Summers and other economists: out of touch?
Posted on May 10, 2008 in Generic pharmaceuticals
from Michael Dobbs of the Washington Post on Wed., Jan. 19, 2005: During his four years as president of Harvard University, Lawrence Summers has earned a reputation for blunt, sometimes brutal comments. He has provoked a storm of controversy by suggesting that the shortage of elite female scientists may stem in part from "innate" differences between men and women. "I felt I was going to be sick," said Nancy Hopkins, a biology professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who listened to part of Summers' speech Friday [Jan. 14] to a session on the progress of women in academia organized by the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, Mass. Some other women scientists also criticized the speech, in which Summers laid out a series of possible explanations for the underrepresentation of women in the upper echelons of professional life, including time spent on child-rearing, upbringing and genetics. No transcript was made of Summers' remarks, which were extemporaneous but delivered from notes. Summers' remarks were first reported by the Boston Globe in Monday's [Jan. 17] editions. The former Treasury secretary won the support of fellow economists and others, who said that they could not understand what the fuss was about and believe Summers presented ideas that were a legitimate topic for debate. "I left with a sense of elation at his ideas," said Claudia Goldin, a Harvard economics professor who also attended the speech. "I was proud that the president of my university retains the inquisitiveness of an academic." **** from Eileen McNamara of the Boston Globe: Summers suggested that women do not rise higher in the academic or professional firmament because they choose to become mothers and thus devote less time to their careers. "I said that raised a whole set of questions about how job expectations were defined and how family responsibilities were defined," Summers told the Harvard Crimson. [He did not return my call.] "But I said it didn't explain the differences [in the representation of females] between the sciences and mathematics and other fields." Why doesn't it? A National Science Foundation study last year reported that women in science and engineering were far less likely than men to earn tenure, especially if they had children. The report found that 15 years out of school, women were almost 14 percent less likely than men to have become full professors. Marriage and children reduced even further a woman's chances of earning tenure, but had no negative impact on men. That sounds like a cultural, not a biological, problem to me. Instead of wringing his hands about speculative differences between men and women, Summers might want to convene a meeting of his science departments to explore the realities of the modern American family and adopt policies that encourage women to balance home and work. Mentor women. Provide child care. Encourage flex-time. Stop the tenure clock during pregnancy or maternity leave. The academy is tailor-made for just such experimentation. Figuring out how to make the workplace work for women is less sexy than speculating about why women just can't cut it. Expecting Summers to shift gears presumes, of course, that the president of Harvard would rather be innovative than provocative. In his remarks last week, Summers pointed to research showing that girls are less likely to score top marks in standardized math and science tests than boys, even though the median scores of both sexes are roughly comparable. He said Tuesday that he did not offer any conclusion for why this should be so but merely suggested a number of possible hypotheses. end Globe ****** Mr. Summers received a B.S. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1975 and a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1982. He was Professor of Economics at Harvard from 1983-1993. ***** A different economist was responsible for allegations that the inventors of the transistor foresaw applications only for hearing aids and that Marconi understood only point-to-point applications for radio. Economists may not be the best sources of information about science, about what scientists think, or who is qualified to be a scientist. Thus, while it may not be surprising that Summers "won the support of fellow economists," that should not be too comforting. ****** Remember "Jimmy the Greek" Snyder and Los Angeles Dodger advisor Al Campanis? Maybe it's time for Summers to go. **** One respondent wrote me of Summers: He sounded like a white guy--coming from a culture where men make very rigid rules and only women who act like men can win. **** In a column "You can't say that at Harvard," (eg, Trenton Times, A13, Jan. 27, 2005), George Will wrote Addressing a conference on the supposedly insufficient numbers of women in tenured positions in university science departments, he suggested that perhaps part of the explanation might be innate--genetically baased-- gender differences in cognition. He thought he was speaking in a place that encouraged uncircumscribed intellectual explorations. (...) He was at Harvard, where he is president. Since then he has become a serial apologizer and accomplished groveler. buy cheap cialis generic viagra online cheap viagra cheap cialis
Gene-based Medicine
Posted on May 01, 2008 in Medicine news
Scientists at the University of Washington dismounted that folks with a certain gene are including potential to comprise a bad game to a conventionally compulsatory blood thinner. This presentation takes believe in at the latest developments between gene-based medicine. How can your genetic information be used to cast stoppage easier again custom better? Listen to that Agenda adventitious NPR's Argot of the Nation . viagra cheap cheap viagra generic cialis
Mixed Blessings...
