“Study: Small Dogs Came From The Middle East - Redorbit.com” plus 3 more

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• Study: Small Dogs Came From The Middle East - Redorbit.com
• Researchers Identify Potential Therapeutic Target For Brain Cancer - Redorbit.com
• Humidity affects influenza virus outbreaks - Daily News and Analysis
• Exploring Biotech, Nanotech And Synthetic Biology Roles In Future Food ... - Medical News Today

Study: Small Dogs Came From The Middle East - Redorbit.com Posted: 24 Feb 2010 07:35 AM PST Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full-text RSS service so we can continue developing it. Posted on: Wednesday, 24 February 2010, 09:40 CST A genetic study has found that small domestic dogs probably originated in the Middle East more than 12,000 years ago. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Biology traced the evolutionary history of the IGF1 gene, finding that the version of the gene that is a major determinant of small size probably originated as a result of the domestication of the Middle Eastern gray wolf. Melissa Gray and Robert Wayne, from the University of California, Los Angeles, led a team of researchers who surveyed a large sample of gray wolf populations. She said, "The mutation for small body size post-dates the domestication of dogs. However, because all small dogs possess this variant of IGF1, it probably arose early in their history. Our results show that the version of the IGF1 gene found in small dogs is closely related to that found in Middle Eastern wolves and is consistent with an ancient origin in this region of small domestic dogs". Previous archeological work in the Middle East has unearthed the remains of small domestic dogs dating to 12,000 years ago. Sites in Belgium, Germany and Western Russia contain older remains (13,000-31,000 years ago), but these are of larger dogs. These findings support the hypothesis put forward by Gray and colleagues that small body size evolved in the Middle East. Reduction in body size is a common feature of domestication and has been seen in other domesticated animals including cattle, pigs and goats. According to Gray, "Small size could have been more desirable in more densely packed agricultural societies, in which dogs may have lived partly indoors or in confined outdoor spaces". The IGF1 small dog haplotype is derived from Middle Eastern gray wolves. Melissa M. Gray, Nathan B. Sutter, Elaine A. Ostrander and Robert K. Wayne. BMC Biology (in press) --- On the Net: BioMed Central BMC Biology University of California, Los Angeles More News in this Category Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Researchers Identify Potential Therapeutic Target For Brain Cancer - Redorbit.com Posted: 23 Feb 2010 08:12 AM PST Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full-text RSS service so we can continue developing it. Posted on: Tuesday, 23 February 2010, 10:16 CST Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic report the identification of a protein that is highly expressed in a subgroup of glioblastoma brain tumor cells and show that depletion of this protein increases the survival of mice with these tumors. This work will be published in the online open-access journal PLoS Biology. Recent studies have increased our understanding of cancer by elucidating some of the differences that exist between tumor cells among patients and even between distinct subsets of tumor cells within the same patient. Evidence suggests there are subgroups of cells – called cancer stem cells or tumor initiating cells – within tumors that are harder to kill with current therapies than other cells within these tumors. Cancer stem cells may in fact be more important to destroy than non-cancer stem cells because they may be responsible for metastasis and for tumor recurrence after therapy. Identifying therapies which specifically target cancer stem cells therefore hold great promise for effective and lasting treatment. In this study, Dr. Hjelmeland and colleagues determine that a protein called A20, that has been previously implicated in cell survival, is highly expressed in a population of cells that is enriched for glioblastoma stem cells. They demonstrate that decreasing levels of A20 in these cells reduces their growth in cell culture by inducing cell death. Decreasing A20 levels in animal models of brain tumors also increases survival. Using publicly available datasets from human brain tumor specimens, they also determine that increased levels of A20 are associated with poor patient survival. Together, these studies suggest that targeting A20 could be beneficial for human glioblastoma patients. Although there continues to be controversy over the cancer stem cell concept, Dr. Hjelmeland believes that "Everyone recognizes the need to identify new cancer targets, and this may be achieved by studying subgroups of tumor cells. Using this technique, we identified A20 as an important target. However, we still have a lot of work to do before translation for patient therapies." Funding: AH is supported by a grant from the National Brain Tumor Society. JDL is supported by a grant from the American Brain Tumor Association. CE is supported by NS063496, an F30 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Additional support was provided by the Goldhirsh Foundation; Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation; Brain Tumor Society, the James S. McDonnell Foundation; and NIH grants NS054276, CA116659, and CA129958 (to JR). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing interests statement: The authors declare that no competing interests exist. Citation: Hjelmeland AB, Wu Q, Wickman S, Eyler C, Heddleston J, et al. (2010) Targeting A20 Decreases Glioma Stem Cell Survival and Tumor Growth. PLoS Biol 8(2): e1000319. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1000319 --- On the Net: Read the Paper More News in this Category Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Humidity affects influenza virus outbreaks - Daily News and Analysis Posted: 23 Feb 2010 08:19 AM PST Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full-text RSS service so we can continue developing it. WASHINGTON: Dry winters are linked to seasonal outbreaks of influenza, suggests a new study. The study, which has appeared in PLoS Biology, also discovered that the onset of outbreaks might be encouraged by unusually dry weather conditions, at least in temperate regions. For a long time scientists have suspected a link between humidity and seasonal (epidemic) flu outbreaks, but most of the previous studies focused on relative humidity - the ratio of water vapour content in the air to the saturating level, which varies with temperature. Absolute humidity quantifies the actual amount of water in the air, irrespective of temperature. Though somewhat counter-intuitive, absolute humidity is much higher in the summer. Jeffrey Shaman, an Oregon State University atmospheric scientist and lead author said: "In some areas of the country, a typical summer day can have four times as much water vapor as a typical winter day - a difference that exists both indoors and outdoors." For the study, the scientists used 31 years of observed absolute humidity conditions to drive a mathematical model of influenza and found that the model simulations reproduced the observed seasonal cycle of influenza throughout the US. They first examined influenza in New York, Washington, Illinois, Arizona and Florida, and discovered that the absolute humidity conditions in those states all produced model-simulated seasonal outbreaks of influenza that correlated well with the observed seasonal cycle of influenza within each state. Shaman and colleagues then extended their model to the rest of the continental U.S. and were able to reproduce the seasonal cycle of influenza elsewhere. They also discovered that the start of many influenza outbreaks during the winter was directly preceded by a period of weather that was drier than usual. Shaman said: "This dry period is not a requirement for triggering an influenza outbreak, but it was present in 55 to 60 percent of the outbreaks we analyzed so it appears to increase the likelihood of an outbreak. "The virus response is almost immediate; transmission and survival rates increase and about 10 days later, the observed influenza mortality rates follow." Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Exploring Biotech, Nanotech And Synthetic Biology Roles In Future Food ... - Medical News Today Posted: 22 Feb 2010 02:58 AM PST Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full-text RSS service so we can continue developing it. Main Category: Water - Air Quality / Agriculture Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry;  Genetics;  Nutrition / Diet Article Date: 22 Feb 2010 - 3:00 PST email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions Some say the world's population will swell to 9 billion people by 2030 and that will present significant challenges for agriculture to provide enough food to meet demand, says University of Idaho animal scientist Rod Hill. Hill and Larry Branen, a University of Idaho food scientist, organized a symposium during the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting Sunday to explore ways biotechnology could provide healthy and plentiful animal-based foods to meet future demands. Synthetic biology, nanotechnology, genetic engineering and other applications of biotechnology - and the public's role in determining their acceptable uses - were all addressed by panelists during the session. The goal for the session, which was part of the nation's largest and most prestigious general science meeting held annually, was to encourage a dialogue among scientists and the public, said Hill, a Moscow-based molecular physiologist who studies muscle growth in cattle. "There will be a significant challenge for agriculture and the science that will be required to provide a healthy, nutritious and adequate food supply in coming decades for a rapidly growing population," Hill said. A key question, he said, is whether the Earth can continue to provide enough food without technological support. The history of civilization and agriculture during the last 10,000 years suggests otherwise. "Unaided food production is an unattainable ideal - current society is irrevocably grounded in the technological interventions underpinning the agricultural revolution that now strives to feed the world," Hill said. Branen serves as the university's Coeur d'Alene-based associate vice president for northern Idaho. He also remains active as a researcher working with nanotechnology in a variety of ways, including uses as biological sensors to detect disease or spoilage. Nanoparticles may be used to target certain genes and thus play a role in genetic engineering of food animals. Branen said, "There's also no question that nanomaterials may help increase the shelf stability of food products and assure their safety." Other panelists include University of Missouri Prof. Kevin Wells who believes genetically modified animals will have a future place on humanity's tables, just as genetically modified plants do now. Panelist Hongda Chen serves as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's national program leader for bioprocessing engineering and nanotechnology. He will explore how scientific methods like nanotechnology may be applied to help meet the world's growing demand for safe and healthy food. Synthetic biology, the use of novel methods to create genes or chromosomes, will be explored by panelist Michele Garfinkel, a policy analyst for the J. Craig Venter Institute, which pioneered the sequencing of the human genome. The public's acceptance or rejection of new technologies that could determine future food supplies will be the domain of Susanna Priest, a professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. A communications researcher, she has argued that public debate is essential to public attitudes toward such technologies. For Idaho's Branen, the panel provides an opportunity to advance that public discussion. "I think that's essential," he said. "We've seen lots of technologies where we didn't get adoption because we didn't get consumer acceptance and understanding. Irradiation of food has been possible for over 50 years but we still haven't gotten to general use because there is still a fear and lack of understanding of it." Branen added, "To me everything we're doing today requires an extensive discussion and an interdisciplinary approach. We can't just focus on the technology but must look at the social and political aspects of the technology as well." Source: Bill Loftus University of Idaho Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

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