Dementia costs top those for heart disease or cancer, study finds

Apr. 3, 2013 ? The monetary cost of dementia in the United States ranges from $157 billion to $215 billion annually, making the disease more costly to the nation than either heart disease or cancer, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

The greatest economic cost of dementia is associated with providing institutional and home-based long-term care rather than medical services, according to the findings published in the April 4 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. The study, funded by the National Institute on Aging, is the most-detailed examination done in recent decades on the costs of dementia.

The prevalence of dementia increases strongly with age and the analysis suggests that the costs of dementia could more than double by 2040 if the age-specific prevalence rate of the disease remains constant as the nation's population continues to grow older.

"The economic burden of caring for people in the United States with dementia is large and growing larger," said Michael Hurd, the study's lead author and a senior economist at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. "Our findings underscore the urgency of recent federal efforts to develop a coordinated plan to address the growing impact of dementia on American society."

The new cost estimates are lower than ones reported previously by the Alzheimer's Association. Researchers say the new study provides a clearer picture of the economic burden caused by the disease because it eliminates costs related to other illnesses suffered by dementia patients, accounts for variations in the severity of dementia and uses a better estimate of the incidence of the illness.

Dementia is a chronic disease of aging characterized by progressive cognitive decline that interferes with independent functioning. The illness includes Alzheimer's disease and other disorders.

In 2011, President Obama signed the National Alzheimer's Project Act, which calls for increased efforts to find new treatments and to provide improved care for those with dementia. The law also requires that the financial costs of dementia be tracked.

The new study is based on findings from the Health and Retirement Study, an ongoing survey of individuals in the United States age 51 and older that began in 1992, and is supported by the National Institute on Aging and the Social Security Administration. A subset of that study group received a detailed in-home clinical assessment for dementia as part of the Aging, Demographics and Memory Study, a nationally representative examination of dementia in the United States.

The survey included an assessment of whether people could perform daily activities such as dressing themselves and preparing their own meals. Participants also were asked about their out-of-pocket health care expenses for services such as nursing home stays, home health care and other medical services. Other questions asked whether they received help from others for their daily living activities. Medicare spending information was linked to medical claims for most participants.

The study estimates that 14.7 percent of Americans aged 71 or older suffered from dementia in 2010, a number somewhat lower than what has been found in other, smaller studies.

The total economic cost of dementia in 2010 was estimated to be $109 billion for care purchased, and $159 billion to $215 billion when the monetary value of informal care is included. The range of estimates reflects two different methods researchers used to place a value on unpaid care. The per-person cost of dementia was $56,290 or $41,689. Medicare paid about $11 billion of dementia-related costs.

Researchers say the main component of the dementia costs is for institutional and home-based long-term care rather than medical services. The cost of nursing home care, and formal and informal home care comprise 75 percent to 84 percent of dementia costs.

"People with dementia do not get much more additional health care services than other people," Hurd said. "The real drivers of the cost are for non-medical care."

The cost of dementia care purchases ($109 billion) was similar to the estimated of the direct health care costs for heart disease ($102 billion) and significantly higher than the direct health costs for cancer ($77 billion). However, the costs for cancer and health disease do not include the cost of informal care, which is likely to be larger for dementia.

"There are no signs that the costs of dementia will decrease given that the nation will have a larger number of 85-year-olds in the future than we do today," Hurd said. "Unless there is some sort of medical breakthrough, these costs will continue to rise."

Other authors of the study are Francisco Martorell, Adeline Delavande and Kathleen J. Mullen of RAND and Kenneth M. Langa of the University of Michigan.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by RAND Corporation.

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Journal Reference:

1. M.D. Hurd, P. Martorell, A. Delavande, K.J. Mullen, and K.M. Langa. Monetary Costs of Dementia in the United States. New England Journal of Medicine, 2013; DOI: 10.1056/NEJMsa1204629

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/uy4JYNktxc4/130403200202.htm

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Kate Gosselin, Bullyville Under Scrutiny For Exposing Haters' Identities Online

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Reuters: Google to Launch Second-Gen Nexus 7 in July

Reuters is suggesting that Google will launch a new version of its Nexus 7 tablet in July—which will bring with it a decent spec bump, if the rumors are to be believed. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/HVG1gUmbfCo/reuters-google-to-launch-second+gen-nexus-7-in-july

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How a Second Korean War Would Harm the U.S. Economy

Every nation that takes on the U.S. military loses. So the armchair generals gaming out a war on the Korean peninsula typically assume that if fighting erupted, North Korea could bloody the South but would quickly be crushed as American forces and their South Korean allies retaliated with overwhelming force.

[PHOTOS: North Korea Conducts Third Nuclear Test]

Real generals know, of course, that wars are messy, unpredictable, and never the cakewalk that desk jockeys tend to predict. In fact, if the recent saber-rattling between North and South Korea escalated into outright war, it could be far bloodier, and exact more damage on the global economy, than most people imagine.

Back in 1953, when the armistice halting the war went into effect, Korea was considered a geographically strategic landmass, but its role in the global economy was insignificant. That has changed. South Korea is now a prosperous democracy with the world's 15th largest economy. It's the home of prominent global corporations such as Samsung, Hyundai and LG. As the sixth largest trading partner of the United States, South Korea plays a key role in the global supply chain for many important products.

North Korea remains a backward, feudal dictatorship, yet it has the ability to lob chemical, biological and nuclear weapons into South Korea or Japan, and enough conventional firepower to roil all of Asia. And military experts doubt U.S. and South Korean forces could silence the North Korea's guns quickly.

"It could easily take months," says Bruce Bennett of the Rand Corporation, which conducts detailed research for the Pentagon. "Even people in the U.S. military don't like to think about the damage that a war could do, including the economy."

There's little doubt U.S. and South Korean forces would ultimately prevail in a war. But for days or weeks, North Korea could bombard Seoul, South Korea's capital, with artillery and missiles. Bennett estimates that could damage or destroy 10 to 15 percent of South Korea's GDP, while also terrorizing citizens and causing panicky refugee flows.

[READ: North Korean War Rhetoric Reaches Breaking Point]

The use of nukes or other weapons of mass destruction is much harder to quantify, but it would obviously be disastrous. The use of chemical or biological weapons would produce a health emergency that could spread beyond the Korean peninsula if, for instance, Americans unknowingly infected with smallpox fled Korea and returned home. If North Korea, which has perhaps 5 to 10 rudimentary nukes, fired one or more of them, disbelief would promptly yield to mayhem.

"The impact on markets and global confidence would be shattering," says Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at forecasting firm IHS Global Insight.

It's facile to assume America would respond to a North Korean nuclear attack by incinerating Pyongyang.

"No U.S. president would kill 10 million innocents in North Korea," Bennett asserts. Besides, North Korea could have its nukes hidden in mountain caves or subterranean bunkers. And experience in Iraq and elsewhere has made clear that enemy leaders can easily hide from the Pentagon's mind-bending surveillance gear, at least for a while. So it's possible that a kind of nuclear cat-and-mouse game could ensue as allied forces gradually overwhelmed the large but brittle North Korean military and destroyed its launch capability.