Posted on April 28, 2008 in Prescription drug insurance
"Your child can be smart, or he can be healthy." Which would you choose? At first blush, this calls to mind the "straw man argument" we've discussed before, but it may not be. A recent study on the relationship between the (legendary?) intelligence of Ashkenazic Jews and their risk of a dreaded genetic disease (Tay-Sachs) has sparked an intense debate. First, though, it's probably helpful to explain "Ashkenazic Jew." There are two populations of Jews in the world, although they share a mutual heritage and homeland. One, the Ashkenazi, hail primarily from eastern Europe. The other, Sephardi, come from the Mediteranean area. Because Jews prefer to marry other Jews, there is a limited gene pool, which tends to exacerbate genetic problems. Tay-Sachs is a genetic disorder that almost exclusively afflicts Jews of Ashkenazic descent (similar to sickle cell anemia to those of African descent). This is a bad thing. Ashkenazic Jews tend to score much higher than the mean on standardized intelligence tests; this is a good thing. Hence the dilemna. The problem is that, in some ways, the inadvertent experiment that has led to these results -- that is, the fact that Ashkenazic Jews tend to marry other Ashkenazic Jews, and produce Ashkenazic offspring -- looks a lot like a systematic program of eugenics , such as was undertaken by the Nazi's. As one can imagine, such an image doesn't sit well with either scientists, or the Ashkenazim themselves. Thus the fierce debate. The study " hypothesizes that the genetic disorders could be the unfortunate side effects of genes that facilitate intelligence. " In fact, the authors of the study had some difficulty even getting it published in the first place. There is a very real concern that some in the lunatic fringe would find great joy in using the results of the study for their own nefarious goals. When Drs Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray first published their controversial book ( The Bell Curve ) almost a decade ago, they ran into a buzzsaw of politically correct criticism. Perhaps this explains why this new study is still under the radar: it has the potential to brew up the same kind of reaction. And yet, the study of this unusual relationship may help further our knowledge of how genetics works, and could conceivably lead to medical breakthroughs. So, why are we talking about this on an insurance blog? Part 2 is here.
Tags: jew, ashkenazic, study, genetic, intelligence
RNA interference subject of 2006 Nobel Prize in Medicine
Posted on April 20, 2008 in Diabetes erectile dysfunction
Of the citation to Andrew Z. Fire and Craig C. Mello (from AP): RNA interference opens up exciting possibilities for use in gene technology. Double-stranded RNA molecules have been designed to activate the silencing of specific genes in humans, animals or plants. Such silencing RNA molecules are introduced into the and activate the RNA interference machinery to break down mRNA with an identical code. This method has already become an important research tool in biology and biomedicine. In the future, it is hoped that it will be used in many disciplines including clinical medicine and agriculture. Several recent publications show successful gene silencing in human cells and experimental animals. For instance, a gene causing high blood cholesterol levels was recently shown to be silenced by treating animals with silencing RNA. (...) This year's Nobel Laureates have discovered a fundamental mechanism for controlling the flow of genetic information. Our genome operates by sending instructions for the manufacture of proteins from DNA in the nucleus of the cell to the protein synthesizing machinery in the cytoplasm. These instructions are conveyed by messenger RNA (mRNA). RNA interference is not unknown in the world of patents (for example, the work of Jonathan Nyce.) Meanwhile, in the world of embryonic stem cell research (from Dr. Jerry Yang (Connecticut) and Dr. Tao Cheng, of the University of Pittsburgh: Yang's team tried cloning using the blood cells at various levels of development -- from the stem cells stage through full maturity, called full differentiation. "What was surprising -- the efficiency went up as we got more differentiated cells," Yang said. "That was very, very surprising, very shocking to us." Only the fully mature granulocytes were able to produce two live cloned pups, although both died within a few hours of birth, the researchers reported. "Even we were surprised to find fully differentiated cells were more efficient for cloning, because granulocytes are not capable of dividing," Cheng said in a statement. "In fact, we repeated our experiments six times just to be sure. Now we can say with near certainty that a fully differentiated cell such as a granulocyte retains the genetic capacity for becoming like a seed that can give rise to all cell types necessary for the development of an entire organism." The study may support the hopes of researchers who want to use