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return false;" href="#" onmouseover="return displayOnMouseOverText(this);" title="Bookmark"><img title="Bookmark" class="nomargin borderNone pad2px" src="/scitable/natedimages/icon_bookmark.gif"/></a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clear"></div> </div> <div class="marginbot20px fontSizeChange" id="fontSizeChange"> <div class="botbordergrey padbot2px"> <div class="fleft bold"> <span class="marginright5px bold">December 21, 2013</span> <span class="marginright5px">|</span> <span class="bold">By: </span> <span class="bold">Luke De</span> </div> <div class="clear"></div> </div> <div class="fright padtop15px hideForPrint"> <a class="padright10px" href="javascript:resizeFontScitable('fontSize11')"><span id="sizeNo1" class="px11 mousePointerHand lh22">Aa</span></a> <a class="padright10px" href="javascript:resizeFontScitable('fontSize15')"><span id="sizeNo2" class="px15 mousePointerHand lh22">Aa</span></a> <a class="padright10px" href="javascript:resizeFontScitable('fontSize20')"><span id="sizeNo3" class="mousePointerHand lh22 px20">Aa</span></a> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <div id="blogParas" class="botbordergrey padbot4px clearfix margintopn34px "> <h1 id="blogTitle" class="nomargin h2Style fleft w600 padtop5px">23 And Us</h1> <div class="articleContent"> <div class="clear"></div> <div class="contentSection"> <div class="sectionParas"> <p class="px13 nomargin"> <div id="orgCntNew"> <div id="trOutLine"></div> <div id="mainCntArtPageDivRedesign"> <style> </style><p class="normal"><br/></p><p class="normal"><b>Learning about one's own genome raises the classic question. How much of my fate is nature and how much is nurture? This knowledge is a very real reminder of our own limitations and an assault on the cherished belief that:</b></p><p class="normal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-family: Calibri">“</span></span><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-family: Calibri">We can become anything we want.</span></span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-family: Calibri">”</span></span></p><p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"> </p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:black">“<i>Do not be afraid; our fate cannot be taken from us; it is a gift</i>.” </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:black">― <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5031312.Dante_Alighieri" nated_pk="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5031312.Dante_Alighieri" title="Dante" mce_href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5031312.Dante_Alighieri">Dante Alighieri</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> <p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal">Last month I wrote about getting an SNP analysis of my genome from a company called 23andMe. This blog describes what happened after I submitted my sample. </p><p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><br/></span></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> <p class="normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-family: Calibri"><div class="imageSet Left marginright10px"><div><img src="/scitable/content/ne0000/ne0000/ne0000/ne0000/112932695/2_1.png" mce_src="nated/../content/ne0000/ne0000/ne0000/ne0000/112932695/2_1.png" isthumbselected="false" thumbsrc="content/ne0000/ne0000/ne0000/ne0000/112932695/2_1.png" orgwidth="1017" orgheight="358" paraelementcaption="Fate" paraelementlegends="Do||#|$||your||#|$||genetics||#|$||tell||#|$||you||#|$||the||#|$||future?" paraelementcopyright="All||#|$||rights||#|$||reserved." imageinsertyr="2013" legalowner="Nature||#|$||Education" termsofuse="Nature||#|$||Education||#|$||has||#|$||been||#|$||granted||#|$||permission||#|$||to||#|$||this||#|$||material||#|$||in||#|$||Scitable||#|$||but||#|$||is||#|$||not||#|$||authorized||#|$||to||#|$||sublicense||#|$||you||#|$||to||#|$||use||#|$||this||#|$||material||#|$||outside||#|$||of||#|$||Scitable||#|$||except||#|$||for||#|$||the||#|$||following||#|$||two||#|$||circumstances.||#|$||||#|$||You||#|$||may||#|$||reproduce||#|$||this||#|$||material,||#|$||without||#|$||modifications,||#|$||in||#|$||print||#|$||form||#|$||for||#|$||your||#|$||personal,||#|$||non-commercial||#|$||use||#|$||or||#|$||in||#|$||print||#|$||form||#|$||for||#|$||non-commercial||#|$||use||#|$||in||#|$||an||#|$||educational||#|$||environment.||#|$||||#|$||To||#|$||obtain||#|$||permission||#|$||for||#|$||usage||#|$||beyond||#|$||these||#|$||cases,||#|$||please||#|$||contact||#|$||the||#|$||original||#|$||publisher." copyrightflag="N" licensetypepk="2" displaycopysymbol="Y" displaylegalowner="Y" displayimginsertyr="Y" displaytermsofuse="Y" displaycopydesc="Y" imagecopyrighturl="http://www.nature.com/scitable" imgtype="FIG" align="left" width="335" height="118"></div></div></span></b><span style="font-family:Calibri"></span></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p><p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><b>23 And The FDA</b></span></p><p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Two days after I received my results, the FDA asked 23andMe to stop distributing health information uncovered by SNP analysis. The FDA wrote that such information enables users to "take steps toward mitigating serious diseases" such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, and breast cancer. Most of the intended uses for PGS [personal genetics services] listed on your website, a list that has grown over time, are medical device[s].”<a href="#_edn1" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn1" name="_ednref1" title="_ednref1"><sup><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><sup><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: JA;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[i]</span></sup></span></sup></a><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>23andMe responded by complying with the FDA’s order and saying that it would halt distribution of this information until the issue was resolved.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But, as you would expect from a research-based firm, they said that they’ll be back. . . soon.