Monthly Archives: May 2016

Dr. Batra’s Homeopathic Treatment – Homeopathic Remedies …

Posted: May 20, 2016 at 1:44 am

About Homeopathy? Why is it Better?

Positive homeopathy aims at stimulating the human bodys defence system. The bodys defence mechanisms and processes in turn prevent or treat an illness. The therapy involves small doses of substances that would help produce isolated symptoms of the said condition. This would enable the immune system to adapt and oppose the diagnosed condition. It is a healthier way to overcome ailments because it strengthens the bodys own ability to fight diseases. The homeopathy medicine course is tailor-made for each individual. It addresses particular issues rather than their generic nature. So, a plan is devised, not based merely on symptoms, like other branches of medicine. Considerations like lifestyle, mental status and emotional balance also feature in the treatment chosen. While other forms of medicine aid in controlling symptoms, homeopathic remedies help restoration of health. The therapy not only aims at controlling the condition, it also aims at ensuring that it doesnt relapse. In fact, there are certain conditions that can only be treated using homeopathy, without the fear of homeopathy side effects.

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Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence Second Amendment Rights

Posted: May 19, 2016 at 2:42 pm

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Does the Second Amendment prevent effective gun regulations? What is the right to bear arms? Second Amendment litigation has become a critical battleground since the U.S. Supreme Court held, in District of Columbia v. Heller, that the Amendment guarantees an individual right to possess a firearm in the home for self-defense. This decision created a radical shift in the meaning of the Second Amendment, but it doesnt prevent smart gun regulations. In fact, since Heller, courts nationwide have found a wide variety of firearms laws constitutional because they can help prevent gun deaths, injuries, and crimes in communities across the country.

The Law Center not only tracks the extensive Second Amendment litigation currently happening nationwide, but also analyzes the trends, to bring you the latest developments in the courts.

See more recent developments in court >>

See more in-depth resources on the Second Amendment >>

See more amicus briefs >>

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Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters

Posted: May 18, 2016 at 10:42 pm

Format: Hardcover

This is an excellent overview of current scientific discovery and argument regarding that inheritently common, but innately variable blueprint of 23 pairs of chromosones we all share. Our knowledge of our genes is progressing at a rapid rate, so much so, that by the time I finish writing this sentence, our knowledge of the human genetic code has been updated. If you wish to know what kinds of things are being discovered, this book is a very good place to find it. Matt Ridley devotes each chapter to one of our chromosones-23 in all, and describes some useful dicoveries and speculations regarding each. From such things as the ability to digest lactose, blood groups, cancer suppressors, 'instinct',intelligence, ethics, free will, allergies, aspects of language, ageing, sex, cloning, test tube babies, Mad Cow disease etc, he describes in a clever and clear way the discoveries being made in the field. I would give the book 4 1/2 stars,(but there are no halves in these reviews), as no book is ever perfect, but a point to remember is no understanding of our world, or our genes themselves, is ever perfect either. But we can find pieces to the puzzle, useful and uplifting, and that is what this book is about. Ridleys style is clear and clever, my only quibble is that he displays perhaps just a touch of arrogance, and a subtle air of bias. But give the author his due, an author is entitled to his opinions and leanings, what is important is that he generally makes it clear when he does so. The book is highly recommended for both those familiar with the jargon, and those with enthusiastic minds who wish to learn about it.

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Genome size – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Posted: at 2:42 am

Genome size is the total amount of DNA contained within one copy of a single genome. It is typically measured in terms of mass in picograms (trillionths (1012) of a gram, abbreviated pg) or less frequently in Daltons or as the total number of nucleotide base pairs typically in megabases (millions of base pairs, abbreviated Mb or Mbp). One picogram equals 978 megabases.[1] In diploid organisms, genome size is used interchangeably with the term C-value. An organism's complexity is not directly proportional to its genome size; some single cell organisms have much more DNA than humans (see Junk DNA and C-value enigma).

