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Wednesday 30 September 2015

 

  Introduction

The implications of a recent discovery by scientists working at the National Institute of Health and published today in 'Science Translational Medicine' are so profound that I am including it as a separate article from the usual Public Information Content page.

For those of you reading who have a scientific background, I hope you agree that this exciting breakthrough could well be the discovery of the year and one of the most profound of the decade.

 (As to a joint Nobel Prize for the scientists, if it was my decision, they would now be, at the very least, on the shortlist for next year!) 

Patrick Emek

now read on.....................

  

Dormant viral genes may awaken to cause ALS

NIH human and mouse study may open an unexplored path for finding treatments
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Scientists at the National Institutes of Health discovered that reactivation of ancient viral genes embedded in the human genome may cause the destruction of neurons in some forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The results, published in Science Translational Medicine, suggest a link between human endogenous retroviral genes (HERVs) and ALS. The findings also raise the question of whether antiretroviral drugs, similar to those used for suppressing HIV, may help some ALS patients.
For generations, humans have been passing on genetic remnants of HERV infections that may have happened millions of years ago. Although nearly eight percent of the normal human genome is made up of these genes, very little is known about their role in health and disease.
“People call the genes for these viruses junk DNA. Our results suggest they may become activated during ALS,” said Avindra Nath, M.D., clinical director at the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and a senior author of the study. “Ultimately we hope the results will lead to effective treatments for a heartbreaking disorder.”
Currently, there is no effective treatment for the more than 12,000 Americans who live with ALS. This fatal disorder destroys neurons that control movements, including speaking, walking, breathing and swallowing. On rare occasions, HIV-infected, AIDS patients develop ALS-like symptoms. In many of these patients, the symptoms can be reversed by treatment with antiretroviral drugs. Previous studies found reverse transcriptase, a protein encoded by retroviral genes, in the blood of some ALS patients but its role in the disorder is unknown.
These observations prompted Dr. Nath and his team to explore the possible link between retroviruses and ALS. Unexpectedly they found that endogenous, or inherited, retroviruses may be involved with ALS.
Image of a brain scan
Viral genes in ALS - Scientists studied human and mouse brains to show that genes for a seemingly inactive and inherited virus may be linked to ALS. Courtesy of Nath lab, NINDS.
Initially, they showed that brain samples from ALS patients had higher than normal levels of messenger RNA (mRNA) encoded by genes of the human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K). A protein encoded by a critical HERV-K gene, called env, was found in brain samples from ALS patients but not from healthy individuals or patients with Alzheimer’s disease. They also showed that activation of HERV-K genes killed healthy human neurons grown in petri dishes.
To test the role of HERVs in ALS, the scientists genetically modified mice so that their neurons activated the HERV-K env gene. The mice died earlier than normal and had problems with balance and walking that progressively worsened with age. When the scientists inspected the brains, spinal cords and muscles of these mice they found that only motor neurons, the cells that control movements and die in ALS, were damaged. Cells in other parts of the nervous system remained healthy.
“We showed that motor neurons may be susceptible to activation of these genes during ALS,” said Dr. Nath.
Finally the scientists showed that activation of HERV-K genes may be controlled by TDP-43, a gene-regulating protein that has been strongly linked to ALS and known to control HIV production. Genetically enhancing TDP-43 in human neurons increased the cells’ production of HERV-K mRNA and proteins whereas genetically blocking TDP-43 in other cells reduced HERV-K reverse transcriptase activity.
Dr. Nath and his team are now collaborating with the ALS center at Johns Hopkins University to study whether antiretroviral treatments are effective at controlling HERV-K replication in a subset of patients with ALS.
“We may have discovered a precision medicine solution for treating a neurodegenerative disorder,” said Dr. Nath.
This work was supported by intramural research programs at the NINDS, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD).
NINDS is the nation’s leading funder of research on the brain and nervous system. The mission of NINDS is to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease.
The mission of the NIAMS, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health, is to support research into the causes, treatment and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases; the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this research; and the dissemination of information on research progress in these diseases. For more information about the NIAMS, call the information clearinghouse at (301) 495-4484 or (877) 22-NIAMS (free call) or visit the NIAMS website at http://www.niams.nih.gov.
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), sponsors research on development, before and after birth; maternal, child, and family health; reproductive biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
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References

