Science -- Tatar et al. 299 (5611): 1346: "Pituitary Endocrine Deficiency in Mammals Of the half-dozen genetic models that retard murine aging, four involve deficiency of pituitary endocrine action. The mutations Prop1df (42) and Pit1dw impede pituitary production of growth hormone (GH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and prolactin; reduce growth rate and adult body size; and increase adult life-span by 40 to 60% (43, 44). Small adults with similar improvement in longevity are also produced by a knockout of growth hormone receptor (GHR-KO) (45). Expressed throughout life, these mutations produce many secondary alterations in endocrine systems. Without GH, the synthesis of circulating IGF-1 is suppressed, as is plasma insulin as a result of enhanced sensitivity in the liver combined with altered pancreatic islet development (46). Thyroid function is reduced in Prop1df and Pit1dw mutants deficient for TSH (45); GHR-KO mice are mildly hypothyroid, presumably as a result of impaired development (47). The challenge is to identify which of these hormones regulate aging and at which stage of life.
In invertebrates, reduced insulin/IGF signaling increases longevity, but it remains unclear whether or how reduction in GH and IGF-1 directly affects aging in rodents (Fig. 1C). In addition to its impact on IGF-1, GH influences somatic metabolism--for instance, by inducing adipocyte lipolysis. IGF-1 itself may affect aging in both beneficial and detrimental ways. In rodents as in humans, levels of GH and IGF-1 decline with adult age. Short-term GH supplementation in aged adults restores some aspects of body composition and cognition (48, 49). Thus, the withdrawal of GH and IGF-1 has been suggested to be a cause of senescence rather than a condition that retards aging. On the other hand, because it stimulates metabolism and cell growth, GH may hasten tissue pathology. Indeed, chronic treatment of GH-deficient dwarf rats with GH increased tumor incidence in response to a carcinogen (50). High IGF-1 titers in young wild-type animals may produce a trade-off between current benefits to reproduction and later costs in senescence (51).
Powerful evidence for the direct role of IGF-1 signaling in the control of mammalian aging was provided by mice mutant for the IFG-1 receptor Igf1r (52): Igf1r+/ females, but not males, live 33% longer than wild-type controls. These mutants exhibit minimal reduction in growth with no alterations in the age of sexual maturation, fertility, metabolism, food intake, or temperature. Life extension is associated with increased tolerance of oxidative stress and reduced phosphorylation of Shc, a gene previously implicated in the control of longevity and stress resistance in mice (53). Mouse longevity is also increased 18% by fat-specific disruption of the insulin receptor gene (54). These mice have normal caloric intake yet retain leanness and glucose tolerance with age. Multiple intriguing changes in adipocytes underlie these effects, including elevated plasma leptin relative to adipose tissue mass, reduced lipolysis, and polarization of adipocytes into populations with altered expression of fatty acid synthase (55). Thus, insulin at adipose tissue may affect aging through impacts on neural-targeted hormones as well as through regulation of intermediary metabolism."
Science, Vol 299, Issue 5611, 1346-1351 , 28 February 2003
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Monday, January 10, 2005
Sir2: scrambling for answers: researchers have yet to solidify links for the proposed longevity lynchpin.
The Scientist, Dec 6, 2004 v18 i23 p20(2)
(Research) Maria W. Anderson.
Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2004 Scientist Inc.
Low-calorie diets extend lifespan in almost every model tested, but scientists can't yet agree on what controls this phenomenon. biologist Leonard Guarente at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, contend that Sir2 is dependent on nicotinamide adenine di-nucleotide (NAD) and that CR activates Sir2 by reducing glucose metabolism, which increases the ratio of NAD to its reduced version, NADH. (2) Others, such as Harvard Medical School pathologist David Sinclair, hold that nicotinamide, not NAD, is the control switch for Sir2, and that the deaminase PncI converts nicotinamide to nicotinic acid, which in turn increases Sir2 activity.
"I think it's a push and a pull system," explains Sinclair. Work by Guarente and Shin-Ichiro Imai, a molecular biologist at Washington University, St. Louis, showed that increases in NAD activate yeast Sirz in vivo, while Sinclair's studies indicated that removing nicotinamide, a Sir2 inhibitor, can pull the reaction forward. "So we've got them pushing and us pulling, and [these mechanisms] probably work in concert with each other," says Sinclair.
In September, a group of researchers from Stan Fields' lab at the University of Washington (UW), Seattle, published a paper offering evidence that CR may work through a pathway not involving Sir2. In yeast lacking Sir2, CR did not extend lifespan
Matt Piper, a biologist at University College London, says he sees a role for Sir2 in lifespan extension by CR but notes that an organism's diet influences its physiology in multiple ways that might affect its lifespan. "Because diet is so complex, you have many different signaling pathways in the organism determining many different physiological processes, which result in lifespan extension or shortening," says Piper. "To put it all down to one gene in one pathway is a very big call." He explains that both the insulin-signaling pathway, which responds to sugar, and the TOR-signaling pathway, which is affected by dietary protein, probably play a role in CR-mediated longevity. Having at least two different signaling pathways for lifespan extension in flies and worms, Piper adds, "would suggest that there's probably a number of different feed-ins to get lifespan extension."
References
(1.) L.P. Guarente, "Forestalling the great beyond with the help of SIR2," The Scientist, 18:34-5, April 26, 2004.
(2.) S.J. Lin et al., "Calorie restriction extends yeast life span by lowering the level of NADH," Genes Dev, 18:12-6, 2004.
(3.) R.M. Anderson et al., "Nicotinamide and PNCl govern lifespan extension by calorie restriction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae," Nature, 423:181-5,2003.
(4.) M. Kaeberlein et al., "Sir2-independent life span extension by calorie restriction in yeast," PLoS Biology, 2:1381-87, September 2004.
(5.) H. Tissenbaum, L. Guarente, "Increased dosage of a sir-2 gene extends lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans," Nature, 410:227-30, 200l.
