gene mutation http://www.artwoo.com Returned search results for gene mutation Copyright 2008 Sun, 23 Nov 2008 05:48:45 +0000 http://www.artwoo.com/rss/gene+mutation How Can Genes Cure Congestive Heart Failure http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-can-genes-cure-congestive-heart-failure http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-can-genes-cure-congestive-heart-failure#comments Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:20:00 +0000 congestive heart failuretreatment of congestive heart failureheart injurypotassium channelgenetic mutationgene mutationpotassium channels http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-can-genes-cure-congestive-heart-failure congestive heart failure follows another severe type of . Until lately scientists and doctors had no way to recognize those at risk. New research into genes and gene therapy have fashioned them a potential weapon in the fight against congestive heart failure.

Scientists have built upon various discoveries regarding the effect of genes in the detection and . Several years ago it was discovered that a small percentage of patients who had suffered congestive heart failure possessed a failure in the gene that allows the body to detect dangerous stress signals; in essence, the heart does not recognize that it is operating too hard and is unable to to adjust.

This percentage may appear insignificant; although, the was not found in any of the healthy patients examined. Researchers stress that this is a susceptibility factor and not a source of congestive heart failure; however, it may be the breaking point to determining if a heart suffering from other disease will fail. Detection of this mutation may allow doctors to recognize and treat patients at risk before their heart deteriorates instead of subsequently.

This flaw is found in the ATP-sensitive s and is caused by a . The potassium channel regulates potassium and calcium levels in the body. As the heart requires calcium to work, a surplus of calcium leads to harm. This is the reason why calcium blockers are commonly dispensed to patients with congestive heart failure. Fortunately, medications used to open the potassium channel already exist.

In addition, a failure of the delta-sarcoglycan gene has been seen in hamsters with muscular dystrophy and cardiomyopathy. This gene is the cytoskeleton of muscle fibers, and successful transplants of an everyday human delta-sarcoglycan gene has been shown to make a tremendous improvement in these animals. This is noteworthy insofar as current transplant attempts require open heart surgery. This variety of gene transplant is carried on a virus, eliminating the necessity of surgery.

Scientists had been concerned with using this system of gene therapy attributable to the need for a systemic feature. There was also some concern that the body's natural immune system would eliminate the virus of its own accord before successful delivery of the gene; all the same, they believe they have found the best manner of virus to successfully slip around the body's customary defenses.

Whilst transplanting the delta-sarcoglycan gene researchers used a type 8 adeno-attendant virus, attaching the corrective gene onto it as it was inserted into the body. This permitted the gene to be carried to all areas of the body in animals with muscular dystrophy without being devastated by the body's own natural immunity.

Gene therapy is still highly experimental, and researchers are uncertain yet of the part it will play in the overthrow of congestive heart failure; although, this represents a technology that was unavailable in the past. Continuing advancements in technology and medicine's knowledge of the body's workings may one day unlock the mysteries to the cure of this deadly complaint. Mark has suffered with a congestive heart problem since 1994 and is now severely disabled. He now maintains a website for anyone who wants information on congestive heart problems. http://www.congestive-heart.com ]]> Horse Color Genetics - What About Bays? (Part 2) http://www.artwoo.com/article/horse-color-genetics-what-about-bays-part-2 http://www.artwoo.com/article/horse-color-genetics-what-about-bays-part-2#comments Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:50:28 +0000 color genesdominant genesbay stallionrecessive genescolor geneticscomplimentary termagouti gene http://www.artwoo.com/article/horse-color-genetics-what-about-bays-part-2 color genetics in horses. To quickly review things, there are two basic , the black (B) and the red (b). All horses have a combination of these two genes. All other colors are created by special genes called modifiers.

Before we get started you need to understand some basic terms. The first thing you need to know is that will always show their traits while are silent when combined with a dominant gene. So a horse with one dominant color gene (B) and one recessive color gene (b) will always show the dominant trait which is black. Another important term to understand is homozygous. This means that the horse carries two copies of the same color gene. For example a chestnut horse (bb) must carry two copies of the red gene or it would not be chestnut. The is heterozygous. This means that the horse carries one dominant copy of the gene and one recessive copy of the gene (Bb). The dominant gene will show, but the recessive gene can crop up when crossed to another horse who carries that recessive gene.

The purpose of a modifier is to modify, or change, the outcome of a basic color gene. For example, the most common modifier is the . This special gene causes the black in a horse's coat to lighten making it brown in color. On the other hand it does not affect the black on the points including the mane, tail and legs. If you have this pictured in your mind you will quickly see that the agouti gene is what makes horses bay in color.

So how does the agouti gene work? To make things simple let's call the agouti gene (A). If a horse is black in base color (Bb) or (BB) and carries the agouti modifier it will be a bay (BbA) or (BBA). If it does not carry the agouti modifier it will remain black. Let's look at this in a breeding scenario. Let's take a who is homozygous for the black gene (BB) but is heterozygous for agouti (A) and cross him with a black mare who is homozygous for the black gene (BB).

(BA)(B)
(B)(BBA)
bay(BB)
black
(B)(BBA)
bay(BB)
black

The stallion will only pass on his agouti gene half of the time, making half his foals from the black mare bays. The other half of the time the foal will not get the black gene and will turn out black.

Now the agouti gene is very common. This is why you do not see very many black horses. In addition to this, the agouti gene is also present in chestnut horses, but because they do not have any black it does not express itself. So you can have a chestnut mare who carries two agouti genes (homozygous) and breed her to a black stallion and wind up with only bay foals.

How do you know if your chestnut horse carries the agouti gene? This can be hard to tell without doing genetic testing. Really the only other way would be to breed her to a black stallion and see if she throws a bay foal. Even one bay foal from a black stallion means that she carries an agouti gene. Because the agouti gene is dominant all foals who carry the gene with the black gene will be bays.Lydia K Kelly is a writer for HorseClicks, classifieds of arabian horses for sale, horse trailers for sale, horse saddles for sale, and she is a featured author at www.ArticleKing.com]]> Book Review: Prophecy By Paul Mark Tag http://www.artwoo.com/article/book-review-prophecy-by-paul-mark-tag http://www.artwoo.com/article/book-review-prophecy-by-paul-mark-tag#comments Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:15:00 +0000 navy scientistsdifferent writing stylesjohnstown flood of 1889mark silversteingene mutationmark tagrussian scientists http://www.artwoo.com/article/book-review-prophecy-by-paul-mark-tag different writing styles as there are writers. Some meticulously develop their characters, while the plot sneaks stealthily up on you. Other writers prefer to put the plot first and let the characters develop along with the storyline.

There is no doubt in my mind that Paul belongs to the second group. He wastes not one word on character development, preferring to launch into the plot at a speed approaching Mach 1. Now don't get me wrong, this is not a bad thing, it is just a writing style.

Prophecy has at its very heart a very interesting precept. The ability to foresee the future, some call it, a gift, some call it a curse.

Set in the very near future (2009) Prophecy goes to work. An old safe is found on a construction site, it also happens to be the site of the great . The town was destroyed, and its 2,200 inhabitants met a watery grave when a sportsman's dam gave way. The only thing inside of this rusty old safe is a sealed bottle containing a letter. The letter was purportedly written by one of the Johnstown victims, Ms. Augusta Schmidt. The disturbing aspect is that the letter was written prior to the flood, the day before to be exact, and it details her choice to stay and die with her family, rather than run for safety.

Since the late 1940's the super powers, and some of the not quite super powers have expanded huge sums of money chasing the goal of ESP. He who owns the view of the future, owns the future, is the argument used.