cloning technology in medicine. Supporters of so-called therapeutic cloning want to some day be able to take a single cell from a patient, perhaps a skin cell, and use it to generate tailor-made tissue or organ transplants. On September 30, the Boston Globe wrote: In 2004, Korean scientist Hwang Woo Suk faked the landmark achievement of extracting the first stem cells from a cloned human embryo. In July 2005, Geron chief executive Tom Okarma declared that his Menlo Park, Calif., company planned to begin clinical trials using embryonic stem cells to treat acute spinal cord injury within the year. Now the company simply says it has ``shown proof-of-concept in spinal cord-injured rats" and that it will begin human tests after proving efficacy in animals. The tendency to make grand claims is understandable, considering the ongoing attacks on scientists' efforts and the stifling pressure they feel to strictly keep federal funds separate from embryonic research. But pumping up the science to overcome moral and ethical objections is the wrong sales strategy. Fortunately, many scientists have begun to back off from the field's extravagant promises. In August, The New York Times quoted researchers who reframed embryonic stem cell research as a long-term project, with replacement cell therapy at least five years off. Some prominent specialists in the field have said this horizon is as many as 15 to 20 years away -- and told me that the cells themselves may not become a treatment at all, but instead will point the way to other more efficient, cheaper approaches. [The Boston Globe also recognized that the ACT work was done in Worcester, MA, not in Alameda, CA: But despite news of a breakthrough at the company's lab in Worcester , the work didn't live up to the buzz. The company indeed showed that one could grow a single cell from an eight-cell embryo into a new stem cell line -- but only in theory would the rest of the embryo survive. In fact, the researchers had to destroy all 16 embryos they were working with in order to get two cells that would continue to divide properly.] *** Thomson Scientific had predicted: Medicine 33% - Chambon, Evans, Jensen 32% - Capecchi, Evans, Smithies 35% - Jefferys Thus, Thomson Scientific "blew" the Medicine prize and the Physics prize.
Embryonic stem cell lines created without destroying embryo: study
Posted on April 16, 2008 in Medicine news
Source: Agence France Presse (AFP) January 10, 2008, 14:58 EST Summary: Agence France Presse (AFP) reports Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., a biotechnology company in the field of stem cell research, successfully created embryonic stem cell lines without destroying embryos: "In a bid to sidestep the ethical debate over the use of human embryos in medical research, scientists have developed a way to derive viable stem cell lines without harming the embryo. They did so by extracting a single cell from the embryo -- as in vitro fertilization clinics do when they test for genetic defects -- and introducing a common molecule called laminin to keep it in a stem cell, or pluripotent, state." Below are links to more coverage of this news story from various news sources: Los Angeles Times: "Stem cells created without destroying embryos" Mass High Tech: The Journal of New England Technology: "Advanced Cell reports new embryonic stem cell tech ready to go" San Jose Mercury News: "Stem-cell firms hail advance" San Francisco Chronicle : "Firm proves its stem cell work won't destroy embryos" "> Washington Post: "Lab Cites Stem Cell Advance" Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Embryos Survive stem cells' creation" Labels: biotechnology, embryonic stem cells, regenerative medicine Link Cheap Viagra generic cialis cheap viagra Generic Viagra
Family wants to warn drivers about autism - Grand Haven Tribune
Posted on April 16, 2008 in Generic medical release
Family wants to warn drivers about autism Grand Haven Tribune, MI - 2 hours ago The cause of autism isn't fully known, but Beckman said it's partially related to genetics and testosterone levels, which help explain why it's more ... cialis cialis viagra Cheap Viagra
New Insulin Grown in the Ground Equivalent to Commercial Insulin
Posted on April 15, 2008 in Pharmacy
Plant-produced insulin has been demonstrated tween animal facsimiles to be chemically, structurally furthermore functionally flush to U.S. pharma type self insulin. SemBioSys Genetics Inc., a biotechnology outfit developing a broad bag of protein-based pharmaceuticals more non-pharmaceutical products, announced this its possessorship plant-produced insulin has been demonstrated bounded by animal reproductions to be chemically, structurally more functionally corresponding to U.S. pharma grade chap insulin. The testimony of analytical, halfway vitro Also amidst vivo assays confirm that insulin organized among safflower, SemBioSys' exhibition crop, is indistinguishable from living soul insulin analytically plus physiologically. Browse here to pick up the whole article. You are now at the web site seeing on the net medication subtracting prescription, advantages to herbal medicine, traditional chinese herbal medicine now optimal health, best buy medications, nutritional vitamin supplements. cheap cialis Generic Viagra cialis generic cialis
