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Expert: DNA on medical waste matched Clemens'

Posted on May 25, 2012 by ev1

(CBS/AP) WASHINGTON - A forensic scientist testified Friday that two cotton balls and a syringe needle allegedly saved after a steroids injection tested positive for Roger Clemens' DNA, a key moment as the government tries to prove the former pitcher used performance-enhancing drugs.

Alan Keel told jurors that the DNA on both cotton ball matches were "unique to one person who has ever lived on the planet" Clemens. He said that one of the cotton balls had a random match possibility of one in 15.4 trillion for Clemens' DNA, and the other had one in 173 trillion, when comparing to the population of white people in the U.S.

The needle was not as conclusive, because Keel was only able to get a handful of cells. That match was one in 449.

Brian McNamee, Clemens' former strength coach, earlier testified he collected the medical waste after injecting the pitcher with steroids in 2001, and turned them over to federal authorities in 2008. Earlier government witnesses testified that steroids were found on the medical waste.

Clemens is accused of lying to Congress in 2008 when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

Prosecutors hope that Clemens' DNA which helped make him one of the most successful pitchers in baseball history will help them convict him of a federal crime.

While Keel's testimony was a milestone moment for the government, the defense indicated early on it wouldn't contest that the needle had both steroids and Clemens' DNA on it. But Clemens' lawyer Rusty Hardin said in his opening statement that the defense will contend that McNamee put the steroids in the needle after injecting Clemens and that the coach in fact had used the needle to inject Clemens with vitamin B12. Clemens has maintained for years that he received B12 shots and the local anesthetic lidocaine but not performance-enhancing drugs.

Prosecutor Courtney Saleski tried to pre-empt that by asking Keel if there was any way to "fake this."

Keel said no.

"If this were contrived, I would expect to obtain much more biological material," he said in other words, it would be hard to fake a sample with such a small amount of biological material on it.

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Expert: DNA on medical waste matched Clemens'

Expert says DNA on medical waste allegedly saved after steroids injection matched Clemens'

Posted on May 25, 2012 by ev1

WASHINGTON A forensic scientist testified Friday that two cotton balls and a syringe needle allegedly saved after a steroids injection tested positive for Roger Clemens' DNA, a key moment as the government tries to prove the former pitcher used performance-enhancing drugs.

The needle was not as conclusive, because Keel was only able to get a handful of cells. That match was one in 449.

Clemens is accused of lying to Congress in 2008 when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

Prosecutors hope that Clemens' DNA which helped make him one of the most successful pitchers in baseball history will help them convict him of a federal crime.

Prosecutor Courtney Saleski tried to pre-empt that by asking Keel if there was any way to "fake this."

Keel said no.

"If this were contrived, I would expect to obtain much more biological material," he said in other words, it would be hard to fake a sample with such a small amount of biological material on it.

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Expert says DNA on medical waste allegedly saved after steroids injection matched Clemens'

Clemens’s DNA Was on Syringe, Cotton Balls, Witness Says

Posted on May 25, 2012 by ev1

By Tom Schoenberg - 2012-05-25T16:42:02Z

Roger Clemenss genetic material was found on medical waste that his former trainer turned over to federal investigators, a DNA analyst testified at the perjury trial of the ex-New York Yankees pitcher.

Alan Keel of Forensic Science Associates, a California consulting firm, told federal court jurors today in Washington that he found Clemenss DNA on two cotton balls and a syringe. The former trainer, Brian McNamee, left blood on a piece of gauze and pus on a piece of tissue, Keel said. McNamee said earlier he might have cut himself breaking the top of an ampul.

The amount of Clemenss DNA found on the syringe was about six to 12 cells, Keel said.

A very small amount of biological material was recovered, he said.

Keel, a prosecution witness, agreed with Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Saleski that a small amount is not unusual for an intramuscular injection.

Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner, is charged with one count of obstructing a congressional investigation, three counts of making false statements and two counts of perjury stemming from his testimony to a House panel investigating the use of performance-enhancing drugs including steroids and human growth hormone.

The ballplayer faces as long as 21 months in prison if convicted. He denies having used the drugs. The government is trying to prove he used them and lied about it to Congress.

