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Shocking pictures show group of 14-year-old schoolboys puffing on shisha pipes in bar |... - 0 views

www.dailymail.co.uk/...-puffing-shisha-pipes-bar.html DNA disease human
shared by Sea Maskulrath on 15 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • A video of a group of 14-year-olds smoking shisha pipes in a bar has emerged online, horrifying parents and anti-smoking campaigners.
  • They want to warn shisha enthusiasts it isn't a safe alternative to cigarettes - smoking a pipe for an hour is the the equivalent of puffing away on 100 cigarettes.
  • ‘Smoke from tobacco contains a number of carcinogens which damage the DNA in cells,’
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • ‘Just one damaged cell can divide and multiply uncontrollably and quite quickly develop into a large tumour. This is what causes lung cancer,
  • around from person to person, this raises the risk of transmitting diseases such as tuberculosi
  • As the mouthpiece is passe
  • nd hepatitis.
  • Sea Maskulrath on 15 Apr 12
     
    WOW, I guess we know we had to stop shisha right? unbelievable 
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Genetic adaptation of fat metabolism key to development of human brain - 0 views

www.sciencedaily.com/...120412133056.htm adaptation fat metabolism key development human brain
shared by orasa sukmark on 15 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • orasa sukmark on 15 Apr 12
     
    Genetic adaptation for high production of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids is found only in humans can show genetic adaptation of human fat metabolism.
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A new class of obesity genes encodes leukocyte adhesion receptors - 0 views

www.pnas.org/...7526.full genetics gene
shared by chanon chiarnpattanodom on 15 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • chanon chiarnpattanodom on 15 Apr 12
     
    Obesity is controlled by a number of factors, mainly 2 factors genetics and the environment. Here they use 2 groups + 1 control group mice to compare obesity.
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Biotechdaily - First Microbes Found to Break Down PCBs - 0 views

www.biotechdaily.com/..._found_to_break_down_pcbs.html
shared by Rafael Chen on 15 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • PCBs can buildup in fish and marine mammals, reaching thousands of times higher levels than found in the water they live in
  • using a rapid, DNA screening method, researchers have discovered a bacterium capable of degrading PCBs
  • this will lead to the complete dechlorination of persistant molecules
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • important for bioremediation efforts and for developing molecular probes to monitor PCB degrading
  • Rafael Chen on 15 Apr 12
     
    Using DNA screening method, researchers have discovered a bacterium capable of degrading PCBs
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Increased honey bee diversity means fewer pathogens, more helpful bacteria - 0 views

www.sciencedaily.com/...120312192756.htm Gentic Diversity Symbiotic Relationship Microbes Bees
shared by Rafael Chen on 15 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • microbes in bee colonies that have previously been associated with fermentation in humans and other animals
  • communities of active bacteria harbored by honey bee colonies
  • research suggests honey bees may take advantage of these beneficial symbiotic bacteria to convert indigestible material into nutritious food and to enhance protection from pathogens
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Genetic diversity is created in a colony when a queen mates with many male bees
  • less likelihood of potentially pathogenic bacteria showing up in genetically diverse honey bee colonies
  • individual bees and their symbionts can enhance the overall health of a colony when it is genetically diverse
  • increased resistance to colonization by pathogens or through the production of nutrients by these microbes
  • Rafael Chen on 15 Apr 12
     
    Genetic Diversity in bee colonies increases resistance to colonization by pathogens through symbiotic relations with microbes.
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Scientists develop tools to make more complex biological machines from yeast - 0 views

www.sciencedaily.com/...120319194313.htm
shared by Rafael Chen on 15 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • creating a new type of biological "wire," using proteins that interact with DNA and behave like wires in electronic circuitry
  • it can be re-engineered over and over again
  • fundamental DNA components, called "promoters," which are needed for re-programming yeast
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • Future applications of this work could include tiny yeast-based machines that can be dropped into water supplies to detect contaminants, and yeast that records environmental conditions during the manufacture of biofuels to determine if improvements can be made to the production process.
  • help to improve things such as pollution monitoring and cleaner fuels
  • Rafael Chen on 15 Apr 12
     
