A woman has been given a new section of windpipe created from her own stem cells in an operation that could revolutionise surgery. Claudia Castillo, 30, who lives in Barcelona, has become the first person to be given a whole organ tailor-made for her in laboratories across Europe. A graft from a donor was used, but because it has been imbued with Ms Castillo's own cells, there is no sign that her body will reject the organ. Related Links Possibly a genuine breakthrough Multimedia GRAPHIC: replacing the bronchus Researchers and surgeons from Britain, Italy and Spain collaborated to grow tissue from Ms Castillo's own bone marrow stem cells, using them to fashion the new bronchus - a branch of the windpipe. They believe that one day the approach will be used to create engineered replacements for other damaged organs, such as the bowel or bladder. In five years they hope to begin clinical trials in which laboratory-made voice boxes are implanted into patients with cancer of the larynx. Martin Birchall, of the University of Bristol, a British member of the team, said: "This is the first time a tissue-engineered whole organ has been transplanted into a patient. I reckon in 20 years' time it will be the commonest operation - it will transform the way we think about surgery."
A woman has been given a new section of windpipe created from her own stem cells in an operation that could revolutionise surgery.
Claudia Castillo, 30, who lives in Barcelona, has become the first person to be given a whole organ tailor-made for her in laboratories across Europe.
A graft from a donor was used, but because it has been imbued with Ms Castillo's own cells, there is no sign that her body will reject the organ. Related Links
Researchers and surgeons from Britain, Italy and Spain collaborated to grow tissue from Ms Castillo's own bone marrow stem cells, using them to fashion the new bronchus - a branch of the windpipe. They believe that one day the approach will be used to create engineered replacements for other damaged organs, such as the bowel or bladder. In five years they hope to begin clinical trials in which laboratory-made voice boxes are implanted into patients with cancer of the larynx.
Martin Birchall, of the University of Bristol, a British member of the team, said: "This is the first time a tissue-engineered whole organ has been transplanted into a patient. I reckon in 20 years' time it will be the commonest operation - it will transform the way we think about surgery."
Russia plans to raise a schooner that sank off the coast of Finland in 1771 with gold, precious porcelain and Dutch paintings for Empress Catherine the Great aboard. The Frau Maria was commissioned by Catherine the Great to transport precious porcelain, gold, silver, bronze and 27 paintings by Dutch masters for her art collection, which became the basis for the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg. But the ship was struck by a storm in October 1771 and sank 41 metres (135 feet) off the coast of what was then Sweden, Tarasov said. Artem Tarasov, head of the Rescue of National Cultural and Historic Valuables fund, said the project would take two years. "We would like to say that within two years all necessary measures will be taken and in 2010 we will be able to finally see what secrets this ship holds." There is hope that the paintings have not been ruined, he said.
The Frau Maria was commissioned by Catherine the Great to transport precious porcelain, gold, silver, bronze and 27 paintings by Dutch masters for her art collection, which became the basis for the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg.
But the ship was struck by a storm in October 1771 and sank 41 metres (135 feet) off the coast of what was then Sweden, Tarasov said.
Artem Tarasov, head of the Rescue of National Cultural and Historic Valuables fund, said the project would take two years.
"We would like to say that within two years all necessary measures will be taken and in 2010 we will be able to finally see what secrets this ship holds."
There is hope that the paintings have not been ruined, he said.
Town officials have reported an "explosion" in the rat population of the north German town best known for its fairy tale about a mystery piper who once got rid of them all. A makeshift rubbish dump on the town's fringes is blamed as being a "takeaway" food centre for the rats, as the invasion threatens to overshadow preparations for the town's 725th anniversary celebrations. Thomas Wahmes, a town spokesman, said the land had become a "real refuge" for the unwanted rodents. According to the famous legend, a colourful - or "pied" - rat catcher lured all the rats out of town in 1284 by playing his pipe. When the townspeople refused to pay him, he did the same with Hamelin's children. On St John's Day while the inhabitants were in church, he played his pipe, attracting the children of Hamelin.
Town officials have reported an "explosion" in the rat population of the north German town best known for its fairy tale about a mystery piper who once got rid of them all.
A makeshift rubbish dump on the town's fringes is blamed as being a "takeaway" food centre for the rats, as the invasion threatens to overshadow preparations for the town's 725th anniversary celebrations.
Thomas Wahmes, a town spokesman, said the land had become a "real refuge" for the unwanted rodents.
According to the famous legend, a colourful - or "pied" - rat catcher lured all the rats out of town in 1284 by playing his pipe.
When the townspeople refused to pay him, he did the same with Hamelin's children. On St John's Day while the inhabitants were in church, he played his pipe, attracting the children of Hamelin.
STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) - Honey bees, whose numbers are falling, must be given flowery "recovery zones" in Europe's farmlands to aid their survival, a leading EU lawmaker said Wednesday. Bees pollinate numerous crops and scientists have expressed alarm over their mysterious and rapid decline. Experts have warned that a drop in the bee population could harm agriculture. "If we continue to neglect the global bee population, then this will have a dramatic effect on our already strained world food supplies," said Neil Parish, who chairs the European Parliament's agriculture committee. Parish, a British conservative, said vast swathes of single crops such as wheat often made it difficult for bees to find enough nectar. But he said farmers could help bees by planting patches of bee-friendly flowers -- including daisies, borage and lavender.
STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) - Honey bees, whose numbers are falling, must be given flowery "recovery zones" in Europe's farmlands to aid their survival, a leading EU lawmaker said Wednesday.
Bees pollinate numerous crops and scientists have expressed alarm over their mysterious and rapid decline. Experts have warned that a drop in the bee population could harm agriculture.
"If we continue to neglect the global bee population, then this will have a dramatic effect on our already strained world food supplies," said Neil Parish, who chairs the European Parliament's agriculture committee.
Parish, a British conservative, said vast swathes of single crops such as wheat often made it difficult for bees to find enough nectar.
But he said farmers could help bees by planting patches of bee-friendly flowers -- including daisies, borage and lavender.
Sigh. We need to spend money to develop bee-friendly pesticides. that's money guy. But conservatives don't do that. keep to the Fen Causeway
The Salvation Army is experimenting with a plastic alternative for people who do not have cash to throw in a holiday red kettle. This season, five bell-ringers in El Paso County, Colo., will be the first to test accepting debit and credit cards along with spare change and bills. Salvation Army officials say the kettle tradition needs to be tweaked as consumers increasingly carry only plastic.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/14/us/14brfs-NOCHANGESWIP_BRF.html
On Christmas Eve 2005, Hietikko got the idea of writing his administrative science doctoral dissertation on the perspectives of power and leadership thrown up by characters and power structures in the Tolkien novels.
