Gene mutation may have effect on benefit of aspirin use for colorectal cancer

June 25, 2013 ? In 2 large studies, the association between aspirin use and risk of colorectal cancer was affected by mutation of the gene BRAF, with regular aspirin use associated with a lower risk of BRAF-wild-type colorectal cancer but not with risk of BRAF-mutated cancer, findings that suggest that BRAF-mutant colon tumor cells may be less sensitive to the effect of aspirin, according to a study in the June 26 issue of JAMA.

Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that aspirin use reduces the risk of colorectal cancer, according to background information in the article. Experimental evidence has suggested that BRAF-mutant colonic cells might be less sensitive to the antitumor effects of aspirin than BRAF-wild-type (the typical form of a gene as it occurs in nature) neoplastic cells.

Reiko Nishihara, Ph.D., of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, and colleagues examined the association of aspirin use with the risk of colorectal cancer according to BRAF mutation status. The researchers collected biennial questionnaire data on aspirin use and followed up participants in the Nurses' Health Study (from 1980) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (from 1986) until July 2006 for cancer incidence and until January 2012 for cancer mortality.

Among 127,865 individuals, 1,226 incident rectal and colon cancers were identified with available molecular data. The researchers found that regular aspirin use was associated with a significantly lower risk (27 percent) of BRAF-wild-type cancer. Regular aspirin use was not associated with a lower risk of BRAF-mutated cancer. "The association of aspirin use with colorectal cancer risk differed significantly according to BRAF mutation status."

The authors also observed a lower risk of BRAF-wild-type cancer with increasing aspirin tablets per week; however, there was not a significant trend in risk reduction for BRAF-mutated cancer. "The association of aspirin tablets per week with cancer risk differed significantly by BRAF mutation status. Compared with individuals who reported no aspirin use, a significantly lower risk of BRAF-wild-type cancer was observed among individuals who used 6 to 14 tablets of aspirin per week and among those who used more than 14 tablets of aspirin per week."

In addition, longer duration of aspirin use was associated with significant risk reduction for BRAF-wild-type cancer, whereas duration of aspirin use was not significantly associated with BRAF-mutated cancer risk.

"There was no statistically significant interaction between post-diagnosis aspirin use and BRAF mutation status in colorectal cancer-specific or overall survival analysis. This suggests that the potential protective effect of aspirin may differ by BRAF status in the early phase of tumor evolution before clinical detection but not during later phases of tumor progression," the authors write.

"The identification of specific cancer-subtypes that are prevented by aspirin is important for several reasons. First, it enhances our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of colorectal neoplasia and the mechanisms through which aspirin may exert its antineoplastic effects. Second, development of clinical, genetic, or molecular predictors of specific subtypes of colorectal cancer might lead to the development of more tailored screening or chemo-preventive strategies. Nevertheless, given the modest absolute risk difference, further investigations are necessary to evaluate clinical implications of our findings. Lastly, our data provide additional support for a causal association between aspirin use and risk reduction for a specific subtype of colorectal cancers. Accumulating evidence supports preventive effect of aspirin against colorectal cancer."

Editorial: Differential Effects of Aspirin Before and After Diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer

In an accompanying editorial, Boris Pasche, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, (and JAMA contributing editor), comments on the findings of this study.

"Nishihara el al derived their report from the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, which include a large number of female and male health professionals. This population is predominantly white: 98 percent of the participants in the Nurses' Health Study and 95 percent of participants in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study are of a non-Hispanic white ethnic background. However, black individuals have the highest incidence of colorectal cancer in the United States and represent the ethnic group for whom colorectal cancer prevention may have the greatest benefit. Therefore, it will be important to determine whether the findings reported by Nishihara et al are confirmed in black individuals."

"In summary, these results identify biomarkers of response to aspirin administered either preventively or therapeutically and are likely to help tailor the use of aspirin in the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/W6jQRekd7fU/130625161853.htm

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Yahoo News Calls Kenya "Country of Obama's Birth"

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/06/yahoo-news-calls-kenya-country-of-obamas-birth/

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Paula Deen On ?Today? Show (VIDEO): Anyone Else Sick Of Social Media Lynch Mobs?