    Scientist uses yeast as the foundations in making more complex biological machines through genetic engineering.
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Deep sequencing reveals potentially toxic, trade-restricted ingredients in some traditi... - 1 views

www.sciencedaily.com/...120412182328.htm DNA sequencing Toxic Traditional Chinese Medicine
shared by wasin kusakabe on 15 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • DNA sequencing technology to reveal the animal and plant composition
  • of traditional Chinese medicines
  • These plants contain chemicals that can be toxic if the wrong dosage is taken, but none of them actually listed concentrations on the packaging.”
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • estricted animals that are classified as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered, including the Asiatic black bear and Saiga antelope.”
  • including animal DNA and potential allergens such as soy or nuts.
  • mislabelling of TCMs
  • multiple samples that contained DNA from animals listed as trade-restricted
    • wasin kusakabe
      wasin kusakabe on 15 Apr 12
       
      Traditional Chinese Medicines have incorrect labeling, which may lead to allergic reaction or crossing religious restrictions.
  • wasin kusakabe on 15 Apr 12
     
    Traditional Chinese Medicines' ingredients revealed by DNA sequencing to be potentially toxic.
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Parkinson's disease sufferer Sheila Roy can write for the first time in 15 years thanks... - 0 views

www.dailymail.co.uk/...s-thanks-new-gene-therapy.html gene therapy disease
shared by Mickey Tsai on 15 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • one of only 15 people worldwide to undergo the radical treatment, which involves inserting corrective genes into the brain
  • The genes provide the coded instructions for proteins needed to make dopamine, a brain chemical essential for proper control of movement.
  • Lack of dopamine leads to the symptoms of tremor, stiffness and poor balance associated with Parkinson’s.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Mrs Roy is taking part in an early-stage study of the ProSavin therapy
  • Following her treatment Sheila Roy has been able to carry out tasks like writing, something she has been unable to do for 15 years
  • Gene therapies hold great promise for people with Parkinson’s in the future, as they could mean an end to the daily regime of drugs that most people with the condition currently face.
  • Mickey Tsai on 15 Apr 12
     
    A woman with Parkinson's was able to write for the first time in 15 years because of gene therapy. Parkinson's includes symptoms such as tremors, loss of balance which makes it impossible to do even simple tasks. Doctors injected a modified virus carrying the genes to the motor centre of her brain which provide coded instructions for proteins needed to make dopamine. Lack of dopamine leads of the symptoms associated with Parkinson's. This is part of the ProSavin therapy developed by Oxford BioMedica. Gene therapies hold a lot of hope for people with Parkinson's that could end the daily routine of drugs that most of them go through.
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Athletic frogs have faster-changing genomes - 0 views

www.sciencedaily.com/...120412182332.htm DNA Genomes Athletic Frogs
shared by wasin kusakabe on 14 Apr 12 - No Cached
    • wasin kusakabe
      wasin kusakabe on 14 Apr 12
       
      Physical activities can change the DNA sequence which can be passed on to later generations. However this has only been tested on frogs and may not apply to mammals like us.
  • athletic frogs tended to have faster-changing genomes.
  • Stretches of DNA accumulate changes over time
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Physically fit frogs have faster-changing genomes
  • During exercise, the circulatory system provides blood and oxygen to the tissues that are needed most
  • When physical activity has stopped, the rush of blood and oxygen when circulation is restored to those tissues produces a burst of free radicals that can cause wear and tear on DNA, eventually causing genetic changes that -- if they affect the DNA of cells that make eggs or sperm -- can be passed to future generations.
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Direct transfer of plant genes from chloroplasts into the cell nucleus: Gene function p... - 0 views

