Vanilla bean seeds are useful for many recipes, but can be a pain to get out. If you have a couple of weeks until you need the seeds you can easily remove them by cutting off the ends of the beans and letting them sit in rum for around two weeks. After that, just squeeze the beans and the seeds will come out as a paste.
Using this method will give your dish a hint of rum flavor along with vanilla, but I can think of very few applications of vanilla where additional rum flavor would not be an improvement.
Culinary site Chow.com also recommends that you can dry the leftover pods and grind them in a coffee grinder as though they were a cinnamon stick. Use the resulting powder in your baked goods, coffee, or anything else you'd like to give a vanilla flavor.
If you have a lot of vanilla beans on hand (they're cheaper in bulk) you can also make your own vanilla extract.
THURSDAY, Jan. 12 (HealthDay News) -- The chemotherapy used to treat a form of adult leukemia sets a trap that can result in the return of the disease within years, a new study suggests.
The finding confirms the suspicions of specialists who thought chemotherapy drugs could disrupt DNA through mutations and ultimately allow tumor cells to avoid the effects of the medications.
"Chemotherapy drugs are absolutely necessary to get leukemia patients into remission, but we also pay a price in terms of DNA damage," study co-author Dr. Timothy Ley, a professor of oncology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said in a university news release.
These drugs "may contribute to disease progression and relapse in many different cancers, which is why our long-term goal is to find targeted therapies based on the mutations specific to a patient's cancer, rather than use drugs that further damage DNA," Ley added.
The type of leukemia in question is known as acute myeloid leukemia. While chemotherapy treatment can send the cancer into remission, 80 percent of patients die within five years. In the United States, about 13,000 cases of acute myeloid leukemia are diagnosed annually, most often in people age 60 and older.
The researchers came to their conclusions after studying the genomes -- the entire DNA, both healthy and cancerous cells -- from eight patients with acute myeloid leukemia. They watched to see what happened after the patients received chemotherapy.
The investigators found that tumors essentially reappeared, according to the report published in the Jan. 11 advance online edition of Nature.
"It's the same tumor coming back but with a twist," co-author Richard Wilson, director of university's Genome Institute, explained in the news release. It "comes back with new mutations that give the cells new strategies for surviving attack by whatever drugs are thrown at them. This makes a lot of sense but it's been hard to prove without whole-genome sequencing."
Commenting on the report, Louis DeGennaro, executive vice president and chief mission officer of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, said the study "demonstrates the critical need to identify disease-causing mutations in acute myeloid leukemia so that therapies targeted specifically at these mutations can be developed."
Ultimately, he added, "that would allow us to avoid the use of chemotherapy, which may contribute to cancer relapse."
For now, DeGennaro said, "while current chemotherapy regimens have liabilities, they represent the best treatment currently available and may result in complete remission, which would allow eligible patients to receive a stem cell transplant, the only treatment capable of curing acute myeloid leukemia."
More information
For more about acute myeloid leukemia, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) ? A Qatar-owned company says it has taken over the famous Raffles Hotel Singapore and an affiliated luxury hotel in Paris in the latest high-profile acquisitions by the energy-rich Gulf state.
The Qatar National Hotels Co. said Saturday that it recently took ownership of the 125-year-old Raffles Hotel Singapore and Le Royal Monceau Raffles hotel in Paris.
It did not disclose financial terms in the deal with Toronto-based Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, which had owned both hotels.
State-owned Qatari companies have been snapping up investments at a brisk pace in recent months, including stakes in European energy companies, Germany's largest builder Hochtief AG and majority ownership in the French football team Paris Saint-Germain.
A heterosexual person infected with HIV will transmit the virus to their partner once in every 900 times the couple has unprotected sex, according to a new study conducted in Africa.
However, the exact number of sexual acts that are needed to transmit the virus can vary tremendously depending on the amount of the virus in the infected person's blood, said study researcher James Hughes, of the University of Washington in Seattle.
In fact, the amount of virus in the blood is the single most important factor in determining whether HIV is passed between sexual partners, the study found. For every tenfold increase in the concentration, there is about a threefold increase in the risk of transmission during a single sexual act.
People with very high blood concentrations of the virus (such as those who very recently acquired the infection) may need to have sex only 10 times to transmit the virus, Hughes said. "The average can be a little deceptive," Hughes said.
The new findings reinforce the idea that the best methods for reducing HIV transmission are those that decrease the concentration of the virus in the blood, as can be done with antiretroviral drugs, Hughes said. A study published last year found the drugs could reduce the transmission of HIV between partners by 96 percent.
