Archive for the ‘Male Genetics’ Category

Guilherme S Lopes,1,2 Suzette J Bielinski,2 Ann M Moyer,3 John Logan Black III,3 Debra J Jacobson,1 Ruoxiang Jiang,1 Nicholas B Larson,1 Jennifer L St Sauver2

1Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; 2Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; 3Division of Laboratory Genetics and Genomics, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

Correspondence: Guilherme S LopesDivision of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USATel +1 507 422 6094Email lopes.guilherme@mayo.edu

Background: Several small studies have previously investigated associations between the cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) metabolism and response to opioids. We used a large sample of patients to study associations between CYP2D6 phenotypes and estimated CYP2D6 enzymatic activity scores with pain control and adverse reactions related to codeine and tramadol use. We conducted additional analyses to determine whether our results were consistent among men and women.Methods: We used data from 2,877 participants in the RIGHT Protocol who were prescribed codeine and/or tramadol between 01/01/2005 and 12/31/2017 and who were not prescribed CYP2D6 inhibitors within 1 year prior to the opioid prescription. CYP2D6 phenotype categories were condensed into four groups: (1) Ultra-rapid and Rapid (n = 61), (2) Normal and Intermediate to Normal (n = 1,448), (3) Intermediate and Intermediate to Poor (n = 1,175), and (4) Poor metabolizer status (n = 193). Opioid-related outcomes included indications of poor pain control or adverse reactions related to medication use. We modeled the risk of each outcome using logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, race, and ethnicity.Results: The results revealed a trend from poor to ultra-rapid and rapid CYP2D6 phenotypes in which the risk of adverse reactions incrementally increased and the risk of poor pain control incrementally decreased. This trend reached statistical significance among female (but not male) participants. Among normal and intermediate to normal metabolizers, a larger proportion of women experienced adverse reactions relative to men.Discussion: We replicated and extended the findings of previous research indicating associations between CYP2D6 phenotypes and response to opioids. In addition, the observed associations were stronger in women than in men. We recommend sex differences to be factored in future research investigating associations between pharmacogenomics and response to medications.

Keywords: opioids, codeine, tramadol, pharmacogenomics, sex differences, CYP2D6

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Sex Differences in Associations Between CYP2D6 Phenotypes and Response | PGPM - Dove Medical Press

Films set in mental institutions have long captivated audiences; consider, for example, The Snake Pit (1948), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and Girl, Interrupted (1999). Films that begin with a patient leaving a mental institution can be equally gripping. By "begin with", I mean that, within the first third of the movie, we either witness the patient leaving a hospital or learn about his or her recent commitment. By "leaving", I mean the patient has been released or has escaped. The 32 films compiled here, in chronological order, all build on the tension of a mental patient's readjustment -- or re-maladjustment -- to society.

Eighteen of these 32 films are dramas and comedies. The rest are horror films and thrillers. Most are North American films. Otherwise, these are films that gained an audience in North America. Nearly all center on white, middle- to upper-class characters. Twenty of the 32 films present discharged or escaped patients who are male, while ten center on female patients and two on both male and female patients.

As for the era, nine of the 32 films here are contemporary. Released between 1988 and 2012, they offer the subgenre's most authentic depictions (e.g., David Cronenberg's Spider). Eleven of these films were made between 1904 and 1966. The five earliest are all about escapees, yet they span genres, laughing off mental illness via slapstick or heightening anxiety about it via melodrama and mystery.

A golden age for this subgenre, offering 12 films, lasted throughout the '70s and into the early '80s. The abundance reflects deinstitutionalization, a mental health movement that began in the US in the 1960s and served to reduce the need for permanent care. During this time, many patients with mental disorders were able to reintegrate into society thanks to advances in antipsychotics, new government programs like Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and a wider array of community mental health services.

A marker of these films as a subgenre is how often their introductions rely on either the commentary of a mental health professional or a traumatizing backstory as a plot device; elements that are combined in no less than eight films. Trauma is pivotal, if overdetermined. Narratively, cinema tends to oversimplify the onset of a character's mental illness by rooting it tidily in a single trauma. This is called the "presumption of traumatic etiology", a term used by Steven E. Hyler, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, in his Comprehensive Psychiatry article, "DSM-III at the Cinema".

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Another recurring myth is that of the "schizophrenic parent", which roots mental illness in a person's upbringing. Most commonly, it's a mother who is blamed for creating mental illness in her child. The theory has been out of favor among therapists for decades but has endured in films and how audiences read them.

The vulnerability of a newly released mental patient is a major factor in this subgenre, as is the vulnerability of a community into which a person with a mental health condition has escaped. Ranking the vulnerability of the patient on a scale of zero to five, with five being most vulnerable and zero being least vulnerable, only one of the women ranks below three, whereas men occupy the full range evenly.

How do gender, class, and race play into this vulnerability factor? Of the female characters starting new lives, only one is of a lower class and, therefore, doubly vulnerable. Even she, the escapee in The Woman in White, is less central to the plot than her upper-class foil (played by the same actress). As for race, minorities in mental institutions were long vulnerable to scientific racism and biased care, facing hostile limitations upon reentering society. Despite the dramatic potential, not one of the 32 films center on the experience of a racial minority.

So it is not greater vulnerability exploited in these films, but bourgeois vulnerability and privilege lost, privilege regained, privilege at risk. That rings true as well for escapee-killer movies in which privileged households and communities come under siege.

I must own up to my own fantasy of the nervous breakdown as a fantasy of privilege, induced by cinema and reinforced by this list. Eleven of the ostensibly recovered protagonists return to spacious, well-to-do homes; four can afford adventures; and five come to live in smaller yet cozy apartments. Only four start their new lives facing insufficiency or homelessness, in Touched, Sling Blade, Spider, and Clean, Shaven.

The latter three certainly qualify as the most hard-hitting and realistic dramas on the list. They also echo what the American Psychological Association (APA) considers an enduring truth, supported by study after study over decades: lower socioeconomic status is a risk factor for, if not a cause of, mental illness and psychiatric institutionalization.

These 32 films cohere as a subgenre even in their variations. Plot remains similar from film to film while tone mutates: absurd, inspiring, campy, gritty, or brutal. The portrayal of mental anguish bends from realistic to ridiculous, provoking sympathy and fear in turn. Sensitivity and insightfulness continually fluctuate alongside stereotyping and psychobabble, revealing decade-to-decade shifts in perceptions and practices. Furthermore, the films cross several genres, or bridge them, while ranging from obscure to ubiquitous, from cult classics and drive-in fare to Oscar winners.

Going by these films, there's not much reason to have faith in the security of mental institutions that house seriously psychotic patients, nor in the judgment of psychiatrists who release patients too easily destabilized by dysfunctional families or an aggressive society.

Indeed, in these films, newly re-stabilized characters tend to find themselves at the mercy of the unstable. They must adjust to the maladjusted. They are forced to accept being judged by others whose outwardly normal-seeming, yet in closed environments clearly toxic behaviors, have never themselves been subject to therapy, diagnosis, or stigmatization; thus, power is wielded over the mentally disenfranchised.

Whether underdog or maniac or underdog predisposed to seeming like a maniac, a character who has emerged from a mental institution embodies dramatic tension. If an escaped patient is not returned to the institution, society may be at risk. If the released patient does not adjust to society, he or she may be at risk of return to the institution. Consequently, post-institutionalization operates in these films as a framing device that heightens the meaningfulness of every action, every dialogue. There's everything to lose.

The success of this silent short film prompted an exact remake later the same year, Maniac Chase (dir. Edwin S. Porter), and similarly themed fare cashing in on the comedy of madness. The lunatic, in this case, believes himself to be Napoleon, dressing in the iconic uniform and bicorne hat. Asylum warders treat him so poorly that he jumps from his third-floor window to get away. A slapstick pursuit ensues, circling back to the asylum where the escapee returns himself to his cell. His warders find him there, reading a newspaper as if nothing's happened.

The Napoleon costume would have been understood as comic code for generalized lunacy, if not delusions of grandeur specifically. Stan Laurel's debut film role, in Nuts in May (1917), was also a Napoleon-dressed lunatic on the loose.

At the center of D.W. Griffith's dramatic short film is the unforgettable shot of an escaped lunatic (Charles Hill Mailes) warily peering around a tree, both childlike and deranged. He crawls into the window of a doctor's house and menaces the wife (Claire McDowell), home alone. Her piano playing saves her, soothing the psychotic man. The narrative then veers from a pearls-clutching thriller into public service message about the curative powers of musical therapy, a form of therapy just beginning to gain credibility (the first national association of musical therapists was founded in 1903).

Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White from 1859, one of the very first mystery novels, spawned seven film adaptations between 1912 and 1948. This full-length silent feature begins with the woman in white (Florence La Badie) escaping from an asylum. She was never insane, however, but a half-witted victim. The backstory is that she'd witnessed the misdeeds of a nobleman and institutionalization effectively silenced her.

Once she's escaped, she finds out the nobleman is engaged and warns his fiance (also played by La Badie) against marriage. As one woman tries to help another undermine the male forces against them, involuntary commitment to a mental institution -- or even the threat of it -- is exposed as a tool that can be used against any woman.

John Barrymore plays WWI veteran Hilary Fairfield, returning home "like a lost child" after 15 years in a mental institution. Discovering his wife (Billie Burke) has divorced him makes for powerful melodrama. More central to the plot is Sidney (Katherine Hepburn), on the verge of marriage, finding out that her father suffered not shellshock alone but latent insanity brought on by shellshock.

So insanity is in his blood and in hers too. Reflecting the era's fixation on eugenics, which advocated sterilizing persons deemed genetically unfit, Sidney fears she may "inflict" on her husband either mentally ill children or her own impending breakdown. A remake of a British film from 1922, A Bill of Divorcement was remade again in 1940 with screenplay by Dalton Trumbo.

Drogo Gaines (John Hubbard) decides to ditch his gold-digging fiance at the altar. When asked why he bleats like a goat. This faking of insanity backfires, alas, as he goes from the wedding chapel to booby hatch. The private hospital's entrance sign may pun "For the Rest of Your Life", but Drogo quickly escapes, traveling off with a carnival owned by Penguin Moore (Carole Landis). There seems little difference between asylum kooks and carnival kooks, all more sincere than the respectable set attending the wedding at the start of this uneven but pleasant musical comedy.

This film noir classic begins with Stephen Neale (Ray Milland) being released from Lembridge Asylum, having spent two years there after the mercy killing of his dying wife. His reentry into society is marked by unreality at every turn. For starters, the cake he wins at a charity fete contains sought after microfilm and the blind man on the train, to whom he offers a slice, is not blind but a Nazi spy. Stephen tumbles into an international conspiracy while London endures the Blitz. Such forces would make anyone nervous. Unlike the vulnerable protagonist in Graham Greene's original novel from 1943, however, Milland plays a hero so level-headed that his asylum-time seems all but irrelevant.

Charlotte (Jean Simmons) is the "overly emotional" wife of an unemotional academic (Dan O'Herlihy). She's released from a state hospital one year -- and eight electroshocks -- after a nervous breakdown. Many patients end up committed all over again, her doctor warns, if they are released to the same situation that precipitated the initial breakdown. Charlotte is certainly at risk, returning to a sexless marriage, a condescending stepmother, a glamorous cat of a stepsister, and her coldly bourgeois hometown.

Paranoia grates against clarity for Charlotte, the plot turning on the fact that her paranoia is not wholly unjustified. Why had her husband committed her to a state hospital, she demands to know in a confrontational scene, when they could afford a private one with superior doctors. The mention of electroshock (ECT) is ambiguous in tone. Though the therapy remained common throughout and beyond the '50s, public opinion on its humaneness was increasingly uncertain.

Bergman's stark classic, which won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, begins a month after Karin (Harriet Anderson) is released from an asylum where she received electroshock therapy. Vacationing with family on an unnamed island, she asks her husband, "Am I so little or has the illness made a child of me?" She later sneaks a peek at her novelist father's diary and learns two distressing things. First, there is no cure for her illness, schizophrenia -- a fact her doctor spared her. Second, her father has become obsessed, as a writer, with constructing an accurate description of Karin's "gradual disintegration".

Kirk Douglas plays Jack Andus, a movie star and manic-depressive alcoholic who attempted suicide four years ago. Since Jack is wealthy, he was committed not to a state hospital but a private one, often referred to as a sanitarium (a term originally associated with tuberculosis clinics). Ridgewood Retreat boasts lilac bushes, shuffleboard, butler-like attendants, and elegant rooms.

Jack assumes his career is washed-up forever until he's offered a role in a film set in Rome. His psychiatrist deems him fit, if not cured, but old tensions prove rocky to navigate. And those against Jack don't bother with the euphemism "sanitarium". Instead they jab at him with terms like "asylum" and "nuthouse". Will Jack's rugged individualism win out?

Lucy Harbin (Joan Crawford) finds her husband in bed with a younger woman and goes insane, chopping off their heads with an axe as small daughter Carol watches from the next room. The asylum releases Lucy two decades later, right when Carol (Diane Baker) is vying to marry into wealth. In some scenes, Lucy's vulnerability makes her an underdog to root for; in others, we savor the body count as her instability impels her toward daggers, knitting needles, and axes.

William Castle's campy shocker was written by Robert Bloch, author of the novel Psycho, and built on the success of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? costarring Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. These movies established a subgenre called "grande dame guignol" that centers on the "psycho-biddy".

Post-menopausal and mentally unbalanced, horror's "psycho-biddy" proved a recurring role in the '60s and '70s for big-name Hollywood actresses considered past their prime. Strait-Jacket exploits a grotesque conflation of mentally ill Lucy, obsessed with her faded youth, and the aging movie star playing Lucy, a specter of faded glamour.

German soldiers during the final days of WWI have planted a bomb somewhere in a French village. All the residents have fled except for those in the lunatic asylum. A bomb-defuser (Alan Bates) from a Scottish brigade, eluding a German patrol, hides out in the asylum and inadvertently releases the inmates. They dart about freely, playing at different roles in the town, alive in every moment and oblivious to the fact that the bomb is set to go off at midnight.

This French classic reflected aspects of the '60s zeitgeist, like war-weariness and the "anti-psychiatry" of R.D. Laing, though it achieved its cult status in the '70s thanks to New York's revival theater circuit.

Jessica (Zohra Lampert), just released from a mental hospital, arrives at a newly purchased farmhouse and her hold on reality is still fragile. She thinks she sees a red-haired young woman inside the house and it's telling how relieved she is when her husband and friend see the woman tooa squatter, it turns out, named Emily (Mariclare Costello). Equal parts charm and undertow, Emily is quickly invited to stay as a houseguest.

