DNA test that identifies Down syndrome in pregnancy can also detect trisomy 18 and trisomy 13

ScienceDaily (Feb. 2, 2012) ? A newly available DNA-based prenatal blood test that can identify a pregnancy with Down syndrome can also identify two additional chromosome abnormalities: trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome) and trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome).The test for all three defects can be offered as early as 10 weeks of pregnancy to women who have been identified as being at high risk for these abnormalities.

These are the results of an international, multicenter study published online February 2 in the journal Genetics in Medicine. The study, the largest and most comprehensive done to date, adds to the documented capability (study published in Genetics in Medicine in October 2011) of the tests by examining results in 62 pregnancies with trisomy 18 and 12 pregnancies with trisomy 13.Together with the Down syndrome pregnancies reported earlier, 286 trisomic pregnancies and 1,702 normal pregnancies are included in the report.

The research was led by Glenn Palomaki, PhD, and Jacob Canick, PhD, of the Division of Medical Screening and Special Testing in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and included scientists at Sequenom Inc. and Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine, San Diego, CA, and an independent academic laboratory at the University of California at Los Angeles.

The test identified 100% (59/59) of the trisomy 18 and 91.7% (11/12) of the trisomy 13 pregnancies.The associated false positive rates were 0.28 and 0.97%, respectively.Overall, testing failed to provide a clinical interpretation in 17 women (0.9%); three of these women had a trisomy 18 pregnancy.By slightly raising the definition of a positive test for chromosome 18 and 13, the detection rate remained constant, but the false positive rate could be as low as 0.1%.These findings, along with the detailed information learned from testing such a large number of samples, demonstrate that the new test will be highly effective when offered to women considering invasive testing.

"Our previous work demonstrated the ability to identify Down syndrome, the most common trisomy.These new data extend the finding to the next two most common trisomies and will allow for wider use of such testing with the ability to identify all three common trisomies," said Dr. Palomaki."The new DNA test can now also be offered to women identified as being as high risk for trisomy 18 or trisomy 13, as well those at high risk for Down syndrome."

"This highly sensitive and specific DNA test has the potential to impact on couples' decision-making," says Dr. Canick."A woman whose pregnancy was identified as high risk who earlier would have chosen not to have invasive diagnostic testing, might now consider the DNA test as a safe way to obtain further information, before making a final decision."The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in 1995 that about one in every 200 invasive diagnostic procedures will cause a pregnancy miscarriage.

Trisomy 18, also called Edwards syndrome, is a serious disorder with up to 70% of first trimester affected fetuses being spontaneously lost during pregnancies.Among those born alive, half die within a week with only 5% surviving the first year.All have serious medical and developmental problems.About 1,330 infants with trisomy 18 would be born in the US each year in the absence of prenatal diagnosis.Trisomy 13, also called Patau syndrome, is less common but equally serious.About 600 infants with trisomy 13 would be born in the US each year in the absence of prenatal diagnosis.Like Down syndrome, trisomy 18 and trisomy 13 are more common as maternal age increases.For comparison, about 7,730 Down syndrome cases would be born each year in the absence of prenatal diagnosis.Current prenatal screening tests for trisomy 18 and trisomy 13 rely on both biochemical and ultrasound markers.

This industry-sponsored project, awarded to Drs. Palomaki and Canick and Women & Infants Hospital in 2008, enrolled 4,500 women at 27 prenatal diagnostic centers throughout the world.Women & Infants also served as one of the enrollment centers under the direction of maternal-fetal medicine specialist and director of Perinatal Genetics, Barbara O'Brien, MD.