Once the fighting was over, both South Korea and China would face a massive flow of North Korean refugees. If the two Koreas united, it would be enormously costly for the south, and probably more chaotic than the reunification of East and West Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall, because of the primitive conditions in the north.

If there's any good news--for westerners, that is--it's that the worst fallout from a war would probably remain contained to the Korean peninsula. The one exception might be a nuclear attack on Japan, a long-standing North Korean foe. For all its bluster, North Korea doesn't yet have the capability to strike the United States.

[ALSO: Avoiding 'Korean War II']

So in the worst-case scenario, the economic damage would ripple outward from Korea and perhaps Japan. While the shock and uncertainty caused by a war would clearly rattle the global economy, the region doesn't control the supply of a vital commodity such as oil, and a war wouldn't threaten vital shipping lanes such as the Strait of Malacca that links the Indian and Pacific oceans, or the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.

"I don't think it would trigger a recession at the global level, as it would if oil hit $200 a barrel," Behravesh says.

Some South Korean industries and companies could end up devastated. Many U.S. firms would have to find other suppliers, similar to what happened after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami struck Japan in 2011. But the economy would gradually adjust to those disruptions.

South Korea itself would probably reap huge amounts of rebuilding aid. Plus, South Korea has already shown itself to be a feisty and ambitious economic power, and unification with North Korea might eventually give it standing to challenge China's economic might. That, however, is many turns in the future, beyond a nightmarish sequence of events that most reasonable people hope never to witness.

Rick Newman's latest book is Rebounders: How Winners Pivot From Setback To Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/second-korean-war-harm-u-economy-172410028.html

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Pricking Your Way to Health: The Benefits of Acupuncture | Mexico ...

More and more people are now open to the Eastern medicine and therapy, including the use of Asian styles of massage. Several types of massage originated from the east such as the shiatsu, reflexology, and the Thai massage. Aside from herbal medications originating from different parts of Asia, another exotic treatment that has achieved worldwide recognition is called acupuncture. It is one of the most common medical procedures practiced in China, Japan, Korea and other parts of the world.

Acupuncture involves the activation or stimulation of certain anatomical points in the body by use of various techniques. Medical traditions coming from Korea, China, Japan, and other Asian countries are the basis for the American practice of acupuncture. This specific health procedure includes the penetration of thin, solid metal needles that are handled manually or by the use of electrical stimulation. These needles are not that painful when inserted through the skin, but it has a different feeling with minimal pain involved. There are different experiences when this kind of medication is exercised. After being treated, some people feel energized, while others feel much more relaxed. It is important to have this medical procedure done by a professional acupuncture practitioner, since an improper placement of the needle, unnecessary movement of the patient, or a needle defect can cause pain and soreness during the course of the treatment.

Acupuncture can be used as an alternative treatment for health conditions such as postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting and for postoperative dental pain. This procedure is also useful in the healing of other health concerns like headaches, menstrual cramps, addiction, stroke rehabilitation, lower back pain, tennis elbow, myofascial pain, fatigue, osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, asthma, and fibromyalgia.

This type of alternative treatment can ease the pain of the mentioned ailments above, as well as fibromyalgia. Since this illness may not be known by most people, fibromyalgia refers to a widespread of pain in muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This ailment is also characterized by fatigue and numerous tender points, or certain areas in a person?s body where a slight pressure can cause pain.

Acupuncture is also used to treat several conditions just like fibromyalgia, and this can also be a form of relaxation, as stated earlier. Considering fatigue is caused by excessive exhaustion, weariness, tiredness or lethargy, the practice of this healing treatment can make the body feel relaxed and at the same time cures ailments by using these thin metal needles.

The practice of acupuncture cannot be explained fully by western health research. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, acupuncture treatment is used to achieve balance between two inseparable forces, the yin and the yang, which exist in the human body. Chinese practitioners use certain points along the so-called body meridians as targets for inserting the needles. These points correspond to a specific internal organ. The stimulation of the point brings healing to the ailing internal organ and allows the flow of internal energy or ?chi? to go unhindered, resulting in perfect balance and health inside the human body. While this healing method has been used for thousands of years, it is still a subject of intense debate especially in the Western medical community.

Source: http://www.nmfbihop.com/pricking-your-way-to-health-the-benefits-of-acupuncture

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Arkansas House votes to override veto of voter ID bill

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (Reuters) - The Republican-controlled Arkansas House of Representatives voted on Monday to override a veto by the state's Democratic governor of a bill that would require voters to show photo identification.

Representatives voted 52-45 to override Governor Mike Beebe's veto, joining the state Senate, which had voted on March 27 to override the veto.

In Arkansas, lawmakers can override a veto by a simple majority in each chamber. This year, state lawmakers have overridden vetoes of two bills that restrict abortion.

Arkansas will join nearly three dozen U.S. states that have voter ID measures, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Legal challenges to voter ID laws are pending in several U.S. states.

Supporters of the proposal say it would prevent voter fraud. State representatives had voted 51-44 to approve the voter identification measure that was sent to Beebe.

In his veto letter on March 25, Beebe had said he "believes that the bill will unnecessarily cost taxpayers money, grow bureaucracy and risk disenfranchisement of voters."

The state Bureau of Legislative Research has said the law potentially could cost $300,000 for hardware, supplies, installation and training.

The law requires county clerks to make photo ID cards at no cost for registered voters who do not have other valid forms of identification. Voters who lack identification may cast provisional ballots, which would be counted if they return with photo identification.

Arkansas law has permitted poll workers to ask voters for identifying documents, but voters have not been required to show them.

The bill takes effect next January 1, but only if the legislature has appropriated money to issue voter ID cards.

(Reporting by Suzi Parker; Writing by David Bailey; Editing by Cynthia Johnston)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/arkansas-house-votes-override-veto-voter-id-bill-194305239.html

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Central African Republic opposition says to boycott new government

By Ange Aboa

BANGUI (Reuters) - Central African Republic's opposition said on Monday it would not participate in a caretaker government nominated by the country's self-proclaimed president, claiming it has been stacked with rebel sympathizers.

The move will complicate a planned transition back to civilian rule in the resource-rich former French colony after fighters from the Seleka rebel coalition stormed the capital on March 24 and ousted President Francois Bozize.

"We are suspending our participation in this new government because we can not accept the fact that 16 posts have been handed over to Seleka allies disguised as civil society activists," said Edouard Koyambounou, a spokesman for the country's nine main opposition parties.

Central African Republic's new leader, Michel Djotodia, named a cabinet of ministers on Sunday night that included eight opposition slots, 16 for civil society members, and most of the remaining 10 chosen from among Seleka's ranks.

Djotodia claimed the role of Defense Minister.

Koyambounou said the opposition's decision to suspend its participation in the government did not affect Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye, who was nominated to his role under a January peace deal between Bozize and Seleka.

That deal ultimately unraveled when rebels accused Bozize of failing to uphold his end, triggering the overthrow.

Regional and Western leaders have condemned the rebel takeover, in which at least 13 South African soldiers bolstering Bozize's ranks were killed. The coup triggered days of looting in the dilapidated riverside capital Bangui.

