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A Willingness to Donate? It May Be in Your DNA
Nov 22nd
Okay, I’ve come to terms with the fact that Christmas is coming soon. It seems to have snuck up fast (although I’m beginning to think that it does that every year.) Once November started, Santa set up shop taking pictures in the middle of the mall. This is the time of giving gifts and receiving gifts. It’s the time of rushing to the store, and trying to beat closing time to get the last minute gifts (after finally figuring out what to buy to begin with). It’s the time of wonderfully smelling houses with more food cooking than what could More >
Alzheimer’s and Amyloids
Nov 15th
The word “factor” is often seen used in manuscripts of molecular biology and biochemistry as a fancy way of saying unknown. Before the inner workings of complex genetic of molecular pathways are understood, there are often clues that suggest the presence and operation of certain unknown and unnamed components which might be labeled factor for lack of a better term (e.g. transcription factor, or translation initiation factor). Later these factors may become well described; sometimes the term factor is dropped or in some cases, especially where it was applied to a single instance of what is a large family of More >
Taste Receptors in Lungs
Nov 11th
There are bitter taste receptors lining the smooth muscle that surrounds airway passages that lead to the lungs. These are the same receptors found on the tongue. It is well known that the ability to taste bitter has evolutionary benefits. For example, bitter tasting toxins can be detected in foods, and thereby avoided or at least regulated; meaning you won’t eat too much of something that tastes really bad!
Interestingly enough, inhalable toxins can be detected in airways, just like they would be on the tongue. The airway response to detection is what’s most interesting. One school of thought is that More >
The Mystery of Autism
Nov 2nd
Calling Autism a disorder is a bit misleading. The term “Autism” is really a category for a spectrum of disorders including Autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative disorder, Rett syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental disorder. Those afflicted with these disorders often share difficulties in communication and social interactions. Some cannot speak or maintain eye contact. Some have repetitive routines and an obsessive attention to certain details. In the United States, an estimated 1 in 110 children has an autism spectrum disorder and for the past several years, it’s been on the minds of many researchers around the world.
For the past several More >
Babies, Robots, and Cognition
Oct 19th
Surely one of the most amazing transformations in nature is the gradual transitioning of a helpless, demanding, and totally-dependent baby into a thoughtful and intelligent adult who can use language, produce art, and create society. The transition is slow, and reversions are known to occur, but for all our knowledge, the manner in which the brain organizes itself to great accomplishment is still mystery. However, much can be learned from studies of the type recently published by Andrew Meltzoff, co-director of the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, and Rajesh Rao.
Understanding infant development is a crucial component More >
The Halloween Chocolate Post
Oct 4th
Okay, it’s October, I’ve held off long enough. For the past several months, the stores have had Halloween costumes and candy ready for the picking (right next to the last of the Back-To-School inventory that was on display since last June). This has been despite the fact that we were still hitting 80 degrees outside- and it was still September. But it’s now October, and officially Fall, so I guess that Halloween can now be considered. It has been long since I’ve dressed up for Halloween but it has not been long since I’ve partaken in the annual Halloween candy More >
Olive Oil and Nutrigenomics
Sep 28th
The effect of foods on gene expression is a fairly new area of science termed nutrigenomics. Many people are highly interested in how they may protect or prevent disease or conditions by applying diets appropriate to ones genetic make-up. Although early in its stages nutrigenomics has identified some very interesting findings. One interesting find was a clinical trial linking olive oils to the anti-inflammatory response
Extra virgin olive oil has been shown to reduce the expression of 98 genes involved in the inflammatory response by researchers from the University of Cordoba (Camargo A et al. 2010). Polyphenols are the primary beneficial More >
Fine Food or Freak Fish?
Sep 27th
Science experiments are not usually meant to be eaten; even water and gum are strictly banned from laboratories. But as scientists continue to perfect techniques for genetic manipulation, the products of their experiments are increasingly making appearances in super markets and on dinner tables.
While the genetic modification of plants for human consumption is common in the United States (think corn and soybeans), genetically modified (GM) animals have yet to be approved. But now, a Massachusetts-based company, AquaBounty, is petitioning the FDA to sell genetically modified Atlantic Salmon to consumers.
Thanks to some genetic mix and match, the salmon, dubbed AquAdvantage, reach More >
Cell phone conversations confirmed as annoying/distracting
Sep 24th
Most everyone has had the pleasure of being stuck in close quarters with a person who feels compelled to speak as loudly as possible into their cell phone. Annoying cell phone conversations are such a popular pet-peeve that it’s not uncommon to have “quiet cars” on trains, or signs banning cell phones in certain public locations. It’s quite likely that you have been on a train or bus where two people were talking to each other, and yet you didn’t have the same reaction you had to a person chatting into his phone. Excepting libraries, people chatting with each other More >
Eugenics Word of the Day: Miscegenation
Sep 24th
Recent news has again brought eugenics into present day politics. The GOP has decided not to endorse the candidacy in New York of Jim Russell for congress due his views published in a paper about 10 years ago. All funding, volunteers, and any other resources are being withdrawn. Russell’s comments about interracial marriage are drawing the most attention:
“In the midst of this onslaught against our youth, parents need to be reminded that they have a natural obligation, as essential as providing food and shelter, to instill in their children an acceptance of appropriate ethnic boundaries for socialization and for marriage.”
Almost More >
