‘Married to Medicine’ star Dr. Jackie Walters reveals what every woman should know about the male anatomy – Yahoo Lifestyle

February 15, 2020 medical

If youre looking to make a big splash in the bedroom this Valentines Day, Jackie Walters, PhD, has a few tips to consider before diving headfirst into romance.

I describe the man as the King P, the Married to Medicine star says. We have the Queen V. We have the King P and there are things about the King P that all women need to know before the two connect, she adds.

An OB-GYN for over 20 years, Walters recently published The Queen V: Everything You Need to Know About Sex, Intimacy, and Down There Health Care a book that breaks down how to plan a trip to his nether-regions and which must-see sights to take in once you arrive.

In honor of Valentines Day, Yahoo Lifestyle talks to Walters about what to know before meeting the King P.

It is important to know whether your male has been circumcised or not, because men who have not been circumcised still have that skin on the glans, Walters explains.An uncircumcised man must pull back the foreskin to clean properly; otherwise, bacteria, cells, and oil can build up and cause odor and inflammation.

A lot of things can hide behind that covering, so you really want to know that theres not a herpetic lesion or genital wart or anything that you may miss, she adds.

The penis may look small when its not stimulated and erect, but it grows, assures Walters. You can certainly get creative if its not as endowed as you want it to be. There are certain positions and things you can do to still enjoy your partner if its not the biggest king youve ever seen.When encountering a King P with less length, she suggests having sex doggie style with a deep curve in your back or reverse cowgirl for maximum penetration.

If theres a concern over too much length, she recommends cowgirl or facing each other on your sides, both of which put the woman in control.

While Walters recommends doing a thorough investigation of the King P using sight, touch, and smell before having sex, the one sense she leaves out is taste.Do not put your mouth on it until you have all of the STIs back, Walters warns, Touch but dont taste.

Gonorrhea, syphilis, HPV and other STIs can be transmitted orally.

When planning a trip to his nether regions, it helps to have a map of where you want to go.

The scrotum is different from the testicle. The scrotum is the sac that holds the testicles, Dr. Walters breaks it down. The glans is the head of the penis while the shaft is the rest of the length, and the frenulum is where the foreskin meets the underside of the penis.

If you see something, say something. Know your mans anatomy, know if it doesnt look right or smell right, ask questions, she urges.

The penis has a brain too. Now we sometimes think its located there, Walters laughs. But men have feelings just like women, so be careful what we say. A little praise can go a long way.

This Valentines Day, mind these five rules and the King P and the Queen V can have their own happy, healthy ever after.

Live+3 Weekly Ratings: ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and Series Premiere of ‘Lego Masters’ Top All Telecasts in Adults 18-49 Lifts – Programming Insider

February 15, 2020 medical

68 Whiskey (PAR, Wed., 2/5/20 10:00 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.410 million viewers 0.121 million adults 18-49 (0.09 adults 18-49 rating) 0.186 million adults 25-54 (0.15 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 1.146 million viewers 0.253 million adults 18-49 (0.20 adults 18-49 rating) 0.412 million adults 25-54 (0.34 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.736 million viewers (+179.51%) +0.132 million adults 18-49 (+0.10 rating; +109.09%) +0.226 million adults 25-54 (+0.19 rating; +121.51%)

Avenue 5 (HBO, Sun., 2/9/20 10:02 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.275 million viewers 0.112 million adults 18-49 (0.09 adults 18-49 rating) 0.140 million adults 25-54 (0.12 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 0.622 million viewers 0.253 million adults 18-49 (0.20 adults 18-49 rating) 0.307 million adults 25-54 (0.25 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.347 million viewers (+126.18%) +0.141 million adults 18-49 (+0.11 rating; +125.89%) +0.167 million adults 25-54 (+0.14 rating; +119.29%)

Awkwafina is Nora From Queens (Comedy Central, Wed., 2/5/20 10:30 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.399 million viewers 0.221 million adults 18-49 (0.17 adults 18-49 rating) 0.243 million adults 25-54 (0.20 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 0.766 million viewers 0.419 million adults 18-49 (0.32 adults 18-49 rating) 0.481 million adults 25-54 (0.40 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.367 million viewers (+91.98%) +0.198 million adults 18-49 (+0.15 rating; +89.59%) +0.238 million adults 25-54 (+0.20 rating; +97.94%)

The Bold Type (Freeform, Thu., 2/6/20 9:00 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.147 million viewers 0.067 million adults 18-49 (0.05 adults 18-49 rating) 0.072 million adults 25-54 (0.06 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 0.348 million viewers 0.177 million adults 18-49 (0.14 adults 18-49 rating) 0.193 million adults 25-54 (0.16 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.201 million viewers (+136.73%) +0.110 million adults 18-49 (+0.08 rating; +164.18%) +0.121 million adults 25-54 (+0.10 rating; +168.06%)

Briarpatch [P] (USA, Thu., 2/6/20 10:00 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.528 million viewers 0.118 million adults 18-49 (0.09 adults 18-49 rating) 0.147 million adults 25-54 (0.12 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 1.100 million viewers 0.209 million adults 18-49 (0.16 adults 18-49 rating) 0.297 million adults 25-54 (0.25 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.572 million viewers (+108.33%) +0.091 million adults 18-49 (+0.07 rating; +77.12%) +0.150 million adults 25-54 (+0.12 rating; +102.04%)

Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO, Sun., 2/9/20 10:31 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.441 million viewers 0.160 million adults 18-49 (0.12 adults 18-49 rating) 0.201 million adults 25-54 (0.17 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 1.090 million viewers 0.420 million adults 18-49 (0.32 adults 18-49 rating) 0.497 million adults 25-54 (0.41 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.649 million viewers (+147.17%) +0.260 million adults 18-49 (+0.20 rating; +162.50%) +0.296 million adults 25-54 (+0.24 rating; +147.26%)

Doctor Who (BBC America, Sun., 2/9/20 8:00 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.405 million viewers 0.127 million adults 18-49 (0.10 adults 18-49 rating) 0.173 million adults 25-54 (0.14 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 0.785 million viewers 0.263 million adults 18-49 (0.20 adults 18-49 rating) 0.329 million adults 25-54 (0.27 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.380 million viewers (+93.83%) +0.136 million adults 18-49 (+0.11 rating; +107.09%) +0.156 million adults 25-54 (+0.13 rating; +90.17%)

Everythings Gonna Be Okay (Freeform, Thu., 2/6/20 8:30 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.144 million viewers 0.042 million adults 18-49 (0.03 adults 18-49 rating) 0.047 million adults 25-54 (0.04 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 0.230 million viewers 0.093 million adults 18-49 (0.07 adults 18-49 rating) 0.098 million adults 25-54 (0.08 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.086 million viewers (+59.72%) +0.051 million adults 18-49 (+0.04 rating; +121.43%) +0.051 million adults 25-54 (+0.04 rating; +108.51%)

Good Trouble (Freeform, Wed., 2/5/20 10:00 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.217 million viewers 0.107 million adults 18-49 (0.08 adults 18-49 rating) 0.107 million adults 25-54 (0.09 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 0.501 million viewers 0.268 million adults 18-49 (0.21 adults 18-49 rating) 0.273 million adults 25-54 (0.23 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.284 million viewers (+130.88%) +0.161 million adults 18-49 (+0.12 rating; +150.47%) +0.166 million adults 25-54 (+0.14 rating; +155.14%)

grown-ish (Freeform, Thu., 2/6/20 8:00 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.355 million viewers 0.158 million adults 18-49 (0.12 adults 18-49 rating) 0.165 million adults 25-54 (0.14 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 0.594 million viewers 0.313 million adults 18-49 (0.24 adults 18-49 rating) 0.308 million adults 25-54 (0.25 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.239 million viewers (+67.32%) +0.155 million adults 18-49 (+0.12 rating; +98.10%) +0.143 million adults 25-54 (+0.12 rating; +86.67%)

The Haves and the Have Nots (OWN, Tue., 2/4/20 9:00 PM) Live+Same Day: 1.520 million viewers 0.364 million adults 18-49 (0.28 adults 18-49 rating) 0.531 million adults 25-54 (0.44 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 2.098 million viewers 0.553 million adults 18-49 (0.43 adults 18-49 rating) 0.768 million adults 25-54 (0.63 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.578 million viewers (+38.03%) +0.189 million adults 18-49 (+0.15 rating; +51.92%) +0.237 million adults 25-54 (+0.20 rating; +44.63%)

Homeland [P] (Showtime, Sun., 2/9/20 9:03 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.600 million viewers 0.172 million adults 18-49 (0.13 adults 18-49 rating) 0.219 million adults 25-54 (0.18 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 1.258 million viewers 0.314 million adults 18-49 (0.24 adults 18-49 rating) 0.431 million adults 25-54 (0.36 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.658 million viewers (+109.67%) +0.142 million adults 18-49 (+0.11 rating; +82.56%) +0.212 million adults 25-54 (+0.17 rating; +96.80%)

Kidding [P] (Showtime, Sun., 2/9/20 10:00 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.120 million viewers 0.035 million adults 18-49 (0.03 adults 18-49 rating) 0.053 million adults 25-54 (0.04 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 0.251 million viewers 0.079 million adults 18-49 (0.06 adults 18-49 rating) 0.116 million adults 25-54 (0.10 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.131 million viewers (+109.17%) +0.044 million adults 18-49 (+0.03 rating; +125.71%) +0.063 million adults 25-54 (+0.05 rating; +118.87%)

Kidding (Showtime, Sun., 2/9/20 10:30 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.085 million viewers 0.035 million adults 18-49 (0.03 adults 18-49 rating) 0.051 million adults 25-54 (0.04 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 0.195 million viewers 0.057 million adults 18-49 (0.04 adults 18-49 rating) 0.087 million adults 25-54 (0.07 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.110 million viewers (+129.41%) +0.022 million adults 18-49 (+0.02 rating; +62.86%) +0.036 million adults 25-54 (+0.03 rating; +70.59%)

The Magicians (SYFY, Wed., 2/5/20 10:00 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.338 million viewers 0.187 million adults 18-49 (0.14 adults 18-49 rating) 0.209 million adults 25-54 (0.17 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 0.788 million viewers 0.417 million adults 18-49 (0.32 adults 18-49 rating) 0.478 million adults 25-54 (0.39 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.450 million viewers (+133.14%) +0.230 million adults 18-49 (+0.18 rating; +122.99%) +0.269 million adults 25-54 (+0.22 rating; +128.71%)