Neighboring Cameroon's government on Monday said 3,000 Central African refugees had streamed across its borders since last week, and added it had bolstered its troop presence along thickly forested frontier.

Chad will host a regional summit on the situation in Central African Republic on April 3. South African President Jacob Zuma is expected to attend. Koyambounou said the opposition was not planning to attend the N'Djamena summit.

Central Africa's regional central bank said it would reopen its branch in Bangui on Tuesday, and urged commercial lenders to do the same, offering a financial lifeline to cash-starved businesses a week after a coup.

(Writing by Richard Valdmanis; Editing by Rosalind Russell)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/central-african-republic-opposition-says-boycott-government-201840986.html

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Jerry "The King" Lawler opens a wrestling museum in Memphis, Tenn.

Jerry Lawler's career is already celebrated for the WWE Hall of Famer's myriad accolades and accomplishments, but now "The King" can add another jewel to his crown: He's opened his own museum.

Originally intended as a small display of the WWE Hall of Famer's personal memorabilia in Memphis, Tenn.'s Wynn Automobile, Lawler's endeavor expanded into a full-fledged archive located inside the shop. The museum (which opened this past Saturday with an autograph signing from "The King" himself) houses both personal treasures like Lawler's AWA World Heavyweight Championship and other exhibits devoted to the broader history of professional wrestling. Admission is free to any sports-entertainment fans who make the pilgrimage and the museum offers some memorabilia of its own, such as signed photos of Lawler, for anyone who wishes to purchase a memento.

For any members of the WWE Universe looking to take the trip down to the museum, it is located at 1831 Getwell Road in Memphis, Tenn., and operates from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

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Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/outside-the-ring/jerry-lawler-opens-wrestling-museum

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SwiftKey gets in on the April Fools' action with SwiftKey Tilt

"Whole-body typing experience"

Not to be left out of the April 1 fun, popular keyboard app SwiftKey has today announced "SwiftKey Tilt," a new keyboard designed to offer a "whole-body typing experience." How's it work? Well, instead of typing with your thumb, simply guide a little pinball across the screen to spell out words. (And in doing so, look just as cool as the people above.)

Video's after the break. SwiftKey says the new tilt keyboard will be available today for those "inquisitive enough to find it," so be on the lookout for that, we guess.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/XDaEmKJzGwQ/story01.htm

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Nev. crash kills 5 in Calif. family; teen arrested

Five members of a Southern California family were killed Saturday when their van was rear-ended by an 18-year-old driver who was later arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, authorities said.

The dead were among seven family members who were in the van, authorities said. The other two ? the 40-year-old female driver and a 15-year-old boy ? were hospitalized in critical condition.

Jean Soriano of California was booked into the Clark County Detention Center after he was treated and released at University Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Loy Hixson said.

The crash happened at about 3 a.m. on Interstate 15 near the Utah line. Soriano's sport utility vehicle struck the van from behind, causing both vehicles to spin out of control and roll near Mesquite, some 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas, investigators said.

A 23-year-old passenger in Soriano's SUV was treated at the hospital and released.

Authorities believe Soriano was returning from a visit with family in Utah to his home in California at the time of the wreck, Hixson said. They didn't immediately release his hometown or the names or hometowns of the victims.

Beer bottles were found in the SUV, Hixson said, and troopers performed a blood-alcohol test on Soriano at the hospital. The results won't be known for a couple of weeks, he said.

Hixson said only two of the seven people in the van were wearing seatbelts. The five who were not buckled in were ejected, but one survived.

"Unfortunately, so many in the van weren't wearing seatbelts, and some might have survived had they been wearing them," Hixson said. "We see it so many times where people can survive simply by having a seatbelt on."

The van was carrying a couple, their children and some aunts and uncles, he said. Killed were three men in their 40s, a teenage female and an adult female.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nev-crash-kills-5-calif-family-teen-arrested-022253861.html

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Former Atlanta schools chief, others indicted in cheating scandal

By David Beasley

ATLANTA (Reuters) - A grand jury indicted 35 former Atlanta public school educators, including an award-winning former superintendent, on Friday for allegedly conspiring to cheat on standardized test scores to obtain cash bonuses.

Former Superintendent Beverly Hall was named National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators in 2009, the same year prosecutors contend widespread cheating took place.

Hall received a $78,000 bonus that year for improving the school system's test scores, prosecutors said.

"The money she received, we are alleging, was ill gotten and it was theft," Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said at a news conference.

Besides Hall, those indicted included administrators, principals and teachers. The 65-count indictment said "test answer sheets were altered, fabricated and falsely certified."

Hall was charged with racketeering, making false statements, theft by taking and false swearing. She and others could face up to 45 years in prison if convicted, Howard said.

A state investigation of test results in 2009 found cheating in 44 of the 56 Atlanta public schools examined. The cheating was prompted primarily by pressure to meet targets in a data-driven environment, according to a investigation conducted by Georgia Governor Nathan Deal's office.

The 2009 cheating was said to include teachers erasing incorrect answers on state standardized tests.

The 2011 state report concluded that there was a "major failure of leadership throughout Atlanta Public Schools with regard to the ethical administration" of the 2009 standardized exams known as the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests.

Amid the investigation, Hall stepped down after nearly 12 years as superintendent of the Atlanta Public Schools. Her successor, Erroll Davis, said on Friday the school system now has extensive training and other safeguards to prevent cheating.

He said 95 percent of the school system's staff was not implicated in the scandal.

Justina Collins, the mother of an Atlanta public school student, told the news conference her daughter had trouble reading yet scored well on the standardized tests.

Collins said when she asked the superintendent about the discrepancy, Hall told her, "Your daughter is simply the kind of person who tests well."

Collins' daughter is now in the ninth grade but reads on a fifth-grade level, Howard told reporters, adding that the real victims of the cheating scandal were the children.

"Her example points out the plight of many children" in the scandal, said the prosecutor.

Richard Deane, Hall's attorney, could not be reached for comment.

(Editing by Ian Simpson and Todd Eastham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/former-atlanta-schools-chief-others-indicted-cheating-scandal-010308965.html

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Homes evacuated after Ark. oil pipeline ruptures

MAYFLOWER, Ark. (AP) ? Authorities are working to clean up an oil spill in central Arkansas after a pipeline ruptured.

Mayflower Police Chief Robert Satkowski says an ExxonMobil pipeline sprung a leak Friday afternoon in his small city about 20 miles northwest of Little Rock.

Satkowski says the pipeline has since been shut off. The spill forced authorities to evacuate dozens of homes. Oil spilled onto the road and lawns, but it's unclear exactly how much.

Arkansas Department of Emergency Management spokesman Brandon Morris initially said oil had reached nearby Lake Conway, but he later said that was incorrect.

ExxonMobil says it's investigating and working with local authorities in clean-up efforts. The company says the breach was in a pipeline that originates in Illinois and carries crude oil to the Texas Gulf Coast.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/homes-evacuated-ark-oil-pipeline-ruptures-223738724.html

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Another Study Finds No Vaccine-Autism Link - Health News and ...

