StemCell Therapy

Stephen Raffone had difficulty breathing. He coughed up sputum and was wheezing. Doctors told him he had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition that causes blocked airflow from the lungs.

As a result, he was being treated for stage 4 COPD.

His doctor was also treating him for cellulitis, an inflammatory and painful bacterial skin infection where extremities appear red and swollen and the area can feel hot and tender to the touch, as well as poor circulation.

My legs were beginning to get ulcerated and they were breaking down, said Raffone.

He was administered the Roman Catholic Churchs Last Rites three times several years ago when he was a patient in Richmond University Medical Center.

Raffone, who is now 63, was in need of a lung transplant.

He was a heavy smoker and it took its toll. However, because he was in a weakened state due to other serious health conditions, doctors told him hed never survive the surgery.

The Westerleigh resident, who has been in need of 24-hour care for the last several years, requires the assistance of two nurses who rotate 12-hour shifts.

One, a close family friend, suggested Raffone see a medical specialist who performs stem cell therapy, a procedure where the patients own stem cells are removed, treated and returned to his or her own body after a conditioning regimen.

She contacted Dr. Alexandre M. Scheer of Scheer Medical Wellness and he agreed to see Raffone.

Dr. Alexandre M. Scheer (Courtesy/Stephen Raffone)Staten Island Advance

But since Raffone was unable to leave his home, Scheer visited Raffone for a consultation and to evaluate his condition.

Fast forward a year and a half and Scheer has continued with those visits almost every Saturday free of charge also underwriting the cost for treatments, as well as Uber rides from Manhattan to Staten Island, in order to perform the stem cell procedure.

RAFFONES NURSE SPEAKS

One of Raffones nurses recounted Raffones journey.

She explained that when they started to explore stem cell therapy she placed calls to several doctors, but the biggest thing that jumped out at her was the astronomical cost.

But there was something about Dr. Scheer. And I just knew he was the right one, said the registered nurse for more than 30 years. "He wasnt interested in money. His goal is his patients outcome. Stephen did pay for the first set of treatments, but since then, Dr. Scheer has not taken a dime.

When the patient began treatments, the first therapy was a tremendous boost and then every week after that he was treated for seven weeks. In the beginning, the doctor visited every week and brought whatever supplies was needed. The PRP (platelet rich plasma) treatments are daily.

I draw the blood, I spin the blood," she said. We have a small centrifuge here so it separates the blood. The PRP is given by a nebulizer. It takes about 30 minutes. And once a week he gets a protein enriched plasma, which takes about a half hour, she added.

He has chronic venous ulcerations of the both lower extremities from the knee down, she said.

Raffone has end stage COPD. But since he started the treatments, hes gone to the hospital only once. And he has tested negative for antibody COVID-19.

RAFFONES TREATMENT BEGINS

Raffone was required to install the centrifuge machine with needles and plasma tube, a laboratory device used for the separation of fluids, gas or liquid, based on density. Separation is achieved by spinning a vessel containing material at high speed.

Initially, Dr. Scheer sent a plastic surgeon to my home to perform liposuction, a type of fat-removal procedure used in plastic surgery, where they separate the fat and preserve the stem cells, Raffone said. They did this four times weekly at the beginning. Dr. Scheer has been visiting my home pretty much each week since Sept. 22, 2018. But right now the stem cell therapy is done once a month."

They draw blood out and spin it. Its all done through IV. Right now stem cell infusion is done once a month and daily through a nebulizer. Dr. Scheer does it on Saturday and my nurse and dear friend to Dr. Scheer does it during the week. My house looks like a hospital. Dr. Scheer is keeping me alive and everything is healing up so well, said Raffone.

Stephen Raffone's left leg before stem cell treatment. (Courtesy/Stephen Raffone)Staten Island Advance

Raffone says he wanted to come forward with his account at this time because hes so grateful and especially today when so many negative stories are in the news.

We need some good stories. There are very few people like Dr. Scheer, especially now during the COVID-19 crisis, he said.

My nurse draws the blood and puts it in a centrifuge when the doctor cant make it from the city. But Dr. Scheer is still coming to my house in spite of the COVID-19 crisis," Raffone continued.

Raffone has been confined to a bed one that he says turns you from side to side and upside down. But Dr. Scheer is confident that when restrictions are lifted and physical therapy sessions resume, Raffone will be able to walk.

The stem cell therapy is not only helping to combat Raffones COPD, but it has also helped him with cellulitis on his leg.

Stephen's Raffone healed left leg after stem cell therapy. (Courtesy/Stephen Raffone)Staten Island Advance

Scheer, a staunch supporter of stem cell therapy, has a background in neurosurgery and regenerative medicine. He performs surgery at several surgical centers in Manhattan.

It has to do with the amount of cells your bone marrow," he said. What we do is . . . saturate the body with stem cells. It suppresses the inflammatory response. COVID-19 also is an inflammatory disease. The COVID-19 kills the lungs. So you dont have oxygen going through. The stem cells protect, so you have continual oxygen transfer.

Dr. Scheer, who practices at Sheer Medical Wellness in Manhattan, says you can regenerate yourself.

I want my patients to be fine. I will pay for the patient. Im happy Stephens alive. And then my life is made. Stephen will now be able to walk after physical therapy. He was on 12 liters of oxygen daily. Hes now on two liters. I know his nurse very well and thats how we connected. The stem cell treatment is the appropriate treatment for him. I pay out of pocket because I know the right treatment for his condition," he added.

Dr. Scheer points out in China and in Israel stem cell therapy is the treatment they use for COVID- 19.

Its where you take Eastern and Western medicine and put it together. The patients body and will to live and having the right outlook on life has a lot to do with proper health. Our group is so big. We have 40 different doctors in my practice. Im the medical director, he said. Stem cell treatment is the future of medicine. At $10,000 a treatment, its very expensive. And the number depends on the issue at hand.

THE INITIAL CALL

When Scheer spoke to Raffone, He said I cant get out of bed,' the doctor said. "I drove to Staten Island and I got to know Stephen and his family very well. Its not a one-time treatment. Im seeing him on a weekly basis. There is a relationship that occurs. And thats what matters and thats what keeps people alive. Hope is what keeps them alive. And Im doing this since 2001. The treatment involves platelet enriched plasma that suppresses inflammatory reactions in the lungs. Whats happening is youre able to suppress the inflammatory reaction. His legs and his heart are getting better as well. This is a treatment until we can get him walking.

Scheer says Raffone must undergo physical therapy in oder for him to walk around freely.

And hell be able to travel to my office. Im not giving up on him. Im paying out of pocket. A quarter of my patients, I pay for. Stephen has gone through so much. Hes alive because of stem cell therapy. And due to his lung condition with COVID, he has not contracted it."

Scheer says its been a team effort, with multiple doctors coming into play.

Stephen is keeping himself alive. Im just the tool that can help. I just do the best I can for as many people as I can.

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Westerleigh resident is alive because of stem cell therapy by his doctor -- for free. Heres his story. - SILive.com

Biologic, or regenerative, therapies have altered the way many equine veterinarians treat problematic joints. Some of the most mainstream and popular modalities they currently use to manage osteoarthritis (OA) in horses are autologous conditioned serum, autologous protein solution, platelet-rich plasma, and mesenchymal stem cells.

Most biologic therapies involve collecting and concentrating the horses natural anti-inflammatory and regenerative proteins or cells so they can be injected into an area of pathology (disease or damage) in the same horse.

Autologous conditioned serum is a cell-free extract of whole blood that has been processed to contain high concentrations of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein (IRAP), a naturally occurring anti-inflammatory protein within the body. It is marketed under the trade names IRAP and IRAP II.

