and those guys do a great job in front of him, you don't have 41 tackles for a loss without being really, really, really, really good. You just can't plug-and-play and put somebody in there and have 41 tackles for a loss. That doesn't happen.

Bauer has several schools, including Division I programs, who have offered him scholarships. He's weighing his options until February's signing date, but is sure of one thing.

My biggest thing is I want to play at a football school, Bauer said. There are some schools that are basketball schools, but I want to play where everyone loves football.

So what makes Bauer so good?

It's not just one thing, but a combination that leads to his success.

While he'd like to be stronger, Bauer is a bear. Often one arm is enough to bring down a ballcarrier. And when he hits somebody they rarely fall forward.

The thing about Payne is that he doesn't give himself credit for the type of athlete he is and the strength he possesses, Hall said. He is just naturally physical strong. He does wear his passion on his sleeve, but he applies his passion into his development to be really great. His work in the weight room is really off the charts. He doesn't take days off in the weight room.

Every lift we do in the weight room is football oriented, Bauer said. I guess I have grip strength and I took down guys with my hand. That played a big part because I wouldn't have been able to do that last year and the year before.

Bauer is willing to work at his craft.

He spends many hours watching film and working with linebackers coach John Minteer on reading offenses. And when he makes a read, he attacks.

This season, the Warriors needed Bauer to exert a little more pressure on the quarterback and he responded with his career-high sack total and forced many hurries.

I watch a lot of film, Bauer said. I like to apply myself in that. This year, I kind of became an end rusher guy. I tried watching videos of guys coming off the edge like T.J. Watt, Von Miller, J.J. Watt. Khalil Mack is my favorite. I try to watch guys like that and do what they do.

Bauer is coachable. Minteer and defensive coordinator Jake Smith challenged Bauer throughout his career and he continued to a improve.

He likes feedback, Hall said. I think that's a common characteristic of great players is that they want feedback. You can coach him hard.

And Bauer is not one to enjoy his own press clippings and accolades. While he may have several eye-popping plays during a game, Bauer knows that is not a true measure of what he accomplished.

He points to the season-opener against James Wood as a perfect example. In that contest, he registered three sacks and had a 78-yard touchdown run.

Film doesn't lie, Bauer said. I thought I played really well against James Wood because I had two or three sacks and I had a nice long touchdown run, but I looked at the film and I played terrible. It was probably one of the worst games because I played like so lazy. It was not a good game.

He's his harshest critic, Hall said. In games, he'll be like, 'Coach I'm not playing very well.' Sometimes that could be accurate to his level, but it would be really good for other people.

And while Bauer had many great moments, it's the plays that he didn't make that haunt him.

I don't think I played as well as I should have, he said of his entire season. I can remember plays where I missed. Those plays are, 'How did they get me?' I try to see what I could have done better watching film on Saturday or Monday. I try to find what I could have done better to make the play.

And Bauer carries that desire to succeed over to the practice field. He doesn't believe in doing things halfway or at half the speed. He's a gamer on Friday because of Monday-Thursday.

Payne understood that the way he practiced transferred over to the way he played in a game, Hall said. He had to play at a speed and attack level for a certain amount of time so that would transfer over so he could sustain that type of speed for that long of a time on a Friday night.

He is wide open in practice. You would have to pull him off in practice from a physicality standpoint. He was always full speed. I don't want to discredit the work he does in practice because he's one of the better practice players we've ever had. He embraced how what he does in practice transfers to what he is in the ballgame. Kids don't always make the correlation.

Bauer puts the whole package on the field and it's his intangibles that make him special.

He is really gifted at being able to make adjustments in the game, Hall said. When you watch him play football, an educated person watches him and says, 'That cat knows what he's doing.' Based of the blocking scheme that happens, he fits right. That's because of film study, being coachable, him understanding how he fits based off a blocking scheme and how we fit as a defense.

The longer you're in the business the more you appreciate it, Hall added. You realize they don't come along all of the time. We've been fortunate to have those guys. But again all of those guys, whoever you want to talk about Brian Barlow, George Aston, Dylan Rivers are cut from the same cloth that they all were with their preparation phase toward the game of football. They poured themselves into it. Then you add that with genetics, then it's a recipe for being the player that [Payne] is.