Miracle Workers: Dark Ages (TBS, Tue., 2/4/20 10:30 PM) Live+Same Day: 1.100 million viewers 0.468 million adults 18-49 (0.36 adults 18-49 rating) 0.602 million adults 25-54 (0.50 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 1.734 million viewers 0.750 million adults 18-49 (0.58 adults 18-49 rating) 0.948 million adults 25-54 (0.78 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.634 million viewers (+57.64%) +0.282 million adults 18-49 (+0.22 rating; +60.26%) +0.346 million adults 25-54 (+0.29 rating; +57.48%)

The New Pope (HBO, Mon., 2/3/20 9:02 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.198 million viewers 0.047 million adults 18-49 (0.04 adults 18-49 rating) 0.072 million adults 25-54 (0.06 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 0.309 million viewers 0.069 million adults 18-49 (0.05 adults 18-49 rating) 0.108 million adults 25-54 (0.09 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.111 million viewers (+56.06%) +0.022 million adults 18-49 (+0.02 rating; +46.81%) +0.036 million adults 25-54 (+0.03 rating; +50.00%)

Our Cartoon President (Showtime, Sun., 2/9/20 8:30 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.188 million viewers 0.045 million adults 18-49 (0.03 adults 18-49 rating) 0.056 million adults 25-54 (0.05 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 0.273 million viewers 0.063 million adults 18-49 (0.05 adults 18-49 rating) 0.078 million adults 25-54 (0.06 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.085 million viewers (+45.21%) +0.018 million adults 18-49 (+0.01 rating; +40.00%) +0.022 million adults 25-54 (+0.02 rating; +39.29%)

The Outsider (HBO, Sun., 2/9/20 9:02 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.792 million viewers 0.285 million adults 18-49 (0.22 adults 18-49 rating) 0.371 million adults 25-54 (0.31 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 1.500 million viewers 0.546 million adults 18-49 (0.42 adults 18-49 rating) 0.722 million adults 25-54 (0.60 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.708 million viewers (+89.39%) +0.261 million adults 18-49 (+0.20 rating; +91.58%) +0.351 million adults 25-54 (+0.29 rating; +94.61%)

Party of Five (Freeform, Wed., 2/5/20 9:00 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.236 million viewers 0.140 million adults 18-49 (0.11 adults 18-49 rating) 0.141 million adults 25-54 (0.12 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 0.422 million viewers 0.220 million adults 18-49 (0.17 adults 18-49 rating) 0.215 million adults 25-54 (0.18 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.186 million viewers (+78.81%) +0.080 million adults 18-49 (+0.06 rating; +57.14%) +0.074 million adults 25-54 (+0.06 rating; +52.48%)

Power [F] (Starz, Sun., 2/9/20 8:05 PM) Live+Same Day: 1.185 million viewers 0.556 million adults 18-49 (0.43 adults 18-49 rating) 0.668 million adults 25-54 (0.55 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 1.541 million viewers 0.763 million adults 18-49 (0.59 adults 18-49 rating) 0.875 million adults 25-54 (0.72 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.356 million viewers (+30.04%) +0.207 million adults 18-49 (+0.16 rating; +37.23%) +0.207 million adults 25-54 (+0.17 rating; +30.99%)

Project Blue Book (HIST, Tue., 2/4/20 10:03 PM) Live+Same Day: 1.126 million viewers 0.234 million adults 18-49 (0.18 adults 18-49 rating) 0.366 million adults 25-54 (0.30 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 2.020 million viewers 0.428 million adults 18-49 (0.33 adults 18-49 rating) 0.636 million adults 25-54 (0.52 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.894 million viewers (+79.40%) +0.194 million adults 18-49 (+0.15 rating; +82.91%) +0.270 million adults 25-54 (+0.22 rating; +73.77%)

Schitts Creek (POP, Tue., 2/4/20 9:00 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.364 million viewers 0.185 million adults 18-49 (0.14 adults 18-49 rating) 0.211 million adults 25-54 (0.17 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 0.858 million viewers 0.492 million adults 18-49 (0.38 adults 18-49 rating) 0.545 million adults 25-54 (0.45 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.494 million viewers (+135.71%) +0.307 million adults 18-49 (+0.24 rating; +165.95%) +0.334 million adults 25-54 (+0.28 rating; +158.29%)

The Sinner [P] (USA, Thu., 2/6/20 9:00 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.882 million viewers 0.244 million adults 18-49 (0.19 adults 18-49 rating) 0.299 million adults 25-54 (0.25 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 1.930 million viewers 0.588 million adults 18-49 (0.45 adults 18-49 rating) 0.717 million adults 25-54 (0.59 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +1.048 million viewers (+118.82%) +0.344 million adults 18-49 (+0.27 rating; +140.98%) +0.418 million adults 25-54 (+0.34 rating; +139.80%)

Tyler Perrys Sistas (BET, Wed., 2/5/20 9:00 PM) Live+Same Day: 0.961 million viewers 0.371 million adults 18-49 (0.29 adults 18-49 rating) 0.420 million adults 25-54 (0.35 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 1.402 million viewers 0.583 million adults 18-49 (0.45 adults 18-49 rating) 0.664 million adults 25-54 (0.55 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +0.441 million viewers (+45.89%) +0.212 million adults 18-49 (+0.16 rating; +57.14%) +0.244 million adults 25-54 (+0.20 rating; +58.10%)

Vikings [F] (HIST, Wed., 2/5/20 10:00 PM) Live+Same Day: 1.035 million viewers 0.233 million adults 18-49 (0.18 adults 18-49 rating) 0.369 million adults 25-54 (0.30 adults 25-54 rating) Live+3 Day: 2.235 million viewers 0.554 million adults 18-49 (0.43 adults 18-49 rating) 0.811 million adults 25-54 (0.67 adults 25-54 rating) Gains: +1.200 million viewers (+115.94%) +0.321 million adults 18-49 (+0.25 rating; +137.77%) +0.442 million adults 25-54 (+0.36 rating; +119.78%)

Anatomy

‘Grey’s Anatomy’-‘Station 19’ crossover: Angry fans slam Shonda Rhimes for ‘shoving it down their throat’ – MEAWW

February 15, 2020 medical

It's been four weeks now that fans have been trying to bear with the ultra dull and boring 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Station 19' crossovers. It all started after the "car in the bar" fiasco.

