MONDAY, April 2 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists say they've found a way to change type A and B donated blood -- which can only be used by people with those types -- into universally usable type O.
If found to be safe and effective on a large scale, the discovery would greatly expand the supply of available blood and might even make shortages a thing of the past, experts said.
"The Red Cross is very interested in and supports this science and looks forward to seeing the clinical data on this," said Dr. Richard Benjamin, chief medical officer at the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C.
The findings were published Sunday in the online edition of the journal Nature Biotechnology.
Most people are born with one of four blood types: A, B, A/B or O. At the cellular level, types A and B red blood cells are characterized by distinct sugar molecules lying on their surfaces, while A/B carries both the A and B surface molecules. These molecules are "antigens" that can trigger lethal immunological reactions -- for example, if a type B person is transfused with type A blood.
Luckily, about one-quarter of the population also carries a form of blood without these surface antigens that's called type O. This means their donated blood can be safely used by any recipient. Type O blood is especially useful in emergency situations, when doctors don't have time to determine a patient's blood group.
"For this reason, hospitals use a lot more group O blood than they do type A or B," Benjamin said. "When you hear about 'blood shortages' in the press, we are really talking about the fact that we don't have enough type O."
One way to end these shortages would be to find a biochemical means of stripping away the A and B surface antigens from red blood cells, turning them into O. Molecules called enzymes can do this, but it has been tough to find enzymes that target only the A and B antigens and leave the rest of the cell alone.
The company behind the new research, ZymeQuest of Beverly, Mass., "had previously tried this with enzymes purified from things like coffee beans," Benjamin said. Those enzymes were effective, he said, "but what the clinical trials showed was that even if you have removed 99 percent of the group B (antigens), the human immune system can still see the remaining 1 percent and respond to it."
But the new research -- as yet tested only in a lab -- has achieved an efficiency that is many times "better than that prior work," Benjamin said.
The new effort was led by Dr. Henrik Clausen of Harvard Medical School and the University of Copenhagen. His team combed through an exhaustive database of bacteria and fungi looking for enzymes highly specific to the A and B surface antigens. They found two families of bacterial enzymes called glycosidases that target and remove the sugar molecules.
"This is big," said Dr. Louis M. Katz, executive vice president of medical affairs at America's Blood Centers, which oversees 77 regional blood centers serving more than 180 million people nationwide. "It clearly needs to be pushed forward toward clinical trials."
But Katz cautioned that crucial questions remain. "Do these enzymes change anything else on the red blood cell? We might now develop immune reactions to enzyme-treated red cells, for example," he said. Miniscule "residual" levels of the enzyme itself, left behind in the blood, might also cause immune problems, he said.
Finally, Katz said, how much would enzyme-based processing of A and B blood cost? In the research paper, the study authors said processing could be "efficient and cost-effective." Benjamin said the American Red Cross has been talking closely with ZymeQuest, and "I do know that they are trying to develop machines that could process multiple units at a time and get it down to an economic proposition."
But Katz, who also directs the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center in Davenport, Iowa, was somewhat more skeptical.
"The real question is whether the resources needed to scale up to this kind of thing would be better put toward better (blood) donor recruitment," he said. "Right now, five percent of the population donates per year. If we made that seven percent, the issue of availability would probably go away."
More information
Find out more about the blood supply, and where you can donate blood, at the American Red Cross.

Go to for further reading on: http://www.american.com/archive/2007/march-april-magazine-contents/islamic-banking-is-it-really-kosher

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Muslim scholars say the Qur’an prohibits collecting interest on loans. But many banks, both global and local, have found clever ways to meet religious strictures. It’s a system that may be hypocritical, but also profitable.
The coverage can be a little bit breathless: “La finance Islamique en plein boom,” Le Figaro reported in September. Yes, Islamic banking, structured along the lines that religion decrees, is in full boom. But is it really banking? And is it really kosher?
Islam prohibits the payment of interest on loans, so observant Muslims require specialized alternative arrangements from their banks. Many of the largest global financial companies, including Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan Chase, have established thriving subsidiaries that strive to meet these requirements. As a result, optimists speculate that the common pursuit of lucre—divinely sanctioned, filthy, or otherwise—will bring bickering civilizations together. They may be right.
The Islamic aversion to interest collection comes from the Qur’an. Not that the term “interest” is ever used: the Arabic injunction forbids something called riba. The Qur’an offers no exact definition of what riba meant in seventh-century Arabia, the time and place of the Prophet Mohammed—let alone what the term should mean today. In particular, the passages are ambiguous on the question of whether riba refers to all kinds of interest collection, or only usurious interest—that is, lending practices that are, according to some ill-defined standard, unfair and exploitative. What is clear in the divine financial critique is that, whatever riba may be, Jews are doing it. At one point God warns that they will face a “painful day of doom” if they keep it up.