When preparing ACS, veterinarians collect venous blood in a proprietary syringe system that encourages porous glass beads to bind with white blood cells. During an incubation process the bound white cells release high concentrations of IRAP. The veterinarian then draws the serum off into small portions and freezes it for future injection into arthritic joints. In clinical studies of ACS, researchers have reported improved synovial membrane (joint surface lining) health, stimulation of natural IRAP production, and improved lameness.

Platelet rich plasma is blood plasma thats been centrifuged or filtrated to have a higher concentration of platelets than whole blood. Many horse owners are familiar with PRP and its use in tendon and ligament injuries; however, veterinarians are using it more regularly for treating joint disease.

One of platelets roles in the body is to modulate tissue healing. They do so by releasing growth factors and signaling molecules that initiate repair and promote anabolic (supporting tissue growth) effects. Veterinarians have capitalized on this ability by injecting high concentrations of platelets directly into damaged or inflamed regions. Because many PRP systems allow for stallside preparation, it is a convenient option for immediate treatment without the hassle of incubation or culturing in the lab, as is the case with ACS and stem cell preparation, respectively.

Historically, equine veterinarians have primarily used PRP to help treat soft tissue injuries. More recent work has led to intra-articular (in the joint) use with promising results. Although researchers have demonstrated how platelet-derived products work in vitro (in the lab) and veterinarians have seen promising anecdotal results in vivo (in the live horse), theyve yet to produce evidence-based confirmation of its clinical efficacy.

Mark Revenaugh, DVM, owner of Northwest Equine Performance, in Mulino, Oregon, says the main factors standing between researchers ability to gather objective data and establish a consensus on PRPs efficacy are the high variability among preparation systems, individual patient reactivity to the product, and an unknown ideal concentration of platelets for particular injuries.

Most practitioners cant always check how many platelets are being used, he says. Depending on the system, one veterinarian may be using 100,000 platelets/milliliter and another veterinarian may be using 1 billion platelets/milliliter. These are not the same treatments, even though both are called PRP. I would love to see an industry standard develop.

Overall, PRPs positive anecdotal results and relatively easy preparation make it a useful option for treating osteoarthritis (OA) in horses.

Autologous protein solution (marketed under the trade name Pro-Stride) is essentially a hybrid of ACS and PRP. Its two-step stallside preparation process involves separating whole blood and sequestering white blood cells and platelets in a small fraction of plasma. The veterinarian then concentrates the separate blood components by filtration, leaving a solution of white blood cells, platelets, and serum proteins that provides the anti-inflammatory mediators of IRAP and the platelet-derived growth factors of PRP.

In a 2014 study out of The Ohio State University, researchers revealed that an intra-articular APS injection can significantly improve lameness, weight-bearing symmetry, and range of joint motion in horses that dont have severe lameness or significant compromise to the joint structure.

Mesenchymal stems cells are adult stem cells that can direct regeneration and repair of damaged tissue. Veterinarians have used this type of stem cell as a treatment strategy for equine soft tissue injury for some time; its only recently that veterinarians have begun using them to treat OA, and its not fully clear how they work in this capacity. Researchers working on early stem cell studies hoped to establish evidence that stem cells injected into regions of injury would develop into the respective tissue. While this hypothesis proved to be incorrect, continued research has revealed that these cells might instead have anti-inflammatory effects and the ability to recruit other stem cells to the area that could, in fact, heal damaged tissue.

The two most common forms of mesenchymal stem cells are adipose (fat)-derived and bone-marrow-derived. Some study results have shown that bone marrow sources yield smaller concentrations thanbut are superior toadipose sources in their ability to differentiate into musculoskeletal tissue. Some encouraging data supporting the use of mesenchymal stem cells for treating OA exists, but researchers have only published a small number of studies with promising results. Equine veterinarians have used MSCs to treat intra-articular soft tissue injury (meniscal and cruciate damagecartilaginous tissues and ligaments that support the stifle), with successful anecdotal results. Theyve reported more variable outcomes when using it for primary intra-articular injuries.

Carter Judy, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, staff surgeon at Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center, in Los Olivos, California, says he currently prefers to use PRP and APS for OA treatment over MSCs. However, he admits there is much to be discovered. What will be interesting to see is how manipulating the cells and providing them with different signals and markers can make their efficacy much more potent and focused, he says.

When weighing treatment options for horses with OA, veterinarians should base their decision to use a certain biologic modality on its cost, availability, and how a horse has responded previously.

Our knowledge base of how the biologics work is improving, but we are in the infancy of understanding, Judy says. Much of the use is based on the clinical response as much as is it on the scientific data.

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Regenerative Therapy Options for Horses With Osteoarthritis - TheHorse.com

Our relationship to Neanderthals has been a point of contention for over a century. It all began with an inaccurate reconstruction of the first Neanderthal ever found, which portrayed them as brutish, stooped-over cavemen (turns out, that Neanderthal was an injured old man with arthritis).

But within the last half century, scientists have noticed the many biological and behavioral similarities that show just how close our species are. While these similarities are clear from hard objects like bones and tools, perishable objects, which comprise the majority of material culture items in humans, have been lacking.

Now, scientists have discovered a Neanderthal feat that hammers another nail in the coffin of supposed Neanderthal inferiority. Last month, an international team of researchers found a small section of a twisted cord attached to a stone flake in Neanderthal site in southeastern France, dated to over 40,000 years old. This constitutes the oldest direct evidence of fiber technology ever found.

A stone flake with three distinct twisted fibers preserved (indicated by the box).

M.-H. Moncel

When artifacts are recovered from archaeological sites, they are generally imaged using high powered microscopes to zoom in on tiny marks and details on the stones. Previously, plant fibers had been found on stones at this site, but they were too poorly preserved to be interpreted. When the team examined this particular flake, they were surprised to find three distinct twisted fibers, which were then twisted together in the opposite direction to form a 3-ply cord.

While it may not sound like much, this piece of string hints at something much more significant. For one, extracting and manipulating plant fibers requires working memory, as well as understanding plant seasonality and the concept of numbers. Also, such cords are the building blocks for creating other textiles, such as baskets, fabrics, and nets. Once adopted, these objects would have been indispensable in daily life.

This little piece of string provides unprecedented insight into the lives of our extinct relatives, which, despite an abundance of genetic, archaeological, and skeletal data, have been extremely difficult to interpret. It seems as though we humans arent as unique as we like to think.

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Fat cells remember their diets early in life - Massive Science

PHOENIXVILLE -- On Wednesday, June 10th, 2020, seventy-three seniors graduated from the Renaissance Academy Charter School (RA). The ceremony was held at 7:00 pm and included all the RA traditional Commencement Ceremony through video. The event featured Keynote Speaker and Valedictorian speeches, various awards and scholarships presentations, as well as, the seniors being announced and recognized for earning their diplomas.

The keynote speaker, selected by student vote, was Kelly Najdawi, the K-12 Curriculum Leader of English Language Arts at RA. Born and raised in Radnor. Mrs. Najdawi graduated Magna Cum Laude from West Chester University in 2008, earning a Bachelor of Science in Education with a Middle School English Language Arts Certification. She began working at RA in 2008.

During her 11-year career at RA, Mrs. Najdawi taught English Language Arts to this graduating class in both their 7th and 8th grade years. As their teacher, she made a special connection with this class and is confident they will go on to make a real difference in the world. This class has always impressed me with their academic drive, personal voice, and understanding, so I felt they were already best prepared to take on their future. I trust them and the decisions they are going to make and expect them to positively change the status quo by using everything Renaissance has instilled in them.

Also speaking at the ceremony was Carolyn (Carly) Higgins, 2020 Valedictorian. As Carly reflected back on her time at RA, she spoke of the challenges her class faced together as a unified group. She went on to stress the importance of self-dependency and having the bravery to pursue ones goals in life even when there are powerful obstacles ahead. We have the ability to make our dreams a reality, but you have to have the courage to trust yourself first. Thats the world that I want to live in and I know you do too.

