November 2, 2009, 8:49 AM CT

Sleep deprivation and information processing

A study in the Nov.1 issue of the journal Sleep shows that sleep deprivation causes some people to shift from a more automatic, implicit process of information categorization (information-integration) to a more controlled, explicit process (rule-based). This use of rule-based strategies in a task in which information-integration strategies are optimal can lead to potentially devastating errors when quick and accurate categorization is fundamental to survival.

Results show that sleep deprivation led to an overall performance deficit on an information-integration category learning task that was held over the course of two days. Performance improved in the control group by 4.3 percent from the end of day one to the beginning of day two (accuracy increased from 74 percent to 78.3 percent); performance in the sleep-deprived group declined by 2.4 percent (accuracy decreased from 73.1 percent to 70.7 percent) from the end of day one to the beginning of day two.

As per co-principal researchers W. Todd Maddox, PhD, professor of psychology, and David M. Schnyer, PhD, associate professor of psychology at the Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Texas in Austin, fast and accurate categorization is critical in situations that could become a matter of life or death. However, categorization appears to become compromised in people who often experience sleep deprivation in fast-paced, high pressure roles such as doctors, firefighters, soldiers and even parents. A number of tasks performed on a daily basis require information-integration processing rather than rule-based categorization. Examples include driving, making a medical diagnosis and performing air-traffic control......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

October 29, 2009, 10:31 PM CT

Geneticists Hunt for Scleroderma Triggers

At its most benign, the autoimmune disease scleroderma can discolor parts of the skin of its sufferers. At its most pernicious, it can thicken and harden their skin, their blood vessels, and their internal organs before, in a number of cases, killing them.

In all its forms, scleroderma gives Dartmouth geneticist Michael Whitfield, his graduate students, and his postdoctoral scientists a sense of urgency in their search for the triggers of the chronic condition. In a study that the Journal of Investigative Dermatology published in its October 2009 edition, Whitfield's team reports a closer correlation between a gene profile for the profibrotic pathway TGF-beta and a tendency in some scleroderma sufferers to develop lung problems. Jennifer Sargent, who recently earned her Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology from DMS, is main author of the study, which analyzed the previously-identified TGF-beta pathway signature in skin biopsies from patients and healthy control subjects from around the country.

"The finding that a gene signature expressed in skin is linked to the occurrence of lung disease is surprising and to our knowledge is previously unreported," the report says. "ILD [interstitial lung disease] is the leading cause of death among patients with dSSc [diffuse systemic sclerosis]. Recent work has developed tools and methods for diagnosis, staging, and characterization of ILD in dSSc patients; however, biomarkers that reliably predict who will develop lung complications before they become symptomatic would be beneficial"......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

October 29, 2009, 10:09 PM CT

New explanation for flu virus antigenic drift

Influenza viruses evade infection-fighting antibodies by constantly changing the shape of their major surface protein. This shape-shifting, called antigenic drift, is why influenza vaccineswhich are designed to elicit antibodies matched to each year's circulating virus strainsmust be reformulated annually. Now, scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, have proposed a new explanation for the evolutionary forces that drive antigenic drift. The findings in mice, using a strain of seasonal influenza virus first isolated in 1934, also suggest that antigenic drift might be slowed by increasing the number of children vaccinated against influenza.

Scott Hensley, Ph.D., Jonathan W. Yewdell, M.D., Ph.D., and Jack R. Bennink, Ph.D., led the research team, whose findings are reported in the current issue of Science

"This research elegantly combines modern genetic techniques with decades-old approaches to give us new insights into the mechanisms of antigenic drift and how influenza viruses elude the immune system," says NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.

"No one is sure exactly how the antigenic drift of flu viruses happens in people," says Dr. Yewdell. As per the prevailing theory, drift occurs as the virus is passed from person to person and is exposed to differing antibody attacks at each stop. With varying success, antibodies recognize one or more of the four antigenic regions in hemagglutinin, the major outer coat protein of the flu virus. Antibodies in person A, for example, may mount an attack in which antibodies focus on a single antigenic region. Mutant viruses that arise in person A can escape antibodies by replacing one critical amino acid in this antigen region. These mutant viruses survive, multiply and are passed to person B, where the process is repeated......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

October 21, 2009, 11:23 PM CT

Standards for a new genomic era

A team of geneticists at Los Alamos National Laboratory, together with a consortium of international researchers, has recently proposed a set of standards designed to elucidate the quality of publicly available genetic sequencing information. The new standards could eventually allow genetic scientists to develop vaccines more efficiently or help public health or security personnel more quickly respond to potential public-health emergencies.