"It is clinically more relevant that all three trisomies can be detected by this test," said Dr. O'Brien."Having access to such a comprehensive, DNA-based test that can be done early in pregnancy will give us more information so that we can better guide which patients should consider diagnostic testing."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Women & Infants Hospital.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Glenn E. Palomaki, Cosmin Deciu, Edward M. Kloza, Geralyn M. Lambert-Messerlian, James E. Haddow, Louis M. Neveux, Mathias Ehrich, Dirk van den Boom, Allan T. Bombard, Wayne W. Grody, Stanley F. Nelson, Jacob A. Canick. DNA sequencing of maternal plasma reliably identifies trisomy 18 and trisomy 13 as well as Down syndrome: an international collaborative study. Genetics in Medicine, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/gim.2011.73

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/FnLxOuasMtk/120202151723.htm

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Get Free Layouts For Your Scrapbook | Apparent Articles

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Source: http://apparentarticles.com/home-family/scrapbooking/get-free-layouts-for-your-scrapbook

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White HTC Sensation with ICS coming to Europe from Mar. 1

Android 4.0 OTA update for other Sensation phones "soon"

According to a press release from HTC's Dutch wing, the manufacturer is preparing to launch an "ice white" version of its Sensation smartphone from Mar. 1, with the latest version of Android in tow. The Dutch presser indicates that the new Sensation revision will ship with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and that the ICS update will be rolling out over-the-air to other Sensation models "soon".

Besides that, it's an HTC Sensation in a slightly different color -- same specs, and most likely a similar price point. We're not complaining though, as the Sensation was one of our favorite phones of 2011, and it's looking better than ever with its new lick of paint.

What's a little baffling, however, is the timing of the release -- we're expecting to see a bunch of new HTC phones at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, just a few days before this thing's due to launch. In any case, we're sure Sensation owners will welcome the news that their long-awaited ICS update is just around the corner.

Source: WhizPR (Dutch); via: Eurodroid

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/98FPbbsF9-A/story01.htm

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Anne Goddard: Mother Nature's Havoc Accentuates Poverty in Developing Nations

For world's poorest children, everyday life could qualify as natural disaster.

The New Year is as much about looking backward as ahead. After all, the past holds perhaps the most abiding lessons. And so as I reflected recently on 2011, chief among the challenges I contemplated were the pulverizing body blows of natural disasters throughout the year, a series of devastating events that summoned our fortitude, strained our resolve and tested our capacity to empathize with victims thousands of miles away.

While we confronted our own share of hurricanes and tornadoes here in the United States (12 weather-related disasters that resulted in a record $1 billion in losses), the wrath that Mother Nature inflicted around the world -- from the colossal earthquake in Japan to the unprecedented flooding in Australia -- seemed especially cruel and destructive, particularly in countries that are least prepared to deal with such catastrophes: the massive drought in East Africa, the incessant floods in Thailand, the year-end typhoon in the Philippines.

Last summer, I had the unenviable opportunity to witness firsthand the ravages wrought by the drought in Africa's horn. The parched land in Kenya -- as in Somalia, Ethiopia and elsewhere in the region -- was powdery dry. Unable to sustain crops and livestock, the arid land consigned millions of people to a hopeless odyssey, which for many ended in sweeping tragedy. Among the victims: 30,000 children.

A continent away, the weather delivered a different kind of brutality with ironic though equally ruinous force. Unceasing rains inundated much of Thailand, sending its major rivers in the north over their banks, deluging its densely populated capital in the south and inflicting as much as $45 billion in damages. Historically, Thailand's agricultural conditions make it difficult for families to earn enough money to meet their children's basic needs. The floods compounded those challenges, putting much of the country under as much as 10 feet of water and swamping farmland as to make it unfit for cultivation.

The year ended with a massive typhoon in the Philippines. Tropical Storm Washi overwhelmed the eastern part of the archipelago, killing close to 1,200 people and rendering more than a half a million homeless. Poor water, sanitation and hygiene have posed growing health concerns, particularly to children who are most vulnerable to the outbreak of disease.

In the Philippines, classrooms are turned into child-centered spaces to provide psychosocial support and food to children after Typhoon Washi.