The term "genome size" is often erroneously attributed to Hinegardner,[2] even in discussions dealing specifically with terminology in this area of research (e.g., Greilhuber, 2005[3]). Notably, Hinegardner[2] used the term only once: in the title. The term actually seems to have first appeared in 1968 when Hinegardner wondered, in the last paragraph of his article, whether "cellular DNA content does, in fact, reflect genome size".[4] In this context, "genome size" was being used in the sense of genotype to mean the number of genes. In a paper submitted only two months later (in February 1969), Wolf et al. (1969)[5] used the term "genome size" throughout and in its present usage; therefore these authors should probably be credited with originating the term in its modern sense. By the early 1970s, "genome size" was in common usage with its present definition, probably as a result of its inclusion in Susumu Ohno's influential book Evolution by Gene Duplication, published in 1970.[6]

The genome sizes of thousands of eukaryotes have been analyzed over the past 50 years, and these data are available in online databases for animals, plants, and fungi (see external links). Nuclear genome size is typically measured in eukaryotes using either densitometric measurements of Feulgen-stained nuclei (previously using specialized densitometers, now more commonly using computerized image analysis[7]) or flow cytometry. In prokaryotes, pulsed field gel electrophoresis and complete genome sequencing are the predominant methods of genome size determination. Nuclear genome sizes are well known to vary enormously among eukaryotic species. In animals they range more than 3,300-fold, and in land plants they differ by a factor of about 1,000.[8][9]Protist genomes have been reported to vary more than 300,000-fold in size, but the high end of this range (Amoeba) has been called into question.[by whom?] In eukaryotes (but not prokaryotes), variation in genome size is not proportional to the number of genes, an observation that was deemed wholly counterintuitive before the discovery of non-coding DNA and which became known as the C-value paradox as a result. However, although there is no longer any paradoxical aspect to the discrepancy between genome size and gene number, this term remains in common usage. For reasons of conceptual clarification, the various puzzles that remain with regard to genome size variation instead have been suggested by one author to more accurately comprise a puzzle or an enigma (the C-value enigma). Genome size correlates with a range of features at the cell and organism levels, including cell size, cell division rate, and, depending on the taxon, body size, metabolic rate, developmental rate, organ complexity, geographical distribution, or extinction risk (for recent reviews, see Bennett and Leitch 2005;[8] Gregory 2005[9]). Based on completely sequenced genome data currently (as of April 2009) available, log-transformed gene number forms a linear correlation with log-transformed genome size in bacteria, archea, viruses, and organelles combined whereas a nonlinear (semi-natural log) correlation in eukaryotes (Hou and Lin 2009 [10]). The nonlinear correlation for eukaryotes, although claim of its existence contrasts the previous view that no correlation exists for this group of organisms, reflects disproportionately fast increasing noncoding DNA in increasingly large eukaryotic genomes. Although sequenced genome data are practically biased toward small genomes, which may compromise the accuracy of the empirically derived correlation, and the ultimate proof of the correlation remains to be obtained by sequencing some of the largest eukaryotic genomes, current data do not seem to rule out a correlation.

Genome reduction, also known as Genome degradation, is the process by which a genome shrinks relative to its ancestor. Genomes fluctuate in size regularly, however, genome size reduction is most significant in bacteria.

The most evolutionary significant cases of genome reduction may be the eukaryotic organelles that are derived from bacteria: the mitochondrion and plastid. These organelles are descended from endosymbionts, which can only survive within the host cell and which the host cell likewise needs for survival. Many mitochondria have less than 20 genes in their entire genome, whereas a free-living bacterium generally has at least 1000 genes. Many genes have been transferred to the host nucleus, while others have simply been lost and their function replaced by host processes.

Other bacteria have become endosymbionts or obligate intracellular pathogens and experienced extensive genome reduction as a result. This process seems to be dominated by genetic drift resulting from small population size, low recombination rates, and high mutation rates, as opposed to selection for smaller genomes.