This beautiful independent film deserves its cult status, gently mingling psychodrama and the supernatural. Our identification with Jessica is strong thanks to Lampert's subtly modulated performance, the script heightening dramatic irony via her inner dialogues. Still, we can't quite trust Jessica's perception: Is the town really under Emily's spell?

This anti-masterpiece, from the heyday of drive-ins, roots Lynn's psychosis in childhood sexual abuse by her doting father. Troma Entertainment's DVD release of the film cuts the brief yet sleaze-radiating backstory to begin with eighteen-year-old Lynn killing her father and being committed, in denial about what she's done.

Lynn eventually escapes to find her new father figure, a lonely, unbalanced pig farmer named Zambrini. When she kills again, Zambrini feeds the corpse to his pigs. "It's no good to remember something that's terrible," he comforts her. "You must forget." Poignancy matches perversity, due partly to the characters being played by Marc Lawrence (known for gangster roles) and real-life daughter Toni Lawrence.

Albert (Zooey Hall) is an antisocial hipster in a black turtleneck and he hates his mother. He tried to kill the overbearing dowager once already and she had him committed to a private hospital. He escapes to try again but, with her gone into hiding, he fixates instead on the housekeeper's 11-year-old daughter whose "purity" attracts him, too much of a Shirley Temple-type to provoke his misogyny. Escaped mental patients like Albert also wreak havoc in Bell from Hell and Scream Bloody Murder, both from 1973.

A garish, darkly humorous chiller about co-dependence and cannibalism. It opens in 1957 with the trial of serial cannibal-killer Dorothy Yates (Sheila Keith) and her husband Edmund (Rupert Davies). Released after 15 years in a mental institution, they come to live in a small town about an hour outside London. Dorothy is neither cured nor harmless, though, her dottiness masking a hard-bitten sadism. She earns money giving tarot readings, dealing the death card to those who reveal they are alone in the world. Edmund, as before, covers up her gory crimes.

The movie orchestrates three plot elements found in other films here. One is the shading of mental health professionals as ineffectual. The other two -- that Dorothy's so-called "cannibanthropy" is rooted in a childhood trauma and that her daughter has inherited her psychotic inclinations -- seem to contradict each other.

Psychologically fragile characters prove vulnerable to the supernatural in a number of horror films. Robert Wise's The Haunting, based on a Shirley Jackson novel, is a classic example, as is Let's Scare Jessica to Death. In Voices from 1973, a mother grieving over her drowned son is released from a mental hospital and comes to stay in a haunted house, much like The Haunting of Julia. A gorgeous adaptation of Peter Straub's novel, it centers on a humble heiress, Julia Lofting (Mia Farrow), who accidentally kills her only daughter.

After two months in the psychiatric ward of a London hospital, Julia bolts from a husband who'd rather see her institutionalized than independent. She then purchases an antique-loaded townhouse to which only she has a key. Still, she feels she is not alone, coming to believe the house haunted by a sociopathic little girl who died there decades earlier. The more Julia fixates on the ghost of the little girl, the harder it is to tell where guilt-racked grief ends and the genuinely supernatural begins.

Disco-era Canada gave us this cult classic inspired by semi-autobiographical stories in Margaret Gibson's The Butterfly Ward. It's about Liza (Hollis McLaren), a schizophrenic escapee from a mental hospital, and her loyal friend Robin (Craig Russell) who takes her in. While Liza begins a new life, trying to stave off hallucinations, Robin begins a new career impersonating female celebrities.

Liza's storyline reveals an adversarial relationship between emerging patient and mental hospital. She wants to remain functional to spite the hospital: "They're powerless as long as I can function. I'll never go back to that locked ward." As for Robin, onstage he feels embraced by gay culture but offstage his genderqueerness is a turn-off for gay men. These two nonconformists may not change the social structures deeming them unfit, but they do begin to achieve personal stability and self-worth.

The original psycho himself, Anthony Perkins, plays Allan. He goes hysterically blind when his sister is scarred and his father killed in a house fire. Allan is released from a mental hospital after eight months, still partially blind. His psychiatrist insists that full recovery will require him to confront his feelings of guilt about the fire. Back home, Allan learns that his sister (Julie Harris) has taken in a boarder to help pay bills. Either this new boarder is out to get Allan or Allan has been released too soon. How Awful About Allan can be thought of as a male companion to the classic Curtis Harrington psychodrama What's the Matter with Helen? from 1971.

The most famous asylum escapee may well be Michael Myers in this stalker classic. It offers two beginnings: backstory about seven-year-old Michael killing his sister on Halloween night and, 15 years later, his escape from a state hospital to return home and kill again. His longtime psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis (an iconic role for Donald Pleasance) had insisted Michael cannot be rehabilitated -- "purely and simply evil" -- but the hospital board failed to step up security.

As a psycho killer, Michael Myers both emerges from and invades the small, middle-class town of Haddonfield; as a mental hospital escapee, holiday convention allows him to hide behind a mask like everyone else.

Here's an Italian horror oddity set in New Orleans, which means dubbed dialogue with a Southern accent. Jane Baker (Bernice Stegers) is a wealthy housewife having an affair. Her lover, speeding her home after a rendezvous, crashes the car and is decapitated; another backstory-intro doubles as "traumatic etiology", giving way to Jane's release a year later from a mental health center. She takes up residence in the apartment where she used to meet her lover, masturbating with his severed head that she's somehow managed to keep all this time in the freezer.

This winner of four Oscars, including Best Picture, is another example of a film that combines traumatic etiology and a schizophrogenic parent. The trauma that prompts Conrad (Timothy Hutton) to cut his wrists is his older brother's death in a boating accident, about which he feels survivor guilt. The parent who undermines Conrad's ego is not the sensitive patriarch (Donald Sutherland) but his composed-to-the-point-of-ungiving mother (Mary Tyler Moore) who didn't visit him once during his four months in a psychiatric hospital.

Conrad's return home is so tense for him that, despite the electroshock, he actually misses the hospital. "Because nobody hid anything there," he tells his psychiatrist.

Halloween blames Michael Myers' escape on lax hospital security, expressed through Donald Pleasance's character Dr. Loomis. Alone in the Dark casts Pleasance as a doctor known for his laxness. Dr. Leo Bain is a blunt parody of existential psychoanalyst R.D. Laing, just as Bain's "Psychiatric Haven" is a parody of Laing's Archway Community where therapists and patients lived together with little sense of boundaries between them (see the 1972 documentary Asylum).

Higher security is required for criminally insane patients, of course, but Bain's lockdown-triggering system fails the night of a power outage. Three killers (Jack Palance, Martin Landau, Erland van Lidth) escape to spend the bulk of the film terrorizing a newly hired doctor and his family in their home.

Opening credits roll and we watch a 27-year-old mental patient named Daniel (Robert Hays) on a group outing to the Wildwood Boardwalk in New Jersey. In voice-over we hear from a psychiatric report about Daniel's inability "to function effectively outside a hospital environment". This plot device should be familiar by now, raising the stakes as Daniel escapes from the hospital and takes a carnival job. A good-natured yet understandably forgotten drama.

Rain Man combined post-institutionalization with the road movie to become the top-grossing film of the year and win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. That Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) is an autistic savant upturns the expected plot, really, as he is concerned not with starting life anew but with fulfilling the same daily routine he'd established in the mental institution.

The administrator warns Raymond's brother Charlie (Tom Cruise) that "any break from this routine leaves him terrified". Nonetheless, Charlie drives Raymond halfway across the country, stopping in Las Vegas where Raymond's prodigious math skills come in handy.

Released or escaped mental patients are less present in horror of the '80s and '90s. There's Nightmares in a Damaged Brain (1981), Blood Rage (1987), The Johnsons (1992), and the iconic Stepfather II. In the original Stepfather from 1987, a family man (Terry O'Quinn), having murdered his wife and kids, alters his appearance and flees to another town to start a new life with an unsuspecting widow and her daughter.

The sequel begins at Puget Sound Psychiatric Hospital. Yet again in these films, mental health authorities underestimate a dangerous patient. The "family killer" escapes to reinvent himself as a family therapist this time. His career choice helps him to infiltrate the lives of a divorcee and her son. It's also a way for the film to mock the authority of the mental health field, by default making the escapee plot more conceivable.

Slapstick fuses with the erotic in this Spanish comedy inspired by Beauty and the Beast. Its anti-hero is an impetuous 23-year-old mental patient named Ricky (Antonio Banderas) who's been in the hospital since he was 16.

Every time he's escaped, he's returned himself because he "had nowhere to go". A notable aside: His sexual relationship with the hospital director grants him a privileged status. During his last escape, however, he met Marina (Victoria Abril) and, once legitimately released, he heads straight for her to begin their new life together. The problem is, she doesn't remember him. So he holds her hostage in her apartment.

We are lost in the dazed yet ever-startled silence of a schizophrenic (Peter Greene) just released from a mental institution. He has no dialogue for the first 18 minutes. Terrorized by auditory hallucinations, he believes some kind of device has been implanted into his scalp. The question is: Do institutionalization and pathological behaviors mean he could kill? A detective, investigating a child murder, seems to think so. His mother and the mother of his seven-year-old daughter would surely not doubt it.

Lodge Kerrigan has withheld proof, though, telling Film Freak Central: "(I)f people feel that he's guilty, I hope that the picture holds them responsible for drawing that conclusion. I hope that it forces the audience to challenge themselves as to why they believe that this man is responsible."

Karl (Billy Bob Thornton) is a mentally disabled man with a traumatic childhood. At 12, deranged by the sight of his mother having sex with someone who was not his father, he killed both using a sling blade. This Oscar-winning drama begins when he's released after decades in an Arkansas state hospital. With nowhere to live, sadly, he returns to the hospital -- to his "good bed."

The hospital director confesses, "The truth is, I don't know where they expect you to go. And I don't know what they expect you to do." Karl is not allowed to stay but the director helps him land a job at a fix-it shop. Also kind to Karl is 12-year-old Frank and his mother Linda, who take him into their home. Linda's abusive boyfriend, however, undermines the family vibe, provoking reactions from Karl that could bring about his recommitment.

Elling (Per Christian Ellefsen) had always lived with his mother, sharing her chronically reclusive nature. When she died, he was committed. Kjell (Sven Nordin) is Elling's simpleminded bear of a roommate at the mental hospital, obsessed with women yet a virgin. Both are middle-aged and, moving into a state-sponsored apartment in Oslo, they make for a cranky yet devoted "odd couple."

A social worker checks in on the two, reminding them that recommitment is certain should they fail to adapt. Elling's first big step is to leave the apartment and buy groceries. A charming entry from Norway, based on Ingvar Ambjornsen's novel, Elling received an Oscar nod for Best Foreign Language Film and was followed by two sequels.

According to the book Movies and Mental Illness: Using Films to Understand Psychopathology by Danny Wedding and Mary Ann Boyd, the London train station scene opening this gritty psychodrama depicts the flow of humanity: "the hustle of activity, and a multitude of people heading toward their destinations." In contrast, acutely schizophrenic Spider (Ralph Fiennes) is "slowly de-boarding, disoriented and isolated from everyone else."

Released from a mental institution after two decades, Spider is on his way to a group home. He mumbles, rarely saying a word aloud, and writes gibberish in a notebook. The film's plot unfolds as Spider's memories of a traumatic childhood surface -- not all of them necessarily accurate. "The only thing worse than losing your mind," insists the film's tagline, "is finding it again."

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32 Films That Begin With Someone Leaving a Mental Institution - PopMatters

Drug development is the process of bringing a novel drug from bench to bedside. It can take 10 to 15 years for a drug to be designed, developed and approved for use in patients (Fig 1). In some circumstances, the drug development and approval process can be expedited for example, if the drug is the first available treatment for a condition, or it shows a significant benefit over existing drugs.Before a drug can reach a patient, it must go through rigorous testing to determine whether it is safe, effective at treating the condition it was developed for, and to ascertain the correct dosage and appropriate administration route.

Pharmaceutical regulatory authorities are responsible for overseeing and regulating therapeutics; including prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vaccines, cell therapies, and medical devices. They play a key role throughout the drug development process and are designed to ensure the safety, efficacy, accessibility and security of approved drugs. Throughout the development of the drug, the responsible pharmaceutical company will conduct pharmacovigilance activities.

Numerous different regulatory authorities exist worldwide. The USAs regulatory agency is the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK equivalent is known as the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) every country has its own regulatory authority.

2. Preclinical Research

3. Investigational New Drug Application

4. Clinical Research

5.Regulatory Review, Approval and Post-marketing Safety Surveillance

Figure 1: An overview of the drug discovery, development and approval process.

Numerous screening approaches can be used to identify a hit compound. A hit can be defined as a compound that interacts with the target of interest. There are several strategies that can be used to discover hits including; high-throughput screening, phenotypic screening, virtual screening, fragment-based screening and structure-based design.

In phenotypic screens, the specific drug target may not be immediately evident as the approach is based on determining if a compound exerts a desired effect by observing a change in phenotype. The target underlying the observed phenotypic change may be identified later although there isnt a regulatory requirement to know the target of a drug provided it demonstrates good safety and efficacy properties.

It is extremely important that the most appropriate animal model is used at this stage, as well as considering the gender of animals to be used to prevent sex-specific bias. A drug could elicit a different response in a male animal compared to a female. You will also need to consider species-specific physiology and similarities in terms of metabolic pathways and genetics (for example 99% of all mouse genes overlap with human ones).

An IND can be categorized as either commercial or research. For an IND application there are key areas that must be covered: animal model pharmacology and toxicology studies, manufacturing information, clinical study protocols and investigator information.The IND sponsor is required to wait 30 days before starting clinical trials this delayed period gives regulators the opportunity to review the information contained within the IND application.

The clinical stage of drug development follows a series of Phases.

Study length: Typically, several months.

Primary purpose: To determine safety in humans, and to gather information on dosage. Phase I studies also guide how best to administer the drugto limit toxicity and enhance therapeutic effectPhase IINumber of participants: Several hundred. The participants will be diagnosed with the condition/ disease you a re developing the drug to treat.Study length: Spans from several months to two years.

Primary purpose: To acquire additional safety data to determine efficacy and adverse effects. This information is used to optimize the design of the larger Phase III study.Phase IIINumber of participants: 300 3000. The participants will be diagnosed with the condition/disease you are developing the drug to treat.

Study length: Spans from one to four years in length.

