tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64187010677805879272024-03-21T14:17:03.144-04:00Future Health TrendsBoth science and technology have a profound influence on our health and wellbeing. This blog monitors trends in health from a holistic perspective, weaving mind, body and spirit into the emerging technological and scientific advancements that potentially affect the future of health. In particular it looks at trends in genomic science and what it means for the future of personalized medicine.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-45991799911006854202016-05-09T20:39:00.000-04:002017-03-28T09:15:28.539-04:00Epi-what?A <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/05/02/breakthroughs-in-epigenetics">recent article</a> in the New Yorker on epigenetics is drawing rage from scientists far and wide, because it apparently lacks a few key perspectives. I decided to read the article and attempt to weigh in since this is an area I am particularly interested in and one that I follow pretty closely. Before I comment though, I would like to acknowledge the excellent standing of the writer of the article, Siddhartha Mukaherjee, on account of the Pulitzer Prize he received for his wonderful book on cancer, The Emperor of All Maladies. This was a fine book and the recognition bestowed on the author seemed well placed to me, so what had gone wrong with the New Yorker article? <br />
<br />
I read the article and for the most part enjoyed it. Mukherjee weaves personal observations of his mother, a twin, with conversations on epigenetics with researchers in the field. These scientists have certain views, not all of which are accepted as mainstream. One, for example, talks about an "epigenetic code" which is not a broadly accepted concept. In the writing of the article, it seems Mukherjee down-played the role of transcription factors in the bigger epigenetics picture, and focused mainly on histone modification and methylation. These terms are mumbo jumbo to most readers, but they are important to scientists. In the processes that modify the instructions of the genetic code there is a series of (sometimes unfortunate, sometimes not) events of which methylation and histone modification are rather downstream. Transcription is nearer the top. The fact that Mukherjee pretty much ignored transcription was what got him into hot water. Rather he waxed lyrical about the histones (because they are super interesting- little coils of DNA that expand and contract depending on how tightly they are bound), and about methylation. He implied a stronger role for these elements than is currently accepted. Scientists from the field and a fair few outside of it called foul, and Mukherjee wrote rebuttals and explanations. The article is an excerpt from a full book on genes that is yet to be published. He did not have time to go into all the details, he said, and quickly <a href="http://www.stsiweb.org/an-epigenetics-controversy/">published an apology</a> for omitting transcription factors and overextending speculations. However, reading his response to his critics it seems he wasn't so much sorry, as irritated. And perhaps he had good reason. As I read the complaints it seems like the critics all got together and decided on a response, then all said the same thing. It seemed a bit witch-hunty to me but then I am not an epigenetics scientist. I do think part of it had to do with what is extrapolation based on very early evidence, versus what the scientific establishment have accepted as fact. One critic even likened him to Deepak Chopra which seemed a bit excessive (I like Chopra for his edgy thinking, but obviously the Dawkins of the world do not share my affection). I confess that I am way more comfortable with speculation than most scientists. I believe it is an essential part of the scientific process that gets us to eventual truth.<br />
<br />
I would recommend you read the New Yorker article and decide for yourselves whether the author is scientifically accurate enough. I felt he was, based on my limited understanding, but agree he over-emphasized some aspects over others. He also implied epigenetic changes can have lasting change which is a hotly debated area right now. My bigger interest though, is how easy it is for a writer to go from superstar to scourge of the earth; from Pulitzer Prize winner to scientific incompetent, in one fell swoop. It happens very, very quickly, and I suspect Mukherjee will not recover easily from this experience. In the take downs there are also a fair few jabs at the New Yorker itself, for placing literacy juice over scientific fact. Again, I have little beef with the New Yorker's style. I am a fan of the magazine and don't expect hard core science, but rather anecdotal tales with science in a supporting role. Did Mukherjee take anecdote too far? Read the article, and see for yourselves. Let me know what you make of it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>References:</b><br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/05/02/breakthroughs-in-epigenetics" target="_blank">Same but Different</a></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i>How epigenetics can blur the line between nature and nurture, by </i>Suddharta Mukherjee</span></div>
<br />
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><span class="s2"><b>A couple of criticisms appear in these links:</b></span></span></div>
<div class="p3">
https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2016/05/05/the-new-yorker-screws-up-big-time-with-science-researchers-criticize-the-mukherjee-piece-on-epigenetics/ </div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><span class="s2">https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2016/05/07/laffaire-mukherjee-the-last-word/</span></span></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><span class="s2"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-18089150964025123482015-05-10T21:27:00.000-04:002015-05-11T07:34:32.995-04:00Little cancers and turtles<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Very quick thoughts in follow up to the last blog on cancer metastasis. In </span><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/05/11/overkill-atul-gawande" style="line-height: 18px;">this article</a><span style="line-height: 18px;"> ("Overkill: America's Epidemic of Unnecessary Care" from the 11th May New Yorker), Atul Gwande questions many medical procedures as unnecessary. I loved the piece and I buy his arguments. Referring to a recent book by Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, from Dartmouth Medical School ("Less Medicine, More Health," published by Beacon Press, 2015), he</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: adobe-caslon-pro, Times, Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 28px;"> </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">calls the cancers that don't appear to be doing much, and therefore may not need action, 'turtles' as opposed to the rabbits that race ahead and need to be stopped in their tracks. Turtles don't need the same level of diagnostic technology as the rabbits, but modern medicine tends to throw everything at everything, often at great cost and even detriment to the patient. </span></span></span><br>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">What stuck with me about this article though, was the reference to a "microcarcinoma" in a patient's thyroid. He explains that as many as a full third of the population has microcarcinomas in their thyroids but only 1 in 1000 die from thyroid cancer each year. Since it is only the relatively rare microcarcinoma that takes off like a rabbit and becomes deadly, some experts suggest that microcarcinomas not be called cancers at all and currently, guidelines do not recommend treatment. This reminds me of a study I read a few years ago that found breast cancer cells to be highly prevalent in women over 65 ( it could have been 60- I don't remember </span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">exactly), with relatively few turning into actively progressing cancer. These are not discovered until autopsy when the patient has died of something unrelated.</span></span><br>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">So if these observations are correct-and I have no reason to suspect they are not- then we are all potentially walking around with cancer in situ, with most of these cheeky little cells not doing much more than scaring the pants of the pathologist (and eventually the patient) that comes across them. The procedures to remove some of these microcarcinomas are more risky that the cancer cells themselves, as Dr. Gwande points out. So why not leave them alone until they start to act up and show signs of causing trouble? The answer is obvious; because we don't know if or when that will happen, and by the time we find out, it may be too late. We can see why there is a tendency to act versus not act, when these characters are found. To change the paradigm we would have to find a means to non-invasively monitor these cells for signs of growth and movement.</span></span><br>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">In order to do this we need to answer a few questions:</span></span><br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyh4CWyjn7DHOSw1LVWFt9OBb1sxhMhU1w4hL-0bXXVoxzAVG0EGzqpDStffLd-noBja7W4gVel8NLSMIOu9UAyt2rfOgxDF1RS2JhfBWlEJGUB0d7KqPFiPPld6nSZ-ApEnAtruuLoOs9/s1600/IMG_0804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyh4CWyjn7DHOSw1LVWFt9OBb1sxhMhU1w4hL-0bXXVoxzAVG0EGzqpDStffLd-noBja7W4gVel8NLSMIOu9UAyt2rfOgxDF1RS2JhfBWlEJGUB0d7KqPFiPPld6nSZ-ApEnAtruuLoOs9/s320/IMG_0804.JPG" width="320"></a><br>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">How does a micro cancer cell 'decide' to take off and grow? What are the stimuli and how does the transition begin? How long does it take to become a fully fledged, rapidly dividing menace?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Are there plasma factors that can be measured when this happens?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">How does a cell ' decide' to metastasize. H</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial; line-height: 18px;">ow long does it take to create the mechanism to do so?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Once the pieces are in place, and the cancer cells leave the primary site, how do they decide where to settle, and how long does it take to successfully seed the new site?</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">It seems there is a temporal aspect to this (remember in the last blog, the metastatic seeding seemed to occur in waves). I know there are some very big brains working on these questions and I am scraping the surface only. This blog is really me thinking-out-loud on my own journey to stake out the heart of cancer and it's wily ways. </span></span><br>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br></span>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-64494109760815209762015-04-26T15:59:00.001-04:002015-05-10T23:01:05.091-04:00Moveable feasts: How cancer takes the party on the road<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDczjn3ED4gR0xeO4ongyBScFNO914x141MSHbvGyPEoR9VHqUlmG2OGgjGWldOKQTMLpxT00ZxbRhFidoQABNMMvU-e8QW8Zgh8Z6-QsWPesP6FG4XC43C-DiIS2QBXv3OddPIcw7DeE3/s1600/73287_498590127391_615807391_7085293_1402340_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDczjn3ED4gR0xeO4ongyBScFNO914x141MSHbvGyPEoR9VHqUlmG2OGgjGWldOKQTMLpxT00ZxbRhFidoQABNMMvU-e8QW8Zgh8Z6-QsWPesP6FG4XC43C-DiIS2QBXv3OddPIcw7DeE3/s1600/73287_498590127391_615807391_7085293_1402340_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>A few years ago I wrote a <a href="http://futurehealthtrends.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-name-is-cancer-and-i-like-to-travel.html">brief blog about the importance of metastasis</a> to cancer's lethality. About 90% of cancers deaths are due to metastasis. Metastasis is the process that leads to secondary cancers that arise in areas of the body that are remote to the primary tumor. Cancer is at its most vicious once it's on the road and looking for new sites to settle, so research into the mechanisms of metastasis are crucial to finding potential new treatments.<br />
<br />
In this week's <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v520/n7547/index.html"><i>Nature</i> magazine</a> there are a couple of very interesting articles that describe how complex this metastasis process appears to be. One is about how breast cancer cells escape from the primary tumor in the first place, and the other is about the 'seeding' process that allows the roving cancer cells to set up shop in remote tissue in lethal metastatic prostate cancer. <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2015/150401/ncomms7605/full/ncomms7605.html">A third article </a>by Hong et al, in <i>Nature Communications</i> also demonstrates the complexity of metastasis in prostate cancer using a similar analysis. What follows is my take-away from the articles. This particular Nature issue has other interesting cancer articles so I recommend looking at the whole thing (may require a subscription for the main papers though).<br />