In the fall, Carly plans to be on the pre-med track with a dual major in biology and molecular genetics. While she has not yet decided on her specific college, Carly has been accepted to the Rochester Institute of Technologys Physicians Assistant Program (BS/MS) 5 year program, the University of Rochesters biological sciences program in molecular genetics, the University of Richmond; the University of Hawaii at Mnoa, and West Chester University of Pennsylvanias biology-cell and molecular program.

The RA 2020 Salutatorian, Jeremy Wenger, who will be attending Olin College of Engineering located in Needham, Massachusetts, gave his speech during a graduation achievement and awards event on Monday night. Jeremy spoke about the unity and accomplishments of his graduating class and their ability to change the world with what they know is true. Now it is our time to shape the world. We just have to be brave enough to do it.

The Renaissance Academy Charter School graduating class of 2020 includes:

Grace Katherine Abendshein (Phoenixville), Jamod O. Adams (Norristown), Mark D. Adams (Royersford), Olivia Elizabeth Andreoni (Eagleville ), Joshua David BarrancoSilva (Phoenixville ), Daniel Eric Barron (Coatesville ), Naomi Michele Bruno (Sanatoga), Gavin Daniel Budniak (West Norriton), Olivia Rose Campbell (Royersford), Giavanna M. Caperila (Phoenixville), Emily Paige Cassidy (Phoenixville), Alyssa N. Cekic (Phoenixville), Brianna Chandler (Norristown), Shaun Maria Chester (Phoenixville), Jahi Peter Clark (Norristown), Gabriel Avery Cole (Pottstown), Geoffrey James Cross Jr. (Pottstown), Emilia Anna Crow (Royersford), Susannah Jeannette Cushmore (Norristown), Cornelius I. Dairo (Norristown), Taylor Lynn Darden (Phoenixville), Gianna Rose Debro (RoyersfordA), Jonathan William DeSanto (Phoenixville), Kayla Nicole Diaz (Norristown), Samuel Miles Dooling (Norristown), Ryan James Dunn (Phoenixville) Olivia Rachel Ferst (Norristown), Nicolette G. Foster (East Norriton), Madison Elizabeth Francis (Pottstown), Avinash Suhas Ganguly (Jeffersonville), Kelly Roberta Garman (Collegeville), Morgan Elizabeth Gidney (Gilbertsville), Jaeshon Goodman-Rhodes (Norristown), Grace Riley Grenier (Jeffersonville), Kathryn Ann Guevin (Phoenixville), Shay S. Gustafson (Collegeville), Kiley Rae Henderson (Pottstown), Carolyn S. Higgins (Morgantown, PA), Kaitlin Bryn Irby (Phoenixville), Majesty Sanai Jerry (Norristown), Jurnee Ann Jessie (Norristown), Adam Christopher Johnson (Norristown), Micaiah Allen Jones (Norristown), Elisabeth Faith Kerper (Jeffersonville), Theresa Rose Kolter (Phoenixville), Malachy L. Lacy (Jeffersonville), Tyler Anthony Magyar (Pottstown), Grace Elizabeth Moreschi (Audubon) Lindsey Nicole ODonnell (Norristown), Max Victor Olstad (Phoenixville), Angelina Clair Pagano (Pottstown), Dominique Xandria Parrish-Hankins (Norristown), James Joseph Pritz IV (East Norriton), Aliyah Nicole Quill (Phoenixville, PA), Benjamin Ali-Reza Rabizadeh (Exton), Erin Kathleen Robbins (Collegeville), Tyler Steven Robbins (Jeffersonville), Trevor Mitchell Schmidt (East Norriton, PA), Lily Catherine Shaffer (Collegeville), Paige Kimberly Simon (Norristown), Lauren R. Stauch (Phoenixville), Sara Bernadette Stockett (Norristown), Lanasha Sweeper (East Norriton), Nathen Lim Te (Norristown), Devon Lynn Testa (Phoenixville), Sarah Irene Trexler (Spring City, PA), Nissi Jayanth Vinnakota (Norristown), Dominique Meghan Vinson (Conshohocken), Alexander Joseph Waskiewicz (Norristown), Cassandra Jean Waskiewicz (Norristown), Jeremy Benjamin Wenger (Royersford), Chandler D. White (Norristown), and Cole Raymond Winters (Phoenixville).

These graduates have been accepted to universities such as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Dickinson College, Boston University, Bucknell University, University of Rochester, Ohio State University, Olin College of Engineering, University of Michigan, American University, George Washington University, and Swarthmore College. They have been collectively offered (to date) a scholarship total of $17,101,514.00, a new Renaissance Academy merit scholarship school record. Tracey Behrens OBrien, RA Academic and College Counselor noted that nearly all of the scholarships have been awarded to the students by the individual universities, not from scholarship search sites. It is so exciting to see an unprecedented number of students in the Class of 2020 being recognized by prestigious colleges.

Due to the current COVID-19 conditions, some of the traditional RA end-of-year senior events were held a little differently. The graduates were celebrated over five unique nights. Each night, a different link was released on the Senior Knights 2020 website. The nights had videos and live feeds with different focuses including a night for athletics and the arts; a senior class photo slideshow night; awards and the Salutatorian speech; the senior parent reveal night; the 2020 commencement ceremony; and finally, the graduates processional parade.

About this group of graduates, Upper School Principal, Michelle Boyd said, The Class of 2020 will always stand out for all that they have gone through and how they have persevered through such challenging times. The Class of 2020 displays true grit and determination--they will surely go on to change the world for the better!

The Renaissance Academy staff and Board of Trustees are so very proud of these students and wish them the very best in their future endeavors

Established in 1999, Renaissance Academy is a fully accredited K-12, award-winning, tuition-free, college prep charter school located in Phoenixville, PA. The academy is listed as one of US News & World Reports 2020 Best High School in America. For more information on the school, please visit http://www.rak12.org.The graduation video can also be viewed:RA 2020 Commencement Video (YouTube)

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Renaissance Academy Class of 2020 graduates with over $17 million in scholarships - Montgomery Newspapers

A University College Dublin (UCD) professor, who chairs the Eurosceptic Irish Freedom Party, has been asked to resign from a leading European Union scientific committee over online claims she made about the Covid-19 pandemic.

In an hour-long interview with a popular alt-right activist on May 10th, which has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times, Prof Dolores Cahill promised to debunk the narrative of the pandemic.

Lockdown and social distancing is not needed to stop the spread of the virus, she said. People who recover are then immune for life after 10 days and deaths and illnesses could have been prevented by extra vitamins, she claimed.

People with underlying health conditions, such as cystic fibrosis, could freely engage in society during the pandemic after spending a few weeks building up their immunity in this manner, she went on.

Opposing vaccinations, Ms Cahill said politicians and the media are using Covid-19 as a fear-mongering propaganda tool to try and take away rights from people and to make them more sick and to force vaccinations on us.

However, the European Commission said the claims made by Ms Cahill, a professor of translational medicine in UCD, could cause significant harm, if taken literally.

Following this, Ms Cahill was asked to resign as vice chair of the Scientific Committee of the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), a partnership between the European Commission and the drugs industry to promote new drugs.

Professor Cahill has been requested by the Chair of the Scientific Council of IMI and the Executive Director of IMI to step down from her function, the commission told The Irish Times.

While as a private person, Professor Cahill is entitled to express her points of view, these are not compatible with the scientific foundations of the Innovative Medicines Initiative, said a Commission spokesperson.

Ms Cahills claims have also caused Berlins Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics (MPIMG), where she worked for eight years, to distance itself, saying it did not want to be associated in any way with the claims made.

