Is Epigenetics Weird or Awesome Science:….Do Our Genes Have a Memory?

ICMS,Inc Educational Series

Posted by Tom Okure, Ph.D
Dated January 30, 2016

Epigenetics Research....Could what you do in your lifetime affect the lives of your grandchildren many decades from now?

The standard scientific view has been that the human DNA transmits all our heritable information and that nothing an individual does in their lifetime will be biologically passed to their children.

Background and Epigenetics Research

EPIGENETICS

Epigenetics evolved as a broad research field in the mid-twentieth century by famous scientists including Conrad H. Waddington and Ernst Hadorn that concentrated on combining genetics and developmental biology. In 1942, Waddington coined the term epigenetics, supposedly derived from the Greek word “epigenesis” which originally described the influence of genetic processes on development.

In plain language, the term epigenetics refers to the study of biological mechanisms that can switch genes on and off.  Scientist say epigenetics controls genes. Certain conditions in our environment can supposedly cause genes to be silenced or expressed over time. Stated differently, it means our genes can be turned off (becoming dormant) or turned on (becoming active). Scientist say epigenetics is everywhere in our environment in what we eat, where we reside and who we interact with, when we exercise and sleep and even as we age. 

Do our genes have a 'Memory?

The events in our lives (good or bad) eventually can cause chemical modifications around our genes which can turn those genes on or off over time. In certain diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer’s, various genes can be switched into the opposite state, away from the normal/healthy state. Epigenetics, is the study, in the field of genetics, of cellular and physiological phenotypic trait variations that are caused by external or environmental factors that switch genes on and off and affect how cells read genes instead of being caused by changes in the DNA sequence. (Wikipedia)

Epigenetics research seeks to describe dynamic alterations in the transcriptional such as:

Could the genes of our children be shaped
by our ancestors' life experiences?

Could our genes and that of our children be shaped in part by our ancestors' life experiences? Do our genes have a 'Memory'? Does the lives of our forbearers or grandparents: the food they ate, the air they breathed, and their environment and even what they saw directly impact our lives decades later, in spite of the fact that we never experienced these things ourselves. 

According to the new insights of behavioral epigenetics, traumatic experiences in our past, or in our recent ancestors’ past leave molecular scars adhering to our DNA (See Grandmas experiences leave epigenetic mark on your genes). In short, grandparents of Jews who were chased from their Russian shtetls; Chinese whose grandparents lived during the devastations of the Cultural Revolution; young African immigrants whose ancestors survived massacres; adults of all races who grew up with parents who are alcoholic or abusive potentially have just more than memories embedded within their genes. Is that weird or awesome science? You decide.

Read More:

What is epigenetics - fundamentals

The Ghost in Your Genes

Grandma's Experiences Leave a Mark on Your Genes

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In Eritrea, Men Must Marry Two Women Or Go To Jail

In Eritrea, Men Must Marry Two Women Or Go To Jail

ICMS,Inc Reports
By Tom Okure, Ph.D
Date: January 27,2016

After years of war, Eritrea has been left very short of eligible men to marry its overpopulated female population requiring the Government of Eritrea to mandate men marry at least two wives or face imprisonment.

Government of Eritrea Polygamy Law:

Eritrea Polygamy Law

“Based on the law of God in polygamy, and given the circumstances in which the country is experiencing in terms of men shortage, the Eritrean department of Religious Affairs has decided on the following:

"First that every man shall marry at least two women and the man who refuses to do so shall be subjected to life imprisonment with hard labour. “The woman who tries to prevent her husband from marrying another wife shall be punished to life imprisonment”





 Read More.....Marry Two Wives Or Be Arrested

Buka Roadside Restaurants: Nigerian Indigenous Fast Food Restaurants

Nigeria indigenous fast food restaurants called Buka Joints.

ICMS,Inc Reports
By Tom Okure, Ph.D
Date: January 26, 2016

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Food Business, especially the indigenous restaurant and food service business is a lucrative and thriving industry in Nigeria. Buka joints as they are called are found everywhere in Nigeria, in big cities and small towns and are local fast food restaurants that serve indigenous dishes unique to the local community, culture/tribe or state they are located. They are profitable business ventures typically operated by women and generally are unaffected by economic cycles whether hard times or boom times. Bukas are of various grades and quality from tasty road side cuisines that cater for the poor to higher grade restaurants that cater for individuals with more money. In large cities like Lagos, Abuja etc, Bukas attract serious patronage and operators are more numerous and competition is intense. Many Buka food operators resort to operating mobile services, using carts to push the food around the area where their customers are to gain a competitive advantage.