Paul Mark Tag introduces us to a new explanation for the phenomenon, ESP is in the human genome. It is a rare naturally occurring mutation in the DNA. So rare, it may occur only once in every 200 million people. Prophecy is based on a plot line where both American and have discovered the , and the ensuing battle between the interested parties to conquer the gene.

Our heroes are Dr. Victor and his assistant Linda Kipling, neither of which are DNA experts, but rather meteorologists. They become the central focal point of the various groups when it seems like they hold the key to this strange 'prophecy gene.' Rogue CIA operatives, a senator with Middle Eastern connections, and the very shady organization known as The Blade Of Sinai all become obsessed with owning the Prophecy Gene.

While the plot line sometimes lacks credibility, and the characters are ever so slightly over the top, don't be put off. This book was designed to be a wild ride on the wings of escapism, and it certainly delivers. This is just the sort of novel to lose yourself in these dreary winter days.

You can get your copy from Amazon. Paul Mark Tag also has a web site with information about Prophecy and his first novel Category 5. Until he retired in 2001 to write fiction full-time, his work revolved around meteorology and his career with the Naval Research Laboratory. Simon Barrett is an adult educator in Calgary, Alberta. With the 11 months a year of winter, he reads a lot of books! He is also a contributing editor for http://www.bloggernews.net and maintains a personal blog at http://zzsimonb.blogspot.com. ]]> Review On The First Episode Of Gene Simmon's Family Jewels http://www.artwoo.com/article/review-on-the-first-episode-of-gene-simmons-family-jewels http://www.artwoo.com/article/review-on-the-first-episode-of-gene-simmons-family-jewels#comments Sat, 26 Aug 2006 22:27:03 +0000 shannon tweedgene simmonsozzy osbournewife shannonplayboy playmate of the yearcommon law wifesimmons family http://www.artwoo.com/article/review-on-the-first-episode-of-gene-simmons-family-jewels Ozzy Osbourne and boisterous wife Sharon. The Osbournes enjoyed such a huge audience mainly because the viewers really felt like they were getting a true, fly-on-the-wall view of one of rock's first families. Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly really never came across as actors; they didn't need to. Their own reality was so completely odd and unpredictable that watching paint dry in the Osbourne household was a privilege. However, Kiss frontman Gene "The Tongue" Simmons comes across as the lead actor in a show where his family looks to him to identify their individual roles, especially Simmons' common-law wife, , who was once . In the premiere episode we see Shannon trying to one up Gene, who announces (to the cameras) that he is planning a surprise party for her birthday. The kids respond to his announcement in a predictable fashion -- with disbelief. How on Earth would daddy Gene, whose clueless approach to the real world (we see him bathing the family dog by throwing the dog into the pool and struggling to run a dishwasher), know the very basics of party planning? Also, given the theme of the first episode -- that Gene is truly the King of his manse, to whom all must defer -- would Gene be unselfish enough to give his time and energy to his common-law wife?

Gene and Shannon have been together for 23 years, and remain (in Gene's view) "happily unmarried." We learn quickly that Gene's reluctance to commit to the woman who has borne both of the couple's children is a source of amusement to the two teenagers, Nick and Sophie, and a source of distress to Shannon. But, does Gene care? Not if you believe what you see at the outset of the episode. Gene says to the camera "Marriage is an institution. You also have to be committed to it. If that does not sound like a nuthouse," he says, studying his nails, "nothing does." Shannon's answer to Gene's indifferent attitude is "If someone does not marry you after 23 years, it means you're a loser." Could you imagine Sharon Osbourne being so self-effacing? Are you kidding -- Sharon was the ultimate matriarch! Shannon's own teenage son even chimes in to support his wayward father. "It's good being a bachelor," he says laughing. Sad. Another future divorcee or serial monogamist in the making, compliments of .

Gene then takes the cameras along for an all out bachelor night in Vegas. Just for the heck of it, he leaves his family and goes to Hooters. The girls are draped all over Gene, seeing a human cash register because there is not much else to look at. We see the Alpha male at his coolest -- driving the bubbleheads around in a limousine all the while spouting out pathetic lines such as, "I believe that I should have as many women as possible and I believe you should have as many women as possible." Please. I am humiliated for him, and for his whole family who support his delusional reality in which he is front and center. When Gene appears at home, Shannon asks how Vegas was. His reply? "There were lots of boobs and they were all bouncing into each other." Yawn. At the end of the day, Shannon pulls a big ol' staged surprise on Gene and plans an ambush wedding. I'm too bored to even write another word about it, but if you're worried, Gene is still the man, the myth and the unmarried legend. In his own eyes, at least. Find more out about Gene Simmon's Family Jewels and the entire reality t.v. world at http://www.reality-fan.info ]]> Horse Color Genetics - What Color Will I Get? (Part 1) http://www.artwoo.com/article/horse-color-genetics-what-color-will-i-get-part-1 http://www.artwoo.com/article/horse-color-genetics-what-color-will-i-get-part-1#comments Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:57:26 +0000 color genesred horsescolor predictiondna codeagouti genecolor combinationsbay horse http://www.artwoo.com/article/horse-color-genetics-what-color-will-i-get-part-1
Interestingly enough, you can actually predict the likelihood of the foal turning out a specific color. While is not always 100% accurate, there are some that will give you a guaranteed outcome. How can we be so sure of this? It's all in the genes.

Horses have two basic ; black (B) and red (b). All horses carry a combination of these two genes in a pair. The red gene is recessive to the black gene. This means that whenever you get a combination of black (B) and red (b) genes the black gene will express itself. So, a (BB) gene combination will result in a black horse; a (Bb) combination will also result in a black horse and a (bb) combination will result in a red horse.

If that is the case you may wonder why we don't only have black and . In addition to the base color genes there are special genes that modify color. If one of these genes are present it will cause the base color to be modified and the horse will turn out "a different color".

The most common modifier is the . When the Agouti gene is present it modifies the black gene. A black horse with the Agouti modifier will fade leaving its points black and its body brown. This is of course the classic .

Other modifiers include the grey gene, the roan gene and the cream gene. Each of these genes causes the horse's coat to change according to the instructions written into the . Because this complicates matters for now lets stick with the basic black (bay) and red genes. To simplify things for now I will use the term "black" to include bay horses. We will discuss the Agouti gene further in the next installment.

So how can you apply this to actual breeding? Let's start with a simple scenario. You have a chestnut stallion (bb) and you breed it to a chestnut mare (bb). In this case both the stallion and the mare have two red genes. No matter which way you mix and match those genes the resulting foal will also have two red genes (bb). The resulting foal from this breeding will always be a chestnut.

(b) (b)
(b) (bb)
red (bb)
red
(b) (bb)
red (bb)
red

To make things a little more complicated we will now breed a black mare (BB) to a chestnut stallion (bb). Because both the mare and the stallion must contribute one gene the resulting foal will be (Bb) carrying one black and one red gene. The foal will be black in color but will have a recessive red gene.

Now let's pretend that we breed the foal from the first scenario (bb) to the foal from the second scenario (Bb). Use the following diagram to see how the genes relate:

(b) (b)
(B) (Bb)
black (Bb)
black
(b) (bb)
red (bb)
red

As you can see from the diagram there are two color possibilities in this cross. When the foal receives both a red gene (b) from one side and a black gene (B) from the other, the foal will be born black (Bb). This means that you have a 50/50 chance of the foal being a chestnut or a black.

If you cross a homozygous (meaning that it has two copies of the B gene) black horse (BB) with a heterozygous (meaning that it has one copy of the B gene and one of the b gene) black horse as you might expect there would only be one possible color for the foal, black. This is because all of the color combinations would include at least one dominant black (B) gene.