The IMI echoed these sentiments, saying that they were shocked to see her statements and that her views do not reflect those hold on Covid-19 by of IMI.

A former Max Planck colleague, Prof Hans Lehrach said he was really surprised by Ms Cahills comments: I have no idea why she says things like that, he said.

There is absolutely no proof that people recovering from the disease are immune for life, he said, reflecting the World Health Organisations understanding on the subject.

Vitamins and minerals do help the immune system, but Mr Lehrach said he would very much doubt that they would defend against the virus. The vulnerable would be pretty insane to engage widely during the pandemic.

Ms Cahill also supported the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19, one that has been supported, too, by US president Donald Trump. The drug, she said, is safe and effective in treating the disease.

However, Prof Lehrach said that he would be very careful with hydroxychloroquine as testing had proven that it is ineffective as a treatment and has been known to cause death due to heart complications.

The original interview has since been removed by YouTube, but versions can still be found easily online and have clocked up hundreds of thousands of views. Ms Cahill has given a number of similar interviews since.

Ms Cahill is a member of the faculty at UCD school of medicine, where she is the module co-ordinator on a number of subjects, including one taught to first-year medicine students called Science Medicine and Society.

When approached for comment, UCD confirmed that she is part of the universitys faculty, but refused to comment further on her claims, saying only that they are her own views.

Ms Cahill unsuccessfully contested the general election for the Irish Freedom Party in February, eliminated on the second count in Tipperary with a total of 527 votes. She has not replied to requests for comment.

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UCD professor asked to resign from EU committee over Covid-19 claims - The Irish Times

As confirmed coronavirus cases in several former U.S. hotspots have begun to come down, cases are rising sharply in a number of states, a trend that's expected to with less social distancing protocols in place. Now, as the heat of the summer starts to settle in, there are concerns over how air conditioning could affect exposure.

Manish Butte, Ph.D. and associate professor in the department of microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics at the University of California, spoke to Health about the matter. They believe that public settings with air conditioning might could be risky. The way air conditioning works is by circulating the air rapidly, removing the humidity. "Less humidity in the air promotes evaporation, which causes droplets in the air to dry up and disappear," Butte explains. So, given that water vapor holds onto heat, when there's less of it in the air, the room cools down.

The droplets themselves are mostly water, but they also can contain any pathogens, which includes coronavirus. A single cough can release about 3,000 droplets and a single sneeze can release up to 30,000 or more. These droplets can vary in size and distance traveled, and when an AC is turned on, airflow from the vent pushes these droplets through the air and potentially into other people. As Butte puts it, "the airflow direction is what matters."

Essentially, since air conditioning is recycled air, it can help the droplets and the contagions therein spread farther. Which, in turn, could result in more infections. Recent studies also suggest that the influx of new coronavirus cases are due directly to the rollbacks of social distancing protocols, which began to lift significantly around Memorial Day. There are currently more than two million cases in the U.S., an unfortunate milestone that has yet to be addressed by the White House.

Despite the spike in cases, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin asserted in an interview with CNBC that similar actions won't be taken by the government in the future. "We can't shut down the economy again. I think we've learned that if you shut down the economy, you're going to create more damage," Mnuchin said. "And not just economic damage, but there are other areas and we've talked about this: medical problems and everything else that get put on hold."

As of Friday, Johns Hopkins University reports that there have been more than 114,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. More than 423,000 cases have been reported across the globe.

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What to Know About Coronavirus and Air Conditioning, According to Medical Experts - PopCulture.com

Islamabad - The government on Friday made no significant increase in the development and recurring grants of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for the fiscal year 2020-2021, freezing the funds allocation above Rs93 billion.

The budget documents said that around Rs64 billion have been proposed as recurring grants while Rs29.47 billion on the development side for the fiscal year 2020-21.

In the fiscal year 2019-20, the government had allocated Rs29.196 billion in the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP). Out of the total allocation of Rs2.47 billion of the proposed funds in development, Rs 1.41 billion is from foreign aid.

The PSDP 2020-2021 said that 29 new projects have been introduced by the HEC while it will continue 47 ongoing projects.

The major new schemes on which above Rs100 million will be spent include Academic Collaboration under CPEC Consortium of Universities (Rs175 million), Development of Infrastructure at Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences, Lasbela, Uthal Balochistan (Phase-II) (Rs200million), Development of Main Campus, Bacha Khan University, Charsadda (Rs 166.231 million), Development of University of Buner at Swari (Phase-I) (Rs250 million), Development of University of Sahiwal (Rs300 million), Establishment of 21st Century Water Institute at NED University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi (Rs 470 million), Establishment of an Advanced Molecular Genetics and Genomics Diseases Research and Treatment Centre at Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi (Rs 352.211 million), Establishment of Four New Departments at Balochistan University of Engineering & Technology (BUET), Khuzdar (Rs200 million), Establishment of National Center of Industrial Biotechnology for Pilot Manufacturing of Bio-products using synthetic Biology and Metabolic Engineering Technologies at PMASARID Agriculture University, Rawalpindi (Rs350miilion), Establishment of New Campus for Govt. College Women University Faisalabad (Rs250 million), Establishment of Sukkar IBA University Campus at Mirpur Khas (Rs170 milion), Establishment of the University of Chitral (Phase-I) (Rs200 million), Livestock Sector Development through Capacity Building, Applied Research and Technology Transfer, University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences (UVAS) (Rs 150 million), Pak-UK Knowledge Gateway- HEC (Rs 158 million), Pilot Project for Data Driven Smart Decision Platform for Increased Agriculture Productivity (Rs 441.300), Provision of Accommodation Facilities for Female Students in Public Sector Universities of Islamabad (Umbrella Project) (Rs 300milion), Provision of missing necessities at King Abdullah Campus, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad (Rs 100 million), Strengthening & Development of Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi ( Phase-I) (Rs200million), Strengthening and Upgradation of Academic Research and Sports Facilities at Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro (Rs 147million), Strengthening of Center of Excellence in Arts & Design (CEAD), Mehran University of Engineering & Technology (MUET), Jamshoro (Rs100 million), Strengthening of Existing Facilities of Government Sadiq College Women University (GSCWU), Bahawalpur (Rs145million), Strengthening of Infrastructure and Academic Programs of Government College Women University Sialkot (Rs100 million).

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No significant change in education budget - The Nation

Multiple companies around the world arepreparing vaccines forimmunisationagainst COVID-19. While researchers are some timeoff from completion, a lot more progress has been made than wasexpected.

Speaking at the Ministry of Healths virtual media conference today,Professor of Molecular Genetics and Virology at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Centre, Dr Christine Carrington, shed extra light ona fewmain companies which have made significant strides in vaccine development.

Theres a lot in the pipeline, things are progressing at an unprecedented rate but there is still uncertainty and a lot of work to be done. Even if phase three trials identify a safe and effective vaccine that goes into production this year, it is likely to be 12 to 18 months before it would be ready for wide administration, she said.

Dr Carrington says thatin the event ofre-infectionwithout a vaccine, the human body pays specific attention to how it was initially able tofight off the virus so that it can employ similar measures again.

Afteran infection with a given virus, the immune system remembers what it learnt about how to protect the body against that specificvirus so if it encounters that same virus again, it can go into action much more quickly and prevent the infection from taking hold or at least prevent it from causing illnessor from spreading to other people, she explained.

This is what doctors refer to as immunity. Depending on the virus, it can last forever or for a period of months or years.

Vaccines relation to this process is that they contain a component which resembles the virus but will not cause actual infection. This way, if an immune system encountersthe virus, it will already have a reaction prepared due to its familiarity similar to infection and re-infection.

The Professor explained that theres a lot to consider in the decision to employ any specific vaccine; she says its a lengthy process that has to be carefully attended to.

