TS-Si News Service. Harry Banjamin Syndrome (HBS). Features include science, policy, society, editorials, commentary, and social developments. A service of TS-Si, Inc. http://ts-si.org Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:01:02 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://ts-si.org/images/M_images/rss20.gif http://ts-si.org TS-Si News Service. Harry Banjamin Syndrome (HBS). Features include science, policy, society, editorials, commentary, and social developments. A service of TS-Si, Inc. http://ts-si.org/content/view/3313/993/ Washington, DC, USA. The respected World Values Survey (WVS) (http://margaux.grandvinum.se/SebTest/wvs/index_html) shows happiness increased worldwide from 1981 to 2007. Did you know that USA ranks number 16 in world happiness? In fact, the United States ranks ahead of more than 80 countries, but below 15 others in happiness levels. The World Values Survey (WVS) is the work of a global network of social scientists who perform periodic surveys addressing a number of issues. The latest surveys, taken in the United States and in several developing countries, showed increased happiness from 1981 to 2007 in 45 of 52 countries for which substantial time series data was available. European and World Values Surveys: Four-Wave Integrated Data File, 1981-2004, v.20060423, 2006. The European Values Study Foundation and World Values Survey Association. Aggregate File Producers: ASEP/JDS, Madrid, Spain/Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands. Aggregate File Distributors: ASEP/JDS and ZA, Cologne, Germany. [ Download Country Ranking PDF (http://ts-si.org/files/HappinessData2008pr111725.pdf) ] [ Download Data Files Zip (http://ts-si.org/files/xwvsevs_1981_2000_v20060423_sav.zip) (SAV Format, 46Mb ] [ WVS Conditions of Use PDF (http://ts-si.org/files/WVSConditionsOfUse.pdf) ] The World Values Survey (WVS) (http://margaux.grandvinum.se/SebTest/wvs/index_html) researchers have interviewed more than 350,000 people and measured happiness since 1981. [N1] Researchers responsible for the analysis, from the Institute for Social Research (ISR) (http://www.isr.umich.edu/home/) at the University of Michigan (http://www.umich.edu/), say the overall rise in reported happiness is due to greater economic growth, democratization and social tolerance. The survey data was released in Perspectives on Psychological Science (http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=1745-6916 site=1) [N2]. Denmark tops the list of surveyed nations, along with Puerto Rico and Colombia. A dozen other countries, including Ireland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada and Sweden also rank above the United States, which maintains about the same relative position as it did in WVS's 2000 survey. Political scientist Ronald Inglehart, a political scientist at the... TS-Si Society - The Discussion Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:00:25 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3314/995/ TS-Si Op-Ed Pages - Tangent Wits Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:00:05 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3312/995/ Springfield, VA, USA. Society (the women and men around us) has always been more comfortable if its members fall within certain known, established patterns: this is how we dress, this is what we say, this is what we believe, this is how we look. These are the standards by which a society defines itself and separates from the non-members (the other societies that may live around it — the proverbial they and them your mother warned you about). Throughout human history, every society has had intrinsic cultural standards for beauty, especially beauty as it applies to women. Certain images are held up as examples of womanly perfection. Ancient Egypt, which placed a strong emphasis on images (statues, reliefs, wall paintings), provides hundreds, if not thousands of examples of their societal expectation for female beauty. [N1] Cultural emphasis on women's appearance is an ancient and ongoing story, perhaps one that is coded in our genes. What is beauty? Like pornography, we know beauty when we see it but how shall we define it? Attempts to reduce beauty down to binary data and mathematical models is nothing new. Two millennium ago, Pythagoras observed connections between math, geometry and beauty. He proposed that features of physical objects (e.g., women, buildings, etc) corresponding to the golden ratio were the most attractive. Modern researchers, using a computer to processed and mapped the geometric shape of facial features mathematically, have discovered common patterns to societal expectations of beauty. [N2] Additional features such as face symmetry, smoothness of the skin and hair color were fed into the analysis. Based on human preferences, the machine learned the relation between facial features and attractiveness scores and was then put to the test on a fresh set of faces. The computer... TS-Si Op-Ed Pages - Global Warning Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:00:25 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3309/991/ Bloomington, IN, USA. An international team of researchers has created the first complete high-resolution map of how millions of neural fibers in the human cerebral cortex — the outer layer of the brain responsible for higher level thinking — connect and communicate. They have identified a single network core, or hub, that integrates both brain hemispheres. The map shows a core of brain regions with highly interconnected structures (the brain connectome ). The groundbreaking work also describes a novel application of a non-invasive technique that can be used by other scientists to continue mapping the trillions of neural connections in the brain at even greater resolution, which is becoming a new