May 30, 2013 ? A newly discovered hormone produced by the eggs of human females may improve the effectiveness of current fertility treatments for women and possibly lead to entirely new treatments altogether. According to new research published in the June 2013 issue of The FASEB Journal, researchers from Stanford and Akira University in Japan identified a new hormone called "R-spondin2" that promotes follicle development and stimulates ovary growth.
"The finding of a new ovarian hormone produced by the oocytes capable of stimulating ovarian follicle growth could lead to new infertility treatments," said Aaron J. W. Hsueh, Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Division of Reproductive and Stem Cell Biology in the Department of Obstetrics and Genecology at Stanford University Medical School in Stanford, California.
To make this discovery, Hsueh and colleagues analyzed all the proteins likely made by the eggs, and discovered a previously unknown hormone, called R-spondin2. The researchers then replicated this new hormone in test tubes and injected it into mice. The hormone stimulated growth of mouse ovarian cells, leading to the generation of mature eggs. These eggs were fertilized and led to successful pregnancies and the delivery of healthy pups. Then, human ovarian tissue was grafted into mice, and this also grew after treatment with this newly identified ovarian hormone, suggesting that the hormone could work in humans. The researchers speculate that when used in conjunction with the traditional Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), this newly discovered ovarian hormone could lead to new infertility treatment options for those not responding well to FSH treatment alone.
"Infertility can be very frustrating for couples who have been trying to conceive for a very long time. The discovery of this new hormone is a potential game-changer in human fertility treatment," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal, "but further research is needed to determine its efficacy and safety in humans."
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Y. Cheng, K. Kawamura, S. Takae, M. Deguchi, Q. Yang, C. Kuo, A. J. W. Hsueh. Oocyte-derived R-spondin2 promotes ovarian follicle development. The FASEB Journal, 2013; 27 (6): 2175 DOI: 10.1096/fj.12-223412
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
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BERLIN (AP) ? German doctors say a man spent 15 years with a pencil in his head following a childhood accident.
Aachen University Hospital says the 24-year-old man from Afghanistan sought help in 2011 after suffering for years from headaches, constant colds and worsening vision in one eye. A scan showed that a 10-centimeter (4-inch) pencil was lodged from his sinus to his pharynx and had injured his right eye socket.
The unnamed man said he didn't know how the pencil got there but recalled that he once fell badly as a child.
The German doctors removed the pencil and say the man has recovered.
Hospital spokesman Mathias Brandstaedter said Wednesday the case was presented for the first time at a medical conference this week.
Weight of tissue flaps affects complication risk after breast reconstructionPublic release date: 29-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Connie Hughes connie.hughes@wolterskluwer.com 646-674-6348 Wolters Kluwer Health
Information on risk factors may help plastic and reconstructive surgeons optimize flap design and patient outcomes, suggests study in PRS Global Open
Philadelphia, Pa. (May 29, 2013) For women undergoing breast reconstruction after mastectomy, the weight of the tissue flap used affects the risk of an important complication called fat necrosis, reports a study in Plastic and Reconstruction Surgery-Global Open, the official open-access medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
Information on flap weightand the number of blood vessels supplying the flapcan help plastic and reconstructive surgeons optimize outcomes for women undergoing breast reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer, according to the study by ASPS Member Surgeon Dr. Justin M. Sacks and colleagues from the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore.
Flap Weight and Blood Supply Predict Fat Necrosis Risk
The researchers analyzed risk factors for fat necrosis in 123 women undergoing breast reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer. Fat necrosis refers to the death of fat cells in the reconstructed breast; it is caused by problems with blood supply to the transplanted flap.
The reconstructions were performed using the women's own tissuesspecifically, using flaps of tissue transferred from the abdominal area. In performing autologous reconstructions, plastic and reconstructive surgeons create custom-designed flaps of muscle, fat and skin from the abdominal area, along with their supplying blood vessels.
Dr. Sacks and coauthors evaluated surgical and patient-related factors affecting the risk of fat necrosis after reconstructionincluding the total weight of the abdominal tissue flap before it was transferred to the chest. The analysis included a total of 179 flaps (including 56 women undergoing reconstruction of both breasts).
Fat necrosis occurred in 7.5 percent of flaps overall. The risk was significantly higher for women with heavier tissue flaps: for each 100-gram increase in flap weight, the risk of fat necrosis increased by 50 percent. (The average flap weight was approximately 650 grams.)
Risk of fat necrosis was also affected by the number of supplying blood vessels, or "perforators"especially in heavier flaps. Among flaps larger than 1,000 grams, the rate of fat necrosis was about 43 percent in those with a single perforator, compared to 14 percent for those with two or more perforators.