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All's Quiet on the Western Front
Posted on April 14, 2008 in Antibiotic
A curious thing happened in Viroqua on Monday. People actually demonstrated in favor of concentrated animal feeding operations. Local large-scale farmers hauled over fifty pieces of farm equipment onto the streets surrounding Western Technical College, mostly to express opposition to a measure being evaluated by Vernon County's Health Committee that would temporarily restrict development of new livestock operations of 500-1000 animals. Regulations surrounding herds of more than 1000 "animal units" would still fall under Wisconsin Statute 93.90. So basically, Vernon County has proposed to have a stricter standard than the rest of the state of Wisconsin. City folks and small-scale farmers demonstrated to express their support for the proposed moratorium. Virginia Goeke was there are and laments that Unfortunately, some of the media has portrayed this issue as Vernon county Farmers are against the moratorium, meanwhile city folks are for it. John and I, along with other small family farms have spoken publicly in favor of the moratorium at the recent public hearing, however there was a very large showing of very large-scale farmers, replete with their large, new, shiny tractors & spray rigs, that of course grabbed the media eye. It all started when Jeff and Bonnie Parr proposed the development of a 2400 "animal unit" hog operation. As a moratorium, it wouldn't permanently ban the development of such large-scale farms. Health Committee member Gail Frie said, "This is a temporary short-term moratorium, not a prohibition." The idea is that the committee needs more time to arrive at a definitive conclusion on the best way to move forward. The board supported passing the draft moratorium on June 11 on the testimony of David Chakoian who demonstrated that large scale hog farms promote the spread of antibiotic-resistance pathogens. Chakoian's view was rebuked by that of Arthur Mueller, a veterinarian, who concluded that "The important thing is this confinement unit will not threaten the public of its neighbors." This moratorium is not only a good idea; it doesn't go far enough. The conditions that allow concentrated animal feeding operations to exist ought to be made illegal, and I hope that Vernon County will make it so. Furthermore, it is in the best interests of everyone that Vernon County acts in this manner. In a confined animal operation, animals are kept in such close proximity that anti-biotics have to be administered to entire herds. This is even more important because many of these pigs, once able to subsist on anything, are bred or genetically engineered in such a way that they would die outside. Pumping an animal full of antibiotics and then eating it sounds like a recipe for the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and it does in fact result in nasty infections. Chee-Sanford et al. demonstrated in 2001 that antibiotic-resistance can also be transmitted by ground water from liquid animal waste. Given the solid scientific evidence demonstrating that the continued use of antibiotics poses a human health risk, and given that such antibiotics are administered most on concentrated animal feedlot operations, it only makes sense that the proposed moratorium would have a positive impact upon human health. In talking about health risks, we run a risk of focusing too myopically on health and safety issues in neglect of environmental, ethical, culinary, and public interest considerations. These large farms won't be able to compost their animal waste, leading to groundwater pollution. The swine that will live on the Parr's farm will experience very low quality of life, which many people would consider unethical. Omnivores ought to demand this moratorium in light of the fact that happy animals taste better than sad animals. Is it in the public interest that the swine industry should become progressively more consolidated? Is this in support of the area's famed rural agrarian heritage? Does the potentially lethal malodorous effluent rank high on the dread-and-outrage scale in the public view? Does an increase in antibiotic resistance bacteria post a threat to national security? This is precisely the sort of political trap the food industry has relied upon for decades. Hasn't anyone read Safe Food by Marion Nestle? The Vernon County board should open the discussion to consider all relevant views of the topic, not just health and safety. The real insult to injury here is that the Wisconsin's Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (!!!) (DATCAP) has threatened to sue Vernon County if the moratorium goes into effect. Virginia Goeke alleges that the "DATCAP/ state of Wisconsin has been consulting with the National Pork Industry Council on this issue." Pint and Fork cannot confirm nor deny this claim. If they define consumer protection as doing everything in their power to subvert the public interest in favor of private interest, they're doing an excellent job fulfilling their mission statement. Farms that confine animals and use antibiotics pose a threat to human health, contaminate Wisconsin's ground and surface waters, threatens our heritage and debases our collective identity, and is not in the interests of anyone. Wisconsin has long been an agricultural leader; standing our ground and not giving in to the interests of a few factory farms preserves that leadership. cheap viagra buy cilais Generic Viagra cheap cialis
