PetSugar

Do Tell: Guess Haiko's Breed Mix Before DNA Results Come Back

PetSugar — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:00:25 -0800

First off, I'd definitely call Haiko super cute, but what breeds do you think make up this pooch? The beloved pet of CasaSugar, she rescued this dog and was told he was Catahoula and Queensland Heeler, since the puppy's owner suspected dad was a heeler. Wisdom Panel is donating a Wisdom Panel Insight Test for us to swab-and-see but I'm asking for your breed guesses before the official DNA results come back.

He's about 45 pounds at nine months old and is long and leggy with white points on the tip of his tail, paws (with spots) and a white blaze. Check out more pics and then leave your best guesses in the comments below!

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Are You Attracted to Your Opposite?

TresSugar — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:43:59 -0700

You might scratch your head when you pass a beauty with a geek (or Paula Abdul with that cartoon cat), but genetics can help to explain the mismatched pairing.

A new study claims that people are subconsciously drawn to partners whose DNA is different from their own. Why? The diversification is most likely an evolutionary strategy; offspring tend to turn out better when there's a greater variety of DNA to choose from. In the case of a beauty and a geek, their kid would have a better chance of being hot and smart. (One can only imagine how cute Marilyn and Joe's children would have been!)

While scientists maintain that opposite genes are good for reproduction, untrained people have long claimed that two opposites can complement each other in a relationship. Everyone wins, for example, when one partner loves to cook, while the other one gets pleasure out of doing the dishes.

Are you attracted to your opposite? Have you ever been a Republican dating a Democrat, a slob dating a clean freak, a jock dating an unathletic partner, or an atheist dating a believer? Do certain "opposite" characteristics cross the line into deal-breaker territory?

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Cool or Not: DNA Testing For Athletic Ability

FitSugar — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:30:00 -0700

There's a new test in town, and it has me a little worried. Some parents are using a $149 home-analysis test from Atlas Sports Genetics to find out what types of sports their babies may have been born to play. The test involves swabbing the inside of the baby's mouth, and sending the swab to a lab where technicians look for variations of ACTN3, a DNA strand believed by some experts to predict particular athletic skills.

Different versions of the gene can make someone a more talented power-sports player or better suited for stamina-focused endurance sports, though unsurprisingly, there can be mixed results because we get one copy of the ACTN3 gene from each parent. Some sports psychologists and coaches are highly critical of the test and believe steering kids toward certain sports based on genetics is asking for trouble. One coach pointed out the test may measure natural talent but cannot measure an athlete's desire to succeed - just because you're good at something, does not mean you'll have the heart to achieve greatness.

Still, I can see how some parents might argue they are helping their kids by pointing them in the right direction to become accomplished athletes, by virtue of natural abilities. What do you think of this test, is it cool or not?

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True Confession - My Husband Isn't the Father of Our Son

DearSugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:28:30 -0700

Weigh in and tell us if you forgive or not forgive this True Confession.

"I did a secret DNA test for my son and my husband. Turns out I lied to everyone. I was so sure he wasn't my ex's, but I was wrong. I feel such a strong urge to tell him the truth but it will rip my husband apart. Can I be forgiven for keeping this secret to myself?"

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Blame It on the Brain

DearSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0700

If you've ever blamed a cheating spouse's nether regions for his infidelities, new research has proven that his brain is actually what's to blame. Swedish scientists have found that men who carry a specific gene variant called allele - which is present in two of every five men - are more likely to experience marital problems and divorce than those who lack this particular variant of a gene. This study also states the following:

Men with two copies of the allele had twice the risk of experiencing marital dysfunction, with a threat of divorce during the last year, compared to men carrying one or no copies. Women married to men with one or two copies of the allele scored lower on average on how satisfied they were with the relationship compared to women married to men with no copies.

As you can see, infidelity is not a simple choice like so many people believe. As funny as it may sound, these findings have actually fueled a debate as to whether or not men should get tested for this gene before walking down the aisle. On the other hand, Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist at Rutgers University feels that knowing if you have a weak link makes it easier to overcome. For instance, a man who knows he has the allele might be able to ignore the tugs of restlessness he might feel in his relationship and say, "Oh, it is just my DNA, and I am going to ignore it."

Pretty interesting information, huh! If you're single, would you want your future significant other to take a DNA test for this gene? What are your thoughts on this new finding?