It's been while that I have posted anything, I hope to share more this year.

There has been alot of events coming from back home at phase value good and bad?

I can quite honest say that I agree with the profound circumstance that brought a very necessary change. The Islamic court at the time gave us an alternative course, although, ambitious but they fail to delegate a substantial law and order in its proper sentencing. If you have a court system then it’s valid to assume that individuals will be a granted a chance to have say for their crimes. Hence, the TFG governing lacked the strong leadership that was essential. The TFG internal governing proved to be difficult from the parliamentary chair, as well as, its members of parliament. Now, we are in cross road to undergo a true test to produce the needed vision to lead a country. My question is TFG governing body capable realizing what is at steak?

What are the odd that Michigan will run to this kid?

Social upset, grassroots transformation from the old tactics to more objectionable way resolve our quarrel with the world? Is this it! Have we paid our gratuity from our own doing?







The pictures are a protest against the ill will threatening the lives many Somali immigrants residing in South Africa. And the perished “may they find peace.’’ The redundant killings of Somali Shop owners are staggering. We are face with choice be informed-and inform others of this atrocity.

what road would be less traveled and which more traveled?

hello everyone,
I do appreciate the time you take to visit this website, but i reconsidering the blog. Taking a time off! I don't know yet! will see
thanks,everyone

Drawing

Well, here goes my aim at world politic. As you visited this page, please write your feedback, good or bad!


Ivy world with icy toe
Senile politics as a seminar expo
We’re submerge like tree roots in limbo
Scarcity put on illusive play,
At the hands of War
Our worries of oil coils up the feeding highways of
our hurting economic scar,
Of personified bleeding green
to greed and expandable wealthcare,
Demagogue demo of democracy wilted
the world on demand but not dependable solutions

We plucked what little spirit linger on earth
reminiscing mother’s drift to stillbirth
Fetus rattles with unrelenting hope
What waits him now? Ravaged rotten, ridiculing his rumen noodle!
Stars rave us to remain a humble
Feuds collapse good virtues to roll like wrinkles
Citizens of a good nation craved like wolf packs out on hunting
Fear incarcerated the weak and the sturdy thrive in hut
No past escape, old times all accounted
Figure of foe everyone descend like quick sand
walking timber we torched the sea
Vandalized vision we dare try to build with gun
We are on foreclosure like failing organ


For the past decade and half that river of optimist fled
Let freedom rain I hear with its every drop soaking the harden hope
Unlikeus ! Rebalancing a shift of time the crate so loose today a new day in sight
They say I’m sensing hope as sign like of Moses right of passage to quarrel with history
I see the sea splitting like a hair at the other end all my good history on bench mark resumes
But the pessimistic side of me grants a mockery of credit line, history repeats itself everyday!
I say don’t take my joy for the day miser was a shelter of mine and let me cease the moment for another day!
They tell me a merger is in many miles away so keep milking and walkabout your way
Aiy! Wait a minute were they highway they tell me when about high noon you hit the road so keep hammering your feet
I tried to harness energy from this mirage
Where are my wild mushrooms so I could head to that many miles away?
Mimicking the sound nature I came to baxarsaaf(meeting tree for somalis) so lay there waiting for merger
When I realize it’s a big umbrella so every day history repeats itself!
To me, this short live history in a hope of better day
Its were shop for my ideal day if I’m shimmering with excite so shall it not be shallow and Somalia shall not decay

Mother's Day, indeed very important day of the year. I had couple reflection dealing with the conundrum motherhood. A day to note that mother traded their lifes for yours- Any aspiration she had for herself, any achievement she wanted to part take all were put on hold to carter to your pinnacle in health and achievement.

Humanity exist beneath her feet and giving rise to different nations with distinct shades, languages and cultural riches. Housed in her womb you have not acquired language, cultural bias,polluting social constraint. your are protected and nourished from all while in her womb.

You raised me as a heaven breed
You are sweeter than anything that incapacitates
My taste buds yet your love is more potent feed
Your laughter a ripple love wrappes around me
You are concierge of pleasure to my inner conscious
Your riveting qualities elevate my roots
You are like oracle that revive my spirit
They call it maternal instinct
I call you maternally distinct
My deeds can’t ride off your deed even if
I could make a mount bent for you to rest on forever



Mother
Your womb house me
Your milk nourished me
Your hands bathe with love
Your eye forecast my troubles
Your mouth encourage the
Your ears caringly listen
Your body ace as held firm arm from all that sleep less nights
Your mind devoted its every stimuli
Your craving feed me with love, care, yet delicate and fragile
sources of all that is gentle and precious

feel free to correct me, most of the time i will post prematurly to get your input.
hopefully it should bit more clean. thank you

Bitter soul succumbs to life many faulty ways
Anger hate makes you got off to cloud eight
Judgment Passed to frown it sinful ways
Now the mind travels infinitely to dig the soul
Nostalgia settles in like debris
Natures iris pier thee profound difficulty