By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) ? Although some parents worry about the sheer number of vaccines babies typically receive, a new U.S. government study finds no evidence that more vaccinations increase the risk of autism.

Looking at about 1,000 U.S. children with or without autism, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found no connection between early childhood vaccinations and autism risk.

Children with autism and those without had the same total exposure to vaccine antigens ? the substances in vaccines that trigger the immune system to develop infection-fighting antibodies.

?This should give more reassurance to parents,? said lead researcher Dr. Frank DeStefano, director of the CDC?s Immunization Safety Office.

The findings, which appear online March 29 in the Journal of Pediatrics, cast further doubt on a link between vaccines and autism spectrum disorders ? a group of developmental brain disorders that impair a child?s ability to communicate and socialize.

The first worries came from a small British study in 1998 that proposed a connection between the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. A spate of research since has found no link, and the original study was eventually retracted by the Lancet, the journal that published it.

Then came concerns about thimerosal, a preservative once used in certain childhood vaccines (but never MMR) that contains small amounts of ethyl mercury. Again, international studies failed to show a link to autism.

More recently, worries have shifted to the notion that children are getting ?too many vaccinations, too soon.? In the United States, children can be immunized against 14 different diseases by the time they are 2.

DeStefano said his team focused on antigen exposure, rather than just the number of vaccinations, because that gives a more precise idea of the ?immune system stimulation? kids received through vaccines.

A recent survey found that about one-third of parents thought children receive too many vaccinations in their first two years of life, and that the shots could contribute to autism.

But there?s no scientific evidence of that, said Dr. Paul Offit, chief of infectious diseases at the Children?s Hospital of Philadelphia.

He said it?s understandable that parents might worry. ?You see your baby receiving all these vaccines. It looks like too much. It feels like too much,? Offit said.

But, he said, there?s no biological basis for the idea that vaccines ?overstimulate? the immune system, and that somehow leads to autism.

Every day, babies? immune systems battle many more antigens than are present in vaccines, DeStefano explained. ?Most infants can handle exposure to many antigens,? he said.

The findings are based on 256 children with an autism spectrum disorder and 752 autism-free kids who were matched to them based on age, sex and health insurance plan.

The CDC team found that kids? total antigen exposure in the first two years of life was unrelated to their risk of developing an autism disorder.

That was also true when they considered babies? antigen exposure in the first three months of life, and the first seven months. Nor was there any connection between autism risk and the amount of vaccine antigens children received on any single day.

?This provides evidence that concerns about immune system overstimulation are unfounded,? DeStefano said.

Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer for the advocacy group Autism Speaks, said the study ?adds to the existing literature showing no connection between vaccines and autism in large epidemiological studies.?

She added, though, that further research is needed ?to explore whether, in rare cases, a genetic vulnerability might increase susceptibility to vaccine-related side effects, including the triggering of autism symptoms in a genetically and medically susceptible child.?

Both Offit and DeStefano stressed that there is no reason for parents to delay vaccinating their child.

?This is one more piece of evidence to help reassure parents,? Offit said.

More information

The American Academy of Pediatrics has information on vaccine safety.

Source: http://news.health.com/2013/03/29/another-study-sees-no-vaccine-autism-link/

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Distro Issue 84: The inside story behind the Lenovo ThinkPad redesign

Back at Expand, the folks at Lenovo unveiled the ThinkPad T431s, a unit that embodies an overhaul of the outfit's iconic laptop. The latest issue of our weekly magazine goes inside the process of balancing customer preference, perception and tradition with forward-facing design in order to construct the final model. As far as reviews go, Ableton Push, Sonos Playbar and Dell Latitude 10 all get put through their respective paces to tally up some final grades on each. Moog occupies both Eyes-On and the Q&A, Hands-On speed tests T-Mobile's LTE network and IRL has three more items that we've used on the daily. All of that and much more is a download away on your go-to e-reading gadget.

Distro Issue 84 PDF
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Dentist's office a 'menace'; thousands possibly exposed to HIV

Dr. Scott Harrington, an oral surgeon in Tulsa, Okla., is being charged for unsafe and unsanitary practices, possibly exposing as many as 7,000 patients to hepatitis and HIV after one patient tested positive for both after a visit to his office. NBC's Dr. Nancy Snyderman reports.

By Justin Juozapavicius, The Associated Press

The crisp, stucco exterior of an Oklahoma dental clinic concealed what health inspectors say they found inside: rusty instruments used on patients with infectious diseases and a pattern of unsanitary practices that put thousands of people at risk for hepatitis and the virus that causes AIDS.

State and local health officials planned to mail notices Friday urging 7,000 patients of Dr. W. Scott Harrington to seek medical screenings for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. Inspectors allege workers at his two clinics used dirty equipment and risked cross-contamination to the point that the state Dentistry Board branded Harrington a "menace to the public health."

"The office looked clean," said Joyce Baylor, who had a tooth pulled at Harrington's Tulsa office 1? years ago. In an interview, Baylor, 69, said she'll be tested next week to determine whether she contracted any infection.

"I'm sure he's not suffering financially that he can't afford instruments," Baylor said of Harrington.

Health officials opened their investigation after a patient with no known risk factors tested positive for both hepatitis C and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. After determining the "index patient" had a dental procedure about the likely time of exposure, investigators visited Harrington's office and found a number of unsafe practices, state epidemiologist Kristy Bailey said.

"I want to stress that this is not an outbreak. The investigation is still very much in its early stages," Bailey said.

Harrington voluntarily gave up his license, closed his offices in Tulsa and suburban Owasso, and is cooperating with investigators, said Kaitlin Snider, a spokeswoman for the Tulsa Health Department. He faces a hearing April 19, when his license could be permanently revoked.

"It's uncertain how long those practices have been in place," Snider said. "He's been practicing for 36 years."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is consulting on the case, and agency spokeswoman Abbigail Tumpey said such situations involving dental clinics are rare. Last year a Colorado oral surgeon was accused of reusing needles and syringes, prompting letters to 8,000 patients, Tumpey said. It wasn't clear whether anyone was actually infected.

"We've only had a handful of dental facilities where we've had notifications in the last decade," Tumpey said.

The Oklahoma Dentistry Board lodged a 17-count complaint against Harrington, saying he was a "menace to the public health by reasons of practicing dentistry in an unsafe or unsanitary manner." Among the claims was one detailing the use of rusty instruments in patients known to have infectious diseases.

"The CDC has determined that rusted instruments are porous and cannot be properly sterilized," the board said.

Health officials are sending letters to 7,000 known patients but cautioned that they don't know who visited his clinics before 2007. The letters urge the patients to be tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV ? viruses typically spread through intravenous drug use or unprotected sex, not occupational settings.

Harrington could not be reached for comment Thursday. A message at his Tulsa office said it was closed, and the doctor's answering service referred callers to the Tulsa Health Department. Phone numbers listed for Harrington were disconnected. A message left with Harrington's malpractice attorney in Tulsa, Jim Secrest II, was not immediately returned.

