Parkinson's study to use skin cells
Wednesday, July 14 11:31 am
The skin cells will be genetically reset to "zero" before being launched on a new development path.
This turns them into stem cells with the same properties as those found in early stage embryos, which have the ability to develop into virtually any kind of body tissue.
Scientists hope to use them to grow neurons that produce the brain-signalling chemical dopamine.
Parkinson's disease is said to be triggered when dopamine neurons die off, upsetting the control of muscle movements.
The disease is characterised by tremors, stiffness and lack of balance.
A team led by Richard Wade-Martins, head of the Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, plans to recruit more than 1,000 patients with early stage symptoms.
He said: "Induced pluripotent stem cells provide new and exciting opportunities to grow and study dopamine neurons from patients for the first time. This technology will prove to be extremely important in diseases which affect the brain because of its relative inaccessibility - it's far easier to get a skin sample than a brain biopsy.
"Once we have neurons from patients we can compare the functioning of cells taken from patients with the disease and those without to better understand why dopamine neurons die in patients with Parkinson's."
Details of the five-year research programme were presented at the UK National Stem Cell Network annual science meeting in Nottingham.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Interesting Parkinson research in the UK!
Parkinson's study to use skin cells
Wednesday, July 14 11:31 am
The skin cells will be genetically reset to "zero" before being launched on a new development path.
This turns them into stem cells with the same properties as those found in early stage embryos, which have the ability to develop into virtually any kind of body tissue.
Scientists hope to use them to grow neurons that produce the brain-signalling chemical dopamine.
Parkinson's disease is said to be triggered when dopamine neurons die off, upsetting the control of muscle movements.
The disease is characterised by tremors, stiffness and lack of balance.
A team led by Richard Wade-Martins, head of the Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, plans to recruit more than 1,000 patients with early stage symptoms.
He said: "Induced pluripotent stem cells provide new and exciting opportunities to grow and study dopamine neurons from patients for the first time. This technology will prove to be extremely important in diseases which affect the brain because of its relative inaccessibility - it's far easier to get a skin sample than a brain biopsy.
"Once we have neurons from patients we can compare the functioning of cells taken from patients with the disease and those without to better understand why dopamine neurons die in patients with Parkinson's."
Details of the five-year research programme were presented at the UK National Stem Cell Network annual science meeting in Nottingham.
Wednesday, July 14 11:31 am
The skin cells will be genetically reset to "zero" before being launched on a new development path.
This turns them into stem cells with the same properties as those found in early stage embryos, which have the ability to develop into virtually any kind of body tissue.
Scientists hope to use them to grow neurons that produce the brain-signalling chemical dopamine.
Parkinson's disease is said to be triggered when dopamine neurons die off, upsetting the control of muscle movements.
The disease is characterised by tremors, stiffness and lack of balance.
A team led by Richard Wade-Martins, head of the Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, plans to recruit more than 1,000 patients with early stage symptoms.
He said: "Induced pluripotent stem cells provide new and exciting opportunities to grow and study dopamine neurons from patients for the first time. This technology will prove to be extremely important in diseases which affect the brain because of its relative inaccessibility - it's far easier to get a skin sample than a brain biopsy.
"Once we have neurons from patients we can compare the functioning of cells taken from patients with the disease and those without to better understand why dopamine neurons die in patients with Parkinson's."
Details of the five-year research programme were presented at the UK National Stem Cell Network annual science meeting in Nottingham.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Interesting and Useful Information
I found this article today on Yahoo! Thought it may be something that people new to running a business may find useful in the "what not to do" category of starting up and/or running a new school or center!!!
Ways to Ensure Mediocrity in Your Organization
by Liz Ryan, Provided by BusinessWeek
Monday, May 17, 2010
The recession is no excuse for ignoring, misusing, or demeaning talent. But hey, if that's what you really want to do, follow these suggestions.
The last time I checked, the U.S. led the world in productivity per employee. That's the good news. The bad news is that much, if not all, of that boost in productivity has come on the backs of workers, especially salaried types viewed by too many management teams as infinitely elastic resources. As one management consultant told me: "The average company takes better care of its copiers than it does its talent."
Many chief executives use the tough competitive environment as a handy excuse to put off salary increases, tighten the screws on performance, and generally drop any pretense of creating a human-centered workplace. But the tough-economy picture has two sides. Only those companies that make the effort to keep their employees productive by treating them decently can expect to see continued productivity gains. Much of the workforce has tuned out, waiting for a more welcoming job market to make career moves. Those organizations that haven't wavered on their commitments to flexibility, recognition of talent, and transparent leadership will keep A-list players on board as the job market improves. Their competitors may be wishing they'd paid a little more attention to employee TLC as employees start peeling off for greener pastures.
Here are five of the most insulting leadership practices, the ones that virtually guarantee a business will end up with the most self-esteem challenged, optionless team members when the dust settles.