(6.) K. Houthoofd et al., "Life extension via dietary restriction is independent of the Ins/IGF-1 signaling pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans," Exp Gemntol, 38:947-54, 2003.
(7.) B. Lakowski, S. Hekimi, "The genetics of caloric restriction in Caenorhabditis elegans," Proc Nat/Acad Sci, 95:13091-6, 1998.
(8.) B. Rogina, S.L. Helfand, "Sir2 mediates longevity in the fly through a pathway related to calorie restriction," Proc Natl Acad Sci, 101:15998-16003, Nov. 9, 2004.
(9.) D. Secko, "'Longevity' gene, diet linked," The Scientist Daily News, June 18, 2004, available online at www.biomedcentral.com/news/2005540618/01.
Maria W. Anderson (manderson@the-scientist.com)
(Research) Maria W. Anderson.
Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2004 Scientist Inc.
Low-calorie diets extend lifespan in almost every model tested, but scientists can't yet agree on what controls this phenomenon. biologist Leonard Guarente at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, contend that Sir2 is dependent on nicotinamide adenine di-nucleotide (NAD) and that CR activates Sir2 by reducing glucose metabolism, which increases the ratio of NAD to its reduced version, NADH. (2) Others, such as Harvard Medical School pathologist David Sinclair, hold that nicotinamide, not NAD, is the control switch for Sir2, and that the deaminase PncI converts nicotinamide to nicotinic acid, which in turn increases Sir2 activity.
"I think it's a push and a pull system," explains Sinclair. Work by Guarente and Shin-Ichiro Imai, a molecular biologist at Washington University, St. Louis, showed that increases in NAD activate yeast Sirz in vivo, while Sinclair's studies indicated that removing nicotinamide, a Sir2 inhibitor, can pull the reaction forward. "So we've got them pushing and us pulling, and [these mechanisms] probably work in concert with each other," says Sinclair.
In September, a group of researchers from Stan Fields' lab at the University of Washington (UW), Seattle, published a paper offering evidence that CR may work through a pathway not involving Sir2. In yeast lacking Sir2, CR did not extend lifespan
Matt Piper, a biologist at University College London, says he sees a role for Sir2 in lifespan extension by CR but notes that an organism's diet influences its physiology in multiple ways that might affect its lifespan. "Because diet is so complex, you have many different signaling pathways in the organism determining many different physiological processes, which result in lifespan extension or shortening," says Piper. "To put it all down to one gene in one pathway is a very big call." He explains that both the insulin-signaling pathway, which responds to sugar, and the TOR-signaling pathway, which is affected by dietary protein, probably play a role in CR-mediated longevity. Having at least two different signaling pathways for lifespan extension in flies and worms, Piper adds, "would suggest that there's probably a number of different feed-ins to get lifespan extension."
References
(1.) L.P. Guarente, "Forestalling the great beyond with the help of SIR2," The Scientist, 18:34-5, April 26, 2004.
(2.) S.J. Lin et al., "Calorie restriction extends yeast life span by lowering the level of NADH," Genes Dev, 18:12-6, 2004.
(3.) R.M. Anderson et al., "Nicotinamide and PNCl govern lifespan extension by calorie restriction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae," Nature, 423:181-5,2003.
(4.) M. Kaeberlein et al., "Sir2-independent life span extension by calorie restriction in yeast," PLoS Biology, 2:1381-87, September 2004.
(5.) H. Tissenbaum, L. Guarente, "Increased dosage of a sir-2 gene extends lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans," Nature, 410:227-30, 200l.
(6.) K. Houthoofd et al., "Life extension via dietary restriction is independent of the Ins/IGF-1 signaling pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans," Exp Gemntol, 38:947-54, 2003.
(7.) B. Lakowski, S. Hekimi, "The genetics of caloric restriction in Caenorhabditis elegans," Proc Nat/Acad Sci, 95:13091-6, 1998.
(8.) B. Rogina, S.L. Helfand, "Sir2 mediates longevity in the fly through a pathway related to calorie restriction," Proc Natl Acad Sci, 101:15998-16003, Nov. 9, 2004.
(9.) D. Secko, "'Longevity' gene, diet linked," The Scientist Daily News, June 18, 2004, available online at www.biomedcentral.com/news/2005540618/01.
Maria W. Anderson (manderson@the-scientist.com)
Sunday, January 09, 2005
The Human Energy Field in Relation to Science, Consciousness, and Health
5000 years ago, ancient spiritual tradition of India spoke of a universal energy called prana. This universal energy is the source of all life. The breath of life moves through all forms to give them life. Yogis work with this energy with breathing techniques, meditation, and physical exercise to produce altered states of consciousness and longevity.
3,000 years ago, the ancient Qigong masters in China were practicing their meditative discipline to balance and invigorate the human energy field. They called this vital energy that pervades all forms, both animate and inanimate, Qi The Qi is the vital energy of the body; while gong means the skill of moving this Qi and working with it. Practitioners use mind control to move and control the Qi to not only improve health and longevity, but also to enhance awareness, psychic powers, and spiritual development.
The ancient Qigong masters also developed Tai Chi, Kung Fu, and the martial arts. In addition, they made the first model for acupuncture. Acupuncturists insert needles, or use moxa, or put magnets at specific acupuncture points to balance the yin and yang of the human energy field. When the Qi is balanced, the entity has good health. When the Qi is unbalanced, the entity has poor or impaired health.
The Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical teachings written about 538 B.C., calls these energies the astral light. Later on, Christian paintings and sculptures show a halo around the head of Christ and other spiritual leaders. Similarly, we see this halo on statues and paintings of Buddha, and also see energy or light coming from the fingers of many of the gods of India. In fact, there are references made to the phenomenon of the human energy field (HEF) or the aura of the body, in 97 different cultures, according to John White in his book "Future Science."