</span></p><p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"> </p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> <p class="normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-family: Calibri"><br/></span></b><span style="font-family:Calibri"></span></p> <p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri;"><b>23 And Information</b></span></p><p class="normal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri;">When I received my information</span><a href="#_edn2" class="" name="_ednref2" title="_ednref2" style="font-size:||#|$||11pt;||#|$||font-family:||#|$||Calibri;"><sup><sup><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">[ii]</span></sup></sup></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri;"> I scanned the health risks section first.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri;">Though I am decently educated</span><a href="#_edn3" class="" name="_ednref3" title="_ednref3" style="font-size:||#|$||11pt;||#|$||font-family:||#|$||Calibri;"><sup><sup><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">[iii]</span></sup></sup></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri;"> in genetics, my brain basically divided the information in to “bad things I could do more of” and “things I would have to start avoiding.”</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri;">In my case, the misconception would be that I can eat as much butter as I want, but that I need to avoid sugar.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri;">I could see myself employing some very poor behaviors based on the results.</span></p><p class="normal"> </p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri">23andMe is comprehensive and thorough above all.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They broke down the information into several categories.</span> <br/></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> <table class="MsoNormalTable" style="margin-left: 4.5pt; border-collapse: collapse; border: medium none;" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="468"> <tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-irow:0;mso-yfti-firstrow:yes"> <td style="width:3.25in;border:solid black 1.0pt; padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt" valign="top" width="234"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-family:Calibri">Category</span></b></p> </td> <td style="width:3.25in;border:solid black 1.0pt; border-left:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid black 1.0pt;padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt" valign="top" width="234"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-family:Calibri">Specific examples</span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:1"> <td style="width:3.25in;border:solid black 1.0pt; border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.0pt;padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt" valign="top" width="234"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Health Risks</span></p> </td> <td style="width:3.25in;border-top:none;border-left: none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;border-right:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid black 1.0pt; padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt" valign="top" width="234"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri">Atrial Fibrillation (4, 27.2% +/- 15%)<a href="#_edn4" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn4" name="_ednref4" title="_ednref4"><sup><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><sup><span style="font-size:8.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:JA;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[iv]</span></sup></span></sup></a>, Type II Diabetes (4, 25.9%+/- 15%), Lung Cancer (4, 8.5% 4) Asthma (3), Narcolepsy (3), Bipolar Disorder (3), Pancreatic Cancer (3), Placental Abortion (2), OCD (1)</span><span style="font-family:Calibri"></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:2"> <td style="width:3.25in;border:solid black 1.0pt; border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.0pt;padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt" valign="top" width="234"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Drug Response</span></p> </td> <td style="width:3.25in;border-top:none;border-left: none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;border-right:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid black 1.0pt; padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt" valign="top" width="234"> <p class="normal"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:Calibri">Proton pump Inhibitor (4), Alcohol Smoking and Esophageal Cancer (4), Caffeine Metabolism (3), Anti-Depressant Response (2), and Heroin Addiction (2)</span><span style="font-family:Calibri"></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:3"> <td style="width:3.25in;border:solid black 1.0pt; border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.0pt;padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt" valign="top" width="234"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Inherited Conditions</span></p> </td> <td style="width:3.25in;border-top:none;border-left: none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;border-right:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid black 1.0pt; padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt" valign="top" width="234"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri">Phenylketonuria (4), Familial Hypertension (4), Cystic Fibrosis (4), BRCA Cancer Mutation (4), Tay-Sachs (4)</span><span style="font-family:Calibri"></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:4"> <td style="width:3.25in;border:solid black 1.0pt; border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.0pt;padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt" valign="top" width="234"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Traits</span></p> </td> <td style="width:3.25in;border-top:none;border-left: none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;border-right:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid black 1.0pt; padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt" valign="top" width="234"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri">Alcohol Flush Reaction "Asian Flush" (4), Male Pattern Baldness, Resistance to HIV/AIDS (4), Biological Aging (3), Growth during early or late adolecence, Food preference sweet and amount of calories (3), Reading abiility/Nonword reading score (3), Sprinting ability (3), Odds of making it to 95 years old (2), Memory (2), Odor Detection (2), Pain sensitivity (2), Avoidance of Errors (1)</span><span style="font-family:Calibri"></span></p> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:5"> <td style="width:3.25in;border:solid black 1.0pt; border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.0pt;padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt" valign="top" width="234"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri">NOTES:</span></b></p><p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri">The number in parenthesis represents the confidence with which 23andMe is presenting the data.