Agent Orange tied to aggressive prostate cancer risk

By Genevra Pittman

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Men who were exposed to Agent Orange chemicals used during the Vietnam War are at higher risk for life-threatening prostate cancer than unexposed veterans, researchers have found.

What's more, those who served where the herbicide was used were diagnosed with cancer about five years earlier than other men, on average, in the new study.

"This is a very, very strong predictor of lethal cancer," said urologist Dr. Mark Garzotto, who worked on the study at the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Oregon.

"If you're a person who's otherwise healthy and you've been exposed to Agent Orange, that has important implications for whether you should be screened or not screened," he told Reuters Health.

But one researcher not involved in the new study said it's hard to take much away from it, given the imprecise way it measured exposure.

Agent Orange - named after the giant orange drums in which the chemicals were stored - was used by the U.S. military to destroy foliage, mainly in southern Vietnam. The herbicide was often contaminated with a type of dioxin, a potently carcinogenic chemical.

The Vietnam Red Cross Society has estimated that up to one million Vietnamese suffered disabilities or health problems as a result of Agent Orange, including children born with birth defects years after their parents were exposed.

Past research has also suggested that U.S. veterans who served where Agent Orange was used are at an increased risk of lymphoma and certain other cancers, including prostate cancer.

For the new study, researchers wanted to see whether exposure was more closely linked to slow-growing prostate cancers or aggressive tumors.

They analyzed medical records belonging to 2,720 veterans who were referred to the Portland VA for a prostate biopsy. About one in 13 of those men had been exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, according to their VA intake interviews.

One third of all men in the study were diagnosed with prostate cancer, about half of which were high-grade cancers - the more aggressive and fast-growing type.

When the researchers took men's age, race, weight and family history of cancer into account, they found those with Agent Orange exposure were 52 percent more likely than unexposed men to have any form of prostate cancer.

Separating out different types of tumors showed the herbicide was not linked to an increased risk of slower-growing, low-grade cancer. But it was tied to a 75 percent higher risk of being diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer, the study team reported Monday in the journal Cancer.

"The increase in the rate of cancers was almost exclusively driven by the potentially lethal cancers," said Garzotto, also from Oregon Health & Science University.

More research is needed to figure out exactly why that is, he said. In the meantime, Garzotto said veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange should discuss that with their doctors.

But Dr. Arnold Schecter, from the University of Texas School of Public Health's Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Program in Dallas, said there's a "big problem" with just asking veterans if they were exposed to Agent Orange or served in an area where it was sprayed.

"Of those most heavily exposed in the military as best we know, only a relatively small percentage of them had elevated dioxin from Agent Orange in their blood when tested by (the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)," he told Reuters Health.

Schecter said that in Vietnam, people who have high levels of that type of dioxin in their blood live in places where the chemical has become integrated into the food supply - or were sprayed directly with Agent Orange.

Another researcher who has studied the effects of Agent Orange agreed that not having blood dioxin levels is a drawback, but said the findings are consistent with past research and general thinking about the chemical.

"Almost all studies have implicated that men with Agent Orange (exposure) either have higher-grade prostate cancer or a more aggressive clinical course," said Dr. Gregory Merrick, head of Wheeling Hospital's Schiffler Cancer Center in West Virginia, who also wasn't involved in the new research.

But, he added, as long as men are getting into the VA system and getting regular evaluations and treatment for cancer, Agent Orange exposure "is not a death sentence by any means."

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/gzHzeL Cancer, online May 13, 2013.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/agent-orange-tied-aggressive-prostate-cancer-risk-042337613.html

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Serena Williams squeaks into Madrid semifinals

MADRID (AP) ? Top-ranked Serena Williams outlasted Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3, 0-6, 7-5 to reach the Madrid Open semifinals on Friday.

Williams appeared to wear down against the scrappy Spaniard on the red clay court. After getting blanked in the second set, she fell behind 4-2 in the third.

But the defending champion rallied to break Medina Garrigues' serve twice to move on.

"It was definitely a battle," Williams said. "I obviously didn't do much in the second set and gave her confidence to play better."

Second-seeded Maria Sharapova played Kaia Kanepi in a late quarterfinal at the Caja Magica.

Williams' entertaining match against an opponent she had rightly described as a "grinder" the day before took several momentum swings.