Social contract falls out love
Like movie its credits dove
We badger ourselves as absent participant
War in the native land is an abstract occupant
Clouds in grieve sicken by gun powder
Every day struggle to hinge power
Tribes on class action pursuit
Its judges and jury silence by liable suit
Flamboyant theory runs across villages
Villager turn politician at this age
Rules bent to axe the limbs of the weak like limber tree
Flash and metal battle to shake humanity free
Religion retro-outfit by tribal culture
Butchery has open market for torture

Last night, we were on verge to digress the root problems that lead to Africans unending fall and Where they stem from. Such being -How the African became self absorbed and a bourgeois puppet for veiled rulers. And Africa’s unhealthy relationship with the proletarian social class that labors commodity that which lacks internal utilization, further; how it leads to subjective abuse to development. Additionally, what it means for China to shift its focus to feast on Africa abundant energy resources? How do today’s marvels ideas such Clashes of Civilization and End of History fit in that platform of the Africans dilemma? What causes the African to miss out on any form of nonviolent social protest or movement for the betterment of society which they live under? Did time expire for the African to fully develop? Would the Africans ever learn to stop exploitation they endure for so long, say enough is enough?

Many are quick to mention that exploitation fabricated blame to adjust for the lack of achievement partly by the sleeping African. What was exactly this lack of achievement that west justifiably used against the African? Categorically, many Africans will fester that the colonial of west used Africa as stepping stone to development.

Discussions necessitate the creations of paradigms to answer many of the worries latched against Africa.


These are interesting topic I like to see people write about…


Darwishaner

Polemic culture like vulture
Eating, dinning on soul voraciously
Hemorrhaging our taboo to torture
Agonizing it to rapture
Its abnormal to concede
The world mocks to secede ourselves to be stampede
Homage will not be extended but
provoke to indulge ourselves to chicken feed
devour ourselves to the sea feed
nothing left of us shall be embroidered vans and
Arteries with out vital signs
In our homage shall be epic engrave irreverently
reading between the lines of tragedy no hindsight

enjoy as always!

Cali Mire Cawaale
From sight, age bountiful wisdom dreads off Mr. Cali Mire, for those don’t know him; its history lesson in recesses from our minds. Mr. Mire conjures up the utter nuisance crafted in lips so, that the gesture of the hand to translated it on to paper. To quote him in this context, would be far skewed from the real translation; an uneducated mind is unworthy of nation. He campaigned for literacy for many Somali’s to reap the benefit of stimulated hearts and minds. A linguist, teacher, a Father of Nation revered for many astonishing nation building he undertook. The Somali language is spoken though not written until Vietnam era. History foot steps echo’s in the shadow praising him. If the walls could talk or shrill to bestow honor those that honored us it wouldn’t fall short from Mr. Ali. In the Somali circle egos pierce the sky in dire irony. In retrospect, we learn to recognize one of our own with noble act. It’s the gradual step that will restore our unity. Today, we hope to return the favor by celebrating with him, and his family and the community of Columbus,OH. 3/26/03

Exposed to…
Attribute to human life lost to the drought and other living beings.
Let me side track “ from sool and sanaag” some will coin that exclusively but let
me say this, its for all Somalis’ affect by the drought. These days you want to be politically correct. That phase seized my tongue..enough side tracking.
Well, enjoy as always…till next time

Its natures tease in ambient ways
To unravel the riddle of life’s away
Remarking on reality
Terrene for every creature mesmerizing in an array
From small to large astonishing endeavors display
Assemble delightfully from bay to Red sea
Bearing papaya once a seed with sobering smile
Simmering sun light soothing to soul like soul mate
From Sool to Sanaag soaring rain
The sand depleted its salivary no saliva abstained
It’s outbound from campaign in our background
Absent from Backyard like drown bullet round
Expose to nature cruel canvas, calf impound
From Dust to dust bedazzling earthbound

I just wrote this poem today. It's sort of inspirational to awaken the giant within us.


Blue and white natures blend
It's the cover to my nest that descends
it lies were the eye can't transcend
it's the skin that sheds blue
once graceful now a flue
gravity is by your girth
there is room for growth
dichotomy dials your destiny
resurrect me from this doomy dream in dignity
I dream of making many wrongs right
righousness to remedy my ruin nights


please enjoy and leave comment to steer me right!

Favorites
After reading this poem, some of friends liked it. So, this is the test ground to lay this words.


we chant tunes that turn deaf to us
the parades of wisdom are like mare voids
excavated like cavity no parable to reap
engraving of our brethren, earth remembers its mishaps
we drought our mind until there is nothing to marvels
no drop of observation enchants our ways
galaxies intensifies but we give no glimpse to grasps our mind


free from structure chaos....its short...