Harrington's Tulsa practice is in a thriving part of town, on a row of some of medical practices. The white-and-green stucco, two-story dental clinic has the doctor's name in letters on the facade.

NBCLatino: You may have Hep C and not know it

According to the complaint, the clinic had varying cleaning procedures for its equipment, needles were re-inserted in drug vials after their initial use and the office had no written infection-protection procedure.

Harrington told officials he left questions about sterilization and drug procedures to his employees.

"They take care of that, I don't," the dentistry board quoted him as saying.

The doctor also is accused of letting his assistants perform tasks only a licensed dentist should have done, including administering IV sedation. Also, the complaint says the doctor's staff could not produce permits for the assistants when asked.

Susan Rogers, executive director of the state Dentistry Board, said that as an oral surgeon Harrington regularly did invasive procedures involving "pulling teeth, open wounds, open blood vessels." The board's complaint also noted Harrington and his staff told investigators a "high population of known infectious disease carrier patients" received dental care from him.

Despite the high-risk clientele, a device used to sterilize instruments wasn't being properly used and hadn't been tested in six years, the board complaint said. Tests are required monthly.

Also, a drug vial found at a clinic this year had an expiration date of 1993 and one assistant's drug log said morphine had been used in the clinic last year despite its not receiving any morphine shipments since 2009.

Officials said patients will be offered free medical testing at the Tulsa Health Department's North Regional Health and Wellness Center.

Related:

Dental chain accused of hurting kids, bilking taxpayers

This story was originally published on Thu Mar 28, 2013 4:06 PM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2a213a25/l/0Lvitals0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C280C1750A50A870Edentists0Eoffice0Ea0Emenace0Ethousands0Epossibly0Eexposed0Eto0Ehiv0Dlite/story01.htm

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Protective prion keeps yeast cells from going it alone

Friday, March 29, 2013

Most commonly associated with such maladies as "mad cow disease" and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, prions are increasingly recognized for their ability to induce potentially beneficial traits in a variety of organisms, yeast chief among them.

Now a team of scientists has added markedly to the job description of prions as agents of change, identifying a prion capable of triggering a transition in yeast from its conventional single-celled form to a cooperative, multicellular structure. This change, which appears to improve yeast's chances for survival in the face of hostile environmental conditions, is an epigenetic phenomenon?a heritable alteration brought about without any change to the organism's underlying genome.

This latest finding, reported in the March 28 issue of the journal Cell, has its origins in work begun several years ago in the lab of Whitehead Institute Member Susan Lindquist. In 2009, Randal Halfmann, then a graduate student in Lindquist's lab, identified dozens of proteins in yeast that have the ability to form prions. That research greatly expanded the known universe of prion elements in yeast, but it failed to answer a key question: What function, if any, do these prions actually have?

In search of an answer, Halfmann, now a fellow the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and colleagues in the Lindquist lab attempted to exploit the fact that several of the prion-forming proteins they had identified acted to modify transcription of yeast genes. It stood to reason that if they could identify which genes were being regulated, they might be able to determine the prions' function.

"We looked at the five transcriptional regulators that are known to be prions in yeast, and we found that in fact, only one gene in the entire yeast genome was regulated by all five transcription factors," says Halfmann.

That gene, as it turns out, was FLO11, a key player in multicellularity in yeast. Indeed changes in FLO11 expression have been shown to act as a toggle, switching yeast from spherical to filamentous form. Halfmann notes that FLO11, which has been shown to be regulated by epigenetic elements, is also highly responsive to environmental stress. Knowing that the prion form of a protein is essentially a misfolded form of that protein, and that stressful conditions increase the frequency of protein misfolding and prion formation, the scientists began to consider the possibility that the prions themselves might be among the epigenetic switches influencing the activity of FLO11.

The group focused on one transcription factor known as mot3, finding that yeast cells containing the prion form of this factor, [MOT3+], acquired a variety of multicellular growth forms known to require FLO11 expression. This was a clear indication that prion formation was causing the differentiation of the cells and their subsequent cooperation. But what about the stress aspect of the hypothesis?

By testing yeast cells against a variety of stressors, the scientists discovered that exposure to a concentration of ethanol akin to that occurring naturally during fermentation increased [MOT3+] formation by a factor of 10.They also found that as the cells exposed to ethanol shifted their metabolism to burn surrounding oxygen through respiration, the prions reverted to their non-prion conformation, [mot3-], and the yeast returned to the unicellular state. In essence, prion formation drove a shift to multicellularity, helping the yeast to ride out the ethanol storm.

"What we have in the end is two sequential environmental changes that are turning on a heritable epigenetic element and then turning it off," says Halfmann. "And between those two changes, the prion is causing the cells to acquire a multicellular growth form that we think is actually important for their survival."

Lindquist, who is also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, has long argued that prions have played a vital role in yeast evolution and has amassed a body of strong supporting evidence.

"We see them as part of a bet-hedging strategy that allows the yeast to alter their biological properties quickly when their environments turn unfavorable," Lindquist says. She also theorizes that prions may play such roles beyond yeast, and her lab intends to take similar approaches in the hunt for prions and prion-like mechanisms that are potentially beneficial in other organisms.

For Lindquist lab postdoctoral scientist Alex Lancaster, who is also an author of the new Cell paper, these latest findings hint at a potentially novel approach to understanding basic mechanisms underlying the complexities of human diseases, including cancer, whose hallmarks include protein misfolding, epigenetic alterations, metabolic aberrations, and myriad changes in cell state, type, and function. Lancaster likens the opportunity to that of opening a black box.

"It's exciting to think that this could become another tool in the toolbox in the study of multicellularity," Lancaster says. "We know that some tumors are a heterogeneous population of cells and we know that tumor cells can evolve within in their environments to help ensure their own survival. This system could help us further understand the role of epigenetic inheritance within tumors and how it might be influencing cell-cell interactions and even affecting the effectiveness of drug therapies."

###

Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research: http://www.wi.mit.edu/index.html

Thanks to Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127516/Protective_prion_keeps_yeast_cells_from_going_it_alone

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Tablet computers acceptable for reading EEG results, study says

Mar. 29, 2013 ? Mayo Clinic physicians in Arizona have shown that tablet computers can be used to analyze electroencephalogram or EEG results outside of the clinic or hospital. Their study findings were recently presented at the American Academy of Neurology conference in San Diego.

"The fact that this gives doctors the ability to read EEG results from anywhere can only help patients in the long run," says Matthew Hoerth, M.D., a neurologist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

Click here to hear Dr. Hoerth explain the study.

An EEG is a painless procedure that uses electrodes attached to a person's scalp to detect electrical activity in the brain. Brain cells are constantly communicating via electrical impulses, even when someone is asleep. This activity shows up as wavy lines on an EEG recording.