field of science ( connectomics ). Mapping the Structural Core of Human Cerebral Cortex. Patric Hagmann, Leila Cammoun, Xavier Gigandet, Reto Meuli, Christopher J. Honey, Van J. Wedeen, Olaf Sporns. PLoS Biology 6(7) e159 doi: 10.1371 / journal.pbio.0060159 [ Download PDF (http://ts-si.org/files/10.1371_journal.pbio.0060159-L.pdf) ] A map of the human cerebral cortex identifies a single network core that could be key to the workings of both hemispheres of the brain. Image courtesy of Indiana University. Until now, scientists have mostly used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology to measure brain activity — locating which parts of the brain become active during perception or cognition — but there has been little understanding of the role of the underlying anatomy in generating this activity. What is known of neural fiber connections and pathways has largely been learned from animal studies, and so far, no complete map of brain connections in the human brain exists. In this new study, a team of neuroimaging researchers led by Patric Hagmann used state-of-the-art diffusion MRI technology, which is a non-invasive scanning technique that estimates fiber connection trajectories based on gradient maps of the diffusion... TS-Si Science Access - Neuroscience Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:00:20 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3310/994/ Washington, DC, USA. As of July 1, Colorado gamblers who are deadbeat parents will see their winnings diverted to pay unpaid child support, drivers in California and Washington state can no longer use hand-held cell phones in transit and people who attend animal fights in Virginia risk felony charges. And New Mexico targets human traffickers. This is a sampling of the hundreds of new laws that take effect July 1, the beginning of the fiscal year for 46 states. Among the more widespread issues targeted in these laws are the behavior of young drivers, illegal immigration, registration of sex offenders and the sale of alcohol. Two states are introducing first-in-the-nation laws to crack down on deadbeat parents and delinquent taxpayers — if they also happen to be lucky gamblers. Several states already have laws to seize lottery winnings from parents delinquent on their child-support payments, but Colorado is the first to take earnings from slots (if winnings reach at least $1,200) and from racetracks (at least $600). Iowa is going after those who win at least $10,000 from slots or racetracks to also recoup back taxes, court debts and other payments. Other laws taking effect July 1 will bring more states in line with national trends. Iowa, for example, becomes the 28th state to ban smoking in almost all indoor public places, including bars and restaurants. Colorado will become the 35th state to end its blue law regarding liquor sales and allow liquor stores to open on Sundays, ending a ban that dates back to Prohibition. Georgia will become the 37th state to let residents buy wine online from wineries (although it is not one of the 13 states that allow residents to buy from Internet wine retailers). Georgia restaurant-goers can now take home... TS-Si Policy Review - Government Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:00:00 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3307/991/ Edinburgh, UK. New research into the brain puts us one step closer to understanding it's evolutionary origins and basic design principles. The findings suggest that size alone does not dictate brain power. The evolution of sophisticated molecular processing of nerve impulses allowed the development of animals with increasingly complex behaviors. The study shows that two waves of increased sophistication in the structure of nerve junctions could have been the force that allowed complex brains - including our own - to evolve. The big building blocks evolved before big brains. Evolutionary expansion and anatomical specialization of synapse proteome complexity. Richard D Emes, Andrew J Pocklington, Christopher N G Anderson, Alex Bayes, Mark O Collins, Catherine A Vickers, Mike D R Croning, Bilal R Malik, Jyoti S Choudhary, J Douglas Armstrong Seth G N Grant. Nature Neuroscience 11, 799 - 806 (2008). doi: 10.1038 / nn.2135. Current thinking suggests that the protein components of nerve connections - called synapses - are similar in most animals from humble worms to humans and that it is increase in the number of synapses in larger animals that allows more sophisticated thought. Our simple view that 'more nerves' is sufficient to explain 'more brain power' is simply not supported by our study, explained Professor Seth Grant, Head of the Genes to Cognition Programme (http://www.genes2cognition.org/) at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (http://www.sanger.ac.uk/Teams/Team32/) and leader of the project. Although many studies have looked at the number of neurons, none has looked at the molecular composition of neuron connections. We found dramatic differences in the numbers of proteins in the neuron connections between different species . We studied around 600 proteins that are found in mammalian synapses and were surprised to find that only 50 percent of... TS-Si Science Access - Neuroscience Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:00:25 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3306/993/ Washington, DC, USA. As fuel and energy costs continue to soar to record highs, a growing number of states are offering more of their public employees compressed workweeks to hold down states’ energy spending and give long-distance commuters some relief from paying high gas prices. Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.