The 63rd-ranked Medina Garrigues has 10 career clay-court titles ? the most of any active player ? and her footwork and hustle against Williams showed why.

Williams was ahead 2-0 in the third set and with two break chances to take firm control of the match, but Medina Garrigues ran off four straight points to hold serve and soon enough the upset looked to be in the works.

But Williams regained command of her groundstrokes and a deep drive forced Medina Garrigues into an error on her return and lose serve.

The American then used another powerful shot to break Medina Garrigues again before holding serve at love to close out the match.

Williams said she was still at a loss as to why she lost concentration in that second set, which she considered "a reference for what not to do."

"I just wasn't really into it, my feet weren't moving," she said. "To change it I got up early (before the third set) and did some high knees, some stretching, anything I could to get my intensity back up to where it needs to be."

Williams improved her record to 29-2 on the year.

Also later, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray had quarterfinal matches.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/serena-williams-squeaks-madrid-semifinals-114551956.html

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Adult Swim orders Mike Tyson animated series - SBNation.com

Because calling it a Mike Tyson cartoon would probably confuse you.

The best part of the sports media world is the press releases. You can get some pretty weird ones because sports media really can involve anything as long as someone participating in it is sports-related. I've gotten offers to bet on a horse with Eddie Olczyk, see any number of movies, and see any number of huge boxing matches featuring fighters I've never heard of. This is not one of those days, however.

Coming up next week are what TV people know as "the Upfronts." They're probably a lot more well known in the age of the internet and the expansion of news about the television business. All the networks present all of their new and returning fall programs for the advertisers. This is usually the time when you find out if Community or Parks and Recreation have been renewed.

Not just the big broadcast networks have them. Cable, too. I'll be attending ESPN's on Tuesday. Adult Swim even has one, and one of their new series stars one of the legendary... we'll call them characters of sports. The late night programming block has ordered a show called Mike Tyson Mysteries, and yeah, it's pretty much what the title spells out.

In the new animated comedy series Mike Tyson Mysteries, Mike Tyson is taking the fight from the boxing ring to the streets... by solving mysteries! Armed with a magical tattoo on his face and a trusty associate by his side - a talking pigeon - if you have a problem that needs solving, Iron Mike is in your corner. The series incorporates live-action appearances featuring Mighty Mike himself, and the gloves come off as the former heavyweight champ and his fowl-mouthed partner gear up for weekly adventures as they put unsolved mysteries - like how to defeat a super computer at chess or why a famous author/werewolf can't finish his novel - down for the count. Animated quarter-hour from Warner Bros Animation.

So, if you've ever wanted to watch Mike Tyson solve mysteries for about 15 minutes a week, you are in luck my friend. The show will premiere at some point during the 2013-14 season. Though it's probably already premiered long ago, in some cough syrup-induced dream you had.

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Source: http://www.sbnation.com/2013/5/10/4319464/adult-swim-orders-mike-tyson-animated-series

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Adobe Goes Cloud-Only, Cheap Retro Gaming, and Online Embarrassments

This week on the show were discussing the death of Adobe Creative Suite, building a Raspberry Pi retro game console, and how you?re embarrassing yourself online. We?re also answering your questions about repurposing old Mac computers, the advantages of Dashlane over Lastpass, and how to beat the heat this summer.

How to Listen to This Week's Episode

Here's how you can listen to our episode:

