Monthly Archives: September 2022

Biochemistry

"Blue Pea Flower and Banana Stem Extract" Drink to Reduce the Risk of Urinary Stone – Another Medical Innovation from Chula MED – PR…

BANGKOK, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Urinary tract stone is common among people of the tropics such as Thailand. In 2020, surveys show that 16-17 percent of the population have this disease, and up to 12 percent of the patients have an asymptomatic urinary stone.

HydroZitla - Blue Pea Flower and Banana Stem Extract Drink to Reduce the Risk of Urinary Stone

"People with the early urinary stone disease are often unaware of it and its life-threatening danger, so they neglect to prevent it. But when the stones are larger, they cause urinary obstructions, pain, difficulty urinating, and blood in the urine in some people. The problem with urinary stone is its recurrence, and that can lead to chronic kidney failure," said Asst. Prof. Dr. Chanchai Boonla, Department of Biochemistry, Chula Faculty of Medicine. The most commonly known treatments are medications, shock wave lithotripsy SWL), and surgery.

Recently, Chula MED launched the latest tasty and nutritious medical innovation that can prevent urinary stone formation HydroZitLa a concentrated herbal drink with "blue pea flower" and "banana stem" by a team of researchers comprising Asst. Prof. Dr. Chanchai Boonla, Asst. Prof. Dr. Nattida Chotechuang, Mr. Bundit Prachapiban, Ms. Natcha Madared, and a number of master's and doctoral degree students.

"Not drinking enough waterand eating foods and vegetables high in oxalate, such as betel leaves can lead to urinary stones." Also, low secretion of urinary citrateand high oxidative stresscandestroy kidney cells and attract the crystallization of the urinary stones. Moreover, consuming food high in sodium and protein also increases the chance of urinary stone formation.

"The urinary stone inhibitor is citrate, which is found in citrus fruits, such as lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, tart cranberries, and melons, which Thai people tend not to prefer as much as sweet fruits, making it easy for the body to get less citrate. Antioxidants are found in fruits and vegetables.

HydroZitla Citrate Plus drink is a combination of modern and traditional medicine.Banana stemshave a diuretic effect and can reduce the amount of oxalate in the urine. Blue pea flowersare high in antioxidants and give out a beautiful natural color.

Having been certified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), HydroZitLa is currently available at the vending machines selling Chula medical innovations or Facebookpage: https://www.facebook.com/HydroZitLa

For more information, visithttps://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/48548/

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"Blue Pea Flower and Banana Stem Extract" Drink to Reduce the Risk of Urinary Stone - Another Medical Innovation from Chula MED - PR...

Anatomy

Liver Anatomy – PMC – PubMed Central (PMC)

Surg Clin North Am. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2014 May 30.

Published in final edited form as:

PMCID: PMC4038911

NIHMSID: NIHMS590095

Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital, Richard J. Solove Research Institute, 410 West, 10th Avenue, N-924 Doan Hall, Columbus, OH 43210, USA

Keywords: Liver, Anatomy, Surgery, Hepatic vasculature, Biliary tree

At present, liver resections are based upon the precise knowledge of the natural lines of division of the liver which define the anatomical surgery of the liver.

Henri Bismuth1

Although many of the advances in hepatic surgery have been linked to improvements in technology, there is no denying the impact of thorough knowledge of the internal anatomy of the liver on improved outcomes. This is largely due to the work of the French surgeon and anatomist, Claude Couinaud (19222008), who detailed his early work in Le Foie: tudes anatomiques et chirurgicales (The Liver: Anatomic and Surgical Studies), in 1957, regarding segmental anatomy of the liver. Couinaud was able to closely examine the intrahepatic anatomy and demonstrated that hepatic functional anatomy is based on vascular and biliary relationships rather than external surface anatomy, improving the safety and feasibility of hepatic surgery today.2

The liver is the largest organ, accounting for approximately 2% to 3% of average body weight. The liver has 2 lobes typically described in two ways, by morphologic anatomy and by functional anatomy (as illustrated in ).1 Located in the right upper quadrant of the abdominal cavity beneath the right hemidiaphragm, it is protected by the rib cage and maintains its position through peritoneal reflections, referred to as ligamentous attachments (). Although not true ligaments, these attachments are avascular and are in continuity with the Glisson capsule or the equivalent of the visceral peritoneum of the liver.