Primary purpose: To determine the drugs efficacy and to monitor adverse reactions. Due to the increased number of participants during Phase III, long-term or rarer side effects that may have gone undetected in Phase I and Phase II are usually detected. The greatest proportion of safety information is collected during Phase III.

The regulatory authority is responsible for the scientific evaluation of the NDA or MAA. The goal of the application is to provide the regulator with enough information gathered during preclinical and clinical studies for them to be able to determine if:

Number of participants: Several thousand. The volunteers will be diagnosed with the condition/disease that the drug is approved to treat.

The purpose of a Phase IV study is to obtain additional information about the long-term risks and benefits of taking a drug now that it is being more widely used. The real-world data can also help determine if there is scope to develop the drug further, for example:

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Exploring the Drug Development Process - Technology Networks

In 2018, more than forty-seven thousand Americans died from an opioid overdose, and ten million misused prescription opioids. The highly addictive drugs have destroyed lives and families, regardless of income level, race, age, or gender.

Fair Vassoler, a neuroscientist at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine has spent years researching opioid use in rats and the effects the drugs have on the rats offspring. We recently sat down with her to discuss what her research can tell us about opioid addiction in humans.

Tufts Now: The United States is in the midst of an opioid addiction crisis. Why study opioid addiction in rats? Whats the advantage of studying that species?

Fair Vassoler: Rats have the same reward system as humans. In the wild, these systems are designed to get an individual to repeat a behavior because they find it pleasurable, like eating and mating. Its really for survival of the species. Because rats and humans have the same reward system, rats can be great models for human addiction and human substance-use disorder. We have a huge amount of literature already about rats and their responses to drugs of abuse, and their behaviors are very similar to what we see in humans.

We can see escalating behaviors in the rats where they take more and more drugs if you give them more access. We see the same thing in humans. We can see relapse behaviors in rats the same way that we see them in humansif you take the drug away and then put the rats back in an environment that reminds them of the drug, theyll start searching for it just the way a human would.

With rats, we can look at what is happening in the brain at that time. We can record data from different parts of the brain and see what changes are happening and relate those changes back to humans.

Your research looked at how opioid addiction affected the rats offspring. What did you find?

When the parents were adolescents, they were given injections of opioids for ten days, and then we stopped giving them any more opioids. So it was very brief exposure. We let them grow up to adulthood, then mated them and looked at their offspring to determine if the offspring were more or less likely to take opioids or cocaine.

We found that if the rats fathers had been exposed to opioids, then the rats were more likely to take opioids and worked harder to obtain opioids. But they were less likely to take cocaine.

If the rats mothers had taken opioids, we found exactly the opposite. The rats had decreased likelihood to take opioids and increased likelihood to take cocaine.

We looked at both drugs because a lot of people think substance-use disorder is substance-use disorder. You may think that if someone is interested in taking drugs, then theyd be interested in taking all the drugs. But the rats definitely discriminated, and this can give us clues about which part of the brain is changed.

What is the practical application for this research right now? Can any of it translate to humans?

Its not that we can take the results and say that humans would be the same as rats. Humans are a very tricky species to study because they have so many different environmental experiences that are hard to control for. But I do think our research can suggest which areas are vulnerable, such as how a predisposition to addiction can get passed on from one generation to the next, and different places for intervention.

We have to think about how this widespread exposure to opioids is going to be impacting the next human generation. If we can find the right interventions, we can provide support for people who have had past issues. If we can help them enrich their environment for themselves and for their children, it can really be helpful. Environmental enrichment is another form of epigenetic modification that may be able to reverse the developmental trajectory and contribute to normal healthy neurodevelopment. Im definitely on the side of compassion, enrichment, and social support, and I think that those things are going to be really important going forward.

Where is your research headed next? What other questions are you hoping to answer?

The research Im doing now is trying to look at the development from embryo, to prenatal pups, to postnatal day-one pups, and throughout development to see if we can figure out how the offspring rats are developing differently. That could help us understand why they would respond to these two drugs, opioids and cocaine, so differently.

If we can figure out the specific biological mechanisms by which such behaviors are transmitted from one generation to the next, then we can work to intervene medically, and well understand more about how evolutionary biology operates. Thats what will make our research more applicable to humans in the future.

If effects like you describe did leave a child predisposed to addiction, could you reverse that somehow, maybe with nurturing or environment?

What this research can tell us is that our environment can impact our offspring. All the experiences youre collecting throughout your life are changing your epigenetics, or the way that your offspring are going to develop. For the rats, the only thing that the male donates to the offspring is his sperm. He doesnt do any fathering. So, theres something in the sperm thats changed as a result of the previous drug exposure. We think these are epigenetic modifications.

For a long time, people thought an individuals genetics were responsible for everything. But even if you have the same genetics, your environmental experiences can change how you react to things and how your offspring are going to react to things. I also think some tendencies are going to be reversible. So just the same way that your own opioid use might change the way your offspring take drugs, if you provide lots of environmental enrichment, for example you read to your child every day, then that could change or mitigate some of the effects of your past opioid use. Environmental enrichment is beneficial for everyone and can be particularly helpful in providing a strong foundation for neurodevelopment of children.

Some peoples brains are going to be more vulnerable to addiction, and its a combination of environmental exposures and genetics. Its not a failure of morality. Understanding that this is not a choice, that its a disease, is important.

Angela Nelson can be reached atangela.nelson@tufts.edu.

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What Opioid Use in Rats Can Tell Us About Addiction in Humans - Tufts Now

"Long-term, ZED horseswill develop a genuine emotional life with owners and bettors, even interacting with augmentedand virtual reality to bring these horses to life!" says Unikrn's CEO.

United States | 03/11/2020

C

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ould you describe in detail what are the disruptive innovations this product is bringing to the gaming industry? What are your short and long-term prospects and expectations for it?

Until now, virtual horse racing is little more than a roulette machine with a poorly rendered, horse-themed loading bar. Thats enough for some bettors, but we know it can be much, much more. Unikrn and ZED are evolving the space by bringing all the key parts of real horse racing together into a single digital platform.You can now own, trade, breed and race digital thoroughbreds, each with its own uniquecharacteristics, history and statistics passed on through blockchain-based genetics. Take thehorse you own and make the horse of your dreams, win cash racing them in real digital contestsof speed and stamina.

A ZED race isnt a random number generator. Its a bet on something so close to real that youcan feel the sweat at the finish line. Unlike other horse races, ZED creates continuity andnarrative. In ZED, a racehorses history from its races to its breeding record to its preferredstarting gate carries with it from race to race. Short term, ZED will let anybody get into racing horses and build a community from an emergingdemographic to build the next wave of casual racing and gaming fans. Long-term, ZED horseswill develop a genuine emotional life with owners and bettors, even interacting with augmentedand virtual reality to bring these horses to life!

When is the first race set to debut? Will there be betting options 24/7/365? Howare these exactly?

After months of beta testing, ZED is preparing to launch races in 2020 with a USD 20,000 prize pool. A regulated betting launch on Unikrn will follow shortly after complete with a beautifulspectator experience.

Why have you chosen horse racing game ZED RUN for this launch, and whatdoes this imply? For how long have you been working on this product, and howwas the path leading to this launch?

Through centuries, ownership of a prize racehorse was a privilege for the super wealthy. ZED isbreaking down the barriers for owning, operating and enjoying horse racing - were making it funwithout all the work.

Could you delve further into the non-fungible token (NFT) standard the gamewill rely on? What features does this bring? Do you think this product could bea landmark and open doors for new synergies between blockchain and sportsbetting?

ZED uses the ERC-721 NFT standard, which means all horse data will be recorded on theblockchain that can be publicly cross-checked, such as a racehorses DNA, past performance,name, colour and its family tree. So basically were making it possible for users to openly viewall the horses available, make offers to breed, trade, and race their horses with or againstothers. Unikrn and ZED are hyper focused on moving horse racing into the future for now, but thistechnology could certainly change the future of sports in general.

How is the process through which users can breed horses from their ownstables? What are your expectations for this in particular?

Users can breed with their own stables by placing their male racehorse into the studmarketplace (excepting inbreeding, which isnt allowed). We anticipate a fine balance between auser breeding within their own stables and also in protecting its bloodline. Just like in real horseracing, we expect strong performance horses to fetch higher prices in the breeding market.

What are your strategies and resources to actually draw and combine twodifferent audiences, such as esports fans and horse bettors?

Esports fans arent only esports fans, thats why Unikrn offers esports betting, skill wagering, an online casino and even a traditional sportsbook Unikrn is a modern esports first entertainment HUB. We know from our sites usage that theres heavy crossover between these and other options, and we also know our audience is blockchain-interested (thats why we accept cryptocurrency deposits and bets). ZED is just a natural extension of what we already offer a superior experience revolutionizing what used to be the status quo.

Are you currently working on finding partnerships with US casinos forcompetitive betting? What are your goals and prospects in that area?

We are constantly being approached by a variety of traditional and digital entertainment providers, including casinos and even licensed venue operators. We have some very exciting announcements in the pipeline that will catapult ZED into the mainstream, which we will announce in due course.

Nearly a year ago you launched Unikrn Virtual, enabling eSports users to bet24/7 on top teams from past rounds competitions. Can we have yourassessment of that product so far, in terms of performance and feedback?

Unikrn Virtual is a 24/7 virtual esports feed. Since we launched, weve added in thousands of exclusive, never-before-seen contests featuring some of the best esports competitors in history. Fans love to come see our competitors, including all-time champions like Justin Wong and Perfect Legend, play exclusively against hand-picked opponents. You could sit and watch Unikrn Virtual for every waking hour over weeks and still see contests that surprise and excite you, betting on tens of thousands of options. People love it. We love it. Well be adding several new titles to Unikrn Virtual this quarter, all of which feature hand-picked professional players duking it out in exclusive rounds. Weve seen a lot of interest and were excited to push the boundaries of what a virtual bet can become.

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'Unikrn and ZED horse racing technology could certainly change the future of sports in general' - Yogonet International

(Credit: Marina Keremkhanova/Shutterstock)

Why do some people feel like they need three cups of coffee just to get through the day when others are happy with only one? Why do some people abstain entirely? New research suggests that our intake of coffee the most popular beverage in America, above bottled water, sodas, tea, and beer is affected by a positive feedback loop between genetics and the environment.

This phenomenon, known as quantile-specific heritability, is also associated with cholesterol levels and body weight, and is thought to play a role in other human physiological and behavioral traits that defy simple explanation.

It appears that environmental factors sort of set the groundwork in which your genes start to have an effect, said Paul Williams, a statistician at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). So, if your surroundings predispose you to drinking more coffee like your coworkers or spouse drink a lot, or you live in an area with a lot of cafes then the genes you possess that predispose you to like coffee will have a bigger impact. These two effects are synergistic.

Williams findings, published in the journal Behavioral Genetics, came from an analysis of 4,788 child-parent pairs and 2,380 siblings from the Framingham Study a famous, ongoing study launched by the National Institutes of Health in 1948 to investigate how lifestyle and genetics affect rates of cardiovascular disease. Participants, who are all related to an original group from Framingham, Massachusetts, submit detailed information about diet, exercise, medication use, and medical history every three to five years. Data from the study have been used in thousands of investigations into many facets of human health.

Paul T. Williams. (Credit: Roy Kaldschmidt/Berkeley Lab)

Williams used a statistical approach called quantile regression to calculate what proportion of participants coffee drinking could be explained by genetics as the study follows families and what must be influenced by external factors. Past research shows that the most significant environmental factors influencing coffee drinking are culture and geographic location, age, sex, and whether or not one smokes tobacco; with older male smokers of European ancestry drinking the most, overall.

The analysis indicated that between 36% and 58% of coffee intake is genetically determined (although the exact causative genes remain unknown). However, confirming Williams hypothesis that coffee drinking is a quantile-specific trait, the correlation between a parents coffee drinking and an offsprings coffee drinking got increasingly stronger for each offsprings coffee consumption quantile, or bracket (for example, zero cups per day, one to two cups, two to four cups, and five or more cups).

When we started to decode the human genome, we thought wed be able to read the DNA and understand how genes translate into behavior, medical conditions, and such. But thats not the way its worked out, said Williams, who is a staff scientist in Berkeley Labs Molecular Biophysics & Integrated Bioimaging (MBIB) Division. For many traits, like coffee drinking, we know that they have a strong genetic component weve known coffee drinking runs in families since the 1960s. But, when we actually start looking at the DNA itself, we usually find a very small percentage of the traits variation can be attributed to genes alone.

The traditional assumption in genetic research has been that ones surroundings and lifestyle alter gene expression levels in consistent and measurable ways, ultimately creating the outward manifestation called a phenotype of a trait. Williams statistics work shows that the situation is more complex, which helps explain the diversity of traits we see in the real world.

MBIB Division Director Paul Adams commented, Pauls statistical studies complement the genomics research that Berkeley Lab bioscientists conduct to learn more about the relationship between genes and the environment.

Next, Williams plans to assess whether quantile-specific heritability plays a role in alcohol consumption and pulmonary function. This is a whole new area of exploration that is just now opening up, he said. I think it will change, in a very fundamental way, how we think genes influence a persons traits.

This research was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and a gift from HOKA ONE ONE. The Framingham Study Data were made available through the Biologic Specimen and Data Repository Information Coordinating Center of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

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Complex Biology Behind Your Love (or Hatred) of Coffee - Mirage News

For plenty of canine house owners, thunderstorms are a supply of angst, a stroll to the canine park could be a fraught enjoy, and New 12 monthss celebrations are in particular worrying. In step with a brand new learn about of hundreds of puppy canine, anxiousness and fear-related habits issues are popular. Sure breeds are in particular delicate to loud noises or being left on my own. Different breeds might have interaction in compulsive behaviors reminiscent of biting themselves or urinating, suggesting a genetic part to the job.

James Serpell, an ethologist on the College of Pennsylvania, who used to be now not concerned within the learn about, says that the issue stems from house owners failing to correctly socialize their canine. Many dogs rescued from shelters will have been inadequately skilled once they had been younger, and the issue is compounded when new house owners are overly wary with them. Its a type of helicopter-parenting idea implemented to canine, he says. Animals arent getting sufficient publicity to standard social interactions, play habits and roughhousing with different canine. Thats requesting bother.