<br />
The view of cancer as just cells gone wild is changing to one of cells behaving badly in a somewhat organized way. The party contains cells that are just like the first cancer cells in the tumor (clonal cells), but also other cells that represent 'sub-clones', derived from the primary cancer cells but with subtly different, and often competing, personalities. The distribution of these personalities at the primary cancer site may well determine its fate. Some of these characters appear to be particularly good at evading chemotherapy. Others are good at creating the environment that allows them to escape from the primary tumor, and set out for new pastures through the bloodstream or the lymphatic system. The <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v520/n7547/full/nature14403.html"><i>Nature</i> article</a> by Wagenblast et al, shows that these Houdini cells (my term), are aided and abetted in their escape by two proteins called Serpine2 and Slpi that they express on their surface. In breast cancer cells at least, these proteins cause the cells to acquire characteristics of endothelial cells (the cells that line the blood vessels) which means they can form connections between the tumor and blood vessels, thus providing the escape route. As such, they are potential target for new cancer treatments. The proteins are also anticoagulants which may help keep the blood flowing and the escape hatch open. These so-called vascular mimics are very aggressive cells with what appears to be a focussed mission to get the team on the move. As Mary Hendrix points out in <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v520/n7547/full/nature14382.html">her review of the paper</a>, their presence is a clear advantage for the tumor, but not so much for the patient- those people who show vascular mimicry in their cancers tend to have a poorer clinical outcome. While the study used breast cancer cells in mice, the same proteins have been found on metastatic lung cells in humans. Whether the current findings will apply to metastasis more broadly across other tumor types is not known, but it's a good hypothesis that deserves more attention in my view.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v520/n7547/full/nature14347.html">second study of interest</a> in this issue is by Gundem et al and this looks at the evolution of the remote metastatic sites in patients with lethal metastatic prostate cancer. While prostate cancer is common, associated metastasis is much less common. Using whole-genome sequencing, the studies showed both clonal and subclonal cells to be present in the primary tumor. Hypothetically, the subclones may compete for dominance and in the presence of chemotherapy, those who have the resistance personalities may be able to prevail, changing the composition and fate of the overall tumor. The studies also showed that at least two subclones were able to seed one metastatic site meaning that is is not only the primary tumor clones that seed the distant sites, but rather clusters of diverse cells. The diversity of these cluster may determine whether the seeding is successful or not. There are many circulating tumor cells but successful metastatic is relatively rare which suggests that the subclasses may cooperate during seeding process by leveraging distinct properties that at the moment are not understood. Michael Shen in his <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v520/n7547/full/nature14377.html">review</a> of the current studies, suggested that disseminated single cells could settle in a remote site and remain dormant until cooperative metastatic cells arrive to help them take hold. It was also interesting that some of the secondary tumor cells may have come from other secondary tumors as well as the primary tumor meaning that metastases could be reseeded several times from the both the primary and metastatic sites. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms7605">A separate study</a> by Hong et al, found similar results to Gundem et al, and also showed metastatic seeding occurs in temporal waves. They also found that cells from the primary prostate tumor, can persist in the circulation in the long term, even after the primary tumor has been surgically removed. This is wildly interesting to me and I am going to research this further for a future blog. I've always felt understanding temporality is a major key to understanding disease. This is all groundbreaking stuff and opens up new areas of research that could result in new treatments. I am left wondering if the temporal waves, or the subclonal signatures could be influenced by epigenetic changes from environmental impacts? I am off to explore!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v520/n7547/index.html"> <i>Nature</i>. 16th April 2015. </a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6418701067780587927" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6418701067780587927" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-68474757889027675002015-04-15T00:07:00.002-04:002015-04-15T00:23:14.607-04:00Personalized medicine starts to hit its stride<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRmKs0FO2OpTq-FvmBN3Lqk1dSUVm3xExXTLVllLA6UJjPf7NPxqw" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Image result for Epigenetics" border="0" class="rg_i" data-src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRmKs0FO2OpTq-FvmBN3Lqk1dSUVm3xExXTLVllLA6UJjPf7NPxqw" data-sz="f" height="138" jsaction="load:str.tbn" name="fxiUHwSzoHNOxM:" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRmKs0FO2OpTq-FvmBN3Lqk1dSUVm3xExXTLVllLA6UJjPf7NPxqw" style="height: 172px; margin-top: 0px; width: 248px;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The flexible genome [pic from nature.com]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I recently attended a conference at Harvard Medical School on big data and translational medicine. Translational medicine is the discipline that links scientific discovery (bench insights) to patient care (at the bedside, hence the term that is sometimes used..."bench to bedside"). The general idea is that we never have a truly clean slate of health. We are conceived, born, live our lives and eventually die. During this time, we are in a constant state of change. While we have a solid set of genes in our personal genetic code, they are under considerable pressure from other elements such as regulatory genes and epigenetic signals that are influenced by an individual's internal and external environment. Some of the changes wrought by these elements are permanent and others are transient but either way, they affect the expression of the our genes in real time throughout our lives and constantly nudge us towards disease. Add to the mix DNA repair mechanisms that also become less effective as we age, and the scene is set for our gradual demise from before we are even born. At any given time, we have a number of mutations and damaged physiological systems that do not constitute enough for overt disease. Over time, these effects multiple and at some point we will experience a symptom or two and eventually, a diagnosis. By the time the symptoms appear, the disease has become quite complex and pervasive, and because of this it is much more difficult to treat. If it could be caught in the earlier stages where there are fewer factors involved, and fewer compensatory systems triggered, it could potentially be nipped in the bud. This is one major goal of translational medicine- to identify the unique signals that show disease or disease risk at a stage where treatment is likely to be more targeted and more successful.<br />
<br />
Everything above is old news, but the conference revealed exciting new directions for translational medicine. For the first time, I have hope that personalized medicine is really starting to become a reality. Large data sets are being collected, not by physicians or pharmaceutical companies, but by patients. Over 95% of these patients are allowing their data to be used for massive projects that will attempt to connect early signs and symptoms with the risk of various chronic diseases. Linking seemingly insignificant phenotypic changes to chronic disease development will eventually allow serious diseases to be detected before they become fully fledged and more entrenched. For instance, already we know that slow blink rate is related to Parkinson's Disease and this can be used as a flag to look for additional symptoms in patients who are at risk of Parkinson's. Whether medicines can be developed and given to patients at these very early stages remains to be seen, but a critical step is incorporating some of these phenotypic or 'patient-reported-outcomes' (PROs) into clinical trials so that the more subtle signs associated with disease can be used to monitor effectiveness of treatments in early stages. Big data is crucial here, and that patients are willing to share their data at such an unprecedented rate is remarkable. I have had ideas about epigenetic disease triggers, PROs as trial endpoints, and very early disease intervention for many years, and to see it start to come together as translational medicine is absolutely thrilling to me. <br />
I believe we are on the edge of a precipice and that this science will now begin to accelerate on a logarithmic scale. Astra Zeneca just <a href="http://news.patientslikeme.com/press-release/patientslikeme-and-astrazeneca-announce-global-research-collaboration">signed a nice deal</a> with PatientsLikeMe, which is a strong indication that personalized medicine is about to go mainstream. I can't image a more exciting time to be in healthcare. Now, if we can also figure out the economics of the system and make that work in favor of the patient versus the insurers, we would be firmly on the path to better health for all.<div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-48797417118911706042013-02-24T23:02:00.001-05:002013-02-24T23:02:12.196-05:00The probiotic...glow?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggHTHwRuunq2Ey___Iu9XJSeDf49x41qxASo9vYRAXpmsojiinCypsxWWfX0CTd00ouUfJYRJAfU3uXyFuYzODMiVAECGFVMzIbeVjwXRUr1RE0M78X7QBfYYU00bZN4giAuVXqFJa7M4/s1600/IMG_4193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggHTHwRuunq2Ey___Iu9XJSeDf49x41qxASo9vYRAXpmsojiinCypsxWWfX0CTd00ouUfJYRJAfU3uXyFuYzODMiVAECGFVMzIbeVjwXRUr1RE0M78X7QBfYYU00bZN4giAuVXqFJa7M4/s320/IMG_4193.JPG" width="320" /></a>I have pondered the validity of probiotics many times over the past couple of years, wrestling with the boundless enthusiasm of Jamie Lee Curtis versus the seeming lack of solid scientific data. I learned at the Digestive Disease Week conference in San Diego last year, that one would have to eat about 6 probiotic yogurts a day to get enough of the beneficial little beasties within to make much of a difference to the symptoms of, say, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). At the conference there were several vendors hawking probiotics and even a 'Probiotics for Dummies' booklet. I remained sceptical.<br />
Since that conference I have read quite a bit on gut bugs, more correctly known as the gastrointestinal microbiome. Overall, we have ten times more bacteria in our bodies that we have actual cells, and a hefty chunk of those are in our lower intestines. So what difference would adding a few more possibly make?<br />
Well, aside from the assertions regarding internal effects, a new paper has suggested probiotics may have a more visible benefit that may even confer an evolutionary benefit. Researchers from Greece, Canada and MIT in the US, noticed that the fur of mice being fed probiotic yoghurt for studies on intestinal effects became unusually lustrous as the experiments progressed. They followed up with a separate study on the effects of the probiotic yoghurt on the fur and indeed found daily consumption of the yoghurt with the probiotic microorganism <i>Lacotobacillu reuteri </i>(<i>L. reuteri</i>) resulted in thicker skin and more lustrous fur, that was in part related to an effect on the immune system. To be sure it wasn't the yoghurt itself that was responsible, in a separate group of mice the investigators supplemented the diet with the <i>L. reuteri </i>bug in drinking and found the same effect. What's more, they also found increased acidity in the mucous membranes of the animals which they associated with increased fertility. The investigators thus concluded that the 'healthful glow' imparted on the animals from eating the probiotic yoghurt ( or drinking the 'good bug' in water) was an external display of fertility. Studies in humans are sure to follow, faster than you can say Activia. In the meantime, I am off to see what's in the 'fridge....<br />
<br />