www.sciencedaily.com/...120413121916.htm Genes Chloroplasts Cell Nucleus DNA
shared by wasin kusakabe on 14 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • Chloroplasts, the plant cell's green solar power generators, were once living beings in their own right.
  • This changed about one billion years ago, when they were swallowed up but not digested by larger cells.
  • either direct transport in the form of DNA fragments from the chloroplasts to the nucleus or transport in the form of mRNA, which is then transcribed back into DNA.
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • Genes consist of several modules, separated by non-coding DNA regions (introns).
  • It was found that the transfer takes place without the involvement of RNA and that the DNA apparently jumps directly from the cell's chloroplasts into its nucleus.
  • t is thought that the introns even help the splicing enzymes by folding themselves into stable RNA structures, thus directing the enzymes to the right locations.
  • Since the introns obstruct protein synthesis, they need to be removed from the mRNA, a procedure described as splicing.
    • wasin kusakabe
      wasin kusakabe on 14 Apr 12
       
      The Chloroplasts was an different entity before they were swallowed up by larger cells to corporate with each other.
  • wasin kusakabe on 14 Apr 12
     
    The differences between the genes in the chloroplasts and the genes in the nucleus being researched.
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Dieting During Pregnancy Increases Risk Of Obesity And Diabetes For Offspring - 0 views

www.medicalnewstoday.com/...243627.php dieting obesity diabetes epigenics offspring
shared by Pop karnchanapimonkul on 14 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • babies of mothers who diet around the time of conception and in early pregnancy, may have an increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes throughout their lives. This study provides exciting insights into how behavior can lead to epigenetic changes in offspring related to obesity and disease.
  • dieting around the time a baby is conceived may increase the chance of the child becoming obese later in life
  • changes in the genes that control food intake and glucose levels that may lead to obesity and diabetes.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • epigenetic changes with alterations in the structure of the DNA and its associated proteins, histones, which affects the way that genes can behave in later life.
  • Pop karnchanapimonkul on 14 Apr 12
     
    Article about how dieting during pregnancy cause offsprings to have a change in genes.
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Niceness a combination of genetics and environment, the Neurogenics of Niceness study f... - 0 views

www.heraldsun.com.au/...story-fn7x8me2-1226324345541 genetics environment research
shared by Mickey Tsai on 14 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • BEING a nice person could come down to having a good set of genes
  • "kind" behaviour of more than 700 individuals was partly linked to receptor genes for oxytocin and vasopressin.
  • uch of the hormone you have, it's how responsive your brain is to the hormo
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • It's not about how much of the hormone you have, it's how responsive your brain is to the hormones
  • "(Niceness) is a combination of genetics and your environment."
  • Mickey Tsai on 14 Apr 12
     
    A study shows that genetics could play a role in determining "niceness". The kind behavior is found to be linked to receptor genes for oxytopic and vasopressin. People that are more responsive to it are more inclined to donate money, pay taxes, give blood, report crime etc. It isn't about how much of the hormone you have but how responsive you are to it. Of course genetics isnt the only factor, if you are surrounded by nice people it is likely that it would rub off on you.
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Genes Are No Crystal Ball For Disease Risk - Science News - 0 views

www.sciencenews.org/..._crystal_ball_for_disease_risk genes disease
shared by Paige Prescott on 14 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • For all but four diseases, the genetic data would fail to determine who is likely to contract the condition in most cases,
  • genetics are only part of the story when it comes to determining health. Lifestyle, environment and random chance play a bigger role than genes, or work with genes, to cause or protect against disease.
  • Paige Prescott on 14 Apr 12
     
    Looking at twin data, researchers found that genetics alone could not account for the risk of disease.
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Old Cancer Drugs Offer New Tricks - Science News - 0 views

www.sciencenews.org/..._cancer_drugs_offer_new_tricks cancer epigenetics
shared by Paige Prescott on 14 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • Drugs that alter some chemical tags on DNA make cancer cells behave more like normal cells
  • And the drugs seem to make cancer cells more susceptible to chemotherapy and attacks from the immune system.
  • drugs called azacitidine and decitabine, when used in low doses, change gene activity in leukemia and breast cancer cells in the lab. If DNA is a cell’s hard drive, then chemical tags attached to the DNA or DNA-packaging proteins called histones serve as software packages to tell the hard drive how to function. This type of chemical programming is called epigenetics.
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How a single gene mutation leads to uncontrolled obesity - 0 views