Paula Deen On “Today” Show (VIDEO): Anyone Else Sick Of Social Media Lynch Mobs?

Popular southern chef Paula Deen appeared on the “Today” show, looking a little tired and emotional, following the controversy over her uttering the N-word (which obviously everyone can say if they are not white). Deen is being punished in the media for being honest about uttering the racial slur, which resulted in losing her Food ...

Paula Deen On “Today” Show (VIDEO): Anyone Else Sick Of Social Media Lynch Mobs? Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2013/06/paula-deen-on-today-show-video-anyone-else-sick-of-social-media-lynch-mobs/

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BP mounts ad campaign in spill settlement dispute

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? BP was placing a full-page advertisement in three of the nation's largest newspapers on Wednesday as the company mounts an aggressive campaign to challenge what could be billions of dollars in settlement payouts to businesses following its 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The ad, scheduled to run in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, accuses "trial lawyers and some politicians" of encouraging Gulf Coast businesses to submit thousands of claims for inflated or non-existent losses.

"Whatever you think about BP, we can all agree that it's wrong for anyone to take money they don't deserve," the ad says. "And it's unfair to everyone in the Gulf ? commercial fishermen, restaurant and hotel owners, and all the other hard-working people who've filed legitimate claims for real losses."

In April, U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier upheld a court-appointed claims administrator's interpretation of the multi-billion dollar settlement it reached with a group of plaintiffs' attorneys.

The London-based oil giant appealed the decision. A three-judge panel from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear the case on July 8.

"The Court has rejected BP's argument multiple times," said Jim Roy, one of the lead plaintiffs' attorneys who brokered the class-action settlement with BP. "Simply put, BP has buyers' remorse because it guessed wrong on the cost of a deal, which it ? for nearly two years ? negotiated, co-authored, agreed to and sought Court approval of. The notion that BP is somehow trying to portray itself as a victim is preposterous."

BP's ad claims Barbier's ruling "interprets the settlement in a way no one intended" and results in settlement payouts to businesses that didn't suffer any spill-related losses.

"Even though we're appealing the misinterpretation of the agreement, we want you to know that the litigation over this issue has not in any way changed our commitment to the Gulf," it says.

BP spokesman Geoff Morrell said the newspaper ad is consistent with the company's efforts to keep the public informed of its economic and environmental restoration efforts.

"It explains the actions we are taking to defend the contract we agreed to and to assure the integrity of the claims process," he said in a statement. "But it is also intended to make clear that BP remains as committed today as it was three years ago to doing the right thing. While we are actively litigating the payments by the claims program for inflated and even fictitious losses, we remain fully committed to paying legitimate claims due to the accident."

Barbier appointed Lafayette-based attorney Patrick Juneau to administer the settlement program. BP PLC has accused Juneau of trying to rewrite the terms of the settlement and claims he has made decisions that expose the company to what could be billions of dollars in fictitious claims.

But the judge upheld the claims administrator's interpretation of settlement terms that govern how businesses' pre- and post-spill revenue and expenses ? and the time periods for those dollar amounts ? are used to calculate their awards.

Plaintiffs' attorneys have said the payments to businesses were clearly spelled out in the agreement. They claim BP simply undervalued the settlement and underestimated how many claimants would qualify for payments.

They also asserted in a filing last month that BP had pointed to "four examples out of more than 40,000 filed claims that it hopes will shock this Court," and then relied on its own experts to claim "mistakes" or "overpayments."

The judge's ruling has not deterred BP.

Last week, BP called for an independent investigation of alleged misconduct by an attorney who worked on Juneau's staff. The lawyer, Lionel H. Sutton III, resigned last Friday ? a day after Juneau delivered a report to Barbier that outlined the allegations.