Li et al. "Human endogenous retrovirus-K induces motor neuron disease," Science Translational Medicine, September 30, 2015. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aac8201
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Tuesday 22 September 2015

British Politics:
The World Is Not Enough
(A Very British Coup)
      
As one of the richest men in the United Kingdom and former Deputy Chairman of The Conservative Party, Lord Ashcroft, takes  revenge on his former sponsor and mentor for not providing him with a privileged position which he believes his wealth entitled him to possess (a noted feature of wealth and power in the United Kingdom and, of course, in many other countries throughout the world.)
Rather than treat this as a separate unrelated new article, I resurrected an earlier blog which I think is apt for the occasion.
I would place Ashcroft within the list of 'disgruntled' and 'embittered' individuals hell-bent on revenge - for being, in his own mind, 'spurned' by those institutions he thought he 'bought' or had a 'right' to 'own' by virtue of his wealth and power.
When one steps back and reflects, it  appears that, for those like Ashcroft, wealth has certainly not brought them happiness - neither in their private nor public life.  As for power, the world is simply not enough, neither to satisfy lust nor greed and far from freeing them, all those fabulous riches have provided are 'golden cages' for such loft to sing, like a canary, from within.
They appear to be caught somewhere between limbo and purgatory, destined never to experience heaven nor hell.         In this particular instance, one might include the pen - as the last-resort 'weapon of mass distruction' before 'Dante's Inferno'; with the scribe and author, in this particular instance, being guided, by a 'thrifty'  newspaper (of enigmatic scruples, proffering to be acting in the best, the highest and the finest British spirit of the 'public interest') though the Asphodel Medows, before twilight takes it's full eternal  and all-embracing hold.

Lets assume this is yet another very British Coup, who benefits? Boris?;waiting in the wings;or maybe even George?;away in China as it all hits the fan; or another Dark Horse, somewhere in the background?

To the more distant and remote, in its totality, it all appears to be pearls before swine.

 

...............Sic transit gloria mundi..............

  

©Patrick Emek, September 2015


References

 http://www.scriptonitedaily.com/2015/09/21/those-pig-allegations-about-david-cameron-and-the-fabulously-british-twitter-reactions/

 

https://dantesthedivinecomedy.wordpress.com/divine-study/inferno-study-guide/

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_underworld

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=sang+like+a+canary

 http://www.scriptonitedaily.com/2015/09/21/those-pig-allegations-about-david-cameron-and-the-fabulously-british-twitter-reactions/

C005

 

 now read on




'No Sex Please! - We're Anglo-Saxon!'
You can't help but notice in the Anglo-Saxon media world the number of 'sex claims' against prominent individuals.
I am not talking about under-age sex but claims by adults who were adults at the time that the alleged offences took place and should, by all accounts, have known better.
(The normal response in my time was a severe slap across the face or even worse, kick in the groin, by the offended adult which usually removed any (unwanted!) hand from any female private area – and at the speed of light!)
I am now talking about ditched girlfriends, former wives, embittered semi-geriatric ex-lovers, 'privately maintained women' or acquaintances or ex-employees now accusing prominent individuals of 'molesting' them when they were 18+ years old – or bottom pinching them as adults (when they were above the age of consent) thirty or forty or even fifty years ago.

I have to invoke my own (lapsed) profession now and say that, from a psychiatric and psychological viewpoint, it would appear that the availability of mass media instant personal communications have produced a new type of sociopath which my (latent ) profession has not yet been prepared (or simply is not courageous enough) to acknowledge.