Anterior and posterior surfaces of liver illustrating functional division of the liver into left and right hepatic lobes with Couinauds segmental classification based on functional anatomy. From Brunicardi FC, Andersen DK, Billiar TR, et al. Schwartzs principles of surgery. 9th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing; 2010. p. 313; with permission.

Ligamentous attachments of the liver. From Brunicardi FC, Andersen DK, Billiar TR, et al. Schwartzs principles of surgery. 9th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing; 2010. p. 312; with permission.

The falciform ligament is an attachment arising at or near the umbilicus and continues onto the anterior aspect of the liver in continuity with the umbilical fissure. The falciform ligament courses cranially along the anterior surface of the liver, blending into the hepatic peritoneal covering coursing posterosuperiorly to become the anterior portion of the left and right coronary ligaments. Of surgical importance, at the base of the falciform ligament along the liver, the hepatic veins drain into the inferior vena cava (IVC).3 A common misconception associated with the falciform ligament is that it divides the liver into left and right lobes. Based on morphologic anatomy, this may be true; however, this does not hold true from a functional standpoint (discussed later).

Within the lower edge of the falciform ligament is the ligamentum teres (round ligament), a remnant of the obliterated umbilical vein (ductus venosus) that travels from the umbilicus into the umbilical fissure where it is in continuity with the ligamentum venosum as it joins the left branch of the portal vein. The ligamentum venosum lies within a fissure on the inferior surface of the liver between the caudate lobe posteriorly and the left lobe anteriorly, where it is also invested by the peritoneal folds of the lesser omentum (gastrohepatic ligament). During fetal life, the ductus venosus is responsible for shunting a majority of blood flow of the umbilical vein directly into the IVC, transporting oxygenated blood from the placenta to the fetus. After birth, the umbilical vein closes as the physiologic neonatal circulation begins. In the presence of portal hypertension, the umbilical vein may recanalize to allow portasystemic collateralization through the abdominal wall, known as caput medusae.

At the cranial aspect of the liver is a convex area along the diaphragmatic surface that is devoid of any ligamentous attachments or peritoneum. This bare area of the liver is attached to the diaphragm by flimsy fibroareolar tissue. The coronary ligament lies anterior and posterior to the bare area of the liver comprised of peritoneal reflections of the diaphragm. These areas converge to the left and right of the liver to form the left and right triangular ligaments, respectively. The right coronary and right triangular ligaments course posterior and caudally toward the right kidney, attaching the liver to the retroperitoneum. All attachments help fixate the liver within the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. During hepatic surgery, mobilization of the liver requires division of these avascular attachments. In upper abdominal surgery, the liver has close associations with many structures and organs.

The IVC maintains an intimate relationship to the caudate lobe and right hepatic lobe by IVC ligaments.4 These caval ligaments are bridges of broad membranous tissue that are extensions of the Glisson capsule from the caudate and right hepatic lobe. Of surgical importance, these ligaments are not simple connective tissue but rather contain components of hepatic parenchyma, including the portal triads and hepatocytes. Hence, during liver mobilization, these ligaments must be controlled in a surgical manner to avoid unnecessary bleeding or bile leakage during hepatic surgery.

The gastrointestinal tract has several associations with the liver (illustrated in ). The stomach is related to the left hepatic lobe by way of the gastrohepatic ligament or superior aspect of the lesser omentum, which is an attachment of connective tissue between the lesser curvature of the stomach and the left hepatic lobe at the ligamentum venosum. Important neural and vascular structures may run within the gastrohepatic ligament, including the hepatic division of the vagus nerve and, when present, an aberrant left hepatic artery as it courses from its left gastric artery origin. The hepatic flexure of the colon where the ascending colon transitions to the transverse colon is in close proximity or sometimes in direct contact with the right hepatic lobe. Additionally, the duodenum and portal structures are in direct association with the liver through the hepatoduodenal ligament (inferior aspect of the lesser omentum) and porta hepatis.

Association of stomach, porta hepatis, and hepatic flexure to the Liver. From Brunicardi FC, Andersen DK, Billiar TR, et al. Schwartzs principles of surgery. 9th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing; 2010. p. 313; with permission.