(R), announcing on June 26 the most comprehensive plan in the country, ordered about 17,000 state employees to a 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. work schedule Mondays through Thursdays — a plan set to begin the first week of August and continue for at least a year. Essential services, such as highway patrols, courts, public schools and colleges, will not be affected by the changes, which are expected to save the state $3 million, Lisa Roskelley, the governor’s spokeswoman, said. Florida, Kentucky and South Carolina already have offered optional compressed workweeks to a handful of its state employees, while a smattering of other states — Arkansas, Michigan, New Mexico, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Vermont among them — are considering expanding existing programs to more state agencies. Utah stands alone as the only to state to make four-day workweeks mandatory for agencies and shut down offices on Fridays. About 1,000 of the 3,000 state buildings will be closed that day under the new plan. Departments in other states with similar programs remain open five days a week, but stagger workers’ schedules, although many have for years offered flex-time and four-day schedules to some employees. Supporters say four-day workweeks help commuter-clogged roads, give people access to government services for longer hours, reduce emissions and conserve energy at state facilities — a residual benefit that saves taxpayers money. Keeping workers home once a week also appeals to rural states where mass transit is limited or nonexistent. Critics... TS-Si Society - Workplace Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:00:20 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3308/995/ TS-Si Op-Ed Pages - Tangent Wits Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:00:05 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3305/991/ Washington, DC, USA. Science shows that the human brain and central nervous system form before the remaining portions of our overall body plan. This is a central insight and the province of developmental biology, particularly embryology, which deals with the development of organs and other anatomical structures from the point of conception. While many questions remain to be answered, scientists have accumulated a great deal of knowledge on the sequence of human development following conception. Prior to the 20th century (and as recently as the 18th), the field of human embryology was in its formative stages. Ideas of preformation were prevalent; that is, the egg or sperm contains the homunculus — a preformed, miniature infant — that gows larger during development. Uber Induktion von Embryonanlagen durch Implantation artfremder Organisatoren. Spemann, H., and H. Mangold. Roux Arch. f. Entw. mech. 100: 599-638. 1924. The competing explanation was a proposal by Aristotle some 2,000 years before. Called epigenesis, it supposed that the form of an animal emerges gradually from a relatively formless egg. Instrumentation improved throughout the 19th century, ao biologists could actually observe embryos and watch a series of progressive steps. Epigenesis eventually displaced preformation as the favored explanation. The Spemann-Mangold Experiments Further progress came in fits and starts, occasioned by important events that seem deceptively simple in hindsight. The Spemann-Mangold experiments are an important example that set embrylogy on a truly modern path. Hans Spemann (27 Jun 1869 — 9 Sep 1941), a German scientist, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1935 for his discovery of the effect now known as embryonic induction. Spemann and his assistant, Hilde Mangold (1898 — 1924), a Ph.D candidate in his Freiburg laboratory, conducted seminal experiments that laid the foundations for the field of... TS-Si Science Access - Biological Sciences Sun, 29 Jun 2008 22:00:25 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3304/993/ Columbia, MO, USA. Virtually anything can be the topic of scientific study, but a male researcher finds that men doing field research on women are limited to certain subjects. So says Robert M. Baum, a professor of religious studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) (http://www.missouri.edu/), who has dealt with this challenging situation in the field for over 30 years. Most societies restrict the rights of women. One available stragem is to find a compelling rationale that secures female privacy away from male interference. Women's spaces that focus on a woman's reproductive cycle and fertility often enjoy male protection since men perceive such things as in their self-interest, promoting male potency. Women, in turn, can use the women's space for issues private to them that go beyond fertility rites and do so out of view from men. From a Boy Not Seeking a Wife to a Man Discussing Prophetic Women: A Male Fieldworker Among Diola Women in Senegal 1974–2005. Robert M. Baum. Men and Masculinities 2008. doi: 10.1177 / 1097184X08315093. The question of whether men can conduct field research on women ultimately will be determined by the quality and type of the data that they gather, says Baum. The subject matter of the field research will profoundly shape the possibilities of success. For example, access to women's ritual spaces and esoteric knowledge may be too restricted for male researchers. Research on female religious leaders whose teachings are designed for both men and women and who preside over mixed congregations will be far more fruitful for men to conduct. His conclusions about male researchers studying female subjects are based on his extensive observations of the Diola (pronounced joe-la) people. The modern Diola are primarily rice farmers. Baum has been traveling to... TS-Si Society - Living Sun, 29 Jun 2008 22:00:20 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3303/995/ Lancaster, PA, DC, USA. Independence Day is our leading national holiday. It