www.sciencedaily.com/...120318143904.htm
shared by Nitchakan Chaiprukmalakan on 13 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have revealed how a mutation in a single gene is responsible for the inability of neurons to effectively pass along appetite suppressing signals from the body to the right place in the brain.
  • The research team specifically found that a mutation in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) gene in mice does not allow brain neurons to effectively pass leptin and insulin chemical signals through the brain. In humans, these hormones, which are released in the body after a person eats, are designed to "tell" the body to stop eating. But if the signals fail to reach correct locations in the hypothalamus, the area in the brain that signals satiety, eating continues.
  • He has found that the gene produces a growth factor that controls communication between neurons.
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • The Bdnf gene generates one short transcript and one long transcript. He discovered that when the long-form Bdnf transcript is absent, the growth factor BDNF is only synthesized in the cell body of a neuron but not in its dendrites. The neuron then produces too many immature synapses, resulting in deficits in learning and memory in mice. Xu also found that the mice with the same Bdnf mutation grew to be severely obese
  • large-scale genome-wide association studies showed Bdnf gene variants are, in fact, linked to obesity.
  • both leptin and insulin stimulate synthesis of BDNF in neuronal dendrites in order to move their chemical message from one neuron to another through synapses. The intent is to keep the leptin and insulin chemical signals moving along the neuronal highway to the correct brain locations, where the hormones will turn on a program that suppresses appetite.
  • "If there is a problem with the Bdnf gene, neurons can't talk to each other, and the leptin and insulin signals are ineffective, and appetite is not modified
  • One possible strategy would be to produce additional long-form Bdnf transcript using adeno-associated virus-based gene therapy, Xu says. But although this kind of gene therapy has proven to be safe, it is difficult to deliver across the brain blood barrier,
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New study: Tracking proteins that repair DNA - 0 views

scitechstory.com/...cking-proteins-that-repair-dna
shared by Nitchakan Chaiprukmalakan on 13 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • DNA damage could be caused by many things including toxins, radiation, or a failure in molecular chemistry. If it happens in one cell, the damage may do nothing, or at worse cause the cell to die. If damage occurs in a reproductive cell (a zygote) it can be an inherited mutation; the consequences of which can go on for generations
  • The DNA repair workers are (so far as we know) protein molecules.
  • Under microscopic observations it was seen that the UvrA protein randomly jumps from one DNA molecule to the next, staying about 7 seconds before moving on. However, when UvrA formed a complex with two UvrB molecules (UvrAB), the search became more sophisticated and slower. The complex would slide along the DNA strand for as long as 40 seconds before moving to another molecule. Sometimes it was observed that the UvrAB motion would ‘pause,’ apparently checking for structural abnormalities that might indicate DNA damage.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • It’s assumed the protein complex is analyzing, but the mechanism of analysis is unknown. It’s also unknown if the UvrAB complex (or similar complex) actually does the repair, or if it signals for some other protein complex(es) to make the repair.
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Autism gender bias clue found - Health - CBC News - 0 views

www.cbc.ca/...autism-males.html autism gender gene DNA
shared by Mickey Tsai on 13 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • four times more common among males than females.
  • rare family with four generations in which males carrying the glitch were affected but females were not.
  • When male fetuses are missing one copy of the gene, it throws off their developmental process enough to lead to autism but female biology differs enough that it doesn't matter.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • now that doctors know that the SHANK 1 gene is involved and it can be tested for, they'll know to follow affected males very closely and offer treatments early on.
  • lved and it can be tested for, they'll know to follow affected males very c
  • Mickey Tsai on 13 Apr 12
     