Anatomic understanding of the portal anatomy is essential to hepatic resection and associated vascular and biliary reconstructions. Within the porta hepatis is the common bile duct, hepatic artery, and portal vein that course in a lateral, medial, and posterior configuration, respectively. The foramen of Winslow (epiploic foramen) has important relevance to the porta hepatis and hepato-pancreatico-biliary surgery. The foramen of Winslow, originally described by the Danish anatomist Jacob Winslow in 1732, is a communication or connection between the abdominal cavity and the lesser sac. During hepatic resection, need for complete control of the hepatic vascular inflow may be accomplished by a Pringle maneuver.5,6 This maneuver, developed by an Australian surgeon, James Hogarth Pringle, while in Glasgow, Scotland, during the management of hepatic trauma, involves occlusion of the hepatic artery and portal vein inflow through control of the porta hepatis. This may be done by placement of a large clamp on the porta hepatis or more atraumatically with the use of a tourniquet passed through the foramen of Winslow and pars flaccida (transparent portion of lesser omentum overlying caudate lobe) encircling the porta hepatis.

The gallbladder resides in the gallbladder fossa at the posterior interface of segments IV and V. It establishes continuity with the common bile duct via the cystic duct. Additionally, the cystic artery most commonly arises as a branch off the right hepatic artery. Understanding of portal vasculature and biliary anatomy is crucial given its wide anatomic variability to avoid inadvertent injury during any hepatic, pancreatic, biliary, or foregut surgery.

Additionally, the right adrenal gland lies within the retroperitoneum under the right hepatic lobe. The right adrenal vein drains directly into the IVC; hence, care should be taken during hepatic mobilization so as to avoid avulsion of the vein or inadvertent dissection into the adrenal gland as this can result in significant hemorrhage.

The liver possesses a superficial and deep lymphatic network through which lymph produced in the liver drains.7 The deep network is responsible for greater lymphatic drainage toward lateral phrenic nodes via the hepatic veins and toward the hilum through portal vein branches. The superficial network is located within the Glisson capsule with an anterior and posterior surface. The anterior surface primarily drains to phrenic lymph nodes via the bare area of the liver to join the mediastinal and internal mammary lymphatic networks. The posterior surface network drains to hilar lymph nodes, including the cystic duct, common bile duct, hepatic artery, and peripancreatic as well as pericardial and celiac lymph nodes. The lymphatic drainage patterns have surgical implications with regard to lymphadenectomy undertaken for cancer of the gallbladder, liver, and pancreas.

The neural innervation and controls of liver function are complex and not well understood. However, like the remainder of the body, the liver does have parasympathetic and sympathetic neural innervation. Nerve fibers are derived from the celiac plexus, lower thoracic ganglia, right phrenic nerve, and the vagi. The vagus nerves divide into an anterior (left) and posterior (right) branch as they course from the thorax into the abdomen. The anterior vagus divides into a cephalic and a hepatic division of which the latter courses through the lesser omentum (gastrohepatic ligament) to innervate the liver and is responsible for the parasympathetic innervation. Sympathetic innervation arises predominantly from the celiac plexus as well as the thoracic splanchnic nerves.

The liver is a very vascular organ and at rest receives up to 25% of total cardiac output, more than any other organ. Its dual blood supply is uniquely divided between the hepatic artery, which contributes 25% to 30% of the blood supply, and the portal vein, which is responsible for the remaining 70% to 75%. The arterial and portal blood ultimately mixes within the hepatic sinusoids before draining into the systemic circulation via the hepatic venous system.8

Although the arterial vasculature of the liver is variable, the most common configurations are discussed in this article. As illustrated in , in the most common arterial configuration, the common hepatic artery originates from the celiac axis along with the left gastric and splenic arteries. The common hepatic artery proceeds laterally and branches into the proper hepatic artery and the gastroduodenal artery. The gastroduodenal artery proceeds caudally to supply the pylorus and proximal duodenum and has several indirect branches to the pancreas. The proper hepatic artery courses within the medial aspect of the hepatoduodenal ligament and porta hepatis toward the liver to divide into left and right hepatic arteries to feed the respective hepatic lobes. Additionally, the right gastric artery has a variable origin arising from the hepatic artery as it courses laterally. The cystic artery to the gallbladder commonly arises from the right hepatic artery. In , common arterial variants are illustrated. The most common variants include aberrant (replaced) hepatic arteries in which the dominant hepatic arteries do not arise from the proper hepatic artery but rather from an alternate origin. An aberrant left hepatic artery typically arises from the left gastric artery and courses through the lesser omentum to supply the left liver and is seen in approximately 15% of patients. In spite of its alternate origin, the aberrant left hepatic artery still enters the liver through the base of the umbilical fissure in a medial orientation, similar to that of a native left hepatic artery. An aberrant right hepatic artery, seen in approximately 20% of patients, most commonly arises from the superior mesenteric artery. Unlike its left hepatic artery counterpart, the aberrant right hepatic artery often courses posterolateral in the hepatoduodenal ligament to enter the right liver.