The history of medicine similarly reflects a fascination with the observation of the HEF and its study. Back in 500 B.C., the Pythagoreans believed that there is a universal energy pervading all of nature. They taught that its light could effect cures in sick patients.
In the 1100's, Liebault said that humans have an energy that can react on someone else's energy, either at a distance or close by. According to Liebault, a person can have either an unhealthy or a healthy effect on someone else -- just by being present. The HEF of one person may be harmonious, or it maye be discordant with another. The HEF of one person may be nurturing, or it may be draining to the HEF of another.
In the 1800's, Mesmer, the father of modern hypnotism, suggested that a field similar to an electromagnetic field might exist around the human body. Mesmer suggested that the power of this electromagnetic field, which he believed behaved as a fluid, might also be able to exert influence on the field of another.
In the mid-1800's, Count Von Reichenbach spent 30 years experimenting with the human energy field, whcih he called the odic field. He found that this field showed many properties which were similar to the electromagnetic field described by James Clark Maxwell in the early 1880's.
However, Von Reichenbach also showed that with the odic force, like poles attract. In other words, like attracts like. In his work, "Physico-physiological Researches on the Dynamics of Magnetism, Electricity, Heat, Light, Crystallization, and Chemism, In Their Relation to Vital Force", printed in New York in 1851, Von Reichenbach showed that electropositive elements gave his subjects feelings of warmth, and that this produced unpleasant feelings. In the reverse, electronegative elements produced cool and agreeable feelings.
He also found that the odic field could be conducted through a wire. It traveled slowly at 13 feet per second. This speed depended on the density of the wire rather than its conductivity. He showed that part of this odic field could be focused like a light through a lens, while another part of this odic field would flow around the lens, like a candle flame flows around something placed in its path. Air currents would also move this part of the odic field. This suggests a composition similar to a gas. Von Reichenbach's experiments suggest the odic or auric field is energetic, like a light wave, and also particulate, like a fluid. Also, he showed the right side of the body as being a positive pole, and the left as negative. This agrees with the ancient Chinese principles of yin and yang.
Copyright 1996, All Rights Reserved, Gloria Alvino, HeartGlo@aol.com
About The Author: Gloria Alvino, R.Ph., B.S. in Pharmacy, M.S. in Health & Human Sciences, is founder & president of Heart to Heart Associates, Inc. a charitable, educational, non-profit organization. HTHA is dedicated through education and the advocacy of research to help individuals improve their health and quality of life.
3,000 years ago, the ancient Qigong masters in China were practicing their meditative discipline to balance and invigorate the human energy field. They called this vital energy that pervades all forms, both animate and inanimate, Qi The Qi is the vital energy of the body; while gong means the skill of moving this Qi and working with it. Practitioners use mind control to move and control the Qi to not only improve health and longevity, but also to enhance awareness, psychic powers, and spiritual development.
The ancient Qigong masters also developed Tai Chi, Kung Fu, and the martial arts. In addition, they made the first model for acupuncture. Acupuncturists insert needles, or use moxa, or put magnets at specific acupuncture points to balance the yin and yang of the human energy field. When the Qi is balanced, the entity has good health. When the Qi is unbalanced, the entity has poor or impaired health.
The Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical teachings written about 538 B.C., calls these energies the astral light. Later on, Christian paintings and sculptures show a halo around the head of Christ and other spiritual leaders. Similarly, we see this halo on statues and paintings of Buddha, and also see energy or light coming from the fingers of many of the gods of India. In fact, there are references made to the phenomenon of the human energy field (HEF) or the aura of the body, in 97 different cultures, according to John White in his book "Future Science."
The history of medicine similarly reflects a fascination with the observation of the HEF and its study. Back in 500 B.C., the Pythagoreans believed that there is a universal energy pervading all of nature. They taught that its light could effect cures in sick patients.
In the 1100's, Liebault said that humans have an energy that can react on someone else's energy, either at a distance or close by. According to Liebault, a person can have either an unhealthy or a healthy effect on someone else -- just by being present. The HEF of one person may be harmonious, or it maye be discordant with another. The HEF of one person may be nurturing, or it may be draining to the HEF of another.
In the 1800's, Mesmer, the father of modern hypnotism, suggested that a field similar to an electromagnetic field might exist around the human body. Mesmer suggested that the power of this electromagnetic field, which he believed behaved as a fluid, might also be able to exert influence on the field of another.
In the mid-1800's, Count Von Reichenbach spent 30 years experimenting with the human energy field, whcih he called the odic field. He found that this field showed many properties which were similar to the electromagnetic field described by James Clark Maxwell in the early 1880's.
However, Von Reichenbach also showed that with the odic force, like poles attract. In other words, like attracts like. In his work, "Physico-physiological Researches on the Dynamics of Magnetism, Electricity, Heat, Light, Crystallization, and Chemism, In Their Relation to Vital Force", printed in New York in 1851, Von Reichenbach showed that electropositive elements gave his subjects feelings of warmth, and that this produced unpleasant feelings. In the reverse, electronegative elements produced cool and agreeable feelings.
He also found that the odic field could be conducted through a wire. It traveled slowly at 13 feet per second. This speed depended on the density of the wire rather than its conductivity. He showed that part of this odic field could be focused like a light through a lens, while another part of this odic field would flow around the lens, like a candle flame flows around something placed in its path. Air currents would also move this part of the odic field. This suggests a composition similar to a gas. Von Reichenbach's experiments suggest the odic or auric field is energetic, like a light wave, and also particulate, like a fluid. Also, he showed the right side of the body as being a positive pole, and the left as negative. This agrees with the ancient Chinese principles of yin and yang.
Copyright 1996, All Rights Reserved, Gloria Alvino, HeartGlo@aol.com
About The Author: Gloria Alvino, R.Ph., B.S. in Pharmacy, M.S. in Health & Human Sciences, is founder & president of Heart to Heart Associates, Inc. a charitable, educational, non-profit organization. HTHA is dedicated through education and the advocacy of research to help individuals improve their health and quality of life.