<b>Reference<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Levkovich et al. Probiotic Bacteria Induce a ‘Glow of Health’</span><span class="citation-abbreviation">. <i><span style="font-weight: normal;">PLoS One</span></i>. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="citation-publication-date">2013; </span><span class="citation-volume">8</span><span class="citation-issue">(1)</span><span class="citation-flpages">: e53867.</span><span class="fm-vol-iss-date">Published online 2013 January 16. </span> <span class="doi">doi: <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0053867" target="pmc_ext">10.1371/journal.pone.0053867</a></span></span></span><br />
<div class="inline_block three_col va_top show-overflow align_right">
<div class="fm-citation-ids">
<div class="fm-citation-pmcid">
<span class="fm-citation-ids-label"></span><span><br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<h1 class="content-title">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></h1>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-51318373551199110222013-01-01T20:01:00.001-05:002013-01-01T20:10:11.082-05:00That was 2012.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjteeAOzJ2cCvz2cdTa31Byu-cMTQjcxiTKGSbrJ4kZ_MW7FSOVRhEipRLsowqMdoXOTGh-vNpZYqZNq6XJUEgBkdJsNF9ykOmh7hgMornxUO6uW85Bg9FBXbzYYrrPoFhPmFf19Dwuk6d_/s1600/IMG_3133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjteeAOzJ2cCvz2cdTa31Byu-cMTQjcxiTKGSbrJ4kZ_MW7FSOVRhEipRLsowqMdoXOTGh-vNpZYqZNq6XJUEgBkdJsNF9ykOmh7hgMornxUO6uW85Bg9FBXbzYYrrPoFhPmFf19Dwuk6d_/s320/IMG_3133.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
A new year, a new resolution to blog more. Of course, it never translates into me being more productive. However, I am starting with a new blog post to kick off the year and as part of it I thought I would review what I learned in 2012 and what I am excited about for the coming year. My major discovery last year was the world of epigenetics, acquired through a writing opportunity to cover the COST conference on Personalized Medicine that took place in Cyprus last June. The conference was definitely the highlight of my work year and I hope to do it again this coming year if the follow-up goes ahead. The conference was designed to bring together practitioners of diverse disciplines to discuss personalized medicine from a number of perspectives and I was lucky enough to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL08CF13F5A0482A2B&feature=plcp">interview many of the participants</a> and write up the <a href="http://www.cost.eu/download/pemedsummary">summary of the conference.</a> Physicians, physiologists, engineers and philosophers were just a smattering of the perspectives represented. The field of epigenetics (the study of heritable influences on the genome, caused directly or indirectly by environment and experience) was new to me, and I talked to as many 'experts' as I could about it and I came away convinced that the next major breakthroughs in medicine will be in epigenetics. I also came away feeling that the most significant current hurdle we must address as scientists and physicians is overcoming our inability to put the complexity of our current health environment into manageable and communicable frameworks. We will only be able to do this if we start to think about problems holistically and top down, rather than from a reductionist perspective which by definition, is bottom up. The Parmenides Institute in Munich is at the forefront of this quest and on my wish list for 2013 is a visit to see <a href="http://www.parmenides-foundation.org/people/albrecht-von-mueller/">Prof Albrect von Mueller</a> at the institute to learn about the work and the tools being developed to expand cognitive reach in children and adults. <br />
In mid 2012, I started a new job as scientific director of a medical communications agency; while I loved freelancing, I needed a regular income to pay for college and for health insurance. I miss the freelancing lifestyle, but the new job is fun too. I traveled quite a bit and already have much more planned for 2013. I also learned more than any normal person ever needs to know about the GI system. This coming year we have plenty of other areas of interest in the offing, including my favorite, neuroscience. I am also exploring new business opportunities with a few friends, and I'll have more on that over the next few months.<br />
In August last year, I wrote an invited <a href="http://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/full/10.2217/pme.12.63">editorial for the Personalized Medicine</a> journal on crowdsourcing science and am following up with something similar in a cancer journal in the first quarter of 2013. Crowdsourcing has its place in research but I think it needs to be used carefully. I'm looking for good examples in cancer at the moment if anyone has anything they'd like to share. I will place a link on the blog when this one is published later in the year.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnFrkbPM4tUYPSUGSRtxeKEykYAQE2ABkVb_HkNfoY8ioyn8WSVquQagiRhL1TgnKSVbv2fH_S6v7XRvfve9RDAH8K9S6LT3P6IjpfzEspABfr9b8YcGEQQOQC0p42oOtJJADrpIYK_Qd/s1600/IMG_3937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnFrkbPM4tUYPSUGSRtxeKEykYAQE2ABkVb_HkNfoY8ioyn8WSVquQagiRhL1TgnKSVbv2fH_S6v7XRvfve9RDAH8K9S6LT3P6IjpfzEspABfr9b8YcGEQQOQC0p42oOtJJADrpIYK_Qd/s200/IMG_3937.jpg" title="" width="149" /></a></div>
I'm always positive about the new year even though I don't much care for
New Year's Evening festivities. I like to look forward, and this year is
no different. This year I'm going to work towards a few more publications as well as getting some of my less nerdy works published. I hope to explore some academic connections and play my role to get the new business going. With some luck and hard work, I might even finish the book I started 18 months ago. <br />
<br />
Overall, I plan to write much more this year (as I do every year!), but this year, I MEAN it. Ha, ha. We'll see<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-18906392833438741132012-04-15T22:58:00.000-04:002012-04-15T23:02:25.024-04:00Smart parents raise smart kids-right?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcoCCJbW4b0Rq-kIWFRVW1G5B7l6Sj2-lMv63pxWy8M8euIQvNBDjZERULFnb_bvOI8MaL82ikReu9YECH6PQiqLyuflkhiJadtSJAO2vAb5TfR6qRr7UbHR9iOK5iSyMH495BzNwzMeSr/s1600/IMG_3019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcoCCJbW4b0Rq-kIWFRVW1G5B7l6Sj2-lMv63pxWy8M8euIQvNBDjZERULFnb_bvOI8MaL82ikReu9YECH6PQiqLyuflkhiJadtSJAO2vAb5TfR6qRr7UbHR9iOK5iSyMH495BzNwzMeSr/s200/IMG_3019.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
Smart parents raise smart kids, but not for the reasons we all might think. Making them do their homework, impressing on them the importance of reading, studying, paying attention in class, and generally being committed students, all give our kids the best chance at being smart-right? Well, it turns out yes, and no. While all the tricks we parents think we must teach our kids help them make the most of what they've got, what they end up having appears to be as much to do with what we gave them at conception, than whatever we've done for them since.<br />
A large group of scientists running a project with the intriguingly mysterious name, Project ENIGMA, have discover that intelligence is probably affected by our genes to a greater degree than previously thought. The researchers, from all across the globe pooled their resources and their data to look for correlations between DNA and specific brain disorders (the usual- dementia, depression, Parkinson's, schizophrenia, etc). While they came up with some interesting data on the diseased brain, what they inadvertently uncovered was a connection between DNA and brain size, and even more curiously, between DNA and intelligence as measured by standardize IQ tests. IQ tests look for a certain type of intelligence so the data has to be viewed with that in mind, but it appeared that a variant in a gene called HMGA2 may be able to explain differences in individual intelligence. The difference in the HMGA2 was in one DNA letter only; at one point in the gene, the base thymine (usually represented as T), was replaced by a cytosine base (C). People that had the letter C instead of T at a certain location on the gene were more likely to have a larger brain and score higher on the IQ tests.<br />
This finding isn't really an answer to the question of inherited intelligence, but rather the starting point for many questions. Correlation is not the same as causation and the size of the brain, the high IQ score and the genetic change, may all be linked by something else in the brain not yet found. However, the association is interested and the methodology used by Project ENIGMA even more interesting. Because it is difficult to obtain enough tissues in any one lab, to conduct thoroughly sound statistical analysis on genetic variations that only occur in a certain percent of the population, the researchers banded together to pool their brains, literally. All the brain samples and data from each of the participating labs were used to look for associations between genes, brain size, disease risk and IQ test ability. Without the collaboration, the project would not have been possible. The nature of the work and the extent of the collaboration has attracted hundreds of financial contributors that has ensured the success of the work.<br />
So does this mean we should kick back as parents and let nature take its course? Not at all. Intelligence is only useful when harnessed appropriately, and usually (with notable exceptions), that happens through the cultivation of good study habits and the development of some level of self- discipline. When I was doing my PhD, someone told me that it would require one third pure hard work, one third organizational skills and one third smarts. I never forgot that, and found it to be just about spot on not only for my PhD, but for pretty much every piece of work I've done since. Intelligence is only part of the picture.<br />
<br />
[JOURNAL REFERENCE-Jason L Stein et al. <b>Identification of common variants associated with human hippocampal and intracranial volumes</b>. <i>Nature Genetics</i>, 2012; DOI: <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ng.2250" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">10.1038/ng.2250]</a><br />
<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-62723995940806118962012-04-05T09:41:00.000-04:002012-04-05T09:41:40.973-04:00NCI infographic on the use of social media in healthcareWorth a look. How social media is impacting healthcare from the National Cancer Institute:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.powerdms.com/resources/compliance-management-blog/12-01-16/Social_Media_in_Healthcare_Infographic.aspx"><img alt="Social Media in Healthcare" border="0" src="http://www.powerdms.com/downloads/infographics/healthcare-social-media-infographic-600.png" /></a><br />
<br />
Via: <a href="http://www.powerdms.com/">PowerDMS</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-80489280171162753492012-04-01T21:11:00.002-04:002012-04-12T13:30:21.901-04:00Another slice of cake?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIhDu8CA3fjxG0825hgg22BzPXe7ux-Bx6lTNQt97BFe5LcqgB3wB0ToPjWfALhJzxjgso012hWnnUVLpxDyN4_rO-KfYBxmk_VPeP5q4XPxwtmR9uAWe3AhIpM0IwLrZs1rh1T4c41p_/s1600/IMG_0627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIhDu8CA3fjxG0825hgg22BzPXe7ux-Bx6lTNQt97BFe5LcqgB3wB0ToPjWfALhJzxjgso012hWnnUVLpxDyN4_rO-KfYBxmk_VPeP5q4XPxwtmR9uAWe3AhIpM0IwLrZs1rh1T4c41p_/s320/IMG_0627.jpg" width="238" /></a>I'm watching CBS 60 minutes with Dr Sanjay Gupta telling us how sugar is poisonous and speaking to a doctor who is recommending that men eat less that 150 calories worth of added sugar per day, while women eat less than 100. The report is interesting; the effects of just s sip of soda stimulates the same part of the brain as hard drugs like cocaine, and continued consumption of sugar lead to a tolerance similar to that experienced by drug addicts. In other words, the more you eat, the more you are driven to eat. The chemical at the heart of this is not picky. However we get dopamine to release from brain cells, be in sex, drugs or rock and roll or now... sugar, we are driven to need more. OK, so we eat a lot of sugar. So what? As long as we reduce our fats, red meats, bacon, chips etc, we are basically OK- correct? As long as we control our weight somewhat, and lay off the chips we should be fine- right? Not even remotely. A study being discussed on the show, took young adults and carefully controlled their diets for a period of time while monitoring their physiology and biochemistry. They had blood drawn and were scanned throughout the study period which had them eating a non-added-sugar diet for the first few days of the study, followed by a diet with 25% of their calories in the form of sugar; still a relatively low amount of sugar by American standards (on average we consume about a third of a pound a day). Blood samples were drawn every 30 minutes and the added- sugar consumers showed significant increases in small dense LDL cholesterol (the bad kind that clogs the arteries) within two weeks of eating the diet with 25% sugar. For those old enough, you might remember that in the 70s the government restricted fat in the diet. <br />