Attention to Risk Factors May Improve Breast Reconstruction Outcomes
African American women were also at higher risk of fat necrosis after breast reconstruction, with a risk nearly 12 times higher than in Caucasian women. Risk was not significantly affected by patient age, body weight, and various medical and surgical factors.
Fat necrosis is an important complication after breast reconstruction. "Development of fat necrosis requiring reoperation can result in significant aesthetic deformity as well as emotional and financial costs," Dr. Sacks and coauthors note.
Plastic and reconstructive surgeons are constantly working to refine the technical aspects of breast reconstruction, including flap design, in order to provide the best possible surgical and aesthetic results. Although other studies have looked at risk factors for fat necrosis, the new study is the first to focus on the flap weight and its interaction with blood supply.
The results show that larger, heavier flaps are at higher risk of fat necrosis, particularly in flaps with just one perforating blood vessel. Dr. Sacks and colleague suggest that plastic and reconstructive surgeons should consider "balancing perforator number and increasing flap weight" in designing abdominal flaps for autologous breast reconstruction. They suggest to ensure adequate blood supply to flaps in African American women, who appear to be at higher risk of fat necrosis after breast reconstruction.
###
Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeryGlobal Open is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
About PRS Global Open
Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeryGlobal Open (PRS GO) ( http://www.prsgo.com) is a companion journal to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons' flagship publication, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. PRS GO is an open access, rigorously peer-reviewed, international journal focusing on global plastic and reconstructive surgery. PRS GO educates and supports plastic surgeons globally to provide the highest quality patient care and maintain professional and ethical standards through education, research, and advocacy.
About ASPS
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the world's largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons. Representing more than 7,000 Member Surgeons, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. ASPS advances quality care to plastic surgery patients by encouraging high standards of training, ethics, physician practice and research in plastic surgery. You can learn more and visit the American Society of Plastic Surgeons at http://www.plasticsurgery.org or http://www.facebook.com/PlasticSurgeryASPS and http://www.twitter.com/ASPS_news.
About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is a leading international publisher of trusted content delivered in innovative ways to practitioners, professionals and students to learn new skills, stay current on their practice, and make important decisions to improve patient care and clinical outcomes.
LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company with 2012 annual revenues of 3.6 billion ($4.6 billion).
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Weight of tissue flaps affects complication risk after breast reconstructionPublic release date: 29-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Connie Hughes connie.hughes@wolterskluwer.com 646-674-6348 Wolters Kluwer Health
Information on risk factors may help plastic and reconstructive surgeons optimize flap design and patient outcomes, suggests study in PRS Global Open
Philadelphia, Pa. (May 29, 2013) For women undergoing breast reconstruction after mastectomy, the weight of the tissue flap used affects the risk of an important complication called fat necrosis, reports a study in Plastic and Reconstruction Surgery-Global Open, the official open-access medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
Information on flap weightand the number of blood vessels supplying the flapcan help plastic and reconstructive surgeons optimize outcomes for women undergoing breast reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer, according to the study by ASPS Member Surgeon Dr. Justin M. Sacks and colleagues from the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore.
Flap Weight and Blood Supply Predict Fat Necrosis Risk
The researchers analyzed risk factors for fat necrosis in 123 women undergoing breast reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer. Fat necrosis refers to the death of fat cells in the reconstructed breast; it is caused by problems with blood supply to the transplanted flap.
The reconstructions were performed using the women's own tissuesspecifically, using flaps of tissue transferred from the abdominal area. In performing autologous reconstructions, plastic and reconstructive surgeons create custom-designed flaps of muscle, fat and skin from the abdominal area, along with their supplying blood vessels.
Dr. Sacks and coauthors evaluated surgical and patient-related factors affecting the risk of fat necrosis after reconstructionincluding the total weight of the abdominal tissue flap before it was transferred to the chest. The analysis included a total of 179 flaps (including 56 women undergoing reconstruction of both breasts).
Fat necrosis occurred in 7.5 percent of flaps overall. The risk was significantly higher for women with heavier tissue flaps: for each 100-gram increase in flap weight, the risk of fat necrosis increased by 50 percent. (The average flap weight was approximately 650 grams.)
Risk of fat necrosis was also affected by the number of supplying blood vessels, or "perforators"especially in heavier flaps. Among flaps larger than 1,000 grams, the rate of fat necrosis was about 43 percent in those with a single perforator, compared to 14 percent for those with two or more perforators.
Attention to Risk Factors May Improve Breast Reconstruction Outcomes
African American women were also at higher risk of fat necrosis after breast reconstruction, with a risk nearly 12 times higher than in Caucasian women. Risk was not significantly affected by patient age, body weight, and various medical and surgical factors.
