Scientists at Emory's Yerkes National Primate Research Center have achieved some insight into how fleeting experiences become memories in the brain. Their experimental system could be a way to test or refine treatments aimed at enhancing learning and memory, or interfering with troubling memories. The results were published in the Journal of Neuroscience. The researchers set up a system where rats were exposed to a light followed by a mild shock. A single light-shock event isn't enough to make the rat afraid of the light, but a repeat of the pairing of the light and shock is, even a few days later. "I describe this effect as 'priming'," says the first author of the paper, postdoctoral fellow Ryan Parsons. "The animal experiences all sorts of things, and has to sort out what's important. If something happens just once, it doesn't register. But twice, and the animal remembers." Parsons worked with Michael Davis, Robert W. Woodruff professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory's School of Medicine, who studies the molecular basis for fear memory. Even though a robust fear memory was not formed after the first priming event, at that point Parsons could already detect chemical changes in the amygdala, part of the brain critical for fear responses. Long-term memory formation could be blocked by infusing a drug into the amygdala. The drug inhibits protein kinase A, which is involved in the chemical changes Parsons observed. It is possible to train rats to become afraid of something like a sound or a smell after one event, Parsons says. However, rats are less sensitive to light compared with sounds or smells, and a relatively mild shock was used. Fear memories only formed when shocks were paired with light, instead of noise or nothing at all, for both the priming and the confirmation event. Parsons measured how afraid the rats were by gauging their "acoustic startle response" (how jittery they were in response to a loud noise) in the presence of the light, compared to before training began. Scientists have been able to study the chemical changes connected with the priming process extensively in neurons in culture dishes, but not as much in live animals. The process is referred to as "metaplasticity," or how the history of the brain's experiences affects its readiness to change and learn. "This could be a good model for dissecting the mechanisms involved in learning and memory," Parsons says. "We're going to be able to look at what's going on in that first priming event, as well as when the long-term memory is triggered." The research was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health Source: eScienceCommons
How rats are 'primed' to remember fear
Scientists at Emory's Yerkes National Primate Research Center have achieved some insight into how fleeting experiences become memories in the brain. Their experimental system could be a way to test or refine treatments aimed at enhancing learning and memory, or interfering with troubling memories. The results were published in the Journal of Neuroscience. The researchers set up a system where rats were exposed to a light followed by a mild shock. A single light-shock event isn't enough to make the rat afraid of the light, but a repeat of the pairing of the light and shock is, even a few days later. "I describe this effect as 'priming'," says the first author of the paper, postdoctoral fellow Ryan Parsons. "The animal experiences all sorts of things, and has to sort out what's important. If something happens just once, it doesn't register. But twice, and the animal remembers." Parsons worked with Michael Davis, Robert W. Woodruff professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory's School of Medicine, who studies the molecular basis for fear memory. Even though a robust fear memory was not formed after the first priming event, at that point Parsons could already detect chemical changes in the amygdala, part of the brain critical for fear responses. Long-term memory formation could be blocked by infusing a drug into the amygdala. The drug inhibits protein kinase A, which is involved in the chemical changes Parsons observed. It is possible to train rats to become afraid of something like a sound or a smell after one event, Parsons says. However, rats are less sensitive to light compared with sounds or smells, and a relatively mild shock was used. Fear memories only formed when shocks were paired with light, instead of noise or nothing at all, for both the priming and the confirmation event. Parsons measured how afraid the rats were by gauging their "acoustic startle response" (how jittery they were in response to a loud noise) in the presence of the light, compared to before training began. Scientists have been able to study the chemical changes connected with the priming process extensively in neurons in culture dishes, but not as much in live animals. The process is referred to as "metaplasticity," or how the history of the brain's experiences affects its readiness to change and learn. "This could be a good model for dissecting the mechanisms involved in learning and memory," Parsons says. "We're going to be able to look at what's going on in that first priming event, as well as when the long-term memory is triggered." The research was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health Source: eScienceCommons
Scientists Identify Difference Between Love And Lust In The Brain