There was a short term benefit, likely due to increased awareness of dietary causes of disease and the number of people who reduced their intake of saturated fates. However, the effect was not sustained. Doctors not he show suggested we have replaced that fat with carbohydrates, and refined sugar in particular. As one researcher pointed out, food without fat tastes like cardboard, so the food industry upped the sugar content to keeps palates satisfied. Now, cardiovascular disease is back on the increase and our children may be the first generation to have a lower life expectancy that their parents.<br />
<br />
So the sugar in our diet does as least as much harm to our cardiovascular health as fat, and maybe more. But the story doesn't end there. Obvious effects of increased sugar are obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes, and all of these diseases have peripheral effects. Less obvious is the effect of sugar on some cancers. Because sugar stimulates increases in insulin, it also catalyzed the growth of certain types of cancers. Almost a third of common human cancers contain insulin receptors that circulating sugar latches onto and triggers the tumor cells to take up the glucose to use for cell growth. Basically the tumor cells highjack our blood sugar and uses it to feed itself and grow. Exactly whether the sugars in the blood cause the tumor to begin or just nudge it along once it has become established makes no difference. Sugar is good news for cancer, and bad news for us.<br />
<br />
There is much more to the sugar story that I'll save for other blogs but as we think about how to balance our diets, it's worth thinking about the role of the food industry in our food choices. Since I still have the TV on, I'm catching a few ads I haven't seen before. In one, Con Agra is encouraging us to buy their products and is promising one meal for a hungry child for ever specially marked package we buy. This sounds incredible and I am sure there is good will behind the gesture. Certainly, there are too many hungry kids in America today. However, the foods that Con Agra is asking us to buy includes Snack Paks, frozen chicken nuggets, Chef Boyardee and others, all of which are high in sugar. We buy and eat a package of processed food that will go a little way towards poisoning us (some might think that's too strong a word but based on what I have read and hear, I don't think so) and in return Con Agra will feed a child. Does this make anyone wonder exactly how they will be feeing that child?<br />
<br />
And finally, as I complete this blog, I just saw a fantastic commercial on the TV with a diverse group of vibrant people stripping open their coats and cardigans to unveil bright red shirts with 'I'm unique', I'm A Vailable, I'm a dreamer....etc, as they run, walk, dance, around some city. It seemed like such a positive commercial, celebrating all that is good in the world- courage, difference, creativity. Imagine my disappointment when I realized what the ad was for. Dr Pepper. Ugh.<div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-49372900349694738052012-01-09T18:51:00.004-05:002012-01-09T21:02:07.747-05:00Staying sane in the world today<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYyJcBDiKLwyVDzmSUkxbrYcBTtZWdr9JPygwF6CWL0XueAE1SLLRC0e1LzzrJTKhzuBdaKmSZ0Y5Va8iRHFeRTdULADamViuHH6hyXMRblFcywhrZQmwimqUDoHy9FI8h8iVJgPBXLyRD/s1600/IMG_0944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYyJcBDiKLwyVDzmSUkxbrYcBTtZWdr9JPygwF6CWL0XueAE1SLLRC0e1LzzrJTKhzuBdaKmSZ0Y5Va8iRHFeRTdULADamViuHH6hyXMRblFcywhrZQmwimqUDoHy9FI8h8iVJgPBXLyRD/s320/IMG_0944.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish House play against a moving back wall at The Workshop in Mystic, CT</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After reading <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/162/generation-flux-future-of-business">this in Fast Company</a> I think I may be a Genfluxer. I usually dislike labels but I"m happy to adopt this one. Genfluxers are comfortable with ambiguity, recognize that the future is inherently unstable, and wallow in chaos like pigs in muck. That describes me pretty well and according to the article I am in good company. Pete Cashmore, who runs Mashable is in there- he is a hero of mine. Beth Comstock and Susan Peters are shaking it up at GE. Baratunde Thurston is digital editor at The Onion and is a quintessential GenFluxer according to the article. Social media and the Internet have created a fast-changing world that challenges many traditional notions of how work gets done. Knowledge Management (KM) was a discipline of sorts that grew up in the same time frame of Fast Company magazine and as I read the article I reflected on what it means to know what you need to know in the current environment. Never before has it been so easy to gather information. Just typing in a term into a search engine will get you a plethora of hits and comprehensive overview of your topic. Some have suggested that the ease of information gathering has a down side in that you get what you ask for. And little else. Serendipity is more elusive when you look for something directly, versus scanning through a magazine shelf and happening upon an interesting snippet that sheds new light on a particular problem. A recent article in <a href="http://moreintelligentlife.com/content/ideas/ian-leslie/search-serendipity">Intelligent Life magazine</a> on the loss of serendipity in the digital sums it up nicely. Knowing what we know and don't know has perhaps never been easier, but the challenge now lies in asking the right questions and in not being too comfortable with your answers. What seems right one day, may indeed be quite wrong on another depending on context. Being open-minded and ready to shift perception based on emerging information is critical in today's environment. For better or worse, we can no longer sit back and feel accomplished in our understanding. I, for one, am comfortable with that although sometimes it feels easy to get left behind. Really, though, it may not be being left behind that is important thing to worry about. Rather, being too caught up with every changing view and losing sight of the big picture may be the greater danger. That seems to me to be a recipe for burnout. For individuals and companies wishing to keep their footing in the rapidly swirling environment, it seems that cultivating an open mind, getting comfortable with ambiguity, and being somewhat brave, may be the best approach to staying sane and, with luck (yes luck), finding success.<div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-66676525763836370072011-12-30T17:23:00.002-05:002012-01-03T23:29:57.942-05:00In 2012 I will be thin.... or will I?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman','Bitstream Charter',Times,serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://sheryltorr-brown.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_0628.jpg" href="http://sheryltorr-brown.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_0628.jpg" style="color: #ff4b33; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-7" data-mce-src="http://sheryltorr-brown.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_0628-300x224.jpg" height="224" src="http://sheryltorr-brown.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_0628-300x224.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #444444; display: inline; float: left; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; height: auto; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 24px; margin-top: 4px; max-width: 100%;" title="IMG_0628" width="300" /></a>The end is nigh. Or so it seemed a year or two ago. Now, it seems that the end of the world has gone off the boil and the race for the 2012 Republican nomination is eclipsing all talk of Armageddon. As we begin this new year, millions of people are starting to act on new year's resolutions that will involve eating better, exercising more and possibly being nicer. Working harder may factor in, and earning more is a no-brainer. All of these will last at most a month or two and by Valentine's day the gyms will be empty and the larders stocked once again. We humans are so predictable. We love new beginnings but we are terrible at sustaining behavior change, especially if involves some effort, and getting fitter surely does. Today on NPR, I heard Tara Parker-Pope (try saying that 10 times after a few beers) talking about her struggle with weight. Tara is a health writer so for her to admit to weight issues is big and brave but the personal touch she brings to this story makes it convincing. Her story, The <a data-mce-href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/magazine/tara-parker-pope-fat-trap.html?_r=1" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/magazine/tara-parker-pope-fat-trap.html?_r=1" style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;" title="The Fat Trap">Fat Trap</a>, in this week's New York Times magazine and a telling <a data-mce-href="http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/03/behind-the-cover-story-tara-parker-pope-on-obesity/?re" href="http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/03/behind-the-cover-story-tara-parker-pope-on-obesity/?re" style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;">Q&A</a> about it on line today, reports from the scientific literature on the memory of fat cells and their quest to keep themselves full. She discusses the evidence that once a person becomes fat, their body will always try to maintain that weight despite all efforts to become slim. A slim person who has once been fat will gain weight much more easily than someone of the same weight who has never been fat. If this is true (and the article is compelling), then perhaps we should be less judgmental about people who start the fitness resolutions and then seem to give up so soon.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Researchers have shown that when women lost a significant amount of weight, even one year later, their levels of certain hormones were abnormal- ghrelin that stimulates hunger was unusually high, and peptide YY that usually suppresses hunger was below normal. The cards were stacked against thee women even after they were no longer overweight. A 2010 study found a number of gene variants that correlate with higher body-mass index. One variant, known as FTO is carried in about 65% of Europeans and Africans, and up to 44% of Asians. Whether we have one or two copies of this gene appears to correlate with weight and it seems that it may play a role in how we eat. Genes, however, are likely only part of the problem. Food cues are another. We live in an environment that is saturated with food messages, images and cues to eat high fat, high sugar foods. For people who have lost weight, their emotional response to food may be greater than slim non-dieters. They also burn less energy than their non dieting counterparts for a given amount of exercise.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
From all the data, it seems it's a hopeless situation, but Ms Parker-Pope feels it's better that she knows what she is up against and I feel the same way. One of the surest ways to fall off the wagon is to have one day's blowout and then feel so bad you never get back on it. Knowing that there are forces at work that your thin friend may never have to deal with, might actually strengthen the resolve to stick with the diet or the exercise plan. Most importantly though, it seems we should not become overweight to begin with. This underscores the value in educating children about balanced eating. We need all the help we can get to maintain a healthy focus on food, diet, and exercise in the current world of information overload and dietary excess. It's difficult enough to know what to eat and how much as an adult. To teach our children to eat when they are hungry and to exercise as much as they can seems the responsible thing to do as a parent even though it's difficult with every other ad on TV being for some sugary or greasy snack. For all of us, eating to satisfy hunger and getting out there and walking to work when we can, is a healthy prescription that we shouldn't sweat over, but just do our best whatever our biological odds.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-34975733555382083032011-10-30T19:15:00.001-04:002011-10-30T22:30:33.101-04:00Dreams are real<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD51Xaa3M2PFiEk8y1pgfhuXU9_BvLaGqUDLke4nPdDPZag8fyyJml22gnfHEflaCn_4OhLEXmQHcBTpYdO8Ta6JHVt5k0jmyRWCXtwdJNXyMfVWufUM-0vDNwrt-laFxqoq6q4l5fuw9W/s1600/IMG_0530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD51Xaa3M2PFiEk8y1pgfhuXU9_BvLaGqUDLke4nPdDPZag8fyyJml22gnfHEflaCn_4OhLEXmQHcBTpYdO8Ta6JHVt5k0jmyRWCXtwdJNXyMfVWufUM-0vDNwrt-laFxqoq6q4l5fuw9W/s320/IMG_0530.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