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Not Guilty! DNA Evidence Clears JonBenet Ramsey's Parents

CitizenSugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:45:03 -0700

Nope, your browser hasn't crashed back to 1996 - the Boulder, CO, district attorney has just announced that new DNA tests have cleared JonBenet Ramsey's entire family in the killing of the 6-year-old beauty queen, 12 years ago.

The tests point to an "unexplained third party" as the culprit in the crime from DNA left behind in skin cells, one who is presumably still at large.

It's been confirmed that prosecutors no longer consider any member of the Ramsey family to be a suspect, though for years her parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, were thought to be under an "umbrella of suspicion" in the girl's slaying.

For this the DA apologized, saying, "To the extent that this office has added to the distress suffered by the Ramsey family at any time or to any degree, I offer my deepest apology."

Throughout the unsolved murder saga, with suspicion cast on the family, and John Mark Karr inexplicably and falsely confessing to the crime, father John Ramsey has maintained all along that he believes the case will be solved. JonBenet's mother Patsy Ramsey died in 2006 of ovarian cancer at the age of 49.

Considering this new information and the botched initial investigation, will we ever know who killed JonBenet?

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Anti-Genetic Discrimination Bill Passes in US Senate

LibertySugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:00:40 -0700

Genetic discrimination is one form of discrimination the US Senate can agree to disagree with. The Senate has unanimously passed a preemptive anti-discrimination bill, which will prevent employers, unions, and health insurance companies from discriminating using genetic information. Only patients and doctors will have access to tests that reveal predisposition to diseases.

Besides protecting citizens, scientists believe the bill could save lives. With the legal protection, people will more likely pursue genetic testing, and improve their chances of surviving hereditary illnesses like cancer, diabetes, and heart diseases.

Health insurance companies, assured that their current practices would not be threatened, supported the bill, while the US Chamber of Commerce opposed it.

Is discrimination based on pre-existing health conditions, which is common practice today, that much different from discriminating based on a predisposition to a health condition? With the latest legal assurance, would you get your DNA tested to know which diseases you may face in the future?

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Home Paternity Tests?

DearSugar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 07:00:00 -0700

You and your boyfriend are in the nursery, coo-ing over your five month old son. He's adorable, but when your guy says, "He doesn't look anything like me," something clicks. You realize that he totally has your ex boyfriend's nose. Could it be that your boyfriend really isn't the father after all? Who wants to deal with going to the doctor to find out now? Well you won't have to because home paternity tests are making their way onto drugstore shelves.

The Identigene kit (costing $22.99), uses DNA to determine paternity. It includes swabs so you can collect cell samples from inside the cheeks of your child and the alleged father. Collection of your cells isn't necessary, but it's recommended for best results. You wrap the swabs up and send them off to the Sorenson laboratory in Salt Lake City. You wait three to five of the longest days of your life, and then the results are reported online, by phone, or by mail. There is a $119 lab processing fee, so the entire cost of the test is about $150.

What do you think about being able to do paternity tests at home? Does it have the potential to cause some major family issues? Or is this a brilliant idea that cold help answer important questions and bring families closer together?

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Our DNA Tells Us How to Vote?

LibertySugar — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 09:00:15 -0700

Do you have the liberal or conservative gene? That's right, we may be born with our political persuasions. According to some anecdotal evidence, backed up by scholarly research, our DNA may have more to say about how we vote than our upbringing or environment.

In the UK, a Liberal member of Parliament went on a mission to find his biological parents. The adopted politician found out that his great-grandfather was also a member of parliament, and a member of the Liberal party too!

Coincidence? Not according to a recent study of American twins. Researches found that identical twins, who have the exact same genetic makeup, agree about politics more than fraternal twins. Now, science is trying to identify the exact "politics" gene.

So does this mean pundits will start analyzing the "CC phenotype" vote? Should politicians pander to the "641C homozygote" constituency?

Do we have political free will, or is it all written in our DNA? I'm not sure I really want to know.

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So Whaddya Think: Is Your Canine Cute Enough to Clone?

PetSugar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:30:00 -0800

For a cool $150,000 Seoul-based RNL Bio will clone your pet dog! In cooperation with the scientists who created the world’s first cloned canine, "Snuppy," the organization will continue to work until they are successful . . . battling an average success rate of one out of four. The first order up is from a woman who wants a clone of her dead pittie and had ear tissue taken and preserved at a U.S. biotech company before the dog died a year-and-a-half ago. The idea is that you can have the same dog – genetically – over and over again for the rest of your life . . . are you buying in?

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