1. If you desire a mediocre workforce, make sure your employees know you don't trust them.
Nothing spells "You're dirt to us" like a corporate culture that screams, "We don't trust you as far as we can throw you." I refer to company policies that require employees to clock in and out for lunch or software that tracks every keystroke and change of URL in case a molecule of nonwork-related activity squeaks into the workday. When employees know they're not trusted, they become experts at "presenteeism"—the physical appearance of working, without anything getting done. Congratulations! Your inability to trust the very people you've selected to join your team has cost you their energy, goodwill, and great ideas.
2. If you want to drive talented people away, don't tell them when they shine.
Fear of a high-self-esteem employee is prevalent among average-grade corporate leadership teams. Look how hard it is for so many managers to say, "Hey Bob, you did a great job today." Maybe it's a fear that the bit of praise will be met with a request for a pay raise. Maybe it's the fear that acknowledging performance will somehow make the manager look weak. Whatever the reason for silence, leaders who can't say, "Thanks—good going!" can plan on bidding farewell to their most able team members in short order.
3. If you prefer a team of C-list players, keep employees in the dark.
Sharp knowledge workers want to know what's going on in their organizations, beyond their departmental silos. They want some visibility into the company's plans and their own career mobility. Leaders who can't stand to shine a light on their firms' goals, strategies, and systems are all but guaranteed to spend a lot of money running ads on Monster.com. Marketable top performers want a seat at the table and won't stand for being left in the dark without the information they need to do their jobs well.
4. If you value docility over ingenuity, shout it from the rooftops.
I heard from a new MBA who had joined a global manufacturer. "They told me during my first week that I need a manager's signature to organize a meeting," he recalled. "They said I'm too low-level to call a meeting on my own, because unauthorized meetings of nonmanagers are against company policy." How fearful of its employees would a leadership team have to be to forbid people to gather together to solve problems? The most desirable value creators won't stick around to be treated like children. They'll hop a bus to the first employer who tells them, "We're hiring you for your talent—now go do something brilliant."
5. If you fear an empowered workforce more than you fear the competition, squash any sign of individualism.
When you go to college, you learn about Economic Man, but in the corporate workplace we see that real people don't always act rationally. Lots of individual managers and plenty of leadership teams fear nothing more than the idea that a self-directed employee might buck authority. That's equivalent to shaking the organizational power structure to its foundation, possibly a fate worse than death. Leaders who want the most docile, sheep-like employees more than the smartest and ablest ones create systems to keep the C players on board and drive the A team out the door. They do it by instituting reams of pointless rules, upbraiding people for miniscule infractions ("What? Twenty minutes late? Sure you worked here until midnight last night, but starting time is starting time.") and generally replacing trust with fear throughout their organizations. Companies that operate in fear mode will never deliver great products and services to the marketplace. Their efforts will be hamstrung by their talent-repelling management practices.
How long will it take these enterprises to figure out they're shooting themselves in the foot? It doesn't matter—you'll be long gone by then.
Liz Ryan is an expert on the new-millennium workplace and a former Fortune 500 HR executive.
Ways to Ensure Mediocrity in Your Organization
by Liz Ryan, Provided by BusinessWeek
Monday, May 17, 2010
The recession is no excuse for ignoring, misusing, or demeaning talent. But hey, if that's what you really want to do, follow these suggestions.
The last time I checked, the U.S. led the world in productivity per employee. That's the good news. The bad news is that much, if not all, of that boost in productivity has come on the backs of workers, especially salaried types viewed by too many management teams as infinitely elastic resources. As one management consultant told me: "The average company takes better care of its copiers than it does its talent."
Many chief executives use the tough competitive environment as a handy excuse to put off salary increases, tighten the screws on performance, and generally drop any pretense of creating a human-centered workplace. But the tough-economy picture has two sides. Only those companies that make the effort to keep their employees productive by treating them decently can expect to see continued productivity gains. Much of the workforce has tuned out, waiting for a more welcoming job market to make career moves. Those organizations that haven't wavered on their commitments to flexibility, recognition of talent, and transparent leadership will keep A-list players on board as the job market improves. Their competitors may be wishing they'd paid a little more attention to employee TLC as employees start peeling off for greener pastures.
Here are five of the most insulting leadership practices, the ones that virtually guarantee a business will end up with the most self-esteem challenged, optionless team members when the dust settles.
1. If you desire a mediocre workforce, make sure your employees know you don't trust them.
Nothing spells "You're dirt to us" like a corporate culture that screams, "We don't trust you as far as we can throw you." I refer to company policies that require employees to clock in and out for lunch or software that tracks every keystroke and change of URL in case a molecule of nonwork-related activity squeaks into the workday. When employees know they're not trusted, they become experts at "presenteeism"—the physical appearance of working, without anything getting done. Congratulations! Your inability to trust the very people you've selected to join your team has cost you their energy, goodwill, and great ideas.
2. If you want to drive talented people away, don't tell them when they shine.
Fear of a high-self-esteem employee is prevalent among average-grade corporate leadership teams. Look how hard it is for so many managers to say, "Hey Bob, you did a great job today." Maybe it's a fear that the bit of praise will be met with a request for a pay raise. Maybe it's the fear that acknowledging performance will somehow make the manager look weak. Whatever the reason for silence, leaders who can't say, "Thanks—good going!" can plan on bidding farewell to their most able team members in short order.