The new study also confirmed condoms are highly effective in preventing HIV infection, reducing the risk of transmission by 78 percent. Male circumcision reduced the risk of HIV transmission by 47 percent.
HIV transmission
Earlier studies attempted to estimate the rate of HIV transmission, but were typically quite small, and did not measure the concentration of the virus in the blood throughout the entire study period.
The new study included 3,297 couples from sub-Saharan Africa that were "HIV-discordant," meaning one partner had HIV while the other did not. The HIV-infected partners in the study were tested periodically over the two-year study for the amount of HIV in their blood. Infected partners were also interviewed every month and asked how many times they had sex, and whether they used protection.
The uninfected partners were tested periodically to see whether they had acquired HIV. The researchers used genetic testing of the virus to confirm that any new HIV infections had been acquired from the study partner designated at the study's start.
Eighty-six HIV transmissions occurred during the study period.
Men were about twice as likely to transmit HIV to women as women were to men. This increased risk of transmission could be attributed to higher virus concentrations in the blood of men compared with women, according to the study. In addition, women were more likely to have genital herpes, which increases susceptibility to HIV. [AIDS by the Numbers]
Condoms were reported to be used in 93 percent of sexual acts, but the researchers suspect their ?use was overreported. Therefore, condoms actually may be even more effective at preventing HIV transmission than the 78 percent reduction that the researchers estimated, Hughes said.
The AIDS epidemic
The study relied on self-reports, which might be wrong. However, errors in reports of the number of sexual acts would be unlikely to affect most of the study results, Hughes said.
The average risk of HIV infection per sexual act estimated in the study is consistent with what has been found by previous research, but there are many situations in which that number may not apply," said Dr. Myron Cohen, a professor of medicine, microbiology, immunology and public health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who was not involved in the work.
That's because the participants included in the study are couples that have remained together and discordant over a long period of time. This indicates the couples might have some biological protection against transmission, Cohen said.
"The true estimation might be higher if you were studying different kinds of people," Cohen said.
While most of the findings are likely generalizable to other countries, the number of sexual acts needed to transmit the virus is likely specific to the African population studied, Hughes said. Previous studies in the United States have found a lower transmission rate.
In addition, the findings only apply to heterosexual couples, and not men who have sex with men, a group that is likely to have a much higher transmission rate, Hughes said.
Pass it on: The best way to reduce the risk of HIV transmission is to lower the amount of the virus in the blood.
This story was provided by MyHealthNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily staff writer Rachael Rettner on Twitter @RachaelRettner. Find us on Facebook.
TOKYO ? Japan's prime minister said Friday the government has yet to decide on whether it will reduce oil imports from Iran in line with U.S. sanctions, saying businesses implications need to be considered.
Yoshihiko Noda's comments retreated from the strong support voiced a day earlier by his finance minister, Jun Azumi, who said Japan would start reducing oil imports as soon as possible.
Noda described Azumi's remarks as a "personal view," and said his government needs to first consult with businesses about the sanctions.
Noda didn't rule Japan's participation in the sanctions effort, and said he shared strong concerns about Iran's nuclear program.
"Japan's basic stance is to resolve such matters diplomatically and peacefully," he said during a news conference. "We need to consult with the business community, and we need to work out details with U.S. officials. We have to think about the implications for Japanese banks, and what measures are needed to resolve possible negative impact."
Washington is seeking to win global support for sanctions aimed at halting what Western governments say is Iran's effort to develop nuclear weapons. The sanctions, targeting Iran's main export of oil, would bar financial institutions from the U.S. market if they do business with Iran's central bank.
Azumi's supportive comments Thursday came after a meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who had traveled to China and Japan this week partly to muster support for the sanctions. He got a chilly response from Beijing.
Tehran denies the West's allegation that the program is aimed at building nuclear weapons.
Earlier Friday, Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba also took a cautious stance toward the sanctions, warning that the move could drive up global oil prices that would only benefit Tehran and hurt the global economy.
Japan is heavily dependent on imported oil and natural gas to meet its energy needs, and obtains about 9 percent of its oil from Iran. Japan's energy demands have increased even more since it shut down many nuclear plants in the wake of last year's tsunami and the nuclear crisis in Fukushima.
"We need to respond carefully and wisely," and Japan will finalize its policy in consultation with the U.S., Saudi Arabia and other countries, Gemba said during a joint news conference with visiting French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe.
"What's going to happen if oil prices surge is that sanctions will not be effective," Gemba said. "The higher oil prices, the more affluent Iran becomes," he said, apparently referring to the likelihood of some countries ignoring the sanctions and continuing to buy from Iran.