Bauer has come a long way from choosing not to play football his freshman season at Sherando. Bauer envisioned himself as a baseball player and he is a very good one having led the Warriors with a .439 average last season.

But, Hall knew he would make a good football player and tasked quarterback and baseball standout Hunter Entsminger to bring Bauer to practice. All Bauer has done since then is lead the Warriors for three consecutive seasons in tackles, racking up 309 with 99 of those being for losses.

Bauer has garnered a pair of Class 4 Northwestern District and Region 4C Defensive Player of the Year honors and has been named the the VHSL's first team defense the past two seasons.

While Hall had no doubt that Bauer had the potential to be a stellar player, others didn't and that motivated Bauer.

I think I just wanted to prove everyone wrong, he said. I can just remember people saying, 'You're not going to be good. You're not going to be on varsity or whatever. They're just going to put you on JV.' My first day, Coach Hall put me on varsity. I just wanted to prove everyone wrong that doubted me.

Bauer and Entsminger became fast friends. Bauer said he and Entsminger, now on a baseball scholarship at James Madision University, talk each day.

This season Entsminger was often on the field with Bauer symbolically. Entsminger's No. 8 was part of Bauer's attire.

Everyone knows that Hunter is my best friend, Bauer said. When they started handing out towels our first game, they were like, 'Hey, here and tossed it to me.' I guess I can blame some of my success to Hunter because I wore a little piece of him.

And like Entsminger was a big brother to him, Bauer returned the favor this season to sophomore quarterback Dylan Rodeffer. Bauer did many things together with Rodeffer, who was pressed into service because of an injury to starter Chacai Campbell.

Hall wasn't surprised. He's seen how much teammates mean to Bauer. It's the little things like eating pizza together at CiCi's on Wednesday nights that mean so much.

He wouldn't have missed that for anything, Hall said. If it had been three hours away, he would have driven three hours to get there because it was that important to him.

Bauer hardly can believe his football career is done at Sherando.

I'm going to miss it a lot, he said. It kind of makes me sad that it's over. I've got this family here and I'm going to be able to talk to the guys still. It's not even the sport I will miss the most. It's the brotherhood and the bonding we have.

When asked about how much he would miss Bauer, Hall became emotional.

All of those guys, you spend so much time with them, said a teary Hall. The other thing is that people don't know their story. You tell a story, but they don't know the rest of the story. I think the parts that I know that other people don't know if you only knew how this kid has risen to where he's at, your level of appreciation would go off the charts. He'll be an unbelievable success story when the story comes out. Down the road you will be like, 'Are you serious?' Now you know the rest of the story.

You are always going to miss the football player. Other players come, but again they are not going to be Payne. That's the nature of the business.

Read more here:
Football Defensive Player of the Year: Sherando's Payne Bauer - The Winchester Star

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

STARKVILLE, Miss.A Mississippi State University partnership with the Fort Worth Zoo has hatched the first of more than 30 metamorphosed toadlets produced through in vitro fertilization.

A Puerto Rican crested toad named Olaf, hatched at the Fort Worth Zoo this year, is what one might call a work of art. ART, or assisted reproductive technologies, developed by scientists in the universitys Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and the Forest and Wildlife Research Center, helps amphibians like the Puerto Rican crested toad, considered a threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The technologies include hormone therapies, sperm cryopreservation and in vitro fertilization. MSU also is home to the countrys only National Amphibian Genome Bank, a repository of cryopreserved sperm from approximately 10 of the worlds most threatened and endangered amphibian species.

Carrie Vance, assistant research professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology who co-leads the project, said Olaf is an example of how ART helps increase the genetic diversity and sustainability of populations of threatened amphibians.

Olaf represents the first time we used cryopreserved sperm from a wild Puerto Rican crested toad as a new genetic line to be combined with an egg from a captive female, said Vance, who also is a MAFES scientist at MSU. Whats more is that both of Olafs parents have since died of natural causes so Olaf is truly the last of this particular genetic line.

Vance pointed out that while cryopreserving sperm from wild males, researchers have been able to use hormone therapies to assist breeding. As opposed to other methods, this technique enables researchers to collect sperm without killing the animal, which Vance believes will result in a wider adoption of the practice.