The prosecutions evidence includes the needle and cotton with Clemenss DNA that tested positive for anabolic steroids, prosecutors said. The material came from McNamee, who said he saved needles, gauze and vials from one of the injections in 2001. He told jurors he kept some of the items in a Miller Lite beer can that he took from the recycling bin in Clemenss apartment.

McNamee has testified that he gave the ballplayer injections of steroids and HGH during the 1998, 2000 and 2001 baseball seasons while both men worked for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Yankees.

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Clemens’s DNA Was on Syringe, Cotton Balls, Witness Says

Clemens’ DNA formally linked to needle

Posted on May 25, 2012 by ev1

Alan Keel, a DNAforensic scientist for the prosecution, has just linked Roger ClemensDNA to some of the medical waste stored in a crumpled beerby Brian McNamee for seven years.

The medical waste is the only physical evidence linking Clemens to the baseball doping scandal.

Keel, who is still testifying, said his lab found Clemens DNA on two cotton balls and at least one needle that had been used for an anabolic steroid shot.

McNamees DNA was found on wadded gauze that had blood stains, apparently from giving an injection.

McNamee claims he gave Clemens shots of performance enhancing drugs betwen 1998 and 2001.

Clemens claims McNamee gave him shots of vitamin B-12 and the pain-killer lidocaine but never performance enhancing drugs.

Clemens is accused of lying to Congress for sworn testimony in 2008 in which he denied that he had used the banned substances.

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Former trainer Brian McNamee arrives at the federal court in Washington, Monday, May 14, 2012. McNamee, Roger Clemens' chief accuser, testified Monday against the former pitcher, a make-or-break moment for the prosecution as it seeks to convict Clemens of perjury. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press)

Roger Clemens arrives at federal court for his perjury and obstruction trial on May 14, 2012, in Washington, DC. (Brendan Hoffman / Getty Images)

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Clemens’ DNA formally linked to needle

DNA Study Seeks Origin of Appalachia's Melungeons

Posted on May 25, 2012 by ev1

For years, varied and sometimes wild claims have been made about the origins of a group of dark-skinned Appalachian residents once known derisively as the Melungeons. Some speculated they were descended from Portuguese explorers, or perhaps from Turkish slaves or Gypsies.

Now a new DNA study in the Journal of Genetic Genealogy attempts to separate truth from oral tradition and wishful thinking. The study found the truth to be somewhat less exotic: Genetic evidence shows that the families historically called Melungeons are the offspring of sub-Saharan African men and white women of northern or central European origin.

And that report, which was published in April in the peer-reviewed journal, doesn't sit comfortably with some people who claim Melungeon ancestry.

"There were a whole lot of people upset by this study," lead researcher Roberta Estes said. "They just knew they were Portuguese, or Native American."

Beginning in the early 1800s, or possibly before, the term Melungeon (meh-LUN'-jun) was applied as a slur to a group of about 40 families along the Tennessee-Virginia border. But it has since become a catch-all phrase for a number of groups of mysterious mixed-race ancestry.

In recent decades, interest in the origin of the Melungeons has risen dramatically with advances both in DNA research and in the advent of Internet resources that allow individuals to trace their ancestry without digging through dusty archives.

G. Reginald Daniel, a sociologist at the University of California-Santa Barbara who's spent more than 30 years examining multiracial people in the U.S. and wasn't part of this research, said the study is more evidence that race-mixing in the U.S. isn't a new phenomenon.

"All of us are multiracial," he said. "It is recapturing a more authentic U.S. history."

Estes and her fellow researchers theorize that the various Melungeon lines may have sprung from the unions of black and white indentured servants living in Virginia in the mid-1600s, before slavery.

They conclude that as laws were put in place to penalize the mixing of races, the various family groups could only intermarry with each other, even migrating together from Virginia through the Carolinas before settling primarily in the mountains of East Tennessee.

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DNA Study Seeks Origin of Appalachia's Melungeons

Expert: DNA on medical waste was Clemens'

Posted on May 25, 2012 by ev1

Updated: May 25, 2012, 2:46 PM ET

WASHINGTON -- A forensic scientist testified Friday that two cotton balls and a syringe needle allegedly saved after a steroids injection tested positive for Roger Clemens' DNA, a key moment as the government tries to prove the former pitcher used performance-enhancing drugs.