(B) (B)
(B) (BB)
black (BB)
black
(b) (bB)
black (bB)
black

Of course this leaves one more combination, the (Bb) x (Bb) combination. In this case both the mare and stallion carry a recessive red gene but are black in color. While at a glance you might expect all the foals from this breeding to be born black this is where you get the odd surprise foal that is a bright chestnut. In fact 25% of all foals from this cross will be chestnut in color. That is because of the possibility of the foal getting a pair of red genes, one from each parent.

(B) (b)
(B) (BB)
black (Bb)
black
(b) (bB)
black (bb)
red

So now you can see where the basics of color genetics come into play when breeding horses. You now know that you will always get a chestnut foal when you breed two chestnut horses together. You also know that when you breed two blacks together you just might get the odd chestnut foal that crops up.

While color is far from the most important thing to consider when breeding, it is certainly one of the most predictable. With the advances in genetic research we are always finding more color specific genes and can predict color variations with increasing accuracy.Lydia K Kelly is a writer for HorseClicks, classifieds of thoroughbred horses sale, used trailers for sale, used saddles for sale, and she is a featured author at www.ArticleKing.com]]> Horse Color Genetics - And All of the Other Colors (Part 3) http://www.artwoo.com/article/horse-color-genetics-and-all-of-the-other-colors-part-3 http://www.artwoo.com/article/horse-color-genetics-and-all-of-the-other-colors-part-3#comments Sat, 20 Sep 2008 16:29:27 +0000 buckskin horsecolor genescolor guaranteemodifier genefade to graychestnut horsecremello http://www.artwoo.com/article/horse-color-genetics-and-all-of-the-other-colors-part-3 color genes, black (B) and red (b). Bay horses happen because a special called the agouti gene makes the black coat color fade into brown, leaving the points black. But this only covers the more basic colors. What about the others?

Each color is created by some form of modifying gene. These genes can be layered on top of each other, so that you can wind up with a that has pinto markings that . To keep things simple we will look at several of the most common color modifiers one at a time.

A color modifier that is especially popular is the cream gene. This is the gene that causes horses to be buckskins or palominos. The cream gene is a dominant gene. Not only is it dominant, but it also expresses itself differently according to how many copies there are of the gene in a horse.

Let's start with a . Genetically the horse is (bb), which give it the characteristic red color. Now let's add a single copy of the cream gene. Now the horse is (bb Cc) which means that it is a diluted red color which is palomino. If you add a second copy of the cream gene (bb CC) the dilution is stronger and the horse is a with pink skin and blue eyes.

When you add the cream gene to a bay horse you wind up with a buckskin. With a second copy of the cream gene the horse is a double dilute called a perlino. Blacks are affected a bit differently. A single copy of the cream gene makes a smoky black which visually shows very little difference to a regular black. However, when the cream gene is homozygous it expresses itself full strength and produces a creamy black.

Color breeders particularly covet the cremello or perlino horse for their breeding programs. This is because no matter what color of horse you breed to, the foal is guaranteed to express some form of the cream gene. This is why you will often see cremello stallions advertised with a 100% .

Other genes that dilute the color of the coat include the champagne gene, the dun gene and the silver gene. A horse with the champagne gene can be "gold" (on chestnut), "amber" (on bay) or "classic" (on black). The dun gene causes the black stripe you sometimes see on horses' backs. Silver horses have light colored manes and tails caused by a dilution of the expression of the black color, but not of the red/brown shades.

Another color modifier that is frequently seen is the roan gene. Like the cream gene, the roan gene is dominant. If a horse is not roan it cannot have a roan foal. A true roan will have fine white hairs throughout their coat with the exclusion of their face and legs. While they are often mistaken for grays, especially in the case of blue roans (roan on black) they do not fade the way a gray will over time.

An interesting fact about roans is that there is no such thing as a homozygous roan. This was first discovered when the conception rates of breedings where two roan horses were crossed together were decidedly lower than that of other horses. In fact there were 25% fewer live foals from these breedings. From this they were able to deduce that when an embryo carries two copies of the roan gene the combination is lethal and the embryo dies. If you take a look at the following chart, where (R) signifies the roan gene and (r) signifies no roan gene, you will see why the ratio of lethal foals was 25%.

(R) (r)
(R) (RR)
No foal (Rr)
roan
(r) (rR)
roan (rr)
plain

Now that we have been able to isolate the roan gene this has been proven in DNA studies.

Possibly the base of color breeders is the gray gene. This highly dominant gene will wash out any effects seen from other color modifiers. A horse with the gray gene is often born without any sign of graying. As it ages the gray begins to show. Some horses will grey following a "fleabitten" pattern while others have a "dapple" pattern. The two genes are different, but both have the same overall result. Eventually a gray horse will loose all color from their coats and will be white in color. Because they are born with dark skin these horses are not true whites, instead they are called grays.

There are many other color modifying genes. Some have been mapped out in DNA studies. Others are still a mystery. By studying the traits of each color gene you can have a reasonable way to guess what your foal may turn out like once it has arrived. Certainly there are still many aspects that will be unknown, but at least you can have a reasonably good idea of what color your baby could be.Lydia K Kelly is a writer for HorseClicks, classifieds of appaloosa horses for sale, used horse trailers for sale, used horse saddles for sale, and she is a featured author at www.ArticleKing.com]]> Polycystic Kidney Disease And Your Persian Cat http://www.artwoo.com/article/polycystic-kidney-disease-and-your-persian-cat http://www.artwoo.com/article/polycystic-kidney-disease-and-your-persian-cat#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2007 11:15:00 +0000 persian catspersian catpekinese dogpolycystic kidney diseasealthkidney failurecat health problems http://www.artwoo.com/article/polycystic-kidney-disease-and-your-persian-cat alth of a Persian sees some health problems that require some specific knowledge. s have some genetic problems that are prone to happen to any cat of this breed.

A Little History on the Persian Cat Persian cats have beautiful long silky hair and their long hairs float everywhere they visit, including your lap. In the sixteenth century, Persian cats walked the roads in Turkey and some other areas. Some people believe that the longhaired Persian is a mutation of the shorthaired Persian from Egypt. Some believed that the difference in hair length was triggered by the cool weather conditions.

Make Up Of a Persian Cat The Persian cat has a short tail that extends outward with thick bones and a round body. The eyes of a Persian are beautiful and big while the ears are small and appear too small for their heads. They have a flat nose similar to a breed. The mild temperament and easygoing disposition makes the Persian an idea cat for everyone.

Susceptible To The Persian cat is often susceptible to polycystic kidney disease, which affects the kidneys's and generally are common from birth. Although these cats do not show signs until the age of six and up, the Persian cat has the cysts that grow as they grow and age causing the kidney to become enlarged. The prognosis is , which will result in death for the cat. This cat health problemneeds to have immediate attention to take care of any future problems. For more info see http://www.aboutcathealth.org/cat/Common_Cat_Health_Problems/Cat_Urinary_He= alth_Problem.php

Some Signs Your Persian Has Kidney Disease Persians have a need to use the litter box more frequently and have a strong need for water. The cat will more than likely sleep more than usual and may be a bit depressed and finicky about eating, which will lead to body weight loss. In some instances, the liver and the uterus sometimes is affected with the growth and spread of the cysts.

Getting Care for Your Sick Persian Cat Because the Persian cat is normally born with the generic make up causing it to be prone to polycystic kidney disease, your vet may prescribe a drug to help with anemia that occurs after the spread of the cysts. The cats diet has to change to eliminate phosphorous and protein in the diet, which will cause more problems for your ailing Persian. In some cases, the vet will recommend a phosphate binder, which you add to the food or water supply.