ChildFund has been working within all three of these countries for decades, giving children the best opportunity to continue their education and helping families develop skills so that they may reach self-sufficiency. Based on our experience, we know that when drought, floods and typhoons descend, it is the children who are the most affected. Not only must they confront the obvious threats to their survival, but beyond the immediate danger, they also must deal with cataclysmic events they cannot comprehend, especially when the cadence of their routines has been disrupted and the comfort of their familiar surroundings removed.

In the wake of disasters, our focus is twofold. First, for the children who have been forced from their homes, we create child-centered spaces, places where children can be fed and protected and where they can engage in activities befitting children. These spaces give them the sense that they are safe and enable parents to concentrate on other pressing demands.

Our second emphasis is on the schools. Amid the African drought, we sought to keep the schools open, even during the summer. Schools provided a stable environment and were often the only place where children received a meal. In the Philippines, although the typhoon hit during their winter break, we worked to reopen the schools on time -- and much to the children's delight. If we did not already appreciate the value these children place on their education, we need only look at the photos of young Filipino students braving harrowing bridges and washed-out roads, determined to make it to their classrooms.

The past year's natural disasters also served to accentuate the complex adversity of poverty throughout the year. The fact is, the lives led by many children throughout the developing world regularly meet the working definition of "disaster:" inadequate access to food and water, a disruption in educational opportunities, a lack of suitable medical care. What the natural disasters of 2011 serve to remind us is that it is not simply during times of disaster when children bear burdens beyond their years. Poverty denies them every day the "luxuries" that come with childhood -- the opportunity to learn, time to play, freedom from worry, days of innocence.

As we continue to address the needs of the thousands of children affected by catastrophic
weather conditions, a mission that is critical and far-reaching, we cannot avert our focus from our core responsibility -- serving the millions of children and their families whose daily lives are the equivalent of a natural disaster... no matter what the weather.

?

Follow Anne Goddard on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ChildFund

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anne-goddard/child-poverty_b_1244333.html

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Manufacturing picks up, but private job gains slow (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Manufacturing growth accelerated in January to its highest level in seven months, though a measure of employment faded and private-sector employers added fewer jobs than expected, data showed on Wednesday.

U.S. economic growth is widely expected to slow in early 2012 from the 2.8 percent pace in the final quarter of 2011, an outlook backed up by Wednesday's data.

"We're not firing on all cylinders yet, but we are still moving down the road," said Scott Brown, chief economist at Raymond James in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said its index of national factory activity rose to 54.1, from a revised 53.1 the month before, and was at the highest level since June 2011.

A gauge of new orders also gained to 57.6 from 54.8, while the employment index slipped to 54.3 from 54.8. An ISM reading above 50 indicates expansion in the sector.

"The manufacturing sector is doing OK, particularly given that the overall economy is growing at only 2 percent or so," said Cary Leahey, managing director at Decision Economics.

"The overall economy lacks oomph and is having trouble creating jobs. Manufacturing is one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing story."

But job growth among private employers slowed as companies added 170,000 jobs last month, the ADP National Employment Report showed. It was shy of economists' expectations for a gain of 185,000 jobs.

It was the smallest gain in three months, though it was still in line with economists' forecasts for private job gains in the more comprehensive U.S. government labor market report on Friday.

Analysts will be watching Friday's data for insight into what it will mean for policy after the Federal Reserve last week left the door open to additional economic stimulus.

Prospects for a third round of quantitative easing, known as QE3, from the Fed remain good as long as unemployment stays above 8 percent, Michael Woolfolk, a senior currency strategist at BNY Mellon, wrote in a note.

The unemployment rate is expected to hold steady at 8.5 percent.

Uncertainty over the outlook for the U.S. economic recovery also prompted the central bank to signal it will keep interest rates at ultra-low levels for nearly three years.

But top central bank official Charles Plosser on Wednesday criticized the Fed for that move, saying it undermined confidence and caused confusion.

