PEOPLE AND PLACES

PEOPLE AND PLACES

Thursday, April 29, 2010

THE END OF AGEING

 

By taking a pill a day from middle-age, we will grow old free from illnesses of the body and mind such as Alzheimer’s and heart disease.
People could work for longer – or simply make the most of their retirement. Some research even suggests skin and hair will retain its youthful lustre.
Professor Partridge, of University College London, said: ‘I would be surprised if there weren’t things within ten years. If told you could take a drug that has minimal side-effects and that’s going to keep you healthy for another five or ten years and then you’ll drop off your perch without disability, most people would want it.’
Extraordinary as the professor’s prediction may seem, it is based on a host of promising scientific studies from around the world.
They have discovered key genes linked to longevity and health – and found ways of tinkering with them, at least in animals.


In one of the remarkable examples, a Harvard University doctor made old mice young again, in experiments that mirrored the plot of The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, where the lead character played by Brad Pitt ages in reverse.


The end of ageing: The remarkable new treatments doctors say will keep us young

The revolutionary life extension and immortality ideas of this somewhat eccentric scientist, Dr. Aubrey de Grey.

This documentary is all about the radical ideas of a Cambridge biomedical gerontologist called Aubrey de Grey who believes that, within the next 20-30 years, we could extend life indefinitely by addressing seven major factors in the aging process. He describes his work as Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS).

The SENS theory describes “seven deadly things” that erode the body’s youthfulness at the cellular level, eventually leading to death by old age. Aubrey de Grey means to apply exercise, gene therapy, stem cells, and other yet-to-be-discovered methods of medicine to counteract each of these age-advancing devices:

1. Cell death and atrophy: Treatable with exercise, stem cells, and chemicals which stimulate cell division.

2. Cancerous cells: Theoretically treatable with a type of gene therapy being developed, called Whole-body Interdiction of Lengthening of Telomeres (WILT).

3. Mutant mitochondria: Mutated DNA in the mitochondria causes a number of diseases. These can be prevented by moving the mitochondrial DNA into the cell nucleus, where the rest of the DNA resides.

4. Cell senescence (unwanted cells): Fat cells and other unwanted cruft can be removed surgically, or by stimulating the immune system to attack unwanted cells.

5. Extracellular crosslinks (loss of elasticity): Certain proteins, such as those in cells making up the arteries, become too rigid over time because they bond to each other. These bonds can be broken with certain chemicals (some in clinical trials even today).

6 Extracellular junk: “Plaque” which collects between cells can be eliminated by stimulating the immune system, and/or by using peptides called “beta-breakers.”

7. Intracellular junk: Molecular garbage can be prevented from overwhelming certain cells by introducing enzymes which are known to be effective against such molecules.

Miracle cures: The Florida conference showcased some 'miracle' products

 

Miracle cures: The Florida conference showcased some 'miracle' products

Orlando in Florida, home of Disneyland’s Magic Kingdom, this year hosted a fantastical event, although there wasn’t a Mickey Mouse in sight.

The city was the location for the 19th Annual World Congress on Anti-Ageing and Aesthetic Medicine, which, if the futuristic treatments on show were to be believed, heralded a new era in anti-ageing technology.

Here is a selection of the most remarkable age-reversal treatments on offer at the conference.

 

CELL REJUVENATION THROUGH TELOMERASE ACTIVATION  

THEORY: Every human cell contains chromosomes that house our DNA, the blueprint for every feature and function in our body. At the end of each chromosome are 92 telomeres, which are responsible for maintaining the quality of our DNA.

However, each time our cells divide and reproduce, the telomeres get shorter until they become so short that the cell dies. As cells die, the organ they make up deteriorates and cannot function as efficiently, therefore speeding up ageing.

The speed of this process depends on lifestyle and genes and, according to a study carried out by the University of California, those with short telomeres are three times more at risk of dying of heart disease than those with longer telomeres.