Scientists believe that the disease is caused by a dominate gene and requires finding the potential carrier of this gene and eliminating the potential for further reproduction of the carrier. Vets can determine if the Persian kittens have the cysts at an early age to prevent reproduction of the cat that has the dominate gene. An ultra sound will provide a scan of the kitten's kidneys and determine if the Persian kitten requires immediate sterilization to prevent further breeding of cats with the gene. You can also find more information at http://www.aboutcathealth.org/cat/Common_Cat_Health_Problems/Cat_Domestic_H= ealth_Problem.php on domestic and http://www.aboutcathealth.org/cat/ on cat health. ]]> Some Conditions Diagnosed By Genetic Testing http://www.artwoo.com/article/some-conditions-diagnosed-by-genetic-testing http://www.artwoo.com/article/some-conditions-diagnosed-by-genetic-testing#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2007 10:55:04 +0000 genetic testingadoptive parentsdna paternity testcystic fibrosisgenetic disorderadoption agenciesgenetic disorders http://www.artwoo.com/article/some-conditions-diagnosed-by-genetic-testing genetic testing are the ability to find out if you carry a specific gene or if you have a gene that will result in a in the future. Some of the conditions diagnosed by genetic testing are , Huntington disease and Down syndrome. This has become a normal procedure done with pregnant women and both parents even before conception.

Parents can be screened before deciding to have children and find out if they are a carrier of a specific gene, but doctors need to be aware of all the different ethnic groups and what to look for when any genetic testing is done. Some good things about genetic testing before conception are, you can find out if you have any specific and if there is a chance of passing it on to your child.

When two people who want to have children carry the same gene, they may half to make a decision about having a family a different way. The conditions diagnosed by genetic testing allow doctors to inform perspective parents if both have a gene that could cause a genetic disorder in a child. If both parents have the same gene, the child will more than likely be born with the disorder not as a carrier as they would if only one parent had the gene. For more info see http://www.geneticdnatestinghelp.org/paternity/dna-paternity-test.html

Some want genetic testing done on newborns and children before the adoption goes through to make sure they are completely healthy with no genetic disorders that could affect their health. This brings up some controversy about such a practice. Conditions diagnosed by genetic testing may leave some children without homes and parents because they have a specific gene or a specific genetic disorder.

There are some good things about genetic testing, but when used in for this purpose has raised questions by about whether parents should have a guarantee or not. When you conceive a baby, you have no idea about the health at this time so why should you when adopting. The ability to select a baby with by genetic testing defies nature. All children need homes, and if genetic testing before adoption ever becomes a regular occurrence, can you imagine all the children that will never know love and have a family to share their life with.

There many conditions diagnosed with genetic testing and this is good for the future of the world, but is good for everything and in every case. I believe genetic testing for both parents is a wonderful idea, it gives them a choice to have children or not, but in some cases, genetic testing may hurt the population if proper guidelines for testing are not put into place. You also find more information at http://www.geneticdnatestinghelp.org/paternity/dna-testing-labs.html on dna testing lab and http://www.geneticdnatestinghelp.org/paternity/home-dna-paternity-test.html on home . ]]> Advertising Your Genes http://www.artwoo.com/article/advertising-your-genes http://www.artwoo.com/article/advertising-your-genes#comments Wed, 21 Jun 2006 03:32:09 +0000 gene poolpeacocksbling blingsgenessurvivalcar donationspredators http://www.artwoo.com/article/advertising-your-genes genes. Well, not quite.

Every soy sauces claim to be number one.

Who knows which one is?

Consumers do not pick which one is best. Consumers pick which one looks best.

Well, you see, like anyone in the world, women do not pick the best genes. Women pick the best looking genes.

How do they know?

All products, including sperms, require advertising. That advertising can actually hurt , or even life . However, if the advertising can improve women's impressions on the males, some males will do it.

Let's examine the elaborate tail. Those tails actually hurt survival.

Those tails attract parasites and .

Peacock's with shorter tails will not attract predators and hence live longer.

However, the fact that most peacocks have long tail is a proof that at least in the past, peacocks with longer tail have survived better in the gene pool.

We know that it happens because peahens are attracted to peacocks with long tail. The reason why the tails are attractive is surprisingly because the tails hurt gene pool survival.

A living peacock with longer tail must have strong capability to fight parasites and run from predators.

Hence, a built in pattern recognition algorithm in all peahen's mind will correctly conclude that any living peacocks with long tails must have better genes than peacocks with shorter tails.

It's the same reason why human males spend a lot of money for car, donations, big mansions, and . All those actually hurt gene pool survival. The money used to buy sport cars cannot be used to buy food or health care.

Moreover, a male that show of wealth will often be killed with other males with less to display in their effort to get rid more desirable competitors.

Such killing explains genocide done against capitalists, Jews, and other successfully contributing minorities all over the world.

However, women know that any men that can afford such things must be rich. So women pick such males, and males buy those things.

Advertising of survival capability don't just end there. Jim Thio is a silver medalist in International Physics Olympiad. He's learning evolution theory to understand humans' nature. He freely helps humans to be happier. He visions a better world where the productive make more kids and the parasites get more cash. His website is at http://GeneTips.com ]]> Autism Understanding Furthered By International Genetic Study http://www.artwoo.com/article/autism-understanding-furthered-by-international-genetic-study http://www.artwoo.com/article/autism-understanding-furthered-by-international-genetic-study#comments Wed, 21 Mar 2007 04:56:05 +0000 autism speakscause of autismautism in childrennational institute of healthgenome projectaimgenome scan http://www.artwoo.com/article/autism-understanding-furthered-by-international-genetic-study
Instead, it covers a broad spectrum of disorders that may be mild or severe.

Due to the fact that autism is such a complex disorder, medical research is still in the process of understanding how it develops and why it affects certain individuals.

One particular medical project with the to find better autism understanding by identifying the gene that causes autism, is the 5 year Autism (AGP). So far, phase I of the AGP has identified a gene and parts of a chromosome to be linked with the occurrence of autism. The findings of this particular autism study was published online in the Nature Genetics February 18, 2007 issue.

The Autism Genome Project is a global research consortium that is funded by and the . Autism Speaks is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to raising the awareness of autism and raising funds to help research it.

The AGP involves more than 120 scientists from 50 institutions in 19 countries around the world. The researchers who have collaborated on the project combined their autism expertise, and shared all of the data and samples they had to help identify autism-related genes.

As was mentioned, phase I of this project began 5 years ago in 2002, and it allowed the team of medical experts to gain autism understanding by identifying a single specific gene known as neurexil 1, and part of chromosome 11 which could likely be the in children. These findings are based on the largest autism that has ever been done.

Scientists have known for many years that autism is a genetic disorder, but only until the AGP have they been able to use special "gene chip" technology to search for genetic similarities in autistics. Genetic similarities were found in practically all of the autistic individuals within each of the twelve hundred families that that were made part of the project. The scientists also checked the DNA of each family to look for copy number variations that are believed might be connected to autism and similar disorders.

What the researches discovered in their study was that one particular gene known as neurexin 1 plays a significant role with glutamate; a neurotransmitter that has been formerly linked to autism. Researchers also uncovered an area of chromosome 11 that is suspected to contain a gene that may be involved in the occurrence of autism.

However, this particular gene in chromosome 11 has yet to be identified which is required for further autism understanding.

Based on previous research, and the research that has been uncovered by the study so far, scientists speculate that there may be as many as 6 main genes and 30 additional genes linked to autism. However, these numbers are only theories, as scientists point out that the actual number of genes could exceed their theory. Nevertheless, despite the number of genes that may be involved, researchers admit that it is still far too early to dictate how these genes may be responsible for autism.