Fat necrosis is an important complication after breast reconstruction. "Development of fat necrosis requiring reoperation can result in significant aesthetic deformity as well as emotional and financial costs," Dr. Sacks and coauthors note.
Plastic and reconstructive surgeons are constantly working to refine the technical aspects of breast reconstruction, including flap design, in order to provide the best possible surgical and aesthetic results. Although other studies have looked at risk factors for fat necrosis, the new study is the first to focus on the flap weight and its interaction with blood supply.
The results show that larger, heavier flaps are at higher risk of fat necrosis, particularly in flaps with just one perforating blood vessel. Dr. Sacks and colleague suggest that plastic and reconstructive surgeons should consider "balancing perforator number and increasing flap weight" in designing abdominal flaps for autologous breast reconstruction. They suggest to ensure adequate blood supply to flaps in African American women, who appear to be at higher risk of fat necrosis after breast reconstruction.
###
Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeryGlobal Open is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
About PRS Global Open
Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeryGlobal Open (PRS GO) ( http://www.prsgo.com) is a companion journal to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons' flagship publication, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. PRS GO is an open access, rigorously peer-reviewed, international journal focusing on global plastic and reconstructive surgery. PRS GO educates and supports plastic surgeons globally to provide the highest quality patient care and maintain professional and ethical standards through education, research, and advocacy.
About ASPS
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the world's largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons. Representing more than 7,000 Member Surgeons, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. ASPS advances quality care to plastic surgery patients by encouraging high standards of training, ethics, physician practice and research in plastic surgery. You can learn more and visit the American Society of Plastic Surgeons at http://www.plasticsurgery.org or http://www.facebook.com/PlasticSurgeryASPS and http://www.twitter.com/ASPS_news.
About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is a leading international publisher of trusted content delivered in innovative ways to practitioners, professionals and students to learn new skills, stay current on their practice, and make important decisions to improve patient care and clinical outcomes.
LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company with 2012 annual revenues of 3.6 billion ($4.6 billion).
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. ? 2013 WWE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This website is based in the United States. By submitting personal information to this website you consent to your information being maintained in the U.S., subject to applicable U.S. laws. U.S. law may be different than the law of your home country. WrestleMania XXIX (NY/NJ) logo TM & ? 2013 WWE. All Rights Reserved. The Empire State Building design is a registered trademark and used with permission by ESBC.
LUBBOCK, Texas?The mother of a Marine killed after a shooting spree that left one dead in Texas said Tuesday that she doesn't know what prompted the attacks, including the stabbing of his wife in North Carolina.
Lance Cpl. Esteban J. Smith, a 23-year-old Marine, died Sunday in a gunfight with Texas authorities after a shooting rampage that left one person dead and several hospitalized. Authorities believe Smith fatally stabbed his wife, Rubi Estefania Smith of Bakersfield, Calif., in a Jacksonville, N.C., motel room near Camp Lejeune before the shooting rampage.
Esteban Smith's mother, Rosalva Jimenez, told The Associated Press in a phone interview Tuesday that she last spoke to her son on Thursday. She said her daughter-in-law had recently traveled from their California hometown to North Carolina to surprise him. She said her last phone conversation with her son was brief because he was at work and that she knew of nothing that would have led to the crimes.
"He was OK, but he went crazy all of a sudden," she said, speaking in Spanish.
She said her son had just married his wife in December and that he was preparing to leave the armed forces. "He wanted to come back, go to college, become a mechanical engineer," she said.
Smith was a veteran of two combat tours in Afghanistan, but Jimenez said she never asked him about what happened there. "I didn't want to hear," she said, adding that she hadn't wanted her son to go to war.
She also said
she didn't know of any problems between her son and his wife. "Maybe they argued and he went crazy," she said.
Authorities have said the Texas victims were likely randomly targeted but have not said why Smith made the 1,500-mile trip to the town of Eden or where he may have been going.
"I imagine he was in Texas because maybe he was driving home" to Bakersfield, his mother said. "That's the road he would take."
Jimenez said she's sad for the people affected but that her son wasn't a monster.
"He was a very bright, quiet, calm man. He was the type of person that would not even like when you would raise your voice," she said.
A West Texas sheriff wounded by the gunman told The Associated Press the shootings appeared to be indiscriminate.
"This guy was intent on killing anybody and everybody," said Concho County Sheriff Richard Doane, who was shot near his left ear. "None of it makes sense."
Doane said he is uncertain whether Smith killed himself or was killed by law enforcement.
Smith, who was also from Bakersfield, was stationed with the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune. Base spokesman Master Sgt. Jonathan Cress said investigators have determined the firearms used in the shootings were not issued by the military.
An assault rifle, handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were recovered from Smith's vehicle.