Carrington believes this process is exactly why its important for multiple vaccines to be developed togive populations a better chance at accessing them in a timely fashion.

There is a concerted effort to put certain processes in place to allow rapid dissemination of the vaccine to both developed and developing countries and the pharmaceutical companies involved have committed to doing that at cost during the pandemic period, shesaid.

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COVID-19 vaccines: Progress being made, but still a long way to go - Loop News Trinidad and Tobago

Meet the New Members of the 2020 Malone Scholarship Family

Jimmy Malone from iHeartMedia Clevelands WMJI had a banner spring with his scholarship program, which was started in 1993.He had 11 students graduate this spring and his goal was to pick 5 or 6 new students, however, MORE were selected.

I was presented me with some truly amazing applicants, said Jimmy Malone.In fact, they did too good of a job because I had an extremely difficult time with the selection process.All of them are very impressive and I am very excited to have 15 new students in my scholarship family.

Whats even more impressive is there is a total of 61 students currently active in the Malone Scholarship Family this year.

Jimmy is very proud of the diverse group of students who receive the 4 year scholarships.There are no restrictions on race, religion, politics etc.The scholarship is available to students who graduate from high schools in Cuyahoga, Lake, Medina, Summit, and Lorain County.

The goal of the Malone Scholarship at College Now Greater Cleveland, a 501(c)(3), is to provide college scholarships to deserving students. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be Pell Grant eligible, and have a positive outlook on life. Students must also attend a college that is affordable for their financial circumstances.The Malone family looks for students who are committed to graduating on time without excessive debt. Preference is given to students attending a college or university in Ohio.

Jimmys daughter, Angela Malone, and April Malone help him maintain the scholarship and mentor the students.Mentoring is an essential part of the Malone Scholarship program. Our involvement with our students helps them graduate on time, and helps prepare them for life after college.

Congrats to Jimmy and the Class of 2020 on a job well done!

GET MORE INFO OR GET INVOLVED HERE

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Meet the New Members of the 2020 Malone Scholarship Family | Majic 105.7 - On Air With Ryan Seacrest

A 10-minute jog might feel like a cop-out, but a new study by the Stanford University School of Medicine has found that it's enough to alter 9,815 molecules in your body.

There are many existing studies examining the effects exercise has on smaller groups of molecules, but until now no study has committed to the tremendous job of examining how each molecules in the body responds to exercise.

The new study, published in Cell, was small, but it was an ambitious endeavor to document all of the tiny changes to the body's blood that happen post-workout, further highlighting what researchers have known for years: that exercise is crucial for good health.

Researchers still don't know exactly what the impact of each molecular change is, but they do know they are correlated with different bodily functions. Some of the changing molecules were involved in metabolic functions, or digestion or immune system functions, while others were involved in inflammation and insulin resistance levels.

"I had thought, it's only about nine minutes of exercise, how much is going to change? A lot, as it turns out," Snyder told the New York Times.

Crystal Cox/Insider

This intensive, detail-oriented research was only possible because these researchers had been quantifying the molecules of a group of 100 adult men and women. They chose 36 people from their initial pool, including study author Michael Snyder, the chair of the genetics department at Stanford University.

All the participants were between ages 40 and 75, ranging from fit to overweight, and drew blood from them before and after they ran on a treadmill for about 10 minutes.

A majority of the 17,662 molecules they measured (9,815) either increased or declined after the workout. For some people, the molecular changes lingered for longer.

The study was small, and didn't involve participants over 40, and used only a one-time workout, so Snyder and the other researchers can't make any definite conclusions about molecule levels and fitness at this time.

But Snyder is planning more experiments on people's molecule levels, this time with longer workout times and more participants, so he can determine if a simple blood test could be a good way of determining people's physical fitness.

While researching, Snyder and his team discovered thousands of molecules that might correlate with people's fitness levels. Those molecules included markers of metabolism and immunity.

Based off the results of this study, Snyder and his team have created a development test for the idea of using blood tests as fitness markers. In fact, they've already filed a patent application for it.

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Just 10 minutes on the treadmill is enough to change 9,000 molecules in your body, a study found - Insider - INSIDER

By: Lifestyle Desk | New Delhi | Updated: June 13, 2020 10:01:59 am A 10-minute jog or treadmill workout can changes molecules in the body, a study found. (Source: getty images)

A 10-minute workout on a treadmill or a jog is enough to alter more than 9,000 molecules in the body, a new study by the Stanford University School of Medicine found.

Published in the journal Cell, the study aimed to document all the tiny changes that happen to the bodys blood post-workout, highlighting what researchers have been asserting till now, that is, exercise is essential for good health. The study was conducted by Michael Snyder, chair of the genetics department at Stanford University and his team.

I had thought, its only about nine minutes of exercise, how much is going to change? A lot, as it turns out, Snyder was quoted as saying by New York Times.

Some of the changing molecules were involved in metabolic functions or digestive and immune system function while others were involved in inflammation and insulin resistance levels, researchers found.

Read| Post lockdown, how does outdoor fitness change? An expert answers

All participants for the study were between the ages 40 and 75, ranging from fit to overweight. Their blood was drawn before and after they ran on a treadmill for about 10 minutes. A majority of the molecules were found to have either decreased or increased after the workout. For some, the molecular changes lingered for longer.

Researchers found thousands of molecules that might correlate with peoples fitness levels, including markers of metabolism and immunity, reported Insider. They are however yet to know the exact impact of each molecular change.

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Just 10 minutes on a treadmill can affect your body: Study - The Indian Express

By: Tech Desk | New Delhi | Updated: June 13, 2020 7:14:46 pm Representational Image byenriquelopezgarrefromPixabay.

As part of science round-up, we are curating and bringing you the most important science stories of the week. This way, you do not have to go about fishing for the stories elsewhere. Heres everything that happened from June 8 to June 13, 2020:

A new study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, found that office workers sleep more hours each night when they are exposed to more sunlight during the day at work. The researchers tested the differences insleep patternsof people working in nearly identical office environments, with the only difference being the amount of lighting they have been exposed to during their shifts.

The researchers found that both groups slept longer when they worked in the office with more natural lighting. On average, they slept 37 minutes longer. The sunlight also had a positive effect on the cognitive tests of the workers, which only grew more and more with each passing day.

In a study, published in the Journal of Alzheimers Disease, scientists have revealed the effects of Covid-19 on the human brain. They conducted a comprehensive review of how the SARS-CoV-2 (novel coronavirus) to classify the damage caused by the virus into three stages.

In the first stage, the damage is limited to epithelial cells of nose and mouth, which leads to transient loss of smell and taste. In the second stage, the overactive immune system causes a cytokine storm in the form of toxic proteins due to the virus. It ends up forming blood clots that cause strokes in the brain.

Also read | Science round-up June 1-7: Sun-Earth like duo found, Gene-editing could destroy coronavirus and more

In the third stage, a much powerful cytokine storm damages the blood-brain barrier, which is basically the protective insulation layer in blood vessels of the brain. It causes the patient to develop seizures, confusion, encephalopathy as the blood content, inflammatory markers, and virus particles invade the brain. It can also send the patient to go into a coma.

This week, the Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon lined up to form a triangle in the southeastern sky. Dr Ian Musgrave told CGTN that while Jupiter and Venus get close to each other in the sky every year, Jupiter and Saturn only do this once in 20 years.

Research by scientists at the KEM Hospital, Pune, CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, and the University of Exeter in the UK, states that a new way of diagnosing type 1 diabetes through genetics could pave the way for better treatment among the Indian population. The research shows that a genetic risk score is effective in diagnosing type 1 diabetes in Indians. Click here to read more.