3. If you prefer a team of C-list players, keep employees in the dark.
Sharp knowledge workers want to know what's going on in their organizations, beyond their departmental silos. They want some visibility into the company's plans and their own career mobility. Leaders who can't stand to shine a light on their firms' goals, strategies, and systems are all but guaranteed to spend a lot of money running ads on Monster.com. Marketable top performers want a seat at the table and won't stand for being left in the dark without the information they need to do their jobs well.
4. If you value docility over ingenuity, shout it from the rooftops.
I heard from a new MBA who had joined a global manufacturer. "They told me during my first week that I need a manager's signature to organize a meeting," he recalled. "They said I'm too low-level to call a meeting on my own, because unauthorized meetings of nonmanagers are against company policy." How fearful of its employees would a leadership team have to be to forbid people to gather together to solve problems? The most desirable value creators won't stick around to be treated like children. They'll hop a bus to the first employer who tells them, "We're hiring you for your talent—now go do something brilliant."
5. If you fear an empowered workforce more than you fear the competition, squash any sign of individualism.
When you go to college, you learn about Economic Man, but in the corporate workplace we see that real people don't always act rationally. Lots of individual managers and plenty of leadership teams fear nothing more than the idea that a self-directed employee might buck authority. That's equivalent to shaking the organizational power structure to its foundation, possibly a fate worse than death. Leaders who want the most docile, sheep-like employees more than the smartest and ablest ones create systems to keep the C players on board and drive the A team out the door. They do it by instituting reams of pointless rules, upbraiding people for miniscule infractions ("What? Twenty minutes late? Sure you worked here until midnight last night, but starting time is starting time.") and generally replacing trust with fear throughout their organizations. Companies that operate in fear mode will never deliver great products and services to the marketplace. Their efforts will be hamstrung by their talent-repelling management practices.
How long will it take these enterprises to figure out they're shooting themselves in the foot? It doesn't matter—you'll be long gone by then.
Liz Ryan is an expert on the new-millennium workplace and a former Fortune 500 HR executive.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Confused!!
I have scanned through 40 or 50 different CE posts from the past 12 months in an attempt to gauge what issues are in the forefront of everyone's mind and also to get some inspiration for my book. All I seem to be doing though is going around in circles and asking more questions than I am answering.
So with this in mind I am changing track and now asking myself several questions:
What do parents/families want to know about CE?
and more importantly...
What do parents/families need to know about CE?
How can I impart all the relevant info in such a way as to be clear, concise and still give a clear understanding of our Educational Principles.....and so set them off in the correct direction regarding education vs therapy?
Do I think this is even possible having read several blog/articles on the challenges of convincing people we are an educational approach NOT a therapeutic one?
I knew that I was embarking on a mammoth task here but it is seeming even more challenging now, am I up to the challenge? I would like to think I am...I guess we will find out!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Introductions
Hello and welcome to this my first blog on my CE site!
After watching the CE blog world explode over the past year I have finally decided to join the ranks and begin a blog of my own. Having spent 12 years in the world of CE, (9 as a qualified conductor) I am continuing to learn and grow as a conductor. However, I am also still frustrated about how CE is perceived by most people and how slowly we are managing as a profession to break into the main stream!
I have spent my 9 years as a conductor working in North America and have become familiar with the ups and downs of our community out here and with the many road blocks and issues that make moving forward a challenge at best!
I am currently embarking on a self assigned task to create a book designed to help families to better understand the field of CE and to maybe set aside some misconceptions and help people to avoid some of the comment pitfalls I have been witness to over the past decade. And I hope to use this blog and hopefully your comments to gain more information and knowledge which needs to be passed on to people entering our world for the first time.
I hope to keep my rants to a minimum but I trust you will bear with me when all else fails and I use this forum to vent a little. I am sure anyone even remotely associated with the world of CE will understand that the passion for the clients that we have the privilege of working with, can often spill over when bureaucracy insists on blocking us at every turn!
Many thanks for looking me up and here's to an interesting journey as we conductively move forward!
After watching the CE blog world explode over the past year I have finally decided to join the ranks and begin a blog of my own. Having spent 12 years in the world of CE, (9 as a qualified conductor) I am continuing to learn and grow as a conductor. However, I am also still frustrated about how CE is perceived by most people and how slowly we are managing as a profession to break into the main stream!
I have spent my 9 years as a conductor working in North America and have become familiar with the ups and downs of our community out here and with the many road blocks and issues that make moving forward a challenge at best!
I am currently embarking on a self assigned task to create a book designed to help families to better understand the field of CE and to maybe set aside some misconceptions and help people to avoid some of the comment pitfalls I have been witness to over the past decade. And I hope to use this blog and hopefully your comments to gain more information and knowledge which needs to be passed on to people entering our world for the first time.
I hope to keep my rants to a minimum but I trust you will bear with me when all else fails and I use this forum to vent a little. I am sure anyone even remotely associated with the world of CE will understand that the passion for the clients that we have the privilege of working with, can often spill over when bureaucracy insists on blocking us at every turn!
Many thanks for looking me up and here's to an interesting journey as we conductively move forward!
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