When I was young I had a recurring dream that I was in a small town in a desert and I had lost my parents. The town was a colorful collage of dusty roads, bright tents and intense citizens cloaked in veils and robes, their faces hidden from me at all times. I somehow knew it was a dream but was powerless to change the direction. I was always lost, always without parents, and never able to escape the desert. Lack of control in dreams is the norm for most of us but not for a small number of people who can experience lucid dreams. Whilst in the dream state, as recorded by brain activity showing Rapid Eye Movement phase (REM sleep- the phase that is associated with dreaming), lucid dreamers can respond to external commands and can direct the course of their dreams. This is a learned skill that has recently been put to use to determine whether brain activity in dreamers correlates with movement in non-dreamers. German scientists at the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig, in collaboration with scientists from the Charite hospital in Berlin, put sleepers into a magnetic resonance scanner and asked them to indicate when they were in a lucid dream state via eye movement. The lucid dreamers were then asked to dream themselves clenching a fist while the researchers monitored their brain activity. It seems the brain lit up in the same way as when the dreamers were awake and actually clenching a fist.<br />
<br />
The major difference between dreaming and acting while awake seems to be the physical paralysis that accompanies the dream state that stops us from us from acting out the dream. In some people this mechanism appears to be defective though. People that develop Parkinson's Disease or a form of dementia called Lewy Body disease, sometimes suffer from sleep disorders where they appear to be acting out their dreams long before the actual disease appears. These disturbed sleepers are usually unaware of their nighttime antics which can cause harm to their bed partners through punching and kicking. Violent nights that leave the sleeper oblivious can go on for up to 50 years before the Parkinson's or dementia reveals itself and occur in 60-80% of patients. My own father who I have blogged about often, would throw himself out of bed or hit my mother with force during his sleep for about 10 years before he received his diagnosis of Lewy Body. She would retreat to another room as an act of self-preservation on those nights where he was active, and complain to me that he was 'at it again.' Never once did either of them mention it to the doctor, and I didn't know there was a connection with brain disease until much later, when other symptoms had started to appear. <br />
<br />
Now, the question of why this occurs in this at-risk population is a hot topic for research. One has to wonder whether the sleep disorder is cause or effect of the final disease. A quick review of the literature finds the jury out on the actual mechanism of the disorder but in the meantime, any regular violent night time behavior, particularly where the sleeper is unaware of the problem, warrants a check up at the very least.<br />
<br />
Reference: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft. "Scientists measure dream content for the first
time: Dreams activate the brain in a similar way to real actions." <i>ScienceDaily</i>, 28 Oct. 2011. Web. 30 Oct. 2011.<div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-72511188433057131042011-09-27T11:52:00.000-04:002011-09-27T15:50:58.330-04:00Hey, We're Number ... Uh ... 36! | Truthout<a href="http://www.truth-out.org/hey-were-number-uh-36/1316536993#.ToHn8i9VIG0.blogger">Hey, We're Number ... Uh ... 36! | Truthout</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3YQyrE49ay91bLwbShfHo_6uz2wLqrLjBgssm_3qyJwcTRc0U8RN9z4HTQStskyh7N__bmt8WeEkAWBX6DosaWD3syLQh-bwy0Nt59y7KioCzrlli0XPwcIhw7ONrs_tdO2yRujNds9BO/s1600/Image-65D7FFA877EB11DA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3YQyrE49ay91bLwbShfHo_6uz2wLqrLjBgssm_3qyJwcTRc0U8RN9z4HTQStskyh7N__bmt8WeEkAWBX6DosaWD3syLQh-bwy0Nt59y7KioCzrlli0XPwcIhw7ONrs_tdO2yRujNds9BO/s200/Image-65D7FFA877EB11DA.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
Genes, diet, and most of all access to good healthcare all contribute to the poor ranking of the US in life expectancy- number 36 according the United Nations, and number 50 from CIA factbook estimations. We spend far more than any other country on healthcare but there is so much disparity in quality and access that one person may die of a highly treatable condition while another exists for years on rounds and round of expensive cancer therapies with a very low quality of life. How we let this stand is an interesting question and perhaps relates to the 'haves' being the ones with the voice, but not realizing the plight of the 'have-nots'. Any comments on why we are not up in arms about these statistics?<div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-34269961747910256942011-09-05T13:48:00.001-04:002011-09-05T14:13:55.749-04:00Thanks Irene.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryHZq0NhdG0UbLuhp8oTO_saT_PbJkwr2T64fwJzdLMg1NNBucqGXWfjV5ICUBGXDbju3duyWF95yI06wy1m8Y9BjJJrUdQ2H7ySnNHIekScG4ygcjo1dr8cNtM2Aj5O4g0IsmDW78wWL/s1600/297137_2310389008090_1500309888_2546330_3244136_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryHZq0NhdG0UbLuhp8oTO_saT_PbJkwr2T64fwJzdLMg1NNBucqGXWfjV5ICUBGXDbju3duyWF95yI06wy1m8Y9BjJJrUdQ2H7ySnNHIekScG4ygcjo1dr8cNtM2Aj5O4g0IsmDW78wWL/s320/297137_2310389008090_1500309888_2546330_3244136_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>I am electrified. Literally. We have power at our house for the first time in a week. Hurricane Irene meandered up the coast, taking her own sweet time and reeking havoc everywhere she went, until finally arriving on our doorstep last Saturday evening. Within two hours of the start of what would be about a 10 hour process, a tree was already down in the back yard and we had lost power. We were under-prepared for some reason; warnings that she was coming our way were posted well in advance of her arrival but it seemed uncool to panic too soon so we didn't panic at all. It turned out our generator was broken and our power was lost right at the start of the storm, as if God was saying, "you should've listened to Bob," (cheers Bob Maxim, NBC30 weatherman extraordinaire). At least we had filled the bathtub with water since we couldn't pump from the well with no power.<br />
<br />
As a dark day and an even darker night passed, batteries became depleted, non-perishable food was rapidly devoured (I under-purchased on that front too), so we began to seek comfort in the outside, namely Hamburger Hill. This famous strip in Groton serves burgers upon burgers from Wendy's, Burger King, MacDonalds and the like, and surely would be back up and running in no time. Hallelujah-Wendy's was open.... and had a line about half a mile long outside. We heard rumor that a Dunkin Donuts was open and evidently so did everyone else. There was a flock of people down the street waiting for coffee too. I opted for Dunkin and amazingly found an outlet to recharge my phone. Sitting, sipping, waiting, I watched the masses file in and out with varying degrees of relief to have finally found some caffeine (even though, in truth, it had been less than 24 hours for most). Occasionally, someone I thought I knew came in. A glance and a nod told me I was right but where did I know them from? Some might walk over and say hello and we reconnected as if we were old friends, reminiscing about some event where we had crossed paths. Others just nodded and moved on with their day.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZX4R2bg9w3Le_dgYae_G_tX2PUL5wSY8w1OhSSe9fs1OKNdN5CGLhgpyEW-1TJX_wg8YGl7r1Z-Zvh493YxhqCL4W1frL5p1-uab97PR79G1BD-cAy2b5EBLvYGXO0eNV2nXFX3huItyV/s1600/315662_2310390848136_1500309888_2546336_7004123_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZX4R2bg9w3Le_dgYae_G_tX2PUL5wSY8w1OhSSe9fs1OKNdN5CGLhgpyEW-1TJX_wg8YGl7r1Z-Zvh493YxhqCL4W1frL5p1-uab97PR79G1BD-cAy2b5EBLvYGXO0eNV2nXFX3huItyV/s320/315662_2310390848136_1500309888_2546336_7004123_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>A few days later, still in the dark and powerless, I met a friend in Starbucks at about 8pm, a time that is usually quiet and winding down for the evening. Not that night. Teams of people were jostling for seats and outlets, some with irritation and some with philosophical resignation that they would just have to wait. The mood overall was jolly. I saw acquaintances exchanging pleasantries and some sitting down together for a more solid engagement. Outlets were stuffed full at all times; PCs and Macs, phones, notebooks flashing in the background. Yes, in the background. Whilst many had come it to try to get some work done or check their Facebook, virtually everyone ended up closing their laptops and talking to another person in the flesh. The irony did not escape me. The desperation of dead batteries and no virtual connection, led all these people to the Starbucks charging stations where they found <i>real life conversation. </i>At 10pm, Starbucks began to move us out, offering free tea to go. There was a reluctance to leave even though all gadgets were by now, up and raring to go. Some said they would be sad when the power came back and I knew what they meant. The sense of shared fate and camaraderie in the cafe that night was palpable and the buzz of conversation had never been more alive. This is what coffee shops were meant for I thought as I walked out; connecting and sharing. I wondered why we have to have a little disaster for us to get back to that. Maybe because virtual is just so easy.<br />
<br />
Our power has been back for almost two days now. At first we turned on few lights, and didn't even look towards the TV let alone turn it on. No games on the computer, little sound except for Kyle and Jake on electric guitars. I began to wonder if somehow we might be permanently changed. But then reality crept back. Washing machine fully cranked, gaming back in full swing, computers buzzing all around, TV still not on but it won't be long... <div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-90183841497881637752011-07-18T14:24:00.000-04:002011-07-18T14:24:59.645-04:00Remembering Dad. Catching up with Alzheimer's.I am interested in the mental machinery that keeps us sane (or not) but have always been somewhat afraid of being taken over by unwanted demons in the head. I know nothing of my genetic heritage since I was adopted as a baby but a part of me wonders if my birth mother or birth father, if still living, are mad yet. My adoptive father did succumb to dementia as I've written about in earlier blogs and experiencing him disappear was at once terrifying and fascinating. As a daughter, it was hard to watch but the scientist in my could not look away. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlbJwRG0DYX2v5q91r2DbSb9fdUO1j5WxD-JREr734pO4HL6QiPjtaqoHSIl5ewBm0cqUCLJocbPrlFi8lfGuo49koKXjloCreQHbOSluNc4WFtNpDQEGUMdompfSp-6fIdk4hp2pLx15/s1600/IMG_0626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlbJwRG0DYX2v5q91r2DbSb9fdUO1j5WxD-JREr734pO4HL6QiPjtaqoHSIl5ewBm0cqUCLJocbPrlFi8lfGuo49koKXjloCreQHbOSluNc4WFtNpDQEGUMdompfSp-6fIdk4hp2pLx15/s320/IMG_0626.JPG" width="320" /></a>In the early days, each strange statement, or out-of-character emotion, led me further into the rabbit hole of madness and I was consumed with understanding this terrible disease and the human response to it that was evident all around me; my mother's denial, my father's hope, my own morbid curiosity about the devious neuronal aberrations. As time went on of course, it became starkly obvious that he was over the edge, never to return as the father I loved for his quick, intensely inquisitive mind, and seemingly endless well of knowledge about the most obscure topics. While there were glimpses of his old self, in an impish grin or a half-told joke (he could never remember where he was in relation to the punch line, or even that one was expected, closer to the end), my dad was now someone different and my memory of him was all that existed of that former self. We were able to talk sometimes, but rarely to hold a whole conversation. Often, these talks were about things I couldn't see; the boys playing football in the courtyard of the nursing home; the red lights of the signals ahead as the train approached; the car he had just taken into the shop for a repair he thinks he could have done better himself; his mother calling him for tea in the distance. He was living a full life, but not one he could share or that anyone else would believe.<br />
<br />
This week, several news items came up about Alzheimer's Disease. <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Alzheimers/baby-boomers-alzheimers-disease/story?id=14084404">This one</a> from ABC laments the lack of preventatives or treatments for the growing number of Baby Boomers who are entering the early stages of the disease. <a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/231239.php">Here</a>, Medical News Today describes a couple of studies that show patients with signs of Alzheimer's on a brain scan but without any symptoms fall more often than people with no brain signs, while another study showed that retinal scans can indicate which patients might be at risk of the disease. <a href="http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ICAD/27579">Yet another study</a> shows certain brain proteins predict disease progression in patients with mild cognitive impairment. Plenty of research findings that may help determine who of us is just forgetful and who might be on the slippery slope from which there is no return.<br />
