Rugged Elegance, LLC: Life Sciences

Wed, 04 Jun 2003 20:41:54 GMT

The Rugged Elegance Inspiration Network Is Moving! Due to the tremendous response we've gotten, we've decided to give The Rugged Elegance Inspiration Network site room to grow by moving it to a new, improved location: http://www.ruggedelegantliving.com Please re-set your bookmarks as all new posts will occur on the new site. As part of the move we are also transitioning to a Moveable Type content management system, which will allow us to add more editors while providing better search and categorization capabilities. Thank you your continued support. Growth is good. -Tim

Rat Healing Raises Hope For Spinal Cure

Wed, 04 Jun 2003 14:09:28 GMT

Scientists said on Monday they were closer to finding a cure for people paralyzed by spinal cord damage, following the successful healing of an adult rat. [BioSpace]

Biotech Start-up Takes Step Toward Personalized Cancer Treatment

Tue, 03 Jun 2003 18:48:04 GMT

Biotech Start-up Takes Step Toward Personalized Cancer Treatment

Mercury News:

Genomic Health, a Redwood City biotech start-up, has unveiled new cancer screening tests that are intended to pick the best drugs for treating an individual's tumor and predict whether a patient will be a long-term survivor.

The tests are part of a push toward the latest frontier in medical care: the quest for personalized treatments that match the specifics of the patient's tumor.

Genes Seen as Key to Understanding Obesity

Tue, 03 Jun 2003 00:19:24 GMT

Genes Seen as Key to Understanding Obesity

Reuters:

Changes in diet and a sedentary lifestyle have fueled an obesity epidemic, but genetics also play a role and could explain why some people put on weight more easily than others, a leading obesity expert said on Friday.

I don't doubt that genes are important in obesity, but it seems clear to me that poor diet and lack of exercise is the key to the obesity epidemic as genetic makeup has not changed in the past 100 years while obesity rates have skyrocketed.

-Tim

[RE: Change]

Vaccine For Mad Cow Disease In Testing; CJD Treatment Possible

Tue, 03 Jun 2003 00:14:45 GMT

Sci-Fi Today:

Research at the University of Toronto has led to an experimental vaccine in lab animals that halts further infections by prions, the cause of various neurological diseases including bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) , commonly known as Mad Cow Disease. Prions are not living organisms; they are instead misshapen proteins that can cause a chain-reaction warping of other proteins that lead to brain-destroying fatal accumulations of prions.

[RE: Change]

Fri, 30 May 2003 20:38:02 GMT

Mule Is First In Horse Family To Be Cloned Mercury News:

Scientists have succeeded in cloning a baby mule, a gangly-legged creature named Idaho Gem -- brother of the world's second-fastest racing mule and the first successful clone of any member of the horse family. Idaho Gem's creation, a collaboration between scientists at the University of Idaho and Utah State University, raises the possibility that valuable competition horses or endangered equine species could pass on their genes even if they are sterile or dead.

Makes me wonder if Secretariat's DNA is floating around somewhere... -Tim

Thu, 29 May 2003 02:19:54 GMT

Two Suspected SARS Patients Quarantined in L.A. Forbes.com:

Two passengers aboard a Cathay Pacific Airlines flight that originated in Hong Kong were quarantined upon arriving in Los Angeles Sunday after exhibiting symptoms associated with the deadly SARS virus, health officials said Wednesday.

Tue, 27 May 2003 23:43:31 GMT

Strain of SARS Is Found in 3 Animal Species in Asia New York Times by Keith Bradsher with Lawrence K. Altman.

A virus virtually identical to the one thought to cause SARS has been found in a tree-dwelling animal whose meat is a delicacy in southern China and in two other species.

Fri, 23 May 2003 02:20:28 GMT

First Ever: Earth Seen From Mars MarsToday.com

Have you ever wondered what you would see if you were on Mars looking at the Earth through a small telescope? Now you can find out, thanks to a unique view of our world recently captured by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft currently orbiting the Red Planet.

Thu, 22 May 2003 06:50:09 GMT

Atkins Studies Report Meaty Results USATODAY.com:

Just a month after his death, controversial diet guru Robert Atkins may be getting a little more respect. Two new studies in Thursday's prestigious New England Journal of Medicine show that dieters who followed the meat-lovers' low-carb diet lost more than twice as much weight as those on a traditional low-calorie, high-carb diet.

Wed, 21 May 2003 19:57:03 GMT

Omega-3s May Alleve Depression USATODAY.com:

Women may be able to significantly lower their chances of becoming depressed during pregnancy and postpartum months by eating fish that's rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, says a large National Institutes of Health study.