Following the winter break, when 'Grey's Anatomy' came back with Episode 10 'Help Me Through The Night', the showrunners mashed it up with 'Station 19' Season 3 premiere.

For that one particular episode, it seemed to make sense as the firefighters pulled the car out of the bar and the doctors treated the injured patients. But, why has that crossover continued for all these weeks?

With every new episode, the makers are trying to introduce a 'Station 19' character to the 'Grey's Anatomy' world or vice versa. As if the two couple crossovers, Ben Warren-Miranda Bailey and Jackson Avery-Vic Hughes, were not enough.

Miffed with Shonda Rhimes, fans cannot take it anymore. Social media is abuzz with tweets about how they should totally stop!

"Can y'all stop forcing cross-overs? If I wanted to watch #Station19 I would. Stop inserting extra characters that no one is interested in. This isn't going to make Stations 19 a hit but it sure as heck is going to alienate #GreysAnatomy viewers," one tweet read.

Another said, "I am so sick of these #GreysAnatomy and Station 19 crossovers!!!"

"First, they tried to force Amelia and Owen on us, then Jackson and Maggie, and now they are forcing an entire show on us with all of these Station 19 crossovers," one viewer wrote.

Another said, "Okay I get #GreysAnatomy and #Station19 has the same showrunner now and are in the universe/city but is every single week going to pretty much be a crossover now? Because by the previews it looks like it will. Sometimes its okay but every week now?"

Many fans are angry. Really angry. "I haven't sat through 16 seasons of rollercoasters for station 19 to be shoved down my throat like a toddler with its vegetables #GreysAnatomy," one tweet read.

Another said, "Why are they shoving station 19 down our throats? Im still not gonna watch it!!" One even labelled it as "criminal" and said, "It's criminal how they sent off Karev on #GreysAnatomy and for Pete's sake stop trying to force #Station19 on us. No one likes it."

Slamming Rhimes, one fan wrote, "What's with all the #Station19 #GreysAnatomy crossovers? It's like being in a relationship for 16 yrs then finding out they an illegitimate child & now youre stuck w both of them. Like, I didnt sign up for this sh*t."

Are the show creators listening? Will they stop with the crossovers? No one has a clue. But they really do need to put a lid on melding the plotlines of 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Station 19' together for no reason at all.

Cell Biology

Cell biology storm provides a view of the choreography of life – ABC27

February 15, 2020 medical

Credit: National Institutes of Health

Researchers found the key settings to provide a dynamic view of a cytoskeletal storm

The experimental system was designed to use cells from the African clawed frog. The movie which is represented in the GIF above begins with microtubules (red) radiating outward in an apparent effort to prepare for cell division. The microtubules adjust their lengths with the help of the protein EB-1 (green) at their tips. As the microtubules grow and bump into the walls of a lab-generated, jelly-textured enclosure (dark outline), they buckleand the whole array then whirls around the center.

Cells are constantly on the move and before a cell divides it undergoes a process called mitosis. As part of this process, microtubules, which are structural proteins that help make up the cells cytoskeleton, reorganize the newly copied chromosomes into a dense, football-shaped spindle.

The cytoskeleton is made from protein structures called microtubulesthe wispy threads surrounding the purple DNA-containing nucleusand filaments of a protein called actin. Both actin and microtubules are critical for growth and movement.

Abdullah Bashar Sami, a Ph.D. student, shot the movie as a part of his basic research to explore the still poorly understood physical forces generated by microtubules. The movie won first place in the 2019 Green Fluorescent Protein Image and Video Contest sponsored by the American Society for Cell Biology.

Like many movies, the setting was key to this videos success. The video was shot inside a microfluidic chamber, designed in the Jesse Gatlin Lab at the University of Wyoming, to study the physics of microtubule assembly just before cells divide.

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Cell biology storm provides a view of the choreography of life - ABC27

Cell Biology

Researchers from Houston and Newark awarded $1 million each to tackle major challenges in heart disease treatment and stroke prevention – Associated…

February 15, 2020 medical

( NewMediaWire ) - February 14, 2020 - DALLAS - A Newark, N.J., researcher studying a new way to prevent heart injury and eventual heart failure and a Houston physician-scientist working to better understand and prevent stroke risk transmission from mother to child are the most recent American Heart Association Merit Award recipients. Each researcher will receive $1 million in funding from the Association, the worlds leading voluntary organization focused on heart and brain health and research.

Junichi Sadoshima, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of cell biology and molecular medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and Louise D. McCullough, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of neurology at McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston will receive $200,000 a year for five years.

The American Heart Associations annual Merit Award aims to fuel highly promising, novel research that has the potential to move cardiovascular science forward.

