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Precisely timed dosing is a distinct advantage in the use of drugs that gradually lose their efficacy and thus require bigger doses to work. This is what happens with levodopa, the most common drug for treating Parkinson's disease.
MRS7145 is a light-sensitive derivate of "SCH442416, [which is] a selective antagonist of adenosine A2A receptor."
The compound is chemically inactive until it is irradiated with light of wavelength 405 nanometers, which is in the violet, visible part of the spectrum and not harmful to tissue.
For their study, the researchers ran a series of tests. First, they showed that the drug responded to being triggered by light in cells expressing the adenosine A2A receptor and blocked the receptor.
Then they tested the drug's effect on motor function in live mice. They implanted an optical fiber into the appropriate part of the mice's brains: the striatum.
When they shone light of the correct wavelength down the fiber, the mice showed "significant hyperlocomotion." This treatment also reduced the effect of drug-induced rigidity and tremor.
Finally, they showed that the approach also reversed "motor impairment" in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease.
Co-corresponding author Dr. Francisco Ciruela, of the Institute of Neurosciences at the University of Barcelona in Spain, explains that there are already treatments for Parkinson's disease that use wires implanted into the brain.
He and his colleagues caution that it is still very early days yet, and that there is a lot of work to do before the light-activated drug is ready for clinical use in a similar way.
Nevertheless, he envisages a future in which the patient has a light-generating "patch" connected to the implanted fiber.
Activation of the light, and thereby the timing of drug release, could be controlled remotely by the doctor through a smartphone app.
Such an approach may also help to minimize dose-timing problems that typically occur in treating long-term illnesses, when commitment to treatment schedules can begin to flag.
"A fine time-space precision will enable manipulating the neural circuits in detail and set the functioning of those with therapeutic and neuroprotective purposes."
Metropolitan Police officers will soon be able to use specially designed bags, known as spit hoods, to cover suspects’ heads during arrests and in police stations.
The mesh bags are used to restrain suspects and protect the police from those who might try to bite or spit at them. The Met insists the hoods prevents exposure to diseases and serious infection.
Spit hoods are not to be used on the streets initially, so as not to incense the public, but detail on their use after the pilot scheme expires has not been provided.
The device may breach suspects’ rights, with some police chiefs suggesting the hoods resemble the trappings adopted at Guantanamo Bay. Even the Met was once opposed to them.
“A spit hood is a primitive, cruel and degrading tool that inspires fear and anguish,” said Liberty director Martha Spurrier.
“We have seen many cases where the police use them unnecessarily and without justification, including on children and disabled people.
'Spit hoods belong in horror stories, not on the streets of a civilised society.' Work a week as a cop in an inner city and come back to me.
Deborah Coles from legal charity Inquest echoed the sentiment.
“This is an alarming development with seemingly no debate or consultation and will do nothing to assist police and community relations,” she said.
The Police Federation, however, thinks the measure is necessary to protect its rank-and-file officers.
The risk of the hoods to arrestees, however, has been described as high by police monitoring groups.
“Every new piece of kit is always justified on the grounds of officer safety,” Kevin Blowe from the Network for Police Monitoring (Netpol) told RT.
“Yet again, there is no regard to the long history of violently misusing equipment against people with mental health issues and those who are routinely targeted by the police, particularly young people from minority communities.
Human rights charity Amnesty International said in a statement: “Spit hoods can restrict breathing, create disorientation and can be dangerous and extremely distressing. Serious questions must be asked as to whether these restraints which have been criticized for breaching human rights guidelines should actually have a...
Until recently only smaller forces and the British Transport Police (BTP) used spit hoods.
Recent footage of a young black man being arrested at London Bridge tube station, pinned to the floor and restrained in a spit hood, has landed the BTP in hot water. The recording, which was widely shared on social media, has led to the force being placed under investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commiss...
George Michael's management says the singer has canceled all his remaining 2011 tour dates as he recovers from pneumonia.
LONDON (AP) — George Michael's management says the singer has canceled all his remaining 2011 tour dates as he recovers from pneumonia.
A statement says the 48-year-old former Wham! frontman "is responding to treatment and slowly improving."
The statement issued Friday says Michael "is ill with pneumonia and any other speculation regarding his illness is unfounded and untrue."
Michael was hospitalized in Vienna earlier this week, and canceled shows in Vienna, Strasbourg, France, and Cardiff, Wales.
The Austrian doctors treating Michael say he has "severe community acquired pneumonia" but "his condition has stabilized and he is responding to treatment."
The singer has canceled dates in Liverpool, Sheffield, Newcastle, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and London.
Officers checked his rail pass, then attempted to issue him a citation on delaying or evading police. Smith refused to sign the citation, and a scuffle broke out as police tried to handcuff him.
Smith, who was released from prison this year on an assault conviction, said he walked away because he initially did not hear the officers. He said he stopped across the tracks to await a transfer train. He refused to sign the citation on delaying the police, he said, because he hadn’t done anything wrong. He accused t...
Police said Smith punched two officers in the face. RT videos show Smith twisting and flailing as officers try to subdue him. His girlfriend, Stacey Bledsoe, 48, was arrested as well on a charge of resisting arrest. A bystander also shot a cellphone video and posted it online.
Sacramento Regional Transit security chief Capt. Norm Leong said his officers have been cracking down on fare evaders recently in response to criticism from business owners and paying passengers that too many ticketless riders are going unchecked, making the system feel unsafe.
Agency officials recently hired more than two dozen fare checkers and ordered them, along with transit police, to check as many passengers for tickets as possible.
Leong said the Smith incident had nothing to do with race or socioeconomics. Officers sometimes cite people on Penal Code Section 148, delaying or resisting officers, Leong said. It’s typically done at officers’ discretion.
Leong said officers believed Smith was avoiding them. He said the incident is being reviewed internally. Reviewers look at whether the officers followed procedures and what other options the officers had.
City police leaders announced this week that they are sending some staff members to training on how to handle and de-escalate complex incidents, such as those involving mentally ill suspects. Police have come under criticism for the shootings earlier this year of two men carrying knives who did not respond to police ca...
The city also has hired a professional facilitator to conduct four public discussions on police reforms.
Smith, speaking Thursday in jail, said he suffers from anxiety and depression. He said he was headed to college that afternoon. He reacted physically when police moved to handcuff him, he said, because he thought they were going to break his arm or otherwise harm him physically.
He previously served 2 1/2 years in prison for assaulting a man in San Jose. He recently had been staying with his mother in Rancho Cordova. Cosumnes River College officials confirmed he is enrolled in classes there.
Vallejo-based attorney Claire White, vice president of the National Lawyers Guild, a legal rights organization, said the Smith incident appears to be one of a trend of interactions between police and citizens that escalate unnecessarily.
Golden Smith was Tasered by police during a scuffle at a Sacramento Regional Transit light rail station Wednesday. Sacramento Regional Transit released the video Friday, the same day Smith was arraigned in court on charges related to the incident.
With the U.S. real estate market heating up, more and more people are trying to land a new home loan, and a new home. Is that possible? You bet.
Mortgage shoppers with big household debt may be wondering if they can actually get a home loan, and if so, what are the best strategies to use - and how should they use them?
It's certainly a good time to look, with 30-year fixed mortgage rates hovering out around 3.86% in late August, according to HSH.com. But can "deep debt" home buyers even sniff at such a decent rate?
Mortgage consumers in the same boat have done so, and done so very successfully.
"I have first-hand experience with getting a home while having big debt," says J.R. Duren, a personal finance expert at HighYa.com, a consumer money management site. "My wife and I bought our house on May 31, even though we have a combined student loan debt of more than $130,000, credit card debt at $12,000 and a car l...
In his experience, Duren says a big issue in landing a mortgage when you owe big money to creditors is your debt-to-income ratio. "If your monthly payments, along with your other debt obligations, are less than 40%, you're good to go in pretty much any situation," he says. "Most loans, however, are in the 43-44% range ...
Another factor in Duren's favor was that his combined loan burden loans were being paid back with an income-based repayment plan. "Thus, my lender was able to get me a Freddie Mac loan that calculated my payments based on what's listed on my credit report which, at the time, was $153," he adds.
Duren is hardly alone. Others with big debt have traveled the same and emerged unscathed financially, and with a new home.
"Last year, I bought the house of my dreams despite having a medical school debt of over $120,000," says Dr. Goldie Winge, a board-certified anesthesiologist with a self-proclaimed passion for real estate, who resides in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. "The key to securing a home loan with big debt is to have excellent credit...
Winge says her strategy was to pay off all of her credit cards, which freed up available credit. "I also kept credit inquiries to a minimum and consistently paid all of my bills on time," she explains. "These all helped to boost my credit score."
Lastly, Winge, like Duren, made sure her debt to income ratio was lowered by changing one of her student loan repayment terms to 20 years instead of 10. "This helped to greatly decrease my monthly debt to income ratio, which freed up more money for my mortgage," she notes. "I'm still able to pay more than the minimum a...
It's really not rocket science, financial experts say. If you can convince a lender you're a good credit risk, even if you have big debt, you can get a good home loan.
"A buyer with large debt balances can still purchase a home if they demonstrate the capability to repay," says Christopher Aldridge, a managing director at DRI Fund, in Southfield, Mich.
1) Instead of maxing out the down payment, look for a low-down payment product. "Use any accumulated cash plus gifts to pay off debts that can be eliminated," Aldridge advises. "The impact of eliminating bills with $500.00 in monthly payments increases your mortgage capacity by over $100,000 for a 4.25% 30-year mortgag...
2) Similarly, if you have the potential of restructuring your debt to lower rate or longer-term consolidation loan, you could lower total fixed debt payments. "The monthly payment reductions would produce the same benefits," he notes.
3) Ask your lender for a product with lender paid private mortgage insurance (PMI). "The lender covers this expense by increasing the loan interest rate," Aldridge states. "The savings from eliminating PMI payments can save as much as $100 per month."
High debt consumers have plenty of reasons to believe they can still realize the American Dream of home ownership. "The key is understanding how your debt obligations impact a lenders decision before applying for a loan, and taking action to manage its impact on your approval," Aldridge says.
60 Second Tips: Do You Need Long Term Care Insurance?
Relentlessly derail him, drawing from the “yuge” bubbling vat of ridiculous, incendiary and contradictory refuse he regurgitates. Do it in one funny, compelling campaign, just a tweet a day from millions of the famous, the infamous and the ordinary citizen, using the tycoon’s own words to deflate his enormous ego.
The narcissist is always compelled to respond. He will be distracted, trying witlessly to outmaneuver. But he is out of his league, outclassed despite his large inheritance.
Let’s do it. Make America Smart and Funny again.
A seemingly innocuous video of a 21-month-old baby Singaporean baby, Heather Serna, with a full head of flowing hair online has upset many Singaporeans.
This is because the post, or more specifically its accompanying caption by the New York Post, effectively mistook Singapore to be part of China.
Naturally, Singaporeans did not take kindly to the mistake, and many have voiced their frustrations online.
“Singapore is not part of China.
What about you? How do you feel about the post?
FRANKFORT, KY (WAVE) - A bill that makes it easier for gun owners to carry a concealed weapon will now head to the governor’s desk, where he’ll decide whether to sign it into law.
Senate Bill 150 allows concealed carry without a permit or training. It has now passed both the House and Senate, and heads to Gov. Matt Bevin.
It passed the House on Friday 60 to 37.
One of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Brandon Smith (R-Hazard), said it would allow concealed carry without a license for people 21 and over.
Smith said it wouldn’t change who is allowed to carry weapons, adding those with a criminal record would still be subject to current rules.
He also said the bill won’t change where people can bring guns, either.
Some criticized the bill, saying it would jeopardize public safety because training requirements previously needed to get a permit would be dropped.
Some proponents said any attempt to amend the bill would be an infringement on the second amendment. The NRA testified in support of the bill during a committee hearing.
Both sides disagreed on whether the bill would be helpful to victims of domestic violence, as well as police officers.
Rep. John Blanton, a retired law enforcement officer, disagreed.
The Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police released a statement saying it’s opposed to SB 150. The law enforcement group said it is concerned about deadly, unintended consequences.
Eric Andersen, the only co-writer in Townes Van Zandt's history, and a man who has written songs recorded by everyone from Johnny Cash to Lou Reed to the Grateful Dead to Bob Dylan, returns to Nighttown on Saturday, April 13.
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Eric Andersen hobnobbed with Bob Dylan at the 1966 Newport Folk Festival. He’s written songs that have been recorded by the Grateful Dead, Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Cash, Judy Collins, was Townes Van Zandt’s only co-writer and duetted with Lou Reed.
And at 76, he’s still out there gigging, including one at Nighttown on Saturday, April 13.
During this particular call, the roof was on a hotel across from New York City’s Madison Square Garden, and in typical Andersen fashion, his description danced with poetic imagery.
Despite not being able to retire, despite a career that’s spanned nearly 60 years, he is not bitter. More the opposite. He’s reveled in every moment of it, the highs and the lows. He’s particularly fond of playing in bands.
He’s clearly a social animal, ergo all those collaborations, which likely will be part of his newest project.
“ ‘The Song Poet’ sort of goes over the arc of the life I’ve led,’’ said the singer-songwriter, who has lived the life of a traveling troubadour, having set down in roots in Holland, Italy (his song “Hills of Tuscany” came from that time), Woodstock and other points.
“When I saw it, it was a good, interesting movie,’’ he said. “I was watching it like anybody else would, chomping popcorn and drinking cokes.
The characters in the book will read like a Who’s Who of musical royalty. Aside from Mitchell – he appears on the album marking her 75th birthday – there’s Cash, the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir, Brian Epstein (the Beatles’ manager was set to become Andersen’s manager right before his suicide) and Van Zandt.
That had an impact on his own career, as Andersen’s style, while different than Van Zandt’s, in some ways parallels that of the now legendary Texan.
Those things were the strength of Van Zandt’s music, and the partnership clearly worked both ways.
“I guess I was a little bit of an influence on him, and vice versa,’’ Andersen said.
“Lou Reed was my best friend in the city,’’ said Andersen of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer who died of liver disease in 2013. He’s remained close with Reed’s wife, Laurie Anderson, as well.
He recently flew in from his home in Amsterdam to play an event at the Howl Arts Gallery in New York’s Lower East Village, honoring another friend, poet, painter and activist Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who turned 100 years old on March 24. Oh, and to drop another name, he was playing with Lenny Kaye, who happens to be the ...

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