LANCASTER, Texas - Family friends say a Texas man accused of killing six relatives in a Christmas Day murder-suicide was struggling financially and didn't like that his estranged wife was doing well.
Authorities say 56-year-old Aziz Yazdanpanah (ah-ZEEZ' YAWZ'-dahn-pahn-aw) was dressed as Santa when he fatally shot his estranged wife, their two teenage children and three other relatives Sunday inside an apartment in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Grapevine.
After a private burial for the six victims Thursday, family friend Azar Shahbazi (AH'-zahr shah-BAH'-zee) said she believed Yazdanpanah was upset because his wife "was doing good on her own."
The wife's brother, Ali Rahmaty (AH'-lee rah-MAH'-tee), says he'd been financially supporting the family. He says Yazdanpanah had been unemployed for more than a decade, but says he never thought Yazdanpanah would become violent.
Can landlubbers use blubber?: Discover one of the tricks some animals have evolved to keep warm in chilly waters. Image: George Retseck
Key concepts
Temperature
Heat transfer
Adaptation
Insulation
Fatty tissue
Introduction
Have you ever wondered how whales and other marine mammals survive and keep warm in the cold oceans? Warm-blooded mammals can live in these chilly conditions because their bodies have some cool warmth-saving adaptations, thanks to generations of natural selection.
In other words, to pass on characteristics (via their genes), the predecessors of modern marine mammals had to overcome different challenges to reproduce, and their descendants received the genes that allowed for their survival. This kind of change in organisms over time is what fuels evolution. An important adaptation for marine mammals is blubber, a thick, insulating layer of fat beneath the skin that helps to keep body warmth in and the cold of the air or water out. Will a layer of fake blubber?in the form of shortening?help you keep from getting cold?
Background
Mammals that have evolved to live in cold waters, such as whales, seals, sea lions and polar bears, commonly have a layer of blubber. Whether they are living in cold waters near the North Pole or around Antarctica or are visiting the deep ocean, these animals' blubber is vital to their survival. During the winter, the air in the Arctic (the northernmost part of the world) is often below ?40 degrees Celsius (?40 degrees Fahrenheit). Antarctica, the coldest place in the world, can be below ?60 degrees C (?76 degrees F). Depending on the species, whales dive more than 400 or 500 meters (about one fourth of a mile) deep in the ocean, where the water can be colder than 12 degrees C (54 degrees F).
Blubber helps these marine mammals from getting too cold. (Cold-blooded marine animals, such as fish, sharks or crabs, do not need to stay warm and can let their body temperatures get closer to that of the water. Thus, they do not need to have this extra insulation.) Blubber is a thick layer of fat (adipose) tissue. Animals store extra digested food in the form of adipose tissue, which contains molecules called lipids. Adipose tissue has a relatively low thermal conductivity, which means that it does not transfer heat as well as other tissues and materials?such as muscle or skin. That way, it helps to insulate an animal's body.
Materials
??? ?Two bowls
??? ?Cold water
??? ?Warm water
??? ?Ice cubes
??? ?Shortening (such as Crisco)
??? ?Paper towels
??? ?Stopwatch
??? ?Thermometer
??? ?A partner
Preparation
??? ?Put an equal number of ice cubes into each bowl without filling either bowl too full. Add cold water to each bowl.
??? ?Measure the temperature of the water in each bowl with a thermometer. They should be the same temperature. When the temperature levels off (which should happen quickly), the water is ready for the test.
Procedure
??? ?Cover your pointer finger on one hand with a thick layer of shortening, covering the entire area that will be submerged in the water. Leave your other pointer finger clean and bare.
??? ?Have your partner prepare the stopwatch. When he or she is ready, put the pointer finger of each hand into one of the bowls of ice water and have your partner start timing you. As soon as your finger feels too cold to keep it in the water any longer, take it out. How long did you leave each finger in the bowl?
??? ?Let your fingers warm up and return to their normal color. If any shortening came off of the covered finger, reapply it.