Some free-living marine bacterioplanktons also shows signs of genome reduction, which are hypothesized to be driven by natural selection.[12][13][14]

Obligate endosymbiotic species are characterized by a complete inability to survive external to their host environment. These species have become a considerable threat to human health, as they are often highly capable of evading human immune systems and manipulating the host environment to acquire nutrients. A common explanation for these keen manipulative abilities is the compact and efficient genomic structure consistently found in obligate endosymbionts. This compact genome structure is the result of massive losses of extraneous DNA - an occurrence that is exclusively associated with the loss of a free-living stage. In fact, as much as 90% of the genetic material can be lost when a species makes the evolutionary transition from a free-living to obligate intracellular lifestyle. Common examples of species with reduced genomes include: Buchnera aphidicola, Rickettsia prowazekii and Mycobacterium leprae. One obligate endosymbiont of leafhoppers, Nasuia deltocephalinicola, has the smallest genome currently known among cellular organisms at 112kb.[15] It is important to note, however, that some obligate intracellular species have positive fitness effects on their hosts. (See also mutualists and parasites.)

The reductive evolution model has been proposed as an effort to define the genomic commonalities seen in all obligate endosymbionts.[16] This model illustrates four general features of reduced genomes and obligate intracellular species:

Based on this model, it is clear that endosymbionts face different adaptive challenges than free-living species.

or simply:

In 1991 Drake proposed a rule: that the mutation rate within a genome and its size were inversely correlated.[18] This rule has been found to be approximately correct for DNA viruses and unicellular organisms. Its basis is unknown.

The small size of RNA viruses has been proposed to be locked into a three part relation between replication fidelity, genome size and genetic complexity. The majority of RNA viruses lack an RNA proofreading facility which limits their replication fidelity and hence the genome size. This has also been described as the Eigen paradox.[19]

An exception to the rule of small genome sizes in RNA viruses is found the Nidoviruses. These viruses appear to have acquired a 3-to-5 exoribonuclease (ExoN) which has allowed for an increase in genome size.[20]

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About The Music Genome Project – Pandora Radio

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About The Music Genome Project

We believe that each individual has a unique relationship with music no one else has tastes exactly like yours. So delivering a great radio experience to each and every listener requires an incredibly broad and deep understanding of music. That's why Pandora is based on the Music Genome Project, the most sophisticated taxonomy of musical information ever collected. It represents over ten years of analysis by our trained team of musicologists, and spans everything from this past Tuesday's new releases all the way back to the Renaissance and Classical music.

Each song in the Music Genome Project is analyzed using up to 450 distinct musical characteristics by a trained music analyst. These attributes capture not only the musical identity of a song, but also the many significant qualities that are relevant to understanding the musical preferences of listeners. The typical music analyst working on the Music Genome Project has a four-year degree in music theory, composition or performance, has passed through a selective screening process and has completed intensive training in the Music Genome's rigorous and precise methodology. To qualify for the work, analysts must have a firm grounding in music theory, including familiarity with a wide range of styles and sounds.

The Music Genome Project's database is built using a methodology that includes the use of precisely defined terminology, a consistent frame of reference, redundant analysis, and ongoing quality control to ensure that data integrity remains reliably high.

The Music Genome Project is updated on a continual basis with the latest releases, emerging artists, and an ever-deepening collection of catalogue titles.

By utilizing the wealth of musicological information stored in the Music Genome Project, Pandora recognizes and responds to each individual's tastes. The result is a much more personalized radio experience - stations that play music you'll love - and nothing else.

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A Primer of Human Genetics – Sinauer Associates

Posted: May 16, 2016 at 11:44 pm

Greg Gibson is Professor and Director of the Center for Integrative Genomics at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and holds an adjunct appointment at Emory University School of Medicine. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Biology at the University of Sydney and a Ph.D. in Cell Biology at the University of Basel (with Walter J. Gehring). He worked for 15 years with the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster, mostly while at North Carolina State University, during which time he wrote A Primer of Genome Science with Spencer Muse. Dr. Gibson serves on the editorial boards of several leading journals, and is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His current research is in quantitative genetics and genomics, focusing on environmental and genetic sources of human variability, the regulation of gene expression in immunogenomics, and predictive health.