Alan Keel told jurors that the DNA on both cotton ball matches were "unique to one person who has ever lived on the planet" -- Clemens. He said that one of the cotton balls had a random match possibility of one in 15.4 trillion for Clemens' DNA, and the other had one in 173 trillion, when comparing to the population of white people in the U.S.

The needle was not as conclusive, because Keel was only able to get a handful of cells. That match was one in 449.

As the jurors in the Roger Clemens perjury trial completed their 22nd day and listened to the 21st government witness, they were increasingly restive, demanding and skeptical, writes Lester Munson. Story

Clemens is accused of lying to Congress in 2008 when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

Prosecutors hope that Clemens' DNA -- which helped make him one of the most successful pitchers in baseball history -- will help them convict him of a federal crime.

Prosecutor Courtney Saleski tried to pre-empt that by asking Keel if there was any way to "fake this."

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Expert: DNA on medical waste was Clemens'

Expert: DNA on evidence matches Clemens'

Posted on May 25, 2012 by ev1

Roger Clemens is on accused of lying to Congress over his alleged steroid use.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A forensic scientist testified Friday that two cotton balls and a syringe needle allegedly saved after a steroids injection tested positive for Roger Clemens' DNA, a key moment as the government tries to prove the former pitcher used performance-enhancing drugs.

Alan Keel told jurors that the DNA on both cotton ball matches were "unique to one person who has ever lived on the planet" - Clemens. He said that one of the cotton balls had a random match possibility of one in 15.4 trillion for Clemens' DNA, and the other had one in 173 trillion, when comparing to the population of white people in the U.S.

The needle was not as conclusive, because Keel was only able to get a handful of cells. That match was one in 449.

Clemens is accused of lying to Congress in 2008 when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

Prosecutors hope that Clemens' DNA -- which helped make him one of the most successful pitchers in baseball history -- will help them convict him of a federal crime.

Prosecutor Courtney Saleski tried to pre-empt that by asking Keel if there was any way to "fake this."

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Expert: DNA on evidence matches Clemens'

Proposed biology research complex unveiled for San Pedro waterfront

Posted on May 25, 2012 by ev1

After three years of development, a plan was released Thursday for a biology research complex equipped with research vessels, high-tech laboratories and a wave tank along San Pedro's waterfront.

The proposed 28-acre oceanfront campus, dubbed City Dock One Marine Research Center, would serve as the new home for the Southern California Marine Institute, a consortium of 11 college and university campuses.

If ultimately approved by the Los Angeles City Council and the Board of Harbor Commissioners, the facility would share space with government researchers, marine-related businesses and environmental groups, according to a draft environmental impact report released by port officials.

"City Dock One has the ability to be transformational to San Pedro and the Harbor Area because it brings another type of job cluster to our port and region," said Geraldine Knatz, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, who has led the planning for the research facility and first brought her idea before the harbor commission in August 2009.

Earlier this month, the harbor commission agreed to establish a nonprofit group to raise funds to build the new lab, which is estimated to cost $416 million over two phases.

Plans call for equipping the new SCMI facility with classrooms, offices, laboratories, water storage tanks, a 150-seat auditorium with theater-style seating, and an 18,500-square-foot floating dock with a dozen slips to accommodate small

The old Westway Terminal Corp. property at Berths 70-71 would be converted into a 50,000-square-foot lab for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and berths for research vessels up to 250 feet long.

One of the facility's main attractions will be a steel-reinforced concrete wave tank that would study the rise and fall of sea levels, sea shifts and the effects of tsunamis on the Pacific Ocean.

The spacious marine campus would be an upgrade from the SCMI's current 11,000-square-foot facility on Terminal Island, said Dan Pondella, the institute's board president and an associate professor of biology at Occidental College.

"This is a completely unique project and our work on this is unlike any other marine lab we know of in the world," Pondella said. "It's a complete win-win for the surrounding communities, the harbor and the schools involved because it will be a job creator and an excellent teaching tool for students in our area."

