The Blink of an Eye

Latest studies show that the retina can transmit signals to the brain as fast as an ethernet connection! It seems that the human retina can transmit visual data at approximately 10 million bits per second. In comparison, an ethernet connection can transmit information between computers at speeds of 10 to 100 million bits per second. Study co-authors are McLean and Freed from Penn and Segev and Berry from Princeton. This research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.

On A LIGHTer Note....

"Photons have mass ?!? I didn't even know they were Catholic..."

From the Union of Concerned Scientists

I received this e-mail from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) about the Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

UCS distributed this survey to 5,918 FDA scientists to assess the state of science at the agency, and nearly 1,000 responded. The results paint a picture of a troubled agency: hundreds of scientists reported significant interference with the FDA's scientific work, compromising the agency's ability to fulfill its mission of protecting public health and safety. Among the more troubling findings:

Almost one in five (18 percent) responded, "I have been asked, for non-scientific reasons, to inappropriately exclude or alter technical information or my conclusions in an FDA scientific document."

More than three in five (61 percent) respondents know of cases where "Department of Health and Human Services or FDA political appointees have inappropriately injected themselves into FDA determinations or actions."

Less than half (47 percent) think that the "FDA routinely provides complete and accurate information to the public."

Two in five (40 percent) said they could not publicly express "concerns about public health without fear of retaliation." More than a third (36 percent) did not feel they could do so even in the confines of the agency.

Independent science is important for the workings of the FDA and other federal agencies. Without impartial science, the FDA is stymied in its job. The health and safety of everyone will suffer as a result of the Bush administration's heavy-handed control of regulatory decisions based on politics rather than hard science.

VETO

So, Bush has finally vetoed his first bill, the stem cell research enhancement bill HR 810, passed by both the Republican House and Senate. In doing so, Bush turns his back on potentially life-saving research for diabetes, Parkinson's Disease, spinal cord injuries, and many other afflictions. It's maddening to live in a country with so many resources and opportunities, only to have legitimate science repressed and vilified with lies and deception. This has to be the most anti-science government in the history of our country. Let's use this setback as a springboard for our efforts in November to reclaim the House and Senate!

Call Your Senators to Support the Stem Cell Bill!

Dear Eyedoc,
Senate Debates H.R. 810 TODAY Take Action!
Last chance to call your Senators

As you know, H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, is being considered on the Senate floor starting today, July 17 and will continue until the vote is held on Tuesday, July 18. Between now and the time of the vote, we need your help! Regardless of where you live and even if you have contacted your Senators previously, please call your senators and ask them to vote in favor of H.R. 810. Keep the Senate phones ringing with pro-patient messages and ask that your Senators vote YES on H.R. 810. We need the strongest Senate vote possible to send a clear message to the White House that the majority of Americans support medical research and this important legislation.

Already during the debate, several senators have stated that adult stem cells have cured Parkinson's disease. This is absolutely false. If there were a therapy to halt the progression of this unrelenting disease, the millions of Parkinson's patients, caregivers and their physicians would be pursuing that treatment right now. Sadly, the facts show that we have NOT found a cure, or adequate treatments for Parkinson's, using adult stem cells or otherwise.

H.R. 810 Debate Schedule:
Monday, July 17: The Senate debate will continue until 9 p.m. (Eastern Time)
Tuesday, July 18: Debate from 10 a.m. until 3:45 (with an hour break for lunch around noon.)

Immediately following debate, the Senate will vote on the 3 bills in the package individually, with the last vote being H.R. 810. H.R. 810 vote is expected at approximately 5:15 p.m. Call your senators and tell them that H.R. 810 is the ONLY pro-patient bill that offers hope to millions of Americans, including people fighting Parkinson's disease and their families.

Telekinesis: A Moving Story

How would you like to move objects with just your own brainpower? Scientists at Cyberkinetics have developed a "neuromotor prosthesis", a computer chip that is implanted into the human brain that can translate thoughts into action. So far, one paralyzed patient has learned to draw simple shapes, play a video game, and adjust the channel/volume on a television, using only his thoughts. One can imagine great promise for this new technology that could bring greater independence and safety for paralyzed individuals, with possibility of controlling all kinds of electronic devices with just a thought.

Here's Lookin' at You, Kid

Are you the sort of person who can "forget a face"? Prosopagnosia, or face blindess, is the inability to distinguish between different faces (except the most familiar ones). Those afflicted try to compensate for their confusion by focusing on details of voice, gait, clothing or hair color to identify people. A German research group, headed by Dr. Ingo Kennerknecht of the Institute for Human Genetics at the University of Muenster, has discovered that face blindness can run in families and appears to have a hereditary component.

Now, who did you say you were again?

Hawking Science

"I didn't fancy the thought of being handed over to the Inquisition, like Galileo"
~Stephen Hawking joking about a comment by Pope John Paul II who stated that scientists should not study the origins of the universe, as it was "G-d's work".