Within the learn about, Hannes Lohi, a geneticist on the College of Helsinki, and his colleagues surveyed Finnish house owners of 13,715 puppy canineor just about 2 % of the overall inhabitants of the animals in Finland. The canine house owners answered to questions concerning the canine age, socialization,and behaviour round people and unfamiliar canine and in new environments. The researchers printed their effects on Thursday in Medical Reviews. About 72 % of the canine exhibited problematic behaviors reminiscent of aggression or fearfulness. In the meantime 32 % of them had been petrified of noises, which used to be the commonest type of anxiousness, and about one quarter had been afraid of fireworks particularly. Sensitivity to loud noises greater with age. More youthful canine tended to break assets or urinate when left on my own extra continuously than older animals did. And male canine had been extra hyperactive and competitive than feminine ones.

Lohi additionally discovered that canine breeds had very other behavioral profiles.Romagnolos had been possibly to be petrified of thunder, and Labrador retrievers had been least more likely to be. Extra miniature schnauzers, and less Labradors, had been competitive towards strangers than different canine. Blended breeds had the best ranges of inattentiveness, a trait proven in canine regarded as onerous to coach. The breed specificity of those characteristics means that genetics performs a job of their building, Lohi says.

In a learn about he co-authored in January 2019 in Translational Psychiatry, Lohi and his colleagues discovered a gene in German shepherds connected to age-dependent listening to defects and anxiousness. However its not actually recognized whether or not this can be a [physical] or psychiatric factor, he says.

The brand new learn about additionally tested comorbidities, or other stipulations found in the similar animal. Concern and noise sensitivity had been commonplace comorbidities, even supposing this may increasingly were since the pattern incorporated such a lot of canine that exhibited each and every trait. And separation-related anxiousness habits used to be extra commonplace amongst canine that had been delicate to noise. Serpell is skeptical about calling those observations comorbidities, on the other hand. The time period has a tendency to suggest {that a} pathology is concerned, however those are standard canine behaviors, he explains. As an alternative, Serpell says, I might be expecting there to be an affiliation between worry and aggression. Numerous aggression in canine is induced through worry.

Nicholas Dodman, a veterinary behaviorist at Tufts College and leader scientist on the Heart for Dog Habits Research, who used to be now not inquisitive about Lohis research, printed a identical paper on behavioral issues within the July-August 2019 factor of theMagazine of Veterinary Habits. There are some inherent pitfalls to the questionnaire-based way, which practice to our learn about as neatly, Dodman says. Surveying house owners about their canine habits assumes theyre vigilant witnesses, he says. And seeing a definite habits in a dog, such because the animal scratching itself, does now not give an explanation for why it shows that habits. The statement does now not permit an inference to be made, as an example, that the canine has advanced a compulsive dysfunction.

Human variety for characteristics reminiscent of herding or guarding will have predisposed some breeds to interact in compulsive behaviors, Lohi says. Within the new learn about, border collies, that have been bred to herd cattle, had been extra vulnerable to chasing lighting and shadows, while Staffordshire bull terriers had been the possibly to chase their very own tails, an impulsive habits that means a genetic defect has been enriched in that breed, he provides.

Breeding systems can step by step do away with such characteristics through averting canine with behavioral issues that experience a genetic part, Lohi says. However selective breeding for any trait has dangers, says Anindita Bhadra, a behavioral biologist on the Indian Institute of Science Schooling and Analysis, who additionally used to be now not a part of the brand new learn about. Making an attempt to reproduce anxiety-free canine may just result in different issues, she says. We all know that the majority advanced characteristics are multigenic, and synthetic variety continuously ends up in inadvertent adjustments whilst deciding on for a collection of characteristics, Bhadra provides.

Lohi says the next move in figuring out those behavioral problems is to tease aside what environmental, way of life and genetic possibility components predispose canine to them. The overarching objective of the analysis is in the long run to know the way helpful canine will also be to type human anxiousness and what sort of they proportion identical possibility or protecting components, he says. Ultimately, this might lend a hand to advance the well being and welfare throughout species.

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3 Fourths of Canines Are Angst-Ridden-and Homeowners Might Be Partially to Blame - periodical360

How high altitudes affect peoples breathing and its coordination with the heart beat is due to genetic differences, say researchers.

Clear physiological differences have already been demonstrated between people living in the Himalayas and Andes compared with people living at sea level, revealing an evolutionary adaptation in the control of blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain and the rest of the body.

Now an international team led by Aneta Stefanovska, PhD, a professor at Lancaster University has identified genes that are related to cardiorespiratory function during so-called acute periodic breathing. Their report is published in the Journal of Physiology.

Periodic breathing (PB) occurs in most humans at high altitudes and is characterized by periodic alternations between hyperventilation (too-fast breathing) and apnea (no breathing). The altered respiratory pattern due to periodic breathing is accompanied by changes in heart rate and blood flow.

Breathing, ECG of the heart, and microvascular blood flow were simultaneously monitored for 30 minutes in 22 healthy male subjects, with the same measurements repeated under normal and low oxygen levels, both at real and simulated altitudes of up to 3800m.

As part of the experiment, the participants were also taken in a cable car to a high altitude laboratory at the top of Aiguille du Midi mountain in Chamonix in France and tested immediately on arrival and after six hours at this altitude of 3842m.

The researchers found that orchestration between the participants hearts and lungs, as measured by phase coherence, responded differently to periodic breathing depending on whether they had one of two specific genetic variants affecting the cardiorespiratory response to insufficient oxygen.

Chronic periodic breathing is generally seen as an unfavorable state, being associated with increased mortality in chronic heart failure, but in healthy people it may be an indication of better alertness to oxygen insufficiency at high altitudes.

Hypoxia, as well occurring during rapid ascents to high-altitudes, can also be a significant problem at sea-level, being a contributory factor in many health conditions including cancer, strokes, and heart attacks.

Stefanovska says in a release, The similarities between hypoxia-induced PB at altitude, and the breathing characteristics observed in certain pathological states, provide an opportunity to further our understanding of the physiological processes involved in chronic hypoxic states that occur even when oxygen is abundant.

Considering living systems as collections of interacting oscillators whose dynamics is governed by multiple underlying open systems enables the observation of functional changes over time, and investigation of how they are altered in health and disease.

Image: Participants were also taken in a cable car to a high altitude laboratory at the top of Aiguille du Midi mountain in Chamonix in France. Credit: Lancaster University

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How Cardiorespiratory Function Is Related to Genetics - Sleep Review

It is a truth universally acknowledged that cancer prevention and early cancer detection saves lives.

As scientists and physicians at the major cancer centers work together to unravel the link betweengenetic alterations and cancer risk, genetic testing is rapidly becoming an impactful tool for matching patients to individualized cancer screening programs.

Often called the Angelina Jolie effect based on the actor'slaudable effort to enhance understanding of increased cancer risk for patients with alterations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes the general public has become appropriately more aware of the importance that genetics can play in cancer risk.

Put most simply, genetic testing utilizes DNA usually obtained from small amounts of saliva or blood to identify a genetic mutation, or change, in your DNA that may increase your risk of developing certain cancers. This is determined by sequencing the DNA, which reads the specific DNA code for a subset of genes known to be important for affecting cancer development.

Individuals with a strong family history of cancer or those of a certain ancestry, such as Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, might be more likely to carry these genetic mutations, but lack of a family cancer history does not mean that someone wont be a carrier. In many cases, genetic risk of cancer arises spontaneously through DNA errors that occur in developing embryos. In other words, genetic risk can result from a spot of ill-timed bad luck, on or before your journey began at the single cell stage.

Being aware that you have a genetic mutation that might increase your risk of developing cancer can help you and your doctor work together and create a personalized plan to help increase your chance of prevention or early detection.

For a man carrying specific alterations in the BRCA2 gene, there may be concern for increased risk of prostate or pancreatic cancer development. The team approach is then taken. After meeting with a genetic counselor, a personalized plan for that patient may entail earlier or more frequent prostate cancer screening, and support for helping the patient change behaviors that may further enhance pancreatic cancer risk, like smoking.

At the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson, the Mens Genetic Risk centralizes these plans, and coordinates with the patients care team to tailor the individual health plan. Further discussions are also had with regard to cascade testing, or testing family members who may also be at risk. As such, genetic testing can impact not just the patient themselves, but family members as well.

Genetic testing might be recommended to someone if they have a strong family history of cancer, which may include several first-degree relatives parents, siblings and children with cancer; many relatives with the same type of cancer; relatives who were diagnosed at a younger-than-normal age; or a relative diagnosed with a rare cancer, such as a male with breast cancer.

Someone who has already been diagnosed with cancer may benefit from genetic testing as well, especially if they were diagnosed at a young age or have a family history of cancer. Cancers with a known hereditary component include breast, ovarian, uterine, prostate, colorectal, melanoma, pancreatic and stomach cancers.

Having a family history of cancer is not limited to a having a family history of thesamecancer. For example, and related to our case above, a man whose mother or sister had breast cancer might be at risk himself for prostate cancer.

It is also important to note that the presence of a gene mutation is also relevant when treating existing cancer. Certain genetic mutations are also associated with a greater risk of having an aggressive cancer and resistance to certain therapies, which can help your doctor manage specific tumor types.

Your results may help your doctor decide on the best treatment regimen, because researchers have found that some treatments are more effective in people with certain gene mutations. In fact, the FDA has recently approved cancer therapies that are only for patients whose tumors have specific gene alterations and it is expected that many more such targeted therapies will be approved and ready for use in treating cancer.

So what if you have been tested and you do not have an identified genetic risk? It is important to note that not having a family history of cancer or genetic risk of cancer does not guarantee that you will never develop cancer. With regard to family history, the National Cancer Institute notes that only 5-10% of cancers are due to inherited gene mutations.

Additionally, having a family history of cancer does not mean that you are certain to be diagnosed with cancer one day yourself. Genetic testing can help inform you of your genetic risk for certain diseases, but it does not inform you of your overall risk. Other factors that contribute to an increased risk for cancer include environmental factors and lifestyle choices, many of which are modifiable.

If you are considering genetic testing or have questions about whether you or your family should undergo testing, talk to your doctor or other health care providers. Talking to a health professional or genetic counselor can help you decide whether you would benefit from testing. They will collect your family and personal health history, explain what kind of information the test can provide you, and help you decide whether the test is right for you.

After undergoing genetic testing, it is important that you talk to your health care provider about what the results mean for you, whether positive or negative. The results can be confusing, and they can help you interpret your results, allay any fears, discuss potential implications for your family, and help you make an informed decision about how to proceed based on the results. Discussion with a specialist is important for future care decisions.

If appropriate, your doctor may discuss cancer risk-reduction strategies with you, like preventive surgery, medications that help reduce risk or lifestyle changes. They also may recommend alternative screening options to help detect the cancer early, such as beginning mammograms before age 40 or having a colonoscopy at 45 rather than 50.

In addition to the clinical genetic testing, a growing number of companies are making tests available to consumers that can provide insight into ones ancestry, as well as certain health information. There are a few things to keep in mind regarding these direct-to-consumer tests if you decide to go ahead with one.

Ancestry DNA tests are typically not clinical grade, meaning that the information is not of the established quality required to change someones health plan. Even if a cancer gene is suspected on these tests, confirmation would be required using a clinical-grade test that has been deemed valid and reliable for detecting cancer gene alterations.

In addition, many at-home tests are very small in scale, and leave out testing of many genes known to be influential in determining cancer risk. For example, an at-home test might screen for mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA1 genes, but not for the genes associated with Lynch syndrome, an inherited disorder that increases the risk of several cancer types, including colorectal cancer.

There is a growing concern that negative results from an at-home test can provide consumers with a false sense of security. These tests should not be used as a substitute for the genetic counseling and testing you would receive from your health care provider, who will usually re-order a clinical test to confirm the results, and help you understand the results of the test.

Despite the importance of understanding personal genetic risk of cancer, there are justifiable concerns about privacy. This is an important concept for every person to consider. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act protects your genetic data if you were tested through your health care provider. However, there are fewer protections with the direct-to-consumer DNA testing companies, so be sure to understand the companys privacy policy when signing up for services. Some companies may share your results with third parties, such as medical or pharmaceutical researchers.

A common concern for people considering genetic testing is discrimination based on their genetics. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act is a federal law that protects individuals from genetic discrimination. GINA prohibits health insurers from discrimination based on the genetic information of enrollees, meaning they may not use genetic information to make decisions regarding eligibility, coverage, underwriting or premium-setting. However, GINA does not cover disability, life and long-term care insurance.

GINA also prevents employers who have at least 15 employees from using genetic information in employment decisions such as hiring, firing, promotions, pay and job assignments. Additionally, some states have enacted laws that offer additional protections against genetic discrimination. For more information on GINA and genetic discrimination, click here

In sum, cancer genetics is a rapidly evolving field, and the era is upon us wherein individual wellness plans will be as guided by genetic information as they are by vital signs. It was not long ago when the only genetic testing option was examining the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes for inherited mutations associated with breast and ovarian cancers.

Fast-forwarding to 2020, we not only understand more about BRCA mutations, but we have discovered that there are many hundreds of other genes related to cancer development and progression. If you had BRCA testing many years ago or were told previously that you were ineligible for genetic testing, talk to your doctor.

As we learn more about genetic mutations and we continue to expand the recommendations for testing to include more people, your doctor might recommend that you undergo genetic testing now or consider additional genetic testing. Understanding your genetic code just might be a life saver!

Karen E. Knudsen, Ph.D., enterprise director at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center Jefferson Health, oversees cancer care and cancer research at all SKCC sites in the Greater Philadelphia region. She writes occasionally on topics related to cancer.

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Genetic testing is helping prevent cancer and changing treatment plans - PhillyVoice.com

The cold case murder of Cedar Rapids teenager Michelle Martinko went unsolved for decades, until last month, when prosecutors won a guilty conviction by relying on 40-year-old crime scene and a family genealogy website. Its one of the first cases of its kind to go to trial but its raising questions about ethics and legality.

It was 1979, the week before Christmas when 18-year-old Michelle Martinko went to a brand new mall in Cedar Rapids to pick up a winter coat. But she never made it home that night; she was found stabbed to death in her parents Buick in the mall parking lot.

With no murder weapon and no clear motive, Martinkos killing haunted Cedar Rapids residents for decades. Generations of police officers worked the case.

They tested and retested DNA evidence that the male suspect left at the crime scene, but never got a match in the FBIs DNA database.

Then in 2018, they heard about a new tool. With the help of the private genetics firm Parabon NanoLabs, officers uploaded the suspects genetic profile to a public genealogy website called GEDmatch.

The site is somewhat similar to the better-known 23andMe or ancestry.com. Its a favorite of people looking for long-lost relatives, and unlike the other services its free to use.

After nearly 40 years of investigating, officers got a hit on GEDmatch: a distant cousin living in Washington State.