Marine Corps spokeswoman Capt. Maureen Krebs said Smith enlisted in November 2008. He returned from his second tour as an infantry rifleman in Afghanistan in November 2012. He was awarded several decorations, including a Combat Action Ribbon and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Krebs said.
The Texas shootings began about 4:30 a.m. Sunday, when the gunman shot a passenger in a car carrying three people in their 20s in the Eden area of Concho County, about 210 miles southwest of Dallas, Doane said
Doane said Smith pulled up behind the trio's car and started firing.
"They thought he was throwing rocks at them and he was actually shooting at them," Doane said.
The driver slammed on his brakes, turned around and headed toward Eden, where he hid the vehicle in a car dealership lot. That move probably saved their lives, Doane said.
Over the next 90 minutes, two more people were shot while sitting in a car at a convenience store in adjacent McCulloch County. Both were treated and released from a hospital, Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Tom Vinger said.
Shortly after 6 a.m., Alicia Torres, 41, was found dead in her car in Eola, just east of San Angelo, Vinger said.
Doane said when authorities discovered the shooter was headed toward Eden again, they had to act quickly.
"We made a decision: We can't let him back to town," he said.
The suspect fired on Doane's vehicle when the sheriff came upon him north of Eden. He died during a gunfight with a DPS trooper and a state game warden coming to Doane's aid, according to the DPS.
Rubi Smith's remains were found Sunday afternoon at a motel near the gates of the sprawling Marine base on the North Carolina coast. Police spokeswoman Beth Purcell said Rubi Estefania Smith appears to have died from a knife wound.
Injured in the Texas rampage were Laura Mandanas, 26, of New York; Casimiro Solis, 48, and Charlotte Feldman, 43, both of Brady, Texas; and Eric Kothmann, 52, of Menard, Texas. All were treated at hospitals and released, Vinger said.
Without stops, it is more than a 22-hour drive from Jacksonville, N.C. to Eden, Texas.
???
Biesecker reported from Raleigh, N.C. Associated Press writer Juan Carlos Llorca contributed to this report from El Paso, Texas.
DENVER (Reuters) - A Colorado judge on Wednesday rejected challenges to the state's insanity defense statute and death penalty law by accused movie theater gunman James Holmes, according to court documents.
"The provisions in the insanity statutes and the death penalty statute challenged by the defendant are constitutional. Accordingly, the motions are now denied in their entirety," Arapahoe County District Judge Carlos Samour said in his 51-page written ruling.
Attorneys for Holmes, 25, had argued the state's insanity defense law was unconstitutional because it forces him to cooperate with court-appointed psychiatrists. They had also challenged Colorado's death penalty law as unconstitutional.
The defense arguments were the latest legal wrangling surrounding the mass shooting that killed 12 moviegoers and wounded dozens of others at an Aurora, Colorado, cinema during a midnight screening of the Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises," last July 20.
Holmes, a former graduate student, is charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder and attempted murder. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty if he is convicted.
His trial is scheduled for February 2014.
(Reporting by Keith Coffman, writing by Dan Whitcomb; editing by Paul Thomasch, G Crosse)
Three new crew members are set to launch to the International Space Station (ISS).
The Soyuz carrying Fyodor Yurchikhin, Karen Nyberg and Luca Parmitano is expected to lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 02:31 local time on Wednesday (20:31 GMT Tuesday).
Georgian Yurchikhin and American Nyberg have both been into space before.
Italian Parmitano is a first-timer, and at 36 is the youngest person to be given a long-duration ISS assignment.
He is also the European Space Agency's (Esa) newest astronaut, having been selected for training just four years ago.
The former fighter pilot will stay on the station with Yurchikhin and Nyberg until November.
Their mission has the designation of Expedition 36. They will join three individuals already at the ISS - Russians Pavel Vinogradov and Alexander Misurkin, and American Chris Cassidy.
Tuesday's flight will be only the second accelerated rendezvous with the orbiting platform.
Traditionally, Soyuz capsules have taken two days to get to the 415km-high ISS.
In March, mission controllers experimented with a six-hour re-join. It is technically more difficulty and requires some very precise orbital adjustments, but it is deemed to be easier on the crew because it means they do not have to spend so long inside the cramped capsule.
Luca Parmitano said he was excited at the prospect of going into space.
He has a packed schedule ahead of him. He will see all of the vehicles now used to service the station come and go during his time in orbit, including possibly the new Cygnus freighter which is made in part in Turin.
He is also scheduled to make two spacewalks to work on the exterior of the platform. "I've dreamt of doing that. Being an astronaut is about walking in space. For me, they are one and the same thing," he told BBC News.
Thomas Reiter, the director of human spaceflight at Esa, added: "Luca really has the full spectrum of operational and scientific tasks, and we are eagerly awaiting his launch."