With the Merit Award, we are searching for researchers with fresh ideas and the potential to make a huge impact, which is in line with the American Heart Associations mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives, said American Heart Association President Robert Harrington, M.D., FAHA, an interventional cardiologist and chair of the department of medicine at Stanford University in California. These exceptional scientists are asking the questions that havent been asked and are looking for answers in what we may consider to be nontraditional places. In the end, their work could transform cardiovascular and stroke science.

Sadoshimas research addresses the major public health problem that many people who have a heart attack or stroke die from heart failure or other complications within a few years after their first event. He and his colleagues are studying how inhibiting a previously uncharacterized type of cell death in the heart might prevent weakening of the heart and brain after a heart attack or stroke.

Just like we replace broken or worn-out parts in our cars to make them run better, our cells discard old or broken materials every day through a process called autophagy. While autophagy is a fundamentally important mechanism to maintain the function in the heart, the process can sometimes go awry and actually promote cellular suicide. This cell death triggered by excessive autophagy is termed autosis, Sadoshima said. Our goal with this award is to develop treatment to make the heart stronger when patients have a heart attack or stroke by understanding how autosis is stimulated and how it kills heart and brain cells.

Sadoshima said focusing on this previously uncharacterized form of cell death in the heart may have a significant impact on the future treatment of patients with reduced blood supply to the heart and brain.

McCulloughs research also looks at a big public health issue, stroke, in a new way.

It has been known for some time that health problems that occur during pregnancy, such a mothers high blood pressure, obesity or diabetes, can cause changes leading to obesity and hypertension in the child shes carrying. Initially, it was thought that a lot of this was genetic but there also are epigenetic factors outside factors that can change the genes to increase risk, McCullough said.

Prior research led McCullough and her colleagues to believe the mothers microbiome, the collection of microorganisms that reside in the gastrointestinal tract and are passed during childbirth to the child, might modify genes and increase later stroke risk in offspring. The health of the microbiome tends to change with age, becoming more likely to cause inflammation.

Were studying whether a mothers unhealthy microbiome can be manipulated and improved with diet or supplements, perhaps, to reduce stroke risk in her offspring, she said. If successful, these findings could have huge health ramifications for many generations to come.

Funding research such as the annual merit awards is a cornerstone of the American Heart Associations lifesaving mission. The Association has funded more than $4.6 billion in cardiovascular research since 1949, making it the single largest non-government supporter of heart and brain health research in the U.S.

Additional Resources:

Follow AHA/ASA news on Twitter @HeartNews

###

The American Heart Association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The Association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations and health insurance providers are available at https://www.heart.org/en/about-us/aha-financial-information.

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a leading force for a world of longer, healthier lives. With nearly a century of lifesaving work, the Dallas-based association is dedicated to ensuring equitable health for all. We are a trustworthy source empowering people to improve their heart health, brain health and well-being. We collaborate with numerous organizations and millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, advocate for stronger public health policies, and share lifesaving resources and information. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

For Media Inquiries and AHA/ASA Expert Perspective: 214-706-1173

Cathy Lewis: 214-706-1324; cathy.lewis@heart.org

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and strokeassociation.org

Excerpt from:
Researchers from Houston and Newark awarded $1 million each to tackle major challenges in heart disease treatment and stroke prevention - Associated...

Cell Biology

Williston alum receives recognition for international award | Education – Williston Daily Herald

February 15, 2020 medical

Williston native and University of Colorado Boulder Professor Kristi Anseth has received one of the most prestigious recognitions in the life sciences: a LOreal-UNESCO For Women in Science award.

Anseth, a distinguished professor and Tisone professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, is being recognized for her outstanding contribution in converging engineering and biology to develop innovative biomaterials that help tissue regeneration and drug delivery, according to UNESCO.

She is one of only five women in the world, and the only recipient in North America, to receive the recognition this year.

I am tremendously honored and feel so very fortunate to be part of the broader University of Colorado community, Anseth said. However, I must first acknowledge that this is a shared honor. I have the pleasure of mentoring an amazing group of undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral associates in my laboratory, and these individuals have contributed tremendously to the basis for this recognition. I am so thankful to them for their dedication and CUs commitment to supporting not only the education of these individuals but their transition to future leaders.

Anseth said shes eagerly anticipating the opportunity to celebrate women scientists and engineers and to play a more visible role for the next generation. The mother of a 12-year-old daughter, Anseth said she hopes her daughters generation is inspired to pursue careers in STEM and that girls see no bounds to their possible careers.

She also commended her colleagues in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the BIoFrontiers Institute for their support.

I am fortunate to work in an environment with such brilliant colleagues who work tirelessly to advance our fields and educate students to develop technologies and ideas for supporting the well-being of people, society and the planet, Anseth said.

Anseth, who is also the associate director of the BioFrontiers Institute, has a long and storied career in applying the principles of chemical engineering to the biomaterials field, authoring over 330 papers of extensive, highly impactful research and earning numerous awards and recognitions. She is one of only a handful of individuals worldwide elected to all three national academies: the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences. She also has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Inventors and the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering.

Professor Anseth has proven time and again, through her stellar career of research and achievement, as well as her teaching and mentoring, that she is a world-class scientist and engineer, said Keith Molenar, interim dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science. The LOreal-UNESCO For Women in Science awards recognize the best of the best, and she is absolutely deserving of that honor. Were proud that she calls the CU Boulder College of Engineering and Applied Science home, as she brings immeasurable value to the research and education happening here.