Currently, phase II of the Autism Genome Project has been announced. The promising discoveries found in phase I makes scientists hopeful that discovering the genes that cause autism will provide new steps toward autism understanding. With greater understanding, more effective methods of diagnosis, preventing and treating the disorder can be taken. By Rachel Evans. Sign up for a free newsletter and discover more about understanding autism at http://www.essential-guide-to-autism.com/?source=is. ]]> Did I Inherit A Hair Loss Gene? http://www.artwoo.com/article/did-i-inherit-a-hair-loss-gene http://www.artwoo.com/article/did-i-inherit-a-hair-loss-gene#comments Sun, 04 Jun 2006 12:32:08 +0000 hair loss rogaineamerican journal of human geneticsandrogen receptor genehair loss remedyfood and drug administrationx chromosomepropecia doctors http://www.artwoo.com/article/did-i-inherit-a-hair-loss-gene X chromosome, which sons always inherit from their mothers.

This genetic storage space contains the so-called , a long time balding suspect. Looking at men who were losing their hair at a relatively young age, a team led by Markus Nothen, PhD, of the Life and Brain Center at Bonn University, Germany systematically examined all of the genetic patterns within the X chromosome to see why certain hairlines recede faster than others. It's not a pretty picture.

The study, published in the , claims that a single alteration in the androgen-receptor gene is the major reason why some men end up going bald before their fathers. Nearly half of bald men would not be bald if they did not have this genetic variation. The hair loss in these younger men, he added, was much more severe than in the men who still had a reason to use a comb in their 60s.

The two approved medicines to treat hair loss (Rogaine and Propecia) need to be taken for a long time to see results. With Propecia, doctors sometimes advise their patients not to expect any results before at least six to eight months. And both need to be used indefinitely to maintain its effect. Once you stop, hair loss will continue.

Although there are only two medicines approved by the (FDA) to treat hair loss, many people are interested in other, alternative treatments. The herb saw palmetto has been used for many years in Europe to treat symptoms of an enlarged prostate and there is some evidence that it may also be effective in treating hair loss. Learning to Avoid Balding.. Find out more about at http://HairLossRemedy.eabout.info ]]> Tea: A Natural Cancer Treatment? http://www.artwoo.com/article/tea-a-natural-cancer-treatment http://www.artwoo.com/article/tea-a-natural-cancer-treatment#comments Sat, 01 Dec 2007 03:30:02 +0000 oolong teagreen teatea polyphenolsblack teajapanese tea ceremoniestea accountsegcg http://www.artwoo.com/article/tea-a-natural-cancer-treatment
Nearly 80 percent of the tea consumed is in the black variety; accounts for most of the rest, although about two percent of the world's residents drink . Initial evidence indicates that both green tea and may be helpful in the fight against cancer.

Black Tea and Green Tea as Cancer-Fighters

A study conducted at the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology bears out the theory that green tea is more effective in combating cancer than other types of tea.

The research team extensively studied both green tea and black tea in order to determine their respective cancer-fighting properties. The experiment showed that both types of tea could help stop the cancerous mutation of cells.

The Japanese Experience

It stands to reason that there should be quite a bit of study into tea's anticarcinogenic effects on Japanese populations, since the Japanese consume a great deal of green tea. In their article, "Antimutagenic and Anticarcinogenic Activity of ," researchers Y. Kuroda and Y. Hara of the National Institute of Genetics explore the ability of green tea to stop cell mutations and to fight cancer.

The Japanese research team noted that both green and black tea consist of chemicals known as polyphenols. These chemicals are abbreviated as EC, ECG, EGC, , and TFs. The researchers found that Japanese residents who routinely drank green tea were less likely to die of cancer.

Women in particular who participated in had a surprisingly low rate of death from malignancies.

According to the researchers, polyphenols' ability to stop mutations has been shown in a number of animal tests. In addition, tea phenols appear to be effective in combating tumors in the digestive tract, the mammary glands, the lungs, and the skin.

Tea and Cancers of the Digestive Tract

Additional research has zeroed in on the effect of tea on cell mutations in the digestive system. One study, for instance, looked at the impact of green tea and black tea extracts on the gastrointestinal system. In this case, an in vitro gastrointestinal model was used which simulated the conditions found in a human digestive tract.

The study clearly showed the ability of both green tea and black tea to inhibit cell mutations. Interestingly enough, the mutation-fighting capabilities of the tea decreased when the tea was diluted with milk, whether the milk was whole milk, semi-skimmed milk, or skimmed milk.

In fact, both whole milk and skimmed milk eliminated the antimutagenic activity of green tea by more than 90 percent. The effect of semi-skimmed milk was a much lower 60 percent.

It appears that the reduced antimutagenic effect was tied to a decrease in antioxidant capability. In other words, the more antioxidants are present, the greater the ability of tea to fight mutations.

In addition, a decrease in the concentration of three chemicals in tea=97catechin, epigallocatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin=97led to a lessening of the mutation-fighting capacity of green tea and black tea.

Why Are Antioxidants So Important?

The antioxidants found in tea are critically important in tea's ability to prevent cancer. This is because of the effect that antioxidants have on what's known as free radicals, or molecules that have lost an electron.

These free radicals are dangerous because they can harm the DNA of cells, giving rise to cancer. Antioxidants can latch onto free radicals before those free radicals cause problems.

More Encouraging News About Green Tea

Researchers say there's evidence to suggest that green tea is an even better cancer blocker than was once thought. The chemicals in green tea appear to shut down a molecule which can be instrumental in the development of cancer. The molecule, which is referred to as an AH receptor, can lead to harmful gene activity. But researchers at Rochester University found that a pair of chemicals in green tea can stop disruptive AH activity.

The chemicals resemble those found in broccoli, cabbage, and grapes, which are considered to be foods that can also play a key role in the fight against cancer. The researchers say that green tea's chemicals appear to work through different pathways in stopping cancer.

Initially, the chemicals were found to stop destructive activity by the AH receptor in mouse cells. Now, it appears that the same phenomenon takes place in human cells. Yet, it should be noted that some varieties of green tea may be more effective than others in this regard.

More Study Needed

Yet, additional study is needed to determine how tea can be best utilized to fight cancer. As researchers point out, the causes of cancer are highly complex and may be the result of an interplay between hereditary factors and diet. Only through additional scientific research can medical authorities begin to understand the true value of tea as a cancer preventative. Marcus Stout is President of the Golden Moon Tea Company. For more information about tea, green tea and wu long tea go to http://www.goldenmoontea.com ]]> Life Insurance And Critical Illness Insurance. http://www.artwoo.com/article/life-insurance-and-critical-illness-insurance http://www.artwoo.com/article/life-insurance-and-critical-illness-insurance#comments Tue, 11 Apr 2006 07:00:07 +0000 breast cancerbrca1 geneovarian cancerassociation of british insurersgene mutationscritical illness insuranceinsurance premiums http://www.artwoo.com/article/life-insurance-and-critical-illness-insurance ovarian cancer then from next year onwards, you could face higher . You could even be refused cover altogether.

When these women apply for life and critical illness cover, the insurance industry wants to ask them whether they have been tested for the BRCA1 or BRCA2. These are the gene complications that increase the chances of them developing these cancers. But before the insurance companies can ask these questions on their application forms, they must get approval from the Genetics and Insurance Committee, the body that advises the Government on these and similar issues.

In the coming months the (ABI) will be requesting the Committee for authority to ask women whether they have been tested positive for BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations. These are the mutations that are present in 1 in 10 of newly diagnosed cases of ovarian cancer and 1 in 20 of new cases of . Approximately 1 in 850 women in Britain inherit a faulty and of those, 14 -- 18% will develop breast cancer during in their lives.