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Meditation Gives Brain a Charge, Study Finds
Yes of course they are finding out how much people affect themselves, now we are almost ready to see how we can change our entire bodies... CONSCIOUSLY!!!
________________________________
Brain research is beginning to produce concrete evidence for something that Buddhist practitioners of meditation have maintained for centuries: Mental discipline and meditative practice can change the workings of the brain and allow people to achieve different levels of awareness
"Their mental practice is having an effect on the brain in the same way golf or tennis practice will enhance performance." It demonstrates, he said, that the brain is capable of being trained and physically modified in ways few people can imagine.
Davidson says his newest results from the meditation study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in November, take the concept of neuroplasticity a step further by showing that mental training through meditation (and presumably other disciplines) can itself change the inner workings and circuitry of the brain.
The new findings are the result of a long, if unlikely, collaboration between Davidson and Tibet's Dalai Lama, the world's best-known practitioner of Buddhism. The Dalai Lama first invited Davidson to his home in Dharamsala, India, in 1992 after learning about Davidson's innovative research into the neuroscience of emotions. The Tibetans have a centuries-old tradition of intensive meditation and, from the start, the Dalai Lama was interested in having Davidson scientifically explore the workings of his monks' meditating minds. Three years ago, the Dalai Lama spent two days visiting Davidson's lab.
________________________________
Brain research is beginning to produce concrete evidence for something that Buddhist practitioners of meditation have maintained for centuries: Mental discipline and meditative practice can change the workings of the brain and allow people to achieve different levels of awareness
"Their mental practice is having an effect on the brain in the same way golf or tennis practice will enhance performance." It demonstrates, he said, that the brain is capable of being trained and physically modified in ways few people can imagine.
Davidson says his newest results from the meditation study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in November, take the concept of neuroplasticity a step further by showing that mental training through meditation (and presumably other disciplines) can itself change the inner workings and circuitry of the brain.
The new findings are the result of a long, if unlikely, collaboration between Davidson and Tibet's Dalai Lama, the world's best-known practitioner of Buddhism. The Dalai Lama first invited Davidson to his home in Dharamsala, India, in 1992 after learning about Davidson's innovative research into the neuroscience of emotions. The Tibetans have a centuries-old tradition of intensive meditation and, from the start, the Dalai Lama was interested in having Davidson scientifically explore the workings of his monks' meditating minds. Three years ago, the Dalai Lama spent two days visiting Davidson's lab.
Thursday, December 23, 2004
Depression as a Risk Factor for Mortality in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease
Consciouness affects the complete human system
Depression as a Risk Factor for Mortality in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease: A Meta-analysis -- Barth et al. 66 (6): 802 -- Psychosomatic Medicine: "Depressive symptoms increase the risk of mortality in CHD patients. The risk of depressed patients dying in the 2 years after the initial assessment is two times higher than that of nondepressed patients (OR, 2.24; 1.37 3.60). This negative prognostic effect also remains in the long-term (OR, 1.78; 1.12 2.83) and after adjustment for other risk factors (HR [adj], 1.76; 1.27 2.43). The unfavorable impact of depressive disorders was reported for the most part in the form of crude odds ratios. Within the first 6 months, depressive disorders were found to have no significant effect on mortality (OR, 2.07; CI, 0.82 5.26). However, after 2 years, the risk is more than two times higher for CHD patients with clinical depression (OR, 2.61; 1.53 4.47). Only three studies reported adjusted hazard ratios for clinical depression and supported the results of the bivariate models. CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms and clinical depression have an unfavorable impact on mortality in CHD patients. The results are limited by heterogeneity of the results in the primary studies. There is no clear evidence whether self-report or clinical interview is the more precise predictor. Nevertheless, depression has to be considered a relevant risk factor in patients with CHD. "
Depression as a Risk Factor for Mortality in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease: A Meta-analysis -- Barth et al. 66 (6): 802 -- Psychosomatic Medicine: "Depressive symptoms increase the risk of mortality in CHD patients. The risk of depressed patients dying in the 2 years after the initial assessment is two times higher than that of nondepressed patients (OR, 2.24; 1.37 3.60). This negative prognostic effect also remains in the long-term (OR, 1.78; 1.12 2.83) and after adjustment for other risk factors (HR [adj], 1.76; 1.27 2.43). The unfavorable impact of depressive disorders was reported for the most part in the form of crude odds ratios. Within the first 6 months, depressive disorders were found to have no significant effect on mortality (OR, 2.07; CI, 0.82 5.26). However, after 2 years, the risk is more than two times higher for CHD patients with clinical depression (OR, 2.61; 1.53 4.47). Only three studies reported adjusted hazard ratios for clinical depression and supported the results of the bivariate models. CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms and clinical depression have an unfavorable impact on mortality in CHD patients. The results are limited by heterogeneity of the results in the primary studies. There is no clear evidence whether self-report or clinical interview is the more precise predictor. Nevertheless, depression has to be considered a relevant risk factor in patients with CHD. "
Sunday, December 12, 2004
A vision for the future of genomics research
Of particular interest, if all the mammalian genome is considerably similar from one animal to another then the detailed mouse genome can be used to define any sequence we seeek to change. If I choose to change a particular sequence, then this mouse map will help me find where the changes should ocurr. This should prove to be fun!
The practical consequences of the emergence of this new field are widely apparent. Identification of the genes responsible for human mendelian diseases, once a herculean task requiring large research teams, many years of hard work, and an uncertain outcome, can now be routinely accomplished in a few weeks by a single graduate student with access to DNA samples and associated phenotypes, an Internet connection to the public genome databases, a thermal cycler and a DNA-sequencing machine. With the recent publication of a draft sequence of the mouse genome11, identification of the mutations underlying a vast number of interesting mouse phenotypes has similarly been greatly simplified. Comparison of the human and mouse sequences shows that the proportion of the mammalian genome under evolutionary selection is more than twice that previously assumed.