Kristi Anseth has been a leader in cutting-edge biomaterials research for over two decades, said Charles Musgrave, chair of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Her work in the tissue engineering and drug delivery fields has led to the development of key technologies that will have an incredible impact on regenerative medicine and drug delivery. I cant think of anyone more deserving of this award than her. My colleagues and I are proud of her many accomplishments.

Anseth is a graduate of Williston High School and attended UND-Williston before earning her doctoral degree in chemical engineering from CU Boulder in 1994 and joining the faculty shortly thereafter, focusing her research on developing biomaterials for medical applications.

Rob Davis, dean emeritus of the College of Engineering and Applied Science and Tisone endowed chair in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, nominated Anseth for the award. He cited her unparalleled research accomplishments in biotechnology and cell biology and the translation of her technologies into medical products, including in-situ-forming materials for enhanced bone regeneration, hydrogels for chondrocyte delivery and more.

He also emphasized her dedication to her students, recalling his first observation of her after she completed her PhD. She had volunteered to teach an 8a.m. undergraduate course, winning over the sleepy and skeptical students with her enthusiasm and passion for the material.

Support for the nomination also came from other distinguished leaders in academia, including professors Paula T. Hammond and Robert Langer of MIT, Provost David A. Tirrell and Professor Mark E. Davis of the California Institute of Technology, and Professor Nicholas A. Peppas of the University of Texas at Austin.

Anseth and the other awardees will be honored at a ceremony March 12 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. Each award recipient will receive 100,000 (about $109,000). The awards seek to increase the representation and awareness of women in science and their achievements to inspire more women to consider careers in the sciences.

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Williston alum receives recognition for international award | Education - Williston Daily Herald

Cell Biology

Setting the Record Straight: Panic and Pandemics – American Libraries

February 15, 2020 medical

On February 13, Booklist compiled a list of resources for librarians looking for information on the coronavirus and other epidemics and pandemics. The full list is reprinted below.

First reported in Wuhan, China, on December 31, the respiratory illness prompted by coronavirus (dubbed COVID-19) has since spread to 28 countries worldwide, infecting more than 60,000 individuals. Unfortunately, as cases across the globe increase, so too does the dangerous misinformation surrounding them. The below titles, about outbreaks, viruses, and vaccines, attempt to set the record straight.

The Vaccine Race: Science, Politics, and the Human Costs of Defeating Diseaseby Meredith WadmanWe tend to take vaccines and their benefits for granted until a new scare erupts, such as the Zika virus. Biomedical reporter Wadman explores in great detail the often controversial background stories of various major breakthroughs in cell biology that led to the creation of some of the worlds most important vaccines. Wadman reveals the unsung heroes behind the research as well as the medical experiments that readers will now find abhorrent. In all, an important book on a persistently controversial aspect of health care.

Virus: An Illustrated Guide to 101 Incredible Microbesby Marilyn J. RoossinckThe book begins with a history and time line of virology and a discussion of the life cycle of the major classes of virus. Profiles of 101 viruses follow, each with a color illustration. The profiles are grouped by host: human, vertebrates, plants, invertebrates, fungi, bacteria, and archaea. A short paragraph discusses relevant historical facts and the role of the virus in diseases, ecosystems, and so forth. A glossary, resource list, and index provide further information. This is a very useful resource suitable for school, public, and undergraduate libraries.

Zika: From the Brazilian Backlands to Global Threatby Debora Diniz and translated by Diane Grosklaus WhittyBrazilian bioethicist and filmmaker Diniz provides an eyewitness account of the 2015 Zika epidemic in northeastern Brazil. Her narrative is largely constructed from interviews with doctors and lab scientists but, more notably, conversations with mothers whose babies suffered from congenital Zika microcephaly, an abnormally small head associated with brain damage. An important and informative book because Zika has become a growing health concern for women of reproductive age.

More Deadly Than War: The Hidden History of the Spanish Flu and the First World War by Kenneth C. DavisDavis (In the Shadow of Liberty, 2016) argues persuasively that the Spanish flu pandemic had as muchif not moreof an effect on the outcome of WWI than any military strategy. Citing plenty of primary sources, Davis lays out how the pandemic was spread, the largely ineffective efforts to curtail it, and the many ways government officials, swept up in waves of nationalism, ignored the advice of medical professionals, which ultimately made the pandemic worse. Engaging and illuminating.

Centers for Disease Control and PreventionCoronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by Johns Hopkins CSSEKaiser Health NewsLibrary JournalMedlinePlusStat NewsWorld Health Organization

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Setting the Record Straight: Panic and Pandemics - American Libraries

Physiology

The Anatomy Chronicles: Art, science and the body – Etownian

February 15, 2020 medical

Photo by: Maddie Kauffmann

Anatomy, many would argue, is one of the trickiest subjects to learn.

Its hard enough to understand the split-second processes that your body undertakes to keep you alive, and its even harder when you cant visualize any of the crucial organs that carry them out.

Its a challenge of which associate professor of biology Anya Goldina is well aware. In comes the project The Anatomy Chronicles.

Each year, students in Goldinas Biology 201 and 202 Anatomy and Physiology classes are offered the opportunity to earn extra credit by making a creative piece that explains or highlights a part of the body.

This years exhibit includes poems, childrens books and cartoons, among other creations.

So why look at anatomy through a creative lens rather than its typical science-oriented one?

According to the events description, its a critical oversight to not consider how the topic lends itself to artistic endeavors.

Human Anatomy and Physiology is part of our lives. It is what allows us to innovate, achieve incredible feats of athleticism and grace, climb mountains, dive oceans, fly into space and create the works shown in this exhibit, the description said.