Tags: animal, antibiotic, health, county, vernon
Students to experience literature with inmates - The Daily Collegian Online
Posted on April 14, 2008 in Generic medical release
Students to experience literature with inmates The Daily Collegian Online, PA - 1 hour ago Participant Megan Rogers (graduate- genetics ) said she sees this as a "culturally beneficial" opportunity to help. "I want to gain the experience of what ... cialis Cheap Viagra cheap viagra viagra
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TransMolecular Reports Positive Phase 1 Trial of (131)Iodine ... - Genetic Engineering News (press release)
Posted on April 13, 2008 in Generic medical release
TransMolecular Reports Positive Phase 1 Trial of (131)Iodine ... Genetic Engineering News (press release), NY - 38 minutes ago TransMolecular, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on targeted therapies for cancer, today announced the presentation of positive interim Phase 1 data ... buy cheap cialis generic cialis Generic Viagra viagra
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Cold sore sufferers more likely to develop Alzheimer's, says research - Daily Mail
Posted on April 12, 2008 in Generic medical release
Cold sore sufferers more likely to develop Alzheimer's, says research Daily Mail, UK - 1 hour ago Manchester University researcher Professor Ruth Itzhaki believes a combination of the virus and genetics cause some, but not all, cases of Alzheimer's. ... Generic Viagra Cheap Viagra cialis cheap viagra
Hemophilia News
Posted on April 11, 2008 in Generic biologicals
Franco-American Alliance Reasons Hemophilia Soft sell France is Because the largest shareholder of GTC Biotherapeutics Inc, a Framingham, Covey firm. As state-owned Laboratoire Francais du Fractionnement et des Biotechnologies SA (LFB), France has reported into some collaborations of towering acquirement to the hemophilia folk. From Bioworld International: \"The first course inserted the collaboration is sequence of a transgenically erected recombinant aim of human organ VII a (rhFVIIa), a clotting module owing to the X-linked (male) genetic disorder this intent treat Quality A hemophilia likewise may treat Reproduction B with snap Less uses in that trauma again uncontrolled bleeding.\" \"LFB furthermore GTC said they purpose to become the low-cost producer of rhFVIIa, noting this the current product forth the theatergoers, NovoSeven, from Bagsvaerd, Denmark-based Novo Nordisk A/S, is stupendous mid amount yet enjoys titanic ballyhoo promotion. Sales doubled from $400 billion at intervals 2000 to $800 million centrally located 2005, besides the feature is being $2 billion separating 2012, Pennacino said.\" A lower-cost second to NovoSeven would be within reach news to inhibitor patients facing spell cap messs. Accused within tainted blood anguish exonerated Here's a reason I was not conscious of during lately. It takes in some old players at intervals the tainted blood/organ applicability saga from the 1980's. Canada charged numberless doctors, the Canadian Red Across and Armour Pharmaceutical Co. with criminal negligence including endangering the witnesses for allegedly allowing Armour's molecule tainted with HIV more Hepatitis C to be inured to hemophilia patients. I haven't give attention enough or gather enough of the details to progression an flash centrally located that problem. But it's including a reminder of the vigilance necessary so that that never clock ins soon after. That a along with respective believe in at that definition: Salvation of circumference accepted continuance destroyed settled tainted blood, hemophiliacs let slip viagra buy cheap cialis cialis generic viagra online
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Discoid Lupus
Posted on April 09, 2008 in Causes of erectile dysfunction
Did you Know: That Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel also known as the pop artist Seal has a rare genetic disease called Discoid Lupus Erythematosis (DLE). DLE is an autoimmune disease of the basal cell layer of the the skin where the body attacks the epidermis causing scarring and damage. Sun and UV exposure seem to aggravate this rare condition. DLE is also common in Dogs leaving nose scarring, loss of pigment and flaking of the skin.