    Scientists have long wondered why autism is much more common among males than females. When males miss one copy of a gene it messes up the development process enough to cause autism but female biology differs enough to make it not matter. Now that scientists have identified that the SHANK 1 gene is involved they can test for it and could offer treatments early.
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Plant research reveals new role for gene silencing protein - 0 views

www.sciencedaily.com/...120329141923.htm
shared by Nitchakan Chaiprukmalakan on 02 Apr 12 - No Cached
    • wasin kusakabe
      wasin kusakabe on 02 Apr 12
       
      Termination is equally as important as other sections of Transcription
  • Termination is the final stage of transcription.
  • Without termination, transcription continues down the chromosome unchecked.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • The expression of a gene, when an organism's DNA is transcribed into a useable product, requires activation via a promoter or an external trigger.
  • DCL4 is a back-up to termination processes, helping a gene to be successfully expressed
  • If a gene ends badly, aberrant RNA will trigger silencing pathways
  • Sea Maskulrath on 02 Apr 12
     
    this new way to making the mature mRNA is very interesting. gotta love it. 
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Proteins and quantum transition: Instant shape-shifting - 0 views

scitechstory.com/...nsition-instant-shape-shifting
shared by Nitchakan Chaiprukmalakan on 13 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • The genetic code in DNA provides the template to manufacture protein into all the cells of an organism.
  • Proteins are made by stringing together amino acids. For general purposes there are twenty amino acids in protein and they can be put together in endless combinations, some in short chains (yeast averages 466 amino acids), some long chains (titins have nearly 27,000 amino acids) and everything in-between. The pattern of amino acids determines much of the functionality of the protein.
  • Proteins are three-dimensional puzzle pieces. They are generally very complicated in shape. Even a small protein of only 100 amino acids can theoretically have 10^100 (ten to the hundredth power) different configurations.
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • most protein reconfigurations occur in nanoseconds
  • In research on proteins, it was assumed (given their chemical composition) proteins would uniformly fold as they cool down and unfold as they heat up. (Think of a balloon expanding and shrinking with the temperature of the air inside.) The experiments didn’t bear this out; the rate of folding or unfolding according to temperature change was unequal (asymmetric) and uneven (nonlinear).
  • In recent biochemistry a great deal of work is done with ‘tagging’ or ‘marking’ molecules with fluorescent and phosphorescent materials. It’s well known that fluorescence and phosphorescence are phenomena closely related to protein folding and they can only be understood in terms of quantum transition between molecules.
  • With a quantum transition, the protein could change configuration by ‘jumping’ – skipping all the transition steps – to the final configuration. They call this quantum folding and they developed a mathematical model that shows how the folding, which is virtually instantaneous, would react to change in temperature.
  • Their quantum transition model matched the folding curves for 15 different proteins and also provides an explanation for the different rates of folding and unfolding among these proteins.
  • Luo and Lu’s paper is short, a mere 16 pdf pages, and the model is unpretentious mathematically. (Luo has several other related papers on arXiv.) It comes from unknown researchers in an unknown corner of the academic world, and it’s published on the open-source arXiv system. The lack of pedigree means that it will take more time than usual for scientists around the world to learn of it, examine it, and possibly test it.
    • Nitchakan Chaiprukmalakan
      Nitchakan Chaiprukmalakan on 13 Apr 12
       
      This is not accepted as a true fact yet and has to be proven.
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Study finds gene variants behind childhood obesity risk - USATODAY.com - 0 views

www.usatoday.com/...1 gene childhood obesity
shared by Mickey Tsai on 13 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • Scientists have discovered two gene variants that appear to play a critical role in the development of common childhood obesity
  • Obesity is the result of a complex interplay among biological, behavioral, cultural, environmental and economic factors
  • a highly heritable condition,
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • a third of kids are obese or overweigh
  • gene research may provide insight into the biological pathways that contribute to obesity
  • Mickey Tsai on 13 Apr 12
     
    Scientists have found two gene variants that are likely to cause childhood obesity. This could be useful in knowing how to treat and prevent it. Although there is a genetic component to obesity, it is not the only factor. Biological, behavioral, cultural, environmental and economic factors can all play a role in obesity.
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