When scientists compared the human and mouse genomes, they discovered that more than 90 percent of the mouse genome could be lined up with a region on the human genome.
genome.gov2002 Release The Mouse Genome And The Measure of Man: "Such research will have profound long-term consequences for medicine. It will help elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of disease. This in turn will allow researchers to design better drugs and therapies for many illnesses.
'The mouse genome is a great resource for basic and applied medical research, meaning that much of what was done in a lab can now be done through the Web. Researchers can access this information through www.ensembl.org, where all the information is provided with no restriction,' says Ewan Birney, Ph.D., Ensembl coordinator at the European Bioinformatics Institute."
The practical consequences of the emergence of this new field are widely apparent. Identification of the genes responsible for human mendelian diseases, once a herculean task requiring large research teams, many years of hard work, and an uncertain outcome, can now be routinely accomplished in a few weeks by a single graduate student with access to DNA samples and associated phenotypes, an Internet connection to the public genome databases, a thermal cycler and a DNA-sequencing machine. With the recent publication of a draft sequence of the mouse genome11, identification of the mutations underlying a vast number of interesting mouse phenotypes has similarly been greatly simplified. Comparison of the human and mouse sequences shows that the proportion of the mammalian genome under evolutionary selection is more than twice that previously assumed.
When scientists compared the human and mouse genomes, they discovered that more than 90 percent of the mouse genome could be lined up with a region on the human genome.
genome.gov2002 Release The Mouse Genome And The Measure of Man: "Such research will have profound long-term consequences for medicine. It will help elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of disease. This in turn will allow researchers to design better drugs and therapies for many illnesses.
'The mouse genome is a great resource for basic and applied medical research, meaning that much of what was done in a lab can now be done through the Web. Researchers can access this information through www.ensembl.org, where all the information is provided with no restriction,' says Ewan Birney, Ph.D., Ensembl coordinator at the European Bioinformatics Institute."
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Wired News: Dems, GOP: Who's Got the Brains?
Wired News: Dems, GOP: Who's Got the Brains?: "Last month, Drs. Joshua Freedman and Marco Iacoboni of the University of California at Los Angeles finished scanning the brains of 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats. Each viewed images of President Bush, John Kerry and Ralph Nader.
When viewing their favorite candidate, all showed increased activity in the region implicated in empathy. And when viewing the opposition, all had increased blood flow in the region where humans consciously assert control over emotions � suggesting the volunteers were actively attempting to dislike the opposition.
Nonetheless, some differences appeared between the brain activity of Democrats and Republicans. Take empathy: One Democrat's brain lit up at an image of Kerry 'with a profound sense of connection, like a beautiful sunset,' Freedman said. Brain activity in a Republican shown an image of Bush was 'more interpersonal, such as if you smiled at someone and they smiled back.'"
When viewing their favorite candidate, all showed increased activity in the region implicated in empathy. And when viewing the opposition, all had increased blood flow in the region where humans consciously assert control over emotions � suggesting the volunteers were actively attempting to dislike the opposition.
Nonetheless, some differences appeared between the brain activity of Democrats and Republicans. Take empathy: One Democrat's brain lit up at an image of Kerry 'with a profound sense of connection, like a beautiful sunset,' Freedman said. Brain activity in a Republican shown an image of Bush was 'more interpersonal, such as if you smiled at someone and they smiled back.'"
Wired News: Clear Pictures of How We Think
YES OF COURSE EVERTYHING WE DO AND THINK REQUIRES DIFFERENTUSES OF OUR BRAIN AND BLOOD!!!
Wired News: Clear Pictures of How We Think: "functional magnetic-resonance imaging, or fMRI.
This technique allows the measurement of the level of oxygen in the blood, and tells scientists which parts of the brain are most active. It can show, for example, the parts of the brain that operate when we fall in love and when we have food cravings. It has even recently revealed the differences in the brains of Democrats and Republicans.
But the technique also holds out the promise of answering deep questions about our most cherished human characteristics. For example, do we have an inbuilt moral sense, or do we learn what is right and wrong as we grow up? And which is stronger: emotions or logic?
Before fMRI, information about the parts of the brain involved in different tasks could only be gathered by studying people who had suffered brain damage from trauma or stroke, and seeing how their brain function changed. Now, the brains of healthy people can be scanned as they are given different tasks.
'fMRI has provided striking evidence in favor of some theories and against others,' said Joshua Greene, of Princeton University's Department of Psychology. 'But I don't think the real payoff has hit yet. That will come when we have successful computational theories of complex decision-making, ones that describe decision-making at the level of neural circuits.'
Greene, together with Jonathan Cohen, professor of psychology at Princeton, is using fMRI to look at the factors that influence moral judgment. "
Wired News: Clear Pictures of How We Think: "functional magnetic-resonance imaging, or fMRI.
This technique allows the measurement of the level of oxygen in the blood, and tells scientists which parts of the brain are most active. It can show, for example, the parts of the brain that operate when we fall in love and when we have food cravings. It has even recently revealed the differences in the brains of Democrats and Republicans.
But the technique also holds out the promise of answering deep questions about our most cherished human characteristics. For example, do we have an inbuilt moral sense, or do we learn what is right and wrong as we grow up? And which is stronger: emotions or logic?
Before fMRI, information about the parts of the brain involved in different tasks could only be gathered by studying people who had suffered brain damage from trauma or stroke, and seeing how their brain function changed. Now, the brains of healthy people can be scanned as they are given different tasks.
'fMRI has provided striking evidence in favor of some theories and against others,' said Joshua Greene, of Princeton University's Department of Psychology. 'But I don't think the real payoff has hit yet. That will come when we have successful computational theories of complex decision-making, ones that describe decision-making at the level of neural circuits.'