has no equal or rival in its prominence and popularity. But maybe it should. To be sure, the Fourth of July commemorates a crucial moment in national history; that decisive point in time in which the Second Continental Congress declared, formally and publicly, American independence from Great Britain. That day together with the written Declaration of Independence itself comprise the single most familiar day and single most famed document in American history. But the very importance attributed to Independence Day and to the Declaration of Independence begs one of the most intriguing questions in national political life: Why then is it that we pay so little attention to another epochal event and seminal document in national history, separated in time by little more than a dozen years and equally vital, if not more so, to our national destiny? We speak of course of the U.S. Constitution. Why do we pay so little attention to the commemoration of it while paying so much to the Declaration? It is true that the Constitution has not been utterly ignored. In fact, there is now a federal holiday on September 17th that was mandated by Congress in 2004. The date, supplanting a largely unknown holiday called Citizenship Day, is distinctly low key. So far it is lightly observed — mainly in public schools and then only because Congress provides educational resources pertaining to the Constitution on that day. Few Americans seem aware of the day, and there are no public closures for it. With this single exception; however, there is scarcely any attention given to public observances of the Constitution. Certainly, neither logic nor history explains the snub. The historical parallels between the Constitution and the Declaration... TS-Si Op-Ed Pages - Public Affairs Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:00:20 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3302/994/ Washington, DC, USA. Criticism of the Washington state Democratic Party for an attack ad that linked an Italian-American politician to fictional organized crime. The Pennsylvania Senate ponders expansion of bathroom access to people with bowel disorders. North Carolina's motor vehicle department embarrassed by a sample license plate on its Web site. In case you missed those stories this week, Worth Noting fills you in. The Washington state Democratic Party has had to literally change its tune. The party was criticized for an attack ad on Republican gubernatorial candidate and Italian-American Dino Rossi that played the theme song to “The Sopranos,” the hit show about an Italian-American mafia family (sidebar). The Italian Club of Seattle called the ad “racist” and “beyond offensive,” The Seattle Times reports. The party apologized and re-released the ad to different music (sidebar). Call it especially urgent legislation. The Patriot-News (Harrisburg) reports that the Pennsylvania Senate is considering a bill to require retail stores to open their bathrooms, even if they’re not for public use, to people with bowel disorders, including Crohn’s disease — also known as inflammatory bowel disease. Somebody has to stand up for this silent, embarrassed minority. “How many people do you know who are going to sit around and want to tell you, ‘I had this accident in my pants’ — that’s not exactly cocktail or dinner conversation,” said Karen Gioffre, who is working for the bill’s passage and whose son has the disease. OMG. The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles was quick to notify 10,000 drivers whose license plates included the letters WTF — text slang for “What the (expletive)?” — that they could get replacement licenses for free. But the agency forgot to check its own Web site, which displayed “WTF-5505” as a sample... TS-Si Policy Review - Government Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:00:00 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3301/995/ Springfield, VA, USA. On the last day of the court's term in the year twenty-oh-eight, the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Second Amendment [to the Constitution of the United States] protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home. [N1] From the uproar, you’d have thought that Roberts, Scalia, et al had outlawed Marxism on the university campus. BANG! My father, born a decade into the Twentieth Century, was raised in Oakley Kansas. We have his Winchester Pump-action .22, Model 06 1911, a Short-Long or Long rifle manufactured by the Winchester repeating arms company in 1911. It still works fine. Shoots straight. Street value is $350 to $500. Not bad for a rifle a century old. So I own a gun. BANG! But I’ve never shot anybody with it. BANG! But I could have … BANG! If I hadn’t missed. BANG! BANG! If I had been a radical in the 1960s, if I had accepted the invitation to join the SDS [N2], I could have borrowed the rifle from my father, bought a carton or two of .22 Long shells, and joined the crowds in the streets shooting at The Man. But I wasn’t a random bomb thrower, not then, not now. If I were a Gender Activist in the new millennium, I would be expected to be a left liberal or, even better, a Marxist, full of anti-gun prohibitions and myself. Power to the People, Y’all. But like the vast majority of HBS men and women, I am neither a left liberal or a Marxist activist, nor a right conservative... TS-Si Op-Ed Pages - Global Warning Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:00:20 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3299/994/ Washington, DC, USA. Finally, the last primary votes have been cast, and Barack Obama and John McCain are jousting with each other. Obama has double-digit leads in two national polls, but the election poises for decision in a half-dozen toss-up states. So much has happened in the presidential race over the past three months