<br />
This still all leaves me a little cold. Research is good. Science is good. But for those who have seen the disease take those we love, the fear of knowing what's ahead without any credible way to forestall it is almost cruel. It presents a dilemma for me as a scientist because I understand the value in identifying the predictors and prognosticators associated with a disease; it's one of the surest paths to eventual prevention and treatment. However, my emotional side tells me we shouldn't know. Like watching my dad, I have to get comfortable with seeing it from both sides. Even so, the tests are not for me. Yet.<div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-58414708627328850742011-06-02T16:48:00.001-04:002011-06-03T06:50:07.365-04:00Guest blog by Kristy Dawson: Cancer patients embrace holistic methods<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">A recent turn in <a href="http://futurehealthtrends.blogspot.com/2010/06/hospital-acquired-infections.html">hospitals</a> has allowed cancer patients and others dealing with illness to sometimes shy away from using conventional methods of treatment such as chemo and radiation. Specifically with cancer patients, an increasing number are turning to complementary and alternative methods of healing that are often based in holistic therapy options such as yoga, chiropractic care, and acupuncture among others. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Yoga has gained major popularity as an exercise option in the past few decades, but recently cancer patients have adopted it as one of the <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cancer-treatment/CM00002">most used types of complementary/alternative therapy</a> sessions. The use of yoga has allowed for those participating in conventional therapy sessions to cut down on common side effects such as nausea and dizziness. Some have adopted it as one of their alternative methods of therapy, as yoga can often be used to help improve range of motion, flexibility, and ease body pain. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Acupuncture has also been used as a way to reduce side effects of chemotherapy and radiation such as vomiting and nausea. Most of the patients who undertake acupuncture as an alternative or complementary therapy are suffering from major bouts with body pain. Acupuncture works to relieve the pain in the back area, as well as numerous other parts of the body. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Using meditation, hypnosis and other mind therapies are often critical to cancer patients. Mind and body connecting methods allow patients to alleviate some problems that are usually hard to counter act such as anxiety and stress. Meditation allows for the chance to free up time from schedules that often overflow with treatment and tests. Hypnotherapy allows patients the opportunity to alter behavior and emotions, while cutting down on stress and anxiety. This form can be crucial for patients who are having a very rough time dealing with their emotions following diagnosis. </div><div class="MsoNormal">The proof is in the stories of use for complementary and alternative methods of treatment. A great example of the impact these are having involves mesothelioma survivor Paul Kraus. This is a type of cancer in the lungs that evolves from <a href="http://www.asbestosexposure.org/">asbestos exposure</a>. Kraus has used a combination of strict dieting along with numerous alternative therapy methods such as yoga and meditation to defy expectations. Average life expectancy for the disease is usually between eight and 14 months, but Kraus is living today 14 years after what was expected. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Looking toward the future, alternative and complementary methods are likely to gain heavy popularity. As more and more doctors add in these methods as complements for routine therapy, their importance will take off in the medical community. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;"><b><i>Thank you to my guest blogger, Kristy Dawson! Kristy is a recent college graduate and aspiring writer from Florida. As a Health and Safety Advocate, she shares a strong passion for the wellness of others in her community. Kristy uses her writings to spread awareness of such issues to help others live the healthiest lifestyles possible. If you want to contact Kristy, please e-mail me at spiral5@mac.com.</i></b></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-63870970397474985712011-04-25T20:51:00.001-04:002011-04-25T21:10:11.618-04:00Schizophrenia- a perspective.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsLZGBfJIz717KU3kZ-lP9uKQejV5bB8P8L8e340qvl_Gev4anR6clppG63hCeI41m0cC90OFq2RsyDJodvEmx9Q8d8wAXjcTmapBFHKqMUzPbDrfifKHB51uy0TbdLXkdk-T4gLGui3H/s1600/Photo+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsLZGBfJIz717KU3kZ-lP9uKQejV5bB8P8L8e340qvl_Gev4anR6clppG63hCeI41m0cC90OFq2RsyDJodvEmx9Q8d8wAXjcTmapBFHKqMUzPbDrfifKHB51uy0TbdLXkdk-T4gLGui3H/s200/Photo+16.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Schizophrenia is a frightening disease for anyone, but until the recent attention on dementia, it was always the neurological disorder I feared the most. I read about schizophrenia when I was in my early teens through the writings of RD Laing who believed the disease was a result of poor parenting. I reasoned that if it was just bad parenting, then it could be prevented and was therefore slightly less scary. However try as I might, I couldn't quite buy into his theory. While I agreed that parents could certainly drive one mad, it seemed as thought there would be a great many more schizophrenic individuals around if parenting was the cause. I imagined back then that the brain may be lying in wait for some trigger to set it off down the schizophrenic path, which put me in a vulnerable position. Did I have the madness in me or not? I was adopted and do not know my family history but in my teens, I didn't make the connection between genes and risk. It was all I could bear to think my brain might be waiting to betray me at any moment. (I had similar feelings about multiple sclerosis after I read a book on it when I was 16, but bodily dysfunction paled in comparison to mental decline in my young eyes).<br />
If it was due to some underlying predisposition, I reasoned there would be true cause for concern. Some rogue genetic defect that lies in wait until the bearer unwittingly triggers it, I imagined I was one such unfortunate soul and that surely, it was a matter of time.<br />
An argument with a colleague a few years later narrowed the argument a bit- the disease was either something that could happen to anyone, or something that could only happen to certain people. We now know that both could be true but that the latter is the more likely.<br />
<br />
While I have always been interested in the disease, a new book reminded me of the broader ramifications of our current treatment of it. I don't mean just the pharmacological approach- that is complex enough- but also the treatment of schizophrenic individuals. In the early 80s many of the mental institutions that housed people afflicted with this and other diseases, were closed in favor of 'community based care' that basically never happened. As the institutions closed, residents had nowhere to go and many schizophrenics ended up on the streets. Once colorful character in St Louis, (where I hung my hat for a while) sat on street corners and drew what he saw. Day after day, he created fantastically detailed pencil drawings of building, people, parks, transport. He lived in a shelter during the night hours but had nowhere to go in the day. He wore no shoes, even in the depths of a Missouri Winter. One day, we heard he had been hit and killed by a car. A tragic waste of life and a talent that would be sadly missed by all who watched him as he drew.<br />
<br />
'Henry's Demons' by journalist Patrick Cockburn<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=sorcandscie-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1439154708&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>, is a remarkable account of his son's experiences with schizophrenia, and he shares the writing with his son to give the reader a first-hand view of what the disease is like. Henry also didn't like to wear shoes, and he did not believe he was ill for much of the time. The onset of disease was in his early 20s, which is typical, and appeared to have been triggered by marijuana use. I was surprised to read that this is quite common with marijuana (I will post on this in more detail eventually- I am researching it now...). Henry and his family's struggle is vividly described in the book and one wonders how many similar stories are out there. Patrick speaks about the need for institutions for those that cannot exist without such a structure, particularly when they are deep into their illness. I wondered how people in the US coped with the costs of the treatment and care and then I remembered. Many of our schizophrenics are homeless and penniless. I have met them while working at my local food bank. They can appear normal for a while, but not long enough to hold down a job. They can't just pull themselves together because they are confused about who they themselves are. They see the world from a unique perspective and Henry and Patrick's story is a remarkable insight into that perspective. I recommend it.<div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-64390194115661881202011-04-13T21:29:00.000-04:002011-04-13T21:29:23.359-04:00Is this chemical making you fat?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0Ps5rU99ansC8D0TVGQz5BJDeEWlV8GAbqVm9N44j5jPJ6hXNeQkywd0wyk8gyr0A1DEPJnjVdX57Dxis4YFk7rEF44gyk2xUfjXgxB00v-AgjaBCkbrU8K7vuJX0Zi0FosFdUIz3H8H/s1600/image004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0Ps5rU99ansC8D0TVGQz5BJDeEWlV8GAbqVm9N44j5jPJ6hXNeQkywd0wyk8gyr0A1DEPJnjVdX57Dxis4YFk7rEF44gyk2xUfjXgxB00v-AgjaBCkbrU8K7vuJX0Zi0FosFdUIz3H8H/s200/image004.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0YEhXcoGXYZ3dWAJnniS3RFHhMYUC5zyGH-BfgqoxUs4iDRPHGQW252Zys3SbTzBHdnRuOz_bHOMzq0IaGqMGOJL9-sUoXF4PzOA3u1fJv6vvHqot58ivVcQnHcUk5Jj14Ev3mzKLKxyh/s1600/t+k+k+notts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><br />
Hormones are necessary chemicals that circulate in the bloodstream to keep our bodies running smoothly. They regulate all bodily functions including sleep, sex-drive, moods and appetite although the precise mechanisms of their actions is imprecisely understood, and becomes perhaps more so as we gain more knowledge of all the moving parts. In recent years, the hormone leptin acquired a certain mystique for its potential role in the regulation of appetite. Leptin reduces appetite but its effects are complex and people who are overweight or obese may become resistance to its actions. The hopes of drugs to modify leptin have been somewhat confounded by the complexity of the system but new hope has arisen since the discovery of ghrelin, a hormone that acts as leptin's counterpart by stimulating appetite under certain conditions. Ghrelin is considered to be the first circulating hormone that stimulates hunger. It is increased before a meal and decreased during the meal so that as a person becomes full, the hormone levels drop and appetite is suppressed. <br />
<br />
Ghrelin's action is also very complex but a study released today by the Journal of Neuroscience (April 13th issue) provides an interesting new piece of data. It seems that ghrelin enhances the sense of smell, causing rats to sniff more often and smell more intensely. The investigators suggest that this may be an important mechanism to help animals find food when they are hungry. When humans were given ghrelin in the same study, they inhaled air tainted with various 'flavors' more deeply than without ghrelin. There was no difference, however, in how much they like the smells after ghrelin. It seems ghrelin may make us more aware of potential foods around us but the effects of its evolutionary advantage in over-fed humans is not well understood. Evidence does suggest that ghrelin plays a key role in appetite regulation along with the other hormones, insulin and leptin. The big questions that may help us understand how to use these data to address the current obesity epidemic revolve around how to seperate our physiological drives to eat from the psychological ones. David Kessler, former FDA commissioner, has suggested that the Western diet itself alters our body's ability to regulate our appetite and our food intake and these hormone likely have a critical role. Once we get into the vicious cycle, it takes heroic efforts to break out of it. With high calorie, processed food being cheaper and more accessible than more nutritious fare, it seems the odds are stacked against us.<br />