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Proposed biology research complex unveiled for San Pedro waterfront

Science magazine prize awarded to course that brings biology and math worlds closer

Posted on May 25, 2012 by ev1

Public release date: 24-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Natasha Pinol npinol@aaas.org 202-326-7088 American Association for the Advancement of Science

An undergraduate course that allows students to build mathematical models of biological phenomenaand to experience a convergence of disciplines with potential in areas ranging from cancer treatment to reforestationis the winner of the Science Prize for Inquiry-Based Instruction (IBI).

Hillel Chiel, professor of biology, neurosciences, and biomedical engineering at Case Western Reserve University, is the creator of the course. As he explains, biology students who know how to build models of biological phenomena and engineering students who can explore biological phenomena for engineering insights are better prepared to do research in their fields.

"People who have training in both are going to have an advantage," says Chiel.

Science's IBI Prize was developed to showcase outstanding materials, usable in a wide range of schools and settings, for teaching science courses at the college level. The materials must be designed to encourage students' natural curiosity about how the world works, rather than to deliver facts and principles about what scientists have already discovered. Organized as one free-standing "module," the materials should offer real understanding of the nature of science, as well as providing an experience in generating and evaluating scientific evidence. Each month, Science publishes an essay by a recipient of the award, which explains the winning project. The essay about the Dynamics of Biological Systems course, by Chiel, Jeffrey Gill, Jeffrey McManus, and Kendrick Shaw, will be published on May 25.

"We want to recognize innovators in science education, as well as the institutions that support them," says Bruce Alberts, editor-in-chief of Science. "At the same time, this competition will promote those inquiry-based laboratory modules with the most potential to benefit science students and teachers. The publication of an essay in Science on each winning module will encourage more college teachers to use these outstanding resources, thereby promoting science literacy."

A review of Chiel's background shows the protean tendency that would evolve into the interdisciplinary approach evidenced by much of his workincluding his novel designs for biologically inspired robotsand by the course module Dynamics of Biological Systems. As a child growing up on Long Island, Chiel planned to be a scientist and was fascinated by how things worked, but he was so fond of reading novels that once he was almost locked in his school library overnight.

At age 14, Chiel was given an opportunity to study calculus with physicist Alan Natapoff, which he says was "a very positive experience." When it was time for Chiel to go to college, however, he chose Yale over MIT, becoming an English major, enchanted at the thought of spending his time reading in the stacks of Yale's Sterling Memorial Library.

During the summer between Chiel's junior and senior years, he worked in the neurochemistry lab of Richard Wurtman, doing research that resulted in the publication of Chiel's first scientific paper. Chiel graduated from Yale and then went on to do a Ph.D. with Wurtman at MIT.

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Science magazine prize awarded to course that brings biology and math worlds closer

SF State biology department receives $1.5 million to support science teaching

Posted on May 25, 2012 by ev1

Public release date: 24-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Nan Broadbent nbroadbe@sfsu.edu 415-338-7108 San Francisco State University

SAN FRANCISCO, May 24, 2012 -- The San Francisco State University Department of Biology has received a $1.5 million education grant from Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to support the faculty as they refine their teaching skills and explore new resources and new ways to assess their students' learning.

The 2012 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Science Education Award will support a new program called Biology Faculty Explorations in Scientific Teaching (FEST). The program will begin in September 2012 and continue for four years. SF State is one of only three applicants for the grant to receive the maximum award amount of $1.5 million.

Biology FEST has the potential to transform the learning experiences of nearly 5000 students -- almost 20 percent of the SF State student body -- who enroll in biology courses, said Kimberly Tanner, professor of biology and the grant's principal investigator. She is the director at the University's Science Education Partnership and Assessment Laboratory (SEPAL).

National experts have urged a complete overhaul of undergraduate science education, Tanner noted, but few programs address the key role that university teachers will have to play in this transformation. "Scientists are trained to be fabulous researchers, and then the vast majority of them are drop-kicked into a college or university classroom and told to teach, with no training in how to teach effectively the science they know," she said.

The Biology FEST program will help the biology faculty refine their teaching in the same way they approach their lab and field work: using scientific, evidence-based methods, Tanner said. They will "put their scientific skills to work in their classrooms," she noted, discovering the best ways to teach, collaborate and measure their students' progress.