Is it love or lust? A new study co-authored by Concordia University professor Jim Pfaus shows that in the human brain you can't have one without the other. "No one has ever put these two together to see the patterns of activation," said Pfaus, whose study showed an overlap in the areas of the brain that are stimulated by love and by sexual desire. The psychology professor explained that the brain can't divorce love from reward and desire. "It really grows out of it. And you need desire there to keep the love alive." Along with researchers in the U.S. and Switzerland, Pfaus looked at the results from 20 different studies that examined brain activity as subjects looked at exotic pictures and photos of their partners. Researchers found that in each case the photos activated areas of the striatum, which is located inside the forebrain. According to the study, the area of the striatum that's triggered by sexual desire is usually activated by things that are naturally pleasurable, such as food or sex, while the area triggered by love is conditioned by moments linked to rewards or pleasures. "When we have love at first sight, is there ever a time that we don't want to consummate that love by having sex? I don't think so," Pfaus told CTVNews.ca However, he noted that love and desire affect the brain in very different ways. "It's not like love is lust taken to the tenth degree," said Pfaus. He explained that feelings of love involve the bonding mechanism of oxytocin, known as the love hormone, and dopamine, which controls the brain's reward and pleasure centres. Pfaus said researchers were surprised to find that the area of the brain associated with love is also associated with addiction. "When your lover says I'm not going to see you anymore, you don't say, ‘I'll just find another.' You start acting like a drug addict. You search for that, you beg for it and you want it. It's as if your heart has been ripped out." Pfaus explained that love is actually a habit that is formed from sexual desire as that desire is rewarded. "It works the same way in the brain as when people become addicted to drugs," he said. He pointed to studies that show a deactivation in certain parts of the brain when someone falls out of love. Pfaus said the study sheds a new light on addiction and its impact on the human brain.Source: Article, Image
Pills To Make Your Sweat Smell Good
If you’ve ever eaten massive amounts of garlic the night before going on a run, you know that what you eat eventually turns into what you sweat. Which is the theory behind a new pill in development that would turn your own sweat into perfume.This sounds completely frightening to me, given that even the perfume you don’t ingest is full of chemicals that can disrupt your hormones and give you cancer, among other things. But the Dutch artist who’s working on the “Swallowable Parfum” thinks otherwise. Lucy McRae, the 31-year-old artist from the Netherlands, is developing her idea in tandem with Sheref Mansy, a synthetic researcher. She says she’s hoping to push the boundaries of how we think about cosmetics: My main aim is to.. provoke and make people think in a completely different way about how make-up can be [used] in the future. But George Preti, a scientist at the Monell Center which specializes in taste and smell, isn’t confident in their success: How much of what they do that will make it through the digestive process and [into] the blood remains to be seen. A lot of things will get taken apart in the acid in the stomach. The pill is still in development, so it’s unclear what will actually be used to alter your body’s smells and chemistry, but I think I’ll stick to eating a clean diet for neutral sweat and using non-toxic perfumes when I really want to smell amazing. Source: PropagandaElectric cars cause more pollution than petrol ones: Study
Though electric cars are heralded as an environment friendly solutionin major cities, a study says their pollution levels are worse than petrol-powered vehicles. A study on pollution in 34 Chinese cities found thatelectricity generated by power stations to drive electric vehicles leads to more fine particle emissions than petrol-powered cars. Researchers Chris Cherry and Shuguang Ji analysed the emissionsMercedes-Benz Makes a Luxury Limo Out of the Viano with Vision Diamond Study
Carscoop: While it's no replacement for the Maybach brand that's counting its last breaths, the new Mercedes-Benz Viano Vision Diamond concept that was presented at the Auto China 2012 in Beijing, shows that even a van can be turned into a chauffeured limo with the right amount of modifications. On the outside, a shimmering gold line painted by hand separates the two body colors of black and diamond white, while the special Viano also sports a black radiator grille with chromed louvers, bespoke alloys, a new front bumper and different headlamps. However, it's the Viano Vision Diamond's interior that makes the biggest impression. All windows of the passenger area including the rear window and the glass partition between the chauffeur and the passenger compartment are equipped with Merc's Magic Sky Control system (borrowed from the SLK and SL), which allows passengers to change the interior lighting conditions at a push of a button. While the chauffeur’s area is covered entirely in black leather, the passenger compartment is trimmed in porcelain white, from the carpet and the seats to the safety belts and the ceiling. The two rear passengers enjoy top-of-the-line seating accommodations fitted with heating, cooling, and massage features as well as calf benches and footrests. Between the two individual seats are the cup and champagne glass holders for the model’s silver Champagne flutes, which appear at the push of a button. More cooled bottle holders can be found on the side. Additional equipment features include the Bang & Olufsen “BeoLiving Viano” high-end sound system and a 40-inch screen. Source: CarscoopScientists say diamonds could be the secret to mind-bogglingly fast 'quantum computer'