From there, the private firm built a family tree of potential suspects and officers began the tedious task of tracking them down, secretly following the men, waiting for them to throw away something they could test for DNA.

For 64-year-old Jerry Burns, it was a straw he used at a pizza restaurant in Manchester, Iowa.

Thirty-nine years to the day after Martinko was killed, Officer Matt Denlinger and his partner J.D. Smith questioned Burns, in the city where hed lived his whole life, just an hour from the crime scene.

They secretly recorded the interaction.

Did you murder someone that night, Jerry? Denlinger asked the man.

Test the DNA, Burns said.

Jerry, Denlinger continued.

Test the DNA, he replied.

Why did this happen Jerry? Denlinger questioned.

Test the DNA, he said again.

What happened? the officer asked.

I dont know, Burns replied.

Last month, a jury convicted Burns of first degree murder based on the DNA evidence. Burns case is thought to be just the third in the country to go to trial.

"I see a utility in this, I do. But right now it's like the Wild, Wild West where people just kind of doing what they do, because there are no rules." State Sen. Charles Sydnor, D-Md.

Other similar cases, including that of the alleged Golden State Killer in California, are at various stages of investigation or are awaiting trial. The high-profile California case made national news in April 2018, when officers tracked down the accused serial killer after testing his trash for DNA. The development is considered a major breakthrough and has sparked similar investigations in other cases across the country.

But the use genetic genealogy by law enforcement officers remains controversial. In recent years, GEDmatch has changed its policies to alert users that investigators have an interest in the site. Where in the past police had access to the profiles of all of the sites approximately one million users, those users are now required to opt in if they want to participate in searches by police.

State lawmakers in several states are considering restricting police access to consumer DNA databases.

At first, State Sen. Charles Sydnor ,D-Md, wanted to ban the practice. But after advocates pushed back, hes seeking a compromise.

I see a utility in this, I do, Sydnor said. But right now its like the Wild, Wild West where people just kind of doing what they do, because there are no rules, Sydnor said.

There are some rules. The Department of Justice has put out guidance on how officers should use genetic genealogy. But its just that, guidance. And theres a lot of interest in this technology.

Parabon NanoLabs, which worked on the Burns case and is one of the go-to private contractors in the field, says theyve now worked with agencies in 47 states.

"We could set up a society where we catch every bad guy. But at the same time we would imprison ourselves to the government." - Michael Melendez, Libertas Institute

Consumer database searches are generally reserved for the hardest-to-solve violent crimes, often cold cases.

But sometimes investigators dont really know who theyre searching for, and dont have a warrant for their search.

Sydnors bill would put limitations on this practice, by restricting familial searches of genetic profiles to a smaller web of family members.

[In larger searches] youre implicating a number of people who havewhere theres absolutely no probable cause, they have nothing to do with whatever crime it is youre trying to solve but yet youre pulling their genetic information, Sydnor said.

Michael Melendez of the Libertarian think tank Libertas Institute has helped write a bill filed in Utah. He says he doesnt doubt that a larger scale of what some call genetic surveillance could help officers solve more crimes.

We could set up a society where we catch every bad guy, Melendez said. But at the same time we would imprison ourselves to the government.

"You can make an argument especially in light of recent Supreme Court precedent that obtaining information from either a public or a private database without a warrant is unconstitutional," - Christopher Slobogin, Vanderbilt University Law School

The practice of warrantless searches of the consumer databases also raises concerns for Christopher Slobogin, director of the Criminal Justice Program at the Vanderbilt University Law School.

Oh yeah, I think they definitely gotta get a warrant, Slobogin said. You can make an argument especially in light of recent Supreme Court precedent that obtaining information from either a public or a private database without a warrant is unconstitutional.

In fact, Jerry Burns lawyer argued that using the database in his case was an unconstitutional search and in violation of his Fourth Amendment privacy rights.

Legal experts say its the first time the constitutionality of these searches has been raised in court.

But the judge in the case shot it down citing whats known as the third party doctrine, writing that because GEDmatch users shared their DNA with a third party (GEDmatch), they do not have an expectation of privacy over that information.

In the 2018 case Carpenter v. United States, U.S. Supreme Court justices hinted they could re-examine modern privacy rights to digital information. But its not clear how that could impact these consumer databases.

In the meantime, Janelle Stonebraker is thankful that investigators have this option. She is the sister of Michelle Martinko, and said she had given up hope on seeing a resolution in the case when investigators called to let her know they would be re-examining the crime scene DNA.

"That of course, was an amazing revelation and reorienting of thought and feelings. Because who else could it have been all those years?" - Janelle Stonebraker, sister of Michelle Martinko

The use of genetics in the case led to elimination of more than a hundred potential suspects. For Stonebraker, that meant the exoneration of her sisters friends and ex-boyfriends, who had long been scrutinized by police.

That of course, was an amazing revelation and reorienting of thought and feelings. Because who else could it have been all those years, in our estimation, Stonebraker said.

Stonebraker said she is aware of the criticisms of the investigative method and has family members who are concerned about how genetic information could be used to discriminate against patients in healthcare settings.

I think always the technology is ahead of the law, she said. So I think it will all have to be looked at, they will have to analyze all of the permutations and misuses and see what is see what is necessary.

Another person thankful for this innovation in forensic investigation is Brandy Jennings. It was Jennings DNA that led officers to Jerry Burns in the first place. She says for her, privacy was never a concern.

I dont regret it. I dont think that its a bad thing. I dont think I wouldve chosen differently. You know, its kinda like one of those things, if you dont have anything to hide whats the big deal? she said. To me anyways.

Like 200,000 people on GEDmatch, Jennings has agreed to let officers use her DNA in their searches.

As of now theres not much stopping them from doing just that.

See the article here:
Police Used A Genealogy Website To Crack An Iowa Cold Case. The Tool Is Raising Concerns Elsewhere. - Iowa Public Radio

A new study investigates the relationship between hearing loss and cognitive decline. The scientists have found that after 18 months of hearing aid use, participants performance on some cognitive tests improved.

Dementia becomes more likely as we age so as the populations average age steadily rises, the prevalence of dementia climbs accordingly.

To date, there is no cure for dementia, and researchers are avidly investigating ways to treat and prevent it.

Because cognitive decline precedes dementia, understanding how to curb this decline could help reduce the risk of dementia.

A group of researchers from the University of Melbourne, in Australia, is particularly interested in the potential role of another condition that becomes more prevalent with age hearing loss.

According to the authors of the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, age-related hearing loss affects 3060% of people aged over 65 and 7090% of those aged 85 or older.

The authors explain how, Hearing loss is associated with many comorbidities, including poorer physical health, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and isolation. Yet, they note, hearing loss is undertreated, with only 1 in 20 working adults aged 5070 wearing hearing aids.

Importantly, medical researchers now consider hearing loss to be a risk factor for dementia.

It follows that using a hearing aid might reduce the risk of dementia or slow its progress. However, to date, the evidence has been contradictory, with some studies finding benefits and others finding none.

Earlier research had certain limitations. For instance, some studies only had access to relatively small sample sizes or relied on self-reported hearing loss and cognitive decline.

Other studies did not capture information about education level, mood, exercise frequency, and other factors that can also influence cognitive decline.

The latest study involved 99 adult participants aged 6282 with hearing loss who were new to hearing aids.

The scientists assessed the participants before they had acquired the hearing aids and then 18 months later. The team was also interested in observing any differences between males and females.

The researchers collated information about hearing, speech perception, levels of physical activity, the quality of life, mood, loneliness, and general health.

They also assessed cognitive performance in five domains: psychomotor function, attention, working memory, visual learning, and executive function.

Primarily, the authors were interested in the relationship between hearing loss and cognitive impairment; they also wanted to track whether wearing a hearing aid, over time, might influence cognitive ability.

At the 18-month mark, there was a pronounced improvement in self-reported speech perception in quiet situations. As the authors explain, this has been widely reported for users of hearing aids.

When the scientists assessed cognitive performance after 18 months, they found that average scores across the battery of cognitive tests had not improved.

However, when they assessed executive function separately, they found significant improvements. Of the 99 participants, only one male had experienced a decline in executive function.

Executive function refers to a set of cognitive tools that helps us navigate our everyday lives. It includes flexible thinking, working memory, and self-control.

This increase in executive function was more pronounced in females than males.

When the researchers analyzed cognitive data from females only, they found significant improvements in working memory, visual attention, and visual learning, alongside improvements in executive function.

The researchers had also monitored how often the participants used their hearing aids. They found that those who used their devices most regularly experienced greater improvements in cognitive performance.

The authors believe that this difference between sexes might be, at least partially, due to how often the participants used their hearing aids; females used their devices 56.3% of the time, whereas males used them just 33.3% of the time.

The authors are quick to note that their sample is not representative; on average, the participants were more highly educated than the general population. This means that they are likely to have more cognitive reserves and, therefore, might be more resistant to cognitive decline.

Yet even among highly educated people, cognitive performance is not expected to improve in this age group. Overall, the authors conclude:

Despite the small sample size to date, both the observed relative stability and clinically and statistically significant improvement in cognition seen in this initial participant group after 18 months of hearing aid use are exciting and encouraging.

When the authors looked at measures of quality of life, they noted a significant improvement over the 18 months.

Again, they found a difference between the sexes, with a greater proportion of females than males reporting improved quality of life after 18 months of hearing aid use.

Earlier studies have shown links between hearing loss and mental health issues. In the current study, at the 18-month mark, mental health, on average, was good.

However, the participants in this study had relatively good mental health at baseline. Again, the sample is not representative of society at large, so to fully assess the impact of hearing aids on mental health, scientists will need to carry out more research with larger, more diverse samples of the population.

Although some risk factors for dementia, such as advancing age and genetics, cannot be altered, others can be minimized, and one modifiable risk factor is hearing loss.

Wearing a hearing aid many not prevent dementia. But, as the authors write, If the onset of functional impairment could even be delayed by only a few years for some people, this would be a significant achievement.

View original post here:
Cognitive decline: Could hearing aids reduce the risk? - Medical News Today

Male Breast Cancer Treatment Market Size, Type, Application, and Regional Analysis, Trading Analysis, Industry Analysis, Premium Insights, Patent Analysis, Market Attractiveness, Competitive Landscape, Traders/Distributors, Key Buyers, Forecasts 2020 2025

The Global Male Breast Cancer Treatment Market study exhibits a comprehensive analysis of the present and future market trends across the globe. The study presented by Reportspedia presents convincing data referring to the commercialization aspects, industry dimension, and profit estimation of the market. The latest report on the Male Breast Cancer Treatment industry provides the end-to-end analysis of this business vertical, and includes the detailed information about the industry, with respect to key constraints such as the present market size, revenue, market share, periodic deliverables, and profits estimations for the estimate period of 2020 2025.

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The Leading Companies Included In the Reports Are:

PfizerRocheGlaxoSmithKlineSanofiNovartisBayerBristol-Myers SquibbEli LillyAstraZenecaTeva PharmaceuticalSun PharmaceuticalBioNumerik PharmaceuticalsSeattle GeneticsAccord Healthcare

Trade analysis of the market is also the key aspects of the report as it provides information on the import and export of the product across the globe. Analysis tools like SWOT analysis and Porters five force model have been provided to present a perfect in-depth knowledge about Male Breast Cancer Treatment market. The industry is also been analyzed in terms of value chain analysis and analysis of regulatory policies.

The study also illustrates the competitive landscape of foremost manufacturers in the industry with their diverse portfolio and geographical expansion activities. The Male Breast Cancer Treatment market report byReportspedia also includes participants financial overview which consists of an assessment of revenue outcomes, sales volume, gross margin, cash flow, capital investment, and growth rate which will allow clients to gain intact knowledge of participants financial strengths and position in the global Male Breast Cancer Treatment industry.

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Market Size Segmentation by Region (or Countries), Types and Applications:

Key Focused Regions in the Male Breast Cancer Treatment market:

South America (Brazil, Argentina)

The Middle East & Africa(South Africa, Saudi Arabia)

Europe (Spain, U.K., Italy, Germany, Russia, France)

North America (U.S., Mexico, Canada)

Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia)

Global Male Breast Cancer Treatment Market Size Segmentation by Type:

MedicationChemotherapyOthers

Global Male Breast Cancer Treatment Market Size Segmentation by Application:

HospitalsClinicsOthers

Report Objectives:

1) Examination of the global Male Breast Cancer Treatment market size by value and size.

2) To accurately calculate the market segments, consumption, and other dynamic factors of the various units of the market.

3) Determination of the key dynamics of the market.

4) To highpoint key trends in the market in terms of manufacturing, revenue and sales.

5) To summarize the top players of Global Male Breast Cancer Treatment industry and show how they compete in the industry.

6) Study of industry procedures and costs, product pricing and various developments associated with them.

7) To showcase the performance of different regions and countries in the Global Male Breast Cancer Treatment market.

The Report Answers the key Questions

What are the important trends and dynamics?

Where will most development take place in the long term?

Which regulation thats will impact the industry

What does the competitive landscape look like?

What the openings are yet to come?

TOC of Male Breast Cancer Treatment Market Report Includes:

1 Industry Overview of Male Breast Cancer Treatment Market

2 Industry Chain Analysis

3 Manufacturing Technology

4 Major Manufacturers Analysis

5 Global Productions, Revenue and Price Analysis by Regions, Creators, Types and Applications

6 Global and Foremost Regions Capacity, Production, Revenue and Growth Rate of Male Breast Cancer Treatment market (2015-2019)

7 Consumption Volumes, Consumption Value, Import, Export and Trade Price Study of Male Breast Cancer Treatment market by Regions

8 Gross and Gross Margin Examination

9 Marketing Traders or Distributor Examination

10 Worldwide Impacts on Male Breast Cancer Treatment Industry

11 Development Trend Analysis

12 Contact information of Male Breast Cancer Treatment

13 New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis

14 Conclusion of the Global Male Breast Cancer Treatment Industry 2020 Market Research Report

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Global Male Breast Cancer Treatment Market 2020 Size, Share, Growth and its Detail Analysis and Forecast By 2025 - News Times

The lion commonly referred to as the king of the jungle, is one of the most popular animals in the wild and a member of the Big Five Game. It is a widely recognized animal symbol in most cultures and has been extensively depicted in paintings and sculptures, national flags, and literature. Lions are social species belonging to the family Felidae or cats. They mainly inhabit savanna and grasslands and are rarely found in forests. There are two subspecies of lions; Panthera leo leo consisting of Central African, West African, Barbary, and Asiatic lions and Panthera leo melanochaita consisting of Southern African lions. This article focuses on the Asiatic lion and its characteristics, habitat, classification, and related information.