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This confidence number is based on the amount of available research on a particular gene/allele.</span><span style="font-family:Calibri"></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width:3.25in;border-top:none;border-left: none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;border-right:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid black 1.0pt; padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt" valign="top" width="234"><br/><p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri">NOTES:</span></b></p><p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri">As many of the results are displayed in “your chances” vs. the natural average,<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I included the range of resullts for the first 3 conditions.</span><span style="font-family:Calibri"></span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:6;mso-yfti-lastrow:yes"> <td colspan="2" style="width:6.5in;border:solid black 1.0pt; border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.0pt;padding:5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt 5.0pt" valign="top" width="468"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri">NOTES OVERALL: </span></b></p><p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri">The percentages displayed above are the likelihood that you will develop a specific condition.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>For example, the average person has a 27.2% chance of developing atrial fibrillation.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Based on your genetics 23andMe could change your personalized chances to higher, for example 40%, or lower, for example 20%. </span></b></p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> <p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri">I could write a book on the ethical and societal implications of that information, and that is just a select amount of what is provided.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Each category/disease has an explanation associated with it, questions you should ask your doctor, and the primary literature on which their test is based.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The literature is sourced all available on Pubmed, though you need to pay for some of it.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Clearly there is a wealth of information available about you in your spit.<a href="#_edn5" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn5" name="_ednref5" title="_ednref5"><sup><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><sup><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:JA;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[v]</span></sup></span></sup></a></span></p><p class="normal"> </p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p><p class="normal"><br/></p><p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><b>The Test</b></span></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The <a href="http://res.illumina.com/documents/products/research_reviews/genetic_disease_research_review.pdf"><span style="color:#1155CC">Illumina assay</span></a> that 23andMe uses is highly accurate.<a href="#_edn6" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn6" name="_ednref6" title="_ednref6"><sup><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><sup><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:JA;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[vi]</span></sup></span></sup></a><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This leaves the genetics and the use of genetic information as the culprit.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I don’t have time to review genetics here, but the presence of certain versions of genes only contributes to the majority of conditions.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Saying that a gene is solely responsible for something like memory would be like saying your tires determine where your car is currently parked.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Though the type of tire on your car contributes to that outcome there are many, many other factors which contribute.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Most people's knowledge of genetics is limited to Gregor Mendel and peas.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It’s a bad, oversimplified example for the way most genes function.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’ll go out on a limb and say that the overuse of that example generates some pretty strong misconceptions about genetics.<a href="#_edn7" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn7" name="_ednref7" title="_ednref7"><sup><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><sup><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:JA;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[vii]</span></sup></span></sup></a> <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri">If used properly, the information can help a person inform a doctor about treatment.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>For example, one treatment for heartburn might work better than another, based on your genetics.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>You might avoid eating certain foods because you find you are predisposed to diabetes.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Let’s say that I proceed with my misconception of genetics.