A turbo-charged computer that could change the world forever is a major step closer after scientists worked out how to store memory using quantum physics. Two separate teams of researchers have figured out that quantum information - called quibits - can be stored using either diamond crystals or pure silicone. Scientists are trying to build a quantum computer that could complete in mere minutes the complex calculations that would take the best supercomputers years. Quantum computers would harness a mysterious property of sub-atomic particles that allows them to exist in two different places at once when trapped. Read More WHAT IS A QUANTUM COMPUTER? A quantum computer would use quibits which, based on theories of quantum physics, would be able to exist in more than one state at once - a zero, one and all values in between. A quantum computer would therefore be able to perform calculations in parallel, arriving at the result much, much faster than regular computers. However, working out how to store and manipulate quibits has been a major stumbling block in efforts to develop a quantum computer. The problem is that in order for a quibit to exist, it must be isolated from its surroundings to stop it being destroyed in a process called decoherence. But in order to use a quibit to make calculations, it must be able to interact with other information.One solution that scientists have been exploring is to store the information in an isolated quibit, before transferring it to a more accessible qubit where it can be quickly processed, then returning it back to isolation.A Source: The Coming Crisis Top 10 facts about non-verbal communication
Non-verbal communication has a huge impact on a child's social well-being, yet development of this skill is often overlooked, says Emory psychologist Steve Nowicki. Photo credits, above and below: iStockphoto.com.
By Carol Clark: What you don’t say during a face-to-face encounter can deliver a stronger message than words. “Non-verbal communication is at least as important, if not more important, than the verbal part of relationships,” says Emory psychologist Steve Nowicki, a leading expert in the nuances of body language. “When you break a non-verbal rule of language, it almost always has a negative emotional
impact.”And yet, the elaborate codes of facial expressions, postures and gestures that form the basis of non-verbal communication are learned informally and indirectly, primarily from our parents, he says. He cites his own experience of having a reserved, Polish father and a boisterous Italian mother. “At times, the only sign that my father was upset was the way he would raise one eyebrow by a certain degree,” Nowicki recalls. “My mother, on the other hand, never met an emotion that she didn’t express immediately and vividly.” Between the pair of them, Nowicki learned to interpret and use the gamut of non-verbal signals. “But imagine what a boy who was raised by two parents like my mother would be like when he got to school,” Nowicki says. If a teacher delivered a command in a soft, even tone characteristic of preschool instructors, the child would be likely to miss the teacher’s message entirely and perhaps get labeled as “oppositional.” For more than two decades, in association with Emory psychologist Marshall Duke, Nowicki has produced a groundbreaking body of work in how non-verbal communication impacts a child’s development. They developed the Diagnostic Analysis of Non-verbal Accuracy (DANVA) a set of tests to access subtle cues to emotional expressions, including visual signals and tone and cadence of
voice. The test is in use by researchers around the world.“Research has shown that most people overestimate their non-verbal communication skills,” Nowicki says.In the following Q&A, he answers 10 questions based on research by himself and others. (1) Is non-verbal communication skill associated with personal and social adjustment? Yes, DANVA errors in children can help predict future personal and social difficulties, including anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, lower self-esteem and being the victim of bullies.(2) Can the ability to read non-verbal emotions be improved? Yes, direct teaching of children, including those with high-functioning autism, can lead to significant improvement in their DANVA scores. (3) Are there any drawbacks to being extremely good at reading others? Yes. You have to be careful if you are especially adept at sensing the non-verbal signals of others, because you may pick up emotional signals that they are unaware of sending and would rather hide. For instance, when you tell someone that they look a little tired and sad, they might take offense, even if it’s true. (4) Is non-verbal communication skill tied to cognitive ability? No, except when the IQ is below 70. For those with average IQs and above, there does not appear to be a 