??? ?Have your partner help you pour the cold water down the sink and refill the two bowls with warm water (make sure it is warm but not hot enough to burn the skin).
??? ?Measure the temperature of the water in each bowl with a thermometer. They should be about the same. In the warm water, do you think you'll see the same result?
??? ?Have your partner time how long you can leave each finger in the bowls of warm water. How long did you leave each finger in the bowl? Was the time difference between the two fingers larger or smaller than when you put your fingers in the ice-cold water?? ?
??? ?Extra: How consistent are your results? You can repeat this activity two or three times, recording the temperature of the different waters tested and the time each finger was in the water. Then make a graph out of your results. In which environment did the shortening "adaptation" consistently give an advantage?
Source: www.nytimes.com --- Wednesday, December 28, 2011 Northeastern University, based in Boston, opened its first satellite campus, which combines virtual and in-person instruction, this year in Charlotte, N.C. Seattle is next. ...
What if you could turn your experience with breast cancer into a gift to give to others? How wonderful is it to think that you can use your cancer story to bless others this Christmas season? Mailet Lopez not only turned her story about stage 2 breast cancer into something that could bless others, she has created a forum where all cancer survivors have the opportunity to bless someone else whose life is touched by cancer. She created a social network for people touched by cancer. IHadCancer.com is a website where survivors, those newly diagnosed, and those who have a loved one or friend touched by cancer can connect. It is simple yet brilliant.
I know how quickly you feel isolated when you receive a cancer diagnosis; you feel different from the people around you. The fear and uncertainty are overwhelming, and often your family and friends don?t know how to help you. Well, someone does ? another survivor.
Mailet built her website for those who are newly diagnosed or have a loved one who has been diagnosed with cancer. The social network that she and her co-founders have created can be a lifeline for cancer victims. The stories are heartwarming, encouraging, informational and inspiring. You don?t feel so alone when you can find someone who knows exactly what you are going through and who can tell you that you will get through it. I can think of no better gift to give a cancer patient than the support of someone on the other side of the battle. Your story has the power to lead someone through the dark and painful months of treatment.
The website is beautiful. IHadCancer.com is the only website that has ever made me cry. I cried when I read what it was about; I cried when I heard Mailet?s story, and I cried when I realized the power this site has in the battle against breast cancer and other forms of the disease. It was an experience that touched me and reminded me that we are a community of warriors and survivors. This network of courageous people helping each other and providing insight and encouragement for families facing cancer is unique and awe-inspiring.
The website itself is easy to navigate and provides all the information you need to understand, use and join it. This Christmas season, we can all turn our cancer experiences into a gift; we each have a story to share with someone who needs a friend. What a remarkable gift idea!
CAIRO, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Eight people have been killed as clashes between troops and protesters in central Cairo spilled over into a second day, Egyptian state television said on Saturday.
It also said that 303 people had been wounded in the unrest in the capital, whose centre has turned into a smoke-filled battleground in some of the most violent clashes since a popular uprising ousted President Hosni Mubarak last February.
Egypt's Dar al-Iftah, the body that issues Islamic fatwas (edicts), said one of its senior officials, Emad Effat, was among the dead, state news agency MENA said.
Clashes around government offices and parliament raged on after nightfall on Friday, with protesters throwing petrol bombs and stones at soldiers who used batons and what witnesses said appeared to be electric cattle prods.
The violence has sharpened tensions between the ruling army and its opponents, and clouded a parliamentary vote set to bring Islamists, long repressed by Mubarak, to the verge of power.
Who needs to make a successful tablet, or even a successful tablet OS when you can just make a tablet-compatible keyboard? That seems to be the thinking over at Microsoft these days–the company has just announced a portable Bluetooth keyboard called the Mobile Keyboard 5000. As is usually the case with Microsoft peripherals, the 5000 looks [...]
John Schiller, Energy XXI chairman & CEO, discusses Wednesday's lease sale for spots in the Gulf of Mexico and whether his company will continue to acquire of properties in the future.