Born in the Sicilian town of Paterno, Parmitano expects to bring a strong Italian flavour to his stay in orbit - literally. Italian chefs have prepared a range of special astronaut foods for him, including lasagne and risotto.
These will be delivered to the ISS in the coming weeks on the European robotic freighter Albert Einstein.
PARIS (AP) ? The top U.S. and Russian diplomats met Monday to try to accelerate frustratingly slow peace efforts in Syria, where the signs point only to a worsening conflict.
Capping off an eight-day trip to the Middle East and Africa, Secretary of State John Kerry flew into the French capital to see Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and exchange updates on their respective diplomatic efforts.
The United States and its Arab allies are attempting to secure the participation of Syria's fractured opposition at an international peace conference in Geneva, planned for next month. Russia is pledging to deliver Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime to the talks.
But despite claims of progress by both powers, there is little evidence to suggest either side in Syria is ready to halt more than two years of violence that has killed more than 70,000 people. President Barack Obama has demanded that Assad leave power; Russia has stood by its closest ally in the Arab world.
Kerry said the U.S. and Russia each are committed to starting a political transition that "would allow the people of Syria to decide the future of Syria."
"We are committed to this," Kerry told reporters upon conclusion of the meeting. "We both want to make this conference happen, if possible, together with many other countries that will join up."
"It is our hope that we will come out of here with greater clarity about some of the issues that need to be worked on in the days ahead," he added.
Lavrov suggested much work remains if any peace conference is going to make headway, calling it a "very tall order." He also signaled continued disagreement between Washington and Moscow on the participants at the conference, saying it should include more interested parties than previous diplomatic gatherings. It was an apparent reference to Iran, which the United States and the Syrian opposition don't want to see involved in any negotiation.
The one-on-one Paris meeting between Kerry and Lavrov, to be immediately followed by a dinner that includes French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, occurred as Sen. John McCain slipped into Syria Monday to meet with rebels, and at an increasingly dangerous time for the country.
For the past week, regime troops and allies from Lebanon's Hezbollah ? and even some Iranian fighters ? have waged an offensive in Qusair, gaining ground against the rebels behind intense bombardments of the strategic western Syria town.
Hezbollah's enhanced role poses an assortment of concerns for the Obama administration, with the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, vowing over the weekend that his militants would back Assad to victory.
Beyond providing powerful reinforcements to Assad's regime, Hezbollah's involvement increases the risk of spillover into Lebanon, a country as ethnically divided and fragile as Syria. Two rockets struck a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut on Sunday, raising fears that the country could be plunged back into civil war.
And any conflict with Hezbollah threatens to drag in Israel, which has proven with airstrikes it won't tolerate large-scale and advanced weapons transfers to its northern border. Lebanon's state-run news agency reported one missile fired from that area toward the Jewish state on Sunday night.
For Kerry and other would-be peacemakers, the confluence of developments only reaffirms the need for a serious peace process to begin.
The Americans have stressed that any talks be carried out in good faith and lead to the full transfer of power to an interim government. Logic, they say, compels that this government not include Assad or other members of his government culpable in widespread abuses.
Getting to the talks hasn't been easy. Kerry is waiting for Syria's Sunni-led opposition coalition to unearth itself from a mountain of internal divisions, from adding new representatives to determining how Islamist or how secular to define their movement.
Opposition leaders met among themselves Monday in Istanbul for the fifth straight day. And while they've grappled for unity, they haven't given a firm yes to the peace strategy outlined by Kerry and Lavrov earlier this month.
McCain spokeswoman Rachel Dean confirmed the Arizona Republican met with rebels in Syria. She declined further comment. McCain has been a leading proponent of arming the rebels and other aggressive military steps against the Assad regime.
Russia has achieved, rhetorically at least, greater success. The Syrian government said Sunday it agreed "in principle" to send delegates to Geneva, strengthening Moscow's hand ahead of any direct ? and potentially proxy ? U.S.-Russian diplomatic negotiations.
With Syria's opposition scrambling politically and militarily, some European countries are looking to change the equation. However, the bloc remained divided Monday on whether to scrap its arms embargo to allow Britain and France to provide the rebels with military aid.
The Obama administration has been mulling a similar step for months. Despite Assad's military advances and evidence that his forces used chemical weapons against the rebels, the Obama administration remains wary about getting too involved.
The economy is improving, banks are beginning to ease standards for lending, and mortgage rates are near their record lows. These factors are making it easier for Americans to wade into the real estate market again. For those who can afford it, even vacation property, either as a second home or as an investment to rent out, is increasingly in high demand. Based on data provided by real estate listing service Trulia, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 10 most searched places for vacation homes on Trulia?s website between April 2012 and March 2013. A place was considered a vacation area if 25% of the housing stock was used seasonally or occasionally, as measured by the U.S. Census Bureau. 24/7 Wall St. looked at the median asking price in the area, also provided by Trulia. These are the most popular towns in which to buy a vacation home.