TREATMENT: TA-65 activates an enzyme called telomerase, which helps protect the telomeres, thereby protecting the cell. TA-65 is taken as a nutritional supplement and is produced by concentrating one of the compounds found in the astragalus root, a herb used in Chinese medicine.

Last year a study carried out by Harvard Medical School on mice found that TA-65 lengthens critically short telomeres, restores the immune system and increases bone density.

COST: From £120 to £404 a month, depending on age of patient.

www.tasciences.com

ALPHA-STIM SCS

Sleep better: the Alpha-Stim SCS treatment

Sleep better: the Alpha-Stim SCS treatment

THEORY: Cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) was pioneered in Russia during the Fifties for the treatment of anxiety, depression and insomnia –conditions known to trigger other health concerns such as heart disease that speed the ageing process.

Last year 39 million prescriptions for antidepressants were handed out and many more sufferers will not have sought help.

CES works by using mild battery-powered electrical impulses that stimulate neurons (nerve cells in the brain), which produce neurotransmitters (the chemicals, including serotonin, responsible for mood).

The low-level electrical current is thought to normalise the behaviour of these cells, balancing the production of chemicals in the brain and improving a patient’s mental state.

TREATMENT: The Alpha-Stim SCS (Stress Control System) is slightly larger than a mobile phone. Treatment involves attaching two electrodes to the ear, wrist or forehead. The machine is then switched on. This produces a slight tingling sensation around the electrodes.

Patients usually experience better sleep within three days and after a week many report feeling less depressed, angry or anxious. After three weeks, results have shown that concentration and the ability to digest and recall information significantly improves, too.

COST: £299.

www.alpha-stim.co.uk

PROLOTHERAPY

Prolotherapy: This treatment involves injecting the patient with a dextrose to repair tissue damage

Prolotherapy: This treatment involves injecting the patient with a dextrose to repair tissue damage

THEORY: Prolotherapy is a form of non-surgical ligament reconstruction used to treat chronic pain, including arthritis, back pain, fibromyalgia, and sports injuries.

Soft-tissue injuries not only cause immediate pain but can trigger longer-term problems such as osteoarthritis – a condition that affects nine million Britons – because the ligaments cannot support surrounding joints and muscular tissue.

Prolotherapy uses a sugar called dextrose dissolved into water that is injected into the damaged ligament or tendon.

This triggers low-level inflammation, which increases blood supply and stimulates the tissue to repair itself. According to The British Pain Society, about ten million Britons suffer long-term pain at any one point.

TREATMENT: Prolotherapy injections must be administered by a healthcare professional. Between three and ten over a course of weeks will be needed.

After an injection the patient is advised to rest. Prolotherapy is often performed in conjunction with Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections.

PRP involves taking blood from a patient, processing it to harvest the platelets, which are rich in human growth factor, a chemical that helps regulate cell production in the body. The PRP is injected into the injured area to promote cell renewal.

COST: From £245 including initial consultation.

www.ovingclinic.co.uk

NITRIC OXIDE SUPPLEMENTS

Supplement: Nitric Oxide pills can boost circulation

Supplement: Nitric Oxide pills can boost circulation

THEORY: Nitric oxide, a compound only discovered in 1988, is responsible for many bodily functions but its primary role in the body is as a vasodilator, helping blood vessels dilate (open) and allow blood to flow freely.

After the age of 40 our ability to convert chemicals in our food – particularly from green, leafy vegetables – to nitric oxide diminishes.

This leads to poor circulation which can cause a loss of sensation in the limbs, impaired brain function, slower healing, low energy levels, and even increase the possibility of strokes and impotence. A nitric oxide dietary supplement boosts circulation, helping the body function more efficiently.

TREATMENT: If you suffer from any of these symptoms, see your GP to rule out other causes. This supplement contains enzymes that help convert amino acids in the diet into nitric oxide. For best results, use for eight weeks followed by a two-week break.