Stem Cells Behaving Badly

What do cancer cells and the developing embryo have in common? The answer is "a whole lotta genes"! My own work and those of my colleagues in the stem cell field show that there are a number of similarities between cancer and embryos. It seems that some cancers--leukemias, brain tumors, and eye tumors show subsets of stem cells that resemble cells from embryos. This is important because these "cancer stem cells" are the ones believed to be responsible for spreading tumors to distant sites and resisting chemotherapy drugs. It only takes one cancer stem cell behaving badly to propagate tumors that will not respond to chemo. By studying the behavior of these cancer stem cells, we can develop new treatments to kill tumors more effectively.

Food for thought: If there are stem cells in tumors that have the potential to develop into a human being, are the fundamentalists going to argue against surgical removal of malignant tumors in order to save the "potential human life" therein?

A Cross to Bear

I'm back from the stem cell conference. The following New York Times article was brought to our attention today in the plenary session. There are now serious consequences for Catholic stem cell researchers:

Excommunication for Stem Cell Researchers

By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL

Published: July 1, 2006

ROME, June 30 — Scientists who engage in stem cell research using human embryos should be subject to excommunication from the Roman Catholic Church, according to a senior Vatican official.

Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, who heads the group that proposes family-related policy for the church, said in an interview with the Catholic weekly Famiglia Cristiana published Thursday that stem cell researchers should be punished in the same way as women who have abortions and doctors who perform them.

"Destroying an embryo is equivalent to abortion," said the cardinal. "Excommunication is valid for the women, the doctors and researchers who destroy embryos."

It was unclear if the pope supported the position, and the Vatican did not return calls for comment. But such blunt remarks from a powerful cardinal just a week before the church convenes a meeting to discuss the topic could foreshadow a hardening of Vatican policy on the issue, experts said.

International Society for Stem Cell Research

I'm off to Toronto on Wednesday for the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research. It's always an interesting few days of scientific exchange, networking and a bit of fun. On Wednesday evening, there's a public forum on stem cell research, which is always well-attended. The exhibitors will provide us with free tote bags, pens, mouse pads, and plush animals.

But I'm especially interested in our keynote speaker, Dr. John Polanyi. It should be interesting!:

Nobel Laureate John Polanyi is a faculty member in the chemistry department at the University of Toronto. His research is on molecular motions in chemical reactions in gases and surfaces. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1986.

Polanyi is a fellow of the Royal Societies of Canada (F.R.S.C.), of London (F.R.S.) and of Edinburgh (F.R.S.E.), and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the Pontifical Academy of Rome, and the Russian Academy of Sciences. He is a member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada (P.C.) and a Companion of the Order of Canada (C.C.).

He was a founding member of both the Committee on Scholarly Freedom of the Royal Society and the Canadian Committee for Scientists and Scholars, an international human rights organization of which he is president. Additionally he was the founding chair of the Canadian Pugwash Group in 1960, and has been active for 40 years in International Pugwash. He has written extensively on science policy, the control of armaments and peacekeeping. He is co-editor of a book, The Dangers of Nuclear War, and was a participant in the recent Canada 21 study of a 21st century defense posture for Canada. He was co-chair (with Sir Brian Urquhart) of the Department of Foreign Affairs International Consultative Committee on a Rapid Response Capability for the United Nations.

The Plagiarism Story-- A Happy Ending

Back in March, I told you about a group in India that had plagiarized an entire article of mine and republished it in another journal. It was a cut-and-paste job of the worst kind. They not only copied my text, but the actual figures, as well.

After over two months, there is finally an update: The plagiarized article has been retracted. Three of the four plagiarists sent me an apology, stating that they were very surprised to find out that the fourth author had done such a terrible thing. When I asked about an apology from the fourth author, there was no further response. All four authors are banned from submitting articles to the journal until further notice. The case has been sent to the Indian Ophthalmological Society for further review.

Meanwhile, this story has been a great ice-breaker at the stem cell conferences!

Designer Genes

What about a test that can screen an embryo for hundreds of potential genetic mutations? Some may consider this a scary development. I think it goes a long way toward preventing a number of devastating inherited diseases...

LONDON, June 19 (UPI) -- A revolutionary test developed by British scientists will allow human embryos to be screened for thousands of genetic mutations before implantation. Known as pre-implantation genetic haplotyping, the technique dramatically reduces the risk of passing on inherited diseases, according to a report Monday in The London Times. Current methods permit screening for about 200 inherited defects but the new procedure developed at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London will work for thousands of heritable conditions, most of which are too rare or complicated to be pinpointed by existing means. It will also help families at risk of diseases that usually afflict only boys, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and hemophilia. Professor Peter Braude, who supervised the research team, said the test would give thousands more couples that carry genetic illnesses the chance to have a healthy baby.
www.sciencedaily.com

Keeping Abreast...

It's time for my annual mammogram tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Update: After much smooshing and prodding, I was sent away with a clean bill of health!

I Got Rhythm...