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What do I then do with that information?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Here are some scenarios that I generated.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A woman might get a masectomy if her BRCA1 information says that she has a higher chance of breast cancer.<a href="#_edn8" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn8" name="_ednref8" title="_ednref8"><sup><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><sup><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:JA;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[viii]</span></sup></span></sup></a><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A college student might use one drug over another because he might have a predisposition to a certain addiction.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A student gives up in school because she learns that she is not a “genetically strong” memorizer.</span></p><p class="normal"> </p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri">I believe the FDA is concerned about these kinds of cases and perceived false positives.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>When I say false positives it is the idea that “if you have the gene, you have the disease.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>That is not usually the case.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>More likely is that if you have the gene, you have a higher likelihood of getting the disease.</span></p><p class="normal"> <br/></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> <p class="normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-family: Calibri"><div class="imageSet Left marginright10px"><div><img src="/scitable/content/ne0000/ne0000/ne0000/ne0000/112932931/Screen-Shot-2013-12-15-at-7.51.48-pm.png" mce_src="nated/../content/ne0000/ne0000/ne0000/ne0000/112932931/Screen-Shot-2013-12-15-at-7.51.48-pm.png" isthumbselected="false" thumbsrc="content/ne0000/ne0000/ne0000/ne0000/112932931/Screen-Shot-2013-12-15-at-7.51.48-pm.png" orgwidth="410" orgheight="247" paraelementcaption="Genetics" paraelementlegends="Kheng||#|$||Ho||#|$||Toh||#|$|||||#|$||Dreamstime.com||#lt;$||br/||#gt;$||" paraelementcopyright="Some||#|$||rights||#|$||reserved." imageinsertyr="2013" legalowner="Public||#|$||Domain" termsofuse="This||#|$||material||#|$||is||#|$||either||#|$||public||#|$||domain||#|$||or||#|$||Nature||#|$||Education||#|$||has||#|$||received||#|$||permission||#|$||from||#|$||the||#|$||owner||#|$||to||#|$||make||#|$||it||#|$||available||#|$||to||#|$||all||#|$||users||#|$||without||#|$||restrictions.||#|$||You||#|$||may||#|$||reuse||#|$||this||#|$||material,||#|$||with||#|$||modifications,||#|$||in||#|$||print,||#|$||electronic||#|$||or||#|$||any||#|$||other||#|$||form,||#|$||for||#|$||commercial||#|$||or||#|$||non-commercial||#|$||purposes." copyrightflag="N" licensetypepk="3" displaycopysymbol="Y" displaylegalowner="Y" displayimginsertyr="Y" displaytermsofuse="Y" displaycopydesc="Y" imgtype="FIG" align="left" width="410" height="247"></div></div></span></b></p> <p class="normal"><b><span style="font-family:Calibri">Consultation With 23</span></b></p><p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri">If I went over the information with a Doctor, the mastectomy situation might be avoided, and the student situation might have been mitigated.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But shouldn’t the doctor in charge of the mastectomy have stopped the mastectomy? <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The problem in this situation is the wealth of information.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A doctor is not going to be able to keep up with it, end of story.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Most of the information provided by 23andMe is referenced in journals written after 2005.<a href="#_edn9" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn9" name="_ednref9" title="_ednref9"><sup><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><sup><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: JA;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[ix]</span></sup></span></sup></a><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>That is what makes 23andMe a good company.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As a company, they stay on top of the information.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></p><p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">To limit the information they provide to accommodate for a lack of education on the part of the American public or the hypothetical doctor seems ludicrous.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Let’s rephrase that.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></b></span></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> <p class="normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u><span style="font-family:Calibri">We should not limit the availability of information to the public to offset the the public’s lack of understanding.</span></u></b></p><p class="normal"> </p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Perhaps 23andMe should encourage the formation of a genetics geek squad.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Like the geek squad, privatized and specialized, they could come over to your house and do for you what many could have done for ourselves, but simply don’t have time to do.<sup>[x]</sup></span></p><p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"> </p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> <p class="normal"> </p> <p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"><b><span style="font-family:Calibri">23 and The Plan</span></b></p><p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri">In my case, I am going to go over the information and read the journals.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Though it is likely to take a year, the information WILL help me.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I realize now why I hesitated when getting the test.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I was afraid that 23 and me was going to tell me about my limits and tell me that my gifts were a result of my genetics and not my own hard work.