Its a sentiment shared by Goldinas students.

Many people try to divide the sciences and the arts, which I think is a mistake, Sophomore Casey Nathan said of the exhibit. The integration of the two subjects helps us deepen our understanding of our own bodies while providing a creative outlet for the information learned in the class.

For Nathans own project, she made a drawing of the brain completely out of word art, curving and stretching the letters of each word to represent their meaning and how they contribute to the shape of the brain.

It helps me conceptualize what the different parts of the brain look like, and Im finding it helps me remember how it all fits together too, because I remember how I tried to make all of the words sit inside the shape of the brain. I went through like 10 pieces of paper, she laughed.

The value of The Anatomy Chronicles doesnt just include the ability to combine science and art.

The exhibit, and its construction, also help students understand the course material on a different level.

It becomes easier for us to understand, not just because of the time we put into researching and creating the projects, but we get to see the systems through the eyes of our peers who break it down into parts that are easier to understand, sophomore Michaela Teague said. It also allows us the opportunity for a grade boost in a way that everyone feels like theyve really earned, she continued.

Sophomore Katlyn Harper agreed.

The most important part of this exhibit has probably honestly been just seeing everyone elses projects and seeing all new insights because of the way they structured their stories or pictures, she said.

New insights seem to be the key, especially when dealing with concepts that can sometimes feel monotonous.

It really helps all of the concepts resonate in a way that feels new and fresh. As an Occupational Therapy major, I took classes in high school in preparation for my classes here at Etown. So when I got into Anatomy this year I kind of felt like a lot of the concepts were things I had already learned, Harper said. But this project allowed me to see a lot of things I thought I knew from a new perspective.

The project isnt just valuable to Anatomy students, however.

Nathan encourages everyone to come check out the exhibit.

You dont need to be a biology, or a chemistry, or an OT major to enjoy the exhibit. Everyone should want to know whats going on in their body. And its fun! It takes an abstract concept and makes it tangible. And isnt that what learnings all about? Nathan said.

The Anatomy Chronicles will be on display in the Winters Alcove of the High Library until the end of this month.

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The Anatomy Chronicles: Art, science and the body - Etownian

Physiology

When is the best time to take blood pressure meds? – Clinton Herald

February 15, 2020 medical

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read on the internet that you should take your blood pressure medicine at night. I just recently started taking medicine for my blood pressure and my instructions were to take it first thing in the morning. So, when is the best time to take it? B.H.

ANSWER: A study published last October showed that, as a group, people who were told to take all their high blood pressure medicines at night had surprisingly fewer bad events (heart attack, heart failure, stroke, procedure to open heart blood vessels or death due to cardiovascular causes) than people who were told to take their medicines in the morning. Subjects in the study could be taking any of the major types of blood pressure medicines that are normally given once daily.

The reason those who took their medicines at night did so much better may be related to normal physiology. During sleep, the blood pressure normally dips down. In some people, there is a diminished dip or even the opposite occurs a rise in blood pressure. Taking blood pressure medicine at nighttime restored or enhanced the normal response. In addition, blood pressure normally rises around 6:00 in the morning, timed with an increase in the blood levels of the hormone cortisol. This is the peak time for heart attacks. Its possible that having protection from high blood pressure at this time from taking it at night could help prevent heart attacks. Thats opposed to those taking it during the day; at 6 a.m., the medicine is wearing off and protection is at its lowest.

The findings in the study are dramatic. There was a 45% relative risk reduction in the number of people who had any of the bad outcomes studied. This translates to about 1 person in 18 over the six years of the study not getting an event, or an absolute risk reduction of just over 5%.

Some of my colleagues have already started telling their patients to change the time they take their blood pressure medicines to nighttime. I would caution against doing so without talking to your doctor. I would also add that taking diuretics at bedtime can cause some people to have to get up during the night.

DEAR DR. ROACH: I had a skin blemish removed by burning at a dermatologist office. One wouldnt seem to heal and a follow-up to the dermatologist with a biopsy found it to be a keratoacanthoma. I am not scheduled for a return visit as there was treatment during the time of the biopsy. What is the prognosis for this type of condition? A.A.

ANSWER: Experts argue whether keratoacanthoma is a benign tumor (which can sometimes go away by itself) or a skin cancer that can rarely spread to other locations. However, since it can be difficult or impossible to tell the difference between keratoacanthoma and squamous cell cancer of the skin, I think surgical removal is the most appropriate treatment. If the tumor was completely removed during biopsy, then your prognosis is excellent. However, 3% to 8% of keratoacanthomas recur after biopsy. You should definitely see your dermatologist immediately if you see signs of regrowth at the site of biopsy.

Otherwise, I would recommend a return visit to the dermatologist in six months for a complete skin exam as well as to let the dermatologist look at the biopsy site.

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When is the best time to take blood pressure meds? - Clinton Herald

Physiology

Valentine’s Day Matters of the Heart, Biopharma-Style – PharmaLive

February 15, 2020 medical

On Valentines Day, BioSpace would be remiss not to mention, er, matters of the heart. There are reportedly 59 life sciences companies or organizations worldwide that focus on the cardiovascular system, ranging from the Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute based in West Henrietta, New York to XyloCor Therapeutics, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. That number is probably low.

But no matter how you look at it, there is a significant amount of work being done on cardiovascular diseases. Heres a look at just some of the recent news.