A large population of the lion was found in the vast African savannah alongside herds of antelopes and zebras which serve as their food. Apart from Africa, lions were common in Eurasia. However, systematic hunting, especially by the British colonials brought the species in Eurasia to near extinction. The subsequent conservation efforts ensured that the Asiatic lion survived. Despite their restricted distribution, the story of the species remains one of the rare conservation successes. The Asiatic lion is restricted to Gir National Park and its environs in Gujarat and it is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List because of its small population which is about 650 individuals (as of 2017). It is sometimes referred to as Persian lion or Indian lion. The Asiatic lion is one of the five pantherine cats in India.

The Asiatic lion is a subspecies of lions that split from the African lions about 100,000 years ago and prowled across Asia and the Middle East. The subspecies was first described in 1826 by Johanna N Meyer (Austrian) and named it Felis leo persicus. Phylogeographic analysis of lions indicates that all the modern lions including the Asiatic lion may have originated from Sub-Saharan African lion. Lions migrated from East and Southern Africa to eastern North Africa, West Africa, and into Turkey, northern India, and Southern Europe via the Arabian Peninsula. The Asiatic lion is closely related to West and North African lions than the Southern and Eastern Lions. It is believed that the Indian lion maintained its connection with the Central and North African lions until the lions in the Middle East and Europe became extinct following the interruption of the gene flow. Because of the close molecular genetics and morphological similarities with the now extinct Barbary lion, the Asiatic lion has been subsumed to Panthera leo leo.

The Asiatic lion is smaller than the African lion. The male is slightly bigger than the female lion, with the male weighing approximately 160-190 kg while the female weighs 110-120 kg. The shoulder height for the male Asiatic lion is 3.51-3.94 feet and the female is 2.6-3.5 feet. The maximum recorded length of a male lion in Gir National Park is 115 inches (from head to tail). The fur of the Asiatic lion ranges ruddy-tawny to sandy or buffish gray. Like the African lions, the males also have mane at the top of their heads but the growth is shorter, making it possible to see the ears. The mane on the throat and cheeks are scanty. The skull of adult males is about 13 inches and of the female is 11.5-11.9 inches. The Asiatic lions tail tuft is larger than the African lion. The outstanding feature common in the species but absent in their African counterparts is the fold of skin on the belly.

Approximately 545 square miles in Saurashtras Gir forest has been set aside as a conservation sanctuary for the Asiatic lions. The sanctuary and its environments are the only places where the Asiatic lions can be found. However, the lions occurred in eastern Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Mesopotamia, Bengal, and Iran in the 19th century. Since the turn of the 20th century, the lions are restricted to the Gir Forest National Park and the surrounding environs. The national park is approximately 100 square miles and was established in 1965. Human activities are not allowed in the national park and the surrounding area.

The Asiatic lions inhabit the Girnar and Gir hill systems comprising large land of thorny forest, savannah, and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest. The lions are protected in five protected areas; Gir National Park, Gir Sanctuary, Pania Sanctuary, Girnar Sanctuary, and Mitiyala Sanctuary. The national park, Gir, and Pania sanctuaries are the core habitats for the lions and form the Gir Conservation Area. There are plans to establish an additional sanctuary near the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary. In 2019, a lioness and a sub-adult were sighted in villages about 31 miles from Chotila (Surendranagar District), making the district the 5th in Gujarat to host the lions. The villages are about 43 miles from Ger Forest.

Although lions are social species, the male Asiatic lions are generally solitary and may form a loose pride of up to three males. The females are more social and often have a strong pride of up to 12 females and their cubs. The pride of female lions will always share carcasses among themselves. Males and females only associate for a short time during the mating season. The males have a large home range (56-89 square miles) compared to the female (26-33 square miles).

Asiatic lions prefer larger prey with weight ranging from 420 to 1,210 pounds. Domestic cattle have been the main source of food for the lion in Gir Forest. Inside the national park, they mainly prey on sambar, buffalo, chital, nilgai, and cattle. Buffalos and cattle are mainly hunted outside the protected areas where there is no wild prey. The dominant male lion consumes almost half of the kill while the rest is shared by the coalition partners.

The mating season for the Asiatic lions falls between September and January. The mating period is between 3 to six days, during which the lions do not hunt and only survive on water. The lions gestation period is 110 days after which 1-4 cubs are born. The female lions take care of cubs for an average of 24 months before they give birth to another set. However, the interval between births can be shorter if the cubs die.

Asiatic lion is the lone representative of P. l. leo species outside of Africa. It was almost driven to extinction by human actions in the 19th century. Thanks to human efforts, the lions have been brought back to the brink. The lions are counted every five years, with the census involving people from the surrounding villages. About 300 rangers recruited from the surrounding area track, count, and record each lion. In 2015, 523 individual lions were counted including 201 adult females, 109 adult males, and 203 cubs.

The Asiatic lions, like other wild animals in India, face the usual threat of poaching and habitat loss. Although the government has banned poaching of lions throughout the country, there have been reports of poaching in recent years involving organized gangs who prefer lions to tigers. Although wells have been dug within the protected areas to provide water for the wildlife, some lions have reportedly drowned in the wells.

Three major roads and a railway track pass through the protected area. Although these have been fenced off, the continued use has caused disturbance to the lions. The three big temples inside the protected area attract a large number of pilgrims, especially during certain times of the year.

Since the 1990s, the population of Asiatic lions has increased significantly. About 200 of these lions reside outside the protected area, leading to an increase in conflict between them and humans. Although the lions have helped to keep away animals such as wild pigs and nilgais ways, the locals have attacked and killed some lions for preying on their livestock. There have also been cases of lions attacking and killing humans. However, with the changing lifestyle and values, the lion-human conflict has greatly reduced.

The existence of the Asiatic lions as a single sub-populations makes them vulnerable to extinction in case of an event such as wildfire or epidemic. They also exposed to the threat of genetic inbreeding because of their existence in one place.

The Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project is one of the most successful conservation stories in India. The project was an initiative of the government of India to safeguard the Asiatic lions from extinction. It involved the relocation of people living around Gir to create room for the lions. So far, over 500 square miles has been declared a protected area and a habitat for the Asiatic lions. To increase conservation awareness, the seal of the state of Gujarat depicts three Asiatic lions above its name. WWF-India is working with local partners such as the Gujarat Forest Department to barricade the wells. It is also working to undertake studies to assess the habitat change to address issues of poaching and manage conflict. There is also a dedicated team of game rangers who take the injured lions to the treatment center located in the park. The effort has seen several injured lions rescued and treated on time.

Continued here:
The Story Of The Asiatic Lion: Surviving Only In Gujarat, India - World Atlas

Some of the most notorious low testosterone myths center around male pattern baldness.

Some myths say, on the one hand, that too much testosterone causes balding. On the other hand, some myths say that low testosterone leads to balding.

Is testosterone really causing men to lose the hair on their head?

What the evidence shows is pretty interesting. If youre concerned about hair loss, you should be looking into the genetics of male pattern baldness.

Androgenic alopecia (the scientific term for male pattern baldness) is often wrongly attributed to hormones.

Its true that those experiencing male pattern baldness have particular hormonal profiles, and hormones certainly play a role.

Men experiencing male pattern baldness usually have a high level of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is a byproduct of testosterone that has been broken down for use by the body.

DHT has been proven to shrink hair follicles, which makes it impossible for healthy hair to survive. Its then easy to incorrectly conclude that its the amount of DHT circulating in the system thats causing the shrinkage of hair follicles and subsequent hair loss.

More DHT doesnt necessarily mean youre going to lose your hair.

Male (and female) pattern baldness is actually the result of DHT acting under a specific set of genetic conditions.

Some men are genetically predisposed to developing hair follicles that react strongly and negatively to the presence of DHT. Their follicles have an increased number of receptors that allow DHT to bind to them and cause the follicles to constrict.

Hair loss is almost entirely determined by this genetic increase in the number of receptors, not on the amount of DHT in mens systems.

The catch is that only men with this specific genetic increase in receptors have this reaction and lose their hair.

The gene that determines DHT sensitivity is found on the female X chromosome.

Men have one X chromosome, and one Y chromosome. If that single X chromosome contains the sensitivity gene, they inherit the sensitivity.

On the other hand, women have two X chromosomes and no Y chromosome. That means that they get a second chance. Both X chromosomes would have to possess the sensitivity gene, which is a rare occurrence.

Its that most basic genetic makeup, XY for men and XX for women, that sets up a relatively high statistical occurrence of baldness in men, but a low occurrence in women.

Most testosterone myths have developed as a result of observing differences between men and women, and people assumed the natural differences in testosterone levels was the determining factor.

Thats simply not true in the case of male pattern baldness.

Male pattern baldness is primarily a hereditary trait, and some genetic predictions can be made: If you have a high occurrence of male pattern baldness in your family, the chances are high that you, as a man in that genetic line, have the genetic factor, too.

After having said all of that about genetics determining male hair loss, there is a different kind of hair loss you should keep an eye on: Thinning body and facial hair (one of the more common signs of low testosterone).

If youve found that your beard is thinning or that youre losing body hair, it could be a symptom of low testosterone.

(Read more about the many symptoms of low testosterone here.)

Theres a definite positive conclusion to be drawn from all of this information: If youre suffering from low testosterone and currently have a full head of hair, the supplemental testosterone injections used for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) wont suddenly cause you to develop male pattern baldness.

That means you can utilize the benefits of a regimented TRT plan that has the potential to restore your quality of life and help you feel like yourself again, all without the fear of suddenly losing your full head of hair.

If you still have questions regarding the genetics of male pattern baldness, or if you would like to learn more about the role of hormones in hair loss, we invite you to check out some further information we have available on the subject click the button to learn more.

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The Genetics of Male Pattern Baldness - tctmed.com

The likelihood of conceiving twins is a complex trait. It is probably affected by multiple genetic and environmental factors, depending on the type of twins. The two types of twins are classified as monozygotic and dizygotic.

Monozygotic (MZ) twins, also called identical twins, occur when a single egg cell is fertilized by a single sperm cell. The resulting zygote splits into two very early in development, leading to the formation of two separate embryos. MZ twins occur in 3 to 4 per 1,000 births worldwide. Research suggests that most cases of MZ twinning are not caused by genetic factors. However, a few families with a larger-than-expected number of MZ twins have been reported, which indicates that genetics may play a role. It is possible that genes involved in sticking cells together (cell adhesion) may contribute to MZ twinning, although this hypothesis has not been confirmed. Most of the time, the cause of MZ twinning is unknown.

Dizygotic (DZ) twins, also called fraternal twins, occur when two egg cells are each fertilized by a different sperm cell in the same menstrual cycle. DZ twins are about twice as common as MZ twins, and they are much more likely to run in families. Compared with the general population, women with a mother or sister who have had DZ twins are about twice as likely to have DZ twins themselves.

DZ twinning is thought to be a result of hyperovulation, which is the release of more than one egg in a single menstrual cycle. To explain how DZ twinning can run in families, researchers have looked for genetic factors that increase the chance of hyperovulation. However, studies examining the contributions of specific genes have had mixed and conflicting results. Few specific genes in humans have been definitively linked with hyperovulation or an increased probability of DZ twinning.

Other factors known to influence the chance of having DZ twins include the mothers age, ethnic background, diet, body composition, and number of other children. Assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) are also associated with an increased frequency of DZ twins.

Hoekstra C, Zhao ZZ, Lambalk CB, Willemsen G, Martin NG, Boomsma DI, Montgomery GW. Dizygotic twinning. Hum Reprod Update. 2008 Jan-Feb;14(1):37-47. Epub 2007 Nov 16. Review. PubMed: 18024802.

Machin G. Familial monozygotic twinning: a report of seven pedigrees. Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet. 2009 May 15;151C(2):152-4. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.c.30211. PubMed: 19363801.

Mbarek H, Steinberg S, Nyholt DR, Gordon SD, Miller MB, McRae AF, Hottenga JJ, Day FR, Willemsen G, de Geus EJ, Davies GE, Martin HC, Penninx BW, Jansen R, McAloney K, Vink JM, Kaprio J, Plomin R, Spector TD, Magnusson PK, Reversade B, Harris RA, Aagaard K, Kristjansson RP, Olafsson I, Eyjolfsson GI, Sigurdardottir O, Iacono WG, Lambalk CB, Montgomery GW, McGue M, Ong KK, Perry JR, Martin NG, Stefnsson H, Stefnsson K, Boomsma DI. Identification of Common Genetic Variants Influencing Spontaneous Dizygotic Twinning and Female Fertility. Am J Hum Genet. 2016 May 5;98(5):898-908. doi: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2016.03.008. Epub 2016 Apr 28. Pubmed: 27132594.

Painter JN, Willemsen G, Nyholt D, Hoekstra C, Duffy DL, Henders AK, Wallace L, Healey S, Cannon-Albright LA, Skolnick M, Martin NG, Boomsma DI, Montgomery GW. A genome wide linkage scan for dizygotic twinning in 525 families of mothers of dizygotic twins. Hum Reprod. 2010 Jun;25(6):1569-80. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deq084. Epub 2010 Apr 8. PubMed: 20378614. Free full-text available from PubMed Central: PMC2912534.

Shur N. The genetics of twinning: from splitting eggs to breaking paradigms. Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet. 2009 May 15;151C(2):105-9. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.c.30204. PubMed: 19363800.

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Is the probability of having twins determined by genetics ...

What is a genetic disease?

A genetic disease is any disease caused by an abnormality in the genetic makeup of an individual. The genetic abnormality can range from minuscule to major -- from a discrete mutation in a single base in the DNA of a single gene to a gross chromosomal abnormality involving the addition or subtraction of an entire chromosome or set of chromosomes. Some people inherit genetic disorders from the parents, while acquired changes or mutations in a preexisting gene or group of genes cause other genetic diseases. Genetic mutations can occur either randomly or due to some environmental exposure.

What are the four types of genetic disorders (inherited)?

There are a number of different types of genetic disorders (inherited) and include:

The baby with Down syndrome has a hallmark appearance. However, every aspect of the appearance does not need to be present as the phenotype, the way the genes make the child look, can be markedly different for each patient. Common Down syndrome symptoms are:

7 single gene inheritance disorders

Single gene inheritance is also called Mendelian or monogenetic inheritance. Changes or mutations that occur in the DNA sequence of a single gene cause this type of inheritance. There are thousands of known single-gene disorders. These disorders are known as monogenetic disorders (disorders of a single gene).