The grant will fund scientific teaching workshops and a summer institute for biology faculty, faculty team collaborations that bring together four faculty members to observe and collaborate on teaching challenges, mini-grants for curriculum changes, new classroom equipment and partnerships with graduate students to develop assessments.

Tanner noted that 88 percent of the faculty has shown interest in the program -- and that fewer than 28 percent of them reported having any teacher training beyond a graduate school teaching assistantship. "The quality of our research is extraordinarily high, and the quality of intentions is also very high, but most university scientists are not trained in effective approaches to teaching," she said.

"We have a very talented, very willing faculty, and they're ready to be innovative," she continued. "They just need access to new ways of thinking and to intellectual and material resources to support change."

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SF State biology department receives $1.5 million to support science teaching

Funding will establish platform technology for emerging synthetic biology field

Posted on May 25, 2012 by ev1

Public release date: 24-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Hilda Kalap hilda.kalap@epsrc.ac.uk Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) will help the UK's world-leading researchers in synthetic biology to establish platform technology in the emerging field with a new grant of almost 5 million. Platform technology is the crucial next step necessary for applications to be produced and commercialised.

Announcing the grant later today in a major speech at the University of East Anglia, Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts will say: "Synthetic biology could provide solutions to many of humanity's most pressing issues and at the same time presents significant growth opportunities. This investment will lay the groundwork for the commercialisation of research, ensuring academics and industry can realise the full potential of this exciting area of science."

The Flowers Consortium of five universities, Imperial College London, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Newcastle and King's College London, carries out research into synthetic biology in the UK. The Consortium builds on earlier EPSRC investments such as the 4.5 million for the Centre for Synthetic Biology and Innovation (CsynBI) at Imperial which is co-directed by Professor Richard Kitney and Professor Paul Freemont.

Synthetic biology aims to design and engineer novel biologically based parts, devices and systems, and redesign existing natural biological systems for useful purposes. It is seen as affecting a wide range of industrial sectors including chemicals, materials, biosensors, biofuels and healthcare.

The platform technology will be based on an information system SynBIS which uses a web-based environment. SynBIS is currently in Beta trials and is expected to be available by the end of June. SynBIS will host BioCAD and modelling tools for the field. This opens up the possibility of undertaking high level software design of bioparts and devices which can be assembled using laboratory robots and other automatic methods.

The grant will also be used to establish a professional registry of biological parts and devices using a robotic data-collection pipeline for characterisation. The richer data that can be obtained will lead to improved mathematical modelling and in turn more predictable and reliable design and construction of the parts.

Professor Kitney said: "The new grant will build on the work of CsynBI and the other universities in the Flowers Consortium to create important new resources for the academic and industrial community in synthetic biology."

Professor Freemont said: "The establishment of the Flowers Consortium now provides a critical mass of researchers who are developing innovative open access technology platforms to accelerate the growth of synthetic biology research in the UK."

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Funding will establish platform technology for emerging synthetic biology field

TEDxLSE – Jan-Emmanuel De Neve – Genoeconomics – Video

Posted on May 25, 2012 by ev1

24-05-2012 06:48 Genoeconomics: the promise and pitfalls of a new research frontier in economics. Dr Jan-Emmanuel De Neve outlines how and why social scientists have started to integrate genetics into economic models of behavior. This stimulating talk highlights the potential of "genoeconomics" and presents some preliminary genetic association results on happiness, leadership, and borrowing behavior. Dr Jan-Emmanuel De Neve is Assistant Professor in Political Economy and Behavioral Science at University College London and a research associate of the Centre for Economic Performance at LSE. His research interests and publications span the economic, political, and behavioral sciences. He obtained his PhD from the LSE and was a Fulbright scholar at Harvard University. His research and commentary regularly feature in the media, including in The Economist, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, El Pais, Le Monde, and BBCWorld. About TEDx, x = independently organized event: In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)"

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TEDxLSE - Jan-Emmanuel De Neve - Genoeconomics - Video

Study: Autistic Kids Diagnosed Late

Posted on May 25, 2012 by ev1

Many children may be diagnosed with autism years too late to benefit from early behavioral intervention, according to 2011 national survey findings released Thursday from the National Institute of Mental Health.

