by JivinJ

Now look at one way Mr. Obama wants to eliminate inefficiency and waste: He’s asked Congress to create an Independent Medicare Advisory Council – an unelected, largely unaccountable group of experts charged with containing Medicare costs. In an interview with the in April, the president suggested that such a group, working outside of “normal political channels,” should guide decisions regarding that “huge driver of cost… the chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives….”

Given such statements, is it any wonder that many of the sick and elderly are concerned that the Democrats’ proposals will ultimately lead to rationing of their health care by – dare I say it – death panels?
Establishment voices dismissed that phrase, but it rang true for many Americans. Working through “normal political channels,” they made themselves heard, and as a result Congress will likely reject a wrong-headed proposal to authorize end-of-life counseling in this cost-cutting context. But the fact remains that the Democrats’ proposals would still empower unelected bureaucrats to make decisions affecting life or death health-care matters. Such government overreaching is what we’ve come to expect from this administration.

Other stem cells in the body, such as liver and stomach cells, have been examined for their ability to culture usable iPS cells. Fat stem cells, however, seem especially primed for the job, as they are capable of turning into fat, heart, bone or muscle tissue. “We know that these fat cells are multipotent, which should [make it] easier to reprogram them,” Wu says.
Indeed, they were: According to the team’s findings, adipose stem cells can be turned into iPS cells twice as quickly as fibroblast skin cells and with 20 times the efficiency. The process can begin immediately after the fat is harvested – via liposuction – and cells are ready to culture within the same day.