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The first point is ludicrous.<a href="#_edn11" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn11" name="_ednref11" title="_ednref11"><sup><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><sup><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: JA;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[xi]</span></sup></span></sup></a><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Knowledge of your own genetics is only knowledge of your mechanics, not your future.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>23 and me could only tell me what already was.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>My genetics were determined long ago by two Indian students who came to America on a dream.<a href="#_edn12" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn12" name="_ednref12" title="_ednref12"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:JA;mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">[xii]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It’s unfortunate that it took so long for me to clearly see what they made and what I am.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Concerning the second point, it sucks.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It turns out that 23 and me predicted that I am an endurance person rather than a sprinter.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I just ran a 12 mile Tough Mudder in Philly.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>That means I had a genetic leg up.<a href="#_edn13" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn13" name="_ednref13" title="_ednref13"><sup><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><sup><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:JA;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[xiii]</span></sup></span></sup></a> <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>That’s ok.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I still worked hard.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The information changes nothing about who I am or what I did.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The information also told me that I am less likely to learn from my mistakes than others.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Almost all negatives, can be a positive.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I am nothing if not tenacious.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Based on the available information, my memory is genetically average, which to me, translates into intelligence.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Well, I encourage you to challenge that.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Your opportunity is below.</span></p><p class="normal"> </p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> <p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"> </p><b> </b><p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"><b><span style="font-family:Calibri">Acknowledgements</span></b></p><p class="normal"> </p><p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Thank you to Khalil Cassimally who is moving on to bigger better things than correcting my errors.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Good luck Khalil!</span></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Thank you to Krista Maxwell who is currently correcting my work and making everything I say sound so much better.</span></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Thanks Cara Solina, I wrote this before she generated the picture, but I know it's going to be good.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There is always a Solina original on my wall at home.</span></p> <p class="normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span></span></p> <p class="normal"> </p> <div style="mso-element:footnote-list"><br clear="all"> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <div style="mso-element:footnote" id="ftn1"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="#_ftnref1" class="" style="mso-footnote-id:ftn1" name="_ftn1" title="_ftn1"></a> </p> </div> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote-list"><br clear="all"><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"><div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn1"><p class="normal"><sub><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;">[i]</span> FDA Website accessed 2013.12.12 <a href="http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2013/ucm376296.htm"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: " trebuchet="" ms";mso-fareast-font-family:"trebuchet="" ms";mso-bidi-font-family:="" "trebuchet="" ms";color:#1155cc"="">http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2013/ucm376296.htm</span></a></sub></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn2"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><sub><a href="#_ednref2" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn2" name="_edn2" title="_edn2"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial; color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:JA;mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">[ii]</span></span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt"> Chris Kemp suggested that I would find out that I was actually Mexican.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It turns out that I am 93% Indian/Pakistani.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I am happy about this because both my parents also appear to be Indian/Pakistani.</span></sub></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn3"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><sub><a href="#_ednref3" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn3" name="_edn3" title="_edn3"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial; color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:JA;mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">[iii]</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt"> Thank you Wash U and Jeff Friedman</span></sub></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn4"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><sub><a href="#_ednref4" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn4" name="_edn4" title="_edn4"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial; color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:JA;mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">[iv]</span></span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt"> The first number indicates 23 and me’s confidence in the result.