On January 28, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly and Companys Trijardy XR for lowering blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Trijardy XR is a triple-combination pill that includes Jardiance (empagliflozin), Tradjenta (linagliptin) and metformin hydrochloride extended release. It is prescribed along with diet and exercise for decreasing blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes.

In the U.S., Jardiance and Radjenta are once-daily tablet used to treat adults with type 2 diabetes. Jardiance has also been approved to decrease the risk of cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes with known cardiovascular disease.

On February 3, 2020, researchers with the University of South Florida (USF Health) identified key mechanisms behind the loss of capillaries, which drives numerous diseases, including high blood pressure, diabetes, malignant cancer and a variety of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.

Capillary regression (loss) is an underappreciated, yet profound, feature of many diseases, especially those affecting organs requiring a lot of oxygen to work properly, said George Davis, professor of molecular pharmacology and physiology at the USF Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa, Florida. If we know how blood vessels are altered or begin to break down, we should be able to fix it pharmacologically.

Davis led a research project that identified the three major proinflammatory mediators that drive capillary loss. They published the research in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.

The mediators are interleukin-1 beta (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) and thrombin). They found that individually and even more so when combined, these directly drive capillary regression. They also identified drug combinations that can neutralize antibodies that specifically block IL-1 and TNFalpha, that can interfere with this capillary loss.

On January 27, 2020, AstraZeneca announced that its Brilinta (ticagrelor) hit the primary endpoint in the Phase III THALES trial in stroke. The study showed that 90mg of Brilinta twice a day and taken with aspirin for 30 days, provided a statistically significant and clinically meaningful decrease in the risk of stroke and death compared to aspirin alone. The trial was run in more than 11,000 patients who had a minor acute ischemic stroke or high-risk transient ischemic attack (TIA) in 24 hours before the beginning of treatment.

Results of the Phase III THALES trial showed Brilinta, in combination with aspirin, improved outcomes in patients who had experienced a minor acute ischemic stroke or high-risk transient ischemic attack, said Mene Pangalos, executive vice president, BioPharmaceuticals R&D. We look forward to sharing the detailed result with health authorities.

Earlier that month, however, the company announced that after a recommendation from an independent Data Monitoring Committee, it was abandoning its Phase III STRENGTH trial for Epanova (omega-3 carboxylic acids) for mixed dyslipidemia (MDL). Epanova is a fish oil-derived combination of free fatty acids composed mostly of EPA and DHA. It was approved in the U.S. as an adjunct to diet to decrease triglyceride levels in adults with severe high triglycerides. That indication wasnt changed by the data from the STRENGTH trial.

AstraZenecas exit from the fish oil drug trial largely leaves Amarin Corporations Vascepa (icosapent ethyl) as the only fish-oil drug to not only treat high triglycerides, but to decrease the risk of first and subsequent heart attacks, strokes and heart problems. In its clinical trials, Vascepa decrease those risks by 30%.

Although derived from fish, Vascepa is not fish oil. It is made up of the omega-3 acid (EPA) in ethyl-ester form. It was designated a new chemical entity by the FDA,

The same day AstraZeneca made their announcement, another company in the market space, Acasti Pharma, also reported a failure. Its own fish oil-based candidate, CaPre (omega-3 phospholipid) for severe hypertriglyceridemia, announced topline data from its Phase III TRILOGY 1 trial. Although it reported a 30.5% median reduction in triglyceride levels compared to 27.5% in the placebo group at 12 weeks, as well as a 42.2% decrease in patients on background statins compared to 31.5%, because of an unexpectedly large placebo response, the trial did not reach statistical significance.

And as long as were belaboring the Matters of the Heart theme, in mid-December 2019, Vancouver, British Columbia-based Novoheart signed an exclusive licensing deal with Harvard Universitys Office of Technology Development.

The deal allows Novoheart to merge its MyHeart Platform with Harvards tissue-engineered scale model of the heart ventricle and bioreactor technology. Novoheart invented and commercialized the first and only human heart-in-a-jar model for drug discovery and development.

Harvards valved bioreactor technology was engineered in Kevin Kit Parkers laboratory. He is the Tarr Family Professor of Bioengineering and Applied Physics at Harvard A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

The two institutions expect that the merged technology will result in a next-generation human heart-in-a-jar that will be a superior human heart model for disease modeling, drug discovery and development with unmatched biofidelity as well as significantly enhanced predictive accuracy, capacity and versatility.

In addition to developing various bioengineered human heart constructs, Novoheart wants to develop the technology into transplantable grafts for cell-based regenerative heart therapies. The companys various products include Human Ventricular Cardiomyocytes (hvCM), Cardiac Anisotropic Sheet (hvCAS), Cardiac Tissue Strip (hvCTS), and Cardiac Organoid Chamber (hvCOC). It also offers consultation and screening and phenotyping services using its 2D or 3D tissue assays.

On November 26, Novoheart announced a collaboration with AstraZeneca to develop the worlds first human-specific in vitro, functional model of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Working with AstraZenecas Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism team, they will initially establish a new in vitro model using Novohearts proprietary 3D human ventricular cardiac organoid chamber (hvCOC), also known as the human heart-in-a-jar.

Overall, we dont recommend buying your sweetheart a heart in a jar. Go with the classicschocolates or flowers, instead.

BioSpace source:

https://www.biospace.com/article/valentine-s-day-matters-of-the-heart-biopharma-style

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Valentine's Day Matters of the Heart, Biopharma-Style - PharmaLive