The Embittered Sociopath with Obsessive-Compulsive Neurotic Dysfunctionalities

Without revealing my own background and training, I have, by accident, met and listened in public forums to some of the stories of these individuals and am of the opinion (I cannot say 'professional' because I am not a practicing psychologist nor practicing psychiatrist) drawing on my studies and training, that such individuals have indeed suffered.  Their 'suffering' however clearly appears to be the results of failed relationships, unfulfilled ambitions, and broken or embittered dreams rather than any culpability on the part of the individual being accused of 'molesting' or 'assaulting' them whilst they were clearly in a consensual (and sometimes clearly and evidentially, financially beneficial) relationship 30 or 40 years ago.
It also appears to be the result of resentments - 'Die Hard' and 'Death Wish' - revenge checklists bubbling underground, like dormant volcanoes, for decades.
So if you want to call this psychological trauma, then clearly they have suffered.
Perhaps they have been quietly 'stalking' their former partner for decades, watched him (it's usually him) raise a happy loving family and have waited in time, in the darkness, for their revenge, before expiry.

False Claim Syndromes The Role of The Internet and Social Media
The internet, social media and perceived changes in societal values have now provided the mediums for such grievances to be exploited.
The fascinating thing about Witch Hunts is that every opportunistic character can 'get in on the act' - from charities seeking a new funding frontier, to politicians seeking a new 'fear' with which to swing votes in their favor, to those with more sinister objectives – such as the dismantlement of credibility in the institutions of the State (part of insurgency strategy which political and religious extremists use to undermine society) all jump on board for the ride. The rest of the horrified general public just cower back in terror.   And it can be a very lucrative ride – the charity gets enormous publicity 'taking down' prominent individuals (and, as an intended consequence, it's coffers swell), the politicians are overwhelmingly re-elected with the promise to keep civil society 'safe and secure', extremists are very happy because credibility in institutions of the State have been grievously undermined.
Under Anglo-Saxon jurisprudence. the embittered individuals have had their former lovers or acquaintances or 'sugar daddy' publicly humiliated -and have even been rewarded financially 'for psychological damage'.  So it's a win-win situation for everyone – no proof required just enough individuals to jump on the band waggon to ensure the public can 'see' that, there can't be smoke without fire.   Right?   Right?   Right?
It does not matter that no proof of alleged offences taking place 30 or 40 or 50 years ago has been produced.  When you have Witch hunts no proof is required - only public confessions, and recantations of sorrow (such recantations used to be elicited by the Inquisition Friars with last-minute pleas to the condemned that, at the very least, they should attempt to save their immortal souls from eternal damnation with a public acknowledgement of heresy, witchcraft and wrongdoing.)   Today such are elicited by lawyers acting for the 'victims'.    That this all take place in a public arena before the public 'burning at the stake' – which today is the feeding of the accused as 'dinner' to the 'starving' mass media wolves, bereft as they are of anything worthwhile to gossip about since the departure of Rupert Murdoch.
[Some even (privately) suggest a relationship between the ignominious departure of Mr Murdoch from the United Kingdom, the conviction and jailing of his close associates, and the mass and velocity of the availability of material about sex scandal revelations implicating prominent individuals, to long-enquiring bodies.   Remember folks, you read it here first!]

 Prince Andrew - Britain's (One time) Most Eligible Bachelor
The embittered already, triumphantly, have Prince Andrew's 'head' 'in a bag', so to speak.

(Again allegations - but of a different nature than those being addressed above - and again strenuously denied by the Prince - with the usual 'no evidence required' by his accuser to fulfill today's criteria for 'guilt by association'.)
 I expect the next ones on their 'hit list' to be The Queen or The Duke of Edinburgh.
Already the demented and retarded claim that She is a lizard, has webbed feet and a tail and that both of Them are aliens - and I don't mean the ones coming in via Lampedusa (!)   You think that I'm joking?   Not in the least!    As Will Smith said in the film 'Independence Day' when the alien spacecraft hatch opened:   ''Welcome to [Planet] Earth!''