10. Cherry Grove Beach, S.C.
Median asking price: $219,900
Percentage change from 2012: Unchanged
Cherry Grove Beach is ?a sleepy little fishing village that time has passed by,? said Annie Morse, an agent with Buyers Agent Specialty. The area is known for its Fishing Pier, a popular tourist destination. Unlike the nearby Myrtle Beach area with its many high-rise condos, Cherry Grove Beach mostly has older beach houses, which, as Morse pointed out, gives the neighborhood a quaint feeling. Many people park their car for the week and travel around the area by golf cart, she added.
9. Gatlinburg, Tenn.
Median asking price: $179,600
Percentage change from 2012: 5.6%
For the more outdoorsy type, Gatlinburg may be a very desirable place to own a second home. With a median home price of just $179,600, Gatlinburg is the most affordable neighborhood among the most searched-for vacation home spots. Gatlinburg, located at the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, is home to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited National Park in the United States. Kolko said that searches for homes in the Gatlinburg area tend to originate in Cincinnati or Atlanta, which are both within driving distance. At left, the Ober Gatlinburg Tram.
8. Panama City Beach, Fla.
Median asking price: $294,245
Percentage change from 2012: 1.7%
Panama City Beach is home to a 27-mile stretch of beaches off the Gulf of Mexico. According to the state?s tourism website, the city is home to ?two State Parks, dozens of public beach access points, waterfront restaurants that serve up fresh local seafood and legendary attractions.? Many consider Panama City Beach to be ?the spring break capital of the world.? This allows many homeowners in the area to rent them out to college students during the season.
7. Lake Arrowhead, Calif.
Median asking price: $399,000
Percentage change from 2012: 13.2%
Lake Arrowhead, originally called Little Bear Lake, is located in the mountainous region of the San Bernardino National Forest, which is also referred to as ?The Alps of Southern California.? According to Lake Arrowhead?s website, the resort features ?countless outdoor recreational activities such as hiking, backpacking, bicycling, water and snow skiing, fishing and much more.? It notes that Lake Arrowhead has sunshine 310 days a year.
6. Big Bear Lake, Calif.
Median asking price: $335,000
Percentage change from 2012: 14.9%
Another popular vacation destination in the San Bernardino area is Big Bear Lake, a year-round resort town of roughly 5,000 people, which can swell to more than 100,000 visitors on holiday weekends. According to Big Bear Real Estate, the area offers clear skies and moderate temperatures 330 days a year. Home prices are slightly lower in Big Bear Lake than in Lake Arrowhead with a median asking price of $335,000, an increase of 14.9% from the same time in 2012. Prices of homes for sale in Big Bear Lake range anywhere from under $200,000 to over $1 million.
5. Marco Island, Fla.
Median asking price: $499,000
Percentage change from 2012: Unchanged
Marco Island is ?the total package,? said Gerry Rosenblum, a Realtor with Prudential Florida Realtor. ?There are tons of things to do: boating, fishing, tennis?you name it, we got it.? Marco Island is a popular destination with some people simply because it is secluded on an island, noted Rosenblum. There is a ferry service between Marco Island and Key West. Although Marco Island is still more affordable than it was around 2004 and 2005, Rosenblum said that potential homeowners or investors might want to act quickly because the number of sales currently taking place is ?unprecedented.?
4. Ocean City, Md.
Median asking price: $275,000
Percentage change from 2012: -6.5%
?Ocean City is attractive due to all of the different options available,? said Kathryn Beck, a local real estate agent with Long and Foster. ?We have houses ranging from $100,000 to more than $1 million.? Ocean City, Beck added, has both oceanside and bayside properties, which are bought as either vacation homes or investment properties to rent out. She noted that although the area is a popular vacation spot for people living in the Greater Washington, D.C., area, interest is on the rise from residents of places like Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. Beck said interest in buying vacation homes in Ocean City has risen following Hurricane Sandy, as some have become wary of buying there following the storm.
3. Kissimmee, Fla.
Median asking price: $298,800
Percentage change from 2012: 34.8%
Unlike the other areas on this list, the majority of the ?vacation homes? sold in the Kissimmee area are investment properties rather than second homes to spend holidays and weekends. The Kissimmee area is right around Disney World and Universal Studios, making it a hot destination for tourists. The majority of the homes rented out in the Kissimmee area are short-term rentals, meaning they can only be rented out for a six-month period. While the median home price in Kissimmee is still south of $300,000, it is up nearly 35% from the same time in 2012.