The objective was to determine whether a computer tablet is an acceptable alternative to the traditional laptop for remote EEG interpretation. The findings showed that the tablet cost significantly less and weighed less than the laptop and had a comparable screen resolution. The greatest disadvantage to the tablet compared to the laptop is screen size. Boot-up time was significantly longer for the laptop and desktop. An EEG is one of the main diagnostic tests for epilepsy and may also play a role in diagnosing other brain disorders. The epilepsy division at Mayo Clinic in Arizona interprets EEGs for Mayo Clinic Hospital as well as three other institutions across Arizona, where they have remote access for interpretation to all locations. "With high volumes of EEGs and multiple systems and facilities to read from, the efficiency of technology is essential to many physician practices," says Dr. Hoerth. "Despite the marginally smaller screen size, the ease of use, accessibility, and reliability make the tablet a viable option for its integration into the tele-EEG practice.

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Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/computers_math/information_technology/~3/4wz4sRG5Wm8/130329161134.htm

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Cheap Prescription Drug Secrets Revealed By Consumer Group

Mar 28, 2013 6:00am

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A little research can save you a lot of cash on prescription drugs, according to a secret shopping study by Consumer Reports.

The magazine called more than 200 pharmacies across the country to request retail prices for five best-selling drugs:?The diabetes drug Actos; the antidepressant Lexapro;?the cholesterol-lowering pill Lipitor;?the blood thinner Plavix; and?the asthma treatment,Singulair; all of which are available as generics.

Depending on the pharmacy, costs varied by as much as $749 for a month?s supply of all five drugs.

?A consumer can?t assume that the price of their prescription medications is set in stone,? Lisa Gill, prescription drugs editor for Consumer Reports, said in a statement.

A person without insurance could pay as much as $150 a month for generic Lipitor at CVS, compared to just $17 at Costco, the study found.

?Big-box stores such as Costco and Walmart use the pharmacy as a traffic builder for their stores, whereas traditional chain stores, such as CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens, make the majority of their revenue and profits from the pharmacy,? Stephen Schondelmeyer, a professor of pharmacy economics at the University of Minnesota, wrote in the report.

A spokesman for CVS took issue with the study, telling ABCNews.com in an email that ?pricing surveys do not accurately reflect what most pharmacy customers pay for their prescriptions given various value, discount and third-party insurance programs.?

Independent pharmacies had some good deals, too. But their prices varied widely from $131 to $1,073 for all five drugs.

?One of the big takeaways is that you have to ask for the best price and see if your pharmacist will work with you. Especially for the independent pharmacies, if they want to retain your business and loyalty, they will help you get the best price,? Gill said.

Click here to read the report. And read on for more tips for saving money at the pharmacy:

Go With Generics

Choosing a generic instead of its brand-name relative can save you thousands of dollars a year, according to Gill.

?If your doctor prescribes Lipitor, you may be taking it for the rest of your life.??So it can really pay to shop around,? she said.??Talk to your doctor about lower cost alternatives in the same class of drug. And make sure you have that talk when your doctor is about ready to write the prescription.??Once you?re taking a drug and tolerating it well, your doctor might be less inclined to try alternatives.?

Aim Low

Shoppers?weren?t?always given the lowest price, Consumer Reports found. It never hurts to ask the pharmacist for a better deal.

Ditch the City

Some urban pharmacies had higher prices than rural ones, Consumer Reports found.?A month?s supply of generic Actos at a pharmacy in?Raleigh,?N.C., cost $203 compared to $37 outside the city.

Load Up

Some pharmacies offer discounts on a three-month supply, so ask for a 90-day refill.

Do Your Homework

Big-box drugstores and pharmacy chains offer discount generic-drug programs, which can land you some generics for as little as $4 a month, Consumer Reports found.?Just make sure to check the fine print.

SHOWS: Good Morning America

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/03/28/cheap-prescription-drug-secrets-revealed-by-consumer-group/

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Poultry probiotic cuts its coat to beat bad bacteria

Public release date: 27-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Andrew Chapple
andrew.chapple@ifr.ac.uk
44-016-032-51490
Norwich BioScience Institutes

A strain of probiotic bacteria that can fight harmful bacterial infections in poultry has the ability to change its coat, according to new findings from the Institute of Food Research.

The probiotic is currently being taken forward through farm-scale trials to evaluate how well it combats Clostridium perfringens a cause of necrotic enteritis in poultry and the second most common cause of food poisoning in the UK

The researchers at IFR, which is strategically funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, had previously found that the probiotic Lactobacillus johnsonsii, when given to young chicks, prevents the colonisation of C. perfringens. Now, in research published in the journal PLOS ONE, they have found that the probiotic bacteria have the ability to alter their coat. They speculate that this could be one way in which the probiotic outcompete C. perfringens.

The researchers noticed when examining the bacteria that a small number of them appear smooth. They identified genes responsible for making a special coat, or slime capsule, which the bacteria surround themselves in. This protects the bacteria from stomach acids and bile salts, and helps them come together to form biofilms. It may also protect against drying out when outside the host. The natural appearance of smooth mutants could be a ploy used by the bacteria to introduce variation into its populations, making them able to take advantage of different environments.

By turning off one or more of the coat genes, they could see what effect this had on its ability to stick to gut tissues. "The next step is to understand the regulation of the genes involved in making the coat" said Dr Arjan Narbad, who led the studies. "We want to find out whether changing the coat affects the probiotic's fitness to colonise and inhabit the gut."

This in turn could prevent C. perfringens from colonising the gut. This competitive exclusion could be one reason why the probiotic strain prevents the growth of other harmful bacteria.

Understanding the role of the slime capsule coat will inform the commercial development of this strain as a preventative treatment for C. perfringens infection in poultry, especially in regard to how the probiotic is stored and produced. Through the technology transfer company Plant Bioscience Ltd, the strain has been patented and is now in large-scale farm trials to assess its efficacy. As these bacteria have previously been used in the food chain and are considered safe for human consumption, this probiotic strain could become new way of controlling C. perfringens.

As there is a growing pressure to reduce the use of antibiotics in farming, new products are needed to maintain animal welfare standards, reduce the huge costs of necrosis in poultry and help keep our food safe.

###

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 27-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Andrew Chapple
andrew.chapple@ifr.ac.uk
44-016-032-51490
Norwich BioScience Institutes

A strain of probiotic bacteria that can fight harmful bacterial infections in poultry has the ability to change its coat, according to new findings from the Institute of Food Research.

The probiotic is currently being taken forward through farm-scale trials to evaluate how well it combats Clostridium perfringens a cause of necrotic enteritis in poultry and the second most common cause of food poisoning in the UK

The researchers at IFR, which is strategically funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, had previously found that the probiotic Lactobacillus johnsonsii, when given to young chicks, prevents the colonisation of C. perfringens. Now, in research published in the journal PLOS ONE, they have found that the probiotic bacteria have the ability to alter their coat. They speculate that this could be one way in which the probiotic outcompete C. perfringens.

The researchers noticed when examining the bacteria that a small number of them appear smooth. They identified genes responsible for making a special coat, or slime capsule, which the bacteria surround themselves in. This protects the bacteria from stomach acids and bile salts, and helps them come together to form biofilms. It may also protect against drying out when outside the host. The natural appearance of smooth mutants could be a ploy used by the bacteria to introduce variation into its populations, making them able to take advantage of different environments.