Intensive behavioral therapy for autism, which can begin as early as age two, can significantly improve language and thinking skills in children with autism, according to the National Institutes of Health. The therapy, which helps develop a child's social and behavior skills within different environments, is considered among the best forms of treatment by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

However, the survey found that more than half of children had reached age five before they were first identified as having an autism spectrum disorder.

Although children can continue to benefit from behavioral interventions after age five, earlier behavioral intervention is associated with better outcomes, according to many experts.

"It is critical that we address the barriers that are preventing children from receiving early intervention," said Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer of Autism Speaks, who was not involved in the study.

More than 1400 children ages 6 to 17 with autism were included in the survey. The survey looked at diagnosis of the disorder within the last 17 years.

The older children may have been receiving some sort of medical assessment for their condition before receiving a formal diagnosis, according to Lisa Colpe, chief officer of clinical and population epidemiology research at the National Institute of Mental Health's and co-author of the study.

"It's still a very complex disorder to diagnose and does take some time," said Colpe. "These ages mean that they have been getting assessed for some period of time before getting a diagnosed."

Ninety percent of the children diagnosed participated in some form of developmental service including occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and social skills training, according to the study. However, fewer than half of the children underwent behavioral therapy.

A diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder can take five different forms, ranging from mild to severe. Because the report did not specify what forms of autism were diagnosed within the spectrum, it's unclear what the appropriate intervention would have been for the children included in the survey.

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Study: Autistic Kids Diagnosed Late

Protein necessary for behavioral flexibility discovered

Posted on May 25, 2012 by ev1

ScienceDaily (May 24, 2012) Researchers have identified a protein necessary to maintain behavioral flexibility, which allows us to modify our behaviors to adjust to circumstances that are similar, but not identical, to previous experiences. Their findings, which appear in the journal Cell Reports, may offer new insights into addressing autism and schizophrenia -- afflictions marked by impaired behavioral flexibility.

Our stored memories from previous experiences allow us to repeat certain tasks. For instance, after driving to a particular location, we recall the route the next time we make that trip. However, sometimes circumstances change -- one road on the route is temporarily closed -- and we need to make adjustments to reach our destination. Our behavioral flexibility allows us to make such changes and, then, successfully complete our task. It is driven, in part, by protein synthesis, which produces experience-dependent changes in neural function and behavior.

However, this process is impaired for many, preventing an adjustment in behavior when faced with different circumstances. In the Cell Reports study, the researchers sought to understand how protein synthesis is regulated during behavioral flexibility.

To do so, they focused on the kinase PERK, an enzyme that regulates protein synthesis. PERK is known to modify eIF2, a factor that is required for proper protein synthesis. Their experiments involved comparing normal lab mice, which possessed the enzyme, with those that lacked it.

In their study, the mice were asked to navigate a water maze, which included elevating themselves onto a platform to get out of the water. Normal mice and those lacking PERK learned to complete this task.

However, in a second step, the researchers tested the mice's behavioral flexibility by moving the maze's platform to another location, thereby requiring them to respond to a change in the terrain. Here, the normal mice located the platform, but those lacking PERK were unable to do so or took significantly more time to complete the task.

A second experiment offered a different test of the role of PERK in aiding behavioral flexibility. In this measure, both normal and mutant mice heard an audible tone that was followed by a mild foot shock. At this stage, all of the mice developed a normal fear response -- freezing at the tone in anticipation of the foot shock. However, the researchers subsequently removed the foot shock from the procedure and the mice heard only the tone. Eventually, the normal mice adjusted their responses so they did not freeze after hearing the tone. However, the mutant mice continued to respond as if they expected a foot shock to follow.

The researchers sought additional support for their conclusion that the absence of PERK may contribute to impaired behavioral flexibility in human neurological disorders. To do so, they conducted postmortem analyses of human frontal cortex samples from patients afflicted with schizophrenia, who often exhibit behavioral inflexibility, and unaffected individuals. The samples from the control group showed normal levels of PERK while those from the schizophrenic patients had significantly reduced levels of the protein.