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They base this on the number of people looked at in studies available from Pubmed.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>These are all cited and available on the website.</span></sub></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn5"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><sub><a href="#_ednref5" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn5" name="_edn5" title="_edn5"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial; color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:JA;mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">[v]</span></span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt"> I am not recommending that people examine their spit for signs of the future.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>23 and me obtains your genome from the cheek cells in your spit.</span></sub></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn6"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><sub><a href="#_ednref6" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn6" name="_edn6" title="_edn6"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial; color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:JA;mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">[vi]</span></span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt"> You can find a wealth of citations by either searching pubmed or by clicking on the illumina assay link.</span></sub></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn7"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><sub><a href="#_ednref7" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn7" name="_edn7" title="_edn7"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial; color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:JA;mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">[vii]</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt"> I think Mendels examples are overused because students can easily see what is happening.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They also involve punnet squares which are easily generate thought based questions.</span></sub></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn8"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><sub><a href="#_ednref8" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn8" name="_edn8" title="_edn8"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial; color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:JA;mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">[viii]</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt"> Somebody told me that Angelina Jolie did this, but as of last Tuesday, Mrs. Jolie and I are not speaking.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Though we weren’t speaking before Tuesday, phrasing it as I did seems to indicate that we were.</span></sub></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn9"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><sub><a href="#_ednref9" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn9" name="_edn9" title="_edn9"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial; color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:JA;mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">[ix]</span></span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt"> This is just an estimate.</span></sub></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn10"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><sub><a href="#_ednref10" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn10" name="_edn10" title="_edn10"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial; color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:JA;mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">[x]</span></span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt"> Turn off and on your computer, and then watch a youtube video on the fix.</span></sub></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn11"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><sub><a href="#_ednref11" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn11" name="_edn11" title="_edn11"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial; color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:JA;mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">[xi]</span></span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt"> I’ve been overusing the term ludacris because I have recently been listening to Ludacris (the rapper) way to much of late</span></sub></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn12"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><sub><a href="#_ednref12" class="" style="mso-endnote-id:edn12" name="_edn12" title="_edn12"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial; mso-fareast-font-family:Arial;color:black"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family: Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:JA;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[xii]</span></span></span></a><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial; color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial;color:black">That is to say that one of them gave birth to me.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They didn’t create me in a lab as many people secretly suspect.</span></sub></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn13"> <p class="normal" style="line-height:normal"><sub><a href="#_ednref13" class="" name="_edn13" title="_edn13"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial; color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:JA;mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">[xiii]</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> pointing out a pun</span></sub></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clear"></div> </div> <div class="clear"></div> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="blogPollElement" class="padbot25px fontSizeChange"> <div class="forum-community clearfix padbot10px"> <div class="forum-community-hdr clearfix padbot5px"> <div class="fleft"> <img title="Poll" alt="Poll" src="/scitable/natedimages/poll_new.gif" class=""> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <div class="clearfix"> <div class="w340 fleft"> <div class="padtop10px">Should 23 and me be allowed to function without the FDA or should it have to proceed under the FDA's guidance?