Sample of  Buka Munu

The food quality is very good, spicy, colorful and relatively cheap when compared to western type restaurants and fast food restaurants. The menus are varied and depend on the time of day that the restaurant is open. A typical Buka joint (restaurant) has a dedicated following of clients that visit the joint for either breakfast, lunch or dinner or a combination. They are regularly visited by single individuals, office workers, taxi drivers, students, travelers etc., who need to eat and go back to work or home and don’t want to worry about the hassles of cooking and cleaning of dishes.

Photo Credit: JujuFilms

Buka indigenous restaurants have always existed in African countries and have unique features as stated earlier that reflect the culture and location of the restaurant. Everybody needs food at some time of the day regardless of the state of the person’s finances whether buoyant or broke, employed or unemployed. Buka food operators announce the availability or readiness of breakfast, lunch and dinner menus by simply putting out a sign post announcing to the public that “Food Is Ready.” As soon as clients see the sign that food is ready in front of the food joint, they start coming into the restaurant to order their meals. Buka joints cater for the needs of those with little means who need to satisfy their hunger and have little money within their reach, even if it means borrowing to eat. There is a base price for basic food. Any extras like extra meat, extra garri dumpling, beverage or alcoholic drinls can be added to a customer’s order at an extra cost. A popular local saying is “Man Must Wak” meaning a person must eat. These business are all season and operate all year round.

Nigerian Buka Food Joints: Read More:

Taste of the buka


 Niger Delta Restaurant located in Abuja Nigeria is a popluar buka type restaurant.

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Biafra is dead and will remain dead

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo who spoke in Abuja recently during a round table discussion organized by Nextier Advisory, a public sector advisory firm stated that:

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo

 “only those who did not experience the Nigerian civil war would embark on such a malevolent exercise….. “No right-thinking person who has experienced the horror of war will ever agitate for more wars. Most wars stem from real and perceived injustices and dissatisfaction and invariably wars emanate from a desire to correct or redress such situations. Our civil war wasn’t any different.” ~ Former President Obasanjo 

Comments By Dr. Tom Okure:

I completely and totally agree with the remarks by former President Olusegun Obasanjo who recently directed his remarks to the protagonists of Biafra. Why? The youth that are agitating for the revival of Biafra lack a sence of thier history and the consequences of war. When it come to war, "any war" the best option is to avoid it.

Those who started the civil war that engulfed Eastern Nigeria did not pay the price for that war, it was the common people of Biafra, mostly children, the poor who suffered from starvation and homelessness. Most of the influential people responsible for perpetuating that conflict fled Biafra to greener pastures with their children when the tide turned against Biafra. My family (The Okure Family) among others and my beloved hometown Ikot Ekpene that paid a hefty price for that civil war and still bears the scars of that brutal civil war till today.

We all are stakeholders in Nigeria’s future and those who fail to learn from their past are condemned to repeat the mistakes of the past. We cannot let agitators and selfish and corrupt politicians drag Nigeria into the path of war again.

General Gowon

To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done. General Yakubu Gowon was Nigeria's head of state at the time and prosecuted the Nigeria civil war with the slogan that bore his name and still holds true today….GOWON: meaning “Go On With One Nigeria.” Let’s keep Nigeria One. And that is my take on the issue. 

Read more ...http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/01/bombshell-biafras-dead-obasanjo-insists/

I Like The Way (Official Music Video) - Timaya | Official Timaya

Timaya presents the official music video for his song "I Like The Way".

Economic Woes Are Weighing Heavily On Nigeria’s Foreign Reserves

Analysis and Reporting by: Tom Okure, Ph.D

Date January 14, 2016

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Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa is facing major economic and financial challenges as a result of the sustained decline in world oil prices. Oil on Thursday January 14, 2016 traded at below $30 a barrel for Brent crude oil compared to $125 to $140 just two years ago. The Naira is losing its exchange value daily with major world currencies like the pound and dollar. The nation’s currency, the Naira exchanged at $1 to N300 in the parallel market today while the government unrealistically continues to peg the official government exchange rate at $1 to N197.