that voters can be forgiven if they feel dazed. But despite all the political and media frenzy — and despite Democrat Barack Obama’s double-digit leads in two recent national polls — the outcome of the 2008 election is still likely to hinge on a half-dozen hotly contested battleground states, according to Out There’s third analysis of the “purple” swing states that are neither safely Republican (“red”) nor Democratic (“blue”). Out There currently posits that Obama can claim 242 electoral votes as either safe or leaning in his direction, while Republican John McCain can claim 221 electoral votes in the same way for himself. Reaching the magical 270 to win the White House will depend on winning some of the following toss-up states: Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio and Virginia, which cumulatively are worth 75 electoral votes. Just three months ago, Out There’s analysis concluded that Obama led in electoral votes, 259-221, with 58 in the toss-up category. While a number of states have moved modestly toward either Obama or McCain over the past three months, the only state to make a difference in Out There’s electoral-vote tally was Michigan, which shifted from leaning Democratic to toss-up in this assessment. On the one hand, a Quinnipiac Poll released June 26 found Obama ahead in Michigan, 48 percent-42 percent. However, the state’s mood is volatile from continued economic troubles under Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D), and Obama faces fallout from the controversy over how,... TS-Si Policy Review - Politics Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:00:15 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3297/993/ Durham, UK. Some ardent proponents of the sexual and feminist revolutions claimed women would be free to enjoy casual sex just as men always had. Yet, women report negative feelings after one-night stands, suggesting they are not well adapted to fleeting sexual encounters. Findings from a new study appear in Human Nature (http://www.springer.com/social+sciences/anthropology+ +archaeology/journal/12110). Emotion has a mediating role, providing flexibility (mediation) when when people interact and guide future interactions. Given the known differences between the sexes when it comes to competition and aggression, what is the role of emotional mediation when managing those differences? The morning after the night before: Affective reactions to one-night stands among mated and unmated women and men. Anne Campbell. Human Nature 19(2) 157-173. doi: 10.1007 / s12110-008-9036-2. DOI 10.1007/s12110-008-9036-2. ISSN 1045-6767 (Print); 1936-4776 (Online) Researchers have made several general assumptions about casual sex. For instance, men are more likely to reproduce and therefore to benefit from numerous short-term partners. For women, however, quality seems to be more important than quantity. Also, finding partners of high genetic quality is a stronger motivator for women than sheer number. Is it true that women are inclined to casual sex if there is a chance of forming a long-term relationship? Professor Anne Campbell is a professor of psychology at Durham University (http://www.dur.ac.uk/) (UK). Her research examines such questions from an evolutionary standpoint. Campbell looked at whether women have adapted to casual sex by examining their feelings following a one-night stand. If women have adapted, then although they may take part in casual sex less often than men because of their stricter criteria when selecting partners, they should rate the experience in a more positive manner. To test the theory, a total of 1743 men and women who had experienced a one-night... TS-Si Society - Relationships Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:00:20 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3298/993/ Stockholm, Sweden. The attitudes of families and the public exert little impact on adult decisions to have sex with persons of the same or the opposite sex. Instead, findings from the largest study in the world so far point to hereditary factors and individual experiences as the strongest influences on our choice of sexual partners. The conclusions apply equally well to why people only have sex with persons of the opposite sex as to why we have sex with same-sex partners. However, the conclusions are more difficult to transfer to countries where non-heterosexual behaviour remains prohibited. The study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet (KI) (http://ki.se/ki/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=130 l=sv) was performed in collaboration with the Queen Mary University of London (http://www.qmul.ac.uk/). More than 7,600 Swedish twins (men and women) aged 20-47 years responded to a 2005 - 2006 survey of health, behaviour, and sexuality. Seven percent of the twins had a same-sex sexual partner. The results show, that familial and public attitudes might be less important for our sexual behaviour than previously suggested , says Associate Professor Niklas Långström, one of the involved researchers. Instead, genetic factors and the individual's unique biological and social environments play the biggest role. Studies like this are needed to improve our basic understanding of sexuality and to inform the public debate. Overall, the environment shared by twins (including familial and societal attitudes) explained 0-17% of the choice of sexual partner, genetic factors 18-39% and the unique environment 61-66%. The individual's unique environment includes, for example, circumstances during pregnancy and childbirth, physical and psychological trauma (e.g., accidents, violence, and disease), peer groups, and sexual experiences. Genetic and Environmental Effects on Same-sex Sexual Behavior: A Population Study of Twins in Sweden. Niklas Långström, Qazi Rahman, Eva Carlström, Paul Lichtenstein. Archives of Sexual... TS-Si Society - Relationships Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:00:15 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3296/992/ Washington, DC, USA. General anesthesia puts patients into unconscious sleep so they do not feel surgical pain, but researchers say it can increase their discomfort once they wake up. The findings provide scientific confirmation for an increasing number of anecdotal observations in clinics. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) (http://www.pnas.org/), scientists report that noxious anesthesia drugs — which includes most of these general anesthetics - activate and then sensitize specific receptors on neurons in the peripheral nervous system. These are the sensory nerves in the inflammation and pain pathway that are not affected by general anesthesia drugs that target the central nervous system – the brain and the spinal cord. General anesthetics activate a nociceptive ion channel to enhance pain and inflammation. José A. Matta, Paul M. Cornett, Rosa L. Miyares, Ken Abe, Niaz Sahibzada, and Gerard P. Ahern. PNAS 2008 105(25) 8784-8789. 10.1073 / pnas.0711038105 [ Supporting Info PDF (http://ts-si.org/files/PNAS0711038105SuppPDF.pdf) ] Research from the Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) (http://gumc.georgetown.edu/) may lead to wider use of the few anesthetics that don't have this side effect, or to new developments. The choice of anesthetic appears to be an important determinant of post-operative pain, according to Gerard Ahern, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the GUMC (http://gumc.georgetown.edu/) Department of Pharmacology. We hope these findings are ultimately helpful in providing more comfort to patients. Ahern says that general anesthetics have long been known to cause irritation at the infusion site or in the airways when inhaled. And investigators have also known that while they suppress the central nervous system, they can activate so called pain-sensing or nociceptive nerve cells on the peripheral nervous system — in fact, anesthesiologists often first use a drug to suppress... TS-Si Medicine - Surgery Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:00:20 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3291/991/ Washington, DC, USA. A gene located on a chromosome other than the sex chromosomes is autosomal. We inherit two copies: one each from our biological mother and father. Generally, both are functional, but in a small subset one copy is turned off. One gene copy was marked, or imprinted, in either egg or sperm. The standard human genome contains 46 chromosomes: 23 from the mother and 23 from the father. The general human pattern consists of two copies of every gene (excluding some irregularity in the sex chromosomes). Which parent contributes a specific chromosome has no effect on the expression of the genes found there. Imprinted expression can vary between tissues, developmental stages, and even species. The Evolution of the DLK1-DIO3 Imprinted Domain in Mammals. Carol A. Edwards, et al. PLoS Biology 6(6) e135 doi: 10.1371 / journal.pbio.0060135. [ Download PDF (http://ts-si.org/files/10.1371_journal.pbio.0060135-L.pdf) ] The evolution of imprinting: chromosomal mapping of orthologues of mammalian imprinted domains in monotreme and marsupial mammals. Carol A. Edwards, et al. BMC Evolutionary Biology 2007, 7:157. doi: 10.1186 / 1471-2148-7-157. [ Download PDF (http://ts-si.org/files/EvolutionOfImprinting1471-2148-7-157.pdf) ] [ Supplement PDF (http://ts-si.org/files/EvolutionOfImprinting1471-2148-7-157-s1.pdf) ] Exceptions to the rule are caused by a phenomenon in which specific genes are expressed in a parent-of-origin-specific manner. Called genomic imprinting, or modification of DNA, it is a form of gene expression influenced by which parent supplied the gene. The phenomenon of genomic imprinting evolved in a common ancestor to marsupials and eutherian mammals over 150 million years ago. Its evolution apparently occurred because of a parental battle between the sexes to control the maternal expenditure of resources to the offspring. And the phenomenon doesn't seem to have originated in association with sex chromosomes. Genomic imprinting evolved in mammals with the advent of live birth. The expression... TS-Si Science Access - Genetics and the Genome Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:00:15 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3288/992/ Edmunton, Alberta, Canada. Does emotional wisdom come with age? Researchers identified brain patterns that help healthy people over the age of 60 regulate and control emotion better than younger counterparts. Two brain regions increased activity when participants viewed standardized pictures of emotionally challenging situations. Dr. Florin Dolcos, University of Alberta (U of A) (http://www.ualberta.ca/), conducted the study in collaboration with researchers from Duke University (http://www.duke.edu/). Dolcos is a member of the Alberta Cognitive Neuroscience Group (http://www.ualberta.ca/~acn/). The U of A (http://www.ualberta.ca/) group brings together researchers from the U of A (http://www.ualberta.ca/) to explore how the brain works in human thought, including issues like perception, attention, learning, memory, language, decision-making, emotion and development. Effects of aging on functional connectivity of the amygdala during negative evaluation: A network analysis of fMRI data. Peggy St. Jacques, Florin Dolcos, Roberto Cabeza. Neurobiolology of Aging ePub 2 May 2008. doi: 10.1016 / j.neurobiolaging.2008.03.012. PII: S0197-4580(08)00105-X. The study, published in Neurobiology of Aging (http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/525480/description#description), was performed