© Patrick Emek, 2015












'The Queen Is An Alien' – the 'evidence' so far:

He once claimed he's the Son of God and the world is run by alien lizards, but the story of David Icke's marriage breakdown is almost as weird By Natalie Clarke for MailOnline
Updated: 08:11, 9 January 2012 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2083287/David-Ickes-marriage-breakdown-He-claimed-hes-Son-God-world-run-alien-lizards-story-marriage-breakdown-weird.html#ixzz3NlS5Lh9p



and now back to the sane world(!):



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Monday 21 September 2015

The Grand Design
 

Leading By Example
Over the last weekend The Holy Father made a pronouncement that each Parish within Christendom should take in at least one refugee family fleeing into Europe mainly from wars which our politicians have created in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Yemen, the Horn of Africa.
This is in keeping with the Christian spirit of both hospitality and protection of those vulnerable and fleeing persecution.
I should add that over the course of the centuries the The Franciscan, Jesuit and the Marist Orders (with which I am familiar) have all suffered martyrdom throughout the world  (especially in the Americas and in Africa) in the process of protecting refugees.
It therefore came as not entirely a surprise to me that, where all the politicians have failed (and the presence of these particular refugees in Europe, in their hundreds of thousands, are, in my opinion, the results of this failure) The Pontiff should take the lead role in Christendom in giving moral guidance in how we should deal with this matter.
The fact that The Holy Father is welcoming two refugee families into his own home is a lesson in leading by example. (I believe that a former Hungarian Premier has offered similar sanctuary in his own home to a family fleeing to Christendom from persecution.)
Other prominent (and brave) politicians in Europe (from Finland, Denmark and Luxemburg if I am correct) are also leading by example.


Having A Blueprint
The practical issues as I see it, are complicated by the presence of so many extremist Imams in Christendom. We cannot successfully integrate such new arrivals, given the current historical situation, with so many Imams ready to 'program' the new Muslim 'flock' into their extremist ideologies from day one of resettlement.
(Some of these ISIL-supporting Imams – and all of whom are Salafist and Wahhabist-supporting individuals – have been allowed to quietly pack their bags and head on home to Saudi Arabia or Egypt or Jordan, to avoid diplomatic embarrassment.)
The rest of their acolytes remain to receive instructions via the internet or cable TV from the fanatics who preach hatred against Christendom from the safety of Saudi Arabia 24/7 on the airwaves. If only the general public had a translation of the vile hatred which these evil individuals preach 24/7 from Saudi Arabia on the internet and television they would have a different view of the Kingdom as not just feudal and tyrannical but an affront to Christians worldwide.
This is issue number one.

Then there are the practical issues of housing, jobs, education and healthcare.
Because of the world recession (caused by a multiple factors - all of which you will find discussed better and more frankly in my blogs than in or on 'The Daily Mirage' – all designed to 'feed' your ignorance to the point of overweight) there are major cutbacks in central government and local administration spending to offset the effects of falling exports and central government revenues. For this reason properly vetted bona fide Muslim families already domiciled in Christendom should be invited by the authorities to play their part in assisting with resettlement. In view of The Holy Father's pronouncement this would be entirely in keeping with his thoughts and sentiments. Of course where there is no Muslim family living in a Parish, this responsibility would initially be with a well-to-do (financially capable) member of the local Parish. Should no such person exist locally, then each Parish, (as I interpret it) must come up with it's own solution to fulfill the pronouncement.
(I am assuming that The Holy Father has thought long and prayed on this matter - as such is the only temporal power he has today - and it is for this reason that I am saying what I have above.) It would be far less costly if some financial incentive was given to a Muslim or, where none exist, to a Christian family, in each Parish by local administrations to assist with a Government-led and monitored program for resettlement or temporary residence through civic training and instruction.
This would be more cost-effective than for such matters to be unstructured.

Accepting that refugees are not willing migrants, efforts should also be made to encourage and support self-reliance. The government, banks and tax incentives are methods to assist this process.

It has been mentioned in some reports that ISIS/ISIL/The Islamic Caliphate are no doubt using this crisis to infiltrate members into Europe as 'sleeper' cells.
I have avoided commenting on this for two reasons:
The first is because most refugees are undoubtedly genuine and to label them all as potential terrorists does nothing to alleviate their suffering - it only increases it.  The second reason is because this is an ongoing intelligence matter best left to those in the field and whose job it is to manage the issue.

'Welcome' Is Not An Invitation To Restructure Christendom As A Christian Entity
I also believe that Christendom needs to be proactive in the application of practical measures which can be taken to ensure the new arrivals are both welcomed and are aware that they are now living in Christendom and must either abide by its more basic requirements of secularity or seek sanctuary elsewhere.