Greene, together with Jonathan Cohen, professor of psychology at Princeton, is using fMRI to look at the factors that influence moral judgment. "
Friday, November 19, 2004
The Scientist :: MicroRNA controls insulin
The Scientist :: MicroRNA controls insulin: "The microRNA miR-375 regulates myotrophin, a protein involved in the final stages of insulin secretion from pancreatic islet cells, according to a publication in Nature this week.
The results suggest miR-375 as a possible new avenue for diabetes treatment, according to lead author Markus Stoffel, from Rockefeller University in New York. Of possibly greater immediate significance is a growing belief that microRNAs play other important roles in the pancreas, he said.
'We took an unbiased approach and cloned all of the microRNAs from a pancreatic beta cell line,' Stoffel told The Scientist. His group found more than 60, including novel ones that are highly specific to beta cells, some of which had only previously been described in the central nervous system."
The results suggest miR-375 as a possible new avenue for diabetes treatment, according to lead author Markus Stoffel, from Rockefeller University in New York. Of possibly greater immediate significance is a growing belief that microRNAs play other important roles in the pancreas, he said.
'We took an unbiased approach and cloned all of the microRNAs from a pancreatic beta cell line,' Stoffel told The Scientist. His group found more than 60, including novel ones that are highly specific to beta cells, some of which had only previously been described in the central nervous system."
Quantun Brain MOdel v6 Feb 1995
arXiv:quant-ph/9502006 v1 6 Feb 1995: "Finally, according to the original quantum brain model, the recall processis described as the excitation of dwq modes under an external stimulus whichis �essentially a replication signal�[9] of the one responsible for memory print-ing. When dwq are excited the brain �consciously feels�[9] the presence of thecondensate pattern in the corresponding coded vacuum. The replication signalthus acts as a probe by which the brain �reads� the printed information.In this connection we observe that the dwq may acquire an effective nonzeromass due to the effects of the system finite size[12]. Such an effective mass willthen introduce a threshold in the excitation energy of dwq so that, in order totrigger the recall process an energy supply equal or greater than such a thresholdis required. Non sufficient energy supply may be experienced as a �difficultyin recalling�. At the same time, however, the threshold may positively act asa �protection� against unwanted perturbations (including thermalization) andcooperate to the memory state stability. In the opposite case of zero thresholdany replication signal could excite the recalling and the brain would fall in astate of �continuous flow of memories"
Google Groups : Google-Labs-Google-Scholar
Google Groups : Google-Labs-Google-Scholar: "Occasionally Google employees may post to the group. Any Google
employee who participates in the group will always post with the name
'Google Employee'.
The Google Scholar group encourages free and open discussion on all
aspects of Google Scholar. However, posts not on this topic are not
welcome. We reserve the right to delete the posts that we consider
inappropriate."
employee who participates in the group will always post with the name
'Google Employee'.
The Google Scholar group encourages free and open discussion on all
aspects of Google Scholar. However, posts not on this topic are not
welcome. We reserve the right to delete the posts that we consider
inappropriate."
Sunday, November 07, 2004
Pharyngula::Symmetry breaking and genetic assimilation
Pharyngula::Symmetry breaking and genetic assimilation: "Friday, November 05, 2004
Symmetry breaking and genetic assimilation
How do evolutionary novelties arise? The conventional explanation is that the first step is the chance formation of a genetic mutation, which results in a new phenotype, which, if it is favored by selection, may be fixed in a population. No one sensible can seriously argue with this idea�it happens. I�m not going to argue with it at all.
However, there are also additional mechanisms for generating novelties, mechanisms that extend the power of evolutionary biology without contradicting our conventional understanding of it. A paper by A. Richard Palmer in Science describes the evidence for an alternative mode of evolution, genetic assimilation, that can be easily read as a radical, non-Darwinian, and even Lamarckian pattern of evolution (Sennoma at Malice Aforethought has expressed concern about this), but it is nothing of the kind; there is no hocus-pocus, no violation of the Weissmann barrier, no sudden, unexplained leaps of cause-and-effect. Comprehending it only requires a proper appreciation of the importance of environmental influences on development and an understanding that the genome does not constitute a descriptive program of the organism."
Symmetry breaking and genetic assimilation
How do evolutionary novelties arise? The conventional explanation is that the first step is the chance formation of a genetic mutation, which results in a new phenotype, which, if it is favored by selection, may be fixed in a population. No one sensible can seriously argue with this idea�it happens. I�m not going to argue with it at all.
However, there are also additional mechanisms for generating novelties, mechanisms that extend the power of evolutionary biology without contradicting our conventional understanding of it. A paper by A. Richard Palmer in Science describes the evidence for an alternative mode of evolution, genetic assimilation, that can be easily read as a radical, non-Darwinian, and even Lamarckian pattern of evolution (Sennoma at Malice Aforethought has expressed concern about this), but it is nothing of the kind; there is no hocus-pocus, no violation of the Weissmann barrier, no sudden, unexplained leaps of cause-and-effect. Comprehending it only requires a proper appreciation of the importance of environmental influences on development and an understanding that the genome does not constitute a descriptive program of the organism."
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Harvard Medical School Division of Genetics
The definition of statistical approaches for studying genetic variation has evolved at a frightening speed. Such technologies are applied in population studies to investigate divergence and modifications over time.
The proposed research will utilize these techniques on a very refined sample to demonstrate how easily the consciousness of humans can change their own DNA. This direct application will open the door for more direct control and development of specific techniques for creating desired genetic modifications.