COST: USN Alpha Nitrox NO2, 90 caps, £25.99.

www.thehealthbay.com        

THE LASER CAP

Laser Hat: To stimulate hair growth, this treatment is £2,000

Laser Hat: To stimulate hair growth, this treatment is £2,000

THEORY: Hair loss as a result of ageing can affect both sexes, although men are most prone to balding. It commonly begins in the run-up to middle age and is linked to testosterone levels.

The condition affects 6.5 million in the UK. Post-menopausal women can also experience thinning hair because of lower levels of oestrogen (a female hormone).

Stress can cause hair to fall out, too. The Laser Cap’s low-level red light stimulates hair follicles in the scalp to produce better quality and a greater quantity of hair.

TREATMENT: The cap is designed for home use but is available only on prescription. A dome-shaped membrane fits on the head and is powered by a small belt-clip battery. After a recommended three ten-minute sessions a week, the manufacturers claim results will be noticeable within two months.

COST: £2,000.

www.farjo.com

THE LONGEVITY PROFILE

Testing: The Longevity profile

Testing: The Longevity profile

THEORY: Extensive blood and urine tests can foretell a developing cancer, the beginnings of heart disease, osteoporosis and hormonal imbalances and even predict organ health. By finding out the potential problems with your future health, you can make lifestyle changes to slow or stop conditions developing. About 2.6 million adults suffer heart disease in the UK and every year 94,000 die from it.

TREATMENT: Blood and urine samples are tested in 20 ways. Blood can be taken in a doctor’s office in Florida or a testing kit can be sent to the UK, then returned to Florida. A phone consultation reviews the results. Whole blood spoils within 24 hours; a UK test can be done only via urine samples and a component of blood called blood serum.

COST: From £585.

www.americanmetaboliclaboratories.net

Salt link to dementia: Just a teaspoon a day 'dulls the mind' and increases your risk of Alzheimer's disease

Salt risk: New research suggests too much salt can be bad for the brain

Salt risk: New research suggests too much salt can be bad for the brain

Too much salt could be bad for your brain as well as your heart, doctors have warned.

Elderly people who have salt-rich diets and do little exercise suffer a quicker mental decline than those who are more prudent with their intake, a study has found.

Worryingly, just over a teaspoon of salt a day could dull the mind and raise the risk of Alzheimer’s, the study suggests.

Salt’s danger to the heart is well known but the latest study is the first to link it to deterioration of brain health in the elderly.

The Canadian team tracked the salt consumption and levels of physical activity of 1,262 healthy men and women aged between 67 and 84 over a three-year period. They also assessed the mental health of the participants at the start of the study and once a year for the duration, using a battery of tests more commonly used to diagnose Alzheimer’s.

‘The results of our study showed that a diet high in sodium, combined with little exercise, was especially detrimental to the cognitive performance of older adults,’ said Dr Alexandra Fiocco from the University of Toronto.

‘But the good news is that sedentary older adults showed no cognitive decline over the three years that we followed them if they had low sodium intake.’ A high level was defined as more than 3,090mg of pure sodium a day – or just over a teaspoon of salt a day at 7.7g. 

This is the equivalent of 15 bags of crisps, three-and-a-half Big Macs or almost two full English breakfasts.

But some of those taking part in the study were eating almost three times this, the journal Neurobiology of Aging reports.

The researchers said that knowledge of the link between salt and declining brain power could help people age healthily.

Warning: A link has been made by scientists at the University of Toronto between salt and Alzheimer's

Warning: A link has been made by scientists at the University of Toronto between salt and Alzheimer's

‘These findings are important because they help people know they can be proactive in retaining healthy brains as they age,’ said Carol Greenwood, a professor at the University of Toronto and another one of the authors.

‘Baby Boomers especially need to know that sitting on the couch watching television for long periods of time and eating salty snacks is not good for them.’

Deborah Barnes, a dementia expert at the University of California in San Francisco, said: ‘This is one of the first studies that looks at sodium. It’s another important point about diet. You need to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and stay away from processed foods.’