Previously to introduce genetics from wild individuals into a captive population, the animals were brought into captivity, then paired, and often would never breed anyway. If the collection of sperm from testes macerates was needed, it would require the animal be euthanized, Vance said. This new method means we can collect the sperm and release the specimen back into the wild.

Vance said ART is one facet of a larger species survival plan, which includes steps such as habitat restoration, disease control and establishing an assurance colony in captivity.

ART helps when amphibians have difficulty breeding in captivity. Typically, amphibian breeding is cued by environmental factors such as day length, rainfall and temperature, which are things that can be difficult to control in a 10-gallon aquarium. When they dont breed, the genetic lines are lost, and a zoos entire assurance colony can collapse.

Vance said it comes down to overriding the environmental cues and synchronizing the timing of the actual breeding, noting that while it takes males only hours to generate sperm, it can take weeks for females to produce eggs.

The hormone therapy overrides the environmental factors to trigger the production of reproductive hormones, which cause sperm and egg release. Sperm cryopreservation holds the sperm in perpetuity until the eggs are ready for synchronization.

Vance has partnered with Andy Kouba, professor and head of the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture in MSUs College of Forest Resources and scientist in the Forest and Wildlife Research Center, for more than 20 years developing innovative reproductive technologies for threatened and endangered species.

The researchers also have applied ART to the Mississippi gopher frog, considered one of the most endangered in the U.S. Their pioneering work resulted in thousands of Mississippi gopher frogs being produced by zoos around the country and reintroduced into their native habitat.

Many of the techniques we use on species like the Puerto Rican crested toad were developed using the Mississippi gopher frog, Kouba said. The Mississippi gopher frog was the first endangered species ever produced from frozen sperm. The offspring are still alive and have subsequently produced a second generation of offspring, considered another first of its kind.

Kouba said seeing the applied conservation in action and being able to reintroduce animals back into the wild is what excites him most about the work.

Globally, it is estimated that 30-40 percent of amphibians are threatened with extinction. In the U.S. that number is closer to 50 percent, Kouba said. Our assisted reproductive technologies have led to millions of tadpoles from threatened and endangered species being released into the wild across many species.

Kouba added that amphibians serve as indicator species for the health of their surrounding ecosystems.

They are the canary in the coal mine, Kouba said. Anything happening in the environment soaks through their permeable skin. Also, they have two life stages, an early aquatic stage and a terrestrial stage, which lets scientists know what is happening in two different environments. As an indicator species, it is important to understand why amphibian populations are disappearing and to try and help the populations recover.

In addition to the Puerto Rican crested toad and the Mississippi gopher frog, other species the team focuses on include the Boreal toad, Houston toad, Chiricahua leopard frog and various species of salamanders. Graduate students on the project include doctoral student Allison Julien of Scotts Valley, California; masters student Isabella Burger of Prattville, Alabama; and Kristen Counsell, a spring 2018 masters graduate of Cedar Falls, Iowa. Masters student Amanda Gillis of Fallston, Maryland, and research associate Emmet Guy of Oxford contribute to the labs salamander research.

Support for the Olaf project includes funding from Disneys Conservation Endowment Fund and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Longtime funding partner, the Institute of Museums and Library Services, supported the early development of this work and currently sponsors the labs salamander research. Morris Animal Foundation also has provided previous financial support.

For more on the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, visit http://www.mafes.msstate.edu. For more on the Forest and Wildlife Research Center, visit http://www.fwrc.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippis leading university, available online at http://www.msstate.edu.

Read the rest here:
One-of-a-kind toad born through MSU pioneering technology that's saving threatened species - Winston County Journal

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

ENGLAND TOUR OF SOUTH AFRICA, 2019-20

Dean Elgar was dismissed off the first ball of the Boxing Day Test. Getty

Too much about the state of South Africa's batting was captured by a photographer staying in the frame for longer than Dean Elgar at Centurion on Thursday (December 26). With the bowler, the fielders, the batters and the umpires all locked, loaded and leaning in for the first ball of the men's Test series against England, Christiaan Kotze - a shutterbug of 30 years' professional standing - was scuttling out of view with seemly haste. He never made it. At least, not on foot.