"Such statements are, in my mind, particularly problematic from a communications perspective," Plosser, president of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve, said. "Monetary policy should be contingent on the economic environment and not on the calendar."

Uncomfortably high unemployment remains one of the challenges for the economy that is still recovering from the financial crisis and collapse of the housing market.

As part of a wider set of proposals to energize the anemic housing sector, President Barack Obama on Wednesday called on Congress to approve a $5 billion to $10 billion effort to help homeowners refinance their mortgages.

Housing continues to be held back by an excess amount of available homes, weak prices and tight lending standards. In the latest example of poor housing demand, applications for mortages slipped last week.

Separate data from the Commerce Department showed construction spending jumped in December to its highest level in more than 1-1/2 years, breezing past expectations.

Economists said the construction activity likely added to fourth-quarter growth, and JP Morgan and Barclays lifted their estimate on gross domestic product for the quarter to 2.9 percent from 2.8 percent.

Around the world, factory activity also rose in China and Germany in January. Euro zone activity contracted for the sixth month, though the rate improved from December.

Wall Street indexes rose more than 1 percent in afternoon trading, helped by the global data and as Greece neared a long-delayed deal on its debt.

ADP revised down December's private payrolls to an increase of 292,000 from the previously reported 325,000. The report is jointly developed with Macroeconomic Advisers LLC.

"What we're seeing here is slow and steady gains. It's not disastrous, but it's not spectacular," said Joel Prakken, chairman of Macroeconomic Advisers.

Economists often refer to the ADP report to fine-tune their expectations for the payrolls numbers, though it is not always accurate in predicting the outcome.

The ADP figures have tended recently to overshoot the government report. The ADP report has come in stronger than the private payrolls component of the nonfarm jobs report for three straight months, averaging a 62,000 overshoot in the fourth quarter of last year, according to Jonathan Basile, director of U.S. economics at Credit Suisse.

Friday's report is expected to show the economy created 150,000 jobs, and a gain in private payrolls of 170,000, according to Reuters data.

Small and medium-sized companies added the most jobs in January, ADP said, with an increase of 95,000 and 72,000 jobs, respectively.

Separate data showed borrowing by small businesses rose in December to the highest level in more than four years, suggesting underlying strength for an important part of the economy.

In a positive sign for consumer demand, Chrysler Group's January auto sales surged, although sales at General Motors, the largest U.S. automaker, lost some ground.

(Reporting By Leah Schnurr; additional reporting by Richard Leong; Editing by Padraic Cassidy)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120201/bs_nm/us_usa_economy

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German city's parking fines are just the ticket (Reuters)

BERLIN (Reuters) ? German authorities are giving parking violators in one city an unexpected break by issuing tickets without fines.

The tickets, put on carelessly parked cars in Potsdam, include a fine of 0 euros and the cheerful message "Glueck gehabt!!!" (Lucky you!!!). The new approach is designed to admonish motorists without hitting them in the wallet.

"The tickets serve as a warning to parking offenders," said Regina Thielemann, a city of Potsdam spokeswoman. "They're issued when the driver isn't around. So they're given written notice when they'd ordinarily only get a verbal warning."

Potsdam, the state capital of Brandenburg just outside Berlin, earned around 1.2 million euros from parking fines in 2011, she said. Around 120,000 parking fines were issued last year.

In Germany -- a country known for its fondness for obeying rules and punishing offenders -- Potsdam's fine-free tickets have caught the attention of the national media.

One recipient, Kathrin Bach, said her initial reaction to finding a note on her windscreen was one of annoyance -- until she read the message.

"I thought 'Oh no - got another ticket'," she told Germany's Bild newspaper. "I've paid loads of parking fines before because there are so few parking spaces in the area," she added.

Bach's offence -- parking less than five meters away from a road junction -- should have cost her 10 euros, according to the city's parking rules.