As we understand more about the effects of particular foods on our responses to these 'hunger' hormones, perhaps we will find the evidence we need to regulate food production more appropriately so nutritious foods are more widely available at reasonable cost. In the meantime, yet another study has shown that sniffing a certain food can actually decrease our appetite. In women, just the smell of dark chocolate suppresses appetite and interestingly, it appears to be accompanied (or preceded?) by a change in circulating ghrelin in these subjects. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0YEhXcoGXYZ3dWAJnniS3RFHhMYUC5zyGH-BfgqoxUs4iDRPHGQW252Zys3SbTzBHdnRuOz_bHOMzq0IaGqMGOJL9-sUoXF4PzOA3u1fJv6vvHqot58ivVcQnHcUk5Jj14Ev3mzKLKxyh/s1600/t+k+k+notts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><br />
Even with all the uncertainties of the system, it does seem that exercise and a reduction in calorie intake both work together to move the regulatory effects of leptin, insulin and ghrelin in a favorable direction. So in other words, we can't go wrong if we walk a little more, eat a little less, and take a whiff of dark chocolate now and again.<div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-3873108818350135902011-03-01T10:25:00.001-05:002011-03-01T21:42:28.612-05:00To lose weight- be kind to yourself?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_r9e16oYk7ASKGXv4mVUJMYlH4gSwFnuz35bhS2God8ZP7CYEiJBN54XOdI8694yHkGG0Skb_LqGEhCd6WZhM7BRyQzYvmD3DIkQ5LA9CYOedRwmDTRDEcLokqJPZT185nrOizbvQvD1/s1600/IMG_0038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_r9e16oYk7ASKGXv4mVUJMYlH4gSwFnuz35bhS2God8ZP7CYEiJBN54XOdI8694yHkGG0Skb_LqGEhCd6WZhM7BRyQzYvmD3DIkQ5LA9CYOedRwmDTRDEcLokqJPZT185nrOizbvQvD1/s200/IMG_0038.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I remember reading about a study a number of years ago where two groups of women were given the same diet and told they could eat as much as thy wanted of it. One group also received massages and spa treatments throughout the study. At the end of the study, the pampered ladies had lost weight whereas the other group's weight had remained stable or even increased slightly. The story resonated with me because like many folks I tend to eat more when I am upset about something. During times when I feel optimistic and successful, I eat less. When I'm sad I <i>comfort</i> myself with junk, when I am happy I <i>reward</i> myself with healthy food. For me, there is a huge difference between comfort and reward when it comes to food. A recent blog from Tara Parker-Pope at the <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/28/go-easy-on-yourself-a-new-wave-of-research-urges/?partner=rss&emc=rss">New York Times</a> reports on work that supports those early findings and my own experiences. <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.self-compassion.org/">Dr Kristen Neff</a> suggests that some people, who can be quite compassionate to others, have a difficult time applying the same compassion to themselves due to a fear of overindulgence. These folks are over-critical of themselves when work doesn't go well, or when they gain weight, lose their temper, or offend a friend. That sounds like me. An <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="https://webspace.utexas.edu/neffk/pubs/AdamsLearyeating%20attitudes.pdf">eating study</a> in 2007 showed that when women were asked to test candies, those that were told not to feel bad about eating the candies at less of them. The other women who were not given the same pep-talk to encourage self-compassion, ate more and felt worse about it. A preloading donut given to eat during a TV introduction to the study (to simulate mindless easting in front of the TV perhaps) made the situation worse for those that did not receive the subsequent encouragement towards self-compassion and mindful eating. However, the negative effect of a doughnut preload was reversed in the self-compassion group. So just a few of the right words can shift our attitudes about ourselves, and change our attitude to eating. Interesting stuff. (As I write this I hear my male friends muttering, 'meh, whatever'). <br />
Perhaps this all plays a role in the current obesity epidemic in the US and across the globe. Too much cheap junk, a culture of self-blame, and unprecedented levels of depression may predispose us to overeat. Low self-esteem, particularly in those who have lost jobs, are low-income, or recently become divorced may contribute to a disproportionate incidence of overweight and obesity in those populations. The notion of being ind to oneself intrigues me and the relationship to food is irresistible. A colleague and I are embarking on a writing a book about how people eat and how people think about food especially in these current times of economics insecurity. We'll be digging in to how eating habits change when money gets tight, and especially how the diet of children in the home might change. We hope to challenge some assumptions about food insecurity, obesity, personal choice in foods, conditioned eating in children and mindfulness about eating at all ages. Self-compassion also needs o be a focus. We will set up a website and we will blog about our progress once we are on track with our first chapter. More later...<div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-61611041012579923212010-12-10T23:16:00.000-05:002010-12-10T23:16:17.612-05:00And this is why....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFnHtErEutDf0db5yrxfKJdIJ0BUG6EUY70WbglecTfyAA6TP29fIorx2y1OyGL1kLS0D6NSbs6C11VgRQDtT1wD6gulGDZOoE_Zibf74QbejovvnYtg-MNZ_pqYS6MefJWZZTYoHSO9R/s1600/23557_336769862391_615807391_4698077_1717301_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFnHtErEutDf0db5yrxfKJdIJ0BUG6EUY70WbglecTfyAA6TP29fIorx2y1OyGL1kLS0D6NSbs6C11VgRQDtT1wD6gulGDZOoE_Zibf74QbejovvnYtg-MNZ_pqYS6MefJWZZTYoHSO9R/s320/23557_336769862391_615807391_4698077_1717301_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>...we study tumor size and not metastasis... Tumor size is relatively easy to measure in experimental models and even in real patients. Prevention or inhibition of metastasis however, is very difficult to measure. It is mainly for this reason (in my view) that we continue to plough most research funding into reducing tumor size rather than preventing migration of the cancer cells to new locations around the body. <a href="http://discovermagazine.com/2010/jul-aug/29-why-scientific-studies-often-wrong-streetlight-effect">This is a great article</a> (Why Scientists are so often wrong: the streetlight effect) on why science is often wrong. We look at end-points we can easily measure which may give us, at best, only a small piece of the picture and at worst, irrelevant findings. If we measure the measurable (and it is perfectly understandable why we would want to), then we must remember to re-insert the findings back onto the larger context. This is the value of the systems approach, which we have torn apart over the past 200 years in the name of Enlightenment. An over-emphasis on what we call things has led to an inappropriate level of categorization of data and terms which forces us to place something in one category when it might really belong in two or three or even in none. Medical diagnostic codes are a good example of this forced boxing which is done to allow communication between healthcare providers and insurers. The previous blog about cancer also illustrates the problem to some degree. We say a person has died from breast cancer when in actual fact they died from metastatic liver cancer for example. I have a friend whose disease sadly took this path. We remember her, and walk in her honor, to benefit all victims of breast cancer, but the liver and brain cancer that finally took her life is never mentioned. <br />
Another example is appearing in the medical community at large. The pay-for-performance paradigm for doctors and hospitals depends on care professionals reporting certain elements that they are asked to report. Rewarding certain behaviors will ensure that they are reported more. It doesn't necessary follow that the patients are any healthier for it. For a balanced view of the implementation of 'quality' programs for health care see <a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/10/quality-programs-social-medical-consequences.html">here</a>. The author calls the programs 'garbage in, garbage out' or in other words, you get what you pay/ask for. The whole system is forcing certain categorization that can make health data fairly meaningless. For scientists and physicians alike, this should be cause for concern although, I must admit, there are no easy answers given that the system has evolved this way due to human nature. Few are comfortable with ambiguities if a more concrete alternative is available, and the system does not allow the time for it anyway. Perhaps in the future, it will.<div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-21841245030814962462010-12-07T23:28:00.000-05:002010-12-07T23:28:54.624-05:00My name is cancer and I like to travel.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfsvQK7vFH1rU5r1LI0he_BdRIsDsFCQ0MuKtmMb3jKJ2nxt7lqE06mkrsp6x-N48CmkhijwCBDeN3wHOscNopK7NV2Lcdk10K1GVFn7sa5kbBwDZJHSQo7QTOexgR9YXcojIdBvsi6-r/s1600/Photo+146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfsvQK7vFH1rU5r1LI0he_BdRIsDsFCQ0MuKtmMb3jKJ2nxt7lqE06mkrsp6x-N48CmkhijwCBDeN3wHOscNopK7NV2Lcdk10K1GVFn7sa5kbBwDZJHSQo7QTOexgR9YXcojIdBvsi6-r/s200/Photo+146.jpg" width="200" /></a>As Elizabeth Edwards succumbed to cancer today, an <a href="http://i%20have%20to%20toddle%20off%20now-%20we%20have%20a%20mystic%20stroll%20to%20go%20to--%20free%20booze,%20cookies%20and%20a%20giggle%20on%20santa%27s%20lap%20%28well,%20maybe%20that%27s%20slightly%20wishful%20thinking%21%29/">article</a> in Science News heralded the discovery of a switch that appears to be central to the ability of cancer cells to move or remain still. Researchers at the University of Georgia say the misregulation of this switch may play an important role in the processes that allow cancer cells set forth on their malevolent journey around the body to find new places to spawn. Cancer in situ, that is to say in a particular place, often remains fairly innocuous until it either grows large enough to disturb organ function, or acquires the ability to move and settle elsewhere. Once it has spread its wings and become metastatic, it is very difficult to control and often leads to the rapid demise of its host. <br />
<br />
Today's new discovery could lead to a better understanding of how and why cancer cells move and in the longer term, yield new approaches to treatment. Could it be possible that in some distant future we may be able to prevent metastasis altogether and come to view cancer as somewhat of an inconvenience rather than a fatal disease? <br />
<br />
Targeting cancer cells that are getting ready to move, or already on their way to some other place, is one approach but what about trying to understand what makes the new location they settle into so appealing? Maybe we can make the environment around the body unwelcoming to the invading cells. There are current approaches to preventing colonization of the cancer cells at the distant location. Therapies are in development that disrupt the local signalling that is required for the cells to invade and colonize the tissues. Studies look promising but the problem is far from solved. Clinical studies with smart combinations will likely be required due to the complex nature of the cellular interactions and there is no better time to jump into these. All of us have lost friends, family and colleagues to cancer. In my case, every cancer death I have known to date has been due to metastatic disease. I would vote to divert the majority of funding for cancer research from limiting tumor growth to preventing effective metastasis. Maybe it's heading in that direction already. Any comments welcome...<div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-28953709717868475162010-11-22T21:13:00.001-05:002010-11-22T21:23:04.758-05:00Airport odyssey reveals how awful and annoying we are - CNN.com<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHawmOiEWJE3q3HTyP6iKSsVOT-CwJ5icdMZDzaPxW4n4tycr592HdxJiLpfa84voRAZdGVlcl_6hymKujcVsI513qPA0_R_mhsVvAB_tRcBRapsnIr92bZKNTIdQgerF2x6_fQbpwhSz/s1600/IMG_0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHawmOiEWJE3q3HTyP6iKSsVOT-CwJ5icdMZDzaPxW4n4tycr592HdxJiLpfa84voRAZdGVlcl_6hymKujcVsI513qPA0_R_mhsVvAB_tRcBRapsnIr92bZKNTIdQgerF2x6_fQbpwhSz/s200/IMG_0035.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/11/22/airports.holiday.travel/?hpt=Sbin">Airport odyssey reveals how awful and annoying we are - CNN.com</a><br />
<br />