Kotze stepped onto an upturned cover still slippery with the morning's dew, and something in his right knee gave way. So there he lay bang in the middle of the sightscreen: a snapper stricken, a picture of pain, hopelessly over-exposed and desperately trying to crawl out of the scene. He didn't get far. First Chris Gaffaney and Paul Reiffel sidled his way officiously. Then several England players moseyed over, like cats gingerly stalking a dustbin. Eventually medics arrived bearing a stretcher, and - to sympathetic applause - carried poor Kotze to his exit, stage left.

Then, four minutes later than advertised, "Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy Anderson", as per the Barmy Army, nudged his bespoke Rolls Royce engine into gear at this level for the first time in almost six months and set off towards the crafty, crusty, cussed Elgar, the bearer of South Africa's standard through so many scrapes and scraps - who dabbed his front foot inside the line of a leg-side loosener unworthy of Anderson, looked to smear it to midwicket, and instead gave Jos Buttler the kind of catch he has been taking, even in his sleep, since he was 10 years old.

Elgar's stay of one minute, one ball made him the eighth man overall and the second South African - after Jimmy Cook, who edged Kapil Dev to Sachin Tendulkar at second slip at Kingsmead in November 1992 - to be dismissed with the first delivery of a rubber. It also added a layer of lustre to Anderson's return from a calf injury to become the ninth player and the first specialist fast bowler to earn 150 Test caps.

Few players are as unconcerned with hiding their feelings as Elgar, who had taken only a few paces from the wicket before he stopped and fumed with frustration for significantly longer than he had batted. Perhaps, as a member in excellent standing of the glass-half-empty club, he was convinced of what would would happen in the ensuing hours. He had, of course, seen it all before.

Aiden Markram, Zubayr Hamza, Faf du Plessis and debutant Dwaine Pretorius all got themselves in only to get out to an England attack that recognised the ally that is a South African Highveld pitch, and bowled accordingly. Vernon Philander adhered to the first half of that equation and might yet not fall victim to the second bit, what with only one wicket standing.

Another debutant, Rassie van der Dussen, stopped at the boundary to perform an aggressive range of warm-up stretches and twirled his bat like a baton as the shiny blare of a brass band accompanied him to the wicket. After 189 first-class innings he was finally on parade. The first 33 balls he faced - for six runs - suggested he had submitted himself utterly to the philosophy of Jacques Kallis, South Africa's new batting consultant. The 34th, bowled by Sam Curran, a 1930s matinee idol of a left-armer complete with a helmet of flying hair the colour of incandescence itself, streaked across Van der Dussen, took the outside edge and flew into Joe Root's hands at first slip.

Where had we seen that before? Seven wickets fell to catches in the arc that followed tentative strokes - testament to the doubt England's bowlers caused, by using the seam effectively, in players whose minds were pre-strewn with misgivings in the wake of five consecutive Test defeats wrapped around a dismal World Cup.

Quinton de Kock was among the edgily departed, but that was all he shared with them. A widely held misconception is that de Kock is not, to put it politely, cricket's greatest thinker. Closer to the truth is that actions speak louder than either words or thoughts, and that they matter exponentially more. De Kock is a man of action. It's not that he doesn't think. It's that he has little need to think because he was born knowing what needs to be done and how to do it. His analysis of Elgar's dismissal was as pithy as it was brief: "It's not the greatest way of getting out."

There is something Kallisesque in De Kock's imperviousness to pressure, in his refusal to have his reaction to threatening deliveries and near misses dictated by his opponents, the conditions or the match situation. His reality is not what the rest of us might recognise as reality. That is what makes him play as if his team were 397/4 when he took guard and not, as they were, 97/4.

De Kock might several times have taken himself out of England's way before he reached 50, and his sixth century was there for the plucking when he steered Curran to Buttler. As he trooped off, he slung his bat across his shoulders and hung a hand from either end, which made him look like an ox under a yoke. He had tamed himself, and he knew it. But at least the theatre of competition was, from South Africa's perspective, a significantly better place when he left than when he arrived.

Overall, there wasn't a lot of Kallis' icy intent on view and even less of head coach Mark Boucher's bulldog spirit. It would be unfair to judge their impact on the evidence of their first day at the office. As De Kock said after stumps, "It's only day one with them." But judged they will be nonetheless. Too much of how South Africa have batted in recent innings was in evidence, and in this scenario continuity is not at all a good thing. So far, not so different, and thus not so good.