Common hepatic arterial configuration. HA, hepatic artery. From Brunicardi FC, Andersen DK, Billiar TR, et al. Schwartzs principles of surgery. 9th edition. New York: McGraw- Hill Publishing; 2010. p. 314; with permission.

Common variations of hepatic vasculature. From Brunicardi FC, Andersen DK, Billiar TR, et al. Schwartzs principles of surgery. 9th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing. p. 314; 2010.

The portal vein provides the bulk of the nutritive blood supply to the liver. As illustrated in , the portal vein forms from the confluence of the superior mesenteric vein and splenic vein behind the neck of the pancreas. Additional venous branches that drain into the portal vein include the coronary (left gastric) vein, cystic vein, and tributaries of the right gastric and pancreaticoduodenal veins. The portal vein is valveless and is a low-pressure system with pressures typically 3 to 5 mm Hg. The coronary (left gastric) vein is of particular importance clinically as it becomes a major portasystemic shunt in the face of portal hypertension and feeds the gastroesophageal variceal complex. The main portal vein courses cranially toward the liver as the most posterior structure within the hepatoduodenal ligament to divide into the left and right portal veins near the liver hilum. A small branch to the right side of the caudate is commonly encountered just before or after the main portal vein branching.

Portal vein and the hepatic venous vasculature inflow. From Brunicardi FC, Andersen DK, Billiar TR, et al. Schwartzs principles of surgery. 9th edition; McGraw-Hill Publishing. p. 315; 2010.

The left portal vein has two portions, an initial transverse portion and then an umbilical portion as it approaches the umbilical fissure. The left portal vein tends to have a longer extrahepatic course and commonly gives off a branch to the caudate lobe, but the caudate portal vein inflow is variable and may arise from the main or right portal vein also. The transverse portion of the left portal vein approaches the umbilical fissure and takes an abrupt turn toward it to form the umbilical portion as it enters the liver. Within the liver, the umbilical portion of the left portal vein commonly first gives off a branch to segment II before then dividing into branches to segment III and to segment IVa/IVb. The right portal vein often emerges closer to or within the hepatic parenchyma of the right liver itself. It quickly divides into anterior and posterior branches to segments V and VIII and segments VI and VII, respectively (see ; and ).

Intrahepatic vascular and biliary anatomy, anterior view. Adapted from Cameron JL, Sandone C. Atlas of gastrointestinal surgery, vol. 1. 2nd edition. Hamilton (ON): BC Decker; 2007. p. 121 []; the Peoples Medical Publishing HouseUSA, Shelton, CT; with permission.

Intrahepatic vascular and biliary anatomy. posterior view. Adapted from Cameron JL, Sandone C. Atlas of gastrointestinal surgery, vol. 1. 2nd edition. Hamilton (ON): BC Decker; 2007. p. 124 []; the Peoples Medical Publishing HouseUSA, Shelton, CT; with permission.

The venous drainage of the liver is through the intrahepatic veins that ultimately coalesce into three hepatic veins that drain into the IVC superiorly. The left and middle hepatic veins may drain directly into the IVC but more commonly form a short common trunk before draining into the IVC. The right hepatic vein is typically larger, with a short extrahepatic course and drains directly into the IVC. Additional drainage occurs directly into the IVC via short retrohepatic veins and, on occasion, an inferior right accessory hepatic vein. The hepatic veins within the parenchyma are unique in that, unlike the portal venous system, they lack the fibrous, protective, encasing the Glisson capsule.9 Ultrasonography facilitates intraoperative mapping of the internal anatomy of the liver. As seen in , by ultrasound, the portal venous anatomy can readily be identified by the echogenic, hyperechoic Glisson capsule surrounding the portal veins, whereas the hepatic veins lack this.