In the UK, the Food Standards Agency recommends that adults should eat no more than 6g of salt, or one teaspoon, per day. 

But the average Briton’s intake is well over the limit at 8.6g.

Research suggests people who reduce salt in their diet by about 3g a day – the equivalent of six slices of bread – can reduce their chances of developing cardiovascular disease by a quarter.

Children aged one to three should eat no more than 2g per day, rising to 3g per day for four to six-year-olds and 5g for seven to tens.

A recent major review of the evidence on the dangers posed by salt created controversy by concluding that lowering consumption has little effect on health.

But other experts say that one in five strokes and heart attacks would be prevented if everyone just ate a third of a teaspoon less of salt a day.

 

Thursday, April 15, 2010

The 15th Anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing

 

 

The 15th Anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing

Captured Blog: Oklahoma City Bombing(AP) Survivors and family members of the 168 people who died in the bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building gathered Monday to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the

attack.

Hundreds of people attended the ceremony at the Oklahoma City National Memorial to remember those killed in the April 19, 1995, explosion. More than 600 others were injured in the attack at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

Before the ceremony – which started shortly before 9:02 a.m., the time the bombing occurred – bells tolled in Oklahoma City’s downtown and some family members visited the site of the federal building razed in the attack, where chairs to honor the bombing victims now stand.

Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said the day of the bombing is recalled with reverence, “not because we can’t forget but because we choose to remember.

“We have chosen strength, we have chosen optimism, we have chosen freedom, we have chosen to move forward together with a level of unity that is unmatched in any American city,” Cornett said at the ceremony, held on a cool, overcast morning.

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The north side of the Albert P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City shows 19 April 1995 the devastation caused by a fuel-and fertilizer truck bomb that was detonated early 19 April in front of the building. The blast killed 168 people and injured more than 500. Timothy McVeigh, convicted on first-degree murder charges for the 19 April bombing was sentenced to death in 1997. (BOB DAEMMRICH/AFP/Getty Images) #

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An unidentified woman is restrained by relatives and police after learning her child was trapped in a day care facility at the Alfred Murrah Federal Building Wednesday April 19, 1995, in downtown Oklahoma City. A bomb blast ripped through the building early Wednesday morning. (AP Photo/David Longstreath) #

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Federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents and FBI agents survey the damage to the Alfred Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City Wednesday, April 19, 1995. A car bomb blast gouged a nine-story hole in the federal office building. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) #

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Medical assistants, Janet Froehlich, left, Wilma Jackson and Kerri Albright run from the Alfred Murrah Federal Building after being told another bomb device had been found Wednesday, April 19, 1995, in Oklahoma City. An explosion ripped through the federal office building Wednesday morning. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) #

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An unidentified man holds a towel to his face following an explosion Wednesday April 19, 1995, at the Alfred Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. At least 19 people are reported dead from the blast. (AP Photo/David Longstreath) #

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An unidentifed man wipes blood from his face Wednesday, April 19, 1995, following a car bomb explosion at the Alfred Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. More than 26 people were killed and another 300 were missing in the explosion that gouged a nine-story hole in the federal office building. (AP Photo/David Longstreath) #

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Rescue workers (C) in a basket survey damages 20 April 1995 to the Albert P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, one day after a fuel-and-fertilizer truck bomb exploded in front of the building. The blast killed 168 people and injured more than 500. Timothy McVeigh, convicted on first-degree murder charges for the 19 April bombing was sentenced to death in 1997. (PAUL K. BUCK/AFP/Getty Images) #

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An unidentified injured woman holds an unidentifed child following a blast that destroyed a large portion of a federal building Wednesday, April 19, 1995, in downtown Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/David Longstreath) #

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The downtown streets surrounding the Alfred Murrah Federal Building are swamped by emergency vehicles and personnel Thursday, April 20, 1995, after Wednesday's devastating car bomb blast in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) #

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People injured in the car bomb blast at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City gather near the explosion site Wednesday, April 19, 1995. At least 31 people were killed in the blast, and 200 are missing. At least a dozen youngsters were among the dead. (AP Photo/David Longstreath) #

