BLOOD

A San Antonio mother is hoping sharing her story will encourage others to be blood donors.

Platelets and Type O donations are needed most, but all blood donations are welcome.

State lists "No mandated COVID-19 vaccination" as one of the "many great benefits" of its nursing jobs.

Units of blood are critical when it comes to saving lives in emergencies. The shelves at the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center have some units of blood, but its not enough because there is a critical blood shortage.

Somebody almost had an incredibly rare dinner.

The basic reality of what happened between Israel and Gaza is that hundreds of Palestinians died, and settlements continue to expand.

A Long March 7 rocket carrying the Tianzhou-2 took off at 8:50 p.m. (1250 GMT) from the Wenchang launch center on Hainan Island, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. The Tianzhou-2 carried fuel and supplies for the Tianhe space station, state media reported earlier. The Chinese space agency says 11 launches are planned through the end of next year to deliver two more modules for the 70-ton space station, supplies and its three-member crew.

Scientists have finally weighed a full set of human chromosomes and discovered they are 20 times heavier than expected - declaring there could be "missing components". Researchers told the Sunday Telegraph they have no idea as to what that may be. Chromosomes are bundles of genetic material which exist inside almost every cell of all complex lifeforms, from bacteria to humans and everything in between. Most humans have 46 chromosomes — 23 pairs — all of different size and shape, but other species have varying numbers. For example, possums have just 22, foxes have 34 and a great white shark has 82. But Atlas blue butterflies have around 450 and the Adder’s tongue fern has a staggering 1,440. But regardless of number or organism, all chromosomes follow the same basic structure. Individual bases of DNA, called A, G, C and T, pair up and form short, double helix-shaped chains which wrap around a ball of eight proteins to create bundles called nucleosomes. These little packages of genetic material are joined to one another by a thin piece of connective material, and experts refer to them as ‘beads on a string’. But while we know all this, and that the complete copy of a human genome contains more than 6.4billion base pairs of DNA, the exact and total mass of our chromosomes has never been known. Scientists from UCL used a powerful X-ray beam in Didcot, Oxfordshire, called Diamond, to weigh a complete set of human chromosomes for the first time. The researchers bombarded individual chromosomes with X-rays and assessed how much the beam scattered. This diffraction pattern was used to produce a 3D reconstruction of the chromosome’s structure. The brightness of the Diamond machinery, which outshines the Sun by billions of times, allowed for a highly detailed image. Professor Robinson and colleagues published their paper in the journal Chromosome Research and found the mass of all 46 human chromosomes to be 242 picograms. The heaviest is chromosome 1, which is also the largest, and it weighs 10.9 picograms. One picogram is a trillionth of a gram and a grain of sand weighs approximately 0.000000004 picograms. A red blood cell, which does not have a nucleus and therefore is devoid of genetic material, weighs around 27 picograms. “There may be quite a lot of missing components to our chromosomes that are yet to be discovered,” Professor Ian Robinson, senior author of the new study from UCL, told The Sunday Telegraph: “Chromosomes have been investigated by scientists for 130 years but there are still parts of these complex structures that are poorly understood.” He went on: "The mass of DNA we know from the Human Genome Project, but this is the first time we have been able to precisely measure the masses of chromosomes that include this DNA. “Our measurement suggests the 46 chromosomes in each of our cells weigh 242 picograms. “This is heavier than we would expect, and, if replicated, points to unexplained excess mass in chromosomes.” In order to accurately measure the chromosomal mass, the researchers blasted them with X-rays when the cells were in metaphase, before they underwent the splitting process. Scientists are constantly trying to learn more about the human body, and the mapping of the genome was a key step in that. However, this study lays bare the fact there is still a long way to go before we fully understand the nuances of our own body. Archana Bhartiya, a PhD student at the London Centre for Nanotechnology at UCL and lead author of the paper, said: “A better understanding of chromosomes may have important implications for human health. “A vast amount of study of chromosomes is undertaken in medical labs to diagnose cancer from patient samples. “Any improvements in our abilities to image chromosomes would therefore be highly valuable.”

The San Jose mass shooting is yet more evidence that piecemeal gun laws in the U.S. don't work. It's time to repeal the 2nd Amendment.

Blood banks have a difficult time collecting blood during the winter due to cold weather and seasonal illnesses. Add in a worldwide pandemic and hospitals all over the country are desperate for your blood. After giving away your A, B, or O blood, you may be thinking what other things you can donate? With over 800 centers across the country, one of the most convenient options is plasma donation. Sperm donation is less risky and can happen frequently.

SAN ANTONIO – As the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations continues to rise in Bexar County, there is still a great need for convalescent plasma to treat the disease. The new vaccines are an effective tool against COVID-19, but you will no longer be able to donate convalescent plasma if you get one. Dr. Samantha Gomez Ngamsuntikul, associate medical director at BioBridge Global, said the vaccines and convalescent plasma don’t exactly mix. “If you are donating COVID convalescent plasma and you do receive the vaccine, you are not able to donate convalescent plasma,” Ngamsuntikul said. “You are still able to donate whole blood and platelets.”Ngamsuntikul says it’s crucial to donate blood right now.