Ultrasound appearance of hepatic venous vasculature. The top panel demonstrates the left and right portal vein branches (LPV, left portal vein; RPV, right portal vein) with the hyperechoic fibrous sheath of the Glisson capsule. The middle panel demonstrates the confluence of the right, middle, and left hepatic veins (LHV, left hepatic vein; RHV, right hepatic vein; MHV; middle hepatic vein) (note accessory left hepatic vein) with the IVC. The lower panel demonstrates vascular flow within the hepatic vein confluence and IVC. From Brunicardi FC, Andersen DK, Billiar TR, et al. Schwartzs principles of surgery. 9th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing; 2010. p. 14. Chapter 31; with permission.

The IVC maintains an important and intimate association with the liver as it courses in a cranial-caudal direction to the right of the aorta. As the IVC travels cranially, it courses posterior to the duodenum, pancreas, porta hepatis, caudate lobe, and posterior surface of the liver as it approaches the bare area where it receives the hepatic venous outflow from the hepatic veins. Multiple small retrohepatic veins enter the IVC along its course, mostly from the right hepatic lobe. Hence, in mobilizing the liver or during major hepatic resections, it is imperative to maintain awareness of the IVC and its vascular tributaries at all times.

The intrahepatic biliary tree is comprised of multiple ducts that are responsible for the formation and transport of bile from the liver to the duodenum and typically follows the portal venous system. The right hepatic duct forms from an anterior sectoral duct from segments V and VIII and a posterior sectoral duct from segments VI and VII. The anterior sectoral duct courses in an anterior, vertical manner whereas the posterior duct proceeds in a lateral, horizontal manner. The right duct typically has a short extrahepatic course with some branching variability. Surgeons should be mindful of this variable anatomy when operating at the hilum of the liver. The left hepatic duct drains the left liver and has a less variable course as it parallels the left portal vein with a longer extrahepatic course. The left and right hepatic ducts join near the hilar plate to form the common hepatic duct. As the common hepatic duct courses caudally, it is joined by the cystic duct to form the common bile duct. The common bile duct proceeds within the lateral aspect of the hepatoduodenal ligament toward the head of the pancreas to drain into the duodenum through the ampulla of Vater.

Biliary drainage of the caudate lobe is variable with drainage seen through left and right hepatic ducts in approximately 70% to 80% of cases.8 In 15%, caudate drainage is seen through the left hepatic duct alone and the remaining 5% to 10% of cases drains through the right hepatic duct system alone. Hence, as discussed previously, surgical intervention involving the caudate lobe requires attention to biliary anatomy as well as vascular anatomy.

Understanding of hepatic anatomy has evolved greatly over the past 50 years. Greater knowledge of vascular anatomy along with advancement of technologies for intraoperative mapping and parenchymal transection have made liver surgery safer and more efficacious. Recognition of the presence of a dual blood supply and dependence of hepatic tumors on arterial bloody supply have made feasible various interventional techniques allowing directed chemotherapy and radioactive particles via the hepatic artery with simultaneous embolization to minimize tumoral blood supply as treatment options for various tumor types. The complexities and nuances of liver anatomy require continual respect and lifelong learning by liver surgeons.

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Liver Anatomy - PMC - PubMed Central (PMC)

Anatomy

Greys Anatomy season 19 is not coming to Netflix in September 2022 – Netflix Life

With fall TV coming back, were looking at when our favorites will be on Netflix. Greys Anatomy season 19 is not coming this month.

If theres one show were ready to see more of, itsGreys Anatomy. The 18th season ended with some major questions for characters. The Residency Program was shut down, Teddy and Owen went on the run, and Bailey chose to quit. What would this mean for the next season?

Well, its almost time to find out on ABC. The bad news is we wont get the episodes ofGreys Anatomy season 19 right away. Netflix doesnt get the content until after the season finale. When will that be?

The series isnt even coming to ABC in September. TheGreys Anatomy season 19 will premiere on ABC on Thursday, Oct. 6. This probably wont affect the finale date, though. Thats still likely to be in May as normal. The networks like to stick to their TV schedule that works.

What does this mean for the season coming to Netflix? Were looking at 30 days after the finale airs, which means sometime in June 2023.

There are a lot of changes coming toGreys Anatomy season 19. The biggest is that Meredith Grey wont be there for all episodes. Ellen Pompeo is taking a step back from being around full-time. While shell still narrate each episode, she will only physically be in eight episodes of the 2024 episode (likely 22) season.

There are a lot of new surgical residents, though. This is questionable considering the Residency Program was shut down. We know Jake Borelli is returning, so well see more Schmidt, but what about the other residents weve come to know in recent years? What does the new residents coming in mean for the program?