In a recent issue of Science, Los Alamos geneticist Patrick Chain and his colleagues presented six labels for genome sequence data that are, or will become, available in public databases rather than the two labels used today. The six labels would roughly characterize the completeness and accuracyand consequently, the potential reliabilityof genetic sequencing data. This is of great importance since scientists use such data on a daily basis for cross-referencing unknown genetic material with the genetic material of known organisms.

Every living organism with DNA has chromosomes containing the four molecular building blocks, or base pairs, represented by letters A, T, G, and C. One chromosome can contain millions of base pairs arranged like rungs on a ladder of DNA. The base pairs are arranged in sets of specific sequences that make up genes. These gene sequences can contain genetic instructions that help or harm an organismfor example by encoding enzymes that digest certain foods, or inducing cellular aberrations that give rise to certain diseases......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

October 20, 2009, 10:11 PM CT

Spinal cord regeneration after injury

Animal research is suggesting new ways to aid recovery after spinal cord injury. New studies demonstrate that diet affects recovery rate and show how to make stem cell therapies safer for spinal injury patients. The findings were presented at Neuroscience 2009, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news on brain science and health.

In other animal studies, scientists identified molecules that encourage spinal cord regeneration and ways to block molecules that discourage it. The findings may help shape therapies for the more than one million people in North America who have spinal cord injuries.

Research released recently shows that:

• A diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates speeds recovery in rats with spinal cord injuries. The study suggests that dietary content may affect spinal cord injury recovery rates in people (Wolfram Tetzlaff, MD, PhD, abstract 542.10, see attached summary).
• In animal studies, stem cell implants pre-screened for "unsafe" immature cells helped repair injured spinal cords without dangerous side effects, like tumor formation. The findings suggest best practices for human stem cell therapies (Masaya Nakamura, MD, PhD, abstract 642.14, see attached summary).

Other findings discussed at the meeting show that:........ Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

October 14, 2009, 10:17 PM CT

How to Find Cheap Insurance Quotes Online - Life cover

Life insurance is not always considered as the top preference by a number of people. They think it is a needless expenditure or they are just unable to afford the cost.

However, there are a number of inexpensive insurance plans available if you know where to look for them. Researching online will allow you to find cheap insurance quotes for protecting your family during any serious crisis.

You do not want them having to struggle to meet their expenses after you are gone (God forbid). A good place to start looking for cheap insurance quotes online is by using the search engines. There are a number of web sites for you to explore in order to get the best rates or quotes.

An excellent option is to visit the third-party review websites. They will provide you with a reasonable assessment of quotes from several companies and put it into an easy to read comparison column format with specific fields.

Remember you shouldn't look for just the cheapest overall plan. You should rather look for the lowest coverage plan which perfectly satisfies you needs.

There are a number of affordable insurance companies out there which will provide you with the excellent coverage plans. Acquiring a life insurance does not necessarily have to cost an arm and a leg. Additionally, it will also bring a lot of peace of mind into your lives......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

October 13, 2009, 7:53 AM CT

Parkinson's disease data bank yields promise

Individuals with Parkinson's disease who have higher levels of a metabolite called urate in their blood and in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have a slower rate of disease progression, as per a research studyfunded by the National Institutes of Health. A clinical trial is under way to examine the safety and potential benefits of supplemental urate elevation for recently diagnosed Parkinson's patients who have low urate levels.

Investigators demonstrated the link with urate by mining a repository of clinical data and tissue samples collected from Parkinson's patients more than 20 years ago as part of a pioneering study called DATATOP, funded by NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). The newly released study appears in Archives of Neurology. It was funded primarily by NINDS, with additional support from the Department of Defense and private organizations.