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Firefighters search the rubble of the Alfred Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Wednesday April 19, 1995, after an explosion ripped a nine-story hole in the federal office building. (AP Photo by J. Pat Carter) #

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Rescue personnel converge on the bomb-damaged Alfred Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City Wednesday, April 19, 1995. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) #

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A bloody-faced victim of the explosion that ripped a nine-story hole in the the Alfred Murrah Federal Building Wednesday, April 19, 1995, in downtown Oklahoma City, is helped from the scene. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter) #

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Police and emergency workers stand outside a heavily damaged federal building Wednesday April 19, 1995, in downtown Oklahoma City. An early morning explosion rocked the downtown area. (AP Photo/David Longstreath) #

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An Oklahoma City fireman walks near explosion-damaged cars on the north side of the Alfred Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City after a car bomb blast. More than 600 people were injured in the attack and 168 people were killed. Timothy McVeigh was executed in 2001 and Terry Nichols is serving multiple life sentences on federal and state convictions for their convictions in the bombing. (AP Photo/The Daily Oklahoman, Jim Argo) #

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Oklahoma City fire Capt. Chris Fields carries 1-year-old Baylee Almon, injured in the bombing Wednesday, April, 19, 1995 at the Alfred Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. The child died from her injuries. (AP Photo/Charles H. Porter IV) #

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Two women wait to be rescued from the upper floors of the Alfred Murrah Federal Building Wednesday, April 19, 1995, in Oklahoma City. The building was hit by an explosion about 9 a.m. (AP Photo by J. Pat Carter) #

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Alcohol Tobacco and Firearm agents look over the damage to the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City, Sunday, April 23, 1995. A car-bomb ripped through the nine-story federal building Wednesday, April 19, killing at least 78 people. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) #

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The north side of the Alfred Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City is missing after what federal authorities believe to be a car bomb exploded Wednesday, April 19, 1995. (AP Photo) #

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An FBI agent looks over part of a transmission rod Thursday, April 20, 1995, blown more than a block from the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City in Wednesday's fatal car bombing. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter) #

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The Alfred Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City is the center of attention Thursday, April 20, 1995, as rescue workers continue digging through the rubble after Wednesday's fatal explosion. (AP Photo/J.Pat Carter) #

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A suitcoat on a hanger and some undisturbed filing cabinets appear in a destroyed ninth floor office of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City Sunday, April 30, 1995. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta) #

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Firemen look under a section of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building as it is lifted by a crane as rescue efforts continue Monday, April 24, 1995, towards the area of the child care center in the areas below. (AP Photo/Pool) #

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Investigators meticulously sift through the rubble on the ground at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bomb site in Oklahoma City on Friday, April 28, 1995. (AP Photo/John Kuntz,Pool) #

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Rescue workers dig through debris Monday, April 24, 1995, at Oklahoma City's Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building following the deadly bombing. (AP Photo/Greg Smith) #

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Davetta Green, right, mother of James Green, 2, watches her son react to the removal of an I.V. by Brenda Middlebrooks R.N. at Presbyterian Hospital in Oklahoma City Thursday, April 20, 1995. James was undergoing treatment for injuries received in the car bombing. The Greens were in the YMCA building across the street at the time of the car blast. (AP Photo) #

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Firefighters from Clinton, Okla., change shifts after a 12-hour shift, Sunday, April 23, 1995, at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. The death toll stood at 78, with 150 people unaccounted for. More than 400 were injured in Wednesday's blast, caused by thousands of pounds of homemade explosives packed into a Ryder rental truck. (AP Photo/Beth A. Keiser) #

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Workers remove rubble from the Alfred Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Friday, May 12, 1995, as they prepare for the demolition of the building. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter) #

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Fire personnel gather at the base of the nine-story Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City Thursday, April 20, 1995, prior to a walkthrough of the area by media covering Wednesday's fatal car bombing at the center. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip,Pool) #