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Science round-up June 8-13: Brain damage due to Covid-19, natural light in office ensures better sleep, and more - The Indian Express

We know that exercise can work wonders for our bodies. Now, a new study documents its effects, down to our blood. The study found that a 10-minute workout can induce changes in 9,815 molecules. These findings could pave the way for designing blood tests that measure fitness levels.These molecules are involved in various body functions, from metabolism to digestive and immune function. Scientists have long believed that exercise brings changes atmolecular levels, shielding us from heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cancer and aging.

In this study, scientists from Stanford University studied 36 people between the age of 40 and 75. The participants had varied fitness levels: some were aerobically strong while others were not. Some had diabetes while others had normal sugar levels. Before working out on a treadmill, these volunteers provided blood samples for the study.

The team drew blood immediately after completing the task, and again after a gap of 15, 30 and 60 minutes. In these samples, the team looked for changes in more than 17,000 molecules. Of them, 9,815 either rose or dropped following the physical activity. "I had thought, it's only about nine minutes of exercise, how much is going to change? A lot, as it turns out," Michael Snyder, the chair of the genetics department at Stanford University and senior author of the study told The New York Times.

Snyder compared these changes to an orchestration. For some people, the molecules rose after a workout and then dropped. For others, these changes an increase or decrease stayed for long. They added that the alterations varied depending on an individual's fitness levels. "It was like a symphony. First, you have the brass section coming in, then the strings, then all the sections joining in," he explained.

The study showed that participants struggling with diabetes also displayed differences. Some of these patients often do not respond to insulin, a hormone responsible for keeping blood sugar levels low. After the workout, the team recorded small increases in molecules associated with maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. They also showed a higher increase in molecules involved in responding to an attack, suggesting that they were somewhat resistant to the general, beneficial effects of exercise.

The study has a few limitations, including the fact that the researchers studied only a few participants. Besides, it recorded changes only until an hour after the physical activity. So it does not provide answers to long-term changes to the body. And, it did not involve participants under the age of 40.

In the future, the team hopes to work on experiments that address the gaps left by the current study. They aim to evaluate changes brought about by longer workouts. Comparing resistance exercise and endurance training is also on the cards. In other words, researchers will try to understand which participants are likely to benefit from the two types of workouts. It will also help in designing a fitness blood test, according to the New York Times.The study was published in Cell.

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A 10-minute workout on the treadmill can change over 9,000 molecules in the body, finds study - MEAWW

A mouse model and previous studies suggest that genetic intervention in SHANK3-related ASD may be most effective earlier in development.

A mouse model and previous studies suggest that genetic intervention in SHANK3-related ASD may be most effective earlier in development.A mouse study by Craig Powell, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues suggests that early genetic rescue may be a potential therapy in autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. Powell looked at one gene called SHANK3, whose alteration is seen in about 0.5 percent of ASD patients.

The study is published in eNeuro and was highlighted on the ASD news site Spectrum. Powell is professor and chair of the Department of Neurobiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and also heads the UAB Civitan International Research Center. The UAB researcher has a longstanding focus on autism, intellectual disability and cognitive dysfunction.

The SHANK3 gene product acts in the brain as a postsynaptic scaffolding protein. A synapse is a gap between two nerve cells where a signal is passed from one nerve to the other. A human brain may have more than 100 trillion synapses in its neuronal circuitry.

Powell and colleagues previously showed that mice deficient in SHANK3 protein have behavioral abnormalities, including repetitive grooming and deficits in social interaction, locomotor activity and rearing. Rearing is standing on hind legs to investigate the surroundings. Some of these behaviors are reminiscent of ASD in humans, which is characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication, restricted interests and repetitive behaviors.

Powells lab and other labs, including Guoping Feng, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have sought mouse models where a SHANK3 deficit could be reversed early or later in life, to see if that reversal removed some of the behavioral deficits. Powell says his and Fengs labs used different experimental approaches, and their two studies are complementary.

Powells lab used genetic tools to construct mice that had a stop signal inserted into one or both genes for SHANK3, creating heterozygous or homozygous mice for the mutation they call ShankE13. The activation of another inserted gene called Cre-recombinase can excise that stop signal, restoring full function of the mutated SHANK3 gene.

In Fengs mouse model, the SHANK3 gene was activated when the mice were given tamoxifen, which leads to some toxicity, including weight loss. In the Powell mouse model, the Cre-recombinase was negatively controlled by the antibiotic doxycycline; as long as mice were fed doxycycline, the Cre-recombinase was supposed to be shut off. When the doxycycline is stopped, the SHANK3 gene should be restored. Another genetic in the mouse model was supposed to limit reactivation of the SHANK3 gene to the striatum and cerebellum of the brain.

The plan was to activate the Cre-recombinase at different ages and test those mice for changes in ASD-like behaviors.

This elegant approach had two problems, the researchers learned. First, there was more widespread rescue of the SHANK3 gene in the brain than expected, including in the cortex. Second, the doxycycline control was leaky, allowing expression of the Cre-recombinase even as the mice were fed the antibiotic. Thus, Powell and colleagues were only able to look at the effect of early developmental genetic reversal of ShankE13, occurring about embryonic day 18.

Still, as Powell told Spectrum, It is important to publish experiments that do not work out exactly as planned.

Craig Powell, M.D., Ph.D.In a wide variety of behavioral tests, the researchers found that early genetic restoration of SHANK3 rescued a variety of behaviors that included repetitive grooming and social, locomotor, and rearing deficits.

The social tests included the amount of social interaction with another mouse; social recognition memory, where a test mouse was introduced to another mouse, and then reintroduced three days later; and social novelty exploration, which compares the amount of time spent with a novel caged mouse versus an inanimate object.

The locomotor tests included placing mice in a novel cage with minimal bedding and measuring how much they freely explored over two hours. In a different series of tests, the mice as expected showed no changes in anxiety-related behaviors. That lack of change in anxiety in mutant and rescued mice had also been shown in previous work.

Overall, Powell said, our studies suggest early genetic rescue as a potential genetic therapy for ASD-like behaviors in ASD associated with SHANK3 deletion or mutation. Taken together with previously published studies, genetic intervention in SHANK3-related ASD may be most effective earlier in development.

Co-authors with Powell for the study, Early restoration of Shank3 expression in Shank3 knockout mice prevents core ASD-like behavioural phenotypes, are Thomas C. Jaramillo, Jeremy M. Reimers, Christine O. Escamilla and Shunan Liu, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas; and Zhong Xuan, UAB Department of Neurobiology.

Powell moved to UAB from the Southwestern Medical Center in 2018. At UAB, Powell holds the Virginia B. Spencer Endowed Professorship in Neuroscience.

Support came from National Institutes of Health grants HD069560 and HD069560-S1, Autism Speaks, an Autism Science Foundation Pre-doctoral Fellowship, The Hartwell Foundation, gifts from Clay Heighten and Debra Caudy, and BRAINS for Autism.

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Genetic rescue of SHANK3 is potential therapy in rare forms of autism spectrum disorder - The Mix

The "Genetic Testing. Global Market Forecasts for Applications and Technologies. Updated for COVID-19 Pandemic impact with Executive and Consultant Guides 2020 to 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This report explores how the large genetic testing cancer segment has been impacted by COVID-19. Genetic Blizzard is creating a confusing array of new tests. Will all newborns receive Whole Genomic Sequencing at birth? What has happened to Direct to Consumer?

The role of genetics in health and disease is just now being understood. This new knowledge, combined with lower pricing is driving the Genetic Testing industry to record growth. New drugs may only work for people with a certain genetic makeup, and this too is driving the Genetic Testing Industry. The traditional genetic testing market is growing in volume and growing in the breadth of tests creating a new life for the industry. The report forecasts the market size out to 2024. The report includes detailed breakouts for 14 countries and 5 regions.