A law firm allegedly paid Sutton a portion of settlement proceeds from claims he referred to the firm before he went to work for Juneau. In a statement, BP said only a "comprehensive and independent investigation" of the allegations involving Sutton will ensure the "integrity" of the claims process.

BP estimated more than a year ago that it would spend roughly $7.8 billion to resolve tens of thousands of claims by businesses and individuals covered by the settlement. The company now says it can't give a reliable estimate for the total value of the deal.

Barbier also heard testimony earlier this year for a first phase of a trial designed to identify the causes of BP's April 2010 well blowout and assign percentages of fault to the companies involved.

Billions more hinge on the outcome of the trial, which includes claims by the federal government and Gulf states. It's unclear whether Barbier will issue any substantive rulings before the trial's second phase, which is scheduled to start in the fall.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-06-25-Gulf%20Oil%20Spill-Settlement/id-b95d53cb32384e10be0404ac309be715

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Snowden who? Ecuadoreans blase amid diplomatic tussle over asylum

By Brian Ellsworth and Alexandra Valencia

QUITO (Reuters) - Even as Ecuador contemplates offering asylum to former U.S. security contractor Edward Snowden, there are few signs on the streets that the small South American nation is at the center of a global dispute between superpowers.

Taking in Snowden would mark the second time in a year that Ecuador has defied the West, following its decision in August to grant asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at its London embassy despite furious objections by Britain.

But the country is hardly on guard for a diplomatic fire storm.

President Rafael Correa heads off for vacation on Friday and Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino is on an Asia tour. Ecuador's top newspapers have given only scant coverage to the saga.

No demonstrators have taken to the streets, for or against the cause, and many seem unaware of who Snowden is.

"I haven't heard of him and haven't followed the case," said one man reading a newspaper in central Quito's colonial plaza who declined to be identified. Minutes earlier, Correa had waved from a balcony on the presidential palace during a ceremony unrelated to Snowden.

The former U.S. National Security Agency contractor is in Moscow's international airport after leaving Hong Kong on Sunday, but Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he had no intention of handing him over to the United States.

Snowden is wanted by U.S. authorities for revealing classified information about a spying program.

His secretive movements in China and Russia have triggered angry diplomatic tussling with Washington over whether they are trying to help him avoid capture.

A U.S. State Department official said Washington had told countries in the Western Hemisphere that Snowden should not be allowed to proceed in any further international travel "other than is necessary to return him to the United States."

BUSINESS AS USUAL

Correa, a high-profile member of the anti-U.S. leftist ALBA bloc of nations created by Venezuela's late socialist leader Hugo Chavez, has in the past described similar U.S. statements as hallmark traits of the "imperialism" he wants to eliminate.

Ecuador could take weeks, or even months, to make a decision about Snowden - as it did with Assange, who was granted asylum after arriving in June at Ecuador's embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden for questioning over sexual crimes.

In contrast to the frenetic diplomatic activity presumably going on behind the scenes, an Ecuadorean presidential press official said Correa's only scheduled appearances this week are two events on Friday morning related to social programs.

The front page of the country's main newspaper, El Comercio, focused on developments in the local mining industry, while its editorial demanded greater security for ranchers.

Patino, the foreign minister, has shown no signs of cutting short a tour of the Far East meant to strengthen commercial ties with countries including Vietnam and Malaysia.

He told reporters in Hanoi on Tuesday that the country will take its time making a decision, as it did with Assange, and was prepared for the consequences.

He bristled at the idea that Ecuador would receive anything in return for asylum - such as documents on Snowden's laptops - that could be used to put pressure on Washington.

"We act upon ethics and morals. We would never even think about that, that we offer protection in exchange for that," he said.

Ecuador provided Snowden with a refugee document of passage, WikiLeaks said, after the United States revoked his passport.

"This case is not likely to be resolved quickly. This is more like a soap opera with many episodes," said Marcelo Fernandez, a career Ecuadorean diplomat and former foreign minister.