Instructors Resource Library Available to qualified adopters, the Instructor's Resource Library includes electronic versions of all of the textbooks figures, photos, and tables. All images are provided as both low- and high-resolution JPEGs, and have been formatted and optimized for excellent legibility and projection quality. In addition, a ready-to-use PowerPoint presentation of all figures and tables is provided for each chapter of the textbook.

Chapter 6, p. 141 Figure 6.5: Left subpopulation, bottom individual changed from "AG" to "GG." New sentence added as last line of the caption: "Note that the calculations refer to the tables; the image at the top is illustrative only." (Corrected page PDF)

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UCLA Human Genetics Graduate Programs

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The goal of the Graduate Program of the Department of Human Genetics at UCLA is to train the next generation of leaders in human genetics. This rapidly evolving field of research incorporates multiple areas of modern experimental biology (including but not limited to molecular and behavioral genetics, epigenetics, biochemisty, cell and developmental biology, imaging, and large-scale omics approaches such as genomics, transcriptomics and functional genomics) and of computational biology (including bioinformatics and biostatistics). In their research, students tackle Mendelian diseases and genetically complex traits of key relevance to human health.

A wide variety of courses are offered to equip future independent researchers with fundamental knowledge about state-of-the-art methods for generating experimental data on a genome-wide scale and computational and statistical approaches to draw from the data sound conclusions of biological and medical significance. In addition, courses on medical and ethical issues provide students with a societal perspective on human genetics.

The program offers the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Master of Science (M.S.) degrees. Graduate study leading to a Ph.D. degree is currently emphasized.

Since its creation in 1998, more than 70 students have graduated from our program. As of January 2015, the average time to degree (defined as the time since admission to graduate school at UCLA, including years spent in other graduate programs) of our Ph.D. Program is 5.35 years. Many of our alumni have published parts of their dissertation work in top scientifc journals and become successful scientists in academy or industry.

Effective in the fall of 2013, our Graduate Program has become a partner of the new Genetics & Genomics Home Area, which is part of the Graduate Programs in Bioscience. We are also associated with UCLA-Caltech Medical Scientist Training Program. Prospective students may apply for admission through any of these two mechanisms.

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Biomedical Research Issues in Genetics – Genome.gov

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Biomedical Research Issues in Genetics

In addition to analyzing the direct ethical, legal and social implications of the Human Genome Project (HGP), the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) funds examinations of issues that are related because they involve manipulation of human genetic material or information. These include such controversial topics as genetic engineering and enhancement, and eugenics. Other controversial but related issues - such as stem cell research and cloning - have not yet been examined by NHGRI.

What are the ethical and legal implications of using our advancing knowledge of genetics to, in effect, enhance human beings by replacing or repairing a gene or genes associated with increased risk of disease" Is enhancement ethical for certain sub-populations, such as the aging, but not for others" Can eugenics " the so-called science of selectively breeding superior human beings with "better" genes " ever be used ethically, or is the very concept inherently discriminatory" Will cloning be used to "improve" the genetic makeup of individuals or are the ethical considerations too divisive" What does stem cell research portend for the future of regenerative medicine"

NHGRI supports highly technical genetic research that is rapidly advancing our understanding of the human genome. This new information, although potentially beneficial to the health of Americans, can also be misused. NHGRI created the Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) Research Program in 1990 as an integral part of the HGP.

The insights gained through ELSI research inform the development of federal guidelines, regulations and legislation to safeguard against misuse of genetic information. Through the ELSI Research Program, NHGRI also supports a variety of ethics- and policy-related research studies, workshops and conferences to further explore and address such issues. Between 1990 and 2001, these ELSI-funded activities included some 235 research and education projects, more than 550 peer-reviewed journal articles, books, newsletters, Web sites and television and radio programs, as well as dozens of workshops, conferences and related activities focused on translating ELSI research into clinical and public health practices.