Greys Anatomyis available to stream on Netflix.

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Greys Anatomy season 19 is not coming to Netflix in September 2022 - Netflix Life

Anatomy

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star Jesse Williams Wins Big In Bitter Child Support Battle With Ex-Wife – Radar Online

Before Jesse took the stand, the courtroom was closed, and everyone was kicked out. After hearing from both sides, the judge decided to lower the actors child support payments to $6,146 per month when he is in town exercising his regular custody.

When he is working out of town, Jesse has been ordered to pay $7,953 to Aryn. Since April, Jesse had been paying his ex-wife $6,143 per month in temporary support.

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'Grey's Anatomy' Star Jesse Williams Wins Big In Bitter Child Support Battle With Ex-Wife - Radar Online

Anatomy

‘The Anatomy of Loss’ book review: Of festering wounds and fractured identities – The New Indian Express

Express News Service

Arjun Raj Gainds 'The Anatomy of Loss' is set amid the political unrest in the aftermath of Operation Bluestar in 1984, and the series of tragic events that followed.

The military action, authorised by then prime minister Indira Gandhi, was aimed at clearing the militants who had taken up residence in Amritsars famed Golden Temple, but it also left thousands dead. Matters came to a head when Gandhi was assassinated by two of her own Sikh bodyguards five months later, resulting in national fury, ensuing in anti-Sikh riots and genocidal violence against the community.

Gainds novel, however, does not focus on the nitty-gritty of the political happenings of the time. Rather, his is a deeply personal narrative, which intimately examines the long-lasting emotional ramifications of the tragedy.

The life of the protagonist Himmat Singh, who was a child of eight at the time of Indiras death, continues to be haunted by his past. He was in the middle of an idyllic vacation with his maternal grandparents when the shocking news reached them. The ramifications of the event on his life are swift, shocking andlong-lasting.

As the anti-Sikh riots break out, Himmats poet and professor grandfather, Gobind, shaves off his beard to disguise his identity. The act reveals the patriarch as a frail and scared man, contrary to the vaunted hero that the little boy has looked up to. That very night, Gobinds best friend seeks his help to save his son, who is only a few years older than Himmat and has been taken into police custody, but Gobind refuses.

Anxious to protect Himmat, Gobind decides to leave Amritsar with his family. Despite the boys repeated pleas, he refuses to intervene even as great injustices play out before his eyes, weakening the bond between the grandfather and grandson.

Himmat is a finely etched character, whose psyche is laid bare and exposed, as he struggles to come to terms with his identity and desperately seeks a sense of belonging. The functionings of his mind are made available to the minute scrutiny of the reader to a disconcerting effect. The constantly festering agony of one who has been unceremoniously exposed to the ugliest side of human nature is, in no small part, due to the crimes of the past, when the Sikhs were repeatedly persecuted under the Mughal and British rule, and in Independent India.

Through his protagonist, the author draws attention to the suppurating wounds left on the collective psyche of the Sikh community. It also shows how the embers of anger and despair are constantly stoked by self-serving politicians, which not only perpetuates the cycle of hate, but also leaves no room for healing.

Gaind also does a fine job of reconstructing personal trauma. He writes with heartbreaking candour, making the book an unputdownable read. Even as Himmat moves to London as an adult, he fails to leave the memories of the tragedy behind. No amount of self-destructive behaviour heavy drinking, chiromania, getting recruited by a radical outfitbrings him closer to finding the strength to forgive and fully become the man with the heart of a lion, he was always impossibly close to being.

By: Arjun Raj GaindPublisher: BloomsburyPages: 272Price: Rs 599

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'The Anatomy of Loss' book review: Of festering wounds and fractured identities - The New Indian Express

Genetics

ClinVar Miner

The content on this website is current as of 1 August 2022. On that date, ClinVar had 2,404,889 submissions on 1,543,902 variants. When referencing data from this website, please cite the 2018 Human Mutation article "ClinVar Miner: Demonstrating utility of a Webbased tool for viewing and filtering ClinVar data" .

ClinVar Miner was developed by Alex Henrie in the Eilbeck Lab with support from the NHGRI's ClinGen Resources (grants U41 HG006834-01A1 to Heidi Rehm and U01 HG007437-01 to Jonathan Berg). Use of the NCBI logo represents use of NCBI data but does not constitute an approval or endorsement of this application. Source code is available on GitHub under the GNU General Public License.