Single-gene disorders have different patterns of genetic inheritance, including

Some examples of single-gene disorders include

7 common multifactorial genetic inheritance disorders

Multifactorial inheritance is also called complex or polygenic inheritance. Multifactorial inheritance disorders are caused by a combination of environmental factors and mutations in multiple genes. For example, different genes that influence breast cancer susceptibility have been found on chromosomes 6, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, and 22. Some common chronic diseases are multifactorial disorders.

Examples of multifactorial inheritance include

Multifactorial inheritance also is associated with heritable traits such as fingerprint patterns, height, eye color, and skin color.

4 chromosomal abnormalities

Chromosomes, distinct structures made up of DNA and protein, are located in the nucleus of each cell. Because chromosomes are the carriers of the genetic material, abnormalities in chromosome number or structure can result in disease. Chromosomal abnormalities typically occur due to a problem with cell division.

For example, Down syndrome (sometimes referred to as "Down's syndrome") or trisomy 21 is a common genetic disorder that occurs when a person has three copies of chromosome 21. There are many other chromosomal abnormalities including:

Diseases may also occur because of chromosomal translocation in which portions of two chromosomes are exchanged.

3 mitochondrial genetic inheritance disorders

This type of genetic disorder is caused by mutations in the non-nuclear DNA of mitochondria. Mitochondria are small round or rod-like organelles that are involved in cellular respiration and found in the cytoplasm of plant and animal cells. Each mitochondrion may contain 5 to 10 circular pieces of DNA. Since egg cells, but not sperm cells, keep their mitochondria during fertilization, mitochondrial DNA is always inherited from the female parent.

Examples of mitochondrial disease include

What is the human genome?

The human genome is the entire "treasury of human inheritance." The sequence of the human genome obtained by the Human Genome Project, completed in April 2003, provides the first holistic view of our genetic heritage. The 46 human chromosomes (22 pairs of autosomal chromosomes and 2 sex chromosomes) between them house almost 3 billion base pairs of DNA that contains about 20,500 protein-coding genes. The coding regions make up less than 5% of the genome (the function of all the remaining DNA is not clear) and some chromosomes have a higher density of genes than others.

Most genetic diseases are the direct result of a mutation in one gene. However, one of the most difficult problems ahead is to further elucidate how genes contribute to diseases that have a complex pattern of inheritance, such as in the cases of diabetes, asthma, cancer, and mental illness. In all these cases, no one gene has the yes/no power to say whether a person will develop the disease or not. It is likely that more than one mutation is required before the disease is manifest, and a number of genes may each make a subtle contribution to a person's susceptibility to a disease; genes may also affect how a person reacts to environmental factors.

Medically Reviewed on 10/17/2019

References

United States. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. "Cystic Fibrosis." <https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/cystic-fibrosis>.

United States. National Human Genome Research Institute. "Frequently Asked Questions About Genetic Disorders." <https://www.genome.gov/19016930/faq-about-genetic-disorders/>.

See the article here:
21 Common Genetic Disorders: Types, Symptoms, Causes ...

Can you guess the single most important tool in preventing neglected, stray and unwanted animals? Yep, its spaying and neutering. This one, fairly simple procedure has made a tremendous impact on controlling the number of animals coming into shelters across the nation.

World Spay Day is Tuesday and its a great time to be reminded of how this one effort can prevent animal homelessness. Yet, some people are still hesitant to get their pets spayed or neutered, often due to misinformation or misunderstanding surrounding the procedure.

Here are some common myths about spay and neuter debunked by Humane Society International.

Myth: My pet needs to have a litter/one heat before sterilization.

Fact: Medical evidence indicates just the opposite. In fact, the evidence shows that females spayed before their first heat are typically healthier.

Myth: Its not natural to spay or neuter and will upset my dog or cat.

Fact: The domestication of animals removed them from the natural order and placed responsibility for their care with humans. Applying human emotions to animals is neither realistic nor applicable when it comes to identifying a need for sterilization.

Myth: I want my dog to be protective.

Fact: It is a dogs natural instinct to protect home and family. A dogs personality is formed more by genetics and environment than by sex hormones.

Myth: I do not want my male dog or cat to feel like less of a male.

Fact: Pets do not have any concept of sexual identity or ego. Neutering will not change a pets basic personality. The pet does not suffer any kind of emotional reaction or identity crisis when neutered.

Myth: My pet will get fat and lazy.

Fact: The truth is that most pets get fat and lazy because their guardians feed them too much and do not give them enough exercise.

Myth: But, my dog (or cat) is so special, I want a puppy (or kitten) just like them.

Fact: Your pets puppies or kittens have little chance of being an exact copy of your pet. Even professional breeders cannot make this guarantee. There are homeless pets waiting for homes who are just as cute, smart, sweet and loving as your own.

Spaying or neutering also helps keep dogs and cats healthy by reducing or eliminating the possibility of uterine infection, mammary tumors, prostate problems and certain types of cancers. Neutering male dogs and cats also eliminates the urge to seek out females in heat (sometimes by creatively escaping from their house or yard), thus reducing the risks associated with free-roaming animals.

Marin Humane offers spay and neuter services for the pets (including rabbits) of low-income Marin County residents. And for pit bulls and pit bull mixes, spay and neuter services are free for Marin County residents. We also collaborate with local organizations like Marin Friends of Ferals to sterilize feral cats and kittens, and provide vouchers to the public to subsidize spay and neuter surgeries for feral cats by local veterinarians.

As the saying goes, prevent a litter and fix your critter.

For more information about Marin Humanes spay and neuter services for low-income residents, call 415-883-3383 or go to marinhumane.org.

Lisa Bloch is the marketing and communications director for Marin Humane, which contributes Tails of Marin articles and welcomes animal-related questions and stories about the people and animals in our community. Go to marinhumane.org, Twitter.com/marinhumaneor email lbloch@marinhumanesociety.org.

Go here to read the rest:
The most important way to prevent neglected, stray and unwanted animals - Marin Independent Journal

It is far easier to say about being content with what we have than actually being content. Many males are discontent with their penis size due to which you can see penis enlargement and viagra searches skyrocketing on search engines across the world. There are thousands of products on the internet which claim to enlarge the penis. But the reality is, most of them dont work, and the ones which work may cause side effects. However, Massive Male Plus is a unique product amongst the heap of penis enlargement products.

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Viagra is a popular drug that keeps the penis erect for a longer time, but it doesnt increase the length of the penis. Viagra just ensures that your penis holds more blood to stay erect. On the other hand, Massive Male Plus fills your erectile tissue with more blood flow due to which, the size of the tissue also increases. Hypergenesis or hyperplasia is responsible for this enlargement. It occurs when cell proliferation increases the amount of organic tissue.

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Also called intensity wood, Muira Puama has properties that enhance libido and reproductive capacity.

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Does Massive Male Plus offer any money-back guarantee?

Massive Male Plus offers a 60-day money-back guarantee. So, you can return this supplement if you arent satisfied with its results. However, we suggest you use this supplement for at least 30 days to get good results.

You can send the bottles back to their shipping address for getting a full refund. You will get a Return and Refund Form with the package on delivery. The bottle has to get filled to avail of a refund. Also, you can even send back the bottles on the 59th day of your guarantee period as only the day of reshipment matters for the company. Its totally fine if the package reaches after the guarantee period. Just ensure that the package gets shipped within 60 days.

Can I intake Massive Male Plus capsules even if I have allergies?

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I currently use some supplements to fulfill my vitamin levels. Will Massive Male Plus interfere with those supplements?

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How soon will I get to see the results?

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Will Massive Male Plus cause any side-effects?

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By Alex L.

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It used to think that it was impossible to enlarge a penis. Still, with Massive Male Plus, I got to experience the miracle itself!

The individuals consuming Massive Male Plus might experience varied results, but all of them will lead to the same effect! This supplement will help you to enlarge your penis, blossom your sex life and increase your confidence while performing in bed. As this supplement is made up of natural ingredients, you wont face any side-effects. You should give Massive Male Plus a try if you are looking for something which would be a life-changing factor to level up your sex life.

Read more:
Massive Male Plus Review - Is This Supplement Worth Buying? - Jollofnews

Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is a hormonal disorder in women that can cause irregular periods, abnormal amounts of facial and body hair, infertility, among other symptoms.

The Office on Women's Health reports that PCOS affects 1 in 10 women of childbearing age from 15 to 44 years old. And "as we understand it, is a lifelong disorder," says Richard Legro, MD, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Public Health Services at the Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health.

Here's what you need to know about the causes, symptoms, and symptom relief from PCOS.

PCOS occurs when women have abnormally large tiny follicles in their ovaries. Marochkina Anastasiia/Shutterstock

The name polycystic ovary syndrome is a slight misnomer because it doesn't involve traditional ovarian cysts. Instead, people affected by PCOS often have a larger-than-average number of tiny follicles in their ovaries that look like small cysts but are not like traditional ovarian cysts. These follicles grow but never fully develop to release eggs. And if no eggs are released, you don't ovulate.

The follicles themselves aren't dangerous but the hormonal imbalance they cause can wreak havoc with the person's menstrual cycle. Your body may not produce enough of the female reproductive hormone progesterone to maintain a normal menstrual cycle. As a result, PCOS is the most common cause of infertility in women, according to the Endocrine Society.

Though the exact causes of PCOS are unknown, genetics seem to play a key role, though more research is needed to understand by how much this increases a person's risk.

There is also some evidence that environmental factors including exposure to toxins in the environment like plasticizers may contribute to the condition in rare instances.

Obesity has long been thought to be a cause of PCOS, but it may be the case that obesity only aggravates the condition, rather than causes it. That could be because PCOS causes insulin resistance in the body. Regardless of BMI, all women with PCOS have a degree of insulin resistance, but obesity seems to make the condition worse.

Many of the symptoms associated with PCOS are the result of an increase in male hormones, such as testosterone.

That's because many people with PCOS have insulin resistance in their body, which inhibits the process of sending glucose to cells. As a result, the pancreas has to produce more insulin, which causes problems for the endocrine system and leads the body to ramp up the production of androgens, aka male hormones.

Consequently, you may start having very irregular periods or even stop having periods altogether. You may also put on some extra weight although not every woman with PCOS gains weight.

This excessive amount of androgens also tend to cause you to develop a few other symptoms, notably extra hair on your body and face. The extra hair is what Dr. Legro calls "male-patterned hair." Meaning you're not developing a fine layer of hair all over your body. It's hair that appears in areas where men grow body hair, like the middle of the chest, the midline, and the back.

"Excess facial hair, hair thinning and balding: that's not normal," says Dr. Legro. "Get investigated."

While there's no cure for PCOS, the symptoms of the condition can be abated with various treatments. These treatments include weight loss, birth control pills, and anti-androgen medications.

Read this article:
What is PCOS? Symptoms and treatments for polycystic ovary syndrome - Insider - INSIDER

The defense team for Jerry Lynn Burns rested its case Thursday, posing questions about whether key DNA evidence is simply circumstantial. The 66-year-old Manchester, Iowa man faces a first degree murder charge in the 1979 killing of Cedar Rapids high schooler Michelle Martinko, who was found stabbed to death in her familys Buick in the parking lot of the Westdale Mall.

Prosecutors have made DNA evidence central to their case against Burns. The defense team has worked to raise questions about whether crime scene materials have been properly handled over the past 40 years, and have questioned whether Burns genetic material could have been transferred to the crime scene by chance.

Analysts from the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation and private firms engaged by the prosecution have testified that Burns DNA is consistent with a male genetic profile developed from a bloodstain on the dress Martinko was wearing when she died. Jurors have also heard testimony that a partial genetic profile developed from blood found on the car gear shifter is also consistent with Burns DNA.

DCI analyst Linda Sawer identified the profile during tested she conducted in 2005. It wasnt until years later that Cedar Rapids Police Department investigators, led by Officer Matt Denlinger, were able to upload the profile to family genealogy website GEDmatch. On the site they found a second or third cousin once removed of the subject and were able to establish a family tree, which ultimately led them to Burns in 2018.

On Thursday, the defense team called their first and so far only witness, private forensic genetics consultant Michael Spence. He was hired to review the case files, and genetic sampling and analysis conducted by DCI and private firms DNA Labs International and Bode Technology.

"At crime scenes there can be [DNA] transfer events from people who arrive at that crime scene, prior to the crime scene, during the crime scene, after the crime scene, there can be transfer events." - Michael Spence, forensic genetics consultant

Through his questioning of Spence, defense attorney Leon Spies worked to establish that DNA can be transferred from person to person simply in passing. Spence testified that there is a robust body of evidence on the secondary transfer of DNA, when one individuals genetic material is transferred to someone or something else, simply by touching items, or physically being in a place and naturally leaving behind millions of skin cells, each containing DNA.

Shaking hands is an easy example. Hugging, Spence said. If you touch the other people, if they talk around you, if they leave DNA on an item and you come over and sit down next to it or on it, those kinds of things. This is how transfer events do occur.

Spence did not dispute that Burns DNA is consistent with the male genetic profile developed from a bloodstain on Martinkos dress. But based on the genetic analyses that have been conducted, he said its not possible to know the exact sequence of events that night, or to say exactly when Burns DNA came into contact with the dress.

At crime scenes there can be transfer events from people who arrive at that crime scene, prior to the crime scene, during the crime scene, after the crime scene, there can be transfer events, he testified.

Under questioning by Spies, Spence testified that it is within the realm of possibility that Burns DNA ended up on the dress due to a secondary transfer, and not necessarily during the commission of the crime.

Is it, Dr. Spence, a plausible explanation that the DNA of Jerry Burns found on the dress or on the gear shift couldve come about by a transfer? Spies asked him.

Yes, thats a distinct possibility, Spence replied.

"It's extraordinarily difficult to reconstruct what happened 40 years ago, isn't it?" - Leon Spies, defense attorney for Jerry Lynn Burns

During cross examination, prosecutor Nick Maybanks challenged Spence repeatedly, questioning him about the body of peer-reviewed scientific evidence backing up his stances. Maybanks cited multiple journal articles by different authors in his questioning, pressing Spence on the myriad of factors that can affect whether and how much DNA could be transferred during a given interaction.

Through his questioning of Spence, Maybanks worked to establish that people are much more likely to leave behind more DNA by a wet transfer (of blood or other body fluids) than by a dry transfer (such as skin cells deposited during a handshake), as well as when theres a greater level of friction involved, as would occur in a physical attack.

Theres a pretty distinct difference here, that the transfer between wet and dry substances is 44 to 100 percent versus less than a 1 percent respectively, right? Maybanks asked.

It is a higher rate of transfer with body fluids and liquids, yes, Spence replied.