"A rapidly expanding list of neurological disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Fragile X syndrome, have already been linked to aberrant protein synthesis," explained Eric Klann, a professor in NYU's Center for Neural Science and one of the study's co-authors. "Our results show the significance of PERK in maintaining behavioral flexibility and how its absence might be associated with schizophrenia. Further studies clarifying the specific role of PERK-regulated protein synthesis in the brain may provide new avenues to tackle such widespread and often debilitating neurological disorders."

The study's other co-authors were: Mimi Trinh, who recently completed her Ph.D. in NYU's Center for Neural Science; Hanoch Kaphzan, a former post-doctoral fellow in NYU's Center for Neural Science and now at the University of Haifa in Israel; Ronald Wek, a professor at Indiana University School of Medicine; Philippe Pierre, a group leader at France's Universit de la Mditerrane; and Douglas Cavener, a professor at Penn State's Department of Biology.

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Protein necessary for behavioral flexibility discovered

Researchers identify protein necessary for behavioral flexibility

Posted on May 25, 2012 by ev1

Public release date: 24-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: James Devitt james.devitt@nyu.edu 212-998-6808 New York University

Researchers have identified a protein necessary to maintain behavioral flexibility, which allows us to modify our behaviors to adjust to circumstances that are similar, but not identical, to previous experiences. Their findings, which appear in the journal Cell Reports, may offer new insights into addressing autism and schizophreniaafflictions marked by impaired behavioral flexibility.

Our stored memories from previous experiences allow us to repeat certain tasks. For instance, after driving to a particular location, we recall the route the next time we make that trip. However, sometimes circumstances changeone road on the route is temporarily closedand we need to make adjustments to reach our destination. Our behavioral flexibility allows us to make such changes and, then, successfully complete our task. It is driven, in part, by protein synthesis, which produces experience-dependent changes in neural function and behavior.

To do so, they focused on the kinase PERK, an enzyme that regulates protein synthesis. PERK is known to modify eIF2alpha, a factor that is required for proper protein synthesis. Their experiments involved comparing normal lab mice, which possessed the enzyme, with those that lacked it.

A second experiment offered a different test of the role of PERK in aiding behavioral flexibility. In this measure, both normal and mutant mice heard an audible tone that was followed by a mild foot shock. At this stage, all of the mice developed a normal fear responsefreezing at the tone in anticipation of the foot shock. However, the researchers subsequently removed the foot shock from the procedure and the mice heard only the tone. Eventually, the normal mice adjusted their responses so they did not freeze after hearing the tone. However, the mutant mice continued to respond as if they expected a foot shock to follow.

Promotion of Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Well-Being

Posted on May 25, 2012 by ev1

Prevention, early intervention, and mental health promotion can help assure the health of young children and adolescents. There are several core concepts behind the science of prevention and promotion:

Prevention of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders requires a shift in focus. Instead of addressing a disorder after it occurs, prevention means supporting the healthy development of young people starting at birth. Mental health and physical health go hand in hand. Young people who grow up in good physical health are likely to also have good mental health; similarly, good mental health contributes to good physical health. Successful prevention must involve many different groups, including informed parents, professional educators (e.g., elementary school teachers), as well as mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment professionals. Promotion of mental health is essential throughout a young persons developmental life cycle from the earliest years of life through adolescence and young adulthood as well as in a variety of settings such as families, schools, neighborhoods, and communities.

What is mental, emotional, and behavioral health?

Mental, emotional, and behavioral health refers to the overall psychological well-being of individuals and includes the presence of positive characteristics, such as the ability to manage stress, demonstrate flexibility under changing conditions, and bounce back from adverse situations.

Factors that Impact the Healthy Development of Young People

Exposure to risk and protective factors affects the healthy development and mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being of young people. Risk factors are conditions or characteristics that put an individual at greater risk for a specific health problem or disorder. Protective factors are personal traits or conditions in families and communities that, when present, contribute to an individuals well-being. While protective factors can make people resilient to mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, risk factors can be detrimental to mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being. Some risk factors include:

Negative experiences when communicating with others in the home. An inability to confide in at least one close family member. The absence of positive role models. Loneliness or a perceived lack of safety, isolation, confusion and abuse. Experiencing trauma or serious loss, such as the death of a parent or other traumatic experience, especially early in life. Failing to maintain good physical health; physical and mental health are closely intertwined, and poor physical health can lead to the development of serious mental health issues. Alcohol and drug abuse increases the risk of mental health problems and can make pre-existing problems worse, and vice versa.

