Pocket pigs
It seems a species of pig that was thought to be extinct was really just hiding out in people’s gardens. They have been rescued from the brink, and are being re-introduced to the wild in
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Cactus with a florid personality.
I shot this picture of a saguaro cactus in March of 2006 in Sabino Canyon, just outside Tucson, AZ. This is located near the nature center there, before you start going up the canyon. It
Continue readingA flu vaccine for all “A” strains.
The influenza virus is unique in its ability to mutate and adapt, with new variants arising every year in animal populations around the world. This has been the chief obstacle to creating a once-in-a-lifetime vaccine
Continue readingRecent research on Alzheimer’s Disease: Inflammation, and the role of viral and bacterial infection
The last year saw some very exciting developments in Alzheimer’s research. Among them, the relationship of inflamation processes to cognitive decline and a possible relationship of the herpes simplex virus in the presence of a certain genotype to the development of Alzheimers.
Simon Cooke, who writes a blog called the "Accidental Scientist," has posted a very readable and informative summary of some of the most interesting highlights of the latest research. He does a great job of explaining the new discoveries, and speculates about links between infectious diseases and chronic diseases yet to be confirmed. In particular his post on the use of an anti-inflammatory drug to treat Alzheimers – in minutes!, and his post on the possible role of Herpes in many chronic diseases are particularly worth reading.
Continue readingThe Cuttlefish: An Intelligent Cephalopod
Before I visited the Georgia Aquarium, most of what I used to know about cuttlefish included the fact that they can be purchased neatly packaged in dried chewy form in Japanese groceries. So, I was very surprised when I first met one face to face in the Georgia Aquarium and realized they are remarkably intelligent creatures.
Cuttlefish are invariably curious about people, and will come up and try to get a better look if you catch their eye. They are precision swimmers, able to hover motionless near an object of interest by rippling their skirt of fins, only to suddenly jet off in another direction using their funnel siphon when they have seen enough.
Continue readingRecent research on Alzheimer’s Disease
A quick survey of some of the more interesting research on Alzheimer’s Disease recently:
I. Causes and Disease Mechanisms
Alzheimer’s Disease Could Be A Third Form Of Diabetes
Science Daily Insulin, it turns out, may be as important for the mind as it is for the body. Research in the last few years has raised the possibility that Alzheimer’s memory loss could be due to a novel third form of diabetes.
Now scientists at Northwestern University have discovered why brain insulin signaling — crucial for memory formation — would stop working in Alzheimer’s disease. They have shown that a toxic protein found in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s removes insulin receptors from nerve cells, rendering those neurons insulin resistant. ..
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Interesting DNA, RNA research you might have missed
There is much happening in genetics it’s hard to know where to start listing the highlights. Here are some of the more interesting items I’ve come across recently:
Did DNA replication evolve twice independently?
by Leipe DD, Aravind L, Koonin EV. in
Nucleic Acids Res. 1999 Sep 1;27(17):3389-401.
DNA replication is central to all extant cellular organisms.
principal proteins involved in transcription and translation, which are highly conserved in all divisions of life.
We performed detailed sequence comparisons of the proteins that fulfill indispensable functions in DNA replication and classified them.
The biggest medical stories of the year
There were some incredible breakthroughs in medicine this year:
Diabetes and Nerve function linked
Drop in the incidence of breast cancer
New treatments for Macular Degeneration
Progress toward an Alzheimer’s Vaccine and other treatments
Diabetes linked to nerve function in the pancreas
One of the biggest stories, if it is confirmed by other researchers, is the discovery of the relationship between the nervous system and diabetes.
Diabetes Breakthrough | National Post
Continue readingWhat is this picture?
Can you guess what this picture is? for the answer, click the link below: Click here to continue and see the answer Buffalo as seen from space! This is a satellite view of the buffalo
Continue readingWhat Caused the Flu Vaccine Shortage?
I did a little research into why we now only have two (no, make that one!) suppliers of flu vaccine for the entire US, and why that supply is available only through the government. If the authors quoted below are correct, perhaps current policy needs to be revised.
I’ve heard various politicians and administrators lately (most recently Tommy Thompson) telling us how the flu vaccine shortage is not a public health problem, and people questioning how dangerous the flu can be. I have to disagree with them – for anyone who has asthma or respiratory diseases, or simply doesn’t have a lot of defense against the flu, ithe possibility of getting a bad case of the flu can be a pretty scary prospect.
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