Rising oil prices could "have an adverse effect not only on the Japanese economy but also the entire global economy," he said, adding that his recent trip to the Mideast was made in anticipation of possible sanctions on Iran.
Agreement positions China as a critical player in the TB vaccine field
ROCKVILLE, MD, USA/BEIJING, CHINA -- The global fight against the tuberculosis epidemic receives a boost today as Aeras and the China National Biotec Group (CNBG) announce that they have reached final agreement to jointly develop new tuberculosis (TB) vaccines. The agreement between the leading non-profit developer of TB vaccine candidates and the largest biotechnology corporation in China signals a commitment by both to engage and strengthen the role of China in the fight against one of the world's deadliest infectious disease killers.
Xiaoming Yang, President of CNBG, said of the agreement: "CNBG has a great deal of expertise and energy to invest in this partnership. Not only is TB a public health crisis of the developing world, it is also a priority health issue here in China. We look forward to working with our counterparts at Aeras to develop new TB vaccines that will help stop tuberculosis in all corners of the world."
Multiple research institutes operating under the umbrella of CNBG will engage with Aeras on a strategy focused on the joint development, manufacturing and distribution of affordable new TB vaccines for use globally. The agreement spans all aspects of TB vaccine development from vaccine discovery to pre-clinical research to clinical research to manufacturing and positions CNBG as a major emerging player in the TB vaccine field.
Bacille Calmette-Gurin (BCG), the only currently-licensed TB vaccine, does not prevent pulmonary TB, the most common form of the disease. As part of this collaboration, Aeras will license its recombinant BCG (rBCG) platform which aims to improve upon the current TB vaccine and other technologies to CNBG. The groups will jointly develop novel TB vaccines using the rBCG platform and other technologies provided by Aeras or CNBG's research institutes. A variety of candidate booster vaccines will be engineered to match the new constructs with a goal to create more efficacious and longer-lasting protection against TB disease.
A keystone of this broad collaboration is the implementation of joint product development teams to develop and execute comprehensive plans for both the research and clinical development of TB vaccines and the design, construction and validation of a vaccine process development and manufacturing facility in China, which will receive financial support and technical expertise provided by Aeras.
"The synergy created by bringing together our scientific and manufacturing expertise could have a substantial impact on efforts to advance innovative candidates in TB vaccine development," said Jim Connolly, President and CEO of Aeras. "We look forward to working with the largest biotech corporation in a country with the skills, resources and TB disease burden to play a major role in overcoming the complex challenges of TB vaccine R&D."
TB is a major public health priority in China, where there are more than one million new TB cases every year. Globally, the TB epidemic is responsible for the deaths of 1.4 million people annually.
Aeras (http://www.aeras.org) is a non-profit product development organization dedicated to the development of effective TB vaccines and biologics to prevent TB across all age groups in an affordable and sustainable manner. Aeras utilizes its broad capabilities and technologies in collaboration with numerous partners and stakeholders to support the development of vaccines and other biopharmaceuticals to address TB and other significant public health needs of underserved populations. Aeras has invented or supported the development of six TB vaccine candidates to date, five of which are currently undergoing Phase I and Phase II clinical testing in Africa, Asia and North America. Aeras receives funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, other private foundations and various governments. Aeras is based in Rockville, Maryland, USA where it operates a state-of-the-art manufacturing and laboratory facility and Cape Town, South Africa.
About CNBG
CNBG (http://www.cnbg.com.cn) is a company limited by shares, the controlling shareholder of which is China's National Pharmaceutical Corporation (Sinopharm). CNBG has 10 subsidiaries and is the largest biotech corporation in China engaged in the research and development, manufacturing and marketing of biological products. CNBG manufactures more than 200 kinds of biological products (with approximately 100 GMP product lines) for prophylactic, therapeutic and diagnostic use, including all the vaccines in China's EPI programme, and maintains an 80% share of the public sector in China. In 2010, the annual output of CNBG reached 730 million doses, and it maintains one of the broadest portfolios of vaccine products in the world.
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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.
Aeras and CNBG sign agreement on tuberculosis vaccine R&D Public release date: 10-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Agreement positions China as a critical player in the TB vaccine field
ROCKVILLE, MD, USA/BEIJING, CHINA -- The global fight against the tuberculosis epidemic receives a boost today as Aeras and the China National Biotec Group (CNBG) announce that they have reached final agreement to jointly develop new tuberculosis (TB) vaccines. The agreement between the leading non-profit developer of TB vaccine candidates and the largest biotechnology corporation in China signals a commitment by both to engage and strengthen the role of China in the fight against one of the world's deadliest infectious disease killers.