This article speaks for itself. While not entirely about airport security, it does speak to our attitudes to mass travel and security as we pass through. The author traveled over 5000 miles observing passenger and security staff and collecting numerous eye-opening stories about how we travel. Kudos to the staff that have to put up with all this day in, day out. <br />
In the debate about airline security, the media is reporting that the TSA may change screening methods in response to the outcry. I hope they don't back down. There is also talk about privatizing airport security. For those that still think the TSA are the bad guys, imaging you are about to board a plan to St Louis for instance. The guy in front of you is traveling alone, has a large bag, refuses to go through the scanner and is sweating a little. It's not hot in here you think, but you trust that if he's hiding somethimg, security will catch him during the pat down. The guys is uncomfortable with the first security officer who comes over for the pat down, and requests another. A second guy appears but seems to not conduct a proper pat down- what you don't know is that this private firm is rated on customer satisfaction and he doesn't want to upset anyone. How would you feel about getting on the same plane with a guy who refused the scanner, got a good deal on the pat down and looks sweaty and nervous? Training, accountability, security and regulation are all threatened with that model. It would also be incredibly expensive. Some activities are best kept with the government I think.<div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-92053410591736750492010-11-22T00:34:00.002-05:002010-11-22T00:37:01.670-05:00Brain Tumors Grow Their Own Blood Supply - ScienceNOW<a href="http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/11/brain-tumors-grow-their-own-bloo.html?ref=hp&sms_ss=blogger&at_xt=4ce9fcae36402f3f,0">Brain Tumors Grow Their Own Blood Supply - ScienceNOW</a><br />
<br />
A quickie....this is an interesting new snippet on the science of cancer. Many types of cancer develop a new blood supply to bring nutrients in and take metabolic products out. Drugs to prevent the development of the networks of blood vessels that support this blood supply can be effective at reducing tumor size. These drugs are called anti-angiogenic drugs and they also work to prevent new blood vessel growth at the back of the eye in macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the over 60's. It has always been assumed that the new blood vessels grow from the outside of a tumor and invade the tissues to provide the blood supply. The study above, just published in Science Journal, suggest some brain tumors, called glioblastomas, can generate some of their own blood supply that appear be able to avoid the effects of the traditional angiogenic drugs. It seems at least some of the endothelium that lines the new blood vessels is differentiated from stem cells inside the tumor. New drug treatments could be aimed selectively at these unique endothelial cells, or could work further upstream to prevent the differentiation of the stem cells altogether.<div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-62400037276371746312010-11-20T14:04:00.000-05:002010-11-20T14:04:21.725-05:00The weight of health information<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbF6Sm7b1HywxNuQwzk19RLtMlXIGPVvtL7JEDJ4vCLDpCpgpkvBKUv1BSXgKHpbFHvOLgUgakmKIidUth6pkk1kCFw9kjW_6eTLp7Npn60NVKMoXddZufZeqBqyS8Ag1TBFfct9uA37JI/s1600/IMG_2232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbF6Sm7b1HywxNuQwzk19RLtMlXIGPVvtL7JEDJ4vCLDpCpgpkvBKUv1BSXgKHpbFHvOLgUgakmKIidUth6pkk1kCFw9kjW_6eTLp7Npn60NVKMoXddZufZeqBqyS8Ag1TBFfct9uA37JI/s320/IMG_2232.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Lately I've been speaking with several folks who are in possession of large amounts of health information for one reason or another. They all believe their data is valuable and are looking for ways to leverage it to make a business or to advance medical understanding, or both. Noble ambitions indeed but a question struck me as I listened to the the most recent of them this last week. Could it be that the weight of all that information is actually crushing innovation rather than stimulating it? It seems to me that we have a plethora of data looking for a problem to solve. If we recall the old proverb, 'Neccessity is the Mother of Invention', and then consider that some of our most recent enduring inventions were developed locally and ground-up with little intellectualization at the start (some of the more successful social media forums for eg) we might conclude tha Nike may have it right in their newer proverb, 'Just Do It'. Serve a local, immediate and acknowledged need; if it works scale it. This avoids the political nightmares of having to first make a business case to those who don't believe there is one. The latter is a very difficult way to start a business but we do it all the time.<br />
<br />
If we start from the ground up, we all want better health but what does that really mean? Here are some possibilities: Better ways to know if we are sick, or going to get sick; better treatments to prevent or cure at costs we can afford; more control over our general health; less hassle in managing health for ourselves and those we care for; a more peaceful existence. To me, the latter is perhaps the most important of all and to some degree relies on success in the former four.<br />
<br />
There are numerous elements to each of the outcomes but it seems like the last place to start in attempting solutions might be in collecting the data. There's no harm in it per se, provide one doesn't expect the answers to then simply reveal themselves. We must exert some energy up front if we are to make sense of the problem and move toward solutions in a short time frame and at reasonable cost. However, given that my colleagues have started with the data, let's look at the process from the data-first perspective. We are forced to ask questions in the following way: 1) what data do you have and where does the data comes from 2) what problems can you apply it to 3) who might have a vested interest in either the data or a solution. Very time consuming and like put the cake ingredients into a bowl and then asking what we might make with it. If we think nationally or globally then the problem is magnified and can be prone to costly red herrings.<br />
<br />
If we look at the problem first, then understanding what to do with the data becomes that much easier because the need is already understood. To further simplify, solving a problem locally first allows one to talk directly with those that have the problem rather than having to resort to assertions or assumptions about the population as a whole. Locally, trial and error can be conducted at low cost and low risk. Even for those that already have large data sets, perhaps as a side effect of another part of their business (pharmacies or drug companies for instance), this approach is a sensible way to determine how the data might be leveraged more broadly. <br />
<br />
Starting with a large amount of data and a set of assumptions means starting with a muddy board. The danger of solving the wrong problem is great, provided you can get out from under the weight of all that data. Starting with a white board and a diverse group of passionate individuals with first-hand knowledge of the problem is an innovation waiting to happen. <br />
<br />
So.....<br />
<br />
<b>1. Identify the problems before you collect/look at the data</b><br />
<b>2. Become a local hero first.</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Anyone have anything to add?<div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418701067780587927.post-64352056971009347152010-11-16T20:13:00.000-05:002010-11-16T20:13:45.651-05:00Airport scanning- how much is too much?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtvjR_5m9OFLpk8KENL4DH549PlNRASRoQMx7WVKxP_sCogaH0C4pCYtOc4u1qs1CRZWc64nrufhY2Nhlhoar-5hlAA_1FQAQborGb4ZluKrTwQdzVYz3uNBrU_VtHkKPgCSfX4xUUijL/s1600/IMG_5578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtvjR_5m9OFLpk8KENL4DH549PlNRASRoQMx7WVKxP_sCogaH0C4pCYtOc4u1qs1CRZWc64nrufhY2Nhlhoar-5hlAA_1FQAQborGb4ZluKrTwQdzVYz3uNBrU_VtHkKPgCSfX4xUUijL/s320/IMG_5578.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>One way or another, for me to get on a plane, I need to be assured that the best attempt has been made to check my fellow passengers for weapons, malicious intent, or materials that can be used for no good. I see folks being sniffed by beagles or going through puffer machines to detect explosives, getting the pat down by surly but not unpleasant security staff, and occasionally being asked to step aside for further questioning because of a red flag somewhere along the way. For years we have been trolling through the standard metal detectors and until 9/11 we figured it was not enough. Since then, the US has been spending quite a bit of cash to improve the means to catch the bad guys. We focus on the person and the carriage of harmful agents; other countries such as Israel also throw in passenger profiling. We have a system in the works to do that too. People will be profiled to identify their risk status- none, unknown, elevated or high, and this will be achieved by more intensive questioning at the time of booking the flight. This week, a young passenger felt his civil liberty was violated by the TSA's invitation to step into the whole body scanner where the device would digitally strip him to identify any weapons or harmful objects about his person. The traveler was even more upset with the pat down he had to undergo as a result of refusing the scanner. He recorded the whole episode on his cell phone and by now it is viral on YouTube and the guy has been on every talk show under the American sun. Recording in an airport security area is an offense so it will be interesting if his fine is as widely reported. The incident triggered a firestorm, with many Americans declaring a revolt against the perceived inhumanity of it all. Some have vowed to refuse the scanner and furthermore to wear a kilt for maximum harassment of security personnel during the required pat down. I wonder, really, what folks are afraid of. Which is worse- being seen 'naked' by a security guard (who will see thousands of other 'naked' forms throughout his day), or having to jump an errant passenger in-flight because they are brandishing a box cutter or conspiring with a fellow passenger to put together an explosive?<br />
<br />
I can understand the knee-jerk reaction to being 'violated' in this way but what should we really be concerned about? I think there are a couple of questions, 1) Does it indeed violate civil liberties; 2) is it effective; and 3) is it safe.<br />
<br />
In my view the civil liberty issue is a bit of a non-starter. The good of the many outweigh the needs of the few. I'd gladly submit to the scan, lumpy thighs and all, to contribute to better safety for all passengers. The safety issue is the more interesting to me, as well as the overall effects of using the scanners on airport dynamics and travel times. Here is what I have found out. On the safety side, the scanners emit very much less radiation (0.005 milllrads per scan) than normal background (300 millirads). To reach the equivalent of background radiation one would have to go through the machines over 100 times a day. Dr Brenner from the University of Columbia fears the official reports of radiation emitted by the units is underestimated by about 20 times. Even if this is true the radiation is still far less than background. It seems the scanners are pretty safe, even for very frequent travelers. In terms of effectiveness, they can certainly detect weapons. Whether there is a reduction in terrorist-like events we may never know. Most potential incidents do not reach the news. So what about the affect of using the units on travel per se? According to several reports I found the use of a scanner takes about 25 seconds whereas a traditional pat-down takes 2 minutes. If everyone used the scanner, then transit time through security should be faster. A person can keep coats, belts etc on too. Overall, it seems the scanners are a positive move. In the UK, such scanners have been in use for over a year and, after initial controversy over privacy, 95% of the public now approve. A recent blog suggested that there might also be an anti-obesity side effect. Image conscious travelers might want to drop a few pounds before stepping into the machine. <br />
<br />
There are murmurings of even more advanced systems that can detect liquid explosives, as well as the aforementioned passenger profiling systems that can identify a possible high-risk passenger based on additional questions asked at check-in. And then there are biometrics methods that determine whether the person's face or eyes matches the person it is supposed to represent. Whole body scanning is just the beginning so we had better come to terms with it. Or just drive.<div class="blogger-post-footer">ca-pub-7352986127008950
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
amzn_cl_tag="sorcandscie-20";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957233916815310913noreply@blogger.com0