News and Top Stories

• Adobe Kills Creative Suite, Goes Subscription Only Instead: Adobe announced the end of their Creative Suite software, instead choosing to focus on their Adobe Creative Cloud subscription service. CS6 is the last version you can buy and download, and if you want access to tools like Photoshop and Illustrator in the future, you'll need a subscription to get them. Further reading: What Photoshop's Move to the Cloud Actually Means for You and Build Your Own Adobe Creative Suite with Free and Cheap Software.
• YouTube Offers Paid Channel Subscriptions: YouTube announced that it will begin offering paid channels from select content partners. All channels will have a 14-day free trial and some will offer discounted rates for yearly subscriptions. Prices start at $0.99 per month. Read more here.
• Demonoid Returns? The popular torrenting site Demonoid appeared to resurface yet again this week, but it was a potentially dangerous hoax. If you receive any emails about getting back on Demonoid, discard them and move on.
• Cyanogenmod 10.1 Hits Release Candidate Status: The long-awaited Cyanogenmod 10.1.0?the version based on Android 4.2 Jellybean?just made release candidate status. You can find the 40 supported devices on the official Cyanogenmod announcement page or by going directly to the downloads.
• How to Build an All-In-One Retro Game Console for $35, the Easy Way: Since its release, the $35 Raspberry Pi mini-computer has been hailed as the perfect all-in-one retro game console. Now, it's easier to do than ever, and it doesn't take any advanced Linux knowledge. Here's how to make your own retro game console in about 30 minutes.
• How You're Unknowingly Embarrassing Yourself Online (and How to Stop): You probably know not to post things online that could bite you later, but many of us do it all the time anyway?often without even realizing it. Whether it's a friend tagging you in a photo or admitting you torrent your movies in a Facebook status, even innocuous posts or photos can damage your relationships, get you in trouble at work, or even land you in legal hot water. Here's what we mean, and how to stop.
• How to Bring Your Car into the 21st Century with a Few DIY Upgrades: Whether you bought a new car yesterday or you?re riding along in a decades-old junker, your vehicle of choice may not have all the modern capabilities you desire. A few key upgrades can fix that, providing you with everything from a killer Bluetooth audio system to a smoother, more enjoyable ride.

Questions and Answers

Each week we answer five questions from readers and listeners. Here's what we tackled this week.

• How can I repurpose an old PowerPC Mac desktop or laptop? Use one of our Windows repurposing suggestions (as they also apply to Mac in many cases) or read this post.
• Why won?t my iPod Nano sync with Spotify Premium offline tracks? Because, unfortunately, it can?t.
• My bedroom is ridiculously warm. What can I do about it? You really ought to buy an air conditioner (and can get help picking one out here), but if you want to follow the cheaper route you can try some DIY alternatives first. If it's more of a sleeping problem, you might just need to learn to stay cool while you sleep (which is a lot easier than keeping a room at a steady, comfortable temperature when it's hot out). For more ideas, keep an eye on our beat the heat tag page.
• What's better? Dashlane or Lastpass? We really like Lastpass, but Alan is fond of Dashlane because it offers a bunch of additional useful features like purchase history tracking and full encryption.
• Do you have to root to install Cyanogenmod? Yes, you have to root your Android phone or tablet in order to flash a new ROM.

Tips of the Week

Downloads of the Week

How Do I Submit a Question?

There are two ways to send in your question:

Please keep your questions as brief as possible. This means about 3-5 sentences for emails and 30-60 seconds for calls and videos. Your questions can be specific, but broader questions are generally better because they'll apply to more people. For example, "how can I breathe new life into my old PDA?" is much better than "what can I do with an old HP iPAQ 210?" Either way, we look forward to hearing from you!

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/Z-ybi8xFK2E/adobe-goes-cloud-only-cheap-retro-gaming-and-online-e-499076454

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Nokia's New Portable Charger Is Oddly Irresistible

It's normally quite hard to get excited about portable chargers. But, somehow, Nokia has managed to make one that's... strangely irresistible.

The DC-18 is a neat little primary color cuboid packed full of electrons. In fact, it looks a little like the live tiles that Nokia's Lumias sport on their screens?helped along by the fact that the battery status indicator sits on the front of the thing like a little icon itself.

Sadly it only offers a capacity of 1,720 mAh, which means it'll only charge your phone once before you have to top it up via its retracting USB cable. But at least it'll look nice while you do. There's currently no word on pricing or availability. [Nokia via Slashgear]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/nokias-new-portable-charger-is-oddly-irresistible-498212012

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MicroRNA cooperation mutes breast cancer oncogenes

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

A University of Colorado Cancer Center study recently published in the journal Cell Death & Disease shows that turning up a few microRNAs a little may offer as much anti-breast-cancer activity as turning up one microRNA a lot ? and without the unwanted side effects.

It's a bit like the classic thought experiment known as the "tumor problem" formulated by Karl Dunker in 1945 and used frequently in the problem-solving literature: Imagine a person suffers from a malignant tumor in the center of her body. Radiation strong enough to kill the tumor kills any healthy tissue through which it passes. Without operating or killing healthy tissue, how can a doctor use radiation to kill the tumor?