Xiaoming Yang, President of CNBG, said of the agreement: "CNBG has a great deal of expertise and energy to invest in this partnership. Not only is TB a public health crisis of the developing world, it is also a priority health issue here in China. We look forward to working with our counterparts at Aeras to develop new TB vaccines that will help stop tuberculosis in all corners of the world."
Multiple research institutes operating under the umbrella of CNBG will engage with Aeras on a strategy focused on the joint development, manufacturing and distribution of affordable new TB vaccines for use globally. The agreement spans all aspects of TB vaccine development from vaccine discovery to pre-clinical research to clinical research to manufacturing and positions CNBG as a major emerging player in the TB vaccine field.
Bacille Calmette-Gurin (BCG), the only currently-licensed TB vaccine, does not prevent pulmonary TB, the most common form of the disease. As part of this collaboration, Aeras will license its recombinant BCG (rBCG) platform which aims to improve upon the current TB vaccine and other technologies to CNBG. The groups will jointly develop novel TB vaccines using the rBCG platform and other technologies provided by Aeras or CNBG's research institutes. A variety of candidate booster vaccines will be engineered to match the new constructs with a goal to create more efficacious and longer-lasting protection against TB disease.
A keystone of this broad collaboration is the implementation of joint product development teams to develop and execute comprehensive plans for both the research and clinical development of TB vaccines and the design, construction and validation of a vaccine process development and manufacturing facility in China, which will receive financial support and technical expertise provided by Aeras.
"The synergy created by bringing together our scientific and manufacturing expertise could have a substantial impact on efforts to advance innovative candidates in TB vaccine development," said Jim Connolly, President and CEO of Aeras. "We look forward to working with the largest biotech corporation in a country with the skills, resources and TB disease burden to play a major role in overcoming the complex challenges of TB vaccine R&D."
TB is a major public health priority in China, where there are more than one million new TB cases every year. Globally, the TB epidemic is responsible for the deaths of 1.4 million people annually.
Aeras (http://www.aeras.org) is a non-profit product development organization dedicated to the development of effective TB vaccines and biologics to prevent TB across all age groups in an affordable and sustainable manner. Aeras utilizes its broad capabilities and technologies in collaboration with numerous partners and stakeholders to support the development of vaccines and other biopharmaceuticals to address TB and other significant public health needs of underserved populations. Aeras has invented or supported the development of six TB vaccine candidates to date, five of which are currently undergoing Phase I and Phase II clinical testing in Africa, Asia and North America. Aeras receives funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, other private foundations and various governments. Aeras is based in Rockville, Maryland, USA where it operates a state-of-the-art manufacturing and laboratory facility and Cape Town, South Africa.
About CNBG
CNBG (http://www.cnbg.com.cn) is a company limited by shares, the controlling shareholder of which is China's National Pharmaceutical Corporation (Sinopharm). CNBG has 10 subsidiaries and is the largest biotech corporation in China engaged in the research and development, manufacturing and marketing of biological products. CNBG manufactures more than 200 kinds of biological products (with approximately 100 GMP product lines) for prophylactic, therapeutic and diagnostic use, including all the vaccines in China's EPI programme, and maintains an 80% share of the public sector in China. In 2010, the annual output of CNBG reached 730 million doses, and it maintains one of the broadest portfolios of vaccine products in the world.
[ | 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.
Everyone on the right is tired of Republican debates moderated by liberal activists masquerading as journalists.
Doug Ross hit the wall here?
So the chief political operative for a disgraced, impeached ex-president is the right guy to moderate a Republican debate?
And with America?s debt surpassing 100% of GDP ? which makes us, officially, a debtor nation; with Iran threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz; with China gearing up for war; with Islamists rising throughout the Middle East; with rating agencies threatening to further downgrade the United States; George Stephanapolous wants to discuss banning contraception? Really?
No, that?s the perverted worldview of a manic progressive, attempting to tar Republicans as religious throwbacks through his interrogatories.
Here?s a solution: we need a conservative bloggers? debate.
I nominate Ace of Spades, Andrew Breitbart, Ed Morrissey, Erick Erickson, Jim Hoft, John Hawkins, Michelle Malkin and Glenn Reynolds.
I can guaran-damn-tee that their combined audiences dwarf Stephanapolous? ratings.
Vanilla bean seeds are useful for many recipes, but can be a pain to get out. If you have a couple of weeks until you need the seeds you can easily remove them by cutting off the ends of the beans and letting them sit in rum for around two weeks. After that, just squeeze the beans and the seeds will come out as a paste. 
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Public release date: 10-Jan-2012
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