Predictive Diagnostics? Pharmacogenomic Testing? Direct to Consumer? Find out about the technology in readily understood terms that explain the jargon. What are the issues? Find the opportunities and pitfalls. Understand growth expectations and the ultimate market forecasts for the next five years.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Introduction and Market Definition

1.1 Genetic Testing Definition in This Report

1.2 The Genomics Revolution

1.3 Market Definition

1.4 U.S. Medical Market and laboratory Testing - Perspective

2. Market Overview

2.1 Market Participants Play Different Roles

2.2 Genetic Tests -Types, Examples and Discussion

2.3 Industry Structure

2.4 Market Shares of Key Genetics Players - Analysis

3. Market Trends

3.1 Factors Driving Growth

3.2 Factors Limiting Growth

3.3 Instrumentation and Automation

3.4 Diagnostic Technology Development

4. Genetic Testing Recent Developments

5. Profiles of Key Companies

6. Global Market Size

6.1 Global Market by Country

6.2 Global Market by Application

6.3 Global Market by Technology

7. Market Sizes by Application

7.1 Newborn Testing Market

7.2 NIPT Market

7.3 Predictive Testing Market

7.4 Oncology Testing Market

7.5 DTC Testing Market

7.6 Other Testing Market

8. Global Genetic Testing Market by Technology

9. The Future of Genetic Testing

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/jp4uin

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200610005299/en/

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ResearchAndMarkets.comLaura Wood, Senior Press Managerpress@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

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Global Genetic Testing Market Forecasts for Applications and Technologies 2020-2024, Updated in Light of Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic -...

Made To Shine the chosen theme for this years International Albinism Awareness Day celebrates the achievements of those who have albinism

International Albinism Awareness Day is observed every year on June 13 to highlight the rights of those born with albinism and increase awareness of the genetic condition. The theme gains significance this year since the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in the spread of misinformation against those who have albinism.

The physical appearance of those with albinism is often conflated with erroneous beliefs and myths influenced by superstition, something that furthers marginalisation and social exclusion, leading to stigma and discrimination.

In some countries, those with the genetic condition have been stigmatised and accused for spreading COVID-19, something that does not have a basis in scientific fact.

Killings, attacks, bullying and discrimination continue against people with albinism.

This day, hence, serves as a reminder that people with albinism continue to defy odds, overcome hurdles and face injustice with resilience.

Made To Shine the chosen theme for this years International Albinism Awareness Day celebrates the achievements and successes of individuals with albinism worldwide.

It is also a call for solidarity with those who have albinism and the challenges they face.

Albinism a rare disease, according to the National Institutes of Health is characterised by a lack of melanin pigment in skin, hair and eyes. Those with albinism are vulnerable to sun exposure, something that increases chances of skin cancer and severe visual impairment.

An albino crocodile in Odisha's Bhitarkanika National Park Photo: Ashis Senapati

The condition is still not fully understood, socially or medically. Both parents must carry the gene for their child to have the condition.

Even though the parents carry the gene, they may not show any physical signs of the condition, said Sudhashree Pattanaik, a noted dermatologist from Odisha.

One out of every 17,000 people across the world have albinism. Africa and Europe have the greatest number of those with albinism.

In India, there are around 200,000 who have albinism. The Union government is yet to conduct a census to account for those who have albinism, said Amarbara Biswal, a human rights activist.

In 2013, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution that called for the prevention of discrimination against individuals with albinism.

The UN General Assembly proclaimed June 13 to be International Albinism Awareness Day on December 18, 2014, with it being observed for the first time in 2015.

Widespread among animals

An albino turtle at Rushikulya beach in Odishas Ganjam district Photo: Ashis Senapati

Albinism is widespread among animals as well and is caused by the absence of melanin in their bodies, said Sudhakar Kar, a noted herpetologist and former wildlife researcher in Odishas forest and wildlife department.

A baby albino crocodile was found in Odishas Bhitarkanika National Park in 1975. After her birth, forest officials kept the reptile in a pond at a crocodile rearing centre within the park.

The female baby crocodile was named gori (white) because of its colour. In 2012, forest officials discovered another albino crocodile in Bhitarkanika and kept the reptile in a pen as well, according to Kar.

An albino Olive Ridley turtle laid eggs during arribada (mass nesting) at Rushikulya beach in Odishas Ganjam district in March this year, said Basudev Tripathy, a noted turtle researcher and Deputy Director of the Zoological Survey of India. Albino sea turtles are extremely rare, he added.

Rabindranath Sahu the secretary of the Rushukulya Sea Turtle Protection Committee discovered the albino turtle, according to him.

We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.

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International Albinism Awareness Day celebrates those with rare genetic condition - Down To Earth Magazine

June 10, 2020 In a new study, Johns Hopkins researchers found that testing people for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) too early in the course of infection is likely to result in a false negative test, even though they may eventually test positive for the virus.[1] This is important to understand since many hospitals are using these COVID tests to screen patients before imaging exams, diagnostic testing or procedures.

The report found even a week after infection, one in five people who had the virus had a negative test result. The findings was published in the May 13 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

A negative test, whether or not a person has symptoms, doesnt guarantee that they arent infected by the virus, said Lauren Kucirka, M.D., Ph.D., M.Sc., obstetrics and gynecology resident at Johns Hopkins Medicine. How we respond to, and interpret, a negative test is very important because we place others at risk when we assume the test is perfect. However, those infected with the virus are still able to potentially spread the virus.

Kucirka said patients who have a high-risk exposure should be treated as if they are infected, particularly if they have symptoms consistent with COVID-19. This means communicating with patients about the tests shortcomings. One of several ways to assess for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 infection is a method called reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). These tests rapidly make copies of and detect the viruss genetic material. However, as shown in tests for other viruses such as influenza, if a swab misses collecting cells infected with the virus, or if virus levels are very low early during the infection, some RT-PCR tests can produce negative results. Since the tests return relatively rapid results, they have been widely used among high-risk populations such as nursing home residents, hospitalized patients and healthcare workers. Previous studies have shown or suggested false negatives in these populations.

For the new analysis, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers reviewed RT-PCR test data from seven prior studies, including two preprints and five peer-reviewed articles. The studies covered a combined total of 1,330 respiratory swab samples from a variety of subjects including hospitalized patients and those identified via contact tracing in an outpatient setting.

Using RT-PCR test results, along with reported time of exposure to the virus or time of onset of measurable symptoms such as fever, cough and breathing problems, the researchers calculated the probability that someone infected with SARS-CoV-2 would have a negative test result when they had the virus infection. In the published studies, healthcare providers collected nasal and throat samples from patients and noted the time of virus exposure or symptom onset and sample collection.

From this data, the Johns Hopkins researchers calculated daily false-negative rates, and have made their statistical code and data publicly available so results can be updated as more data are published.

The researchers estimated that those tested with SARS-CoV-2 in the four days after infection were 67 percent more likely to test negative, even if they had the virus. When the average patient began displaying symptoms of the virus, the false-negative rate was 38 percent. The test performed best eight days after infection (on average, three days after symptom onset), but even then had a false negative rate of 20 percent, meaning one in five people who had the virus had a negative test result.

We are using these tests to rule out COVID-19, and basing decisions about what steps we take to prevent onward transmission, such as selection of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, Kucirka explained. As we develop strategies to reopen services, businesses and other venues that rely on testing and contact tracing, it is important to understand the limitations of these tests.

Ongoing efforts to improve tests and better understand their performance in a variety of contexts will be critical as more people are infected with the virus and more testing is required. The sooner people can be accurately tested and isolated from others, the better we can control the spread of the virus, the researchers said.