On the web site for the Genetics and Insurance Committee we found a notice saying, " The Committee expects that the Association of British Insurers will submit in late 2006/2007 four revised and updated applications for the use of adverse results from the predictive genetic tests of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes (breast/ovarian cancer) in helping to determine insurance premiums for life and ".

So far, application forms issued by British insurance companies are only allowed to ask for the results of predictive tests for Huntington's disease. Even then, the question can only be asked when the application is for more than £500,000 of life insurance cover or mote than £300,000 for critical illness insurance or over £30,000 for payment protection insurance. This rule is set under an agreement entered into by the insurance industry which is due to expire in 2011 but the Chairman of the ABI's Genetics Working Party, Harpal Karlcut, is reported in the trade insurance magazine "Cover", as saying: -

"We are looking to get approval for the breast cancer test by the end of the year", adding, "The two breast cancers are the next conditions that we will look at but after that we don't see the need to look at other conditions. We do keep an eye out for what diseases may come up in the future but there is nothing else on the horizon". We add another important rider -- yet! About The Author: Express http://www.express-life-insurance.co.uk specialise in life insurance quotations but also offer both critical illness cover - http://www.express-life-insurance.co.uk/what-is-critical-illness-insurance.htm and life assurance policies. Express Life insurance also provide access to a large bank of helpful life insurance articles. ]]> Importance Of Wealth For You And Other Humans http://www.artwoo.com/article/importance-of-wealth-for-you-and-other-humans http://www.artwoo.com/article/importance-of-wealth-for-you-and-other-humans#comments Tue, 11 Apr 2006 18:00:07 +0000 femalesbank robbersbetgene poolattractive malecountrieswomen need http://www.artwoo.com/article/importance-of-wealth-for-you-and-other-humans
Such males are not usually very attractive. Why in the earth can a highly that can mate with so many pretty without any commitment would bother committing his life to an average woman?

Being rich means women will allow women to pick more desirable even richer mates. Rich women aim for males that are even richer.

Common poverty is bad for women because women will not have enough rich smart males to choose from when the are poor. So they end up fire selling their talent to richer countries and earn less money for the same beauty and talent women in rich countries earn.

So yes, wealth is important for women. wealth to ensure that all her kids go to college and are well fed. Women need wealth for luxuries, presents, and expensive dinners they crave. Is wealth important for males? Males don't enjoy luxury as much. Males don't get pregnant. Males don't need to love their kids to survive in the and can simply make way more kids replacing those that die starving by injecting more sperms.

Males have less maintenance cost. Males are less demanding. Is wealth important for males? You ... Wealth is even more important for males.

Historically there are far more males that risk their life for wealth, power, and glory than females.

Why? Women prefer the rich.

Brave, plucky, even headlong and suicidal, males acquire wealth, knock up more females, and survive better in the gene pool. Brave female do not have as much evolutionary advantage as brave male bank robbers.

Hence, males are typically greedier and pluckier than females, in virtually all high level species, including ours.

Other species attract their females with gorilla muscles, peacock elaborate tails, and bull duels. Human males attract their females mainly by wealth and political power.

If your country is rich, then you can import, ugh, I mean attract, women from poorer countries through efficient Russian mail order bride system.

I can go on and on saying explaining how really rich, powerful, greedy, ambitious, and evil guys like Genghis Khan inherit his y-chromosomes to 1 out of 4 humans in the world. That means 1 out of 4 males in the earth can trace their ancestry to sex starved barbaric rapists, mass murderers, philanderers. The rest will probably trace all the way to other civilized mass murderers like Shih Huang Ti.

And it's morally right too. Those societies venerate as great people, are mostly mass murderers. As long as you're winning, you're always right.

To the opposite, the mere smoking in public, not wearing seat belt, or believing that governments will protect you is so wrong. Many are kicked out of their gene pools for those mistakes because they are weak and losing.

That's what our typical great great great great great great great grand father is... Now you know what it takes to survive in the gene pool. Preferences that used to work in the gene pool are preferences that are common nowadays. Guess what? Millions of years of evolution, the winning preferences do not change much.

See Mr. Khan? That's the sort of males that survive in the gene pool. Of course, like father like son...That's why males are the way they are. That's what "boys will be boys" mean.

Remember, it's Cain, not Abel, which survived in the gene pool. About The Author: Jim Thio is a silver medalist in International Physics Olympiad. He's the author of http://howtolearnmath.com a book on how to learn math well. He also uses his Math skills to provide free financial, business, and marketing advices in http://discussionbucks.com His articles are featured in http://FasterFinancialFreedom.com/art.390.0.html ]]> Gene Variation Slowing Metabolism Of Caffeine May Play A Role For Increase Risk Of Heart Attack In Some Individuals http://www.artwoo.com/article/gene-variation-slowing-metabolism-of-caffeine-may-play-a-role-for-increase-risk-of-heart-attack-in-some-individuals http://www.artwoo.com/article/gene-variation-slowing-metabolism-of-caffeine-may-play-a-role-for-increase-risk-of-heart-attack-in-some-individuals#comments Sat, 07 Jul 2007 12:25:00 +0000 heart attackheart diseaseriskcoffeecaffeine worksharvard school of public healthcytochrome p450 http://www.artwoo.com/article/gene-variation-slowing-metabolism-of-caffeine-may-play-a-role-for-increase-risk-of-heart-attack-in-some-individuals coffee and the increase of having a has been under debate for a long time. Some researchers say the risk lies within your genes, and one particular variation in a gene can slow metabolism of caffeine and increase the risk of heart attack.

Coffee is the most commonly stimulant used around the world by millions of people every day. If researchers could determine for a fact it is harmful physicians would be able to identify patients most at risk of and give advice against coffee drinking. Further is that no one knows exactly what chemical in coffee could be involved in the increased risk of heart disease. It is an issue widely debated. Caffeine is probably the chemical most thought of as the culprit. Whether or not alone to cause the risk or when combined with other chemicals or other factors is also unknown. Research about whether or not coffee increases the risk of having a heart attack continues to be very important.

Research has revealed:

=95Caffeine is metabolized mainly in the liver through the action of a particular enzyme called 1A2.

=95There are variations in the gene that causes cells to make this enzyme

=95Some variations can speed caffeine's metabolism and others can slow it

A case control study involving 2014 people was done by researchers from , the University of Costa Rica and the University of Toronto. When the case control study was complete, researchers had all groups of people in the study fill out a questionnaire about the kinds of food they ate and the beverages they drank. The questionnaire provided researchers with information about how much coffee with caffeine people in each group drank. Information from the questionnaire and the case control study (which required a blood test of participants) enabled researchers to determine whether coffee drinking and the gene variation were associated with an increased risk of having a heart attack.

Researchers of this study found the risk of heart attack may be increased in coffee drinkers who have a gene variation that causes slow caffeine metabolism.

The study suggested a "role" for caffeine in association between coffee drinking and heart attack in some individuals. More research is needed to prove definitely that the caffeine in coffee causes heart attack in the group of people with a genetic variation.

Source: American Heart Association

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any kind of a health problem. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Always consult with your health care provider about any kind of a health problem and especially before beginning any kind of an exercise routine.

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.

=A9 2007 Connie Limon All rights reserved Connie Limon, Trilogy Field Representative. Visit http://nutritionandhealthhub.com and sign up for a weekly nutrition and health tip. The article collection is available as FREE reprints for your newsletters, websites or blog. Visit http://www.healthylife27.com to purchase an array of superior quality, safe and effective products inspired by nature, informed by science and created to improve the health of people, pets and the planet. ]]> PGA Championship's Best Golfers http://www.artwoo.com/article/pga-championships-best-golfers http://www.artwoo.com/article/pga-championships-best-golfers#comments Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:22:13 +0000 professional golfers associationgene sarazensam sneadpga titleswalter hagenmatch playsjim barnes http://www.artwoo.com/article/pga-championships-best-golfers Professional Golfers Association of America which is considered to be a part of the PGA Tour. Many professional golfers are have been noted by the PGA and been recognized to be the best golfers in PGA championship history.