correlation between non-verbal communication skills and intelligence. (5) Is the ability to interpret non-verbal cues correlated to the ability to express them? No, not much. Even if you’re good at reading people’s non-verbal cues, it doesn’t mean that you’re not sending out faulty messages yourself. They appear to be two different skills. (6) Is non-verbal communication interpreted the same way across cultures? No, culture has a significant impact. Studies have shown, for instance, that African-Americans can read white faces as well as they can read African-American faces. White people, however, do not read African-American faces as well, and when they misinterpret their facial expressions, they tend to read them as angry. You can imagine the potential kinds of problems this might cause. (7) Do children acquire the ability to read the emotions of facial expressions in a particular order? Yes, studies show that children tend to learn to read a happy expression first, followed by sad, angry and then fearful expressions. (8) Does older age affect non-verbal communication skill? Yes. As we become elderly, our ability to read emotions can erode, and it seems we lose skill in emotions in the opposite order that we acquired them as children. Happy is the last one to go. Between the ages of 45 and 55, we begin to lose the ability to pick up emotions in voices, and by ages 55 to 65 loss in the ability to read faces follows. However, what remains the same at any age is that better skill compared to peers is correlated with better personal and social adjustment. (9) What is the effect of a neutral expression? There is no such thing as a neutral face, because a neutral face is usually interpreted negatively. About one-third of people have an off-putting “resting face” and they don’t realize it. Their faces, when they are thinking about nothing in particular and feeling no emotion, are actually communicating something negative. As we age, this tendency grows. It is estimated that more than half of people above the age of 65 have a negative resting face. (10) Do nonverbal communication skills correlate to attitudes toward robots? Yes. Believe it or not, a study showed that people who are not good at reading the emotional cues in human body postures tend to dislike robots. Source: eScienceCommons
Thresher Shark Airborne: researcher takes remarkable pix of shark leaping
RTSea: With an elongated upper lobe of its caudal fin, the thresher shark is one of the most striking of all sharks. I guess that descriptor could be taken figuratively and literally as it has been shown that the thresher shark uses its tail to swat and stun its prey. Making the media rounds right now is a remarkable series of still photographs taken by marine researcher Scott Sheehan of a thresher shark leaping from the water in Jervis Bay, Australia. Possibly feeding on yellowtail baitfish, the shark leaped from the water and was first thought to be a dolphin. Sheehan readied his camera for a possible second leap and the shark did not disappoint, allowing the researcher to take a rapid series of shots. It is perhaps unusual behavior - or at least a rare occurrence - for a thresher shark to go airborne, but mako sharks have been seen taking large leaps and then, of course, there are the powerful images of great white sharks breaching as they
ambush seals from underneath. If you look at the complete series of photos, you can see the thresher sharks long tail curled - most likely snapping from side-to-side as it first breaks the surface; part of its powerful propelling motion as it moved through the bait fish. I have reported on thresher sharks before: about video taken showing one using its tail to hunt, highlighting ongoing behavioral research, and citing organizations working to help preserve this shark - listed as "vulnerable to extinction" by the IUCN. As Sheehan's images show, the thresher shark is a magnificent shark to behold whether in the water or in the air. It is also another important predator and member of a healthy marine community. Not a threat to man, it deserves our respect and protection.Source: RTSea
Animals first moved from sea to land using a crutch-like movement
Animals first moved from sea to land using a crutch-like movement, where the front limbs hoisted the rest of the body. Rotating limbs and spines first evolved in sea dwellers for swimming. Later these limbs and spines were used by some animals to move on land. The transition from swimming to walking involved some awkward first steps, according to a new study that recreated how one of the first animals, which left the sea for land, moved. The study found that that the fishy four-limbed animal Ichthyostega used its front limbs like crutches, pushing its body up and forward onto land while its legs and tail trailed behind. It lived in water near the shoreline when not on land. This was one small step for sea creatures but one big step for animal kind, because those early movements on land around 374-359 million years ago likely later evolved into walking, including human locomotion. "Ichthyostega's muscular and mobile elbows would have also assisted in station holding while in the water and in lifting its head out of the water to breathe and process food," Stephanie Pierce