Related Links:
Business & financial news headlines from msnbc.com
A gene that protects against colorectal cancersPublic release date: 14-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Inserm Presse presse@inserm.fr INSERM (Institut national de la sant et de la recherche mdicale)
The research team at Lyon has developed an animal model carrying a mutation of the DCC gene. Mice carrying the mutation develop tumours, because this gene can no longer induce the death of the cancer cells. This discovery could lead to the development of a new targeted cancer treatment that aims to reactivate the dying of cancer cells.
The results of this study have been published as a Letter in the 11th December 2011 issue of the journal Nature.
The team led by Patrick Mehlen, Director of the DEVweCAN 'Laboratory of Excellence' at the Lyon Cancer Research Centre (CNRS/Inserm/Centre Lon Brard/Universit Claude Bernard 1), studies the cell death process (apoptosis) and, in particular, the mechanism that makes the cells understand that they should initiate a self-destruction process when they become abnormal. Patrick Mehlen's team suggested that this mechanism could operate via sentinels located on the surface of cells, which examine their environment. The scientists named these sentinels 'dependence receptors'.
The research team focused on this concept of 'dependence receptors'. When a cell receptor is associated with its ligand, the classic message indicates 'all is well', and leads to cell survival. On the other hand, when the receptor is deprived of its ligand, it can send a message leading to cell death. This mechanism is also called 'apoptosis.' When this is applied to cancer research, the absence of ligands could cause the death of cancer cells that proliferate in an anarchic manner.
In this study, Patrick Mehlen's team shows that the DCC gene (Deleted Colorectal Cancer), which codes for a 'dependence receptor', protects the organism from the onset of cancer by causing the death of cells that become cancerous. The researchers used a mouse model where the DCC gene has been genetically modified. The mutation of this dependence receptor prevents the induction of apoptosis. When the DCC gene is eliminated by mutation, the mouse spontaneously develops colon cancer.
'The organism is naturally protected from the development of cancers thanks to the presence of this tumour-suppressing gene. Unfortunately, certain cancer cells escape from this control by blocking this 'dependence receptor' mechanism. That is how we know that the DCC gene is extinguished in most human cancers,' explains Patrick Mehlen.
In the near future, this research work could lead to a new targeted treatment that aims to reactivate the death of the cancer cells to destroy breast cancer, lung cancer, etc. 'Our group has developed several candidate drugs that reactivate the cell death induced by the DCC receptor in animal models, and we hope to be able to carry out human clinical testing of these candidate drugs in three years' time,' concludes Patrick Mehlen.
###
Patrick Mehlen's work will be supported via the Liliane Bettencourt Schueller Life Sciences Prize, which he has just won. The prize will be awarded on 15th December 2011. To visit the Foundation's website: http://www.fondationbs.org/
Sources
DCC constrains tumour progression via its dependence receptor activity Marie Castets1, Laura Broutier1, Yann Molin1, Marie Brevet2, Guillaume Chazot1, Nicolas Gadot2, Armelle Paquet2, Laetitia Mazelin1, Loraine Jarrosson-Wuilleme1, Jean-Yves Scoazec2, AgnesBernet1 & Patrick Mehlen1
1 Apoptosis, Cancer and Development Laboratory - Equipe labellise 'La Ligue', LabEx DEVweCAN, Centre de Cancrologie de Lyon, INSERM U1052-CNRS UMR5286, Universit de Lyon, Centre Lon Brard, 69008 Lyon, France.
2 Endocrine Differentiation Laboratory, Centre de Cancrologie de Lyon, INSERM U1052-CNRS UMR5286, Universit de Lyon, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Hpital Edouard Herriot, Anatomie Pathologique, 69437 Lyon, France.
Nature, 11 dcembre 2011doi:10.1038/nature10708
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
A gene that protects against colorectal cancersPublic release date: 14-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Inserm Presse presse@inserm.fr INSERM (Institut national de la sant et de la recherche mdicale)
The research team at Lyon has developed an animal model carrying a mutation of the DCC gene. Mice carrying the mutation develop tumours, because this gene can no longer induce the death of the cancer cells. This discovery could lead to the development of a new targeted cancer treatment that aims to reactivate the dying of cancer cells.