What Communities Can Do

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Promotion of Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Well-Being

Anti-Aging Medicine: Amelia’s Look Into A Medical Controversy

Posted on May 25, 2012 by ev1

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) Would you like a little extra energy? Most people would.

Thats why coffee shops and supplements are all so popular. But when I started having insomnia and feeling run down and irritable, I knew I needed more than a cup of coffee.

At first, I thought it was early menopause, or worse. It turns out, many women in their 30s and 40s have similar symptoms of weariness and irritability.

The solution I found not only has me feeling more energetic and stronger; it also opened my eyes to a growing controversy in womens medicine.

At first, I turned to Bonnie Erickson, a friend, who suggested I see an anti-aging doctor who had worked wonders for her.

Immediately I felt as though things were different, she said. I felt like I had my quality of life back.

Shes been seeing Dr. Khalid Mahmud for eight years. And after disappointing results with traditional medicine, she swears by his combination of holistic treatments and natural hormones.

I just think its a more natural approach, Bonnie said. Its more of a preventative approach.

Over the years, shes convinced most of her family, including her husband and two of her daughters, to see Mahmud.

One of her daughters, Keri Fuqua, had symptoms similar to mine. She also said her treatment with Mahmud was successful so successful that I couldnt help thinking that I needed to see him myself.

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Anti-Aging Medicine: Amelia’s Look Into A Medical Controversy

The Anatomy of a Videogame-Scare Story

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Danzig

How weak correlations and scant research were spun up into an argument about how videogames and porn are leading to "the demise of guys."

People playing the game Overkill (Reuters).

If the name Philip Zimbardo rings a bell, you may have read about the famous study he ran called the Stanford Prison Experiment -- a groundbreaking study that showed how assuming a given role could change people's behavior toward others based on the power relationship they shared with them.

Forty-one years later, the former Stanford professor has co-authored an essay arguing that video games and pornography are to blame for what he calls "the demise of guys." The op-ed stokes fears of a testosterone-fueled implosion among young men -- the kind of apocalyptic emergency that threatens the country's future if society doesn't act right now.

The gist of the piece is this: violent and sexualized digital media are addictive. Consuming too much of it, as young Americans are doing, risks turning them into vegetables incapable of negotiating the real world. From this, we can conclude that an entire cohort is slipping down the drain as we speak.

The problem is that the assertions outstrip the evidence and research. The framing and argument are flawed from start to finish. Here, we break those problems down in detail.

Zimbardo and his co-author open with a rhetorical question:

As a psychologist, Zimbardo ought to know better than to prime his readers to accept an affirmative answer in the first sentence without being shown any evidence.

He continues:

Curious. Perhaps the research is coming, you think. Wrong. The first study isn't mentioned for another seven paragraphs. When Zimbardo does bring it up, it turns out the experiment was carried out in 1954, was performed on rats, and merely proved the existence of the brain's pleasure center (a major discovery at the time, but hardly the resounding proof that Zimbardo needs for his human addiction thesis).

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The Anatomy of a Videogame-Scare Story

Japanese Knives, the best in the world, Osaka – Video

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Danzig

24-05-2012 02:53 Japanese knives are the finest in the world and Osaka produces the best knives in Japan. I visit tower knives to learn why Japanese knives are the best, how they are made, how much they cost and look at some fine examples. Learn more about tower knives - AROUND THE WORLD TRAVEL VIDEO ADVENTURE web: fb: twt: g+:

Archbishop Desmond Tutu Interview by Peace Love and Photography, Episode 4 NEW – Video

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Danzig

24-05-2012 03:31 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Interview by Peace Love and Photography, Episode 4. Archbishop Desmond Tutu answers questions about Peace and the meaning of life. Ashley & Filip head to Namibia to plan the letter B with 500 children and continue their 26 Country World tour. Archbishop Desmond Tutu Peace Love and Photography Ashley and Filip Peace Love Photography inspiration motivation spiritual leader travel adventure world tour happiness charity non profit activism africa south africa namibia

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Archbishop Desmond Tutu Interview by Peace Love and Photography, Episode 4 NEW - Video

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