Déjà vu

So getting the politicians to 'back off' may not be as easy as it sounds, especially if the mainstream media are either ignorant of 'The Great Game' (which in many cases they are - being more concerned with celebrity issues and news trivia - at the desired wish of their coprorate owners) than genuine news research and analysis.

But the most important issue of all is enabling such refugees to return to their beloved homelands and such is impossible with politicians we currently have who are hell-bent on more wars in Syria and, some years down the line, The Caspian Sea region (read my previous blogs about Iran and The Nuclear Deal-Is There More To It Than Meets The Eye) – the new oil , gold, strategic mineral 'El Dorado' of the latter part of this century.

Yes folks, as you sit there oblivious, new wars and strategies for strategic asset 'protection' have been mapped out involving another part of the world. Well they would not be called planned wars but strategies to defend the Caspian Sea assets from, say, a terrorist attack. Such plans can easily be 'flipped' to incorporate different scenarios. Dual function strategies are not unheard of.

If you think that this is inaccurate or far-fetched, do your own research and see what conclusions you arrive at.

Exodus
Therefore, enabling the refugees to return back home may be a more difficult task that it at first appears.
There may be more money to be made leaving these political refugees in (forlorn) exile in Christendom for a long time and letting extremists dictate a more favorable local policy agenda which is 'managed' by Turkey and Saudi Arabia on our behalf in their ancestoral lands, than one or two million hapless 'opponents' to these murderous extremist regimes being allowed to return home - as opposed to living 'overseas' (in Christendom.) At least their fellow-brother Muslims will be spared the 'trauma' of murdering such opponents, men, women and children, in the millions, (by wholesale butchery and slaughter) and can therefore more quickly set up their Caliphates and the like, with little to no 'home-grown' opposition.

And the general public, oblivious to the 'greater plan', continue to blame the hapless refugees for 'the problem' of their presence.

Under such circumstances getting the refugees home may be a longer-term project than most people would imagine or are aware – and one which our own politicians are simply not interested in as they (or a core cabal of them) have other more pressing corporate agendas to implement.


 Déjà vu section amended 13th September, 2015:
paragraph deleted
 Having A Blueprint 

addendum:paragraph on 17th September



©Patrick Emek, September 2015






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Monday 14 September 2015

  Public Information Content

e-Update from the Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral Center, a service of the National Institute on Aging at N I H

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  • Gather supplies—Consider the needs of the person with Alzheimer’s disease when you assemble a disaster kit. Include medications, copies of medical information, and a recent photo.
  • Plan for an evacuation—Know where the nearest emergency shelters are and pack items that may provide comfort to the person with Alzheimer’s.
  • Prepare for wandering—Make sure the person wears an ID bracelet, and label clothes to help aid in identification.
Read Disaster Preparedness: Alzheimer’s Caregiving Tips for more ways to be ready during a crisis. 

Share this information on social media with the following message: 

#Alzheimers #caregivers—get tips on preparing for a natural disaster: http://1.usa.gov/1LVe6dl  #Ready2015 #disasterprep
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National Hispanic Heritage Month - About
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HomeNews Article View


Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrates Cultural Diversity

By Amaani Lyle DoD News, Defense Media Activity
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WASHINGTON, September 15, 2014 — Since 1968, when President Lyndon B. Johnson was in office, America has observed National Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 to celebrate the contributions and culture of citizens of Latin American descent.
Today’s start of National Hispanic Heritage Month also marks the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, while independence days for Mexico and Chile are observed, respectively, Sept. 16 and Sept. 18.
In an interview with The Pentagon Channel, Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Juan G. Ayala, Marine Corps Installations Command facilities service division commander, noted history shows Hispanics have made an impact in all walks of the military, government and industry.
Diversity is an asset
“It’s an important time of the year to highlight the contributions Hispanics have made not only to the military but to the nation as a whole,” he said. “If you look at the last 12 years of war and … the contributions of Hispanics, you’ll see they’ve participated in every operation and they’ve done so with distinction … with honor and they’ll continue to do so.”
Ayala emphasized the importance of diversity within the Marine Corps and beyond not only as a reflection of the country, but as an impetus to increase military efficiency and readiness.
“Only 1 percent of the population of the United States is in the military,” Ayala said. “We’re not different because we’re Hispanics, we are Americans and we reflect what this country is about and what the founding fathers wanted it to be.”
The eldest of nine children, Ayala recounted his own journey to the Marine Corps, noting that his late parents were immigrants who had little grasp of the English language.
“I remember seeing my neighbors go into the Marine Corps and they were completely different people when they came back … I was very impressed,” the general said. “I thought I could really give back by joining … and ever since I was in the fifth grade I knew I wanted to become a United States Marine.”
Important values
Values such as selflessness, hard work, dignity, and respect for all mirror the Marine Corps’ core values, Ayala said.
“After 35 years, I still had that good baggage from my family and that work ethic; it’s just a reflection of who we are,” said Ayala, adding the same principles apply in battle.
“We don’t leave a Marine behind -- it’s all about your unit, your leadership and your Marine,” he said.
Ayala said his role models come from various backgrounds.
“We don’t get here by ourselves -- it’s on the backs and shoulders of a lot of great people,” he said.
The general credited his father, as well as Marine Corps’ commissioned and noncommissioned officers of all backgrounds, who mentored him and guided his career.
Prepare for the future
The general said his best advice to younger generations is to finish education in both high school and college to prepare for future leadership roles in the military and industry, each of which rely on diversity to increase their effectiveness.
“It’s not about getting numbers for numbers’ sake,” Ayala said. “[Diversity] makes us more ready to fight and defend our nation.”
Ayala also said he encourages service members to join celebrations at bases and installations and to reach out to Hispanics to learn about their stories.
(Follow Amaani Lyle on Twitter: @LyleDoDNews)











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For Immediate Release: Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Undiagnosed Diseases Network launches online application portal

UDN Gateway enables patients to apply to national network of clinical sites
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The Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN), a clinical research initiative of the National Institutes of Health, has opened an online patient application portal called the UDN Gateway. Introduction of this application system sets the stage for the network to advance its core mission: to diagnose patients who suffer from conditions that even skilled physicians have been unable to diagnose despite extensive clinical investigation. These diseases are difficult for doctors to diagnose because they are rarely seen, have not previously been described or are unrecognized forms of more common diseases.
“The UDN Gateway will provide patients and their families access to the nation’s leading diagnostic teams and sophisticated diagnostic tools.”
—James M. Anderson, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, NIH’s Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI)
The new system streamlines the application process. All applications for the UDN will go through the Gateway, rather through individual clinical sites in the network. The Gateway replaces what had previously been a paper-and-mail application process for the NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program (UDP), which is now part of the UDN.
“Although undiagnosed conditions present an array of challenges for clinicians, once identified, they may lead to treatments for individual patients. They also may lead to new, generalizable medical insights,” said James M. Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., director of NIH’s Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI), which provides financial support and joint leadership for the network via the NIH Common Fund. “The UDN Gateway will provide patients and their families access to the nation’s leading diagnostic teams and sophisticated diagnostic tools.”
The UDN grew out of both the success of the Undiagnosed Diseases Program at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Since its 2008 launch, the UDP has reviewed more than 3,100 applications from patients around the world. More than 800 patients have been enrolled for a one-week evaluation. While approximately 25 percent of those have received some level of clinical, molecular or biochemical diagnosis, many patients remain undiagnosed.
By adding six additional clinical sites to the original NIH UDP, the UDN will broaden its diagnostic expertise while expanding the opportunity for patients to participate. These additional clinical sites are:
  • Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
  • Duke Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, with Columbia University, New York City
  • Harvard Teaching Hospitals (Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital), Boston
  • Stanford Medical Center, Stanford, California
  • University of California at Los Angeles Medical Center
  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
By the summer of 2017, each new clinical site will accept about 50 patients per year. The network has also brought on board two DNA sequencing facilities. One is at the Baylor College of Medicine, and the other is at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville, Alabama, with Illumina in San Diego.
The broader geographic distribution of sites in the UDN is intended to better serve patients. To support this collaboration on undiagnosed diseases, the UDN Coordinating Center at Harvard Medical School Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI) created the UDN Gateway as a centralized online application site.
“The Gateway is an important part of the infrastructure that we are establishing for the UDN,” said Rachel Ramoni, D.M.D., Ph.D. “Our goal is to match 21st century medicine with 21st century technology by creating a comprehensive and streamlined online application process.” Dr. Ramoni serves as executive director and a principal investigator of the UDN Coordinating Center at DBMI.
Those who are accepted will be seen by researchers and physicians from a wide array of medical specialties and may have their DNA sequenced to detect variations in genes that may underpin their disorders.
“The UDN aims to improve the level of diagnosis and care for patients with undiagnosed diseases,” said Anastasia Wise, Ph.D., program director, NHGRI Division of Genomic Medicine and co-coordinator for the NIH Common Fund's Undiagnosed Diseases Network. “Based upon the experience of the NIH UDP, we know that the need and potential are great. The UDN Gateway will expand our ability to connect with patients who may benefit from the UDN. We want to make it as easy as possible for patients and their families to apply to participate in the network.”
For access to the UDN Gateway, go to apply.undiagnosed.hms.harvard.edu External Web Site Policy.
For more information about the UDN, including related funding announcements, visit http://commonfund.nih.gov/Diseases/index.
These UDN clinical sites are supported by NIH grants 1-U01HG007672-01, 1-U01HG007674-01, 1-U01HG007709-01, 1-U01HG007690-01, 1-U01HG007708-01, and 1-U01HG007703-01.
NHGRI is one of the 27 institutes and centers at the National Institutes of Health. The NHGRI Extramural Research Program supports grants for research and training and career development at sites nationwide. Additional information about NHGRI can be found at www.genome.gov.
The NIH Common Fund encourages collaboration and supports a series of exceptionally high-impact, trans-NIH programs. Common Fund programs are designed to pursue major opportunities and gaps in biomedical research that no single NIH Institute could tackle alone, but that the agency as a whole can address to make the biggest impact possible on the progress of medical research. Additional information about the NIH Common Fund can be found at http://commonfund.nih.gov.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health®
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Get up to speed on the latest in Alzheimer’s and dementia, and learn what you need to know to inform, educate, and empower community members, people with dementia, and family caregivers.

The National Institute on Aging at NIH (NIA), Administration for Community Living (ACL), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are pleased to invite you to join the 4th annual free webinar series on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias for professionals in the public health, aging services, and research networks.

Free continuing education credit is available (CNE, CEU, and CECH)!

TO REGISTER for each webinar, go to nih.webex.com and enter the event number listed below for that webinar.

Webinar 1 - September 2015:
Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Resources You Can Use
Tuesday, September 22, 2:00-3:30 pm ET
To register: go to nih.webex.com, enter event # 623 719 567

Webinar 2 - October 2015:
What’s Happening in Alzheimer’s Research?
Wednesday, October 21, 2:00-3:30 pm ET
To register: go to nih.webex.com, enter event # 623 031 136

Webinar 3 - November 2015:
Caregivers Supporting People with Dementia: New Research and Technology
Tuesday, November 17, 2:00-3:30 pm ET
To register: go to nih.webex.com, enter event # 623 017 900

Read descriptions of sessions and list of speakers.
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How Environment Impacts Patient Safety
Dr. Hudson GarrettToday, on CDC’s Safe Healthcare Blog, Dr. Hudson Garrett, industry liaison and board member for the Association for the Healthcare Environment, discusses critical issues around environmental infection control in our nation’s healthcare settings. Now more than ever, environmental service professionals play an increasingly integral role in maintaining a safe environment for patients, patients’ families, and healthcare workers.
Healthcare professionals have always relied on the ability to have effective reprocessing and clean surfaces in the environment of care; unfortunately, today this a growing challenge as we are faced with organisms that are difficult to kill and impossible to treat. This makes environmental cleaning more and more important for the safety of patients.
Learn more and join the conversation at http://blogs.cdc.gov/safehealthcare/.

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