The results of this study have been published as a Letter in the 11th December 2011 issue of the journal Nature.
The team led by Patrick Mehlen, Director of the DEVweCAN 'Laboratory of Excellence' at the Lyon Cancer Research Centre (CNRS/Inserm/Centre Lon Brard/Universit Claude Bernard 1), studies the cell death process (apoptosis) and, in particular, the mechanism that makes the cells understand that they should initiate a self-destruction process when they become abnormal. Patrick Mehlen's team suggested that this mechanism could operate via sentinels located on the surface of cells, which examine their environment. The scientists named these sentinels 'dependence receptors'.
The research team focused on this concept of 'dependence receptors'. When a cell receptor is associated with its ligand, the classic message indicates 'all is well', and leads to cell survival. On the other hand, when the receptor is deprived of its ligand, it can send a message leading to cell death. This mechanism is also called 'apoptosis.' When this is applied to cancer research, the absence of ligands could cause the death of cancer cells that proliferate in an anarchic manner.
In this study, Patrick Mehlen's team shows that the DCC gene (Deleted Colorectal Cancer), which codes for a 'dependence receptor', protects the organism from the onset of cancer by causing the death of cells that become cancerous. The researchers used a mouse model where the DCC gene has been genetically modified. The mutation of this dependence receptor prevents the induction of apoptosis. When the DCC gene is eliminated by mutation, the mouse spontaneously develops colon cancer.
'The organism is naturally protected from the development of cancers thanks to the presence of this tumour-suppressing gene. Unfortunately, certain cancer cells escape from this control by blocking this 'dependence receptor' mechanism. That is how we know that the DCC gene is extinguished in most human cancers,' explains Patrick Mehlen.
In the near future, this research work could lead to a new targeted treatment that aims to reactivate the death of the cancer cells to destroy breast cancer, lung cancer, etc. 'Our group has developed several candidate drugs that reactivate the cell death induced by the DCC receptor in animal models, and we hope to be able to carry out human clinical testing of these candidate drugs in three years' time,' concludes Patrick Mehlen.
###
Patrick Mehlen's work will be supported via the Liliane Bettencourt Schueller Life Sciences Prize, which he has just won. The prize will be awarded on 15th December 2011. To visit the Foundation's website: http://www.fondationbs.org/
Sources
DCC constrains tumour progression via its dependence receptor activity Marie Castets1, Laura Broutier1, Yann Molin1, Marie Brevet2, Guillaume Chazot1, Nicolas Gadot2, Armelle Paquet2, Laetitia Mazelin1, Loraine Jarrosson-Wuilleme1, Jean-Yves Scoazec2, AgnesBernet1 & Patrick Mehlen1
1 Apoptosis, Cancer and Development Laboratory - Equipe labellise 'La Ligue', LabEx DEVweCAN, Centre de Cancrologie de Lyon, INSERM U1052-CNRS UMR5286, Universit de Lyon, Centre Lon Brard, 69008 Lyon, France.
2 Endocrine Differentiation Laboratory, Centre de Cancrologie de Lyon, INSERM U1052-CNRS UMR5286, Universit de Lyon, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Hpital Edouard Herriot, Anatomie Pathologique, 69437 Lyon, France.
Nature, 11 dcembre 2011doi:10.1038/nature10708
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
The 3DS sure had a bumpy start, but it seems Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata's hunch that sales will pick up (we reported last week) is right. According to Japan?s biggest video game magazine Famitsu, the 3DS sold a solid 378,114 units between December 5 and 11. Nintendo reported 371,326 units sold in the first two days after launch in Japan, but the last week was the most successful one for big N after initial interest got weaker (see graph below). Apart from the general boost for the video game market as a whole observed every holiday season, there is one specific reason for the spike the 3DS has seen last week: Capcom's Monster Hunter 3G, which went on sale in Japan on December 10, and apparently made many new players buy the system.
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 14-Dec-2011
Share ] 
The