2. North Wildwood, N.J.
Median asking price: $289,000
Percentage change from 2012: 16.0%
?North Wildwood is kind of affordable?the homes are in proximity to water and there is newer construction for good prices,? said Becky Chamberlain, a local real estate agent with Coastline Realty. Chamberlain noted that most places that are farther than a block away from the beach are less than $500,000. However, she also said that homes prices in the area have been rising recently, the first time since 2007. Prices have remained stable because, with the exception of relatively minor flooding, the community was spared the worst from Hurricane Sandy. Read more about the most popular towns to buy a vacation home at 24/7 Wall St.
1. Ocean City, N.J.
Median asking price: $525,000
Percentage change from 2012: -0.5%
No other area was more searched for in the past 12 months than of Ocean City, N.J. Homes generally are more expensive in Ocean City than in nearby North Wildwood, with a current median asking price of $525,000, the highest of all popular vacation neighborhoods. Kolko said that Ocean City had a major drop-off in prices following Hurricane Sandy, although it quickly rebounded. He added that many of the people searching for homes in the area are from near Philadelphia, although searches increased following Hurricane Sandy from people who had homes destroyed but still wanted to stay in the area.
May 27, 2013 ? Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified mutations in several new genes that might be associated with the development of spontaneously occurring cases of the neurodegenerative disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. Also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, the progressive, fatal condition, in which the motor neurons that control movement and breathing gradually cease to function, has no cure.
Although researchers know of some mutations associated with inherited forms of ALS, the majority of patients have no family history of the disease, and there are few clues as to its cause. The Stanford researchers compared the DNA sequences of 47 patients who have the spontaneous form of the disease, known as sporadic ALS, with those of their unaffected parents. The goal was to identify new mutations that were present in the patient but not in either parent that may have contributed to disease development.
Several suspects are mutations in genes that encode chromatin regulators -- cellular proteins that govern how DNA is packed into the nucleus of a cell and how it is accessed when genes are expressed. Protein members of one these chromatin-regulatory complexes have recently been shown to play roles in normal development and some forms of cancer.
"The more we know about the genetic causes of the disorder, the greater insight we will have as to possible therapeutic targets," said Aaron Gitler, PhD, associate professor of genetics. "Until now, researchers have primarily relied upon large families with many cases of inherited ALS and attempted to pinpoint genetic regions that seem to occur only in patients. But more than 90 percent of ALS cases are sporadic, and many of the genes involved in these cases are unknown."
Gitler is the senior author of the study, which will be published online May 26 in Nature Neuroscience. Postdoctoral scholar Alessandra Chesi, PhD, is the lead author. Gitler and Chesi collaborated with members of the laboratory of Gerald Crabtree, MD, professor of developmental biology and of pathology. Crabtree, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, is also a co-author of the study.
Chesi and Gitler combined deductive reasoning with recent advances in sequencing technology to conduct the work, which relied on the availability of genetic samples from not only ALS patients, but also the patients' unaffected parents. Such trios can be difficult to obtain for diseases like sporadic ALS that strike well into adulthood when a patient's parents may no longer be alive. Gitler and Chesi collaborated with researchers from Emory University and Johns Hopkins University to collect these samples.
The researchers compared the sequences of a portion of the genome called the exome, which directly contributes to the amino acid sequences of all the proteins in a cell. (Many genes contain intervening, non-protein-coding regions of DNA called introns that are removed prior to protein production.) Mutations found only in the patient's exome, but not in that of his or her parents', were viewed as potential disease-associated candidates -- particularly if they affected the composition or structure of the resulting protein made from that gene.
Focusing on just the exome, which is about 1 percent of the total amount of DNA in each human cell, vastly reduced the total amount of DNA that needed to be sequenced and allowed the researchers to achieve relatively high coverage (or repeated sequencing to ensure accuracy) of each sample.
"We wanted to find novel changes in the patients," Chesi said. "These represent a class of mutations called de novo mutations that likely occurred during the production of the parents' reproductive cells." As a result, these mutations would be carried in all the cells of patients, but not in their parents or siblings.
Using the exome sequencing technique, the researchers identified 25 de novo mutations in the ALS patients. Of these, five are known to be in genes involved in the regulation of the tightly packed form of DNA called chromatin -- a proportion that is much higher than would have been expected by chance, according to Chesi.
Furthermore, one of the five chromatin regulatory proteins, SS18L1, is a member of a neuron-specific complex called nBAF, which has long been studied in Crabtree's laboratory. This complex is strongly expressed in the brain and spinal cord, and affects the ability of the neurons to form branching structures called dendrites that are essential to nerve signaling.
"We found that, in one sporadic ALS case, the last nine amino acids of this protein are missing," Gitler said. "I knew that Gerald Crabtree's lab had been investigating SS18L1, so I asked him about it. In fact, they had already identified these amino acids as being very important to the function of the protein."