But, as Christiaan Kotze could have told them, what fells you today might fuel your tomorrow. Not many years ago he was shot in the side in the line of duty while covering a protest. He was unable to get up and get on with it on Thursday, but he knows what it takes to come back strong. He's taking Friday off, but look out for him around the boundary on Saturday. If his compatriots need an inspiration, he'll be there.

Cricbuzz

See the original post:
No sign of the Boucher, Kallis genetic code in SA's batting as yet - Cricbuzz - Cricbuzz

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

life-style,

Body odour is caused by bacteria breaking down sweat and is largely linked to the apocrine glands, said Melbourne dermatologist Dr Hope Dinh. Men have more of these glands in the armpit which make them more prone to body odour. The surge in hormones during the teenage years can affect odour output in both males and females. Some population groups even naturally produce less odour. "East Asians who have nearly complete loss of typical body odour, when compared to people of African and European descent, have significantly less of the characteristic axillary odorants and variants in the ABCC11 gene, which is expressed and localised in apocrine sweat glands," said Dr Dinh. Individuals with certain medical conditions are more susceptible to having body odour. These can include diabetes, urinary tract infections, an overactive thyroid, kidney and liver dysfunction and a genetic disorder called trimethylaminuria. Certain medications can also cause sweating in some people; including antidepressants, triptans for migraines, NSAIDs (non -steroidal anti-inflammatory medications) and opioids. Lifestyle factors in what we eat and how we live can also contribute. Dr Dinh identified common reasons for body odour which include: "With the boom in activewear as a fashion statement, it can mean more body odour due to the trapped heat and synthetic fabrics. Hence try not to sit too long in your yoga pants after a session; hit the showers quickly after exercise and have a spare change of clothes," said Dr Dinh. "I recommend changing footwear or socks regularly throughout the day if they are damp. Just this simple measure can reduce the malodour significantly." How should we be washing ourselves? Dr Dinh's tips: 1 Keep the armpits clean: Wash them regularly using anti-bacterial soap, and the number of bacteria will be kept low, resulting in less body odour. 2 Deodorant or antiperspirant: Deodorants make the skin more acidic, making it more difficult for bacteria to thrive. An antiperspirant block the sweating action of the glands, resulting in less sweating. 3 Drying thoroughly between skin folds after washing is very important, otherwise any trapped moisture can lead to bacteria or thrush thriving and hence lead to body odour. 4 People can apply corn starch or talc powder to the worst areas of sweating after bathing. Despite the tips offered for effective bathing, Dr Dinh said it can be a common misconception that body odour is a result of poor hygiene. If people are concerned they should consult their GP to rule out any kind of medical cause for their issues such as diabetes or thyroid problems. The GP can refer the patient to a dermatologist for further treatment if needed. Treatment can start with topical treatment such as prescription-strength anti-perspirant, or a deodorant. More treatments for more advanced cases include medication, surgery on the apocrine gland or nerves that feed the sweat glands, and the use of medical devices on feet, hands and underarms. "Miradry utilizes thermal energy that targets and eliminates the sweat and odour glands in your underarm. Once those glands are eliminated, they do not grow back." "Hyperhidrosis Botulinum toxin (anti-sweat) treatments are easily performed in clinic by a dermatologist. Botulinum toxin injections are approved for hyperhidrosis affecting the armpits. It is a safe and effective treatment all done in clinic," said Dr Dinh. Anti-sweating injections for excessive sweating conditions are highly effective, long lasting and receive a partial rebate from Medicare.

https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/K5E4qWjbHGabfQuRuq4ELE/6422c706-5bb7-4ee9-ad03-f50eefb1d493.jpg/r3_287_5614_3457_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

December 26 2019 - 9:18AM

Body odour is caused by bacteria breaking down sweat and is largely linked to the apocrine glands, said Melbourne dermatologist Dr Hope Dinh. Men have more of these glands in the armpit which make them more prone to body odour. The surge in hormones during the teenage years can affect odour output in both males and females. Some population groups even naturally produce less odour.

"East Asians who have nearly complete loss of typical body odour, when compared to people of African and European descent, have significantly less of the characteristic axillary odorants and variants in the ABCC11 gene, which is expressed and localised in apocrine sweat glands," said Dr Dinh.