The information on this website is not intended for direct diagnostic use or medical decision-making without review by a genetics professional. Individuals should not change their health behavior solely on the basis of information contained on this website. Neither the University of Utah nor the National Institutes of Health independently verfies the submitted information. If you have questions about the information contained on this website, please see a health care professional.

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ClinVar Miner

Genetics

Investing in the genetics of Scotland’s trout sector – The Fish Site

According to Xelect, the agreement marks the start of the first selective breeding programme for sea-grown rainbow trout (which are often referred to as steelhead) in the UK and is designed to provide Kames with a major boost to the quality of their production faster growing fish, with high survival rates, that thrive in seawater.

The project started with an initial genetic evaluation of Kames broodstock to ensure that the selective breeding programme would be based on a highly diverse population, with strong potential for future gains.

In the next stage, Xelect will combine genetic analysis of the fish (genotypes) with real world performance data (phenotypes). By using the latest breeding programme management techniques and our highly sophisticated software, OptiMate, Xelect can then identify the optimal crosses to provide Kames with major trait improvements every generation, said Xelect programme manager, Lidia de los Rios Perez in a press release.

Were really delighted to be working with Kames. They are an institution in Scottish aquaculture, and whilst our customers are spread all over the world, weve always been committed to developing aquaculture in Scotland too, said Xelects CEO, Ian Johnston.

This is an exciting stage of development for Kames as we launch into the next fifty years with fully integrated production. Partnering with Xelect is an obvious choice as it not only preserves our Scottish provenance but offers access to a great team of specialists dedicated to enhancing our own unique strain of steelhead trout, said Kames managing director, Neil Manchester.

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Investing in the genetics of Scotland's trout sector - The Fish Site

Genetics

The Genetics That Make One Animal Immortal Have Been Revealed – IFLScience

Immortality exists but to get it, you need to be a jellyfish, not a god or a vampire. Moreover, only one species of cnidarian, Turritopsis dohrnii, is known to have found the secret of eternal life. Geneticists hope comparing T. dorniis DNA with its close relative, T. rubra, will help us understand the aging process and how to evade it.

Turritopsis are warm water jellyfish half a centimeter (0.2 inches) long. At least three species of hydra have the capacity to age backwards like Benjamin Button, going from adult to juvenile stage, before eventually growing up again. However, two of these can only go from the hydra equivalent of adolescent to child; like the victim in some uncensored fairytale, sexual reproduction locks them into adulthood. T. dohrnii, on the other hand, appears able to go from its free-floating adult stage to bottom-living polyp, known as life cycle reversal (LCR), as many times as it wants.

A paper in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences provides a comparison of T. dorhnii and T. rubra in the hope the differences will prove enlightening, throwing in a few more distantly related types of cnidarians as well.

Dr Maria Pascual-Torner of Universidad de Oviedo, Spain, and co-authors didnt find any single genetic trick that appears to provide the fountain of youth. Instead, they discovered a wide variety of potential contributors, reporting; We have identified variants and expansions of genes associated with replication, DNA repair, telomere maintenance, redox environment, stem cell population, and intercellular communication.

This polyp of Turritopsis dohrnii is from a colony generated by a single rejuvenated medusa. Image Credit: Maria Pascual-Torner

All of these could eventually prove important, but the study homed in on two significant aspects of T. dohrniis genome absent in its relative. One of these silences the polycomb repressive complexes: 2 families of proteins that regulate gene expression. The other activates pluripotency the capacity of a stem cell to turn into whatever sort of cell it needs to become during life cycle reversal.

Applying these to humans will certainly be a Herculean task if its possible at all. However, while many of T. dorhniis features probably only work in combination, some might provide a few precious extra years of health in more complex creatures, ourselves included.

As the paper notes: Natural selection declines with age. Only in rare cases, such as the orca grandmothers, is there much evolutionary benefit to living long and healthy lives after reproduction ceases. Consequently, nature has done little work to ensure it occurs well have to work out how to make it happen ourselves, with only T. dorhnii to guide us.

Even T. dohrnii does not live forever. Indeed the typical specimen has a much shorter life expectancy than you, this being the sad consequence of a small lifeform with few defenses and tasty to larger jellyfish and fish. Presumably, this is why they have not come to dominate the Earth as we might expect an immortal species to do. Nevertheless, its capacity for rejuvenation makes it theoretically capable of eternal life, something suspected in only one other species and confirmed in none.