of the Royal Veterinary College's Structure and Motion Laboratory said. "Ichthyostega probably used its paddle-like legs and tail to swim while in the water," she added. "The hind legs probably were not of much use on land, especially compared to the forelimbs." Pierce and her colleagues Jennifer Clack and John Hutchinson reconstructed the first ever 3-D computer model of the tetrapod's skeleton. Ichthyostega, in addition to having big muscles, possessed huge fang-like teeth and probably ambushed its prey. The model, which put together the fossils like a jigsaw puzzle in animation software, revealed that most books and museum displays showing Ichthyostega are incorrect. They usually represent this beast marching around like a large salamander with stocky legs. Instead, the reconstruction determined that the shoulder and hip joint of this species prevented a conventional walking step, since its limbs were incapable of rotating along its long-axis. This motion is critical to locomotion for us and other modern land animals. Earlier fish relatives of Ichthyostega and other tetrapods, called tetrapodomorphs, had the ability to rotate their fins. This allowed later animals to move well on land. A separate study, looked at a 345-million-year-old eel called Tarrasius problematicus. Lauren Sallan of the University of Chicago discovered that this eel had a spine with multiple segments, similar to that of today's land-dwelling animals. Together, the two new studies offer strong evidence that some of the basic anatomical features needed for land life first evolved in sea dwellers. These features initially were used to improve swimming, but were later applied to moving around on land. It remains a mystery as to why some marine species left the water for land in the first place, but Pierce thinks the food and other offerings were likely too good to pass up. Since these animals were possibly the first to even go on to land, the competition for the food -- at least from other bony species -- would have essentially been non-existent. Pierce and her team next plan to study the mobility of the spine of Ichthyostega. This may better determine how the not-so-smooth early locomotion on land evolved into walking and running. Source: Bisarbeat
The History of Different Regions on Lutetia's Surface
As ESA's Rosetta spacecraft flew past the main-belt asteroid (21) Lutetia, the OSIRIS camera on Rosetta surveyed the part of Lutetia that was visible during this period – about half of its entire surface, mostly coinciding with the asteroid's northern hemisphere. The asteroid's North Pole is indicated with a black dot. The unique, close-up images obtained by OSIRIS have allowed scientists to identify regions characterized by very distinct geological properties with an accuracy of a few hundred meters. By tracing craters and other features on Lutetia's surface, scientists have put together a geological map for the asteroid.Japanese scientists electrify food
Japanese scientists have made an interesting experiment in which they used electricity to change the taste of food. Volunteers were offered to drink lemonade from a cup with an electric wire going through the straw. The participants of the experiment say that the lemonade taste turned from sweet to salty. Tags: News, World, food, Japan, scientific researches, Sci-Tech, ЧОÑаÑÑ ÐŽÐ°Ð»ÐµÐµ, Source: Voice of Russia.Are hugs the new drugs?
Research is showing that compassion meditation -- focused, warm thoughts about yourself and others -- may have positive effects on both your mental and physical well-being. Credit: iStockphoto.com
eScienceCommons: By Carol Clark : Basic empathy is a biological given. “If you talk with a sad person, you are going to adopt a sad posture, and if you talk to a happy person, by the end you will probably be laughing,” said Emory primatologist Frans de Waal. He explained that evolution has programmed us to mirror both the physical and emotional states of others. De Waal gave the opening remarks at a conference bringing together the Dalai Lama and scientists studying effects of compassion meditation on the brain, physical health and behavior. “Empathy is biased – it’s stronger for those that are close to you than those that are distant,” De Waal said. “Nature has built in rewards for the things that we need to do,
and being pro-social is something that we need when we live in groups.” In order to get from empathy to compassion and altruism, you need to identify others as distinct from you. While it used to be assumed that altruistic tendencies were only possible in humans, de Waal said that targeted helping of others has recently been observed among apes and elephants. Photo by Frans de Waal shows a young chimpanzee consoling an adult male that just lost a fight. Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist from the University of Wisconsin, recalled when he first began studying the effects of compassion meditation in 1992. He traveled to a Tibetan Buddhist monastery and attached electrodes to the head of an expert practitioner. The other monks began laughing. “I thought it was because he looked so funny with the electrodes,” Davidson said. But it turned out the monks were amused that he was trying to study the effects of compassion by attaching electrodes to the practitioner’s head, rather than to his heart. Years later, Davidson is finding that the monks’ view may be on target. New research shows that the heart rates of expert practitioners beat more quickly while they are meditating than the hearts of novices. “We believe