</div> <div class="clear"></div> <div class="padtop10px"> <div class="clearfix "><div class="fleft inlineForPrint"><input name="pollChoice_112933772" id="pollChoice_112933772" type="radio" class="nomargin margintop2px" value="112933809"/> </div><div class="fleft w280 padleft5px inlineForPrint" style="*margin-top:3px;">Without FDA guidance</div></div> <div class="clear"></div> <div class="clearfix padtop5px"><div class="fleft inlineForPrint"><input name="pollChoice_112933772" id="pollChoice_112933772" type="radio" class="nomargin margintop2px" value="112933846"/> </div><div class="fleft w280 padleft5px inlineForPrint" style="*margin-top:3px;">WIth FDA Guidance</div></div> <div class="clear"></div> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <div class="h20 padright20px padtop10px"> <a style="color: #666666 !important" class="redArrow padleft8px fright" href="javascript:submitPoll('112933772', 'BLG')">Submit</a> </div> </div> <div class="fleft w50"> </div> <div class="fleft"> <img src="/scitable/natedimages/pollDefault.gif"/> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix"><div class="fright inlineForPrintRightComment"><span class="bold marginright5px">0 Comment</span> </div></div> <div class="cleartboth"></div> </div> <div> <input type="hidden" name="weblogEntryId" id="weblogEntryId" value="214150"> <input type="hidden" name="weblogHandle" id="weblogHandle" value="205423"> <input type="hidden" name="weblogEntryAnchor" id="weblogEntryAnchor" value="23_and_us"> </div> <input type="hidden" name="weblogEntryId" id="weblogEntryId" value="214150"> <input type="hidden" name="weblogHandle" id="weblogHandle" value="205423"> <input type="hidden" name="weblogEntryAnchor" id="weblogEntryAnchor" value="23_and_us"> <input type="hidden" name="commentPosted" id="commentPosted" value="" /> <input type="hidden" name="commentAuthenticated" id="commentAuthenticated" value="" /> <input type="hidden" name="isPreview" id="isPreview" value="" /> <div id="shareWIthOthers" class="shareBox"> <div class="edge padleft90px"><img src="/scitable/natedimages/pointedge.gif" alt="" /></div> <div class="bordergrey hideForPrint"> <div class="clearfix bgTan marginbot10px" style="*margin-bottom:0px!important;"> <h2 class="fleft upper">share</h2> <a href="#" class="inlineLinks fright" onclick="hideShareLB();return false;">Close</a> </div> <ul class="nolistType marginleft10px marginright10px dispblock"> <li class="clearfix marginbot5px"><span class="fleft"><img class="h16 w16" src="/scitable/natedimages/digg.gif" alt="Digg" /></span><span class="fleft marginleft10px padtop2px"><a id="diggLink" href="http://digg.com/submit?url=" onClick="shareWithDiggLink();return false;">Digg</a></span></li> <li class="clearfix marginbot5px"><span class="fleft"><img class="h16 w16" src="/scitable/natedimages/myspace_logo.gif" alt="MySpace" /></span><span class="fleft marginleft10px padtop2px"><a id="myspaceLink" href="http://www.myspace.com/Modules/PostTo/Pages/?t=" onClick="shareWithMySpaceLink();return false;">MySpace</a></span></li> <li class="clearfix marginbot5px"><span class="fleft"><img class="h16 w16" src="/scitable/natedimages/gplus-16.png" alt="Google Plus+" /></span><span class="fleft marginleft10px padtop2px"><a rel="nofollow" id="googlePlusLink" href="https://plus.google.com/share?url=" onclick="shareWithGooglePlus();return false;">Google+</a></span></li> <li class="clearfix marginbot5px"> <span class="fleft"> <iframe id="facebookLink" src="//www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=link&send=false&layout=button_count&width=108&show_faces=true&font=lucida+grande&colorscheme=light&action=like&height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; 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var displaytermsofuse = ""; var displaycopydesc = ""; if (imgList != null) { for (var i=0; i< imgList.size();i++ ) { if (typeof imgList.eq(i).attr("media_src") == 'undefined' || imgList.eq(i).attr("media_src") == false) { if (imgList.eq(i).attr("align") == "right") { alignClass = "Right marginleft10px"; } else if (imgList.eq(i).attr("align") == "middle") { alignClass = "horzAlignCenter"; } else { alignClass = "Left marginright10px"; } if (isFirstParaLine(imgList.eq(i))) { marginTopClass = ""; } else { marginTopClass = "margintop5px"; } width = parseInt(imgList.eq(i).attr("width")) - 6; paraelementcaption = imgList.eq(i).attr("paraelementcaption"); if(paraelementcaption && paraelementcaption != '') { paraelementcaption = replaceSplSequenceWithSpace(paraelementcaption); } else { paraelementcaption = ""; } captionprinty = imgList.eq(i).attr("captionprinty"); if(captionprinty && captionprinty != '') { captionprinty = replaceSplSequenceWithSpace(captionprinty); } else { captionprinty = ""; 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videoStr = videoStr + "</embed></object></noscript></span></span>"; videoList.eq(i).before(videoStr); videoList.eq(i).remove(); } } } function processAudio() { var audioList = $(".mceItemRealMedia", document.getElementById('articleContent')); if (audioList != null) { for (var i=0; i<audioList.size(); i++) { var align = audioList.eq(i).attr("align"); if(align == "left") { align = "Left"; } else if(align == "right") { align = "Right"; } var mediaSrc = audioList.eq(i).attr("media_src"); var audioStr = "<span class=\"Photo imageSet " + align + " \" align=\"" + align + "\" style=\"width: 322px !important; float: " + align + "\">"; audioStr = audioStr + "<div class=\"nomargin padleft4px pipeblack bold textalignleft\">"; audioStr = audioStr + "<object style=\"margin-top:5px;float:left\" classid=\"clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8\" width=\"320\" height=\"20\" id=\"audioPlayer_\"" + i + "\">"; audioStr = audioStr + "<param name=\"movie\" value=\"" + cleanBaseURL + "/nated/media/mediaplayer.swf\">"; 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