Brigham and Women's Division of Genetics - Sunyaev Lab: "Lab: Research Interests
We are a computational biology laboratory. We develop and apply computational methods to pursue various problems in fields of genetics, genomics and proteomics. Our main interest is to analyse the population genetic variation and the genome divergence between species with the major focus on the protein coding regions. The effect of amino acid substitutions on function and structure of proteins can be frequently understood and even predicted via comparative sequence analysis and analysis of the protein structure. We relate the above functional studies to the evolutionary process of natural selection in order to track the evolution of proteins at the molecular level. Large-scale statistical approaches are suitable to study the way new mutations, genetic drift and natural selection shape the population genetic variation and how this variation once becomes a species divergence. The results of structural and evolutionary studies can be further applied to the data on human genetic polymorphisms with the goal to understand the complex mechanisms of inheritance and most importantly the genetic basis of human multifactorial diseases.
Our future effort will be directed towards the development of methods to extract knowledge on functionality and evolution from the novel massive data on closely related genomes and population genetic variants. We are hoping to reveal epistatic interactions between allelic variants and understand their molecular basis, thus getting closer to the understanding of the interplay of genetic variants to give rise to phenotypes. We are planning to utilise the knowledge gained to study the data on genotypes of patients suffering from common complex disorders through the established collaborations with groups involved in large medical genetics research projects. "
The proposed research will utilize these techniques on a very refined sample to demonstrate how easily the consciousness of humans can change their own DNA. This direct application will open the door for more direct control and development of specific techniques for creating desired genetic modifications.
Brigham and Women's Division of Genetics - Sunyaev Lab: "Lab: Research Interests
We are a computational biology laboratory. We develop and apply computational methods to pursue various problems in fields of genetics, genomics and proteomics. Our main interest is to analyse the population genetic variation and the genome divergence between species with the major focus on the protein coding regions. The effect of amino acid substitutions on function and structure of proteins can be frequently understood and even predicted via comparative sequence analysis and analysis of the protein structure. We relate the above functional studies to the evolutionary process of natural selection in order to track the evolution of proteins at the molecular level. Large-scale statistical approaches are suitable to study the way new mutations, genetic drift and natural selection shape the population genetic variation and how this variation once becomes a species divergence. The results of structural and evolutionary studies can be further applied to the data on human genetic polymorphisms with the goal to understand the complex mechanisms of inheritance and most importantly the genetic basis of human multifactorial diseases.
Our future effort will be directed towards the development of methods to extract knowledge on functionality and evolution from the novel massive data on closely related genomes and population genetic variants. We are hoping to reveal epistatic interactions between allelic variants and understand their molecular basis, thus getting closer to the understanding of the interplay of genetic variants to give rise to phenotypes. We are planning to utilise the knowledge gained to study the data on genotypes of patients suffering from common complex disorders through the established collaborations with groups involved in large medical genetics research projects. "
Thursday, October 28, 2004
UCSB CS Colloquium
UCSB CS Colloquium: "Eric Xing
University of California Berkeley
Date: Monday April 12
Time: 3:00-4:00
Place: Engineering 1, 2114
Abstract:
I discuss two probabilistic modeling problems arising in metazoan genomic analysis: identifying motifs and cis-regulatory modules (CRMs) from transcriptional regulatory DNA sequences, and inferring haplotypes from genotypes of single nucleotide polymorphisms. Motif and CRM identification is important for understanding the gene regulatory network underlying metazoan development and functioning. I discuss a modular Bayesian model that captures rich structural characteristics of the transcriptional regulatory sequences and supports a variety of tasks such as learning motif representations, model-based motif and CRM prediction, and de novo motif detection. Haplotype inference is essential for the understanding of genetic variation within and among populations, with important applications to the genetic analysis of disease propensities and other complex traits. I discuss a Bayesian model based on a prior constructed from a Chinese restaurant process -- a nonparametric prior which provides control over the size of the unknown pool of population haplotypes, and on a likelihood that allows statistical errors in the haplotype/genotype relationship. Our models use the 'probabilistic graphical model' formalism, a formalism that exploits the conjoined talents of graph theory and probability theory to build complex models out of simpler pieces. I discuss the mathematical underpinnings for the models, how they formally incorporate biological prior knowledge about the data, and the related computational issues.
Biography:
Eric Xing received his B.S. with honors in Physics and Biology from Tsinghua University, his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry "
University of California Berkeley
Date: Monday April 12
Time: 3:00-4:00
Place: Engineering 1, 2114
Abstract:
I discuss two probabilistic modeling problems arising in metazoan genomic analysis: identifying motifs and cis-regulatory modules (CRMs) from transcriptional regulatory DNA sequences, and inferring haplotypes from genotypes of single nucleotide polymorphisms. Motif and CRM identification is important for understanding the gene regulatory network underlying metazoan development and functioning. I discuss a modular Bayesian model that captures rich structural characteristics of the transcriptional regulatory sequences and supports a variety of tasks such as learning motif representations, model-based motif and CRM prediction, and de novo motif detection. Haplotype inference is essential for the understanding of genetic variation within and among populations, with important applications to the genetic analysis of disease propensities and other complex traits. I discuss a Bayesian model based on a prior constructed from a Chinese restaurant process -- a nonparametric prior which provides control over the size of the unknown pool of population haplotypes, and on a likelihood that allows statistical errors in the haplotype/genotype relationship. Our models use the 'probabilistic graphical model' formalism, a formalism that exploits the conjoined talents of graph theory and probability theory to build complex models out of simpler pieces. I discuss the mathematical underpinnings for the models, how they formally incorporate biological prior knowledge about the data, and the related computational issues.