(Reporting by Alice Baghdjian, editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/oddlyenough/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120131/od_nm/us_germany_tickets

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Liam Neeson solidifies action star status with "Grey" success (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? Liam Neeson may be the world's most improbable action star.

The towering 59-year-old star of "The Grey," known earlier in his career for roles in critically-lauded films such as "Schindler's List" and "Kinsey," has turned into one of the most reliable action stars. And he did it at an age when contemporaries such as Denzel Washington and Bruce Willis have become less of a sure thing in action movies.

The former forklift operator from Northern Ireland also delivers at least as well -- or better -- than younger stars such as Matt Damon, Vin Diesel and Nicolas Cage in those movies. His mid-life transformation, which began with 2008's "Taken," has continued after the 2009 death of his wife Natasha Richardson in a skiing accident.

In "The Grey," Neeson plays a man working on an oil field in Alaska who must survive the elements and a pack of wolves after a plane crash. The movie opened last weekend to $20 million at the domestic box office, exceeding expectations.

Last year, "Unknown" grossed $61.1 million domestically on a budget of $30 million.

"Taken" -- the movie that turned the Academy Award-nominated actor into an action star -- grossed $145 million domestically on a $25 million budget in 2008.

Of his recent action movies, "The A-Team" was a disappointment, grossing $77.2 million domestically on a $110 million budget in 2010. But it was a ensemble adaptation of a TV show that did not rest on Neeson's shoulders or play to his strength as middle-aged man with something to prove.

Now look at action films starring Washington, a close contemporary to Neeson at 57, and once a go-to action star. Universal is opening his next movie, "Safe House," on February 10.

His 2010 "Unstoppable" grossed $81.6 million domestically on a budget of $100 million. "The Book of Eli," in 2010, took $94.8 million on an $80 million budget. "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" in 2009, grossed only $65.5 million domestically on a $100 million budget.

Willis has seen his star power diminish from his heady days heading the "Die Hard" franchise. Now 56, a few years younger than Neeson, he has an uneven record at the box office, with "Red" and "Cop Out" among his recent offerings.

Damon is a generation younger at 41. His "Bourne" movies made him an action star, but he doesn't seem to have a big appetite for such meat-and-potato roles, choosing instead to star in a diverse array of films including "We Bought a Zoo," "True Grit" and "Hereafter."

The 2007 "The Bourne Ultimatum" alone grossed $227 million domestically on a $110 million budget.

But "Contagion," in 2011, grossed $75.6 million domestically on a budget of $60 million, the 2010 "The Green Zone" took $35 million domestically on a $100 million budget and 2011's "The Adjustment Bureau" took $62.5 million domestically on a budget of $50.2 million.

It's the same for Diesel.

While he is golden in Universal's spectacularly successful "Fast and Furious" franchise, the 44-year-old otherwise doesn't seem to be a bankable action star outside that.

He had good numbers with his 2005 "The Pacifier," which grossed $113 million domestically and had a budget of $56 million. But his 2008 "Babylon A.D." grossed only $22.5 million domestically on a $70 million budget. His 2004 "The Chronicles of Riddick" took only $57.6 million on a budget of $110 million and his 2003 "A Man Apart" grossed only $26.2 million domestically on a $36 million budget.

At 59, Neeson was born the same year as David Hasselhoff, Gus Van Sant, Mandy Patinkin, Dan Aykroyd, John Goodman, Harvey Fierstein and one-time action star Mr. T.

And before he was an action star, he was an actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his role as Oskar Schindler in "Schindler's List," and was nominated for a Golden Globe for his roles in "Kinsey" and "Michael Collins."

The action roles keep coming for him: In addition to a small role in "The Dark Knight Rises," this year he stars as Admiral Shane in "Battleship" and as Zeus in "Wrath of the Titans." He will also return as Bryan Mills in a sequel to "Taken," the movie that made him an action star.

(Editing By Zorianna Kit)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120131/film_nm/us_liamneeson

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