More good news concerning the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids. -Tim

Wed, 21 May 2003 19:52:50 GMT

Can Tea Bag Bad Breath? HealthScout News Service:

If you're worried your bad breath will put a damper on a date, you might consider substituting tea for wine with that candlelight dinner. Two new studies suggest that regular tea drinking can stave off unsociable mouth odors. Both were presented May 20 at the American Society for Microbiology's annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

More good news about tea. -Tim

Wed, 21 May 2003 17:16:06 GMT

SARS May Strike U.S. Next Flu Season

The SARS virus likely will reappear in the United States and Europe next flu season and cause some deaths, the U.S. health and human services secretary said Tuesday.

Source: [BioSpace]

Wed, 21 May 2003 17:15:14 GMT

Officials Warn SARS Outbreaks Could Erupt In Months Ahead.

As SARS retreats in many places, the World Health Organization and a top U.S. official are warning that new outbreaks could erupt during the months ahead and Taiwan says its epidemic has yet to peak.

Source: [BioSpace]

Wed, 21 May 2003 17:09:37 GMT

Superspreaders May Hold SARS Clue.

In the race to stop severe acute respiratory syndrome, a little-understood group known as "superspreaders" may hold important clues -- or they may be just a myth.

Source: [BioSpace]

Wed, 21 May 2003 17:08:54 GMT

Chinese, Alternative Medicine Screened For SARS

Government researchers say they are so keen to find a cure for SARS that they are looking at traditional Chinese remedies and even antibiotics that would not be expected to work against a virus.

Source: [BioSpace]

Wed, 21 May 2003 17:06:37 GMT

Doctors Fear Effects If SARS Hits Africa.

At a rickety table in a Lagos market, a man identifying himself as "Native Doctor Ndubuisi" displayed his wares: tree barks, dried roots, shriveled vines, fresh leaves and balls of clay.

Source: [BioSpace]

Wed, 21 May 2003 03:00:59 GMT

Chimps Are Human, Gene Study Implies New Scientist:

The latest twist in the debate over how much DNA separates humans from chimpanzees suggests we are so closely related that chimps should not only be part of the same taxonomic family, but also the same genus.

Could one also argue that humans are chimps? -Tim

Wed, 21 May 2003 02:51:26 GMT

New Hope for AIDS Vaccine BBC NEWS:

The search for an AIDS vaccine could be a step closer. Researchers have discovered that a small group of Ugandans seem to have natural protection against HIV.

Sobering fact: 13 million children have been orphaned by AIDS. -Tim

Wed, 21 May 2003 02:45:17 GMT

Viragen Files Patent Application For Drug To Target SARS BioSpace.com:

Viragen, Inc. today announced that it has filed a patent application covering the use of natural human leukocyte-derived alpha interferon for the treatment and prevention of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Wed, 21 May 2003 00:14:48 GMT

Canada Sends Shock Wave with Mad Cow Case Yahoo News:

Canada reported its first case of mad cow disease in a decade on Tuesday, a potentially devastating revelation for the country's huge beef industry just weeks after its economy was damaged by the SARS threat.

Sun, 18 May 2003 07:45:44 GMT

Medical Apparatus Imports Skyrocket in Beijing People's Daily (China):

Beijing's imports of medical apparatus and medicines skyrocketed in the first four months of this year, according to statistics from Beijing Customs. Statistics show that Beijing imported 106 million US dollars worth of medical apparatus and instruments during the period, an increase of 54.6 percent over the same period last year. Affected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic, the imports consisted mainly of medical equipment such as respirators, monitors and X-ray machines.

Sun, 18 May 2003 07:36:40 GMT

Washington Post:

The World Health Organization, anxious to repair weaknesses exposed by the global struggle to contain the SARS epidemic, is seeking strong, new powers to fight future international threats.

A second-order effect from the SARS outbreak. -Tim

Fri, 16 May 2003 06:54:04 GMT

Medical Experts In Taiwan Expecting Disease To Return Periodically Financial Times by Kathrin Hille:

Taiwanese officials and medical experts expect severe acute respiratory syndrome, or Sars, to return periodically even if the current epidemic is brought under control. "We are preparing for the worst," said Ma Ying-jeou, mayor of Taipei. "We have to assume Sars will come back next year and we might have fresh outbreaks every winter." Deng Jou-fang, president of the Taiwan International Medical Alliance, echoed this, saying: "Sars is here to stay."

Thu, 15 May 2003 20:18:32 GMT

China Is Perfect Breeding Ground for Viruses Like SARS, Expert Says National Geographic:

China has an unfortunate history of producing new viral strains, including the microbe behind the latest SARS outbreak. Some virologists believe traditional farming practices in China, where farmers raise ducks, pigs, and fish in one integrated system, may exchange viruses between animals and enable their jump to humans.