(Additional reporting by Martin Perry in Hanoi; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Cynthai Osterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/snowden-ecuadoreans-blase-amid-diplomatic-tussle-over-asylum-175044986.html

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The H-spot: Your Sex Questions Answered | Hyphen magazine ...

Welcome to Hyphen?s The H-spot column, where Hyphen drops mad knowledge on readers? questions about the nasty and other prurient delights. Our experts consist of sex goddess Nadia Cho, intrepid medical doctors Monica Hahn and Dharushana Muthulingam, and diva extraordinaire Barbie. Each week, we?ll feature questions that cover health, LGBTQ, and various other burning topics that our prudish parents would disown us from asking.

Feel free to send over more sex questions to Abigail Licad, our fledgling editor-assassin of all things repressed and taboo, at abigail.licad[at]hyphenmagazine.com.

Ready to straighten out the kinks in our thoughts on sex and sexuality?? Let?s do it!

???????????????????????????????????????????? ? ? ?? ????? ***

I know a few people who are in an open relationship. For example, while my aunt's girlfriend does not want my aunt to sleep with other women, she doesn't mind my aunt sleeping?with men. I also have a few straight friends who sleep with several partners. My question is, how do open sexual relationships work? How can couples be ok with dating other people?

--Legs Wide Shut

Dear Wide Shut,

The central idea behind making open relationships work is that a partner?s sexual or emotional intimacy with another person? doesn?t always mean that your partner cares any less about you. Oftentimes, it?s possible to be attracted to more than one person. The fact that your partner is attracted to another person doesn?t make you any less attractive or lovable.

Monogamy makes love seem like a finite resource and we?re conditioned by media representations of love to feel jealous when a partner is remotely attracted to someone else. But just as you?re capable of loving many friends and family members, it?s possible to love multiple people in the romantic sense as well.??

That being said, non-monogamous partners acknowledge that they have desires to date or have sex with other people, and understand that their partners? extra desires don?t reflect any personal inadequacies. Commitment does not always equal sexual exclusivity. Honest communication is crucial, especially with regard to boundaries that draw what each partner is not comfortable with. Monogamy works for some people, but it doesn?t for many others. Both people have to believe it?s possible to love more than one person and if you believe it really is, it will be.

--Nadia

??????????????? Sex goddess Nadia Cho

Nadia Cho is an undergrad at UC Berkeley majoring in psychology, with strong interests in sociology, Asian American Studies and gender and women?s studies. She was a Sex on Tuesday columnist at UC Berkeley?s student paper The Daily Californian. She continues teach sex positive thinking and living at her blog nadiacho.com. Her hobbies include drinking coffee, playing with cats and being sassy. She secretly loves Tumblr and kale.?

??????????????????????????????????????????????? ? ? ? ? ? ***

Can sex be a form of exercise? I heard you can burn calories through sex. If so, how do I do that and what's the average amount of calories I can burn?

--Let's Get Physical

Dear Let's Get Physical

Great to hear you are working on both your cardiovascular and sexual well being!

The number of calories burned during physical activity varies from person to person, depending on factors such as body weight, duration of activity and strenuousness.

In the past, these numbers have been overestimated. Recently, a New England Journal of Medicine review estimates that an ?average? 150-lb man in his thirties burns only 3.5 calories per minute, and that an ?average? sexual encounter lasts only 6 minutes. Therefore, the ?average? sexual encounter burns only 20 calories. Another study in the American Journal of Cardiology compared heart rates during sex versus treadmill workouts. They found that people do not reach the same heart rate level via sex that they would have achieved through treadmill exercise (men reach only 72% and women 64%).

So although sex fans the fire of your loins, it only modestly lights the fires of your metabolism?(For variations in sexual positions, the Sex Calories Calculator App provides more precise estimates).

The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise for preventing cardiovascular disease. If this is attempted through sex, you would need to have aerobic, heart-rate raising sex for at least 30 minutes per day for 5 days a week. If this is your usual regimen -- GOOD JOB! However, many find a zumba class more convenient.