Individuals with certain medical conditions are more susceptible to having body odour. These can include diabetes, urinary tract infections, an overactive thyroid, kidney and liver dysfunction and a genetic disorder called trimethylaminuria. Certain medications can also cause sweating in some people; including antidepressants, triptans for migraines, NSAIDs (non -steroidal anti-inflammatory medications) and opioids.

Lifestyle factors in what we eat and how we live can also contribute.

Dr Dinh identified common reasons for body odour which include:

"With the boom in activewear as a fashion statement, it can mean more body odour due to the trapped heat and synthetic fabrics. Hence try not to sit too long in your yoga pants after a session; hit the showers quickly after exercise and have a spare change of clothes," said Dr Dinh.

"I recommend changing footwear or socks regularly throughout the day if they are damp. Just this simple measure can reduce the malodour significantly."

How should we be washing ourselves? Dr Dinh's tips:

1 Keep the armpits clean: Wash them regularly using anti-bacterial soap, and the number of bacteria will be kept low, resulting in less body odour.

2 Deodorant or antiperspirant: Deodorants make the skin more acidic, making it more difficult for bacteria to thrive. An antiperspirant block the sweating action of the glands, resulting in less sweating.

3 Drying thoroughly between skin folds after washing is very important, otherwise any trapped moisture can lead to bacteria or thrush thriving and hence lead to body odour.

4 People can apply corn starch or talc powder to the worst areas of sweating after bathing.

Despite the tips offered for effective bathing, Dr Dinh said it can be a common misconception that body odour is a result of poor hygiene. If people are concerned they should consult their GP to rule out any kind of medical cause for their issues such as diabetes or thyroid problems. The GP can refer the patient to a dermatologist for further treatment if needed.

Treatment can start with topical treatment such as prescription-strength anti-perspirant, or a deodorant. More treatments for more advanced cases include medication, surgery on the apocrine gland or nerves that feed the sweat glands, and the use of medical devices on feet, hands and underarms.

OFFENSIVE: Body odour can be off-putting for co-workers.

"Miradry utilizes thermal energy that targets and eliminates the sweat and odour glands in your underarm. Once those glands are eliminated, they do not grow back."

"Hyperhidrosis Botulinum toxin (anti-sweat) treatments are easily performed in clinic by a dermatologist. Botulinum toxin injections are approved for hyperhidrosis affecting the armpits. It is a safe and effective treatment all done in clinic," said Dr Dinh.

Anti-sweating injections for excessive sweating conditions are highly effective, long lasting and receive a partial rebate from Medicare.

Read the rest here:
What causes body odour and why do some have it worse? - The Canberra Times

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

A new Defense Department memo warns that direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing "could expose personal and genetic information, and potentially create unintended security consequences and increase risk to the joint force and mission." The memo adds that "there is increased concern in the scientific community that outside parties are exploiting the use of genetic data for questionable purposes, including mass surveillance and the ability to track individuals without their authorization or awareness. Until notified otherwise, [Department of Defense] military personnel are advised to refrain from the purchase and/or use of DTC genetic services."

Way too late.

Some 26 million Americans have already used DTC genetic testing services to gain insights into their health risks and ancestry. By one estimate, it was possible in 2018 to use these DTC databases to personally identify 140 million Americans of European descent using genetic information uploaded by themselves and their relatives. It is projected that as many as 100 million Americans will have used such genetic testing services in the next two years. At that point, almost any American could be identified by matching their DNA to that of their relatives in online databases. In other words, we users of genetic testing services have been voluntarily creating "a de facto national DNA database." To use the hoary, but apt cliche: The Pentagon is closing the barn door well after the horses have stampeded out.

Given how pervasive and much more easily deployed facial recognition technology is, I can hardly wait to read the DoD memo warning troops not to post their photos on Facebook.

While it is not possible to rein in genetic and facial recognition surveillance technologies in dictatorships like China and Russia, Americans should urgently seek to do so through legislation in Congress.

Disclosure: Any would-be criminal relatives are on notice that my DNA test results are publicly available.

See the rest here:
Pentagon Memo Warns Against Identification Risks of Consumer Genetic Testing - Reason

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith