My Dear Sexy Readers,
Today a very short sexy story part of our Did you Know? series. I was writing about stress and how our body copes with it. There was obviously a lot of mention of hormones and neurotransmitters and I thought "Hang on, are we clear on what these are?"
Thursday, 27 November 2014
Wednesday, 19 November 2014
What is COPD?
My Dear Sexy Readers,
Do you know what COPD stands for? I think it's one of those things, if you don't know anyone affected by it, it's highly unlikely you would know about it. However the disease is fairly common unfortunately (estimated 3 million of people in the UK!) and has been attributed its own World Awareness Day - 19th November 2014.
Worldwide, COPD affects 329 million people or nearly 5% of the population.
In 2012, it ranked as the third-leading cause of death, killing over 3 million people.
Do you know what COPD stands for? I think it's one of those things, if you don't know anyone affected by it, it's highly unlikely you would know about it. However the disease is fairly common unfortunately (estimated 3 million of people in the UK!) and has been attributed its own World Awareness Day - 19th November 2014.
Worldwide, COPD affects 329 million people or nearly 5% of the population.
In 2012, it ranked as the third-leading cause of death, killing over 3 million people.
Friday, 14 November 2014
World Diabetes Day - 14th November
My Dear Sexy Readers,
Did you Know that the World Diabetes Day is observed on the 14th of November?
Now this month is rich of disease awareness campaigns, so why should you bother reading about Diabetes?
Well first of all, as I wrote previously, it's very important to understand what is diabetes and what is the difference between the different types of diabetes:
Did you Know that the World Diabetes Day is observed on the 14th of November?
Now this month is rich of disease awareness campaigns, so why should you bother reading about Diabetes?
Well first of all, as I wrote previously, it's very important to understand what is diabetes and what is the difference between the different types of diabetes:
Monday, 10 November 2014
Talk Nerdy to me
My Dear Sexy Readers,
Today, I would like to share with you this TED video:
Melissa Marshall brings a message to all scientists (from non-scientists): We're fascinated by what you're doing. So tell us about it — in a way we can understand. In just 4 minutes, she shares powerful tips on presenting complex scientific ideas to a general audience.
My Dear Sexy Readers,Today, I would like to share with you this TED video:
Melissa Marshall brings a message to all scientists (from non-scientists): We're fascinated by what you're doing. So tell us about it — in a way we can understand. In just 4 minutes, she shares powerful tips on presenting complex scientific ideas to a general audience.
"Make sure that we can see that your Science is Sexy"
Saturday, 8 November 2014
The Scientist...
My Dear Sexy Readers,
Today's post is not about Science facts but Science itself!
As a medical copywriter, I get to work on diverse creative pieces of communications as well as for our company's blog SoreThumbThinking! For that platform, I get to explore my inner thoughts on creativity and advertising. Recently, I wrote a piece on Science as a mean for influential creativity.
I thought, well I'm sure my Sexy Readers would be interested to read something different :)
So here it is:
Today's post is not about Science facts but Science itself!
As a medical copywriter, I get to work on diverse creative pieces of communications as well as for our company's blog SoreThumbThinking! For that platform, I get to explore my inner thoughts on creativity and advertising. Recently, I wrote a piece on Science as a mean for influential creativity.
I thought, well I'm sure my Sexy Readers would be interested to read something different :)
So here it is:
Wednesday, 5 November 2014
What is Stress?
My Dear Sexy Readers,
First of all, I would like to thank Mica from Science Koekje for her blog lovin' and mentioning Science So Sexy in her latest blog article. If you don't know her yet, she's a beauty blogger from Germany based in Belgium (and I shall add "for Love"). You, my Sexy readers, might be interested in her review on her first Belgian BirchBox.
First of all, I would like to thank Mica from Science Koekje for her blog lovin' and mentioning Science So Sexy in her latest blog article. If you don't know her yet, she's a beauty blogger from Germany based in Belgium (and I shall add "for Love"). You, my Sexy readers, might be interested in her review on her first Belgian BirchBox.
Monday, 3 November 2014
What is Psoriasis?
My Dear Sexy Readers,
I don't know about you my Sexy guys but I feel like once Halloween is done and dusted we are overwhelmed with special events in November!
But for now, let's talk about this week's awareness campaign!
This week (1-8 November) is not about cancer, it's about raising awareness for a condition that affects millions of us around the world: PSORIASIS.
I don't know about you my Sexy guys but I feel like once Halloween is done and dusted we are overwhelmed with special events in November!
But for now, let's talk about this week's awareness campaign!
This week (1-8 November) is not about cancer, it's about raising awareness for a condition that affects millions of us around the world: PSORIASIS.
Friday, 31 October 2014
Trick or Treat - A UNICEF Halloween initiative
My Dear Sexy Readers,
I'm sure I don't need to remind you that today is Halloween!!!
If you are in the US, this is a great alternative to the unhealthy trick or treat tradition:
Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF began in 1950 as a way to help kids who need more than candy. Since then, children all over America have gone door-to-door on Halloween with UNICEF collection boxes, calling out, "Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF!" They have raised more than $170 million for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF since 1950.
Now, this is not the usual science topic I treat you to ;) But as you can see on the image above, one the thing you can help raise money for is Vaccination kits for children.
This gives me a fantastic opportunity to let you know or remind you if you've seen it before that Seran's infographic on children immunisation programme is up.
This is another thing you can do this Halloween, you can share it, you can tweet it, you can +'s it - Help dismiss some of the claims anti-vaxxers make to rally hesitant parents.
It's becoming a cruel fact that we cannot rely on our herd immunity anymore so our children need our help to build it back up so all of them, vaccinated or not (for medical reasons or others) are protected!
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
I'm sure I don't need to remind you that today is Halloween!!!
If you are in the US, this is a great alternative to the unhealthy trick or treat tradition:
Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF began in 1950 as a way to help kids who need more than candy. Since then, children all over America have gone door-to-door on Halloween with UNICEF collection boxes, calling out, "Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF!" They have raised more than $170 million for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF since 1950.
 |
| Trick or Treat for UNICEF |
This gives me a fantastic opportunity to let you know or remind you if you've seen it before that Seran's infographic on children immunisation programme is up.
This is another thing you can do this Halloween, you can share it, you can tweet it, you can +'s it - Help dismiss some of the claims anti-vaxxers make to rally hesitant parents.
It's becoming a cruel fact that we cannot rely on our herd immunity anymore so our children need our help to build it back up so all of them, vaccinated or not (for medical reasons or others) are protected!
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
Monday, 27 October 2014
Why should I vaccinate my baby?
Hi sexy science readers! :)
Did you know that smallpox was the first, and the only
infectious disease of humans that has been completely eradicated through our medical
advancements? The eradication of this disease was kick-started by Edward
Jenner, who led the vaccine revolution…
“Should I vaccinate my baby?”
…But even then, there was resistance to the concept of
vaccination, and this resistance still continues today. Indeed, there are lots
of myths and misunderstandings about whether it’s safe or not to vaccinate your
baby. So to help sort out fact from myth, I’ve created a quick infogram that
addresses some of these misconceptions.
Thanks for taking the time to read through this. At the end
of the day, it’s info that shows vaccines can save lives!
Seran
Monday, 20 October 2014
What is Osteoporosis?
My Dear Sexy Readers,
Today we are addressing a request from a fellow blogger who posted about her newly diagnosed osteoporosis. Coincidentally, I have been working on this at work so I have all the scientific literature at hand AND on the 20th October is WORLD OSTEOPOROSIS DAY
Osteoporosis, the basics:
Osteoporosis is a common, skeletal disorder characterized by a lower bone mass and a deterioration of bone tissue. As a consequence, you are more susceptible to have an increase in bone fragility and are more prone to fracture.
The diagnosis of the disease relies on assessing the bone density which is considered as a marker for bone strength and can be predictive of risk fracture.*
Fractures can also happen at many other sites of course such a the pelvis, ribs and distal femur and tibia.
Approximately 50% of fracture-related deaths in women were due to hip fractures, 28% to clinical vertebral and 22% to other fractures.
However, there are things that we do to ourselves that can influence our risk of fracture. These include smoking, heavy drinking, Vitamin D deficiency, low calcium intake, poor nutrition and eating disorders, imbalance between Omega-3 and -6.
Let me know, my Sexy Readers, in the comment box below. Soon, we'll have Seran's second post up, it will focus on baby's immunisation programme! A contentious topic, so don't forget to come back soon to check it out ;)
See you soon for more Sexy Science,
* It's very important not to fall for "low bone density=fracture".
To use an analogy we might be more familiar with:
Blood pressure - Hypertension - Stroke:
Although we cannot directly link high blood pressure to the inevitability of a stroke, we measure our blood pressure to diagnose a hypertension which put us at a higher risk of a stroke.
The same way here:
Bone density - bone strength - fracture
We measure the bone density to diagnose bone fragility which puts us at a higher risk of a fracture.
Further reading
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Osteoporosis/Pages/Prevention.aspx
http://www.iofbonehealth.org/world-osteoporosis-day
Today we are addressing a request from a fellow blogger who posted about her newly diagnosed osteoporosis. Coincidentally, I have been working on this at work so I have all the scientific literature at hand AND on the 20th October is WORLD OSTEOPOROSIS DAY
Osteoporosis, the basics:
Osteoporosis is a common, skeletal disorder characterized by a lower bone mass and a deterioration of bone tissue. As a consequence, you are more susceptible to have an increase in bone fragility and are more prone to fracture.
The diagnosis of the disease relies on assessing the bone density which is considered as a marker for bone strength and can be predictive of risk fracture.*
Fracture sites
Common sites for osteoporotic fracture are the spine, hip, distal forearm (wrist) and proximal humerus (shoulder). The likelihood of a fracture at any of these sites is 40% or more in Western Europe, which is close to the probability of coronary heart disease.Fractures can also happen at many other sites of course such a the pelvis, ribs and distal femur and tibia.
 |
| Common fractures sites |
Approximately 50% of fracture-related deaths in women were due to hip fractures, 28% to clinical vertebral and 22% to other fractures.
Who's at risk?
Apart from medical conditions, there are some risk factors we cannot do anything about such as getting old (!). Other factors include gender (after menopause, female hormone deficiency leads to a rapid reduction in bone density), family history, a previous fracture, ethnicity (European or Asian ancestry has strong predisposition).However, there are things that we do to ourselves that can influence our risk of fracture. These include smoking, heavy drinking, Vitamin D deficiency, low calcium intake, poor nutrition and eating disorders, imbalance between Omega-3 and -6.
What to do to avoid a fracture?
Essentially, some risk factors are unchangeable but a healthy lifestyle could potentially help you reduce your risk of fracture, such as eating well, not drinking too much, keeping a healthy weight and BMI, doing some daily exercise, bending smart (bending at the knee and not the waist), taking supplements.
Interventions
The most commonly used agents in Europe are raloxifene; the bisphosphonates (alendronate, ibandronate, risedronate and zoledronic acid); agents derived from parathyroid hormone; denosumab; and strontium ranelate. They have all been shown to reduce the risk of vertebral fractures and in some cases, some of these agents have been shown to specifically decrease the risk of fracture at the hip.
Do you know someone who suffers from osteoporosis? What do you think of the fact that the healthy lifestyle is again given as advice to reduce risks?
Let me know, my Sexy Readers, in the comment box below. Soon, we'll have Seran's second post up, it will focus on baby's immunisation programme! A contentious topic, so don't forget to come back soon to check it out ;)
See you soon for more Sexy Science,
* It's very important not to fall for "low bone density=fracture".
To use an analogy we might be more familiar with:
Blood pressure - Hypertension - Stroke:
Although we cannot directly link high blood pressure to the inevitability of a stroke, we measure our blood pressure to diagnose a hypertension which put us at a higher risk of a stroke.
The same way here:
Bone density - bone strength - fracture
We measure the bone density to diagnose bone fragility which puts us at a higher risk of a fracture.
Further reading
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Osteoporosis/Pages/Prevention.aspx
http://www.iofbonehealth.org/world-osteoporosis-day
Wednesday, 1 October 2014
What is Ebola?
My Dear Sexy Readers,
Here is Seran's first official post:
As of 2014, an epidemic of the Ebola Virus Disease has engulfed West Africa, killing 1 in 2 people who have caught the virus. Ebola seems like the disease from nightmares. Asides from the high mortality rate from the disease, it also causes horrific symptoms including bleeding from virtually every orifice of the body- including the mouth, genitals and eyes.
…And it’s got the potential to become even worse.
We currently don’t have a cure for Ebola and we’ve been finding it difficult to contain Ebola for a variety of social, political and economic reasons.
I’ve created a quick infographic explaining these points in a bit more detail…
…In short, however, the ‘big deal’ about Ebola is that it’s very deadly!
Thanks for taking the time to read!
Seran
Monday, 22 September 2014
3 years !
My Dear Sexy Readers,
Science is So Sexy is 3 years old!!!! I am delighted that I've kept this project running for so long, I think it was definitely a learning curve. I remember my first posts, I wasn't writing as if you sexy guys and gals were real people. I would start my article by "Right, today we are gonna talk about this and that" like I was some sort of teacher, which defeated my blog objectives! How funny!
Nowadays, I have the sexy laid back but excited attitude to Science that I'm hoping to transfer onto you, my Sexy readers. I hope you can feel that this is not the usual Science blog and that when you're here, you are at ease to ask me whatever you would like me to cover.
I would like to thank all my readers, regulars or not: You guys Rock, you are all super Sexy :)
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
Science is So Sexy is 3 years old!!!! I am delighted that I've kept this project running for so long, I think it was definitely a learning curve. I remember my first posts, I wasn't writing as if you sexy guys and gals were real people. I would start my article by "Right, today we are gonna talk about this and that" like I was some sort of teacher, which defeated my blog objectives! How funny!
Nowadays, I have the sexy laid back but excited attitude to Science that I'm hoping to transfer onto you, my Sexy readers. I hope you can feel that this is not the usual Science blog and that when you're here, you are at ease to ask me whatever you would like me to cover.
I would like to thank all my readers, regulars or not: You guys Rock, you are all super Sexy :)
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
Monday, 15 September 2014
National Eczema week 13-21 September 2014
My Dear Sexy Readers,
If you suffer from eczema, you will know how frustrating it can be and how hard it is to avoid scratching! But you are not alone - it is estimated that 5 million people in the UK suffer from some form of this inflammation of the skin.
While some may have a few patches of eczema around the body, there are many different kinds of this dermatitis, some of which can really affect your day to day living.
We already addressed this subject in an earlier post with the amazing participation of Sugarpuffish.
But I thought I would draw your attention to it this week as this is National Eczema week, so maybe we can share some stories to raise awareness between us Sexy blog readers :)
I'll start.
When my son was born, I met a lot of new friends, I call them my Mummy besties. One of them, her son was badly affected by eczema. She tried everything, every cream. She was breastfeeding her child so she also took notice of what she was ingesting. Slowly, one scab at a time, his eczema cleared and at 2 years of age, he is the most beautiful little blondie blue-eyed boy you could meet. Now and again, his eczema flairs up like for example, when they went on holiday, he was constantly scratching the small of his back because of nappy heat rash. It is difficult to pin point the reason for his eczema and to know if it will flair up again later on in life, but help is out there, and awareness days or weeks like this one are important for everyone!
What about you, do you suffer from Eczema, or do you know anyone who is?
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
If you suffer from eczema, you will know how frustrating it can be and how hard it is to avoid scratching! But you are not alone - it is estimated that 5 million people in the UK suffer from some form of this inflammation of the skin.
While some may have a few patches of eczema around the body, there are many different kinds of this dermatitis, some of which can really affect your day to day living.
But I thought I would draw your attention to it this week as this is National Eczema week, so maybe we can share some stories to raise awareness between us Sexy blog readers :)
I'll start.
When my son was born, I met a lot of new friends, I call them my Mummy besties. One of them, her son was badly affected by eczema. She tried everything, every cream. She was breastfeeding her child so she also took notice of what she was ingesting. Slowly, one scab at a time, his eczema cleared and at 2 years of age, he is the most beautiful little blondie blue-eyed boy you could meet. Now and again, his eczema flairs up like for example, when they went on holiday, he was constantly scratching the small of his back because of nappy heat rash. It is difficult to pin point the reason for his eczema and to know if it will flair up again later on in life, but help is out there, and awareness days or weeks like this one are important for everyone!
What about you, do you suffer from Eczema, or do you know anyone who is?
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
Sunday, 7 September 2014
SiSS introduces Seran
My Dear Sexy Readers,
As promised, let me introduce to you Sexy Seran who will be posting her very first SiSS article very soon.
To know her a little better, I sent her a questionnaire about her interest for Science - which BTW you can all fill :) - and here are her answers:
When or why did you first think about pursuing your interest for Science?
When I was in school, I really enjoyed Biology lessons and I had brilliant biology teachers throughout secondary school. When I had to choose subjects to study at A-level, I chose to study Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, English and Critical Thinking. I was one of the few in my class who didn't know at this point what career I wanted, but I knew that I enjoyed these subjects so it made sense to continue to study them.
What did you do about it?
A-levels, Degree, Master
How did you find it?
Challenging
If you are happy you academically pursued your interest in Science, what was the best bit?
That rare moment when an experiment with a really long protocol actually generates useful results. (Also a big perk was knowing that I don't have to work in front of a computer doing a 9-5pm job near Old Street station wearing office clothes by the end of it).
What is your current career path or what will your next career move be?
Right now it could be anything from carrying out a PhD, to working at a science editorial position to a hospital lab.
Is there anything you would have done differently?
Being completely honest, I know I could have worked a lot harder during my undergraduate degree.
How important do you think Science is?
If you had to choose an adjective for Science, what would it be?
An acquired taste.
That is a very good adjective Seran, one that I'm sure many of our Sexy readers will agree with. Thank you for answering SiSS questionnaire on your interest for Science, we are all looking forward to reading your article,
See you Soon for Seran's Sexy Science,
As promised, let me introduce to you Sexy Seran who will be posting her very first SiSS article very soon.
To know her a little better, I sent her a questionnaire about her interest for Science - which BTW you can all fill :) - and here are her answers:
When or why did you first think about pursuing your interest for Science?
When I was in school, I really enjoyed Biology lessons and I had brilliant biology teachers throughout secondary school. When I had to choose subjects to study at A-level, I chose to study Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, English and Critical Thinking. I was one of the few in my class who didn't know at this point what career I wanted, but I knew that I enjoyed these subjects so it made sense to continue to study them.
What did you do about it?
A-levels, Degree, Master
How did you find it?
Challenging
If you are happy you academically pursued your interest in Science, what was the best bit?
That rare moment when an experiment with a really long protocol actually generates useful results. (Also a big perk was knowing that I don't have to work in front of a computer doing a 9-5pm job near Old Street station wearing office clothes by the end of it).
What is your current career path or what will your next career move be?
Right now it could be anything from carrying out a PhD, to working at a science editorial position to a hospital lab.
Is there anything you would have done differently?
Being completely honest, I know I could have worked a lot harder during my undergraduate degree.
How important do you think Science is?
An acquired taste.
That is a very good adjective Seran, one that I'm sure many of our Sexy readers will agree with. Thank you for answering SiSS questionnaire on your interest for Science, we are all looking forward to reading your article,
See you Soon for Seran's Sexy Science,
Monday, 1 September 2014
Science is So Sexy - the launching pad
My Dear Sexy Readers,
Fantastic and exciting news coming up very soon on Science is So Sexy!!!!
First of all, I'd like to apologise for not updating you on all things amazing and Sciencey for the past 2 months!!!! The reason is I have found a job in medical communications and with a little monster approaching the Terrible Twos, life is a bit hectic!!!
But fear not, Science is So Sexy will keep on living: I will try to keep up with your requests and MOST IMPORTANTLY, Science is So Sexy is welcoming new writers!!!!
I'm very excited about creating a launching pad for scientists who dream about engaging with the public and who would like to make a living off science communication.
As you all know, and as in any field, you are more likely to get a job if you have some experience, but you can't get experience without a job!!! Terrible and frustrating! And the eternal question is How do you gain experience?
I was in this situation not a long time ago and because I myself used this platform to launch my career in medical writing, I thought I could extend it to keen and passionate Science graduates who desperately need this thought-after experience.
So, with that in mind, I'd like to invite everyone to forward/share/pin/tweet this post with someone they think might be interested. There are loads of topics to cover so any scientific/medical background is appropriate.
My only condition is the writers to be of minimum at degree level because I want to make sure the level of Science is maintained and all information can be appropriately and accurately referenced. I think that is why people come back to this blog, because they know there's no crap and sensational BS going on, what is written is proven and tested Science, there's no suppositions nor extrapolations, yet it's interesting and accessible by everyone.
The recruitment process has already begun and I'm happy to announce that we have a couple of new writers who are super excited about embarking on this Sexy Science journey.
I will introduce them to you very soon, but you can already see their names in the right sidebar. I can't wait for you to read what they have been preparing, it's amazingly interesting!!!
So, See you Soon for Some Sexy Science,
Fantastic and exciting news coming up very soon on Science is So Sexy!!!!
First of all, I'd like to apologise for not updating you on all things amazing and Sciencey for the past 2 months!!!! The reason is I have found a job in medical communications and with a little monster approaching the Terrible Twos, life is a bit hectic!!!
But fear not, Science is So Sexy will keep on living: I will try to keep up with your requests and MOST IMPORTANTLY, Science is So Sexy is welcoming new writers!!!!
I'm very excited about creating a launching pad for scientists who dream about engaging with the public and who would like to make a living off science communication.
As you all know, and as in any field, you are more likely to get a job if you have some experience, but you can't get experience without a job!!! Terrible and frustrating! And the eternal question is How do you gain experience?
I was in this situation not a long time ago and because I myself used this platform to launch my career in medical writing, I thought I could extend it to keen and passionate Science graduates who desperately need this thought-after experience.
So, with that in mind, I'd like to invite everyone to forward/share/pin/tweet this post with someone they think might be interested. There are loads of topics to cover so any scientific/medical background is appropriate.
My only condition is the writers to be of minimum at degree level because I want to make sure the level of Science is maintained and all information can be appropriately and accurately referenced. I think that is why people come back to this blog, because they know there's no crap and sensational BS going on, what is written is proven and tested Science, there's no suppositions nor extrapolations, yet it's interesting and accessible by everyone.
The recruitment process has already begun and I'm happy to announce that we have a couple of new writers who are super excited about embarking on this Sexy Science journey.
I will introduce them to you very soon, but you can already see their names in the right sidebar. I can't wait for you to read what they have been preparing, it's amazingly interesting!!!
So, See you Soon for Some Sexy Science,
Tuesday, 8 July 2014
"I am not the Cancer" Art Installation
My Dear Sexy Readers,
I feel privileged to have been invited to the "I am not the Cancer" Art installation in Central London part of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign commissioned by Novartis.
I used to go to scientific conferences all over, sporting a badge with my name and my research lab on it. But this time, I was invited as a Science Writer! How exciting to be recognized for your work!
I was contacted through LinkedIn by a member of the Breast Cancer Care. This charity raises awareness and funds for the care of women affected by Breast Cancer whose disease has become metastatic.
Before being taken through to the art installation, we were welcomed in a reception area where we were presented with the results of the Here and Now campaign.
The Here and Now campaigns are surveys commissioned by Novartis Oncology. In the UK, with 60 respondents living with advanced breast cancer and distributed in April and May 2014, the objectives are to understand the challenges experienced by the patients at each stage of their journey and understand the barriers to improved patient outcomes.
Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, and accounts for a third of all new cancers diagnosed in women in UK!
A third of women with early breast cancer (EBC) go on to develop Advanced Breast Cancer (ABC).
ABC is uncurable and affects an estimated 30,000 women in the UK each year.
Average life expectancy after ABC diagnosis remains at 2 to 4 years, compared to 10 years for early breast cancer.
Here and Now Survey Results
The results of the HERE and Now UK survey were presented to us by Honey Langcaster-James, a lecturer in Psychology from the university of Hull. The results show that women with ABC often feel like many areas of their lives are negatively affected, such as their emotional health, the relationships with friends, family and partner. Up to one in 3 women with ABC feel they do not receive enough support from their friends or parents.
Patients with ABC require a high degree of social and psychological support. 2 out of 3 women feel like no one understands what they are going through and that it's hard to find support groups for ABC. They feel isolated from other support groups that focus on Early Breast Cancer (EBC). With time, the support they received from friends and family when first diagnosed has faded.
Although, the majority of patients said they received enough support from nurses and their oncologists, they want more time to discuss their wider needs and get help to arrange for these such as emotional and financial support.
Regarding treatments, more work is needed to ensure greater access to new treatments for ABC patients. Almost half of the patients surveyed would like to know more about new treatments but are unsure of who to talk to, some of them don't even feel empowered to make their own decisions.
Gill Donovan, Breast Oncology Nurse specialist and Research Fellow at Cardiff University, also shared her experience with us. She explained that treatment options are not the same depending on your geographical location, the access to new treatments is limited because of costs. Although, she explained, nurses need to balance optimism and realities, one important role to play is the need to give hope, to concentrate on the living and not on the dying.
The art installation
Then, we were led to the art installation itself: It consisted of 6 TV screens showing face and back of the head of 3 silent patients suffering from advanced breast cancer. Opposite each TV screen was a comfortable armchair; and above each armchair was a speaker from which you could hear their devastating story. So to hear their story, you had no choice but to sit in this armchair and look in the eyes of this silent patient on the TV screen (not a comfortable thing to do). The point of this art installation was to make you realize that, however uncomfortable it is, that’s how we should support friends and family as opposed to using escapism as a coping method. This art installation was created to make you feel differently, to question yourself in order to make you behave differently.
Are you affected by advanced breast cancer? Through a friend, family member, yourself? Were you aware of the lack of support for these patients? As usual, let me know in the comments box,
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
Further reading
http://www.novartis.co.uk/news/featured-news/20140430-here-and-now.shtml
I feel privileged to have been invited to the "I am not the Cancer" Art installation in Central London part of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign commissioned by Novartis.
I used to go to scientific conferences all over, sporting a badge with my name and my research lab on it. But this time, I was invited as a Science Writer! How exciting to be recognized for your work!
I was contacted through LinkedIn by a member of the Breast Cancer Care. This charity raises awareness and funds for the care of women affected by Breast Cancer whose disease has become metastatic.
Before being taken through to the art installation, we were welcomed in a reception area where we were presented with the results of the Here and Now campaign.
The Here and Now campaigns are surveys commissioned by Novartis Oncology. In the UK, with 60 respondents living with advanced breast cancer and distributed in April and May 2014, the objectives are to understand the challenges experienced by the patients at each stage of their journey and understand the barriers to improved patient outcomes.
Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, and accounts for a third of all new cancers diagnosed in women in UK!
A third of women with early breast cancer (EBC) go on to develop Advanced Breast Cancer (ABC).
ABC is uncurable and affects an estimated 30,000 women in the UK each year.
Average life expectancy after ABC diagnosis remains at 2 to 4 years, compared to 10 years for early breast cancer.
Here and Now Survey Results
The results of the HERE and Now UK survey were presented to us by Honey Langcaster-James, a lecturer in Psychology from the university of Hull. The results show that women with ABC often feel like many areas of their lives are negatively affected, such as their emotional health, the relationships with friends, family and partner. Up to one in 3 women with ABC feel they do not receive enough support from their friends or parents.
Patients with ABC require a high degree of social and psychological support. 2 out of 3 women feel like no one understands what they are going through and that it's hard to find support groups for ABC. They feel isolated from other support groups that focus on Early Breast Cancer (EBC). With time, the support they received from friends and family when first diagnosed has faded.
Regarding treatments, more work is needed to ensure greater access to new treatments for ABC patients. Almost half of the patients surveyed would like to know more about new treatments but are unsure of who to talk to, some of them don't even feel empowered to make their own decisions.
"These results call for Action... Health Care professionals (HCP) need to understand they can do more... Payers, regulators, commissioners need to work to improve the landscape... We need patient support groups... The Public needs to be aware." said Honey Langcaster-JamesLeading UK experts
Gill Donovan, Breast Oncology Nurse specialist and Research Fellow at Cardiff University, also shared her experience with us. She explained that treatment options are not the same depending on your geographical location, the access to new treatments is limited because of costs. Although, she explained, nurses need to balance optimism and realities, one important role to play is the need to give hope, to concentrate on the living and not on the dying.
" We need a service to be redesigned on how to deal with the variety of tasks such as explain treatments, refer to appropriate services, talk to patients, manage their anxiety, manage emotional and physical effects" she says.Diana Jupp, Director of Services at Breast Cancer Care, says the charity continues to campaign to improve the standards of care for people living with this complex disease. In the UK, we had 5 specialist nurses; this number increased to 32 recently. But it's 32 in the whole of UK! There's a lot of work to be done, collecting data in England, network with Wales and Scotland, sharing good practice, installing policies. A sentiment shared by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin who also came to talk to us about her continuous work to influence politics into opening up to ABC awareness.
The art installation
Then, we were led to the art installation itself: It consisted of 6 TV screens showing face and back of the head of 3 silent patients suffering from advanced breast cancer. Opposite each TV screen was a comfortable armchair; and above each armchair was a speaker from which you could hear their devastating story. So to hear their story, you had no choice but to sit in this armchair and look in the eyes of this silent patient on the TV screen (not a comfortable thing to do). The point of this art installation was to make you realize that, however uncomfortable it is, that’s how we should support friends and family as opposed to using escapism as a coping method. This art installation was created to make you feel differently, to question yourself in order to make you behave differently.
Are you affected by advanced breast cancer? Through a friend, family member, yourself? Were you aware of the lack of support for these patients? As usual, let me know in the comments box,
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
Further reading
http://www.novartis.co.uk/news/featured-news/20140430-here-and-now.shtml
Monday, 30 June 2014
Inspire your daughters with Science, Technology, Maths and Engineering (STEM) subjects
My Dear Sexy Readers,
I'm always on the look out for some amazing sciencey stuff across the net to share on Twitter. I use my twitter account as a list of links to really great reads, videos, pix, etc... So, really, this one should go on there but because it's so relevant, I wanted to share it with you on the blog too!
It's a video about how, from very early on, we can influence our children by repetitive actions or words. This one focuses on the fact that we tell girls they are pretty, not to get messy, that there's no point in exploring manual things, it's best to leave that to boys. This repetitive behaviour would shape a girl into thinking she's not fit for STEM subjects.
What do you think, my Sexy Readers, do you agree? Or do you think it's just a stereotype, it doesn't really happen? What other repetitive words or actions have you heard that influenced you throughout your life?
Let me know in the comments box, thank you for sharing your experiences, you're super Sexy!
See you Soon for Some Sexy Science,
I'm always on the look out for some amazing sciencey stuff across the net to share on Twitter. I use my twitter account as a list of links to really great reads, videos, pix, etc... So, really, this one should go on there but because it's so relevant, I wanted to share it with you on the blog too!
It's a video about how, from very early on, we can influence our children by repetitive actions or words. This one focuses on the fact that we tell girls they are pretty, not to get messy, that there's no point in exploring manual things, it's best to leave that to boys. This repetitive behaviour would shape a girl into thinking she's not fit for STEM subjects.
What do you think, my Sexy Readers, do you agree? Or do you think it's just a stereotype, it doesn't really happen? What other repetitive words or actions have you heard that influenced you throughout your life?
Let me know in the comments box, thank you for sharing your experiences, you're super Sexy!
See you Soon for Some Sexy Science,
Thursday, 26 June 2014
What is Sarcoma?
My Dear Sexy Readers,
I stumbled upon this while working on a writing test for a job application (! I know, totally random!): this week 23-29 June 2014 - yeahhhh I'm not too late - is Sarcoma Awareness week!! I'm glad I found this because, although I knew the name, I didn't really know much about Sarcomas. And you know me, I love learning about new things and sharing it all with you.
This year's campaign is about Getting People "On the ball" for sarcoma. What is it? It's simple, you just download a Poster from their web page and order your "On the Ball" pack to bring to your GP to make him/her more aware of symptoms, signs, etc... I couldn't find any # to go with the campaign but if you type Sarcoma on the ball on Twitter, you get some results!
Sarcoma Fact Sheet (borrowed from the Sarcoma website)
Sarcoma is a group of rare-ish cancers that develop in the muscle, bone, nerves, cartilage, tendons, blood vessels and the fatty and fibrous tissues.
There are around 100 different sub-types of sarcoma
There are around 3,800 new cases of sarcoma diagnosed each year in the UK
There are 13,000 people living with sarcoma in the UK
Sarcomas make up 15% of all childhood cancers (0-14 years) and 11% of all cancer diagnoses in teenagers and young people (15-24 years)
Sarcomas make up 1% of all cancer diagnoses in the UK
If you are interested or just want to know more about Sarcomas, check the charity's designated web page over HERE
Did you know about Sarcoma? Do you feel we should get more involved in the awareness campaign to get GPs to recognise signs and symptoms? Feel free to share your experience in the comments box, thank you for dropping and...
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
Further Reading
http://www.sarcoma.org.uk/
I stumbled upon this while working on a writing test for a job application (! I know, totally random!): this week 23-29 June 2014 - yeahhhh I'm not too late - is Sarcoma Awareness week!! I'm glad I found this because, although I knew the name, I didn't really know much about Sarcomas. And you know me, I love learning about new things and sharing it all with you.
This year's campaign is about Getting People "On the ball" for sarcoma. What is it? It's simple, you just download a Poster from their web page and order your "On the Ball" pack to bring to your GP to make him/her more aware of symptoms, signs, etc... I couldn't find any # to go with the campaign but if you type Sarcoma on the ball on Twitter, you get some results!
 |
| You can download this poster yourself from HERE and bring to your GP, along with an info pack |
Sarcoma is a group of rare-ish cancers that develop in the muscle, bone, nerves, cartilage, tendons, blood vessels and the fatty and fibrous tissues.
There are around 100 different sub-types of sarcoma
There are around 3,800 new cases of sarcoma diagnosed each year in the UK
There are 13,000 people living with sarcoma in the UK
Sarcomas make up 15% of all childhood cancers (0-14 years) and 11% of all cancer diagnoses in teenagers and young people (15-24 years)
Sarcomas make up 1% of all cancer diagnoses in the UK
If you are interested or just want to know more about Sarcomas, check the charity's designated web page over HERE
Did you know about Sarcoma? Do you feel we should get more involved in the awareness campaign to get GPs to recognise signs and symptoms? Feel free to share your experience in the comments box, thank you for dropping and...
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
Further Reading
http://www.sarcoma.org.uk/
Monday, 23 June 2014
What is Diabetes?
My Dear Sexy Readers,
I've been working on the second installment of #MyBodyDoesWhat series which will be a new infographic on Pancreas (Previous ScienceSoSexy infographics)! Little did I know that beginning of June was Diabetes week. How timely am I? - Well, I'm 2 weeks too late, but it could be worse, right?! (If you don't know what Pancreas and Diabetes have in common, keep reading ;)
8th - 14th June was the week chosen to raise awareness to this common life-long health condition. This year, using the different social media platforms, the word was #ican! An initiative to show help and support to anyone with diabetes by gathering examples of things that this condition will never let you stop from doing. Check out their live story stream over HERE.
3.2 million people are diagnosed with diabetes in the UK and an estimated 630,000 people have the condition, but don’t know it. In the world, the diabetic population stands at 365 million people, representing around 8.5% of the global population.
Diabetes is when our body either doesn't make enough insulin (produced by our pancreas) or cannot use its own insulin properly to help get the sugar (coming from food or our liver) to move from our blood into the cells of our body, causing build up of that sugar in our bloodstream.
There are 2 types of diabetes
Type 1 is when the body doesn't produce insulin. It requires insulin to treat, is typically developed as a child or young adult, and is a disease that destroys pancreatic cells meaning no insulin production is possible.
Type 2 is when the body doesn't produce enough insulin or the insulin produced is not working properly. It is considerably more common and typically affects people over the age of 45, who are also overweight.
If you have followed my first #MyBodyDoesWhat infographic, you know that I'm going to use this series to explore what our body does because seriously it is freakishly genius. I think I should know more about it so I thought I would share with my Sexy Readers whatever info I gather! My second installment on Pancreas is basically "in the making" stage.
In the meantime, if you would like to share your own experience with fellow readers, feel free to hit the comments box, so
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
Further reading
http://www.diabetes.org.uk/
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/
I've been working on the second installment of #MyBodyDoesWhat series which will be a new infographic on Pancreas (Previous ScienceSoSexy infographics)! Little did I know that beginning of June was Diabetes week. How timely am I? - Well, I'm 2 weeks too late, but it could be worse, right?! (If you don't know what Pancreas and Diabetes have in common, keep reading ;)
8th - 14th June was the week chosen to raise awareness to this common life-long health condition. This year, using the different social media platforms, the word was #ican! An initiative to show help and support to anyone with diabetes by gathering examples of things that this condition will never let you stop from doing. Check out their live story stream over HERE.
3.2 million people are diagnosed with diabetes in the UK and an estimated 630,000 people have the condition, but don’t know it. In the world, the diabetic population stands at 365 million people, representing around 8.5% of the global population.
Diabetes is when our body either doesn't make enough insulin (produced by our pancreas) or cannot use its own insulin properly to help get the sugar (coming from food or our liver) to move from our blood into the cells of our body, causing build up of that sugar in our bloodstream.
 |
| The Insulin binds to its Receptor and makes the Glucose transporter move to the cell surface where it can open up a passage to let the Glucose come inside the cell. If there's no insulin or the receptor doesn't recognize or respond to it, the Glucose is stuck in the blood and accumulates = Diabetes |
Type 1 is when the body doesn't produce insulin. It requires insulin to treat, is typically developed as a child or young adult, and is a disease that destroys pancreatic cells meaning no insulin production is possible.
Type 2 is when the body doesn't produce enough insulin or the insulin produced is not working properly. It is considerably more common and typically affects people over the age of 45, who are also overweight.
If you have followed my first #MyBodyDoesWhat infographic, you know that I'm going to use this series to explore what our body does because seriously it is freakishly genius. I think I should know more about it so I thought I would share with my Sexy Readers whatever info I gather! My second installment on Pancreas is basically "in the making" stage.
In the meantime, if you would like to share your own experience with fellow readers, feel free to hit the comments box, so
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
Further reading
http://www.diabetes.org.uk/
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/
Friday, 20 June 2014
Feeling like a Sexy Scientist with my DNA earrings
My Dear Sexy Readers,
Today, I've got something very special for you!
The other day, I was tweeting away, reading awesome things, when I got a message from a Sexy Scientist called Camille!! We chatted and we got to talk about her Etsy shop called "Tout doucement" and her very special designs. I thought "Oh My, these are perfect for my Sexy Readers!". So she sent me a pair of her Rainbow DNA earrings for me to try them out! Got them all the way from Montreal, they arrived in perfect condition! I was so excited to receive them, I teared the envelop open and put them on straight away!
I've had them on for about 2 hours now, and they are so light, you barely feel them and my ears haven't gone red - which it's what usually happens when I wear the usual heavy earrings for too long. They are quite sturdy, you won't mess up the helix by playing too much with them, and there's no funny ends sticking you in the face as it's usually the case with handmade jewellery.
My partner has been commenting on them a couple of times already saying how pretty they are and how they suit me so well!!
Let me tell you, my dear sexy readers, I do feel like a Sexy Scientist right now!!!
Check them out
These are part of her Rainbow collection because the DNA ladder is made of amazing and brightly coloured glass beads. This pair is 1.8 inches long and retails at £13.81 on her Etsy shop. She also makes longer ones which I bet must make you feel even sexier!
If you'd like something to go with one frock or another, she does make other DNA earrings of different colours, I particularly like the Amber genes ones because I think they would look very stylish and clever on an evening gown.
Let me know, my dear Sexy Readers, what kind of earrings do you like wearing? Fun, statement, stylish?
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
Today, I've got something very special for you!
The other day, I was tweeting away, reading awesome things, when I got a message from a Sexy Scientist called Camille!! We chatted and we got to talk about her Etsy shop called "Tout doucement" and her very special designs. I thought "Oh My, these are perfect for my Sexy Readers!". So she sent me a pair of her Rainbow DNA earrings for me to try them out! Got them all the way from Montreal, they arrived in perfect condition! I was so excited to receive them, I teared the envelop open and put them on straight away!
I've had them on for about 2 hours now, and they are so light, you barely feel them and my ears haven't gone red - which it's what usually happens when I wear the usual heavy earrings for too long. They are quite sturdy, you won't mess up the helix by playing too much with them, and there's no funny ends sticking you in the face as it's usually the case with handmade jewellery.
My partner has been commenting on them a couple of times already saying how pretty they are and how they suit me so well!!
Let me tell you, my dear sexy readers, I do feel like a Sexy Scientist right now!!!
Check them out
 |
| Rainbow DNA earrings |
 |
| Excuse the no make up selfie! |
These are part of her Rainbow collection because the DNA ladder is made of amazing and brightly coloured glass beads. This pair is 1.8 inches long and retails at £13.81 on her Etsy shop. She also makes longer ones which I bet must make you feel even sexier!
If you'd like something to go with one frock or another, she does make other DNA earrings of different colours, I particularly like the Amber genes ones because I think they would look very stylish and clever on an evening gown.
Let me know, my dear Sexy Readers, what kind of earrings do you like wearing? Fun, statement, stylish?
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
This item was sent to me for the purpose of review but views are my own :)
Monday, 9 June 2014
The Real Big Bang Theory #Pint2014 Review by Phil
My Dear Sexy Readers,
During the Pint of Science festival, I was lucky enough to go to the very popular and sold out talk by Prof John Ellis entitled 'Blowing up the Universe'. What a treat, I felt so privileged to see that eminent scientist explain the Big Bang Theory to us in the amazing surrounding of a central London pub! Very surreal! I got home, super psyched and shaking from adrenaline!
If you don't know who Prof John Ellis is, let me tell you he's one of those people who will be mentioned in Physics book in at least the next 200 years for his involvement in understanding our Universe and of course the extraordinary CERN's Large Hadron Collider.
So, my Sexy Readers, let me introduce to you Sexy Scientist Phil who was there with me that night, and knowing his larger memory capacity, I thought it would only be fair to Prof John Ellis to ask a brighter mind to summarize our evening! Here is his review:
In
‘Blowing Up The Universe’ Prof John Ellis took us on a journey through
the ever expanding Universe.
It turns out that the Universe has been expanding ever since it came into being with a great Big Bang, and that we are in a period of exceptionally rapid inflation right now.
Curiously, all the exciting stuff in the Universe seems to have happened in the very first few fractions of a second, even before most particles let alone atoms ever existed.
The problem is that 13.8 billion years later, it’s not entirely trivial to work out what exactly did happen back then. Clever people like John Ellis give it a go anyway; they come up with theories for which they amazingly sometimes even find evidence in the here and now.
For example, a good chunk of the white
noise you get with a badly tuned TV set is caused by cosmic background
radiation which originated at the time of the Big Bang.
As if this was not proof enough, the aptly named BICEP2 experiments (basically a huge telescope at the South Pole) has recently measured this in a slightly more sophisticated fashion than a 60s TV set and now found definite proof for the ultra-rapid expansion of the early Universe – unless of course the measurements were contaminated by galactic dust (star dust’s ugly sibling) which apparently is a real possibility.
John Ellis was a very engaging and entertaining speaker and I really enjoyed the talk, although I won’t claim for a second that I understood even half of what he said.
To answer the question why the Universe only ever expands and never contracts, he produced my favourite analogy: the Universe is a bank you can withdraw money from that you never have to pay back.
Now that is my sort of bank!
Thank you Sexy Phil for your review. I hope you, my Sexy Readers, found it interesting and that you wouldn't want to miss talks down the pub by such eminent Scientists!!
I have to mention that the evening then turned into a Physics stand up comedy with the very funny and of course Sexy, Lieven Scheire who explained some Physics to us using humour! Very entertaining indeed, and I hope to see my fellow Belgian again very soon,
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
During the Pint of Science festival, I was lucky enough to go to the very popular and sold out talk by Prof John Ellis entitled 'Blowing up the Universe'. What a treat, I felt so privileged to see that eminent scientist explain the Big Bang Theory to us in the amazing surrounding of a central London pub! Very surreal! I got home, super psyched and shaking from adrenaline!
If you don't know who Prof John Ellis is, let me tell you he's one of those people who will be mentioned in Physics book in at least the next 200 years for his involvement in understanding our Universe and of course the extraordinary CERN's Large Hadron Collider.
So, my Sexy Readers, let me introduce to you Sexy Scientist Phil who was there with me that night, and knowing his larger memory capacity, I thought it would only be fair to Prof John Ellis to ask a brighter mind to summarize our evening! Here is his review:
 |
| Prof John Ellis |
It turns out that the Universe has been expanding ever since it came into being with a great Big Bang, and that we are in a period of exceptionally rapid inflation right now.
Curiously, all the exciting stuff in the Universe seems to have happened in the very first few fractions of a second, even before most particles let alone atoms ever existed.
The problem is that 13.8 billion years later, it’s not entirely trivial to work out what exactly did happen back then. Clever people like John Ellis give it a go anyway; they come up with theories for which they amazingly sometimes even find evidence in the here and now.
 |
| BICEP2 telescope in the South Pole from HERE |
As if this was not proof enough, the aptly named BICEP2 experiments (basically a huge telescope at the South Pole) has recently measured this in a slightly more sophisticated fashion than a 60s TV set and now found definite proof for the ultra-rapid expansion of the early Universe – unless of course the measurements were contaminated by galactic dust (star dust’s ugly sibling) which apparently is a real possibility.
John Ellis was a very engaging and entertaining speaker and I really enjoyed the talk, although I won’t claim for a second that I understood even half of what he said.
To answer the question why the Universe only ever expands and never contracts, he produced my favourite analogy: the Universe is a bank you can withdraw money from that you never have to pay back.
Now that is my sort of bank!
 |
| "A" Big Bang Theory - by |
Thank you Sexy Phil for your review. I hope you, my Sexy Readers, found it interesting and that you wouldn't want to miss talks down the pub by such eminent Scientists!!
I have to mention that the evening then turned into a Physics stand up comedy with the very funny and of course Sexy, Lieven Scheire who explained some Physics to us using humour! Very entertaining indeed, and I hope to see my fellow Belgian again very soon,
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
Wednesday, 4 June 2014
Designer babies #Pint2014 Review by Debbie
My Dear Sexy Readers,
I'm sure you are all sexilly aware by now of Pint Of Science festival that happened this year all over the world between the 19th and 21st of May (my review on the liver talk, my review on the probiotics talk). You can also look up #pint2014 on here or on your favourite platform.
Because so many talks were happening at the same type all across my city - London - it was impossible to be everywhere, so I asked a few friends to report to me on what they learnt down their local pub ;)
May I introduce to you Sexy Debbie who went to the Imperial College Union Bar to a talk entitled 'Creating Life: Test Tubes and Ethics'. Here is her review, and don't forget to leave your thoughts in the comments box:
"When does life begin? Who has the right to decide on the fate of an embryo? Is genetic enhancement necessarily a bad thing? These are hotly debated issues surrounded by controversies and impassioned views. They are not easy questions and they have no easy answers, yet they are just some of the many contentious issues faced by the field of medical ethics and reproductive science.
At a sold-out Pint of Science event I was lucky enough to be in the audience for Mr Stuart Lavery and Professor Raanan Gillon’s talks on ‘Creating life: test tubes and ethics’, in the unlikely surroundings of the pub. Mr Stuart Lavery is the director of IVF Hammersmith, one of the world’s largest IVF units, and Professor Raanan Gillon is Emeritus Professor in Medical Ethics at Imperial College London. Together they are two of the world’s foremost professors in the field of medical ethics and reproductive science.
IVF Hammersmith has pioneered the reproductive technology of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, whereby couples undergoing IVF can have their embryos screened for genetic diseases so that only embryos free from the genetic mutations will be implanted. On a scientific level, the procedure is ground-breaking. By removing just one cell from an 8-cell stage embryo, enough DNA can be extracted for genetic screening and the embryo will continue to develop unharmed. At IVF Hammersmith, every member of lab staff has been genetically screened so that if any of their cells accidentally fall into the vials they are working with their DNA will be detected and not confused with that of the embryo.
All parents hope for a healthy baby and will do what they can to help minimise any risks, giving up smoking, alcohol and caffeine for example. Selecting an embryo that is not predisposed to a genetic disease is another means of increasing the chance of having a healthy baby. The concerns and objections tend to arise based on the fate of the embryos that do have genetic mutations and when the possibilities of what the technology is capable of are considered.
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis currently screens for specific serious genetic diseases. This isn’t because that is all that the science is capable of, this is because that is all that is legal in the UK. It is possible to screen embryos for risk factors for particular diseases, such as the risk gene for breast cancer. Would it be right to select against embryos that may get a disease when they equally may not get it? Likewise, it is possible to select for a female or male embryo, to screen for eye colour or hair colour, and even to genetically modify the DNA of the embryo and develop so-called designer babies. As more genes are identified, personality traits could also be screened for. What is the line? Who should decide where to draw it? Should legislation be the same across different countries? Should legislation be in place at all, should public committees be used to make ethical decisions or should parents have the right to decide?
As much as the right of the parents is respected, this was over-ridden in the case of a deaf couple who requested for their IVF embryos to be screened for the deaf gene. They felt they could raise a deaf child better than a hearing child, but it was decided that this did not value the welfare of the child and so the request was rejected. The process of reaching ethical verdicts such as this was explained by Professor Raanan Gillon, who described four principles that provide a moral framework within which to make ethical decisions.
This was a fascinating evening full of discussion and debate. I came away with many more questions than I started with. Clearly the development of reproductive technologies has increased the options for couples at risk of having a child with a serious genetic disorder. However, the use of techniques such as preimplantation genetic diagnosis is expanding, creating new ethical and legal dilemmas in need of regulation and legal frameworks.
How often do you get to discuss such hot topics in the pub with two world experts?! Thanks Pint of Science, I will definitely be back again next year!"
Useful links/further reading
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis
A guide to preimplantation genetic diagnosis
IVF Hammersmith
Pint of Science
Professor Raanan Gillon Imperial College profile
I hope you all Sexy Readers enjoyed Debbie's review on this super hot topic and let me know what you think in the comments :)
Stay tuned for Sexy Phil and his review on the Big Bang Theory talk by none other than Prof John Ellis, one of the most famous theoretical physicist of our time (a real - slightly older - Sheldon if you like ;))!
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
I'm sure you are all sexilly aware by now of Pint Of Science festival that happened this year all over the world between the 19th and 21st of May (my review on the liver talk, my review on the probiotics talk). You can also look up #pint2014 on here or on your favourite platform.
Because so many talks were happening at the same type all across my city - London - it was impossible to be everywhere, so I asked a few friends to report to me on what they learnt down their local pub ;)
May I introduce to you Sexy Debbie who went to the Imperial College Union Bar to a talk entitled 'Creating Life: Test Tubes and Ethics'. Here is her review, and don't forget to leave your thoughts in the comments box:
"When does life begin? Who has the right to decide on the fate of an embryo? Is genetic enhancement necessarily a bad thing? These are hotly debated issues surrounded by controversies and impassioned views. They are not easy questions and they have no easy answers, yet they are just some of the many contentious issues faced by the field of medical ethics and reproductive science.
At a sold-out Pint of Science event I was lucky enough to be in the audience for Mr Stuart Lavery and Professor Raanan Gillon’s talks on ‘Creating life: test tubes and ethics’, in the unlikely surroundings of the pub. Mr Stuart Lavery is the director of IVF Hammersmith, one of the world’s largest IVF units, and Professor Raanan Gillon is Emeritus Professor in Medical Ethics at Imperial College London. Together they are two of the world’s foremost professors in the field of medical ethics and reproductive science.
IVF Hammersmith has pioneered the reproductive technology of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, whereby couples undergoing IVF can have their embryos screened for genetic diseases so that only embryos free from the genetic mutations will be implanted. On a scientific level, the procedure is ground-breaking. By removing just one cell from an 8-cell stage embryo, enough DNA can be extracted for genetic screening and the embryo will continue to develop unharmed. At IVF Hammersmith, every member of lab staff has been genetically screened so that if any of their cells accidentally fall into the vials they are working with their DNA will be detected and not confused with that of the embryo.
 |
| 'All parents hope for a healthy baby' |
All parents hope for a healthy baby and will do what they can to help minimise any risks, giving up smoking, alcohol and caffeine for example. Selecting an embryo that is not predisposed to a genetic disease is another means of increasing the chance of having a healthy baby. The concerns and objections tend to arise based on the fate of the embryos that do have genetic mutations and when the possibilities of what the technology is capable of are considered.
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis currently screens for specific serious genetic diseases. This isn’t because that is all that the science is capable of, this is because that is all that is legal in the UK. It is possible to screen embryos for risk factors for particular diseases, such as the risk gene for breast cancer. Would it be right to select against embryos that may get a disease when they equally may not get it? Likewise, it is possible to select for a female or male embryo, to screen for eye colour or hair colour, and even to genetically modify the DNA of the embryo and develop so-called designer babies. As more genes are identified, personality traits could also be screened for. What is the line? Who should decide where to draw it? Should legislation be the same across different countries? Should legislation be in place at all, should public committees be used to make ethical decisions or should parents have the right to decide?
As much as the right of the parents is respected, this was over-ridden in the case of a deaf couple who requested for their IVF embryos to be screened for the deaf gene. They felt they could raise a deaf child better than a hearing child, but it was decided that this did not value the welfare of the child and so the request was rejected. The process of reaching ethical verdicts such as this was explained by Professor Raanan Gillon, who described four principles that provide a moral framework within which to make ethical decisions.
This was a fascinating evening full of discussion and debate. I came away with many more questions than I started with. Clearly the development of reproductive technologies has increased the options for couples at risk of having a child with a serious genetic disorder. However, the use of techniques such as preimplantation genetic diagnosis is expanding, creating new ethical and legal dilemmas in need of regulation and legal frameworks.
How often do you get to discuss such hot topics in the pub with two world experts?! Thanks Pint of Science, I will definitely be back again next year!"
Useful links/further reading
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis
A guide to preimplantation genetic diagnosis
IVF Hammersmith
Pint of Science
Professor Raanan Gillon Imperial College profile
I hope you all Sexy Readers enjoyed Debbie's review on this super hot topic and let me know what you think in the comments :)
Stay tuned for Sexy Phil and his review on the Big Bang Theory talk by none other than Prof John Ellis, one of the most famous theoretical physicist of our time (a real - slightly older - Sheldon if you like ;))!
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
Sunday, 1 June 2014
Difference between Correlation and Causation
My Dear Sexy Readers,
Maybe you've seen this blog on Correlations on Facebook like I have, it was posted through a group called "I -Blipping- Hate PseudoScience" . Now, you might wonder why the Sexy Hell I would talk about Correlations!!! Well, this is kind of a fun explanation on the difference between Correlation and Causation. So I thought I would apply the concept to something I wrote previously and which I know you guys are very interested in.
You might recall this previous Sexy article on Parabens and the bit about Breast Cancer:
This graphs shows that Divorce rate in Maine CORRELATES with consumption of margarine (per capita) in the US - However it doesn't mean that if you eat margarine and you live in Maine, it will CAUSE you to get divorced or that if you eat margarine, people in Maine will have an increased chance of getting a divorce.
This graphs shows that the Age of Miss America CORRELATES with the number of Murders by steam, hot vapours and hot objects - However, it doesn't mean that if Miss America is 23 years old, it will CAUSE 7 murders due to steam, hot vapours and hot objects.
So, of course these examples are dramatic but I think they illustrate quite well the difference between Correlation and Causation, and they make me laugh so much, I thought I would share it with you, Sexy Reader!
Now... Coming back to the above correlation about Parabens and Breast cancer:
If you find Parabens in nanograms in breast cancer tissue, it doesn't mean that it was the CAUSE of breast cancer, nor doesn't it mean that if you use anti-perspirant, it will cause you to be more likely to develop breast cancer.
This infamous 10 year old study has never seen its sequel, maybe simply because there is NO causation.
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
Disclaimer: I haven't come across any new study on this but I can't keep up to date with everything, so apologies if the causative link has been scientifically proven and I'll be happy to amend my articles.
Maybe you've seen this blog on Correlations on Facebook like I have, it was posted through a group called "I -Blipping- Hate PseudoScience" . Now, you might wonder why the Sexy Hell I would talk about Correlations!!! Well, this is kind of a fun explanation on the difference between Correlation and Causation. So I thought I would apply the concept to something I wrote previously and which I know you guys are very interested in.
You might recall this previous Sexy article on Parabens and the bit about Breast Cancer:
"It has been suggested that the use of Parabens in cosmetics and especially in deodorants and anti-perspirants might contribute to the high incidence of this type of cancer. Parabens were detected in tissue samples from human breast tumors........ It has to be noted that in that famous study (Darbre, 2004) that sparked the whole controversy on Parabens, there were no control tissues to demonstrate specificity of association between Parabens and breast cancer, ie. normal healthy tissues could still contain Parabens and be harmless, the presence of Parabens not being the cause of cancer but merely an innocent spectator. To date, no other study has repeated this 2004 study with the appropriate controls. There were however two epidemiological studies (by questioning patients, no lab testing involved) attempting to address the link between breast cancer and deodorant/antiperspirants. One reported no difference of use between cancer patients and non cancer people. The second one reported an earlier onset of the breast cancer with the use of underarms cosmetics. But again, both studies lacked appropriate controls and certainly lab experiments to attest the presence of Parabens."Now, this is an example of graph you can find on this extraordinary blog:
 |
| Correlation between Divorce rate in Maine and Consumption of margarine per capita. From HERE |
This graphs shows that Divorce rate in Maine CORRELATES with consumption of margarine (per capita) in the US - However it doesn't mean that if you eat margarine and you live in Maine, it will CAUSE you to get divorced or that if you eat margarine, people in Maine will have an increased chance of getting a divorce.
 |
| Correlation between the age of Miss America and the number of murders by steam, hot vapours and hot objects. From HERE |
This graphs shows that the Age of Miss America CORRELATES with the number of Murders by steam, hot vapours and hot objects - However, it doesn't mean that if Miss America is 23 years old, it will CAUSE 7 murders due to steam, hot vapours and hot objects.
So, of course these examples are dramatic but I think they illustrate quite well the difference between Correlation and Causation, and they make me laugh so much, I thought I would share it with you, Sexy Reader!
Now... Coming back to the above correlation about Parabens and Breast cancer:
If you find Parabens in nanograms in breast cancer tissue, it doesn't mean that it was the CAUSE of breast cancer, nor doesn't it mean that if you use anti-perspirant, it will cause you to be more likely to develop breast cancer.
This infamous 10 year old study has never seen its sequel, maybe simply because there is NO causation.
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
Disclaimer: I haven't come across any new study on this but I can't keep up to date with everything, so apologies if the causative link has been scientifically proven and I'll be happy to amend my articles.
Tuesday, 27 May 2014
What are Probiotics? #Pint2014
My Dear Sexy Readers,
We are all so conscious about what we ingest, what we put on and in our body, but still... Liver diseases, Obesity and Type II diabetes are on the increase!
Last week I went to a pub talk on Probiotics. That's right, I went down to the pub, and I listened to a scientist talk about her research using Probiotics to relieve liver disease.
If you have followed my recent posts (HERE and HERE), you know that #Pint2014 was in full swing 19th-21st May all over the world! An international Science festival happening over 3 nights in the UK, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Australia and in the US!
I already covered the first pub talk I went to, which was on the liver.
That same evening, Dr Jane Macnaughtan was sharing with us the latest results on her research sponsored by Yakult (Oh yes, but before you say anything, Yakult didn't commission the research, the research lab contacted Yakult for advice and funding).
Why is this important? Because more and more, I see scientific articles claiming that this or that disease is controlled by the bugs residing in our gut linings, that they are the real brain in our body.
So I'll start with some basic info, and I will include Dr Jane talk in "quotes".
Last week I went to a pub talk on Probiotics. That's right, I went down to the pub, and I listened to a scientist talk about her research using Probiotics to relieve liver disease.
If you have followed my recent posts (HERE and HERE), you know that #Pint2014 was in full swing 19th-21st May all over the world! An international Science festival happening over 3 nights in the UK, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Australia and in the US!
I already covered the first pub talk I went to, which was on the liver.
That same evening, Dr Jane Macnaughtan was sharing with us the latest results on her research sponsored by Yakult (Oh yes, but before you say anything, Yakult didn't commission the research, the research lab contacted Yakult for advice and funding).
Why is this important? Because more and more, I see scientific articles claiming that this or that disease is controlled by the bugs residing in our gut linings, that they are the real brain in our body.
So I'll start with some basic info, and I will include Dr Jane talk in "quotes".
Our gut bacteria
Humans are now thought as super-organisms on the basis of the genetic potential encoded within our resident microbial populations in addition to our own genome.
They are known as commensal bacteria, which under normal circumstances cause no harm.
It has been noted that although there is a great inter-individual variation in the composition of the gut microbiota, there are conserved set of encoded functions shared between individuals referred to as the core gut microbiome.
Functions of this microbiome are thought to confer the greatest benefit to the host and are probably essential for the correct functioning of the gut.
"If our body is composed of about 10 trillion cells, we also contain 100 trillion bacteria!"There are varying levels of bacteria living all over and in our bodies - mostly in our intestines.
They are known as commensal bacteria, which under normal circumstances cause no harm.
It has been noted that although there is a great inter-individual variation in the composition of the gut microbiota, there are conserved set of encoded functions shared between individuals referred to as the core gut microbiome.
Functions of this microbiome are thought to confer the greatest benefit to the host and are probably essential for the correct functioning of the gut.
Benefits:
- Modulation of the host immune system from early life
- Protection against potential pathogens by depriving polluting and dangerous bacteria of food and inhibiting their growth.
- Production of essential vitamins and hormones
- Digestion of sugars and regulation of fat storage
Other functions include:
They facilitate the process by which food and wastes move through the system to avoid constipation, they look after the mucus membranes by stimulating the production of proteins that lubricate and protect our 'inside' skin, they secrete nutrients that are used for tissue repair, they improve the balance of friendly flora to reduce the risk of bladder or vaginal infections.
They facilitate the process by which food and wastes move through the system to avoid constipation, they look after the mucus membranes by stimulating the production of proteins that lubricate and protect our 'inside' skin, they secrete nutrients that are used for tissue repair, they improve the balance of friendly flora to reduce the risk of bladder or vaginal infections.
However, our natural prebiotic levels are easily damaged by factors such as poor diet, stress, alcohol, hormonal fluctuations, cigarettes, surgery and drugs.
"'All Diseases begin at the gut' - Hippocrates"Many diseases have been associated with a dysfunctional microbiota: Obesity; Type II Diabetes; Cardio Vascular Diseases; infection with Clostrodium difficile; Crohn's disease, Ulcerative Colitis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) (bowel diseases), Asthma, Eczema, Liver disease, Colorectal Cancer.
"Bacterial DNA fragments can be found in the blood of patients suffering from cirrhosis and are representative of its severity."
"The role of gut bacteria in liver disease include the metabolic breakdown of alcohol into acetaldehyde which damages the gut and liver, and the bacterial migration from the gut to other organs."
"Different strategies exist to modulate the Gut-Liver axis: Antibiotics but the whole resistance problem arises, or Probiotics which have shown to reduce inflammation."It is evident that the gut microbiota plays a large role in intestinal health and disease and therefore manipulation or modulation is a clinical option. According to a review by Walsh in 2014, this modulation of the gut microbiota could be achieved by:
- Diet: the amount, type and balance of proteins, carbohydrates and fat have a profound impact on the gut microbiota.
- Antimicrobials: research is ongoing as to choose the best characteristic of antibiotics and avoid strain resistance.
- Probiotics
- Faecal microbiota transplantation: 'It does what it says on the tin' - most commonly used to treat recurrent C.difficile infection but could be extended to IBD, IBS, obesity,..
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| From Walsh et al 2014. Beneficial Modulation of the gut microbiota. |
What are Probiotics?
They are living microscopic organisms, also called micro-organisms. Most often they are bacteria (friendly bacteria), but they may also be other organisms such as yeasts. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines probiotics as "live micro-organisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host".
Each group of bacteria has different species and each species has different strains. This is important because different strains have different benefits for different parts of your body. For a list of these, please visit this website for info (no affiliation/sponsor, your clicks from there are your responsability and the subsequent info does not necessarily represent my views.)
Each group of bacteria has different species and each species has different strains. This is important because different strains have different benefits for different parts of your body. For a list of these, please visit this website for info (no affiliation/sponsor, your clicks from there are your responsability and the subsequent info does not necessarily represent my views.)
"Strains of probiotics work differently and could be interchanged but we don't know if it would work because not all combinations have been tested scientifically so we generally stick to what the trial results have shown."
The most common probiotic bacteria come from two groups, sometimes mixed together: Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Lactobacillus Casei Shirota is what's in Yakult.The name of the strain "Shirota" comes from Dr Shirota (Yakult's founder) who isolated this strain.
Note = Did you Know that Yakult is the universal language Esperanto translation of Yoghurt?
For a probiotic to successfully exert its benefit on the host's gut microbiota it should be able to remain viable during storage and also be capable of surviving, and potentially colonizing the host's intestinal environment.
Studies on special mice have shown so far that a diet supplemented with probiotics are beneficial to treat/prevent obesity, type II Diabetes, liver damage, IBS, IBD, C. difficile infection.
Note = Did you Know that Yakult is the universal language Esperanto translation of Yoghurt?
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| 4 flavours of Yakult |
Studies on special mice have shown so far that a diet supplemented with probiotics are beneficial to treat/prevent obesity, type II Diabetes, liver damage, IBS, IBD, C. difficile infection.
"We tested a diet supplemented with 3 bottles of Yakult/day on 8 human patients who had severe liver damage with activated innate immunity response ie. abnormal levels of neutrophils (serve as a biomarker). After 4 weeks of supplemented diet, no patient experienced side effects and all showed normal blood levels of neutrophils... A new study is underway to see how long this effect lasts (on 92 patients; randomized, double blind, 6-months study)."
As a conclusion, I think it was quite extraordinary to learn about the amazing effects of these probiotics.
Now, of course, I'm not saying you should rush to the shop and buy Danone bifidus or Yakult.
What we know is that with our Western diet, our gut is highly susceptible to imbalance, and it wouldn't be stupid to take some probiotics once in a while, especially after a good night out ;).
If you are suffering from bowel disease or Diabetes, please do not take this as a medical advice, I am not "medically" trained, I'm just a scientist, so please do see your GP.
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
References and further reading
Pint Of Science - Dr Jane Macnaughtan
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Probiotics
Now, of course, I'm not saying you should rush to the shop and buy Danone bifidus or Yakult.
What we know is that with our Western diet, our gut is highly susceptible to imbalance, and it wouldn't be stupid to take some probiotics once in a while, especially after a good night out ;).
If you are suffering from bowel disease or Diabetes, please do not take this as a medical advice, I am not "medically" trained, I'm just a scientist, so please do see your GP.
See you Soon for more Sexy Science,
References and further reading
Pint Of Science - Dr Jane Macnaughtan
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Probiotics
American Gastroenterological Association
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24681100 - Kindly provided by future Dr Nirmesh Patel
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24681100 - Kindly provided by future Dr Nirmesh Patel
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20920376
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24583612
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