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The Genetics That Make One Animal Immortal Have Been Revealed - IFLScience

Genetics

The genetics behind why some people get sicker with COVID-19 than others – ABC News

Norman Swan: One of the common questions that Tegan and I get about Covid is why there's so much variation in how people respond to the infection. One answer is in your genes, and there is a massive ongoing study into comparing people's genomes with how COVID-19 has affected them. Dr Gita Pathak is a team leader in what's called the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative. Gita is based at Yale University's School of Medicine in the United States.

Gita Pathak: Thank you for inviting me, I really appreciate it.

Norman Swan: So you're not mapping the virus here, you're mapping the people who were infected with the virus to see what happens to them and whether there are specific genes involved in their experience of the virus.

Gita Pathak: That is correct. The goal of the study is to understand human genetics response to the viral infection which we know as COVID-19. We wanted to look at three different outcomes of COVID-19, specifically people who were critically ill from Covid, then people who were hospitalised due to Covid, and people who tested positive for Covid, so the least severe of the three definitions, and which genes might be associated with these three outcomes.

Norman Swan: And how many genomes have you managed to test?

Gita Pathak: 60 studies from 25 countries, and that resulted in close to 3 million individuals' genetic profiles, and we found a total of 23 genes that show an association with COVID-19.

Norman Swan: So, let's take severity, and this is in a European population, by and large, a Caucasian population. Have you found any consistency in genes for severe disease?

Gita Pathak: Yes, so genetic ancestry is different than what someone may identify themselves as, like ethnically or geographically. Mostly we do have genetic ancestry of the European descent, but we also had people who are genetically South Asian, East Asian, African ancestry, and that separate from where they are geographically or what they identify as.

Norman Swan: So this is a bit like 23andMe or Ancestry.com where you send off your genes and you find out that you are 50% Greek and you didn't think you were 50% Greek.

Gita Pathak: Correct. When we are looking at genetic profiles, it's really important to adjust for genetic ancestry and not specifically for what somebody identifies as. Some genetic variation is more common in one ancestry over others, and if we include people from these diverse ancestries, we can pick up these signals much more quickly

Norman Swan: So, for example, it was said in the early part of the pandemic that people of South Asian origin had more severe disease and a higher risk of death. Did that pan out in your study?

Gita Pathak: We did find one of the genetic variants that was more common in South Asian populations relative to other populations, but that is just one variant. Genes tend to perform in a similar way across ancestries. They may vary based on their frequency in different ancestries, and that information helps us capture why one ancestry might be exhibiting a higher response or a softer response, but by and large all the genes we saw, they tend to have a similar effect across all ancestries.

Norman Swan: And what with these genes doing to increase your vulnerability to severe disease?

Gita Pathak: Some of the genes that we found were related to different lung functions. So, for example, we found something called SFTPD which is a lung surfactant protein, and it has already been known to be associated with different pulmonary functions, and there are other studies which have shown that this specific gene has been known with respiratory distress syndrome in different populations.

Norman Swan: And just to explain, surfactant is the fluid, if you like, that lines the tubes of your lungs and keeps them open, and it's what is deficient in premature babies, causing the respiratory disease of the premature baby. So, in other words, a deficiency of this in adults may predispose you, unsurprisingly, to severe disease. The question of course on everybody's lips now is why do some people not seem to catch COVID-19? There's a group of people who appear anecdotally to be resistant. Did you find COVID-19 resistance genes?

Gita Pathak: Not in our work. Depending on how we look at the variant, the varients we find are associated with the COVID-19 outcome, but if there are people who may be on the opposite spectrum of these, so let's say who are not carriers of this, they might be generally resistant to Covid but that specific study we haven't performed, but that's a good question for later.

Norman Swan: And just finally, any therapeutic insights that might direct people towards more effective medications to treat people who've got Covid, or prevent it getting worse?

Gita Pathak: One good thing that we understand from this work is that we now have a good number of genes to specifically focus our efforts into, and now this can lead to efforts of drug repurposing or drug development. Did we find a specific drug? No, but we definitely found several targets that now could be investigated for different drugs.

Norman Swan: Gita, thank you very much for joining us.

Gita Pathak: Thank you so much for having me, I really appreciate it.

Norman Swan: Dr Gita Pathak is a team leader in the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative at Yale University's School of Medicine.

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The genetics behind why some people get sicker with COVID-19 than others - ABC News