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About | Human Genetics Graduate Programs

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How does DNA determine someone's predisposition to disease?Human genetics specialists study the human genome to identify the genetic causes of disease, develop new strategies for treatment, and provide early warning for those at risk. Our human genetics program uses novel methods in population and statistical genetics, genetic epidemiology, and bioinformatics to understand the genetic bases for a wide variety of diseases.

In the Department of Human Genetics, we primarily embrace the following three research missions:

Ours was the first human genetics department in an American school of public health, and in addition to our strengths in basic and applied research in human genetics, we have one of the oldest and most respected programs in genetic counseling in the country.

Our faculty's focus is on unmasking the genetic architecture of complex and common diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's. Our active statistical genetics group is developing new statistical and bioinformatic methods for genetics research. Faculty members are also examining ethical issues in genetics research and the provision of services, informed consent, and experiences of individuals facing genetic risk. The translation of this work to the public is a major focus of the human genetics and genetic counseling programs.

We provide intensive training in all aspects of human genetics that will prepare you to serve in academia, medicine, government, or industry. For example, our graduates work as genetic counselors at hospitals and genetic testing and biopharmaceutical companies, as university professors and directors of genetics research laboratories, and as investigators for health- and research-related government agencies.

Choose from four master's degree programs,

And an MD/PhD in human genetics, through the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University Medical Scientist Training Program.

We also offer a nondegree certificate program in public health genetics.

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The American Journal of Human Genetics | ASHG

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The American Journal of Human Genetics

The American Journal of Human Genetics (AJHG) is owned and controlled by The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) and is edited, in conjunction with the publisher, by a staff appointed by the Society. Established in 1949, AJHG is currently published monthly by Cell Press. Membership in ASHG is not a prerequisite for publication in AJHG, but all page charges and color figure charges are waived for manuscripts for which the corresponding author is a member at the time that the manuscript is sent to press. The entire contents of AJHG are published online, at http://www.ajhg.org. The full text is available to subscribers, as is online-only material, including video clips and archival databases. Six months after publication, the electronic edition of AJHG is freely accessible to the general public.

Aims and Scope

AJHG provides a record of research and review relating to heredity in humans and to the application of genetic principles in medicine and public policy, as well as in related areas of molecular and cell biology. Topics explored by AJHG include behavioral genetics, biochemical genetics, clinical genetics, cytogenetics, dysmorphology, gene therapy, genetic counseling, genetic epidemiology, genomics, immunogenetics, molecular genetics, neurogenetics, and population genetics.

AJHG welcomes submissions of articles and reports on timely subjects concerning all aspects of human genetics, including studies of model organisms that are of direct relevance to human genetics. Manuscripts should be written in a manner accessible to investigators representing diverse backgrounds in human genetics. Descriptions of new statistical methods of general interest to the genetics community are welcome. New methods should be compared to existing methods using real data and/or simulations with parameters (e.g. haplotype frequencies, effect sizes) that are based on a real data example (e.g. marker or haplotype data from the HapMap project). All novel computer programs must be made publicly available by the time that the manuscript is published and a URL for the website must be included in the Web Resources section of the manuscript. Letters commenting on material previously published in AJHG are also welcome.

AJHG does not publish reports of either single mutations or mutational surveys of previously identified loci unless they have unusual significance and substantial insight. Descriptions of new linkage assignments will be considered only if they are of special interest. Reports of negative data will not normally be considered.

Editorial Process

All submissions are initially evaluated in depth by the scientific editors. Papers that do not conform to the general criteria for publication will be returned to the authors without detailed review, typically within three to five days. Otherwise, manuscripts will be sent to at least two reviewers who have agreed in advance to assess the paper rapidly. The editors will make every effort to reach decisions on these papers within four weeks of the submission date. If revisions are a condition of publication, generally four weeks are allowed for revisions and only one revised version of the paper is considered. Evaluations of conceptual advance and significance are made based on literature available on the day of the final decision, not the day of submission. Accepted papers will be published within two months of acceptance. Any major changes after acceptance are subject to review and may delay publication.

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