Biography:
Eric Xing received his B.S. with honors in Physics and Biology from Tsinghua University, his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry "
USC College : College Magazine : Fall 2003 : Virtually Aging
USC College : College Magazine : Fall 2003 : Virtually Aging: "Faced with an aging population and a maturing research community, investigations of aging and aging-related diseases have exploded at USC over the past 30 years. Today, by one estimate, more than 100 USC scholars, representing natural science and social science disciplines and professional schools, are studying biological, social, health, economic, policy or other aspects of aging. For a glimpse of just how extensive the USC aging research enterprise has become, and for information on aging-related research and resources, visit University Wide Aging Nexus at USC, a new web site designed by Caleb Finch, the ARCO/William F. Kieschnick Chair in the Neurobiology of Aging in the School of Gerontology and a College professor of biology, and his team. "
Friday, October 22, 2004
Innovative Funding
Article - Fishing for Answers: "When businessman and longtime philanthropist Ralph C. Wilson Jr.
decided to begin supporting biomedical research, he convened experts from six of the country's top medical institutions to suggest the most effective way he could help. Together, the institutions - including the University of Michigan - identified a problem in research funding: because so many scientists are competing for limited grant dollars, most grants go to 'safe' research projects, where success is almost certain. Researchers who come with creative ideas and new ways of thinking often have trouble finding support.
So Wilson established his Ralph C. Wilson Sr. and Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Medical Foundation with a mission of funding innovative research by the nation's top biomedical scientists.
Though they have only been in existence since 2001, Wilson Foundation grants carry enormous weight and prestige. Only six institutions are even eligible to apply, with the U-M among this select group. What's more, only the top researchers and most creative projects at those institutions pass the rigorous peer review process. At each institution, only one to three projects receive funding annually.
One of the U-M's four researchers receiving funding is Dr. Daniel Goldman, a professor of biological chemistry and senior research professor, who is 'almost bursting' with excitement over his Wilson-funded research. Dr. Daniel Goldman works with zebrafish in his lab.Dr. Goldman explores new ways of repairing damage to the central nervous system, such as from strokes or spinal cord injuries. Fish, unlike humans, can recover from similar injuries and regenerate their nervous systems. Studying a lab full of zebrafish, Dr. Goldman hopes he is on the trail of information that could revolutionize treatments for stroke, pa"
decided to begin supporting biomedical research, he convened experts from six of the country's top medical institutions to suggest the most effective way he could help. Together, the institutions - including the University of Michigan - identified a problem in research funding: because so many scientists are competing for limited grant dollars, most grants go to 'safe' research projects, where success is almost certain. Researchers who come with creative ideas and new ways of thinking often have trouble finding support.
So Wilson established his Ralph C. Wilson Sr. and Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Medical Foundation with a mission of funding innovative research by the nation's top biomedical scientists.
Though they have only been in existence since 2001, Wilson Foundation grants carry enormous weight and prestige. Only six institutions are even eligible to apply, with the U-M among this select group. What's more, only the top researchers and most creative projects at those institutions pass the rigorous peer review process. At each institution, only one to three projects receive funding annually.
One of the U-M's four researchers receiving funding is Dr. Daniel Goldman, a professor of biological chemistry and senior research professor, who is 'almost bursting' with excitement over his Wilson-funded research. Dr. Daniel Goldman works with zebrafish in his lab.Dr. Goldman explores new ways of repairing damage to the central nervous system, such as from strokes or spinal cord injuries. Fish, unlike humans, can recover from similar injuries and regenerate their nervous systems. Studying a lab full of zebrafish, Dr. Goldman hopes he is on the trail of information that could revolutionize treatments for stroke, pa"
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Metabolic Engineering Working Group
Metabolic Engineering Working Group: "Metabolic Engineering is a new approach to understanding and using metabolic processes. As the name implies, ME is the targeted and purposeful alteration of metabolic pathways found in an organism in order to better understand and use cellular pathways for chemical transformation, energy transduction, and supramolecular assembly. Knowledge acquired from this research will benefit society in a number of ways, including the ability to modify biological pathways to produce biological substitutes for less desirable chemical processes; allowing greater agricultural production, permitting more efficient and safer energy production, and; providing better understanding of the metabolic basis for some medical conditions that could assist in the development of new cures."
Monday, October 11, 2004
Intelligent design - Wikipedia
Intelligent design - Wikipedia: "Intelligent design (ID) is the phrase coined for the argument that life and living things show signs of having been designed by an intelligent agent, and that therefore abiogenesis must be a false hypothesis. Specifically, the conjecture focuses on the 'what' of the origin of life on Earth, i.e. saying that it is not possible for 'non-living' matter to become 'living' matter (with the level of organization that is observed today) without intervention, and that life itself shows signs of design. The 'Who, why, when, where and how' are theoretically excluded from the debate, although the idea is more often than not identified with religious arguments, with inevitable extension into those other domains. Religious proponents of ID use the argument from design to argue for the existence of a god, usually � in the context of Christianity � God.
Opponents of ID, who include the overwhelming majority of the scientific community, claim that this argument is deceptive and has no standing as a scientific hypothesis, i.e. it is considered pseudoscience. They say that ID does not present falsifiable hypotheses, and violates the principle of naturalism within scientific philosophy. They also point to examples of seemingly poor design within biology."
Opponents of ID, who include the overwhelming majority of the scientific community, claim that this argument is deceptive and has no standing as a scientific hypothesis, i.e. it is considered pseudoscience. They say that ID does not present falsifiable hypotheses, and violates the principle of naturalism within scientific philosophy. They also point to examples of seemingly poor design within biology."
Sunday, October 10, 2004
Society of Mind - Wikipedia
Society of Mind - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "What magical trick makes us intelligent? The trick is that there is no trick. The power of intelligence stems from our vast diversity, not from any single, perfect principle."
Symbiosis - Wikipedia
"The biologist Lynn Margulis, contends that symbiosis is a major driving force behind evolution. She considers Darwin's notion of evolution, driven by competition, as incomplete, and claims evolution is strongly based on co-operation, interaction, and mutual dependence among organisms. According to Margulis and Sagan (1986), 'Life did not take over the globe by combat, but by networking'. As in humans, organisms that cooperate with others of their own or different species can sometimes outcompete those that don't."
Symbiosis - Wikipedia:
Symbiosis - Wikipedia:
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