Listed below are the best golfers in PGA championship in the history.

Jack Nicklaus

Jack Nicklaus won five titles in the PGA Championship. He won five titles in the years1960-1980s. Other than that, he was gained the four runner-up places in the same years as well. During that time, Jack Nicklaus set the confirmation for principal margin of victories in seven strokes. Jack Nicklaus is considered to be the supreme golfer in the PGA Championship.



Gene Sarazen is a professional winner of the Grand Slam. "The Squire" disintegrates against the golf outlook in the year 1922, captivating both the PGA Championship and the US Open during his 20s. He also won in PGA championship in the years 1923 and 1933. Gene Sarazen also completed all the way to the championship game in the year 1930, where he won against Tommy Armour.



Among the best player in PGA Championship is no other than Walter Hagen. Hagen won five shared records and four individual records consecutively. Hagen's very first PGA Championship was in the year 1921 when he beat t in the PGA finals. Gene Sarazen won subsequently the two and also later Hagen defeated Barnes again in 1924. Walter Hagen also won another three PGA Championships.



Sam Snead won three PGA Championship titles. He first joined the PGA Championship in the year 1937 and later won in 1942. Snead was 69 years old when he did not play his last PGA match until the year 1981.
Sam Snead was defeated in two- in the 1938 and 1940 PGA finals but then gained a victory in the year 1942. Sam Snead also successful to gain the two tiles in PGA finals during the year of 1949 and 1951 and considered to be very spirited in the stroke-play period too. Actually, from the year 1958 Snead placed on the eight PGA Top 10 finishes. Three among the eight PGA top 10 happened in the following years in the 1970s.

Gary Player

Gary Player also won two PGA Championship titles. Gary Player is considered to be one of the best players in the PGA Championship because of his ultimate long history in the golf game tournament and his consistency as a golfer throughout the years. Gary Player also won in the PGA Championship twice and gained 8 Top 10s finishes, 6 Top 5s, and 5 Top 3 finishes.

In the present time, the PGA Championship continues to take hold of the best golfers around the golf. In fact, this has been held at a huge number of settings but presently it is typically staged among the small group of distinguished golf courses, in which all of it has hosted a few other principal tournaments.Golf Course directory owner, John Gregory is a golf fanatic and a web fiend. Combining is two pleasures, he helps people learn about golf and find the best Golf Courses at cheap rate across America. Both in real life and on the web, John likes to create the best golf experience as possible by providing quality content and helpfull tips on the fairway.]]> Historical Controversies Of Nectarine Nomenclature, Prunus Persica Nectarina http://www.artwoo.com/article/historical-controversies-of-nectarine-nomenclature-prunus-persica-nectarina http://www.artwoo.com/article/historical-controversies-of-nectarine-nomenclature-prunus-persica-nectarina#comments Thu, 03 Aug 2006 10:27:14 +0000 nectarine treepeach treespeach treeprunus persica nectarinacommercial fruitrecessive genetruthfulness http://www.artwoo.com/article/historical-controversies-of-nectarine-nomenclature-prunus-persica-nectarina Prunus persica nectarina history should begin in China in 2000 BC to correspond with the history of the peach is absurd for several reasons, unless it is assumed that a nectarine is a cultivar (variety) of a peach. In American agricultural and circles, the nectarine fruit is treated as a separate species from peach, because of the wider possibilities in contrasting a few of the desirable characteristics of each fruit in a marketing campaign to sell more products. Many mischaracterizations of the nectarine development jump up before us to confuse and disorient potential buyers, such as the nectarine profile: promoted as resulting from a cross between a plum and a peach that is patently false. Nectarine fruit also has been described as a fuzzless peach, or as a mutation of a peach that may mutate back to a nectarine and then again mutate back to the peach. Even though the word 'nectarine' was first used in England in 1616, there is no conclusive evidence that the usage of the word derived from the Greek word meaning nectar, can be properly applied to the same English fruit that science describes today as the nectarine. It is true that Darwin noticed that a few nectarines might randomly occur on s. He also noted that nectarine grafts from these trees would revert to produce peaches identical to the fruit grown from the original, mother peach tree. The instability of this back and forth process of gaining fuzz and losing fuzz stretches the in labeling the nectarine as a genuine mutation. It has been theorized that the has arisen from a simple ; however, this theory also is wobbley, if one considers present understanding of Mendelian genetic mechanisms.

Luther Burbank in his book, Fruit Improvement published in 1921, claimed that the ancient ancestor of the wooly peach developed fuzz in an environment as peculiarly stressful regarding moisture, wind, sunshine, insect, and fungus presence, "the fuzz evolved as a protection against those enemies," and thus, the peach was preserved, but the nectarine fruit with a smoother skin was destroyed as in the example of evolutionary concept of survival of the fittest.

Burbank successfully hybridized a nectarine with an almond in an attempt to create a nectarine type pulp and a pit with the edible desirability quality of almond nuts. The bitter taste of the plum pit was supposedly replaced with the nutty flavor of commercial almonds.

Nectarine fruit can be colored white, yellow, orange, or red and the pulp also exhibits these colorations. Nectarine colors are brighter than those seen in peaches, because the fuzz on the peach tends to dilute the bright color of the skin below. Nectarines when compared to peaches are smaller, rounder, sweet or more acidic, and denser. Nectarines are more susceptible to disease rot and bruising presumably, because the fuzz offers a buffer zone of protection to the peach. Nectarines have a richer flavor and are more aromatic than peaches, because they are grown as freestone cultivars, which show these same contrasting differences from peaches, which are principally grown as clingstone fruits for American markets.

Nectarine trees and nectarine fruit are indistinguishable from peaches in all parts phenotypically, except for the presence of the fuzz. Nectarines could more appropriately be described as a fuzzless cultivar of peaches, Prunus persica nectarina. The nectarine fruit is most often eaten with the tender skin on it, and it ripens mostly in June through September. Most of the national production of nectarines comes from California with 95% of the production, but recently orchards of new nectarine cultivars are being established in Georgia and in South Carolina. The nectarine ripe fruit will keep for up to 5 days in the coldest part of a refrigerator. The nectarine can be judged ripe, when it is fragrant and soft to the touch on the tree.

The nectarine is loaded with health benefits, such as antioxidants, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, beta-carotene, and Potassium. Patrick A. Malcolm, owner of TyTy Nursery, has an M.S. degree in Biochemistry and has cultivated nectarine trees for over three decades. http://www.tytyga.com ]]> Apo E Gene Testing and You http://www.artwoo.com/article/apo-e-gene-testing-and-you http://www.artwoo.com/article/apo-e-gene-testing-and-you#comments Tue, 12 Aug 2008 21:01:20 +0000 phenylketonuria pkucholesterol and heart diseasephilosophical standpointapo e genecholesterol levelsgene testinggenetic testing http://www.artwoo.com/article/apo-e-gene-testing-and-you cholesterol levels is testing for the number one gene that affects -- Apo E.

Most people are still not sure how they feel about or what to do with genetic testing results if they have been tested. Because it is such a new technology, most people have never discussed a genetic test with a medical provider, let alone had one performed. Yet if you have had a baby born into your family in the past few years, chances are the baby has had a genetic test for phenylketonuria (PKU). The routine genetic testing of newborns can identify genetic disorders that must be treated early in life and is the most widespread use of genetic testing. All 50 states have passed laws requiring that newborns be tested for PKU because if it is not identified and treated very early with dietary restrictions, it causes mental retardation.