"This study speaks to the value of saving data and biospecimens from large clinical studies, and making them available to the research community to pursue new, unanticipated ideas," said Michael Schwarzschild, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, who lead the study together with Alberto Ascherio, M.D., Dr.PH, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

October 12, 2009, 7:15 AM CT

Genetic cause of hemoglobin problems

A gene with a significant effect on regulating hemoglobin in the body has been identified as part of a genome-wide association study, which looked at the link between genes and hemoglobin level in 16,000 people. The research was carried out by researchers from Imperial College London and published in Nature Genetics today. It shows a strong association between a gene known as TMPRSS6 and the regulation of hemoglobin.

Hemoglobin is contained within red blood cells and is essential for transporting oxygen around the body. Problems with hemoglobin production cause common diseases, such as anaemia, which comes from low levels of hemoglobin and is found in 25% of the world's population.

"This new finding is critical: understanding how hemoglobin levels are controlled at a genetic level has significant public health implications for people of all ages in developing and developed countries", explains Dr John Chambers, from the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at Imperial College London and one of the main authors of the study.

"Abnormally high or low levels are linked to a range of serious health problems, such as poor growth (low levels) and increased risk of stroke (high levels). Changes in hemoglobin levels can also affect our susceptibility to diseases like malaria, which infect the red blood cells" says Professor Kooner, from the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London and the study's chief investigator......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

October 7, 2009, 8:07 PM CT

Study on Genetic Impact of Radiation

Scientists at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center are helping to lead a massive international study on the possible genetic effects of radiation and cancer drug exposures on future generations. The study's principal researchers are meeting this week at the OU Health Sciences Center to discuss their recent findings, which will be presented at an upcoming meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics.

The study, which combines cancer survivors in the United States and Scandinavia, is looking at potential genetic consequences of reproductive organs exposed to curative treatment by drugs or radiation. Researchers want to determine whether radiation and chemotherapy before conception increases the occurrence of birth defects, stillbirths and specific conditions such as Down syndrome. They also want to know if radiation therapy leads to cancer or DNA damage in the patients' offspring. It is the first and largest study of its kind.

In Denmark and Finland, scientists have been able to identify all cancer survivors since 1943 and 1952, respectively, who had cancer before age 35. They also documented the nearly 20,000 children produced by the survivors. Researchers now want to compare their findings with patients in the United States.

"So far, the results have been encouraging," said John J. Mulvihill, M.D., one of the leaders of the study and a renowned geneticist at the OU College of Medicine and the OU Cancer Institute. "This study is important for a number of reasons, but most notably for cancer survivors who need reassurances that their children will not be affected by their chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This research also will help families in Hiroshima and Chernobyl where residents were exposed to high levels of radiation as children and young adults"......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

October 6, 2009, 7:29 AM CT

Improving vaccine efficacy for the elderly

A newly released study from the Trudeau Institute in Saranac Lake, New York, demonstrates that immune system cells important for both pathogen resistance and vaccine efficacy live longer in older animals but because of this longevity acquire functional defects. The work may provide new targets for boosting immune system function in older individuals.

The well-documented decreases in immune system function that accompany aging leave elderly individuals more susceptible to numerous infectious agents than younger people. Thus a number of vaccines now in use are not nearly as effective in protecting older people. For example, a Journal of the American Medical Association study observed that in individuals over the age of 70, influenza vaccination offered only 23 percent protection, and reduced responses have also been seen for tetanus and hepatitis vaccinations.

In prior work, Trudeau Institute Investigator Susan Swain and her colleagues demonstrated that a specific type of immune cells, called CD4 T cells, which are critical to vaccine response, become less effective with age. Robust CD4 activity is necessary for antibody production in response to infection or vaccination. (The immune system contains many different cell types including B cells, which manufacture antibodies, and multiple classes of T cells. CD4 T cells are a type of helper cell that stimulates B cell production and a number of other components of immunity.) Specifically, "naive" CD4 T cells, those that have not come into contact with or become specialized to respond to a particular pathogen, are needed to ensure protection against new pathogens as well as vigorous responses to vaccination......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source