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An emotional crowd gathers at "A Time of Healing" prayer service Sunday, April 23, 1995, where some 20,000 people overflowed the state fairgrounds. President Clinton and the Rev. Billy Graham addressed a memorial service on what the president declared a national day of mourning. The death toll stood at 78, with 150 people unaccounted for. More than 400 were injured in Wednesday's blast, caused by thousands of pounds of homemade explosives packed into a Ryder rental truck. (AP Photo/Beth A. Keiser) #

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A blue-ribbon laden flower sits on police tape near the command center at the federal building in downtown Oklahoma City Monday, April 24, 1995. Wednesday's car bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Guilding killed more than 70 people and many were still missing at the time. (AP Photo/Beth A. Keiser) #

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Members of the Christian Life Missionary Baptist Church in Oklahoma City hold a sunset prayer vigil Friday, April 28, 1995, near the site of the April 19 car bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. In what had become a nightly ritual, people came to the downtown location to offer thanks to volunteers and to pay homage to the more than 120 people who perished in the bombing. (AP Photo/Lacy Atkins) #

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Gaylon Turner, of Smith Funeral Home, waits for people to leave the gravesite following the funeral service for Luther and LaRue Treanor at Summit View Cemetery in Guthrie, Okla., Friday, April 28, 1995. (AP Photo/Beth A. Keiser) #

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Flowers and teddy bears decorate the fence surrounding the cleanup area near the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building Sunday, April 30, 1995, as efforts continued in the wake of the April 19, car bombing in downtown Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta) #

Captured Blog: Oklahoma City Bombing

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Karen Ellison of Oklahoma City looks through a chain link fence at the memorial service for rescue workers and volunteers at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. More than 600 people were injured in the April 19, 1995 attack and 168 people were killed. Timothy McVeigh was executed in 2001 and Terry Nichols is serving multiple life sentences on federal and state convictions for their convictions in the bombing. (AP Photo J. Pat Carter, File) #

Captured Blog: Oklahoma City Bombing

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Glenn Wilburn holds Kathy Graham Wilburn while she cries watching the implosion of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City, Tuesday, May 23, 1995, along with her daughter Edye Smith, right. Two of Mrs. Smith's children, Colton and Chase Smith, were among the 168 killed in the April car-bomb explosion at the federal building. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke) #

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The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City falls in a cloud of dust as it was demolished by explosives Tuesday, May 23, 1995. The building was the site of a deadly car-bomb attack April 19, 1995. (AP Photo/George Wilson) #

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Unidentified family members of victim in the OKC bombing break down in tears walking out of the courthouse after hearing the verdict against Timothy McVeigh. Kent Meireis/The Denver Post #

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Martha Hite, left, and Diane Faircloth, two of the jurors from the Timothy McVeigh bombing trial in Denver, listen to jury foreman Jim Osgood talk to victims of the bombing Saturday, June 20, 1998 in Oklahoma City. The jury was visiting the bombing site and meeting victims' families. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter) #

Captured Blog: Oklahoma City Bombing

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Liz Castle, left, and Ann Aber, right, embraced while they listened to Bud Welch talk about his daughter Julie who was killed in the Oklahoma City bombing. Mr. Welch did not want convicted bomber Timothy McVeigh to die. More than one hundred people attended a candlight vigil against capital punishment on the west steps of the state Capitol in Denver. The rally was sponsored by Coloradans Against the Death Penalty. Denver Post photo by Karl Gehring. #

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Mourners gather for a ceremony for the 168 killed in the 1995 bombing of the federal building April 19, 2007 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Briah Harkin/Getty Images) #

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Family and friends of Lakesha Levy, one of the 168 victims of the Oklahoma City bombing, pray at her chair in the Field of Chairs, Monday, April 19, 2010 on the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) #

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People gather under the Survivor Tree at the Oklahoma City National Memorial, Monday, April 19, 2010, during the memorial ceremony marking the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) #