Bottomline: "Sexercise" doesn?t burn as many calories as we?d like to hope, so don?t swap out your gym membership for other pleasurable undertakings just yet. We encourage working up a sweat both at the gym and between the sheets -- evidence shows that getting to the gym can improve sexual enjoyment, as better blood circulation means better-functioning sex organs. Good luck! ?

--Monica and Dharushana

Doctors Monica Hahn and Dharushana Muthulingam

Monica Hahn (L) is a resident physician at the UCSF Family and Community Medicine Residency at San Francisco General Hospital. ?She received her MD from UCSF School of Medicine and her MPH from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. ?She has been involved in community-based youth empowerment advocacy, as well as HIV prevention projects.? She is currently interested in adolescent health, HIV prevention and sexual health. She enjoys capoeira, Afro-Latin dance, and Brazilian percussion.

Dharushana Muthulingam (R) is a resident physician in the department of Internal Medicine of the Kaiser Medical Center in Oakland. She studied medicine at UCSF and public health at UC Berkeley. ?She is interested in infectious disease, healthy aging, health justice and working with patients to live the good and flourishing life. In her spare time, she has been attempting to read David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest. After two years, she is happy to report she is almost half way done.?

????????????????????????????????????????????????? ? ? ?? ***

I am a lesbian who lives in Portland and I am having trouble in the dating scene.?I am attracted to femme lesbians, but it seems that everyone I encounter strives to be more masculine. What's so wrong with being feminine and putting on some lipstick once in a while? Do you agree that there?s something inherently sexist in these folks? desire to be more masculine? Or am I being totally transphobic?

--Lipstick Lesbian Lover

Dear Lipstick Lesbian Lover,

Portland has got to be the queerest place on earth, right? It?s one of the lesbian sweet spots -- a place where women of endlessly varied persuasions converge.

Nothing is wrong with preferring ?feminine? women to more ?masculine? types, but keep in mind that conceptualizing sexuality in such a feminine-masculine binary conforms to narrow, oppressive gender norms currently dictated by dominant society. ??

There might not be a lot of lipstick around but have you tried chapstick?

In other words, have you considered diversifying? Go explore the queer rainbow. If you haven?t tried dating more ?masculine? lesbians, perhaps you should give it a try and see what happens. You may be surprised. ?

On the other hand, don?t force yourself to date other types if this really isn't your thing. At the end of the day, the bottom line is that your preferences are your choice and your business, so do what makes you happy. Don?t fret too much about the meanings and implications of what you prefer. Remember, how you choose to experience and enjoy your existence is subject to nothing else except your own power and self-opinion. So long as you take pride in doing your own thing, you are a big TURN ON.

To increase your chances of meeting someone you are into, DO explore non-competitive group activities from community organizing, working-out, hiking to crafting. Come off-line from PDX femme web portals and go out clubbing, karaoke or join a community-supported agriculture (CSA) group. Attend art walks, burlesque shows, cocktails and sleepovers with galpals on the go. Believe me, there are lots of feminine-presenting lipstick lesbians I?ve known who have found their more ?femme? dates this way. Love comes your way, because you live your life your way.

--Barbie

Barbie is your sister and pal in all things love and taboo. NYC-based, she loves long walks on city streets, watching sunsets over the river, farming and looking for the next big thing. She's your wellness connector, media maker, and fellow troublemaker. She loves her food homestyle, hands down. If you're ever in NYC, look her up to chat and chew.

Source: http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/archive/2013/06/h-spot-your-sex-questions-answered-0

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Razer's Surround Software Could Turn Regular Headphones Into 7.1 Cans

We'd all love to be able to blast sound to the high heavens, but sadly, most of us lack the space and/or patient neighbors willing to put up with it. Well today, gaming gear giant Razer is announcing new software that it claims will be able to turn your ordinary headphones into a professional-grade set that emulates 7.1 channel sound. And from now until the end of the year, the software is free, so why not give it a shot?

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/QmRnznA8kLM/razers-surround-software-could-turn-regular-headphones-571816919

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