LONDON, June 13 (UPI) -- A British philosopher at the London School of Economics is drawing criticism from abortion opponents by opposing the "rhythm method," a report says. The New York Times said Luc Bovens argues in the Journal of Medical Ethics that couples who use the rhythm method to avoid pregnancy may be more at risk of producing underdeveloped embryos.

The rhythm method refers to the practice of couples preventing pregnancy by avoiding sex during the woman's most fertile time of the month. If this is correct, he writes, "millions of rhythm method cycles per year globally depend for their success on massive embryonic death," the Times said.

Bovens asserts that those concerned about early embryonic death should be just as worried about the rhythm method as they would be over other forms of contraception. Bovens's comments have drawn controversy in the United States and Britain from abortion opponents who advocate the rhythm method, or what is commonly known as natural family planning, the Times said.

Fertility experts say that although there are implications to its validity, there is little evidence to support Bovens's assumption.

Isn't it interesting when the fundies' faith in "the rhythm method" is questioned? What if Luc Boven's theory is true and the rhythm method leads to more miscarriages? Will the next step will be to advocate abstinent marriages? Oy!

Tonight, Dear. I Have a Headache.

From ScienceDaily.com:

"Our study suggests that sexual desire and migraine headaches may be influenced by the same brain chemical," said Timothy Houle, Ph.D., lead author and research assistant professor of anesthesiology. "The results support the idea that migraine, as a syndrome, is associated with other common phenomena. Understanding of this link will help us to better understand the nature of migraine and perhaps lead to improved treatment."

The research, involving 68 young adults from Chicago, will appear in an upcoming issue of Headache, published by the American Headache Society, and already is available on line.

The objective of the study was to examine the relationship between migraine headache and self-reported sexual desire. There is evidence of a complex relationship between sexual activity and headache. Both sexual desire and migraine headache have been linked to levels of serotonin, a brain chemical that also plays a role in depression. An excess of serotonin may be associated with decreased libido, and migraine sufferers are reported to have low system levels of the brain chemical. Serotonin has also been found to play a role in migraine attacks.

"Considering the circumstantial evidence linking both migraine and sexual desire to serotonin, we wanted to explore whether the two phenomena are actually related," said Houle.

The researchers hypothesized that abnormalities in the serotonin systems of migraine sufferers may influence their sexual desire. Because high levels of serotonin are associated with low sexual desire, and migraine sufferers have low levels of the chemical, it was predicted that they would report higher levels of sex drive.

The study involved 68 participants who reported having at least 10 headaches a year. Their mean age was 24 years. Participants underwent interviews to diagnose their headache type -- either migraine or tension -- and filled out a 14-item questionnaire to measure sexual desire.

Males reported levels of sexual desire that were 24 percent higher than females. Migraine sufferers reported levels of sexual desire that were 20 percent higher than those suffering from tension headaches. Females with migraines had levels of sexual desire similar to males who had tension headaches.

"The study demonstrated that migraine patients in general may experience higher levels of sexual desire than others," said Houle. "They appeared to be aware of this, rating their sex drive as being higher than others their age and gender."

He said the results suggest that a serotonin link may be implicated in both migraine headaches and sexual desire.

"This opens the door to consider other phenomena that have a similar neurochemical basis," he said. For example, there is an increased prevalence of depression in people with migraine, which is also theorized to be modulated by serotonin.

Houle said future research should focus on whether a cluster of migraine characteristics or symptoms can serve as markers of an altered serotonin system. Although the current study was not able to address whether the link may apply to middle-age or older adults with migraines, Houle said the finding appears to be quite general and is likely to be found in older patients as well.

Co-researchers were Lara K. Dhingra, Ph.D., from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Thomas A. Remble, M.A., from Rush University Medical Center, Lori A. Rokicki, Ph.D., in private practice in Toledo, Ohio, and Donald B. Penzien, Ph.D., from the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

'Nuff Said

DNA Shoah Project

There's a fascinating project designed to identify Jewish victims of the Holocaust. The DNA Shoah project, founded by Syd Mandelbaum and Michael Hammer, is a DNA database of those who lost loved ones in the Holocaust. DNA from the database can be compared with human remains found recently in Poland and Germany. The database will also be used to help reunite Holocaust orphans, who were sent abroad during the war, with other family members who survived.

Once again, we see the power of DNA.

http://www.dnashoah.info

Win, Place or Show?

Idaho Gem and Idaho Star are identical cloned mules. They were created from a fetal sibling of a former champion racing mule named Taz. Although they share the same DNA, the two clones have trained separately for two years. They are going to be racing head-to-head today in a test of nature vs. nurture. Which one will win? Will they tie? It should be interesting!

Update:
Idaho Gem took third place and Idaho Star finished seventh in a 350-yard (meter) race against six naturally bred three-year-old mules at the Winnemucca Mule Race, Show & Draft Horse Challenge in Winnemucca, Nevada.

New link:
http://tinyurl.com/mrdhv

Political Science

Do you have an editorial cartoon idea related to scientific integrity (like the one above, for example)? If so, send your entries to the following website:

http://www.ucsusa.org/scientific_integrity/science_idol/