SAN ANTONIO The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center announced Saturday that it had a team member test positive for COVID-19. The last dates the infected teammate worked were on June 13 and June 14 at the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center Northeast Donor Room, located at 8500 Village Drive. Waltman and Beddards statement said blood donations typically do not involve continuous close contact between the donor collection staff. Proactive safety measures the center has in place:Requiring staff to wear masks and gloves and providing masks to donors. More information on blood donation and the policies the center has instituted in response to COVID-19 is available at SouthTexasBlood.org.

Family of liver transplant patient urges blood donations from communityIf you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241.

Blood types O negative and positive urgently needed in San Antonio hospitalsPublished: April 19, 2020, 5:44 pmThe South Texas Blood and Tissue Centers says donors with blood types O-negative and O-positive are urgently needed to help supply hospitals.

SAN ANTONIO – The COVID-19 pandemic has led to some changes in the way people donate blood in our area. Still, officials at the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center said donors are needed, especially those with Type-O blood. On Friday, a blood drive was held at Holmes High School on Ingram Road. “It’s my 80th donation.”The blood drive was moved to Holmes High School as part of an effort by the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center to abide by social distancing guidelines while continuing the mission to save lives. If you missed Friday’s blood drive, there will be one every day for the foreseeable future.

South Texas Blood & Tissue Center asks you to keep appointments to donateIf you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241.

No Kid Hungry has a plan to feed them, but we need your help.”Yes, it’s a group called No Kid Hungry -- and it appears to be the perfect place place to turn. With your help, we’ll continue to remove any obstacles to get kids the food they need," the group’s website said. We can’t stress this one enough: The American Red Cross needs you. Help patients like Robert today: https://t.co/iJpVmoWxZy pic.twitter.com/xXHbVPOkto — American Red Cross (@RedCross) March 18, 2020Don’t be nervous about giving blood. The Red Cross issued a news release about its need for blood on March 10.

SAQ: The need for blood during the coronavirus crisis and how you can helpPublished: March 19, 2020, 9:47 pmDebra Serna, with University Health System, talks about why it's so important to give blood during the pandemic.

As of Wednesday night, 828 units of blood have been donated. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. blood banks are concerned about potential shortages as Americans concerned about catching the new coronavirus avoid donation sites and companies with employees working from home cancel blood drives. Blood has a short shelf life, so its not like we can stockpile it.Most blood centers try to keep an inventory of a three-day supply, according to the AABB. Finson said 60% of Bloodworks Northwests blood is from mobile blood drives, and the push to have people work from home has resulted in many being canceled. He is encouraging individuals and sponsors of blood drives to schedule appointments and keep their commitments, and that blood banks around country can continue to shift supply to where it is needed. In Seattle, Finson said donations picked up over the weekend, but on Tuesday, Bloodworks Northwest was around 140 short of its 1,000 donor-per-day target.

What really happens to blood after its donated? Published: January 30, 2020, 11:05 amThe blood is deposited into a plastic bag that contains a small amount of preservative. All blood, Daniels explains, has an expiration date.

click to enlarge Facebook / Collective SoulAlt-rock bros Collective Soul are headed to San Antonio for an Aztec Theatre show on Thursday, April 2. The band formed in 1992, during the tail-end of the grunge era. However, the scene lasted just long enough to skyrocket the band to fame via its mega-hit Shine, a staple on MTV and mainstream rock radio. The band is touring in support of its most recently release, Blood, which dropped last summer. Tickets ($99-$185) go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.

GenCure raising awareness about need for cord blood donationsPublished: November 15, 2019, 5:58 pmGenCure is raising awareness about the need for donors of cord blood stem cells, which are used to treat dozens of illnesses.

This scene captures the fate of a ranchero named Paco who resisted expulsion from his land. Riding his horse as he searched for stray cattle, Toms came across tracks that led him to a cluster of large mesquite trees. When he heard of the assault, Toms had rushed over and found his friends home abandoned. The thought of never again seeing his friends smiling face throbbed like venom through his veins. The buzzards circled, shrieking, dropping lower and lower, eager for a feast.

The last day of the KSAT COMMUNITY Blood Drive hosted by University Health System is Thursday, January 25. The drive takes place at University Hospital, 4502 Medical Drive. Don't worry Dr. John Daniels from University Hospital said, "there is always a need for every particular blood type." Blood Drive LocationUniversity Hospital (4502 Medical Drive)8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.​​​​KSAT COMMUNITY events include a Healthy Heart online test, the San Antonio Book Festival, a school supply drive, a Shred Day and many other activities throughout 2018. Thank you to all of our KSAT COMMUNITY partners-- Energy Transfer, San Antonio Area Chevy Dealers and University Health System for making a difference and making these community outreach events possible.

In the "60 Minutes" moment of the week, Scott Pelley presses Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams on the question: Did you ever order a death for the IRA?