The answer is to target the tumor from many angles ? many weak rays of radiation pass harmlessly through healthy tissue, but their combined power at the point of the tumor is enough to kill it.

In the present study, CU Cancer Center investigators used "weak" induction of multiple microRNAs that combined from many angles to regulate the known breast cancer oncogenes erbB2/erbB3 (the "tumor") without regulating non-target genes (the "healthy tissue").

"Imagine you have a microRNA that regulates genes A and B. Then you have another microRNA that regulates genes B and C. You amplify each microRNA to a degree that doesn't effect gene A or C, but their combined effect regulates gene B," says Bolin Liu, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

microRNA is an attractive target in cancer therapy ? more microRNA can lead to less gene expression, turning down or off the oncogenes that cause cancer. However, to get the desired effect on gene expression frequently requires enhancing microRNA expression 100- or 1,000-fold (or more). And the induced microRNA likely has other genetic targets ? it will turn down other genes as well as the oncogene, sometimes with unfortunate consequences.

"The current study showed that two microRNAs enhanced only 3-to-6 times their natural expression could cooperate to regulate an oncogene that had previously only been affected by a microRNA enhanced by many, many times this amount," Liu says.

Specifically, the group's work shows that no one alone, but any two of the three microRNAs that regulate erbB2/erbB3 expression can affect the levels of proteins produced by the genes. These are miR-125a, miR-15b, and miR-205, which act in concert to regulate the expression of erbB2/erbB3, which are cancer-causing products of the oncogenes.

But in general, the group's novel technique could have implications far past erbB2/erbB3, allowing researchers and eventually doctors to mute the genes they want to mute without also dampening the expression of genes regulated by only one or only the other microRNA partner.

###

University of Colorado Denver: http://www.ucdenver.edu

Thanks to University of Colorado Denver for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 46 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/128177/MicroRNA_cooperation_mutes_breast_cancer_oncogenes

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Israel releases top Muslim cleric in the Holy Land

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Israeli police detained the top Muslim cleric in the Holy Land Wednesday in a rare crackdown on a leading religious figure, questioning him for several hours before releasing him without charge.

Later in the day, in the Gaza Strip, an influential Muslim cleric from Qatar received a hero's welcome in a high-profile visit that deepened the bitter division between Gaza's hardline Islamist rulers and the West Bank's Western-backed Palestinian leaders.

The detention of the mufti of Jerusalem, which followed recent unrest at a disputed holy site in Jerusalem, drew harsh condemnation from Palestinian leaders and neighboring Jordan and threatened to complicate U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's latest effort to restart Mideast peace talks.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said mufti Mohammed Hussein was questioned for six hours in connection to "recent disturbances" on a hilltop compound in Jerusalem's Old City that is revered by Jews and Muslims. This included "incitement, disturbances and public disorder."

Hussein was released without being charged, Rosenfeld said. He did not elaborate, but another Israeli official said the Muslim cleric was issued a warning and told to lower tensions a day after Muslim worshippers threw rocks and chairs at tourists visiting the hilltop compound that houses the Al Aqsa Mosque.

The Israeli official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with the media. Hussein, who was appointed mufti in 2006, could not be reached for comment.

The compound is one of the region's most sensitive sites. It is revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, built above the ruins of the two biblical Jewish Temples. Muslims call it the Haram as-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary. It is home to the Al Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, from which Muslims believe their Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. The iconic gold-topped Dome of the Rock sits next to the mosque.

The conflicting claims to the site lie at the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and any acts seen as upsetting the delicate status quo risk setting off violence. Palestinians see visits by Israelis at the site as a provocation. Israeli steps to quell Palestinian disturbances there have led to riots in the past.

The mufti of Jerusalem is the top cleric in charge of Jerusalem's Islamic holy places, including the Al Aqsa compound. Hussein's predecessor, Ekrima Sabri, was detained for several hours in 2002, at the height of the Palestinian uprising against Israel, on suspicion of incitement for suicide attacks.