Nigerian Central Bank

Nigerian policy makers are desperately attempting to diversify the country’s revenue sources.  The impact of the falling oil prices is reflected everywhere in the economy and the foreign reserves of the country has fallen significantly to $28.bn. Today, the country’s foreign reserves is 18% lower than it was one year ago. This foreign reserve loss is supposedly the largest drop according to the Central Bank of Nigeria since the central bank began to implement the use of Bank Verification Number (BVN) in forex trading.

During the festive holiday season in December 2015, the central bank was forced to close the interbank foreign exchange market on December 21, 2015 in order to conserve forex for an opening on January 4, 2016.  This left the parallel market as the main avenue for forex during the holiday period.

A couple of days ago the CBN announced plans to stop the sales of foreign exchange (forex) to Bureau de Change (BDC) operators accusing the BDC operators of causing the draining of scarce foreign exchange reserves of the country. According to CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, the BDC’s were profiteering from the forex market, Irrespective of prevailing official and interbank rates, and were equally financing unauthorized transactions with foreign exchange procured from the CBN. Apparently, according to experts, Nigeria is alleged to be one of the few countries in the world that sells dollars to BDC’s and such practice should have been stopped a long time ago.  The immediate direct consequences of the CBN action to stop sales of forex to BDC operators will most likely be an increased pressure on the parallel market which will increase the exchange rate of dollar to naira even above 300 Naira. ...Read more

Links:

CBN halts direct sales of FOREX to Bureau de Change operators

Nigeria’s external reserves now $29.1bn

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Thinking Out Of The Box: Making Money By Recycling Trash

ICMS,Inc Business Start Up Series
By Tom Okure, Ph.D

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When times are tough, you have to think creatively and find ways to make money while solving problems for the community and environment. This CNN African startup video features Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola who started a business called Wecyclers and is making money from trash and employing many unemployed youth at the same time.

Today January 13, 2016 Will Mark The Highest Lottery Jackpot In USA History: A Massive $1.5 billion.

Powerball Jackpot Drawing tonight is a massive $1.5 billion
Source: Forbes/Science
Date: January 13, 2016

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It’s long been said that lottery tickets are a tax on those who can’t do math, and now you’ve seen the mathematical proof of that. If you want to buy a Powerball ticket for fun, by all means, go right ahead. Just be aware that for every $2 you spend, you’re donating about $1.15 to whatever government programs that Powerball supports, and only betting $0.85 on whatever you might win in an otherwise “fair” lottery.

Playing the lottery is the ultimate low-risk, high-reward scenario. If you lose, you’re only out a few dollars: the cost of your bet. But if you win, even though the odds are stacked against you, the payoff is a lifetime of easy living. This evening, Wednesday, January 13th, will mark the richest lottery jackpot in history, with the current Powerball jackpot at a whopping $1.5 billion, a new record in lottery games worldwide ~ Forbes

Comments

Did You Know That....If you win the Jackpot tonight, it could mean more than half a billion dollars for you before taxes. However, your odds of winning the Powerball drawing tonight are about 1-in-175 million ~ Dr. Tom Okure

Read More.....

Link: The Science of Power Ball

Global Benchmark Brent Crude Oil Price falls to a twelve year low

Global Benchmark Brent Crude Oil price continues to fall
ICMS,Inc News Journal
Source: CNBC/Reuters
Posted Januray 7, 2016

Global benchmark Brent crude fell as much as 6 percent to nearly $32 a barrel, its lowest level since at least April 2004, as another free fall in the Chinese stock market rattled investors already concerned by the world glut in crude.

Crude Oil Barrels

China allowed its yuan currency to slip on Thursday, sending regional currencies and stock markets tumbling globally.

Stock market trading was suspended less than half an hour after opening after sharp falls triggered a new circuit-breaking mechanism for a second time since its introduction this week.

U.S. government data on Wednesday showed a 10.6 million-barrel surge in gasoline supplies, the biggest weekly build since 1993, rattling investors already concerned by near-record production and massive stockpiles around the world......Read more

Link:  Oil Prices and stocks hit session lows on speculation of more China devaluation