that compassion meditation is facilitating communication between the heart and the mind,” Davidson said. Psychologist Barbara Fredrickson at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill cited her research into the effects of “love and kindness meditation,” or LKM, on the vagus nerve. The nerve, which extends from the brain stem to the heart, helps regulate emotions and bodily systems. The effectiveness of the vagus nerve is measured by its tone, or fitness. The higher the vagal tone, the better the vagus nerve performs as a regulatory pathway. “With just six weeks of LKM training in novices, we see improvements in resting vagal tone,” Fredrickson said. “Just like physical exercise improves muscle tone, emotion training improves vagal tone.” High vagal tone is related to both a person’s physical health and their ability to feel loving connections with others, Fredrickson said. “In a way, our bodies are designed for love, because the more we love, the more healthy we become.” Emory researchers Charles Raison and Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi described their ongoing research into the effects of compassion meditation and depression. Negi developed a secular form of meditation for the research, based on the Tibetan Buddhist practice called “lojong.” Lojong uses an analytical approach to challenge a person’s thoughts
and emotions toward other people, with the long-term goal of developing altruistic behavior. The pair collaborated on a 2005 study that showed that college students who regularly practice compassion meditation had a significant reduction in stress and physical responses to stress. They recently launched the Compassion and Attention Longitudinal Meditation Study (CALM), to explore the physical effects of different forms of meditation. “We’re trying to zero in on what is it about meditation that is useful for people’s health,” Raison said. Emory researchers are also getting positive preliminary results in compassion meditation studies involving schoolchildren ages six to eight and adolescents in the foster care system. “This seems like the dawning of a new day,” the Dalai Lama said. “We’ve heard about the benefits, and now we need to act to cultivate compassion from kindergarten to universities.” Source: eScienceCommons
that compassion meditation is facilitating communication between the heart and the mind,” Davidson said. Psychologist Barbara Fredrickson at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill cited her research into the effects of “love and kindness meditation,” or LKM, on the vagus nerve. The nerve, which extends from the brain stem to the heart, helps regulate emotions and bodily systems. The effectiveness of the vagus nerve is measured by its tone, or fitness. The higher the vagal tone, the better the vagus nerve performs as a regulatory pathway. “With just six weeks of LKM training in novices, we see improvements in resting vagal tone,” Fredrickson said. “Just like physical exercise improves muscle tone, emotion training improves vagal tone.” High vagal tone is related to both a person’s physical health and their ability to feel loving connections with others, Fredrickson said. “In a way, our bodies are designed for love, because the more we love, the more healthy we become.” Emory researchers Charles Raison and Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi described their ongoing research into the effects of compassion meditation and depression. Negi developed a secular form of meditation for the research, based on the Tibetan Buddhist practice called “lojong.” Lojong uses an analytical approach to challenge a person’s thoughts
and emotions toward other people, with the long-term goal of developing altruistic behavior. The pair collaborated on a 2005 study that showed that college students who regularly practice compassion meditation had a significant reduction in stress and physical responses to stress. They recently launched the Compassion and Attention Longitudinal Meditation Study (CALM), to explore the physical effects of different forms of meditation. “We’re trying to zero in on what is it about meditation that is useful for people’s health,” Raison said. Emory researchers are also getting positive preliminary results in compassion meditation studies involving schoolchildren ages six to eight and adolescents in the foster care system. “This seems like the dawning of a new day,” the Dalai Lama said. “We’ve heard about the benefits, and now we need to act to cultivate compassion from kindergarten to universities.” Source: eScienceCommons
Primatologist says humans may be nice by nature
Hugs, and our capacity for empathy, go way back in our evolutionary history, says primatologist Frans de Waal.
eScienceCommons: In the decades following the devastation of World War II, the idea that humans are naturally “killer apes,” with a stronger tendency toward aggression than pacifism, gained credence and became a dominant theme in behavioral research. “Although it is far from my intention to depict us as angels of peace, this literature is now recognized as one-sided,” writes Emory primatologist Frans de Waal in the journal Science. His article, “The Antiquity of Empathy,” is part of a special issue on human conflict.