under the co-ordination of Dr. Roberto Cabeza and in collaboration with Ms. Peggy St. Jacques, both of Duke University (http://www.duke.edu/). Dr. Dolcos received his training in brain imaging research at Duke. Previous studies have provided evidence that healthy older individuals have a positivity bias – they can actually manage how much attention they give to negative situations so they're less upset by them, said Dolcos. We didn't understand how the brain worked to give seniors this sense of perspective until now. Dr. Dolcos is an assistant professor of psychiatry and neuroscience in the U of A Faculty of Medicine Dentistry (http://www.med.ualberta.ca/). During the study, younger and older participants were asked to rate the emotional content of standardized images as positive, neutral or negative, while their brain activity... TS-Si Medicine - Soc & Psych Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:00:15 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3285/991/ Uppsala, Sweden. New research identifies hundreds of biological differences between the sexes when it comes to gene expression in the cerebral cortex of humans and other primates. New findings show that some of these differences arose a very long time ago and have been preserved throughout primate evolution. There are fundamental questions for neuroscience regarding the relative contribution of genetics versus environment to behavioral differences between the sexes. Examples of the physical, and more obvious, gender [N1] differences include average body size and weight, and genitalia design. An Evolutionarily Conserved Sexual Signature in the Primate Brain. Björn Reinius, Peter Saetre, Jennifer A. Leonard, Ran Blekhman, Roxana Merino-Martinez, Yoav Gilad, Elena Jazin. (2008). PLoS Genetics 4(6): e1000100. doi: 10.1371 / journal.pgen.1000100 [ Download PDF (http://ts-si.org/files/journal.pgen.1000100[1].pdf) ] A team of researchers from Sweden and the United States. Uppsala Universitet (http://www.uu.se/), Karolinska Institutet (http://ki.se/ki/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=130 l=en), and The University of Chicago (http://www.uchicago.edu/) conducted a high precision inventory of the differences in gene expression between the sexes [N2]. This particular study did not determine functional significance of the differences, but establishes an informative baseline for further investigation. The findings appear in PLoS Genetics (http://www.plosgenetics.org/home.action). But could the differences between sexes constitute a signature of sex differences in the brain? Knowledge about gender differences is important for many reasons. For example, this information may be used in the future to calculate medical dosages, as well as for other treatments of diseases or damage to the brain, says Elena Jazin, Associate Professor, Uppsala Universitet (http://www.uu.se/). Lead author Björn Reinius notes that the study does not determine whether these differences in gene expression are in any way functionally significant. Their particular study focuses on gene expression within the cerebral cortex — that area of the brain that is involved... TS-Si Science Access - Genetics and the Genome Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:00:20 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3266/995/ Washington, DC, USA. In a time to come, people born HBS shall shake the conscience of our nation. During the Pride season, let us take joy in who we are and embrace the responsibilities imposed on us by that knowledge. [1] We said something like that in our first Pride editorial: the statement holds true. [2] We are still here in the Washington, D.C. area, on the eve of another Capital Pride, and continue to consider Pride from an American perspective. After all, the search for ways to perfect our liberties, and dissatisfaction when we fail, animates much of our American history. TS-Si has always been committed to equal rights for all before just laws enacted for all: our position applies without regard to the views or social station of others. We support the inherent rights and dignity of disenfranchised people without regard to race, class, gender, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, transgender presentation, and other distinctions [3]. There is much to be done to fully secure our rights. All of us, HBS or not, live within a society that routinely misplaces just priorities, only to find them again in glorious moments of resolve and triumph. Whether it be the liberation of black citizens from the evil done by slavery and its consequences, battling Hitler and assorted Lords of War, sealing the compact of equality between the sexes, improving the lot of those less fortunate in an economically unbalanced society, or the many other great works in progress, Americans eventually come round to their core responsibilities. What makes it work in the end is a culture that rests on a bedrock of fairness and a respect for facts. We go wrong when we allow personal self-indulgence to become the basis for public policy. The necessary correctives start... TS-Si Op-Ed Pages - Editorials Fri, 13 Jun 2008 22:00:20 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3256/992/ Malaga, Andalucia, Spain. There has been relatively little systematic study of the effects of long-term cross-sex hormone therapy in male-to-female (M2F) and female-to-male (F2M) transsexuals [cf. sidebar]. Now, this is beginning to change. A research team from Hospital Regional Universitario Carlos Haya (http://www.carloshaya.net/portal/) [N1] studied changes in the serum uric acid (urate) levels. Uric acid, an organic compound, is produced in large quantities by the normal human metabolism. Ordinarily, people can have elevated levels of uric acid for variety of hereditary or dietary reasons. Any changes in may be an independent mortality factor of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), cytokines, and various inflammatory markers. Cytokines are a general category of signalling proteins and glycoproteins, critical to the functioning of both innate and adaptive immune responses. Cellular communication depends on them , along with hormones and neurotransmitters. Effect of Long-Term Administration of Cross-Sex Hormone Therapy on Serum and Urinary Uric Acid in Transsexual Persons. R. Yahyaoui, I. Esteva, J. J. Haro-Mora, M. C. Almaraz, S. Morcillo, G. Rojo-Martínez, J. Martínez, J. M. Gómez-Zumaquero, I. González, V. Hernando and F. Soriguer. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism 93(6) 2230-2233. doi: 10.1210 / jc.2007-2467. [ Author's Manuscript PDF (http://ts-si.org/files/EffectLong-TermXSexHTjc.2007-2467v1.pdf) ] The basis of this study, and a few others like it, is an analysis of the serum chemistry and possble health effects. Blood serum is derived from blood plasma [cf. sidebar] after the removal of blood cells, clotting factors, and other materials. The study of uric acid serum levels produced findings of general interest that were published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism (http://jcem.endojournals.org/). Serum Uric Acid Blood tests for uric acid measures the absolute amounts in a particular sample and makes it available for comparison with other members of a group. Most uric acid is filtered... TS-Si Medicine - Hormones & Meds Mon, 09 Jun 2008 22:00:20 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3248/991/ Durham, NC, USA. Little things that go awry in the brain can have large consequences. What if we could insert tiny electrodes (nanotubes) into neural cells? And how could we get them there? We may be a step closer to answers with the emergence of maneuverable microrobots measured in the mere billionths-of-a-meter. Scientists at Duke University (http://www.duke.edu/) craft microscopic robots that assemble into self-organized structures to maneuver as separate entities without any obvious guidance. Each microrobot is shaped something like a spatula but with dimensions measuring just microns, or millionths of a meter. They are almost 100 times smaller than any previous robotic designs of their kind and weigh even less. Planar Microassembly by Parallel Actuation of MEMS Microrobots. B. R. Donald, C. Levey, and I. Paprotny. Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, In Press. (2008). ISSN: 1057-7157. doi: 10.1109 / JMEMS.2008.xxxxxx [ Download PDF (http://ts-si.org/files/Donald-jmems08-final-revised-MS.pdf) ] The devices are formally known as microelectromechanical system (MEMS) microrobots. They are of suitable scale for Lilliputian tasks such as performing diagnostics on brain function, moving around the interiors of laboratories-on-a-chip, and inserting tiny nanotubes into neural cells. It's marvelous to be able to do assembly and control at this fine a resolution with such very, very tiny things, said Bruce Donald, a Duke professor of computer science and biochemistry. In videos produced by the team, two microrobots can be seen pirouetting to the music of a Strauss waltz on a dance floor just 1 millimeter across. In another sequence, the devices pivot in a precise fashion whenever their boom-like steering arms are drawn down to the surface by an electric charge. This response resembles the way dirt bikers turn by extending a boot heel. New research summaries describe the group's latest accomplishment: getting five... TS-Si Science Access - Science Enterprise Tue, 03 Jun 2008 22:00:10 +0100 http://ts-si.org/content/view/3204/991/ Bilbao, Spain. Most scientific and technological advances tend to take their place silently in society until general awareness reaches a critical level (usually after the fact). Biotechnology often finds itself the center of public debate and regulatory attention from the start, due partly to the moral issues posed by many of its applications. Stem cell research is one example, garnering extensive comments and debate by by public officials and pundits from many corners of society. But what do ordinary citizens have to say on the subject? In the Second BBVA Foundation International Study on Attitudes to Biotechnology, the BBVA Foundation (http://www.bbva.com/TLBB/tlbb/jsp/esp/home/index.jsp?rf=) performed an in-depth comparative analysis of the attitudes of citizens towards research with embryos for the purpose of obtaining stem cells. Survey respondents were drawn from 12 European countries plus Israel, Japan, and the United States. Second BBVA Foundation International Study on Attitudes to Biotechnology: Stem Cells. BBVA Foundation Social Studies Department. May 2008. [ Download PDF (http://ts-si.org/files/BBVAestudioInternacionalBiotecnologia2008Spanish.pdf) ] Among the questions analyzed the extent to which public opinion has been informed about stem cells, expectations and reservations regarding research with embryonic stem cells, and — depending on the origin of the embryos — any differences in support for such research. Sample selection and methodology The first BBVA Foundation (http://www.bbva.com/TLBB/tlbb/jsp/esp/home/index.jsp?rf=) study on Attitudes to Biotechnology was done in 2003. The initial sample of the first study has been enlarged from nine to twelve European countries (Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom), with the addition of countries from other continents: Israel, Japan, and the United States. The selection of countries was informed by both their demographical weight and their variability from the standpoint of religious beliefs and cultural traditions. Information was gathered through 1,500 face-to-face interviews in... TS-Si Science Access - Science Enterprise Thu, 15 May 2008 22:00:20 +0100