Hussein has been known as a relative moderate, with close ties to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. While Jordan, which controlled east Jerusalem before Israel captured it in 1967, remains the custodial authority over the Al Aqsa compound, the Palestinians appoint the mufti.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who appointed Hussein, condemned his detention. "Arresting the mufti is a stark challenge to the freedom of worship," Abbas said in a statement released by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The Jordanian foreign ministry also denounced the detention, and legislators demanded the kingdom's envoy be recalled from Tel Aviv.

The detention was a blow to Kerry's efforts to restart peace talks, which have been stalled since late 2008. The Palestinians have refused to negotiate while Israel builds settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. The Palestinians claim both areas, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, as parts of a future independent state and say settlement construction must halt.

Kerry has been shuttling between the Israeli and Palestinian sides in recent weeks in hopes of finding a formula to restart talks. In Rome, he was meeting the chief Israeli negotiator, Tzipi Livni.

The incident occurred as Israelis marked Jerusalem Day, which commemorates the anniversary of Israel's capture of east Jerusalem. The city's eastern sector is home to the Old City, where key Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites are located.

About 300 Palestinians gathered for a Jerusalem Day protest waving Palestinian flags and scuffling with dozens of Israeli protesters. Israeli police spokesman Rosenfeld said police arrested 10 Palestinians for gathering in an illegal demonstration and causing public disorder.

There was heavy police presence to guard Jerusalem Day marchers in the parade scheduled to go past a Palestinian area of the Old City.

In the Gaza Strip Wednesday, influential Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi arrived for his first visit to Gaza as a top cleric, making one of the most high-profile visits to the Palestinian territory since the Islamic group Hamas seized control in 2007.

Al-Qaradawi is a prominent scholar and Qatar-based cleric who is widely respected in the Muslim world, and his visit emboldens Hamas. Visits by leading figures have been rare in Hamas-run Gaza, and al-Qaradawi's trip is expected to help break the diplomatic isolation that Gaza has been under through years of blockades enforced by Israel and Egypt.

The emir of the Gulf state Qatar visited last year, and Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced his intention to visit later this month, despite a U.S. plea that he delay the trip so as not to harm efforts to broker a reconciliation between Turkey and Israel.

Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh kissed al-Qaradawi's right hand upon his arrival, calling him "the grand imam of modern Islam and the grand imam of the Arab spring." Hundreds of Hamas supporters waved to his passing convoy.

"It is a great moment for me to meet with you, the people of Palestine, and all the components of Gaza society," al-Qaradawi said in a speech at a welcoming ceremony. But he also acknowledged that he was being hosted by just one part of what is a divided Palestinian society, saying that he hoped to meet with "all Palestinians" on his next visit.

On, Thursday he was scheduled to talk with Haniyeh and Hamas cabinet ministers, attend a demonstration for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, visit the home of Hamas cleric Ahmed Yassin, who was assassinated in a 2004 Israeli airstrike, and address a public rally.

The rival Palestinian Authority government in the West Bank was angered by the visit, claiming it served to strengthen the Palestinians' bitter political division.

"Any visit that carries a political significance, that acknowledges the legitimacy of Hamas in Gaza, is considered harmful and against the interest of the Palestinian people," said Mahmoud Al Habash, minister of religious affairs in the West Bank.

There were mixed reactions to the cleric's visit in Gaza.

Palestinian faction leaders affiliated with the West Bank Palestinian leaders' secular Fatah party as well as heads of civil society groups refused to participate in al-Qaradawi's welcome reception. Among other things, they objected to what they said was the cleric's support of U.S. involvement in the Libyan uprising and the Syrian civil war.

"After he was rejected in most Arab countries for blessing the U.S. intervention in Libya and Syria ... it seems that this man is coming to Gaza to clean his record and seek indulgences," Gaza political analyst Ibrahim Abrash wrote on his blog.

Also Wednesday, Israel released two Palestinian prisoners of the Islamic Jihad militant group who were waging three-month long hunger strikes in Israeli custody. An Associated Press photographer witnessed Tarik Qadan, 40, and Jafar Izzideen, 47, being released from custody. They reached a deal with Israel by which their six-month detention would not be renewed. Israel's army said the release was for humanitarian reasons.

___

Associated Press writer Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, Jamal Halaby in Amman, Ibrahim Barzaq in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, and Daniel Estrin in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israel-releases-top-muslim-cleric-holy-land-145902551.html

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