Treatment of HIV aids possible now, engineered stem cells kill HIV
UCLA researchers say they've shown that genetically engineered stem cellscan attack HIV-infected cells in a living organism. The 'warrior' cells have been shown to seek out and destroy HIV in mice. "We believe that this study lays the groundwork for the potential use of this type of an approach in combating HIV infection in infected individuals, in hopes of eradicating the virus from the body," says UCLA assistant professor of medicine Scott Kitchen.The scientists had already identified the molecule known as the T cell receptor - which guides the T cell in recognizing and killing HIV-infected cells - cloned it and used it to genetically engineer human blood stem cells. When these cells were placed in human thymus tissue that had been implanted in mice, they blossomed into a large population that could specifically target cells containing HIV
China to create alternative to human breast milk
The Ultimate Update: Beijing, April 15 China will soon create dairy products from milk produced bygenetically modified cattle and containing most of the nutrients as in human breast milk. The ministry of agriculture has given the go-ahead to test the "human-like" milk, which will be available in the Chinese market in two years, said Li Ning, a researcher at the State Key Laboratories for Agro-biotechnology at China Agricultural University. The milk, which cows produced after researchers tweaked their genetic codes, is rich in lactalbumin, lactoferrin, and lysozume - proteins that are found in human breast milk, according to Xinhua. "Such proteins can be easily absorbed by the human body and can boost the immune system, which is why breastfeeding is always better than using bovine milk and infant formula," said Li. Though not yet a perfect substitute for breast milk, as it lacks some antibodies and a protein that helps boost babies' intelligence, the milk had a potential for great marketing. "The milk pumped out by our cattle will be a cheap source for such rare proteins, which are precious components hailed by the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries," said Li. Though genetic engineering has been a rising technology, studied by pharmaceutical and biological industries and widely used to mass-producevaccines and drugs like insulin, food production is yet to gain international recognition. Similar concerns are present in the Chinese market, as consumers complain about lack of available information about the potential hazards of such food. "I think the scientists are doing a good thing (by developing genetically-modified milk) as it may help mothers who are unable to breast feed, but I, myself, won't drink such milk just because it contains more nutrients," said a consumer named Tan. Li Ning said they have highlighted the safety issue in their work, and that no research has yet indicated that such food was detrimental to human health. The modified milk has reportedly passed the safety test of the Chinese Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, which said the milk "proved more Source: The Ultimate Update
Physically active kids do well in studies
Hindustan Times: Leading a physically active lifestyle may improve academic performance in children, a new study involving an Indian origin scientist suggests. Amika Singh, Ph.D., of the Vrije Universiteit University Medical Center, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and colleagues reviewed evidence about the relationship between physical activity and academic performance because of concerns that pressure to improve test scores may often mean more instructional time for classroom subjects with less time for physical activity. The researchers identified 10 observational and four interventional studies for review. Twelve of the studies were conducted in the United States, plus one in Canada and one in South Africa. Sample sizes ranged from 53 to about 12,000 participants between the ages of 6 years and 18 years. Follow-up varied from eight weeks to more than five years. “According to the best-evidence synthesis, we found strong evidence of a significant positive relationship between physical activity and academic performance,” the researchers said. “The findings of one high-quality intervention study and one high-quality observational study suggest that being more physically active is positively related to improved academic performance in children,” they stated. They suggest that exercise may help cognition by increasing blood and oxygen flow to the brain, increasing levels of norepinephrine and endorphins to decrease stress and improve mood, and increasing growth factors that help create new nerve cells and support synaptic plasticity. “More high-quality studies are needed on the dose-response relationship between physical activity and academic performance and on the explanatory mechanisms, using reliable and valid measurement instruments to assess this relationship accurately,” they concluded. The study was reported in the January issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.Source: Hindustan Times, Image
Artificial intestines come closer to reality
A new artificial intestine developed in a laboratory using collagen and stem cells, is expected to soon help treat people suffering from acute bowel disorders. A team of researchers has created a tiny artificial intestine in the lab and they aim at scaling the tube up within three years so that it can be tested in humanHawaiian Reef Sharks: possible competition for food causing massive decline
RTSea: For reef sharks, commercial shark fishing isn't the only thing that threatens their survival. In reef communities near populated islands, an additional threat comes from the taking of fish by local fishermen - fish that often constitute a major portion of the sharks' diets. When local and/or commercial fishermen compete for the same food source as reef shark species, it can be a crippling blow to the shark population. A recent study by Hawaii's Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research showed a drastic reduction in reef shark populations around populated islands in Hawaii as opposed to more uninhabited islands or pristine reefs. "We found 90-97 percent decline in reef shark abundance: white tip, grey, galapagos and nurse sharks," said Marc Nadon, a researcher with the Institute. The researchers have not been able to determine a more specific cause but look to accidental bycatch (sharks are now more protected, at least from legal commercial shark fishing, due to recent legislation) and overall fishing pressure as contributing factors. "70 percent of reef shark diet is reef fish, so if you remove the food source it would be logical that reef shark would follow the same trend and decline," said Nadon. While the researchers will be doing more studies this fall, their research's concern with competition for food has support based on what has been observed in other island nations. Both Samoa and the Marianas have seen major declines in reef shark populations around populated islands compared to other unspoiled reefs. Source: RTSeaGerman scientists explore the nature of hunger
German scientists have released the results of research under which hunger sends certain signals to the human body. According to their findings, a yearning for a hamburger or a steak indicates a lack of iron which can be compensated for by eating peas or spinach.