When the researchers expressed the mutant SS18L1 in motor neurons isolated from mouse embryos, they found the neurons were unable to extend and grow new dendrites as robustly as normal neurons in response to stimuli. They also showed that SS18L1 appears to physically interact with another protein known to be involved in cases of familial, or inherited, ALS.
Although the results are intriguing, the researchers caution that more work is necessary to conclusively prove whether and how mutations in SS18L1 contribute to sporadic cases of ALS. But now they have an idea of where to look in other patients, without requiring the existence of patient and parent trios. They are planning to sequence SS18L1 and other candidates in an additional few thousand sporadic ALS cases.
"This is the first systematic analysis of ALS triads for the presence of de novo mutations," Chesi said. "Now we have a list of candidate genes we can pursue. We haven't proven that these mutations cause ALS, but we've shown, at least in the context of SS18L1, that the mutation carried by some patients is damaging to the protein and affects the ability of mouse motor neurons to form dendrites."
BRUSSELS (AP) ? The European Union said its member states within days will be able to send weapons to help Syria's outgunned rebels, seeking to pressure President Bashar Assad's regime ahead of planned peace talks mediated by the United States and Russia.
Though no EU country has any such plans now to send arms, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the decision "sends a very strong message from Europe to the Assad regime." He spoke after an all-day meeting of foreign ministers Monday that laid bare EU hesitation on feeding arms in a foreign conflict only months after the 27-member bloc won the Nobel Peace Prize.
"It is extremely important not to do anything to rock the boat. Start delivering weapons now would rock the boat. No one is intending to do that," Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said.
But in a bid to force Syria to participate in good faith at the prospective "Geneva II" talks next month, the meeting in Brussels dangled the option of sending in weapons and military equipment as soon as Saturday, when the current sanctions regime ends.
The prospect of EU weapons for the rebels, while maintaining stiff economic sanctions against Assad's regime, also sends a message to Russia. Moscow has unabashedly sent weapons to Assad's regime ? and EU arms deliveries could partially re-balance the civil war when it comes to firepower.
Several EU ministers said arming the opposition would create a more level playing field that could force Assad into a negotiated settlement.
Britain and France ? the EU's biggest military powers ? had been pushing the bloc to lift its embargo on delivery of weapons into Syria to help the embattled opposition. But Austria, which has sent peacekeepers to the Golan Heights between Syria and Israel, was vocally opposed ? one of several EU countries that argued that the region is already awash in weapons.
EU countries will individually examine their export license applications one by one and will not proceed "at this stage" with deliveries of military equipment, the joint declaration said, though it did not specify when that might change.
EU ministers agreed to revisit the issue before Aug. 1, but countries, based on previous EU guidelines, can now decide for themselves whether they want to arm the rebels.
The EU nations also agreed everything possible should be done to control any exports and make sure they do not fall into the hands of extremists or terrorists ? one of the thorniest issues for France and Britain in their calls to arm the rebels. Each country will require "adequate safeguards against misuse of authorizations (for export) granted," the EU text said.
Hague said Britain would only send in weapons "in company with other nations, in carefully controlled circumstances, and in compliance with international law."
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius left the talks earlier Monday to return to Paris to meet with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who are leading the effort to bring the two warring Syrian sides to the negotiating table.
Assad's government has agreed in principle to participate in peace talks in Geneva, but the exact date, agenda and participants still remain unclear.
In Paris, officials traveling with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had no comment on the EU arms decision.
A State Department official also said the department was aware of Sen. John McCain, a proponent of arming Syrian rebels, crossing into Syrian territory on Monday. Further questions were referred to McCain's office, which confirmed the unannounced trip but gave no details.
McCain met with anti-government fighters in Syria. The fierce critic of Obama administration policy in Syria has stopped short of backing U.S. ground troops there.
France added urgency to the EU arms debate Monday, with Fabius pointing to increasing signs that chemical weapons were being used in the conflict.
The EU nations have been steadfast opponents of Assad in the war and have steadily increased restrictive measures against his regime, including visa restrictions and economic sanctions. In February, the bloc amended the arms embargo to allow for non-lethal equipment and medicine to protect Syrian civilians. All those measures had been set to expire on May 31, but nearly all of the sanctions, including restrictions on exports and imports, visas, and funding for some Syrian companies, were extended for a year.
Washington has been reluctant to provide rebels with more sophisticated weapons for fear they might end up in the hands of the radical Islamic factions, including the al-Qaida-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra, a group that has been the most effective fighting force on the opposition side.
___
Associated Press writer Bradley Klapper in Paris contributed to this report.
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Public release date: 29-May-2013
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