Another John Hopkins study in March found the average incubation period for COVID-19 was approximately five days.[2] This was originally used as a guide by some in developing quarantine guidelines. However, this new study shows that test COVID PCR test results are not reliable for a firm diagnosis until well after a week of infection.

Additional authors include Denali Boon, Stephen Lauer, Oliver Layendecker and Justin Lessler and of Johns Hopkins.

Funding for the study was provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (R01AI135115 and T32DA007292), the Johns Hopkins Health System and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (NU2GGH002000).

Reference:

1. Lauren M. Kucirka, Stephen A. Lauer, Oliver Laeyendecker, et al. Variation in False-Negative Rate of Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain ReactionBased SARS-CoV-2 Tests by Time Since Exposure. Annuals of Internal Medicine. May 13, 2020. doi.org/10.7326/M20-1495.

2. Stephen A. Lauer, Kyra H. Grantz, Qifang Bi, et al. The Incubation Period of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) From Publicly Reported Confirmed Cases: Estimation and Application. Ann Intern Med. 2020 Mar 10 : M20-0504. Published online 2020 Mar 10. doi: 10.7326/M20-0504.

Original post:
COVID-19 Genetic PCR Tests Give False Negative Results if Used Too Early - Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- An "O" blood type could provide some level of immunity against the coronavirus (COVID-19), according to a study by the genetic website 23andMe.

Preliminary information from more than 750,000 participants in the study suggests that the "O" blood type appears to be protective against the virus when compared to all other blood types, according to a blog on the genetic website.

Comparing the research participants who reported that they tested positive for COVID-19 to those who tested negative, our researchers identified a variant in the ABO gene associated with a lower risk, according to the genetic website.

People with that blood type could be 9-to-18% less likely to test positive for COVID-19, according to the genetic website.

Among healthcare workers and others repeatedly exposed to the virus, "O" blood type is similarly protective, but the proportion of cases within strata is higher, according to 23andMe.

Whether the "O" blood is positive or negative is not a significant factor in immunity or severity of illness for those who become infected, according to the genetic website.

The genetic website referenced some similar results from other studies in China, Italy and Spain.

Numerous other studies have reported that the ABO blood group plays a role in both susceptibility and severity for COVID-19 (refs: 1, 2, 3), the genetic website said. And we know from other studies that the ABO blood group can play a direct role in other types of infections by serving as receptors, or co-receptors for microorganisms, parasites, and viruses. The preliminary findings from 23andMes data are also notable because of the link between COVID-19 blood clotting, and cardiovascular disease.

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Blood type might boost immunity to COVID-19, genetic website says - SILive.com

Maximizing the protection of life on Earth requires knowledge of the global patterns of biodiversity at multiple dimensions, from genetic diversity within species, to species and ecosystem diversity. Yet, the lack of genetic sequences with geographic information at global scale has so far hindered our ability to map genetic diversity, an important, but hard to detect, biodiversity dimension.

In a new study, researchers from the Universities of Copenhagen and Adelaide have collected and georeferenced a massive amount of genetic data for terrestrial mammals and evaluated long-standing theories that could explain the global distribution of genetic diversity. They found that regions of the world rich in deep evolutionary history, such as Northern Andes, the Eastern Arc Mountains, Amazonia, the Brazilian Atlantic forest, the central America jungles, sub-Saharan Africa and south-eastern Asia are also strongholds of genetic diversity. They also show that the relatively stable climate in these regions during the past 21'000 years contributes significantly to this intraspecific richness.

"Genetic diversity within species is a critical component of biodiversity, playing two important roles at the same time. It reflects species evolutionary history and defines their capacity to adapt under future environmental change. However, and despite the predictions of major biodiversity theories, the actual global distribution of genetic diversity remained, so far, a mystery. Recent collective efforts to populate public databases with genetic sequences and their localities allowed us to evaluate these theories and generate the first global maps of genetic diversity in terrestrial mammal assemblages", says Spyros Theodoridis, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, GLOBE Institute, and lead author of the study.

"The tropics, and more specifically tropical mountain regions, host large amounts of the global pool of genetic diversity. These arks of biodiversity are under a high pressure today due to climate and land-use change. The conservation of genetic diversity in these areas should be a priority in on-going conservation efforts", says David Nogues-Bravo, the senior author of the study and Associate Professor at the University of Copenhagen.

The study also evaluated the effects of climate change during the last 21'000 years in shaping current patterns of genetic diversity. Regions of the world that experienced less severe change in temperature and precipitation harbor higher levels of genetic diversity, potentially due to reduced population extinctions. It also suggests that past inter-annual precipitation variability contributes to higher genetic diversity possibly through population adaptive divergence.

"While we show that areas of high genetic diversity tend to occur in regions where climates have remained relatively unchanged during past periods of global-scale climate change, many of these regions are forecast to experience major climate disturbances in the near future. Unfortunately, this is likely to lead to a loss of genetic diversity in many biodiversity hotspots", says Damien Fordham, Associate Professor at The University of Adelaide's Environment Institute and a coauthor of the study.

"The identified correlations of genetic diversity with evolutionary history and past climate change allowed us to develop predictive models at global scale, particularly in regions that lack sufficient data, such as the tropics. These predictions constitute a first step towards filling major gaps of knowledge for genetic diversity, and can inform and be further validated by field-work campaigns in data-poor regions of the Earth", says Carsten Rahbek, head of the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate.

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Researchers uncover the arks of genetic diversity in terrestrial mammals - Jill Lopez

Forget the UK's "patient zero", new cases of coronavirus were pouring into the country by the hundreds each week during March, helping to explain why our outbreak grew so large so quickly, new analysis of virus genomes reveals.

The study also finds the vast majority of cases arrived in the UK from mainland Europe at a time when much of our travel advice was focused on Asia.

The finding reinforces the conclusion of leading scientists like Professor Neil Ferguson on Wednesday that many lives could have been saved if the lockdown had happened sooner.

Scientists from the UK - Coronavirus Genomics Consortium - have been collecting the genetic sequences of more than 25,000 virus samples from UK cases of the virus.

Because the virus makes copying errors in its genetic code as it reproduces, it slowly mutates as time passes.

They used the changes in the virus genome to build a family tree of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from its origin in China to more than 7,000,000 confirmed human cases worldwide.

"The coronavirus evolves at around two-and-a-half mistakes a month and over the period of an outbreak that results in many different genomes of many different types being detectable," says Nick Loman, Professor of microbial genomics at the University of Birmingham and a member of the UK-COG.

They used their data on the virus' family trees, combined with data on travel patterns to the UK at the time to map where new cases of Covid-19 were coming from.

The majority (34%) came from Spain, a similar number (28%) from France, 14% from Italy, although these cases made up the bulk of early infections in February and 23% from other countries.

The bulk of cases - more than 80% - arrived in the UK between February 28 and March 29.

The UK implemented lockdown on March 23.

On Wednesday, Prof Ferguson told a committee of MPs "had we introduced lockdown measures a week earlier, we would have reduced the final death toll by at least a half".

The data also shows that while major public gatherings like football matches and the Cheltenham festival could have been important for spreading the virus, so many people were brining the virus into the country at the time, these events alone weren't significant drivers of our outbreak.

The study also found, that as our outbreak grew, the UK itself became a source of spread elsewhere.

It reveals the majority of cases contributing to Iceland's outbreak originated in the UK.

But the real benefit of sequencing Covid-19 genomes could be yet to come.

Now the numbers of infections has declined, its possible to use the virus' family tree to better trace and track new infections based on how related they are to one another.

"It's a very powerful tool," says Prof Loman.

"This allows us to look backwards and say, were all these cases at a particular gathering, is there an association with travel."

Coronavirus: Everything you need to know

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UK was inundated by new coronavirus cases from abroad, genetic analysis reveals - ITV News