By turning off one or more of the coat genes, they could see what effect this had on its ability to stick to gut tissues. "The next step is to understand the regulation of the genes involved in making the coat" said Dr Arjan Narbad, who led the studies. "We want to find out whether changing the coat affects the probiotic's fitness to colonise and inhabit the gut."

This in turn could prevent C. perfringens from colonising the gut. This competitive exclusion could be one reason why the probiotic strain prevents the growth of other harmful bacteria.

Understanding the role of the slime capsule coat will inform the commercial development of this strain as a preventative treatment for C. perfringens infection in poultry, especially in regard to how the probiotic is stored and produced. Through the technology transfer company Plant Bioscience Ltd, the strain has been patented and is now in large-scale farm trials to assess its efficacy. As these bacteria have previously been used in the food chain and are considered safe for human consumption, this probiotic strain could become new way of controlling C. perfringens.

As there is a growing pressure to reduce the use of antibiotics in farming, new products are needed to maintain animal welfare standards, reduce the huge costs of necrosis in poultry and help keep our food safe.

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/nbi-ppc032513.php

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Student's anti-rape video strikes a chord on the Web

An anti-rape video posted on the Web with the line, "Real men treat women with respect," has gone viral: So far, it's been viewed over 1.4 million times.

Filmed by University of Oregon sophomore Samantha Stendal, the 26-second video, "A Needed Response," was made in reaction to the Steubenville rape trial in Ohio, which convicted two high-school football players of raping a drunk and passed out 16-year-old girl.

The victim was unconscious during the crime, and in addition to the rape itself, had to endure a response on social media that often made light of the situation.

The online comments, some of which blamed the young woman, outraged Stendal. She told Yahoo! News in an email, "I become frustrated with the constant victim blaming and general rape culture that I saw online. I decided to make a video in order to place something more positive on the internet. I wanted to promote the idea of treating one another like decent human beings."

The short video shows a woman passed out on a couch. A man looks directly into the camera, and whispers, ?Hey bros, check who passed out on the couch. Guess what I'm gonna do to her?"

He then covers the unresponsive woman with a blanket, puts a pillow under her head, tucks a lock of hair behind her ear and places a mug beside her. Then he delivers the line, ?Real men treat women with respect.?

Comments to the video on YouTube have spurred discussion. They include one from BJ Lincoln, who writes, ?This is a very cool message. Part of our culture permits rape in many ways and it needs to change. Thank you both for making the message clear.?

User blondegirl214 agreed, ?Glad to see at least one man gets it. All is not lost after all!?

The video has obviously struck a chord with viewers. Stendal told Yahoo! News she is "surprised" by the huge response, and added, "I am happy to see the conversation moving away from victim blaming and changing to how people in vulnerable situations should be treated."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/anti-rape-message-gets-attention-185549115.html

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BlackBerry subscriber bleed turns into an arterial gush

BlackBerry

BlackBerry?s (BBRY) fourth-quarter earnings were?a bundle of such extreme opposites that they literally stunned Wall Street.?Many expected huge price swings, but as of 10:27 a.m. on Thursday, the share price is up 1.8%. Investors are having trouble figuring out whether to giggle with glee over the big Z10 shipment number or shriek with horror over the massive subscriber loss.

[More from BGR: BlackBerry lives to fight another day]

This quarter crystallized the theme we wrote about last week: the low-end product range of BlackBerry is collapsing. Despite shipping 1 million Z10 devices ?many analysts expected shipments in the 300,000 to 500,000 range ? the overall device volume was just 6 million, or 900,000 units below consensus. At the same time, the subscriber base situation is worse than practically anyone expected: 2 million subscribers were added in the August quarter, 1 million subscribers were lost in the November quarter and 3 million subscribers were lost in the February quarter.

[More from BGR: BlackBerry turns surprise profit in Q4 despite missing revenue estimates]

The trend is clear. And dreadful. It implies that the emerging market softness is deepening rapidly. The $200 Android QWERTY models from Samsung (005930), Huawei, ZTE and other Asian vendors are tearing into the connective tissue of BlackBerry?s global empire. BlackBerry is now losing about 3.8% of its sub base over a three-month period. The entire ecosystem in countries like South Africa and Philippines is built on high market penetration; that is the lifeblood of BBM. Allowing Android and iOS platforms to gain share means risking a runaway WhatsApp contagion and the loss of relevance in the messaging wars.

BlackBerry turned a surprise profit during the quarter because the ratio of high-end Z10 to low-end Curve phones was much higher than expected. But this happened both because the Z10 shipment was bigger than anticipated, while the low-end device volume was smaller than expected. This does not need to be a problem if BlackBerry starts shipping sub-$300 devices in a month or two.

But if the company is six months from shipping the new Curve line the blood could really flow over this summer. The same happens if the price of the new Curve devices is too high: Markets from Brazil to Nigeria to Malaysia are clearly transitioning to smartphones that are priced at $250 or under. If BlackBerry miscalculates the premium it can command in emerging markets, it?s lights out in Waterloo.

What about the May quarter? The combination of 1 million unit Z10 shipment and 3 million unit subscriber loss was a chilling demonstration of how hard it is for BlackBerry to succeed with luxury devices alone. BlackBerry may not need the U.S. market anymore,?but getting cheap new devices to emerging markets is absolutely vital. Global smartphone sales grew at roughly 35% annualized pace during the February quarter, yet BlackBerry?s sales volume is still shrinking faster than even the bearish Wall Street consensus expected.

This is coming down to a race between how fast the BlackBerry subscriber base is eroding and when the new low-end models finally launch.

This article was originally published on BGR.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blackberry-subscriber-bleed-turns-arterial-gush-151131237.html

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Woman returns $30,000 she found in donated clothes

Mar 26 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $3,787,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $2,859,920 3. Matt Kuchar $2,154,500 4. Steve Stricker $1,820,000 5. Phil Mickelson $1,650,260 6. Hunter Mahan $1,553,965 7. John Merrick $1,343,514 8. Dustin Johnson $1,330,507 9. Russell Henley $1,313,280 10. Kevin Streelman $1,310,343 11. Keegan Bradley $1,274,593 12. Charles Howell III $1,256,373 13. Michael Thompson $1,254,669 14. Brian Gay $1,171,721 15. Justin Rose $1,155,550 16. Jason Day $1,115,565 17. Chris Kirk $1,097,053 18. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/woman-returns-30-000-she-finds-donated-clothes-145000837.html

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Cancer biologists find DNA-damaging toxins in common plant-based foods

Public release date: 27-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Vanessa Wasta
wasta@jhmi.edu
410-614-2916
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Liquid smoke, black and green teas and coffee produced levels of cell DNA damage comparable to chemo drugs

In a laboratory study pairing food chemistry and cancer biology, scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center tested the potentially harmful effect of foods and flavorings on the DNA of cells. They found that liquid smoke flavoring, black and green teas and coffee activated the highest levels of a well-known, cancer-linked gene called p53.

The p53 gene becomes activated when DNA is damaged. Its gene product makes repair proteins that mend DNA. The higher the level of DNA damage, the more p53 becomes activated.