While the medical industry is in its infancy with respect to genetic testing and handling the results of that testing, we know enough to say that proper genetic testing can provide you with some important information that can help you determine how to best protect or improve your health. This does not mean that everyone should be gene tested. has some involved, complicated medical and ethical issues associated with it. I won't get into the debate about genetic testing from a , but rather, share with you certain conditions under which you may -- or may not -- want to consider genetic testing. Your decision about whether or not to take the Apo E genotype test should be made with the help of a practitioner, ideally the one who will then order the test for you if you decide in favor. I will offer guidelines below to help you and your practitioner in making the right decision for you.

Drawbacks of Testing

The decision to get tested for the is not easy, and one of the main reasons is because your health insurance company and your employer could find out that you have an above average risk of developing Alzheimer disease or cardiovascular disease. Besides their knowing, you might rather not know that unless you make major changes to how you live your life, you have a 90 percent chance of developing Alzheimer disease. If you are considering the test because your family has a history of Alzheimer disease, or you have very high cholesterol, you should talk with a medical provider who has experience performing these tests and can help keep your test results confidential.

The Apo E test, along with an advanced cholesterol test, can give you clear nutritional direction and guidance. The question then becomes whether you need an Apo E test, or just advanced cholesterol testing. Personally, I think it depends on what you want, need, and are willing to do. I do not recommend that testing be done just to find your risk of contracting Alzheimer disease. Rather, the decision to be tested should be based on your desire to obtain the information necessary for proper nutritional guidance and assistance in preventing chronic illness.

Reasons for Doing Genetic Testing

Indications and warning signs that may be a reason for genetic testing are a personal history of:

• severe cardiovascular disease
• Alzheimer disease
• Parkinson disease
• severe neurological disease
• gout
• alcoholism
• high triglycerides and/or LDL
• insulin resistance or diabetes
• substance abuse
• morbid obesity
• depression/anxiety disorder or other mood disorders
• confirmation of a high cholesterol disorder potentially being affected by the Apo E gene
• confirmation of a diagnosis of late onset Alzheimer disease in a symptomatic adult or to reduce risk with dietary prescription
• assistance with treatment of multiple sclerosis by dietary prescription
• assistance with treatment of Parkinson disease by dietary prescription

At the same time, if you have one of the following chronic illnesses or conditions and you are not getting better with your current care plan, you may want to consider getting an Apo E test to help improve your dietary patterns. Here are just a few conditions that I have seen find exceptional success with dietary change related to an Apo E genotype:

• acne
• arthritis
• gout
• diabetes
• depression
• alcoholism
• chronic pain
• ADD and ADHD
• high cholesterol
• cardiovascular disease
• hypertension
• Parkinson disease
• multiple sclerosis
• severe peri-menopausal symptoms
• anxiety
• chronic obesity
• fibromyalgia
• insulin resistance
• insomnia
• menopausal symptoms
• glucose intolerance

I strongly recommend that you find a medical provider who has been trained in the advancing field of genetic heart disease and in integrative nutritional medicine to support you.Pamela McDonald is a leading Integrative Medicine Nurse Practitioner, who specializes in the prevention of heart and Alzheimer's disease, and chronic illness. To learn more about her groundbreaking book, and program - visit APO E Gene Diet. To subscribe to her free APO E Gene Diet Health Notes - send a blank email to Info@ApoeGenediet.com.]]> Oh No! Can A Virus Make You Fat? http://www.artwoo.com/article/oh-no-can-a-virus-make-you-fat http://www.artwoo.com/article/oh-no-can-a-virus-make-you-fat#comments Mon, 03 Sep 2007 08:35:00 +0000 adult stem cellsfat cellsvirusinfectobesitypennington biomedical research centerhuman adenovirususeless information http://www.artwoo.com/article/oh-no-can-a-virus-make-you-fat virus can contribute to obesity. Wow, I can't wait to add that one to my list. I can here it coming across my lips now, "I cannot help it that I am fat, I have just had one to many colds."

As crazy as it may sound, it is true. Researches did find a link between a common virus and obesity. While this is not the total reason for weight gain as the current stickiness of my fingers can attest to, it is interesting to know that weight gain is even more complicated than we had thought. They even have a name for this research, "". I know it sounds wild but I do not have enough imagination to make that up.

Dr. Magdalena Pasarica, of the presented the research at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society. Researchers found that -36 (Ad-36) seemed to cause from fat tissue to turn into while stem cells from fat tissue not exposed to the virus were unchanged and remained adult stem cells. In fact they claim to have found the specific gene in the virus that causes this effect. I would tell you the name of the gene but it would probably mean as much to you as it did tome. Ok, for you internet junkies that like to look these things up the gene is called E4Orfl. Yes, that is the name. My cat did not just jump on my keyboard.

This may sound like some and a waste of research money but it really has the potential of being good news. If these findings are proven true there is the possibility that they will someday be able to develop a vaccine or anti-virus medication that may be able to help fight some forms of obesity.

It turns out that the Ad-36 virus is a common virus. Researchers do not think that everyone who comes down with Ad-36 will develop obesity. Researchers have documented in the past that this virus can cause animals to accumulate fat. It was not until now that they have been able to make the connection to humans. They hope that further research will shed light on the underlying factors that cause some animals and people who are affected with this virus to gain weight. It they can do this then they will be on the path to discovering a way to treat it.

Well, I for one am hoping that infectobesity research leads to some treatment that can help myself and others control their weight. In the meantime maybe my doctor is right, resisting that Big Mac that is calling my name probably will not hurt. Rusty Ford Editor http://health-pictures.com/ ]]> Possible Alcoholism Gene Under Observation http://www.artwoo.com/article/possible-alcoholism-gene-under-observation http://www.artwoo.com/article/possible-alcoholism-gene-under-observation#comments Mon, 23 Apr 2007 17:55:01 +0000 alcohol addictionalcohol abusenational institute of alcohol abuse and alcoholismalcohol dependencedrunk alcoholaddiction vulnerabilityantabuse http://www.artwoo.com/article/possible-alcoholism-gene-under-observation alcohol abuse when a person turns an occasional drink into a habit, disregarding the frequency and the quantity. This seriously damages professional life and relationships or provokes problems with the law. Alcohol abuse is the first step to addiction. It is different for different persons, because every organism has its own ways to assimilate and deal with alcohol. The same quantity that does nothing to a person may represent abuse for another - 30% of the US adults face this problem.

The absence of self-control, the necessity to drink, addiction at physical level and development of a certain tolerance, are symptoms that characterize alcoholism. The symptom has nothing to do with the kind of drinks, or to the period of constantly drinking, not even to the quantity, but it depends on a necessity that gets out of control.

Some people may have genetic inheritance that makes them predisposed to . Vulnerability can be given by DNA, and there are tests to discover whether a person has in his gene or there are different causes. Screening for alcoholism genes is very important, because it may save or restore lives.

The persons whose genes are marked by vulnerability to alcohol addiction need to be more careful, so that prevention of these people is very important. The scientific director of the considers that "A genetic screen would shift the focus of treatment to prevention and education".

Dr.Limoila underlines that, in the future, some genetically aspects of vulnerability may be reversed by means of new medicinal drugs with similarly effect to that of : the development of repulsion versus alcohol.

It is vital for genetic tests to remain confidential, to prevent effects of Orwellian nature. Doctor Limoila warns of this danger to take for alcoholic people that never relying only on the genetic inheritance and no man is "born an alcoholic". It is not compulsory for someone with these genes to develop this problem, but the risk of alcoholism is higher in this case. For more information visit http://www.addictionalcoholism.com ]]>