Maybanks questioned Spence on whether hes encountered any evidence supporting how Burns DNA couldve been transferred to the dress (other than by him physically Martinko).

Prosecutors have not been able to establish any previous relationship between Martinko and Burns, characterizing the crime as a random act of violence committed by a stranger."

In this case would you agree that based upon your analysis of the case that you didnt find any evidence whatsoever putting Jerry Burns in a position to transfer DNA other than speculating or creating events that that took place? Maybanks asked Spence.

Well, I refuse to speculate up here, Spence responded. And it would be incredibly difficult to do so, especially with a 40-year-old crime.

The defense team continued to press just this point: how can the prosecution definitively prove exactly what happened on that night in 1979?

Its extraordinarily difficult to reconstruct what happened 40 years ago, isnt it? Spies asked Spence.

Absolutely, Spence replied.

On Thursday, Burns formally waived his right to testify on his own behalf. The trial is slated to continue Friday, when prosecutors will have the chance to call rebuttal witnesses.

Read more here:
Man Accused Of Killing Martinko Won't Testify As Defense Rests Its Case - Iowa Public Radio

captionPCOS affect 1 in 10 women of childbearing age.sourceCrystal Cox/Business Insider

Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is a hormonal disorder in women that can cause irregular periods, abnormal amounts of facial and body hair, infertility, among other symptoms.

The Office on Womens Health reports that PCOS affects 1 in 10 women of childbearing age from 15 to 44 years old. And as we understand it, is a lifelong disorder, says Richard Legro, MD, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Public Health Services at the Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health.

Heres what you need to know about the causes, symptoms, and symptom relief from PCOS.

The name polycystic ovary syndrome is a slight misnomer because it doesnt involve traditional ovarian cysts. Instead, people affected by PCOS often have a larger-than-average number of tiny follicles in their ovaries that look like small cysts but are not like traditional ovarian cysts. These follicles grow but never fully develop to release eggs. And if no eggs are released, you dont ovulate.

The follicles themselves arent dangerous but the hormonal imbalance they cause can wreak havoc with the persons menstrual cycle. Your body may not produce enough of the female reproductive hormone progesterone to maintain a normal menstrual cycle. As a result, PCOS is the most common cause of infertility in women, according to the Endocrine Society.

Though the exact causes of PCOS are unknown, genetics seem to play a key role, though more research is needed to understand by how much this increases a persons risk.

There is also some evidence that environmental factors including exposure to toxins in the environment like plasticizers may contribute to the condition in rare instances.

Obesity has long been thought to be a cause of PCOS, but it may be the case that obesity only aggravates the condition, rather than causes it. That could be because PCOS causes insulin resistance in the body. Regardless of BMI, all women with PCOS have a degree of insulin resistance, but obesity seems to make the condition worse.

Many of the symptoms associated with PCOS are the result of an increase in male hormones, such as testosterone.

Thats because many people with PCOS have insulin resistance in their body, which inhibits the process of sending glucose to cells. As a result, the pancreas has to produce more insulin, which causes problems for the endocrine system and leads the body to ramp up the production of androgens, aka male hormones.

Consequently, you may start having very irregular periods or even stop having periods altogether. You may also put on some extra weight although not every woman with PCOS gains weight.

This excessive amount of androgens also tend to cause you to develop a few other symptoms, notably extra hair on your body and face. The extra hair is what Dr. Legro calls male-patterned hair. Meaning youre not developing a fine layer of hair all over your body. Its hair that appears in areas where men grow body hair, like the middle of the chest, the midline, and the back.

Excess facial hair, hair thinning and balding: thats not normal, says Dr. Legro. Get investigated.

While theres no cure for PCOS, the symptoms of the condition can be abated with various treatments. These treatments include weight loss, birth control pills, and anti-androgen medications.

More here:
What is PCOS? Symptoms and treatments for polycystic ovary syndrome - Business Insider

Looking at generations of family is a common way to assume the sex of your child. The four March sisters of Little Women cant be a coincidence, right?

But a new study has found that families arent prone to birthing one sex over another its all up to chance, according to research from the University of Queensland in Australia.

The analysis looked at extensive data of the entire population of Sweden from 1932 to 2000 and challenges other past theories that the sex of a child is inherited.

Sex often refers to biological labels assigned at birth based on genitalia (which can exclude intersex individuals), while gender identity refers to how someone wants to be identified as which can include multiple identities outside of male or female.

Individuals dont have a generic predisposition to have children of a particular sex, said Dr. Brendan Zietsch, co-author of the new findings in a press release.

The chances are more like 51 to 49 of having a boy, but the genes of the mother and father dont play a role. These findings have crucial implications for biological and evolutionary theories of offspring sex ratios, he explained.

The research data pool included every Swede born since 1932, which is around 3.5 million people and their 4.7 million children. Using this information, Zietsch and the other authors determined whether siblings tended to have children of the same sex.

Even though siblings share half their genetics, the study found that when siblings have their own families, they do not have children of the same sex meaning that sex isnt inherited, the researchers explained.

Environment was also a factor taking into consideration, as some theories have examined whether the climate the mother lives in has an impact on the sex of her children. That cant be possible as siblings born and raised identical environments were not any more likely to have girls or boys, said researchers.

Past theories that have been scrutinized, including concepts like tall parents were more likely to have boys, or that attractive people were more likely to have girls have now been proven wrong, said Zietsch.

It was also thought that parents hormone levels at the time of conception were important, he said. Our results rule out all these possibilities.

Some reports from the past year from scientists in Japan found that climate change could impact the newborn sex ratio, with more boys likely to be born with rising temperatures. Another study from the same researches found that events like a major earthquake and added stress around that could impact gestation, as boys are more vulnerable in the womb.

Regardless, a rethink of offspring sex ratio theory is necessary to properly understand why offspring sex ratios appear to vary, for example, across countries, said Zietsch.

- Global News

Follow this link:
BEYOND LOCAL: Having a boy or girl doesn't run in the family, study says - ThoroldNews.com

TATIANA KOSTAREVA/123RF

The probability of having children of the same gender is totally up to chance.

If you're hoping to replicate the family you grew up in that was mostly girls or all boys, genetics won't be on your side.

According to a new study, the probability of you having children of the same gender is totally up to chance.

Researchers from the University of Queensland have conducted a study published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. It analysed of the population of Sweden since 1932 and debunked the myth that having all boys or all girls runs in the family.

It's been found that the gender of a family's children is essentially random.

READ MORE:* Women who hate bugs, lice find men with beards less attractive* Climate change will alter gender ratio of newborns, scientists say* Parents do have a favourite child and it's based on gender - study

"We found individuals don't have an innate tendency to have offspring of one or the other gender," said DrBrendan Zietsch, researcher from UQ's School of Psychology in a news release.

"The chances are more like 51 to 49 of having a boy, but the genes of the mother and father don't play any role. These findings have crucial implications for biological and evolutionary theories of offspring sex ratios."

To conduct the study, researchers reviewed data from Swedish population registers that included every Swede born since 1932. In total, 3,543,243 people and their 4,753,269 children were analysed as researchers linked all family members and tested whether the the sex of a person's children was tied to the sex of heir brother or sister's children.

The findings nix the often repeated idea that some families are more prone to having all boys and others typically wind up with girls.

123RF

If you're hoping to replicate the family you grew up in that was mostly girls or all boys, genetics won't be on your side.

"It was thought that rich or tall parents should have more boys and beautiful parents should have more girls," Zietsch said.

"It was also thought that parents' hormone levels at the time of conception were important. Our results rule out all these possibilities and suggest a rethink of offspring sex ratio theory is necessary to properly understand why offspring sex ratios appear to vary, for example, across countries."

The study comes more than a year after another one emerged from Japan in which scientists said that climate change will alter the ratio of the gender of newborns.

"For every society, for every year, the human being most likely to die (prematurely) is male infants. And that's true for every society that we have data for," University of California, Berkeley, professor Ray Catalano told CNN at the time.

-The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

See the rest here:
The chance of families having mostly boys or girls is 'random', study says - Stuff.co.nz

Prosecutors in the trial of Jerry Lynn Burns rested their case Wednesday. Burns is suspected of killing high schooler Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids in 1979 and he faces a first degree murder charge.

Eighteen-year-old Martinko was found stabbed to death in her familys Buick parked in the Westdale Mall parking lot early on the morning of December 20, 1979. Her killing upended the lives of her family members and shocked Cedar Rapids residents. The case has stuck in the memories of many for decades.

Thirty-nine years after Martinko was killed, investigators arrested 66-year-old Burns of Manchester, Iowa, after covertly collecting his DNA and testing it. Genetic material retrieved from a straw that Burns used is consistent with DNA found on the dress Martinko was wearing when she died, according to court testimony by forensic genetics experts.

On Wednesday prosecutors argued the scientific evidence in the case is irrefutable and that it links Burns to the scene of the crime.

They also argued the suspect acted with malice aforethought, willfully, deliberately, with premeditation and a specific intent to kill, as is articulated in Iowa Criminal Code.

Investigators and forensic analysts have previously testified that Martinko died after being stabbed repeatedly, and that she suffered defensive wounds, signs that she put up a fight.

There is also evidence that Martinkos assailant wore gloves during the attack, leaving behind prints of the glove material at the crime scene but obscuring their own fingerprints. An investigator testified that based on their analysis, the gloves appeared to be common kitchen gloves, the kind that are often used for dishwashing and are sold at grocery stores.

Prosecutors have argued the use of these gloves is evidence of premeditation.

Prosecutors have not been able to establish that Martinko and Burns knew each other or had any kind of relationship, and have described the killing as a random act of violence committed by a stranger."

Jurors heard more testimony Wednesday from investigator Matt Denlinger of the Cedar Rapids Police Department, one of the many officers who have worked on the case over the years.

It was under Denlingers tenure that the male genetic profile developed from crime scene evidence was shared with private genetic analysis firms and was uploaded to a public family genealogy website and used to develop a family tree. Investigators say these steps were instrumental in leading them to Burns, who has no previous criminal history.

In court on Wednesday, prosecutors played a video recording of Denlinger interviewing Burns, in handcuffs, in the back of a squad car on the way to the Cedar Rapids Police Department. There are long periods where the men sit in silence, but Denlinger also repeatedly asks Burns about what happened the night Martinko was killed.

I wish you could talk me through the issues that night, put me in your shoes if it would help me understand what was going through your mind, Denlinger said.

I dont recollect, Burns replied.

Since Burns was arrested in December of 2018, a criminalist at the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation laboratory has analyzed DNA from a cheek swab taken from Burns, and has testified that Burns genetic profile is consistent with the genetic profile from the crime scene.

Questioned in court by prosecutor Nick Maybanks, Denlinger testified that during the car ride when he asked if its possible Burns forget what happened that night in 1979, Burns told him it is possible for people to block out their memories.

Besides the comment that Mr. Burns made about blocking out memories, did Mr. Burns offer an explanation as to what happened that night? Maybanks asked.

No, Denlinger replied.

And besides saying that he does not recollect or does not know, to questions about what was going on in his life, did he offer more explanation of his life circumstances? Maybanks asked.

No, Denlinger responded.

In further questioning, Denlinger went on to testify that Burns never told him that he had the wrong guy," and that the suspect never denied killing Martinko.

Where in the action, interaction between you and Mr. Burns in the squad car does he deny killing Michelle Martinko? Maybanks asked.

He never denied it, Maybanks said.

Burns has pleaded not guilty to the charge. If convicted, he could face life in prison.

Judge Fae Hoover Grinde has ruled that there is sufficient evidence for the case to go to the jury, overruling a motion for a judgement of acquittal by the defense. Burns defense team will take up the case Thursday.

More here:
Prosecutors Rest Their Case Against Man Accused Of Killing Martinko - Iowa Public Radio

What if I told you that you originated from Asia, although, you reside in East Africa? Yes, thats right- its possible.

You see, the world is changing rapidly- especially technologically. Oh, you really wish to explore the innermost subset of your existence- your DNA? With genetic testing, its possible.

Probably, youve heard or read so much about this topic, yet, you remain skeptical about its effectiveness- how important is it? How sure am I that I would receive accurate results? questions upon questions, challenging its usefulness and accuracy, speed across your mind as the topic is mentioned.

Companies like 23 and Me offer genetic testing services that could be a great benefit to you. Check out how.

According to Mendel, genes are the units of inheritance. DNA is an integral part of genes, and they are a much smaller subset of chromosomes.

That said, DNA code for proteins that dictate specific traits ranging from your eye color to your diet and physique. This probably explains its complex nature.

The whole essence of modern genetics is to simplify the complexity of DNA and demystify its whole importance in the hereditary process. Although it has been quite hard, weve definitely gone a long way from Mendel Peas experiment.

In 2003, we edged closer to achieving this aim when technology capable of interpreting DNA sequence, in its entirety, was developed. With this came an unprecedented speed in understanding an individuals DNA for frugal costs as well as commercial exploitation.

23 and Me (see in-depth review on MyFamilyDNATest) is one, amongst the many companies that explore the DNA of individuals to reveal the hidden script they have inside of them.

Luckily, through genetic testing, you can get to understand where you are from; your ancestry. If you are interested in your family history, you can learn more than what youve known through what your relatives told you or historical documentation.

Presently, there are three major ways you can undergo ancestry testing.

Y- chromosome DNA tests are used to understand the paternal line of ancestry of an individual. Because Y-chromosomes are only passed from father to sons and are absent in women, this kind of test is carried out only in males. Women who are interested in the result this test provides are required to recruit a male relative.

Mitochondrial DNA tests are used to understand the maternal line of ancestry of an individual. This is because a mitochondrion is a semi-autonomous organelle that has its own DNA. Since it is transferred down to a child by the mother, it can be carried out in both sexes.

Single nucleotide polymorphism tests evaluate a large section of variants of an individual genome and compare it to others of known ethnicity.

Whats more in it for you? DNA mutation is the basis for a faulty protein formation, whose end result is a sprout of genetic-related diseases. Genetic testing helps you recognize these potential diseases, so you can channel your lifestyle in a path that reduces the chances of exhibiting these diseases.

Heres where it gets murky. Test providers use different databases to determine the ancestry or ethnicity of individuals. This means that there might be discrepancies when it comes to the determination of your ancestry.

But then, the term accurate could be quite subjective. This is what I mean: if you use the term accurate to infer that these provide correct results based on their individual databases, then, yeah- they are accurate. On the other hand, comparing two or more genetic testing companies would mean neither of their results is accurate due to different databases.

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How Useful and Accurate is 23 and Me Genetic Testing? - The Union Journal