"We don't know much about the foods we eat and how they affect cells in our bodies," says Scott Kern, M.D., the Kovler Professor of Oncology and Pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "But it's clear that plants contain many compounds that are meant to deter humans and animals from eating them, like cellulose in stems and bitter-tasting tannins in leaves and beans we use to make teas and coffees, and their impact needs to be assessed."

Kern cautioned that his studies do not suggest people should stop using tea, coffee or flavorings, but do suggest the need for further research.

The Johns Hopkins study began a year ago when graduate student Samuel Gilbert, working in Kern's laboratory, noted that a test Kern had developed to detect p53 activity had never been used to identify DNA-damaging substances in food.

For the study, published online February 8 in Food and Chemical Toxicology, Kern and his team sought advice from scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture about food products and flavorings. "To do this study well, we had to think like food chemists to extract chemicals from food and dilute food products to levels that occur in a normal diet," he says.

Using Kern's test for p53 activity, which makes a fluorescent compound that "glows" when p53 is activated, the scientists mixed dilutions of the food products and flavorings with human cells and grew them in laboratory dishes for 18 hours.

Measuring and comparing p53 activity with baseline levels, the scientists found that liquid smoke flavoring, black and green teas and coffee showed up to nearly 30-fold increases in p53 activity, which was on par with their tests of p53 activity caused by a chemotherapy drug called etoposide.

Previous studies have shown that liquid smoke flavoring damages DNA in animal models, so Kern's team analyzed p53 activity triggered by the chemicals found in liquid smoke. Postdoctoral fellow Zulfiquer Hossain tracked down the chemicals responsible for the p53 activity. The strongest p53 activity was found in two chemicals: pyrogallol and gallic acid. Pyrogallol, commonly found in smoked foods, is also found in cigarette smoke, hair dye, tea, coffee, bread crust, roasted malt and cocoa powder, according to Kern. Gallic acid, a variant of pyrogallol, is found in teas and coffees.

Kern says that more studies are needed to examine the type of DNA damage caused by pyrogallol and gallic acid, but there could be ways to remove the two chemicals from foods and flavorings.

"We found that Scotch whiskey, which has a smoky flavor and could be a substitute for liquid smoke, had minimal effect on p53 activity in our tests," says Kern.

Liquid smoke, produced from the distilled condensation of natural smoke, is often used to add smoky flavor to sausages, other meats and vegan meat substitutes. It gained popularity when sausage manufacturers switched from natural casings to smoke-blocking artificial casings.

Other flavorings like fish and oyster sauces, tabasco and soy sauces, and black bean sauces showed minimal p53 effects in Kern's tests, as did soybean paste, kim chee, wasabi powder, hickory smoke powders and smoked paprika.

###

Funding for the study was provided by the National Institutes of Health's National Cancer Institute (CA62924) and the Everett and Marjorie Kovler Professorship in Pancreas Cancer Research.

In addition to Kern, Gilbert and Hossain, other scientists involved in the research include Kalpesh Patel, Soma Ghosh, and Anil Bhunia from Johns Hopkins.

On the Web: hopkinscancer.org

Media Contacts:
Vanessa Wasta, 410-614-2916
wasta@jhmi.edu

Amy Mone, 410-614-2915
amone@jhmi.edu

March 27, 2013

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 27-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Vanessa Wasta
wasta@jhmi.edu
410-614-2916
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Liquid smoke, black and green teas and coffee produced levels of cell DNA damage comparable to chemo drugs

In a laboratory study pairing food chemistry and cancer biology, scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center tested the potentially harmful effect of foods and flavorings on the DNA of cells. They found that liquid smoke flavoring, black and green teas and coffee activated the highest levels of a well-known, cancer-linked gene called p53.

The p53 gene becomes activated when DNA is damaged. Its gene product makes repair proteins that mend DNA. The higher the level of DNA damage, the more p53 becomes activated.

"We don't know much about the foods we eat and how they affect cells in our bodies," says Scott Kern, M.D., the Kovler Professor of Oncology and Pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "But it's clear that plants contain many compounds that are meant to deter humans and animals from eating them, like cellulose in stems and bitter-tasting tannins in leaves and beans we use to make teas and coffees, and their impact needs to be assessed."

Kern cautioned that his studies do not suggest people should stop using tea, coffee or flavorings, but do suggest the need for further research.

The Johns Hopkins study began a year ago when graduate student Samuel Gilbert, working in Kern's laboratory, noted that a test Kern had developed to detect p53 activity had never been used to identify DNA-damaging substances in food.

For the study, published online February 8 in Food and Chemical Toxicology, Kern and his team sought advice from scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture about food products and flavorings. "To do this study well, we had to think like food chemists to extract chemicals from food and dilute food products to levels that occur in a normal diet," he says.

Using Kern's test for p53 activity, which makes a fluorescent compound that "glows" when p53 is activated, the scientists mixed dilutions of the food products and flavorings with human cells and grew them in laboratory dishes for 18 hours.

Measuring and comparing p53 activity with baseline levels, the scientists found that liquid smoke flavoring, black and green teas and coffee showed up to nearly 30-fold increases in p53 activity, which was on par with their tests of p53 activity caused by a chemotherapy drug called etoposide.

Previous studies have shown that liquid smoke flavoring damages DNA in animal models, so Kern's team analyzed p53 activity triggered by the chemicals found in liquid smoke. Postdoctoral fellow Zulfiquer Hossain tracked down the chemicals responsible for the p53 activity. The strongest p53 activity was found in two chemicals: pyrogallol and gallic acid. Pyrogallol, commonly found in smoked foods, is also found in cigarette smoke, hair dye, tea, coffee, bread crust, roasted malt and cocoa powder, according to Kern. Gallic acid, a variant of pyrogallol, is found in teas and coffees.

Kern says that more studies are needed to examine the type of DNA damage caused by pyrogallol and gallic acid, but there could be ways to remove the two chemicals from foods and flavorings.

"We found that Scotch whiskey, which has a smoky flavor and could be a substitute for liquid smoke, had minimal effect on p53 activity in our tests," says Kern.

Liquid smoke, produced from the distilled condensation of natural smoke, is often used to add smoky flavor to sausages, other meats and vegan meat substitutes. It gained popularity when sausage manufacturers switched from natural casings to smoke-blocking artificial casings.

Other flavorings like fish and oyster sauces, tabasco and soy sauces, and black bean sauces showed minimal p53 effects in Kern's tests, as did soybean paste, kim chee, wasabi powder, hickory smoke powders and smoked paprika.

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Funding for the study was provided by the National Institutes of Health's National Cancer Institute (CA62924) and the Everett and Marjorie Kovler Professorship in Pancreas Cancer Research.

In addition to Kern, Gilbert and Hossain, other scientists involved in the research include Kalpesh Patel, Soma Ghosh, and Anil Bhunia from Johns Hopkins.

On the Web: hopkinscancer.org

Media Contacts:
Vanessa Wasta, 410-614-2916
wasta@jhmi.edu

Amy Mone, 410-614-2915
amone@jhmi.edu

March 27, 2013

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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/jhm-cbf032713.php

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