German scientists have released the results of research under which hunger sends certain signals to the human body. According to their findings, a yearning for a hamburger or a steak indicates a lack of iron which can be compensated for by eating peas or spinach. If you are dying for chocolate you need sugar, and there is plenty of sugar in dry fruits. Finally, lovers of salty chips and crackers are advised to drink some salty water or eat half a tin of olives in order to increase their sodium intake. Source: Voice of Russia.
What is your dog thinking? Brain scans unleash canine secrets
eScienceCommons, By Carol Clark: When your dog gazes up at you adoringly, what does it see? A best friend? A pack leader? A can opener? Many dog lovers make all kinds of inferences about how their pets feel about them, but no one has captured images of actual canine thought processes – until now. Emory University researchers have developed a new methodology to scan the brains of alert dogs and explore the minds of the oldest domesticated species. The technique uses harmless functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), the same tool that is unlocking secrets of the human brain.The Public Library of Science (PLoS ONE) is publishing on May 11 the results of their first experiment, showing how the brains of dogs reacted to hand signals given by their owners. “It was amazing to see the first brain images of a fully awake, unrestrained dog,” says Gregory Berns, director of the Emory Center for Neuropolicy and lead researcher of the dog project. “As far as we know, no one has been able to do this previously. We hope this opens up a whole new door for understanding canine cognition and inter-species” communication. We want to understand the dog-human relationship, from the dog’s perspective.Key members of the research team include Andrew Brooks, a graduate student at the Center for Neuropolicy, and Mark Spivak, a professional dog trainer and owner of Comprehensive Pet Therapy in Atlanta. Two dogs are involved in the first phase of the project. Callie is a two-year-old Feist, or southern squirrel-hunting dog. Berns adopted her at nine months from a shelter. McKenzie is a three-year-old Border Collie, who was already well-trained in agility competition by her owner, Melissa Cate. Both dogs were trained over several months to walk into an fMRI scanner and hold completely still while researchers measured their neural activity. The researchers aim to decode the mental processes of dogs by recording which areas of their brains are activated by various stimuli. Ultimately, they hope to get at questions like: Do dogs have empathy? Do they know when their owners are happy or sad? How much language do they
Callie, a two-year old Feist, is one of two dogs involved in the initial phase of the project. Photo by Carol Clark.
really understand? In the first experiment, the dogs were trained to respond to hand signals. One signal meant the dog would receive a hot dog treat, and another signal meant it would not receive one. The caudate region of the brain, associated with rewards in humans, showed activation in both dogs when they saw the signal for the treat, but not for the no-treat signal. “These results indicate that dogs pay very close attention to human signals,” Berns says. “And these signals may have a direct line to the dog’s reward system.” Berns is a neuroeconomist, who normally uses fMRI technology to study how the human mind works. His human brain-imaging studies have looked at everything from why teens engage in risky
Callie training in a scanner mock-up.
behavior to how adults decide to follow, or break, established rules of society. Dog lovers may not need convincing on the merits of researching the minds of our canine companions. “To the skeptics out there, and the cat people, I would say that dogs are the first domesticated species, going back at least 10,000 years, and by some estimates 30,000 years,” Berns says. “The dog’s brain represents something special about how humans and animals came together. It’s possible that dogs have even affected human evolution. People who took dogs into their homes and villages may have had certain advantages. As much as we made dogs, I think dogs probably made some part of us, too.” The idea for the dog project came to Berns about a year ago, when he learned that a U.S. Navy dog had been a member of the SEAL team that killed Osama bin Laden. “I was amazed when I saw the pictures of what military dogs can do,” Berns says. “I realized that if dogs can be trained to jump out of helicopters and airplanes, we could certainly train them to go into an fMRI to see what they’re thinking.” All procedures for the dog project were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Emory. “From the outset, we wanted to ensure the safety and comfort of the dogs,” Berns says. “We wanted them to be unrestrained and go into the scanner willingly.” The dogs were trained to wear earmuffs, to protect them from the noise of the scanner. They were also taught to hold their heads perfectly still on a chin rest during the scanning process, to prevent blurring of the images. “We know the dogs are happy by their body language,” says Mark Spivak, the professional trainer involved in the project. Callie, in particular, seems to revel in the attention of breaking new ground in science.“She enters the scanner on her own, without a command, sometimes when it’s not her turn,” Spivak says. “She’s eager to participate.” Source; eScienceCommons
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